Five Shows That Should be Available on Streaming

Sometimes its seems as if every TV show ever made is on streaming. After all, one can watch a show as obscure as Camp Runamuck on Tubi. In fact, there is a good deal that is not available on streaming. What is more, many of the TV series not to found on streaming services are not exactly obscure. Here are five shows that are not available on streaming, but should be.

Culture Clash: Culture Clash was a sketch variety show starring the comedy troupe of that name. It aired on Fox stations starting in 1993. Sadly, Culture Clash has not been available ever since it aired in the Nineties. It really should be made available. First, it was one of the first shows to star Chicanos. This was well before George Lopez, let alone such shows as Vida and Gentefied. Second, it was one of the first shows to be produced and written by Chicanos as well (among them legendary cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz). Of course, on a personal level I would like for Culture Clash to become available on streaming (and DVD as well) because my dearest Vanessa Marquez was a regular on the show. For those curious about the show, there are clips to be found on YouTube, some of which Vanessa uploaded herself.

Empty Nest: Empty Nest was a spinoff of The Golden Girls starring Richard Mulligan as paediatrician Dr. Harry Weston, whose adult daughters moved back in with him. The show was one of NBC's hits in the late Eighties, ranking no, 9 in the Nielsens for the year in its fist two seasons and no. 7 for its third season. Its ratings would decline afterwards, but it still managed to run seven seasons. Despite its success, Empty Nest aired for a time on the Hallmark Channel, but has since largely disappeared from syndication and has never been released on DVD.

He & She: While it only lasted one season, He & She remains well remembered by many. The show starred real life married couple Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss as Dick and Paula Hollister. Dick was a cartoonist whose comic strip Jetman has been adapted into a TV show starring the vain, but not particularly bright Oscar North (Jack Cassidy). Paula worked for the Tourist Aid Society, making her one of the first married women to work outside the home in American television.  He & She debuted on CBS on September 6 1967 to critical acclaim. It even won the Emmy for Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy and was nominated for four more Emmy Awards. Unfortunately, none of this prevented CBS from cancelling the show. CBS would rerun it during the summer of 1970 and it would later pop up on both the USA Network and TV Land. Sadly, it has never been released on DVD, nor is it on any streaming services. All we have are episodes that have been uploaded to YouTube.

Nurses: Just as Empty Nest was a spinoff of The Golden Girls, Nurses was a spinoff of Empty Nest. It centred on a group of nurses working in a hospital in Miami (the same hospital as Dr. Weston of Empty Nest). Nurses debuted on September 14 1991 on NBC and ran for three seasons. Nurses received modest ratings until its third and final season. Reruns of the show aired on Lifetime for a while after its initial network run, but it hasn't really been available since. Like Empty Nest, it hasn't been released on DVD, although there are a few episodes on YouTube. Of course, here I have to say I have a personal reason for wanting Nurses available on streaming. Vanessa guest starred on the third season episode "The One After the Earthquake."

Sea Hunt: From the Forties into the early Sixties, several hit shows were released through first-run syndication in the United States. Among the last of the hit shows to emerge from the first wave of first-run syndication shows in the Fifties and Sixties was Sea Hunt. The show was created and produced by Ivan Tors, who would later produce such shows as Flipper and Daktari. It starred Lloyd Bridges as former Navy frogman Mike Nelson. Plots on the show ranged from underwater salvage missions to facing criminals. Sea Hunt proved to be very popular and ran for four seasons. Unlike other shows on this list, Sea Hunt is available on DVD. It has also been available on streaming in the past. Currently, it is available on no streaming services.