Xennial Shows You Missed Out On
Posted by EastTXJosh@reddit | Xennials | View on Reddit | 278 comments
My wife and I (both class of ‘97) recently started watching How I Met Your Mother. I remember when the show first ran and I just assumed it was “bad TV” because it was on CBS, so I never bothered to watch it. We are about halfway through Season 1 and I can’t believe I slept on this show. The main characters are Xennials and I can completely relate to so much, especially the music (there have already been some Belle & Sebastian and Nada Surf deep(er) cuts featured). Anyone go back and discover a Xennial show several years after it ran?
uncle_monty@reddit
The Office.
It was a sleeper hit that I would hear mentioned from time to time, before it suddenly became a phenomenon. But I never bothered watching it because I didn't really like Ricky Gervais or awkward/cringe comedy. But then I got gifted the full DVD box set long after the show had finished, and liked it a lot more than I thought I would. I still don't love Gervais, but what he achieved with that show was incredible - a game changer. The cast was incredible, as well. Mackenzie Crook was brilliant, and without him making a name for himself on The Office, we probably wouldn't have got Detectorists, which is one of my favourite shows ever.
SparkleYeti@reddit
My parents made fun of Buffy constantly, so I didn't watch it until my 30s. I'd have loved it as a teen.
uncle_monty@reddit
I thought I would hate it. I assumed it was just a dumb teen/romance show, which it is, but it's also so much more. After persevering with the first season, which is a bit ropey, I got fully hooked.
captain_flak@reddit
Yeah, my wife introduced this to me after the fact. Also Gilmore Girls, Alias, Felicity, and The West Wing. The only one I didn’t care for was WW.
ShutYourDumbUglyFace@reddit
Felicity's last season just pissed me off, though. I also watched as an adult.
captain_flak@reddit
Clearly they had no clue they’d be renewed for one more season and had to come up with a storyline when things had already been tied up.
BananaPants430@reddit
I never watched the Gilmore Girls when it was on the air, but instead picked it up when my teenage daughter binged it over summer vacation. It's great mindless TV.
hallowdmachine@reddit
I've never seen Gilmore Girls but for some reason I know that the writers had to add extra lines because the actors spoke so quickly, more dialog was needed to fill out the episode length.
ShutYourDumbUglyFace@reddit
I've watched it a couple of times, but I really hate all of them. They're awful to each other.
phranticsnr@reddit
My wife and I do an end to end rewatch of Gilmore Girls every 5 or 10 years.
Own_Lengthiness_7466@reddit
Didn’t Jennifer Garner actually get her first small acting role in Felicity? I think she was married to Scott Foley at the time.
greatswordstudios@reddit
She was Hannah.
audioaddict321@reddit
Hilarious! I love Buffy and WW (both after the fact) while GG makes me stabby and Alias was fine, but I wouldn't rewatch.
Infamous-Thought-765@reddit
I was excited to see Buffy because of the movie. I couldn't get into it. Not sure if I would feel differently as an adult. I just love the movie so much. I prefer cheesy comedy.
thepuncroc@reddit
It is such an incredibly different show than the movie. I think that ended up alienating fans of both from the good parts of both.
Pretend it is something else unrelated to a movie of approximately the same premise and you'll like it.
YEMolly@reddit
I loved both!!!!! But was also a teenager who longed to be goth but dressed like Rainbow Bright.
Infamous-Thought-765@reddit
I think I'll try it out. Thanks.
YEMolly@reddit
One of my fave shows. So good
ThinkFree@reddit
I have never watched Buffy, not even the movie
Pretty_waves904@reddit
I love Buffy and Angel. I may re-watch them
MoonlitBlossoms@reddit
See and my mom loved watching Buffy and Angel. 😅
LockieBalboa@reddit
I JUST started this recently! Some stuff didn't age well, but I am enjoying it.
Polkawillneverdie17@reddit
Why????
Clevergirlphysicist@reddit
I didn’t watch Buffy/Angel until about 10 years after it aired. I loved it.
chocki305@reddit
Never got into Buffy.. couldn't put Angel down.
Gonna_do_this_again@reddit
I didn't see it until my mid 20s and it and Angel are some of the best TV made there for a second
-piso_mojado-@reddit
Never seen it. Always wanted to watch it.
ringobob@reddit
It's a genuinely good show. Starts a little rocky, but the first season is only a half season. You grow to appreciate it more after watching the rest. Also, watch Angel. You don't have to do the full back and forth between them, but there is a little overlap here and there, I like to watch them that way rather than as completely separate shows.
username__0000@reddit
I love the 1st season. It’s so campy and fun.
agentmkultra666@reddit
I think I’ve learned through showing people Buffy- the way to watch initially is to just watch the canon episodes from season 1, then watch the whole series as normal, then you can go back and watch all the silly stupid campy episodes from Season 1 with more appreciation.
InternationalRow1653@reddit
Have you watched the craft yet?
agentmkultra666@reddit
Yes! I don’t know why I didn’t watch Buffy as a teen, I was already watching so much other WB stuff. But I’ve seen it several times all the way through as an adult and am a huge fan. I’m finally getting my partner to watch it too, though I’m sure I’m thoroughly annoying with my constant infodumps every episode😂
Intrepid_Elk_4351@reddit
Will & Grace, Rules Of Engagement, King Of Queens
YVRkeeper@reddit
To be fair they were pumping out so many shows at the time it was hard to keep up. And they would cancel them at the drop of a hat before they even had a chance to get a following. HIMYM happened to persevere, probably because of the premise of finding out who the mother was.
