For our final “Staff Picks” of this year, I thought we’d glean some hidden gems from the staff. In my opinion, too many of us get swept up in the appeal of wildly popular TV shows (I’m looking at you, Stranger Things), when countless others of far greater quality lie largely untouched and unappreciated by the masses. Of course, there’s something natural and good about some shows remaining on the periphery of society. Not everyone can appreciate these shows (they are not wildly popular for a reason), so those who do appreciate them often feel a sense of pride in and ownership of their beloved show. I think this is a rich environment for personal growth to happen. In light of this, some of our staff have agreed to share their more obscure favorites. You may not have heard of them, but they sure are good.
Show: Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (2020-)
Platform: Hulu
Staff: Suzannah Guthmann
Rationalization: Random Broadway stars all in a show where an awkward computer engineer can suddenly read people’s deepest desire through song (and occasionally awesome choreography). With classics like how in the world can she afford that apartment by herself and the love triangle, this show is strangely reassuring. Enjoy remixes of “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” and “Jesus Christ Superstar,” in a televised Spotify playlist made by the cast of Pitch Perfect and a bunch of theater nerds.
Show: Red Oaks (2014-2017)
Platform: Amazon Prime
Staff: Jacob Kortenhoeven
Rationalization: Set on and around a country club in the 80s, Red Oaks is a coming-of-age comedy dripping with nostalgia (in the best possible way). We follow recent high school graduate David Meyers in his journey to find purpose, true love, and belonging as he spends his summers at the very flawed Red Oaks Country Club. It is tragically brief—just three short seasons—but every episode holds so much longing and hope. I’d especially recommend it to college students or anyone feeling the weight of transition.
Show: Hogan’s Heroes (1965-1971)
Platform: YouTube TV (or just find episodes on YouTube)
Staff: Paige Hungar
Rationalization: Do you ever feel torn between choosing a serious war movie and a modern sitcom? If so, Hogan’s Heroes is the solution to all your problems. This wildly unrealistic show, set in a German POW camp during WWII, is also wildly hilarious. It was originally aired more than fifty years ago, but can still make you laugh as you follow the adventures of Colonel Hogan and his fellow POWs. You might just find yourself humming along to the theme song after a few episodes, too.
Show: The Magicians (2015-2020)
Platform: Netflix
Staff: Henri Lowe
Rationalization: I first stumbled on this show a few years ago while browsing Netflix, and it’s been one of my favorites ever since. Quentin Coldwater, a geeky soon-to-be graduate student, obsessed with a fantasy book series about a Narnia-like land called Fillory, discovers the existence of magic. The show follows Quentin and his friends at the magical school, Brakebills, as they discover both the existence of Fillory and the threat it poses to the world. The show, though playing into hero-quest tropes, does so extremely consciously and cleverly, and subverts the typical narrative by offering a fictional hero who has always hoped that magic might, indeed, be real. The characters are brilliantly developed throughout the seasons, the dialogue is fabulous and funny, and the story is compelling.