Chuck
When Chuck premiered three years ago, it didn’t seem to have much of a shot. It was promoted as heavily as some other new shows by NBC, and you could be forgiven mistaking some of the leads for stars from other shows (Zachary Levi says he gets mistaken for John Krasinski, and there is something very Seth Green about Josh Gomez).
But Chuck has all the style (and all the beautiful people) you’d expect from a show co-created by The O.C. and Gossip Girl’s Josh Schwartz. Plus, the action is decent, the jokes are funny and the characters are interesting. It’s also chock full o’ guest stars and geek culture references.
In a bit of a departure for Qworthy so far, Chuck’s previous seasons aren’t available for streaming anywhere, but the current season is on Hulu. Only the last five episodes are available at any one time (the first episode of the season expires in four days), but if you missed the season premiere and feel like jumping into a new series with both feet, head over to Hulu and check it out.
Good Eats
For fans of cooking shows, there have been a fair number of streaming options lately. Netflix, for example, has most seasons of Anthony Bourdain and Man V. Food, plus less palatable fare (wonk wonk) like Hell’s Kitchen.
But recently Hulu raised the bar with addition of Good Eats.
Alton Brown is the father of the modern cooking show, or at least its nerdy uncle. Half cooking show and half science show, each Good Eats episode focuses on one ingredient and explores it thoroughly. With the help of homemade molecular models, kitschy skits, and a disembodied hand/sous chef, he teaches a handful of recipes and their overarching techniques.
There are only 5 full episodes on Hulu so far, but with 117 additional clips, there’s plenty to watch.
Weeds
Although Showtime has generally lagged slightly behind HBO in original series, it has a legitimate hit on its hands in Weeds, the story of a suburban soccer mom turned pot dealer. Some critics have said the show has passed its prime, but the good news for you is that means best seasons are on Netflix Instant.
It also doesn’t hurt that the main character, played by West Wing’s Mary-Louise Parker, is all kinds of hot. If only all suburban soccer mom pot dealers were so gorgeous. And it’s a rare title that can bring together fans of Desperate Housewives and Friday.
Weeds is currently nearing the end of its sixth season (and has been picked up for a seventh), and the first five seasons are currently available on Netflix.
Tribute to Stephen J. Cannell
Stephen J. Cannell, who passed away at the end of September, was responsible for some of the best TV of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, including Rockford Files, A-Team, The Commish and Greatest American Hero. You probably remember him for his production card, which included footage of Cannell typing and then tossing a piece of paper, which turned into an animated logo. (You can see several versions here.) Next to “Sit Ubu, sit,” it’s the credit I remember most from my childhood.
Here’s a round-up of everything I could find that he wrote, produced or created. If I missed any, let me know in the comments and I’ll update the post. Some of these shows don’t hold up very well, so if you have particularly fond memories of one of them, it might be better to just skip it.
The Greatest American Hero: Season 1 on Netflix
The Greatest American Hero on Hulu
The Rockford Files: Season 1 on Netflix
The A-Team: Season 1 on Netflix
The A-Team on Hulu (Available only through Sept. 18, 2011)
The Commish: Season 1 on Netflix
21 Jump Street: Season 1 on Netflix