Putrid_Appearance509@reddit
Party Down is better than all of the shows in this thread combined, with my whole chest.
Longjumping_Ad_4431@reddit
'The West Wing' My God what a great show.
Ohfuscia@reddit
the League
cmajka8@reddit
Ed was awesome but for some reason I can’t find it streaming anywhere
Human-Put-5569@reddit
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Watching now.
OhioIT@reddit
Freaks and Geeks
An amazing show that didn't get renewed after the first season for some unknown reason. Quite a few up and coming stars in that show
FenPhen@reddit
People in this sub should check out Undeclared, which is an Apatow TV comedy series about college in 2001. It also has lots of cameos from comedians and Freaks and Geeks.
this_knee@reddit
Yup. I really wish I had seen this show when it was originally being aired. No idea how I missed it. Would’ve possibly helped me to come to certain realizations about my life earlier than I had without seeing it.
YEMolly@reddit
That’s how. I felt. Watched it in my 30s having never Kenton it existed. It was so good
dw617@reddit
IMO the peak show of our generation
idontknowhat2put182@reddit
This is my favorite tv show of all time!!! It’s SO good!! Seth Rogan, James Franco, Jason Segel, Busy Phillips—SO many amazing actors!!
Micklikesmonkeys@reddit
Go on YouTube and find the show without the laugh track. You’ll go back to your original thinking.
GlitteringCobbler987@reddit
I missed Buffy
magster823@reddit
This is more of a Millennial show, since we were older teens and young adults, but don't sleep on Malcolm in the Middle. We started it on a whim with our daughter and it's hilarious, with very clever writing. And it's getting a limited reboot next year.
CallidoraBlack@reddit
Is it? People who were born in 1990 were 9 years old when it started and it was not age appropriate for them.
magster823@reddit
I just know that I was 20 and had zero interest in a show about little boys. We'll have to agree to disagree on the age. I think my daughter was about 8 or 9 when we first watched it.
PurpleDraziNotGreen@reddit
Similar here. I just found the ads focusing on Frankie annoying. It wasn't until years later I watched some of it and it was so darn funny. I still need to go back and revisit it all though, I have large gaps I haven't seen
New_One_7330@reddit
My 40+ wife still refuses to watch this because she “hates sitcoms.”
You’re literally denying yourself watching one of the funniest shows in history, but go ahead and keep hating sitcoms, I guess.
Pitiful-Pension-6535@reddit
Malcolm in the Middle is amazing. Much more than "just a kids' show"
This scene is one of the greatest in TV history
Funandgeeky@reddit
"We don't know. We never know."
The way that the parents had to put on a show of disapproval while also being deeply proud and grateful.
Neither-Principle139@reddit
Indeed! Brian Cranston was amazing as the dad! Such a turnaround to Breaking Bad.
Funandgeeky@reddit
Though to be fair, turns out Breaking Bad was just a weird dream Hal was having.
Eshin242@reddit
I dunno, I have to put my favorite scene is where Hal proves his innocence by proving he's never actually worked a Friday lol.
But there are so many, like when Lois won't tell him what to buy her for Valentine's Day and he keeps trying to steal a gift.
eatsleepdive@reddit
Was that the braless wonder?
spiniton85@reddit
I cannot believe you spotted Sue Ellen Mischke.
audioaddict321@reddit
I totally missed this but watched it for the first time in the last few years and it's amazing. In fact, it's a slow snowy day, so maybe a marathon is in order!
Myfourcats1@reddit
I worked at a zoo. The zoo episode is spot on.
SparkleYeti@reddit
I loved this show too. And it perfectly sets up Breaking Bad.
username__0000@reddit
And it has the best intro song.
It’s one of the few I never skip.
That and golden girls. Sitcoms do better intros than other shows.
805maker@reddit
Its funny as a kid and its funny again as a parent.
abbydabbydo@reddit
This may be my favorite TV show of all time!. Do you know what service is putting out the reboot?
Mr_Snub@reddit
Disney+
besleysfw@reddit
Disney plus
amayain@reddit
I know this isn't what you were asking but I was going to get tickets for Bowie and Nine Inch Nails but my parents wouldn't let me..
Treadingresin@reddit
My So Called Life
I was such a rebellious teen girl that if someone told me I should check something out cause it made them think of me, I would purposely skip it. In retrospect I'm glad I avoided it. Not only do i not need to carry a torch for the mess that is the wanna be cult leader, but I think it would have done even more damage to my fragile mental state since Clair dated a hot guy and I was forever alone.
ShutYourDumbUglyFace@reddit
IDK if I'd say they "dated." Jordan was shitty anyway. Pretty and knew how to lean on things, but not a good person/love interest.
Vivid-Individual5968@reddit
I feel like MSCL prepared me for the pretty bad boys and their BS. I did waste 5 years on and off with one, but I dropped him like the bad habit he was when my Knight In A Flannel came on the scene. 30 years later-no regrets
Vivid-Individual5968@reddit
Still never watched Gilmore Girls or Felicity.
