I’ve been thirsty for TV to make me suppose. One thing contemporary. Who knew I’d have to show to the previous to get what I wished?
And once you do discover a hidden gem, generally you fall down a rabbit gap, and there’s no getting again out.
That’s exactly what occurred after I stumbled onto Nowhere Man, a forgotten 1995 TV sequence starring Bruce Greenwood.
Diving into this present that was beforehand unknown to me (me, a TV Fanatic!) made me notice simply what number of unbelievable reveals are nonetheless buried in tv’s previous, ready to be uncovered.
Most individuals know the well-known one-season wonders — My So-Referred to as Life, Firefly, Freaks and Geeks.
They’re nice, little doubt about it. However there’s one other layer beneath the plain picks, stuffed with reveals that won’t have the identical legacy however are nonetheless wildly rewarding to look at.
Nowhere Man is considered one of them.
It aired on UPN (bear in mind UPN?) and barely made a blip earlier than disappearing, nevertheless it’s additionally type of a cult basic, with good purpose.
Someway, it predicted a lot of what retains us up at evening in the present day — surveillance, privateness, identification theft — lengthy earlier than 9/11 modified all the things.
Watching it now feels much less like stepping again in time and extra like seeing the warning indicators we missed flashing in neon. It’s a conspiracy theorist‘s dream, and I take advantage of that time period with all of the love I’ve to offer.
And it’s not simply the story that’s well worth the trip, though you know the way determined I’ve been for extra style programming.
Bruce Greenwood (sure, that Bruce Greenwood) carries the entire thing with this quiet depth that makes you root for him even when all the things feels hopeless.
It helps that he’s considered one of my private favorites. He killed it on The Resident and was improbable in The Fall of the Home of Usher, and is contemporary off a stint in Darkish Winds Season 3. He’s all the time been a robust main man.
Plus, the visitor stars are ridiculous in one of the best ways — Bryan Cranston, Maria Bello, Carrie-Anne Moss, Richard Sort, Dean Stockwell, Ted Levine — and that’s simply the primary half of the season!
It’s like a “who’s who” of future TV royalty hiding in plain sight. That’s the norm in most elderly TV reveals, however too usually, hidden gems like this are misplaced perpetually.
Not this time! The most effective half is that every one 25 episodes are on the market, free to look at on YouTube and the Web Archive. The video high quality is like an previous VCR recording, however that’s by no means bothered me. I really like seeing issues others aren’t, however I wish to invite you alongside for the trip.
It’s an ideal summer season binge if you happen to’re searching for one thing totally different — one thing that reminds you the way daring broadcast TV was after they weren’t simply chasing franchises and spinoffs.
I’ll warn you, although: Nowhere Man doesn’t have a neat, tidy ending. The present was canceled earlier than it may absolutely wrap up, however actually, that just about feels becoming.
Actual life hardly ever ties all the things up with a bow both.
Typically the journey is the purpose — the questions it raises, the paranoia it stirs, the “what if” that lingers lengthy after the credit roll.
And Nowhere Man is simply the beginning.
There are such a lot of extra hidden gems on the market — reveals that took dangers, reveals that swung huge even after they missed, reveals that also have one thing to say. You simply should be prepared to dig slightly.
Belief me: the rabbit gap is price it.
Chances are you’ll already belief me to be on to one thing good. What reveals have you ever uncovered in surprising locations which have reinvigorated your love for the medium?
Like these previous reveals begging to be seen once more, we don’t have a PR machine or a million-dollar finances — we’ve you.
In case you’re studying, say hiya within the feedback or ship this to a good friend. Each little motion helps.