The precious treasures we’ve found in the rough include Connected (Photo: Netflix), Set It Up (Photo: Netflix), Rebirth (Photo: Netflix), and Red Oaks (Photo: Amazon Studios)Gif: Natalie Peeples
The number of available streaming services reached an upsetting high in 2020, bringing along an unprecedented deluge of original programming. And though we try our best here at The A.V. Club, we just can’t cover everything. So this week’s question, from web producer Baraka Kaseko, is:
What is your favorite hidden streaming gem? As in a streaming original you came across and enjoyed, but which hasn’t received a ton of coverage.
Connected: The Hidden Science Of Everything
I’m not a listener so I had no idea that the New York Public Radio show’s director of research, Latif Nasser, had a docuseries quietly debut on Netflix in August. On , Nasser explores broad topics like surveillance, dust, and even poop—sharing how things that we never realized are related can have an impact halfway across the globe. Did you know, for example, that observing the behavior of birds in Delaware is helping scientists get more accurate hurricane season predictions? Connected’s six-episode season was the perfect find for me, since I still lament that we haven’t gotten more of , since 2014. [Patrick Gomez]
It’s fun to see an appreciation of something that I’ve seen and enjoyed, but it’s really fun to go through a whole article without recognizing a single title. A lot of these sound really entertaining and low-investment, which is where my wife and I find ourselves most evenings. That said, the phrase “Rainn Wilson’s snarky narration” made me wrinkle my nose like a bad smell. Don’t the people producing these shows realize that the silliness gets more enjoyable and sillier if you play it straight?
Excited to see Fran Kranz in somethingI couldn’t take Red Oaks, because I hate the lead. In Submarine he got the girl of his dreams and then just threw her away, in this he’s dating like the head cheerleader but he has ennui…not exactly the underdog.
Red Oaks just did not do it for me. It is basically a caddie shack rip off (but tennis) that is not nearly funny enough or ribald enough to be good. (after the admittedly good first episode, there is zero nudity or anything about it that is “R” rated.) Paul Reiser is very good (actually all the “older” character actors including Gina Gershon and Richard Kind are good, they basically steal the show) , but the main character is the definition of a cypher, who is way too bland to be the center of this story. The other “younger characters” are all archetypes who never evolve past their thin characters. The main characters best friends entire arc is landing a gorgeous woman out of his league, and then spending three seasons worrying about the fact he is a fat nobody with no confidence or goals and she is way too good looking for him. (why she would put up with his insecurity is baffling as he has nothing to recommend him except being “nice”. It plays the entire show as some nerdy guys wish fulfillment fantasy)It is only three seasons at a half hour apiece, ten episodes for the first two and I think only six for the third, so the time investment is not huge. But the abbreviated third is weirdly a victory lap sentimental mush that one would expect from a series that was on 12 years and beloved (like MASH or the Big Bang Theory), not one with just twenty some episodes, with long extended codas and goodbyes for every character. The series was clearly in love with itself and I thought it was pretentious.
WWE Network goes underrated as a streaming service, but they put out some pretty great original stuff. Undertaker: The Last Ride wasn’t about his whole career, but chronicled the legendary performer trying to find the right time to retire. It’s interesting hearing Mark Calloway talk about not wanting to let the fans down with bad matches, but it kept happening, and that’s why he had to try just one more time. Again and again. I’d put it alongside ESPN’s The Last Dance as one of the best docu-series from last year.
I absolutely loved this show (and thank you for putting something back on my endtimes/covid watchlist). It’d be nice to see more US shows that focus (partially) on life in Europe. Seems like you lot can use some different views/approaches to life…
Rebirth is a weird one. It’s essentially a feature-length critique of Burning Man, with lots of little hyper-specific cultural winks and nods to that particular festival, and the whole thing seems to be largely an allegory for a dude going to Burning Man and not liking it at all. I’m not kidding about this, I think this is literally what the movie is about. As far as I can tell, nobody has noticed except me. It still works as a weird kind of satire of various Burning-Man-adjacent cultural phenomena, and the sort of cultish semi-New Age behavior in the movie definitely happens in other contexts besides Burning Man, so I guess it still functions as more general work of art? But it really is a quite specific send-up of Burning Man.