I started the first episode of GG like 5 years ago and I just couldn’t.
Tofutti-KleinGT@reddit
I never watched Friends, so missed out on that whole thing. I remember the girl I sat next to in high school orchestra class showed up one day with a Rachel haircut lol
Valadrea@reddit
I attended a wedding in the mid 90s, and every single bridesmaid had the Rachel haircut. I was marveling at that when the bride appeared and she had it too!
bienfica@reddit
Same! And (looks around nervously) I’ve also never seen Seinfeld
Tofutti-KleinGT@reddit
Oh funny, I also didn’t watch Seinfeld when it was running! It’s my husband’s comfort show though so I must have seen all the episodes by now. But (also looks around nervously) I have to confess I really dislike it, it’s weirdly stressful to watch.
YEMolly@reddit
I never liked Seinfield either. And my dad and I never agree on anything except we both didn’t like Seinfield, so I hold that near & dear to my heart. lol
bienfica@reddit
I feel that way too when I’ve encountered clips in the wild - like, people choose this? to relax!?
spiniton85@reddit
I always loved Seinfeld. Then my uncle commented once how all the characters are just bad people. Now I can't unsee that part 😂
TheDeadlyCat@reddit
Tried to get into it. Characters didn’t click with me at all.
DocBEsq@reddit
Word of warning. The show’s quality dropped off a lot when they realized (a) they were popular, and, relatedly, they weren’t going to be cancelled soon.
Love HIMYM seasons 1-4, haven’t bothered with season 5-onward since they aired. They’re watchable, but nothing special.
panteragstk@reddit
The final season was terrible.
YEMolly@reddit
I think I’m the only person who likes the final season & episode of Dexter. I had heard such horrible things about it that my expectations were incredibly low, so that may be part of it.
VelocityGrrl39@reddit
I liked the final season, but instead of watching the final episode, I watch the fan cut. Much more enjoyable and satisfying.
Enge712@reddit
There is no show I loved as much and anxiously awaited the new seasons as this when it started that I also have never rewatched. The whole show was a build up to something that didn’t deliver and I just can’t get into it again.
Pitiful-Pension-6535@reddit
I thought the ending was obvious and lame after watching the pilot.
I don't know what show everyone else was watching.
captain_flak@reddit
Agreed. I loved this show so much and the last two seasons were just such a slog. I literally did not enjoy them at all, but just had to watch to get to the end. I don’t know why so many shows just start off strong and then totally botch the ending.
sweetassassin@reddit
Lost… should I?
YEMolly@reddit
Ehhhh. I dated a guy who loved Lost. I watched the first 2 seasons and couldn’t watch anymore. I found it so boring. I know I’m the anomaly though.
Reasonable-Wave8093@reddit
Hell yeah!!!!! Alias too
Phoniceau@reddit
Also, Dollhouse!
whistleridge@reddit
Scrubs.
I was aware of it at the time, but didn’t pay any attention. I don’t watch much TV, and in fact I haven’t owned one since about 04. But I was stuck in bed with Covid for two weeks this past spring, and discovering that show was the one upside of the experience.
Longjumping-Air1489@reddit
Where do you think we are?
djsynrgy@reddit
Hello, uhm.. Admins? I'd like to flag this post, because.. reasons.
Man.. Who's cutting onions?
eatsleepdive@reddit
cue sad music
dinosandbees@reddit
How DARE you! 😫
Sisselpud@reddit
Do Cougar Town next. You can't go wrong with Bill Lawrence
whistleridge@reddit
I cannot explain strongly enough how much I hope to never ever have covid again lol.
garden__gate@reddit
You can watch TV without having Covid!
e0nblue@reddit
Explain how!
Funandgeeky@reddit
Stop licking people's hands when you meet them.
twobootsranch@reddit
If not the hands what am I supposed to lick?
Funandgeeky@reddit
Noses. Were you raised in a barn?
SensibleBrownPants@reddit
Prude!
New_Stats@reddit
Ok I'm going to need another way
whistleridge@reddit
Is it within my physical ability? Yes.
Do I remotely have time between family, work, the gym, etc.? In no way.
And I’m very happy with that.
McJimbo@reddit
Mmmmm, nah that doesn't sound right.
-piso_mojado-@reddit
Just want to say that was an amazing response.
SenorWeird@reddit
I've yet to do Cougar Town but I loved Scrubs and Ted Lasso and Shrinking. I've heard Cougar Town is just proto-Shrinking and that sounds like my cup of tea.
Soj_Sojington@reddit
The first ~1/2 of season one of cougar town is like a different show, not as good. After that it is so funny
Ironmel79@reddit
I love Cougar Town
Funandgeeky@reddit
Agree on Cougar Town. I started watching back when I was younger than the characters. Now I'm older than them, as I absolutely get that show even more.
idontknowhat2put182@reddit
Pennnny CANNN!!
TheGreatHogdini@reddit
Class of 2001 and I have an unhealthy hatred of Scrubs. Not sure why but I refuse to watch it.
HighFiveYourFace@reddit
99' here. I tried watching it a long time ago when I saw re-runs but it wasn't for me. I tried it again in the last year and watched all the seasons. It is ok. I may watch it again but I didn't fall in love with it.
