# Hit TV Shows you didn't watch "live" but caught up with on DVD or Netflix **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 27, 2011, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-tv-shows-you-didnt-watch-live-but-caught-up-with-on-dvd-or-netflix/587035 "2011-06-27T16:33:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-tv-shows-you-didnt-watch-live-but-caught-up-with-on-dvd-or-netflix/587035/41 "2011-06-28T03:02:27Z")
I don’t watch any plot-driven show without having a season’s worth of episodes in the bag (that I’ve got reason to think are worth digging into). ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-tv-shows-you-didnt-watch-live-but-caught-up-with-on-dvd-or-netflix/587035/42 "2011-06-28T05:27:14Z")
Perhaps not a “hit” show, but I’ve just finished the first season of “Rome”. Too bad there’s only one season left. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-tv-shows-you-didnt-watch-live-but-caught-up-with-on-dvd-or-netflix/587035/43 "2011-06-28T06:29:45Z")
Hmmmm My friend gave me season one of Farscape but I STILL haven’t tackled it. My DVR keeps almost filling up. Maybe this weekend when I go cat-sitting. But then, last time I was sitting, I was engrossed by Red Dwarf season one. I had never watched Sex and the City, but was prompted by it’s ending to watch the finale, at which point I had a marathon one day of the entire final season on demand. I caught most of the most recent season of Being Erica on SoapNet and got HOOKED. At which point I um… procured… the previous seasons/episodes and had a marathon. Since I quite enjoyed the last two or three seasons of Supernatural, I should probably catch up on the earlier seasons at some point. I tried but haven’t managed yet, to check out Geeks & Freaks, and Undeclared in some kind of logical way. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-tv-shows-you-didnt-watch-live-but-caught-up-with-on-dvd-or-netflix/587035/44 "2011-06-28T06:49:18Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > we didn’t have UPN where I lived at the time. So we just ended up getting the shows from Netflix after the seasons ended. That’s almost a real network. Were you on bunny ears at the time? > [@tim-n-va](#): > > Not really a hit but a big cult following: “Firefly” Oh yeah! I love Firefly and Serenity so much that I forgot that despite being a Joss fan and tuning in just due to that, I still managed to never get into the series when it was on the air. It really must have been mismanaged. But afterwards the buzz and relative inexpensiveness led me to buy the DVD set (and later someone bought it for me lol) and I loved the hell out of it. > [@elfkin477](#): > > X-Files I watched religiously until David left. After I watched sporadically, and when Scully got replaced, even less,until the finale. I should probably watch those two? seasons at some point. I did love the movies, and hope there will be one final one to wrap up the mythology. > [@elfkin477](#): > > Six Feet Under I missed the first and maybe the second season, although I caught the random odd episode from them later. I should probably go back and watch methodically. > [@jayjay](#): > > Babylon 5 I caught on way after the fact. Should go back. > [@blondebear](#): > > Life on Mars (BBC) I watched and enjoyed the USA version, especially since they wrapped it up. I’ve been skeptical of the BBC version, but since they’ve apparently tied things together in the companion series, I might be tempted to give it a go. > [@FordTaurusSHO94](#): > > How I met Your Mother HIGHLY recommend! I started with the second or third season but have caught up with previous episodes in syndication. It’s been renewed for two more seasons, so I think that there’s a good chance that the “mythology” will be adequately resolved. But even besides that, it’s a great series. I thought it was a supremely stupid premise, and would never have bothered to watch if Alyson Hannigan hadn’t been a star, but now it’s one of my top three shows. NPH is revolutionary! (He should thank Harold and Kumar). And there’s lots of what others would call “gimmicks” to keep things going. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-tv-shows-you-didnt-watch-live-but-caught-up-with-on-dvd-or-netflix/587035/45 "2011-06-28T07:04:20Z")
Firefly Wire in the Blood (BBC) Monarch of the Glen (BBC) The West Wing Farscape ---
**Author:** ![Rala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@Rala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rala)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-tv-shows-you-didnt-watch-live-but-caught-up-with-on-dvd-or-netflix/587035/46 "2011-06-28T09:55:56Z")
The Addams Family, Buffy, Firefly, Heroes, How I Met Your Mother, Red Dwarf, Smallville (until Season 5, when I lost interest) and Star Trek TOS. ---