The critique was more of Scientology, especially given the promotional material running during the credits. The main character’s acting was incredibly irritating, veering between spineless stuttering and hysteria. I wish I’d watched The Game again instead.
I mean, yes, there a few jabs at Scientology and general new-age feel-good West Coast style unctuousness, but I’m saying this is a very specific dig at Burning Man, and is chock full of shibboleths to make that clear. It’s been a little while since I watched it so I don’t remember them all but there are a lot. One I do remember is the protagonist being told “welcome home” by a greeter when he first enters the compound:https://journal.burningman.org/2004/07/black-rock-city/tales-from-the-playa/welcome-home/Note that I don’t think this is a particularly good movie, and I agree that the main character is crazy irritating.
I found “Brews Brothers” to be a pretty good gem. Not the most original premise, to be fair, and it does take a little bit to warm up, but I found it growing on me none the less. Plus I really love a lot of the actors on it. It helps that some of my favorite podcasters are on it (Mike Mitchell from “Doughboys”, Zack Reino from “Offbook”), and anything with Flura Borg in it is bound to win my love.
A quick, but light and fun watch. I’d love for a S2, but I doubt Netflix is going to renew the show.
I tried watching it and was hoping to like it as I love brewing beer. But I really didn’t care for it. They captured the worst aspects of brewing beer and the jokes bordered on the side of relying on gross or crass situations too much for my liking. I also just didn’t like the characters.
I watched it early last year, and finished the season, but it felt like an obligation rather than a joy. It gave me the “these are horrible people and I don’t want them to succeed” feeling because of the brothers, but I wanted the employees to be okay.
I watched both seasons yesterday. Though it had some flaws (notably, the improv shows badly a few times in season 1), it was a perfectly enjoyable, light little show. It also did some things I was impressed with: acknowledging slavery and including black people in the stories it told (my bar is low), giving the female characters personalities and storylines (real low), having ongoing continuity over episodes, and it really did make me “lol” a few times.
I’ve only seen one of these (Set It Up) and would agree with the recommendation for that one. Great cast, fun movie. Red Oaks, Rebirth, and Blow the Man Down all sound good to me – will check them out. Not as into the documentaries, reality shows, etc. If I can throw a suggestion in the mix, check out ARQ on Netflix. It’s a Groundhog’s Day movie with Robbie Amell and Rachael Taylor that’s done really well and feels like innovative within that genre. Never see it mentioned or talked about anywhere.
Update: Watched Red Oaks (few episodes to go but have binged through enough of it) and it was an enjoyable watch. I’m a big fan of shows that don’t worry about having huge stakes and focus on smaller character moments and I’m also a fan of shows set in past eras. So really worked for me.
Amazon Prime’s Patriot would be my choice. It’s just fucking WEIRD, but enthralling. It’s about a CIA operative who really just wants to be a folk singer. And also, he has to get a job at a company that makes pipes, and uses lots of hilarious sounding piping jargon, for the sake of saving the world – and also the company employs Red from That 70’s Show. It’s such a strange, surreal experience, watching the show, but it’s anchored by solid acting and direction that it’s really hard to look away. It’s kind of like a weird, but interesting, indie movie, but as a TV show.Also, anyone who hasn’t seen Sundance’s Rectify, that was on Netflix last I checked, and Rectify is a top 10 show for sure.
Beforeigners on HBO. People from the Stone Age, Viking Age, and 1800s mysteriously show up in modern day Norway. It’s a police buddy drama that partners up a modern cop with a past Viking. It’s good, goofy fun.
Does Mozart in the Jungle qualify? Somehow I had never heard of it until recently and it’s absolutely brilliant. Amazing cast, original setting (the world of classical music), funny but grounded and very knowledgeable about its subject – highlighting female composers and many unexpected gorgeous pieces of music while they’re at it.Also verybingeable, with 4 ten-episode seasons of about 30 minutes each.
it’s crazy. Just started watching Red Oaks a couple weeks ago and finished it yesterday. Don’t know how it went that far under the radar for 3 seasons…unless you wanna call Wheeler “Budget Jonah Hill” even though the character’s substance is explored further than Seth’s from “Superbad”.