Gogyoo@reddit
Never clicked with it either. Green Wing, otoh, is my favourite comedy series. Also happens in a hospital, but that's about the only similarity with Scrubs.
Such_Grab_6981@reddit
It was the PERFECT mix of comedy and drama.
I was never a TV person, but I miss Scrubs so much. That one, and Mythbusters.
graveybrains@reddit
My best friend was an EMT when it was airing, so I didn't get a choice on that one. He also said the book it's based on, The House of God by Samuel Shem, was really good but that one I opted out of 😂
PapaGuhl@reddit
There’s a really fun companion podcast from C19 times where Zach Braff and Donald Faison rewatched each Scrubs episode and had guest stars on for interviews.
Really funny at times.
EastTXJosh@reddit (OP)
I was late finding Scrubs as well, just not as late as I was to How I Met Your Mother.
jreashville@reddit
I didn’t discover Buffy the Vampire Slayer until around 2009 and now it’s my second favorite show behind Star Trek TNG. I knew it existed but never watched it because I thought it sounded dumb. But I married a fan of the show and ended up loving it.
PotentialPlum4945@reddit
Just do yourself a favor. Don't watch the final season. Remember that finding out who the mother is was never the real reward. The real treasure was the friendships we made along the way.
RavenSkies777@reddit
This comment needs more upvotes.
Take heed of this warning, OP.
Holmes221bBSt@reddit
That last season and episode was good awful! Extremely poor writing. I get life isn’t always happy endings and that’s fine, but it was an executed horribly. I suggest everyone watch the alternate finale on YouTube and have that be canon, not the one where gay aired
PotentialPlum4945@reddit
Alternate finale?
Holmes221bBSt@reddit
I didn’t know there was one either until someone told me. I had to YouTube it and it’s much better
Funandgeeky@reddit
I disagree. I really liked the final season, and I also liked the final episode. So it's something worth watching once to see how it ends, and then see how one feels about it.
Besides, say what you will about everything else, that moment when Ted and The Mother first meet is pure perfection.
OhioIT@reddit
Agreed. Most of the last seasons was ok, just make sure the finale is skipped
YEMolly@reddit
This sub’s love for Buffy makes my heart sore like an eagle. 🦅
brandiLeeCO@reddit
I need to watch How I Met Your Mother. I hear everyone talk about how great it is. I don’t know how I missed it but I think I just stopped watching sitcoms around the great 2000. But be prepared for a horrible ending. I hear it’s one of the worst in sitcom history.
YEMolly@reddit
Freaks and Geeks. Watched it like 15 years after it came out & loved it. Couldn’t believe I wasn’t forced to watch it when it came out.
No offense, I tried to watch How I Met Your Mother and hated it. Almost as bad as Everybody Loves Raymond. 🙈 To each their own!!! 😀
tronassembled@reddit
Since I have also heard Xennials referred to as "Generation Catalano" it saddens me to say that I never managed to catch more than 10 or 15 minutes of My So Called Life
CuriousRiver2558@reddit
Jordan Catalan, swoon! 🥰
ShutYourDumbUglyFace@reddit
It's just too bad that Jared Leto is such an absolute douchecanoe.
kellyk311@reddit
Ugh, same. Even to this day.
kathatter75@reddit
I keep seeing memes how the guys in our shows like Jordan Catalano taught us to love the bad boy/toxic relationships…
ptatersptate@reddit
I can’t think of a good guy off the top of my head. Please help.
HighFiveYourFace@reddit
I missed it the first time around but then they put it on MTV and got sucked in. Thankfully I knew that it was cancelled so I didn't get my hopes up. You should totally watch it. It will give you all the feels of the early/mid 90's.
marbotty@reddit
Honestly, it’s better than becoming hooked on it while it was originally airing, only for it to not be renewed. That was a giant punch in the face
ptatersptate@reddit
Probably my first utter heartbreak.
Human-Put-6613@reddit
Happy Endings is peak xennial and I will forever be sad it was cancelled.
ShutYourDumbUglyFace@reddit
I am watching this now. It bothers me a little that they've devolved Elisha Cuthbert's character into a ditzy blonde. It didn't start that way.
pit_of_despair666@reddit
I don't remember that one. I stopped watching sitcoms in the 90s so maybe I saw something about it and passed on it.
StillhasaWiiU@reddit
Adam Pally killed it on that show.
Gr00mpa@reddit
That was such a fun show. I’m glad I started watching it randomly.
EastTXJosh@reddit (OP)
That’s a show I loved that was cancelled way too soon.
ShutYourDumbUglyFace@reddit
Tip for HIMYM: don't get too invested in the mother. It's a plot device that really doesn't matter. If you care more about the journey than the destination, you will not be as upset with the ending.
bivo979@reddit
I haven't watched it. I have seen clips of it on social media. Maybe one day soon I will check it out.
cgentry02@reddit
Sopranos and The Wire.
Caught up this past year and everyone was right...2 of the top 5 TV shows ever.
Taupenbeige@reddit
Oh goody, I just asked in another thread: which of those two, specifically is the right choice to plow through first?
aspbergerinparadise@reddit
The Sopranos is an amazingly-crafted character study. There's a lot more to it than that, but at its core it's about examining what drives people to sacrifice their morals for their ambitions.