**Author:** ![Ken001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@Ken001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ken001)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-tv-shows-you-didnt-watch-live-but-caught-up-with-on-dvd-or-netflix/587035/47 "2011-06-28T10:11:55Z")
The Sopranos (No 1) The Wire (No 2 Deadwood The Shield…but gave up in series IV. Very good but then it stretched credulity Might try Nurse Jackie, Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire, and Veronica Mars. ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-tv-shows-you-didnt-watch-live-but-caught-up-with-on-dvd-or-netflix/587035/48 "2011-06-28T10:15:27Z")
Top Gear Farscape Dr Who Dexter Red Dwarf The IT Crowd …wish they’d put Spaced or Black Books into instant !! To name just a few ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-tv-shows-you-didnt-watch-live-but-caught-up-with-on-dvd-or-netflix/587035/49 "2011-06-28T10:40:30Z")
Lost and Mad Men. I just finished season 4 of the latter and am considering buying the whole series. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-tv-shows-you-didnt-watch-live-but-caught-up-with-on-dvd-or-netflix/587035/50 "2011-06-28T10:59:41Z")
There’s one thing that bothers me about this. I watch most shows as they air, and I enjoy coming in the next day and getting online to discuss the big shocker I watched the night before. Most of the people I work with don’t have premium channels, or even cable, in some cases, so I’ve gotten used to getting my conversations about buzz-worthy tv online. So a year and a half later, my coworker comes in all jazzed up about some small detail that was a big deal three episodes into a series that turned out to have no further relevance to the rest of the season. I can’t get excited about these shows this long after seeing them, especially if it all played out differently than you could tell at the time. I would think it would be frustrating to not be able to gush and speculate with others about an event that everyone else has moved away from. Does this bother any of you “later” watchers? ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-tv-shows-you-didnt-watch-live-but-caught-up-with-on-dvd-or-netflix/587035/51 "2011-06-28T13:32:44Z")
> [@JpnDude](#): > > Perhaps not a “hit” show, but I’ve just finished the first season of “Rome”. Too bad there’s only one season left. ☹ I just did that one, too, it was awesome. I bought the series on Blu-Ray before I’d even finished watching Season 2. I also caught up on Mad Men and Breaking Bad this way. Oh, and not really a series per se but a miniseries - I just watched Pillars of the Earth. That one was a rush to finish because Netflix was taking it off of the streaming service on June 21st. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-tv-shows-you-didnt-watch-live-but-caught-up-with-on-dvd-or-netflix/587035/52 "2011-06-28T16:20:00Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I attempted _Farscape_. I got 1.5 episodes in, decided it was horrendously awful, and gave up. The second episode of Farscape is absolutely dreadful. I don’t blame you for giving up if that’s all you saw. ---
**Author:** ![SuperNelson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@SuperNelson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuperNelson)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-tv-shows-you-didnt-watch-live-but-caught-up-with-on-dvd-or-netflix/587035/53 "2011-06-29T17:49:52Z")
Does iTunes count? If so: Chuck The Wire Lost Community Breaking Bad And on DVD (but not via Netflix): Angel Buffy Dead Like Me Firefly Pushing Daisies Wonderfalls ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-tv-shows-you-didnt-watch-live-but-caught-up-with-on-dvd-or-netflix/587035/54 "2011-06-29T20:50:06Z")
I’m currently watching **True Blood** during my lunch hour, at my wife’s prompting. I’ve watched 5 episodes so far, and it’s kept me interested enough to keep watching. My wife assured me that the “everyone having sex with each other” tapers off after the first few episodes and it gets better, and that seems to be true. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-tv-shows-you-didnt-watch-live-but-caught-up-with-on-dvd-or-netflix/587035/55 "2011-06-29T21:18:31Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > I’m currently watching **True Blood** during my lunch hour, at my wife’s prompting. I’ve watched 5 episodes so far, and it’s kept me interested enough to keep watching. My wife assured me that the “everyone having sex with each other” tapers off after the first few episodes and it gets better, and that seems to be true. The tapering off ramps up again quite heartily in season 2. Just sayin. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-tv-shows-you-didnt-watch-live-but-caught-up-with-on-dvd-or-netflix/587035/56 "2011-06-30T14:18:39Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > The tapering off ramps up again quite heartily in season 2. Just sayin. Yeah, she warned me that season 2 was weak, but the third season was better than the first. Guess time will tell. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-tv-shows-you-didnt-watch-live-but-caught-up-with-on-dvd-or-netflix/587035.md?page=2)