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It’s fun to see an appreciation of something that I’ve seen and enjoyed, but it’s really fun to go through a whole article without recognizing a single title. A lot of these sound really entertaining and low-investment, which is where my wife and I find ourselves most evenings. That said, the phrase “Rainn Wilson’s snarky narration” made me wrinkle my nose like a bad smell. Don’t the people producing these shows realize that the silliness gets more enjoyable and sillier if you play it straight?
I recall Red Oaks getting coverage from multiple outlets (including the AV Club);
Excited to see Fran Kranz in somethingI couldn’t take Red Oaks, because I hate the lead. In Submarine he got the girl of his dreams and then just threw her away, in this he’s dating like the head cheerleader but he has ennui…not exactly the underdog.
Red Oaks just did not do it for me. It is basically a caddie shack rip off (but tennis) that is not nearly funny enough or ribald enough to be good. (after the admittedly good first episode, there is zero nudity or anything about it that is “R” rated.) Paul Reiser is very good (actually all the “older” character actors including Gina Gershon and Richard Kind are good, they basically steal the show) , but the main character is the definition of a cypher, who is way too bland to be the center of this story. The other “younger characters” are all archetypes who never evolve past their thin characters. The main characters best friends entire arc is landing a gorgeous woman out of his league, and then spending three seasons worrying about the fact he is a fat nobody with no confidence or goals and she is way too good looking for him. (why she would put up with his insecurity is baffling as he has nothing to recommend him except being “nice”. It plays the entire show as some nerdy guys wish fulfillment fantasy)It is only three seasons at a half hour apiece, ten episodes for the first two and I think only six for the third, so the time investment is not huge. But the abbreviated third is weirdly a victory lap sentimental mush that one would expect from a series that was on 12 years and beloved (like MASH or the Big Bang Theory), not one with just twenty some episodes, with long extended codas and goodbyes for every character. The series was clearly in love with itself and I thought it was pretentious.
Nailed it and completely agreed!
WWE Network goes underrated as a streaming service, but they put out some pretty great original stuff. Undertaker: The Last Ride wasn’t about his whole career, but chronicled the legendary performer trying to find the right time to retire. It’s interesting hearing Mark Calloway talk about not wanting to let the fans down with bad matches, but it kept happening, and that’s why he had to try just one more time. Again and again. I’d put it alongside ESPN’s The Last Dance as one of the best docu-series from last year.
I really enjoyed Welcome to Sweden a while back. It was on things, but they may not be the case anymore. I feel like it went underappreciated.
I absolutely loved this show (and thank you for putting something back on my endtimes/covid watchlist). It’d be nice to see more US shows that focus (partially) on life in Europe. Seems like you lot can use some different views/approaches to life…
i liked Connected more when it was a BBC show in the 70’s hosted by James Burke and called um Connections…
And also included what has been called “The Greatest Shot in Television”
isn’t that the best? No pressure, cameraman, just checking the pull focus is right…
Blow the Man Down is fantastic.
Rebirth is a weird one. It’s essentially a feature-length critique of Burning Man, with lots of little hyper-specific cultural winks and nods to that particular festival, and the whole thing seems to be largely an allegory for a dude going to Burning Man and not liking it at all.
I’m not kidding about this, I think this is literally what the movie is about. As far as I can tell, nobody has noticed except me. It still works as a weird kind of satire of various Burning-Man-adjacent cultural phenomena, and the sort of cultish semi-New Age behavior in the movie definitely happens in other contexts besides Burning Man, so I guess it still functions as more general work of art? But it really is a quite specific send-up of Burning Man.
The critique was more of Scientology, especially given the promotional material running during the credits. The main character’s acting was incredibly irritating, veering between spineless stuttering and hysteria. I wish I’d watched The Game again instead.
I mean, yes, there a few jabs at Scientology and general new-age feel-good West Coast style unctuousness, but I’m saying this is a very specific dig at Burning Man, and is chock full of shibboleths to make that clear. It’s been a little while since I watched it so I don’t remember them all but there are a lot. One I do remember is the protagonist being told “welcome home” by a greeter when he first enters the compound:https://journal.burningman.org/2004/07/black-rock-city/tales-from-the-playa/welcome-home/Note that I don’t think this is a particularly good movie, and I agree that the main character is crazy irritating.