The Wire is a study of society, and how different facets are all interconnected and how systemic problems influence every aspect of our lives. It also has amazing characters, but the show revolves around how they interact with each other rather than looking deeply into their inner psyche.
They're both amazing shows. The Wire gets my vote for the best show of all time though. It's the only TV show I've ever watched that made such salient points about society and the human condition that I felt like it could actually improve the world if enough people saw it.
Gravy_Sommelier@reddit
I think The Wire is far better personally, but it demands your full attention when watching. There are so many interconnected storylines and layers of meaning to every scene that you can't only pay half attention to it.
threefeetoffun-@reddit
I was watching with a girlfriend once and she kept playing on her phone. “No, you need to watch this! It matters now and in 3 seasons!
2181mrad@reddit
The Wire.
Natural_Return_4650@reddit
The Wire is my favorite show of all time. Doesn't spoon feed, you really need to be paying attention
Sodamyte@reddit
Does Farscape count? I missed that one until a couple years ago.
aspbergerinparadise@reddit
i fucking hate HIMYM. trash-tier pablum
affectionateanarchy8@reddit
Scrubs and Psyche. Im thinking about watching Scrubs. Also missed out on Ugly Betty
Sodamyte@reddit
Ugly Betty is such a fun show
HighFiveYourFace@reddit
Psych is on Peacock. Get on it. It is great. Lean into the cheese!
Scrubs was just okay for me.
_NoleFan6@reddit
Psyche was low key 🔥
LeftOn4ya@reddit
Pete & Pete. I never had cable growing up and a friend about 15 years ago told me about the show saying I’d love it then bought me the DVDs. Have rewatched it every few years since then.
Librarian-Voter@reddit
I have a great idea for a reboot! https://www.reddit.com/r/Xennials/comments/1kzjehq/i_have_an_idea_for_a_pete_pete_reboot_anyone_want/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
worstnameIeverheard@reddit
That theme song is an absolute banger
kristosnikos@reddit
Nothing makes me feel more nostalgic for childhood than that theme song.
melydi85@reddit
Sopranos
Watched it for the first time last year, idk what my husband and I were waiting for. The show is amazing and plan to watch it again.
MrsSpookyMulder47@reddit
I could not get into it! Maybe I’ll give it another try.
New_Stats@reddit
When I have a hard time getting into a popular show, I skip to the second episode. I don't have patience for character building, I need something to actually happen
MrsSpookyMulder47@reddit
That’s not a bad idea. I tried to finish the first episode like 4 times and couldn’t. I’ll try this! I’ve always wanted to watch because I grew up jn the area where it’s based.
New_Stats@reddit
Here's the basic setup - mob boss has a really bad panic attack, goes into the hospital, his wife tells him he's going to hell when he dies, he starts seeing a shrink (big no no for a mob boss) and then hijinx, bickering, drama queen drama, and terrifying psychopath mob behavior ensues.
Also they say gabagool instead of capocollo, which is odd because I grew up not too far away and I never heard it called gabagool IRL
thepuncroc@reddit
Not so much regional jersey, more regional Southern Italian dialects reimagined by non Italian speaking Italian American pronunciation.
I never heard gabahool from her mouth, but knew this one Sicilian American princess from Jersey and my god the way she said ricotta had the c so far back and vocalized, and the onso.fat back, basically rehgutt--yeah it was right up there with the gabagoolitudinality expressed in the docuseries about this thing of ours.
She married another Sicilian, of course.and they likely have furry children now, probably working up to their own GTL lifestyles.
But she was beautiful. I called her Pookie.
melydi85@reddit
I tried getting into it 2 separate times in the past and it never caught my attention enough to care what was going on. Once a got a couple episodes in this time around, I was hooked.
Give it another shot you won’t regret it once you get into it.
Dogrel@reddit
It is amazing. It was hailed as the single best thing on TV for a few years there.
Taupenbeige@reddit
I still haven’t done more than one or two episodes of Sopranos or The Wire, which do I start on?
esocharis@reddit
I personally think The Wire is the best TV show in history, but ymmv obviously. The trick that worked for several dofferent friends of mine I recommended it too was to watch the first 3 episodes of the first season, then watch them again before continuing. It'll solidify the many characters and relationships just a little bit more in your head before you really get into the meat of the show.
Repeat with the first episode or 2 of each new season if needed. The show honestly only gets better on every rewatch anyway.
marbotty@reddit
The Wire and Breaking Bad are neck and neck for me.
Been binging The Sopranos this year and while it’s definitely watchable, there are aspects of the show that feel a little amateurish to me, comparatively. Primarily how they’ve edited it, but other little things here and there.
Amateurish is probably way too harsh of a word to use, but when it’s billed as the “best ever” it’s hard not to view it against those other two shows and find it a bit lacking.
Taupenbeige@reddit
Yeah I’ve seen more random episodes of Sopranos than the wire so I think I follow…
When HBO streaming was toddler-aged I began The Wire but they hadn’t made the 1080p stream available yet, and I was like “fuck 3:4 aspect ratio, pass”…
sweetbirthdaybaby333@reddit
This is the last of the big HBO dramas I still haven't watched. And arguably it was the one that started it all! I watched the first two episodes and never got back to it. One day!!
malogan82@reddit
It took me 20 years to realize it was a comedy all along.
graveybrains@reddit
If you haven't seen the new Daredevil yet, you should. Gandolfini's kid's got a (so far) minor role, but he's doing an amazing job in it.
