Three Off-the-Wall Shows You Must Not Miss

With so much to watch, and so many channels to choose from these days, it’s not surprising that some great programs slip under the radar. So, if you’ve missed any of the following three, now could be the time to check them out.

A show that takes you to a dystopian future

There’s been something about the 21st century that has led some sections of entertainment in the direction of examining an uncertain future. A great example is The Handmaid’s Tale in which Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel about a new puritanism sweeping America suddenly seemed to have a new relevance today.

But this could just have been a single episode in the anthology series Black Mirror which, over the course of five seasons and 22 episodes, has examined how changing technology and culture could shape our future in far more ways. Within the individual stories, we have seen people being sucked into video games, followed characters chased across America by robotic guard dogs, and witnessed senior citizens gifted with eternal youth. In one particular stand-out episode, Bandersnatch, it broke whole new broadcasting ground by letting the viewer make plot decisions at certain points in the story.

A show to kickstart a new interest

If you’ve never watched a high-stakes game of poker before, then you’ve missed out on some of the tensest TV there is. Tuning in to the annual World Series of Poker is the perfect opportunity to experience this for yourself first hand. It’s an event that’s held in Las Vegas early each summer and attracts literally thousands of players hoping for their shot at some big wins as well as the most prized trophy in the game, a WSOP bracelet. It’s got everything – excitement, larger-than-life characters, and true jeopardy are all present every session. The ultimate game, and the most gripping TV, comes with The Main Event. In this, a field of thousands of professionals is gradually reduced to just nine who go into a battle royal on the final table, the winner carrying off a multi-million-dollar prize.

In recent years the WSOP, as it’s known, has been attracting ever-increasing numbers of entrants who have been turned on to poker and other popular casino table games by playing them online. With many sites offering a wide range of these, which also include blackjack, roulette, and baccarat, it’s no wonder that their popularity has soared. The fact that you can play on many of these sites for free only goes to make them even more appealing, as well as being the perfect way to get into the tabletop sport yourself.

A show that takes comedy animation to the limits

The Simpsons was the cartoon TV show that first managed the crossover to being enjoyed across multiple demographics. It arguably also paved the way for a series like Bojack Horseman, a show, it must be said, that is strictly for adults.  Despite having had an exhausting experience working with animals in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie the year before, Will Arnett still agreed to voice the title character in this black comedy that first aired in 2014.

Bojack is a walking, talking horse who was a big star in a family-style sitcom in the 1990s. Working alongside human actors in the show, no-one ever seemed to question the logic of an equine star, as it’s a world in which humans happily, and sometimes pretty unhappily, co-exist.

The other main character is Todd, voiced by Aaron Paul, Bojack’s layabout housemate who shares his luxury home in the Hollywood Hills and tries to keep his four-legged friend on the straight and narrow. Other members of the cartoon cast include Bojack’s agent, a cat called Princess Caroline, his best friend, a Labrador Retriever called Mr Peanut Butter, and the latter’s second (human) wife called Diane.

It’s the show for you if you want to combine meditations on the meaning of life, fame, and relationships, while also enjoying joke after joke about the animal kingdom. There are 77 episodes in all to watch, and they’re all on Netflix.

So there you have them: three great shows that you may have missed up until now – but it’s never too late to catch up!