Great Forgotten TV Shows on Netflix Instant Queue

ReviewFix.com Editor-In-Chief Patrick Hickey Jr. shares a few of his favorite classic TV show picks on the Netflix Instant Queue.

Soap: Easily one of the greatest sitcoms ever on television, “Soap” pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable on the small screen and provided a myriad of laughs. Not only was it full of hilarity and drama, it proved to be the launching pad for the career of Billy Crystal, who ended up playing the first openly gay character in television history while on the show. It also gave youngsters like Ted Wass [you know, the dad from “Blossom”] and ventriloquist Jay Johnson much-needed chances to strut their stuff and Katherine Helmond her first big starring role. If you’ve never watched the exploits of the Tate’s and the Campbell’s, you have no idea what you’re missing. The same thing goes for Robert Guillaume as Benson, who was so hilarious he ended up with a spin-off of his own. In spite of being off the air for nearly 30 years, the show has still aged tremendously well and is as hip and cool as ever as well.

Charles in Charge:
Sure, it’s corny ’80s TV, but for a while Scott Baio was a big fish in the television pond. The same thing goes for writer Michael Jacobs, who ended up writing some great stuff on “Dinosaurs,” possibly one of the coolest TV sitcoms ever. With the super cool Baio, a funny sidekick in “Eight is Enough” actor Willie Aimes, a bevy of good-looking chicks and Jacobs’ writing, “Charles in Charge” is still a funny, albeit poorly-aged sitcom.

Dilbert: Alright, this may not be “The Simpson’s” or “South Park,” but overall, “Dilbert,” based on the uber popular cartoon strip, is a funny endeavor. Voiced by the ageless Daniel Stern, the show is witty and will keep you will a smirk on your face. That Dogbert is one little evil bastard.

Coach: Another quality show that never got the credit it deserved, Craig T. Nelson is charming in “Coach,” and with the help of Jerry Van Dyke and Bill “Patrick the Starfish” Fagerbakke, the hijinx is always there. Add in a touch of charm from former singing sensation Shelley Fabares, the show always had a fun balance of laughs.

Battlestar Galactica: Way before the new series swept nerds worldwide off their feet, the original BSG was a huge hit and was powered by both established television stars and newcomers alike. Behind the dignity of Lorne Greene and the good looks of Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict, the show proved the sci-fi drama will always have a rightful place on the small screen.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 13819 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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