Prudent-Session985@reddit
This feels like much more of a GenX thing to me. The whole getting in just as everything collapsed didn't resonate with me.
Feels like Xennials had their formative years when things were looking up. There were of course bad things but it didn't feel like an everything is going to shit until the housing bubble burst. By then most of us had gotten a good start on life.
threefeetoffun-@reddit
I tried doing Sopranos during Covid but the meals made me too hungry.
Such_Grab_6981@reddit
I'm surprised I haven't seen anyone mention Xena Warrior Princess yet.
It was airing around 98 or 99 I think? But it was so bad. So so so bad that it was good.
pit_of_despair666@reddit
I watched Xena and Hercules while it was on TV. I think it was on the same night as Buffy. I remember watching Xena and seeing an ad for Buffy. I was sold and starting watching it. Buffy is still one of my faves. I had a hard time rewatching Xena though.
Such_Grab_6981@reddit
I haven't tried to do a rewatch, but I imagine Xena is horribly dated.
Illustrious-Lead-960@reddit
The commercials for “Mission Hill” made it look so bad that I never bothered with it till a great many years later. I guess I can’t blame my past self for that but he turned out to have made the wring guess all the same.
Frobiwanthro@reddit
Mission Hill is really good. Other ones that are fun from that era are The Oblongs and Undergrads
ironic-hat@reddit
To be fair, animated shows back then had horrible advertising and networks loved to dick around with their time slots and often pull them after like 4 episodes.
InternationalRow1653@reddit
This show wasn't necessarily from my younger years but workaholics was a denial based show I missed the first few seasons it was out but when I found it, I couldn't stop watching it. Also, the trailer park boys, which started the year I graduated but I knew absolutely nothing about this show until 15 years later. Another hilarious show that I don't know how I had never heard of it.
Phoniceau@reddit
Workaholics was too “millennial” for me, by the time it aired, I already couldn’t relate (a bit like Girls).
DocBEsq@reddit
Most of the shows between 1997 and 2002. I was in college (and too busy for regular watching) and then in Peace Corps (no tv at all), so I basically missed everything.
Fortunately, DVD sets were starting to be a big thing in 2002, so I made up for lost time and watched everything.
taosaur@reddit
Yeah, I watched basically no TV from '97 to '04, but in '04 I got my first PC of my own and found an underground streaming service with high quality streams of a bunch of shows, then tried my own hand at sailing the high seas until Netflix got a good streaming selection going.
RocktoberBlood@reddit
The only thing I watched from 2000-2005 was Sunday night television. Started off with Fox w/The Simpsons and then Adult Swim, and then be crashed out around 2am to have an early miserable Monday morning at work.
But the early days of Adult Swim were a different time, and I couldn't miss it.
Cloud_Disconnected@reddit
I was partying and playing in bands. I might have paid more attention if I could have known that only a few short years later the entire zeitgeist I grew up with would completely collapse and be replaced by things I can't relate to.
Reasonable-Wave8093@reddit
🤟🏼🤟🏼🤟🏼
pit_of_despair666@reddit
I stopped watching sitcoms with laugh tracks in the 90s. I never watched Friends. I watched it for a few minutes at a hotel and thought it was awful, sorry!
singleguy79@reddit
I was never into Melrose Place or Dawson's Creek.
pit_of_despair666@reddit
You didn't miss out on much except eye candy.
_NoleFan6@reddit
Dawson’s Creek was lame af 🤣
Reasonable-Wave8093@reddit
horrifying! you only need to watch 4 episodes to get the whole show
lorazepamproblems@reddit
I didn't see Party of Five until I was an adult. I feel like a lot of those shows had pretty good moralizing advice and would have been helpful to see. In fact, I don't think there were any drama series that I can recall watching before 18. Just the network sitcoms. We never had cable, but some of those dramas were on networks and I just didn't see them for some reason.
pit_of_despair666@reddit
I watched it when it aired. It was really popular and won an Emmy. After the 90s people stopped talking about it and the sub on here is dead. I think it has to do with not being available on steaming unless you want to pay for all of it. I watched it again when it was on the CW briefly for free. It didn't age well in some areas and was ahead of time in other areas. I could not stand Bailey when I rewatched it.The later seasons aren't as good as the earlier ones but all in all it is a good show.
Reasonable-Wave8093@reddit
i wanted to watch this as well, but didnt have my own tv
Ironmel79@reddit
Veronica Mars
pit_of_despair666@reddit
One of my faves. I missed out on it when it aired. I read it was similar to Buffy (another favorite) so I watched it when it became available on streaming.
Reasonable-Wave8093@reddit
is smarter than you
madfrawgs@reddit
Wonderfalls
Many have not heard of it because it was canceled after only 4 shows on Fox. The remaining episodes could be watched on Canadian channels (we were a border town so had reception). There are 13 episodes in total and it was released on DVD.
Chawnci7@reddit
Psych
Edgarmustavas@reddit
You know that's right!
