This is not a post about theatre, so my credibility is totally unproven, and I promise not to make a habit of these kinds of posts. However, there are so many TV shows that I’ve enjoyed over the years and have no one to talk to about them (apart from my husband, of course. But it’s not fair to burden someone with all your niche TV preferences).

If you’re looking for something to watch that is not in the forefront of the 2025 North American cultural zeitgeist, I bring you my list of shows I would recommend checking out:

1. Crazy Ex Girlfriend: This show is brilliant. It’s a musical comedy written by Rachel Bloom. If you don’t like musicals…suck it up. It’s a great show. So, so smart.
2. Taskmaster (UK version): A bunch of comedians/celebrities compete in a ridiculous competition. It’s entirely for free on Youtube. This is certainly not underrated in the UK, but in Canada it is. Look it up.
3. 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown: Another only-underrated-in-North America show. A British comedy troupe once decided to play a round of Countdown on their sketch comedy show. Countdown is a well-known British daytime game show that is like Boggle + math class. Anyway, it went so well that they decided to make a whole spinoff show of comedians playing this game, and it’s now run for 27 seasons.
4. 3rd Rock From the Sun: The best sitcom of the 90s, and I’ll fight you on this. This isn’t underrated so much as slightly forgotten (slash undiscovered by the youth), and that’s a real shame. The cast is impeccable – John Lithgow, a baby Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jane Curtin (orig cast member of SNL), Kristen Johnston, French Stewart. The show is about a group of aliens that have come to Earth to learn about humans. It’s very silly. I love it so much. Ask me about the time I ended up in a group chat with my mother-in-law and the actor that plays Pitman.
5. Ghosts (UK version): The US version is trash. The UK version is absolutely delightful. The show is about a couple who inherit a haunted mansion, and one of them can see ghosts. It’s not spooky or scary in the slightest – it’s a good blend of refined British humour and slapstick farce. There are only 34 30-minute episodes, so it’s not a big commitment.
6. Detroiters: A cute little Paramount+ sitcom starring Sam Richardson from Veep (one of my favourite characters from one of my favourite shows) and Tim Robinson (briefly on SNL). It’s about two best friends who run an ad agency in Detroit.
7. Barry: Barry-ly underrated, since it won awards and stuff. But I don’t hear anyone talking about this show. It stars Bill Hader as a hit man who decides he’d rather pursue an acting career. It starts off goofy funny and gets darker as the series progresses.
8. The IT Crowd: Another British sitcom that I wish more people knew about. It stars Richard Ayoade and Chris O’Dowd, and it’s about the IT department of a big company. My favourite episode involves an aspiring cannibal (not Armie Hammer) who has a great stereo system.
9. Kid Nation: The best reality TV show of all time (that also happens to be posted in its entirety on Youtube). I’m not sure who thought it’d be a good idea to put 40+ kids unsupervised in an abandoned town [set], but here we are. This show is absurd. It’s ridiculous. It’s art.
10. Dead Like Me: Mandy Patinkin is a grim reaper. This show ended way too soon. RIP.

Well, this list basically became “British shows you should watch + a few others.” Let me know if you’ve watched one of these shows, end up watching one, or are impressed with how cool I am because of my impeccable taste in TV. (That is, if you weren’t already impressed by my many other impressive qualities, such as my deep knowledge of musical theatre history).