I found “Brews Brothers” to be a pretty good gem. Not the most original premise, to be fair, and it does take a little bit to warm up, but I found it growing on me none the less. Plus I really love a lot of the actors on it. It helps that some of my favorite podcasters are on it (Mike Mitchell from “Doughboys”, Zack Reino from “Offbook”), and anything with Flura Borg in it is bound to win my love.
A quick, but light and fun watch. I’d love for a S2, but I doubt Netflix is going to renew the show.
I tried watching it and was hoping to like it as I love brewing beer. But I really didn’t care for it. They captured the worst aspects of brewing beer and the jokes bordered on the side of relying on gross or crass situations too much for my liking. I also just didn’t like the characters.
You had me at Mike Mitchell and Zack Reino. What service is it on?
I watched it early last year, and finished the season, but it felt like an obligation rather than a joy. It gave me the “these are horrible people and I don’t want them to succeed” feeling because of the brothers, but I wanted the employees to be okay.
Quick Draw is awesome, and John Lehr is VERY nice and cool (and funny) in real life.
Totally agree. Love Quick Draw.
I’d never heard of it, but that trailer has sold me.
I watched both seasons yesterday. Though it had some flaws (notably, the improv shows badly a few times in season 1), it was a perfectly enjoyable, light little show. It also did some things I was impressed with: acknowledging slavery and including black people in the stories it told (my bar is low), giving the female characters personalities and storylines (real low), having ongoing continuity over episodes, and it really did make me “lol” a few times.
I will also add that I appreciated the casting of more age appropriate love interests. Arden Myrin is older than she appears, btw.
I’ve only seen one of these (Set It Up) and would agree with the recommendation for that one. Great cast, fun movie. Red Oaks, Rebirth, and Blow the Man Down all sound good to me – will check them out. Not as into the documentaries, reality shows, etc. If I can throw a suggestion in the mix, check out ARQ on Netflix. It’s a Groundhog’s Day movie with Robbie Amell and Rachael Taylor that’s done really well and feels like innovative within that genre. Never see it mentioned or talked about anywhere.
Update: Watched Red Oaks (few episodes to go but have binged through enough of it) and it was an enjoyable watch. I’m a big fan of shows that don’t worry about having huge stakes and focus on smaller character moments and I’m also a fan of shows set in past eras. So really worked for me.
Amazon Prime’s Patriot would be my choice. It’s just fucking WEIRD, but enthralling. It’s about a CIA operative who really just wants to be a folk singer. And also, he has to get a job at a company that makes pipes, and uses lots of hilarious sounding piping jargon, for the sake of saving the world – and also the company employs Red from That 70’s Show. It’s such a strange, surreal experience, watching the show, but it’s anchored by solid acting and direction that it’s really hard to look away. It’s kind of like a weird, but interesting, indie movie, but as a TV show.Also, anyone who hasn’t seen Sundance’s Rectify, that was on Netflix last I checked, and Rectify is a top 10 show for sure.
WAYNE (Amazon Prime) & Teenage Bounty Hunters (Netflix) should be added to this list. Such great performances from two one-season wonders.
Beforeigners on HBO. People from the Stone Age, Viking Age, and 1800s mysteriously show up in modern day Norway. It’s a police buddy drama that partners up a modern cop with a past Viking. It’s good, goofy fun.
I am a web developer. I like this website so much.This web site is one thing that’s needed on the web, someone with some originality!
Does Mozart in the Jungle qualify? Somehow I had never heard of it until recently and it’s absolutely brilliant. Amazing cast, original setting (the world of classical music), funny but grounded and very knowledgeable about its subject – highlighting female composers and many unexpected gorgeous pieces of music while they’re at it.Also verybingeable, with 4 ten-episode seasons of about 30 minutes each.
*Beloved Character Actress Margo Martindale
it’s crazy. Just started watching Red Oaks a couple weeks ago and finished it yesterday. Don’t know how it went that far under the radar for 3 seasons…unless you wanna call Wheeler “Budget Jonah Hill” even though the character’s substance is explored further than Seth’s from “Superbad”.