Toebeans_Maguire@reddit
C'mon, son!
felixfelicis_86@reddit
Lost! My husband and I are watching it now. Currently in season 3. I really like it’s and I think I would have loved it back then.
wrathofthewhatever2@reddit
Unfortunately there was a shelf life to this show in particular. It was fun while it was on, and there was mystery as to who the mother was. Then they dragged it way too long, did a whole season which was just one wedding day, and then ruined the whole thing with a bait and switch. It’s probably the show I liked most while it was on that I’ll never go back and watch again.
New_Needleworker_473@reddit
GG. I missed when it originally aired because I was going to University at the time and between work, classes and homework, I didn't have time for TV but by 2006 when HIMYM came on, I was watching TV again. I loved HIMYM and I was always surprised when people my age didn't know or like the show. It was pretty quintessential Gen X.
Dogrel@reddit
Most of the HIMYM series was quite good. The later seasons slipped a bit but that’s to be expected. What really killed it for me was the finale. Probably a bottom 5 worst of all time series finale, it wrecked the whole series for me.
OhioIT@reddit
Yes! My wife and I just finished the series for the first time maybe 3 months ago. After watching the finale, both of us said "WTF was that?!?"
C_Kawalsky@reddit
Absolutely. Wife and I needed another show after finishing Parks and Rec. So we started HIMYM. We loved it, however after the end we haven't rewatched a single episode, whereas Parks and Rec is endlessly rewatchable.
ironic-hat@reddit
Love in the Time of Cholera was a huge influence on the show, and its ending is similar to HIMYM. Robin was always the endgame.
Slownavyguy@reddit
HIMYM hasn't aged well.
I missed Buffy when it was on because it was a "girl show". Later in life, I grabbed the DVDs for a deployment because I wanted a long show to watch during downtimes. I couldn't stop watching! :D
strange_stars@reddit
yeah I recently tried to start HIMYM having not seen it during the original run... no bueno
OkConcentrate3302@reddit
Fraiser stop young to understand when it as on. One of the greatest shows ever!!
Sweetcornprincess@reddit
Raising hope!
texashorns2@reddit
Twin Peaks. I missed the bus on that one unfortunately
sweetbirthdaybaby333@reddit
I was a super weird child and I watched it as a kid bc it had two of the actors from West Side Story (my fave movie as a kid) in it. It freaked me out and I haven't watched it since it originally ran. I owe it a rewatch, I think?
Treadingresin@reddit
So did I! And it makes me sad cause I love abstract realism.
craftyzombie@reddit
I am currently watching this for the first time and I am obsessed. I would have been a bit too young to get it when it first aired. It is rivaling X Files for my favorite show now.
Bradcherry21@reddit
Try this one out.Grounded for life.
mrmooswife@reddit
When they do the flashbacks with the Dane actors, gold.
StrangerKatchoo@reddit
Loved that show!
FestiveArtCollective@reddit
Agreed! That show was so good. Kevin Corrigan was hilarious in that show.
Helo7606@reddit
I never got to watch Firefly when it came out. Ended up watching it some years later. And it's one of my favorite shows/movie. Still sucks with how that show was treated.
StrangerKatchoo@reddit
My So-Called Life. There’s even an alternate term for Xennials derived from it: Generation Catalano.
threefeetoffun-@reddit
Thankfully I was a Buffy fan so I went to HIMYM right away cause Aly.
zoom518@reddit
Yeah, season 5 of 24 was the last time a broadcast show won a Best Drama Emmy. And then it collapsed.
It’s kinda forgotten now between certain actions that haven’t aged well and the fact that it’s not really rewatchable.
West-Veterinarian-53@reddit
Anyone who didn’t watch Buffy was definitely missing out!!!
ptatersptate@reddit
The Osbournes. Finally saw it earlier this year though and of course I loved it.
Arr2DoubleDee2@reddit
Freaks & Geeks!
StevieV61080@reddit
Community. I am a community college grad and have been a community college professor for 18 years. How did I miss this?
I would also add that my all-time favorite show is Parks and Rec which spans generations, but definitely strikes a major chord (it also helps that my background is in public affairs/management and I spent the first 33 years of my life in Indiana).
aweedl@reddit
I didn’t have cable as a kid and still don’t as an adult, so I missed most American sitcoms (and just American TV in general). I saw the Canadian ones because we still got CBC and a few other over-the-air channels.
I saw Seinfeld for the first time when I was 40 and I’ve still never seen even a minute of Married With Children.
Infamous-Thought-765@reddit
There are a ton of shows other Xennials watched that I never got into. And still am not into. Family Matters, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Buffy (I only care for the movie), Friends, Will & Grace, Gilmore Girls, Charmed, Grey's Anatomy, Ally McBeal, etc. I did start appreciating Seinfeld as an adult. Not sure if that's the kind of show you meant, though.
zhaddycool@reddit
Veronica Mars is fire, even if it’s a touch elder millennial
Josephthebear@reddit
Cheers I started watching it last January and man does it make me feel nice and warm
Infamous-Thought-765@reddit
Family Matters and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, to name a couple.
Ok_Evening2804@reddit
Is It's Always Sunny a millennial show? If so, that one.
JortsForSale@reddit
Gen X, Millennial crossover
sparkster777@reddit
So...xenial
shmelse@reddit
He doesn’t even get us man
Ok_Evening2804@reddit
Oh lord, I misread the post as millennial shows. Oh well, IASIP is absolutely a Xennial show, and I, a Xennial, missed it.
leighalan@reddit
Never a bad time to get in to it
AdSpiritual2594@reddit
My name is earl, community, Brooklyn 99
Clevergirlphysicist@reddit
I still haven’t seen himym.
Holmes221bBSt@reddit
Star Trek TNG. I’ve watched it as an adult and absolutely love it. Skipped it as a kid thinking it looked boring, but when Space Cases (Trek for kids) aired on Nickelodeon , I really enjoyed it so I know I probably wouldn’t liked TNG, but I never gave it a chance
RandomTreat@reddit
Gilmore girls. It's become my comfort show the last couple of years.
Reasonable-Wave8093@reddit
i watched it in real time, then got the dvds, it was my 2020 comfort show
StillhasaWiiU@reddit
Charles in Charge. I only got.to see 2-3 episodes growing up.
LemonSkye@reddit
Do yourself a favor and do not watch the actual finale. It completely ruins the show retroactively. Find the alternate ending and watch that instead.
Reasonable-Wave8093@reddit
What /where is the alternate ending?
Funandgeeky@reddit
I disagree. People should watch both. I happened to like the finale and got what they were trying to do. I fully respect people not liking it, but people should at least see it first. Then decide which ending they prefer.
tinyand_terrible@reddit
It absolutely does not ruin anything
cidvard@reddit
You're lucky you missed How I Met Your Mother because, while it did not start out as bad TV, it sure did turn into it and it was serialized enough that I felt like I HAD TO SEE HOW IT ENDED.
LazySwayze@reddit
Party of Five
Constant_Roof_7974@reddit
Freaks & Geeks
Sorry_Consequence816@reddit
I don’t think this will count, because we were kids, but Newhart. I’m your age, he’s a few years younger than we are, and from New England. We watched the 70s show before this, he has no clue about the ending and I’m dying waiting for him to see it.
Mr Carlen and their dumb neighbor were a great character on the 70s series, but there are multiple great characters on the 80s series. (The first couple of seasons are ok, but in 3 or 4 everything gels and the comedic flow is better.)
tinyand_terrible@reddit
Friends From College had a great two seasons
ObjectiveFlatworm645@reddit
I didn't watch the office until 2 years ago.
InternationalRow1653@reddit
I loved how I met your mother and could definitely binge every season again.
TheDevil-YouKnow@reddit
I can't really think of one I missed out on.. well, Seventh Heaven. But did I miss out on anything? HIMYM was a show I watched all the way through. The ending of the series was so fucking terrible I never went back to watch it again. I feel like I dodged the same bullet with 7th Heaven.
astrobuck9@reddit
The dad on 7th Heaven, Stephen Collins, turned out to be a huge pedophile.
He had been fucking kids going back to the early 70s .
nounthennumbers@reddit
Any of the cable shows on Nick or MTV and My So Called Life
ihatepants@reddit
I don’t know if this counts since it’s a newer show but I’ve never watched The Office (US). I’m the same age as you and your wife and I was living in my first apartment at the time and was going out a lot and not watching a lot of TV. And at this point, I never got around to watching the show
Officialfish_hole@reddit
Don't know if it counts but Beverly Hills 90210 is pretty awesome and had an amazing soundtrack integrated into it. Problem is I think streaming and DVDs had to swap most of the licensed music, which sucks because it was a big part of the show. It's still enjoyable without other songs though
craftyzombie@reddit
Daria has the same issue. The show is still great but it's just different without the original music.
Superpriestess@reddit
Oh my goodness yes to this. I started 90210 when it began running in 1990. I was a wee fifth grader and HS kids were *so* cool. There was nothing beyond that black and white dress that Kelly and Brenda wore to the prom. I feel like I grew up alongside them. I started watching again recently, the clothes gave me flashbacks and so did one moment where Brenda scoffed and said "Ugh. NOT."
Prudent-Session985@reddit
The Good Place is one for me. Admittedly it's more Millennial but it resonated with me.
fromthedarqwaves@reddit
Friends. How I met your mother. Scrubs. Doug. Pretty much any show on Nickelodeon.
skyciel@reddit
Ha, I’m a co 97 who never watched that show for the same reasons. Thanks for the heads up
Gorkymalorki@reddit
Basically anything after like 95 or so, and even then it was mostly just stuff like the Simpsons. I was always out doing stuff with friends in high school, or if I was home I was reading a book or playing video games. Then after high school I joined the army so missed all the early 2000 stuff.
molinor@reddit
Himym is my all time favourite show. Marshall, Ted, and Lily are all class of ’96 just like me. I find it the most relatable show.
Before the start of the show I moved to a new city for work (Robin) During the run of the show I “dated” around a lot (Barney), met the girl I would marry, we broke up for a year, got back together(Marshall and Lily). We got married a few months after the show ended. Our kids were almost born in the same years as Ted’s kids as well.
One of the Creators and Josh Radnor started a rewarding podcast recently. They are on season 2 right now.
WoefulKnight@reddit
HIMYM ends when Ted meets the mother at the train station. Everything else is not canon so far as I’m concerned.