It’s the End of the World as We Know It, And I’m Streaming Fine Rounds 3-4

Things aren’t looking good right now. Coronavirus is all around. The economy will probably collapse. There’s no toilet paper available anywhere. And worst of all, we’re all stuck inside with our families.

Luckily, there’s a ton of great TV to help get us through this difficult time. If you’re looking for something to watch, Fancy Boys Club is here to help. Over the next few days, we’ll be breaking down our favorite coronavirus quarantine streaming options in the only way we know how: a draft.

Today, we’re dropping rounds 3 and 4. Rounds 1 and 2 were yesterday. Who got the best picks? Let us know in the comments.

Round 3

9. Seinfeld | Matt Drufke

When this show was running on all cylinders, it was absolutely perfect. Granted, it took Seinfeld a little bit to learn how to (kinda) act, but once he found his rhythm (and I think you have to give so much credit to the amazing supporting performers he got to work with), the show was absolutely fire. 

Has a show ever had more phrases that have worked their way into the public lexicon? Close-talker. Double-dipper. Bubble boy. Yada yada yada. Festivus. Serenity now! For a show about nothing, it sure gave us so much.

By the way, do you know who is absolutely underrated on this show? Julia Louis-Dreyfus. First off, she’s the only one of the four major stars to have had success on other television shows. But she is a joke assassin, and is able to work in every tone. If you need her to go big, she’ll turn into a firework. But she can also just shoot out a dry one-liner and have it sting so hard. The show may be named after Jerry, but without Elaine, I don’t know that the show succeeds.

Available On: Hulu

10. Ozark | Rick Copper

Yes, it is time to lord over an actress whose overall body of work I truly appreciate – Laura Linney. Not only does she have a metric ton of talent, in this show she also has Jason Bateman. You know, I get how Bateman is in both this show and The Outsiders since he’s a producer of The Outsiders, but the latter, to me, has far less depth than Ozark. Bateman plays the ‘genius fuck-up’ role of Marty Byrd so well and Linney as his wife is superb.

As for the rest of these chuckleheads and their choices: Seinfeld – genius yet over-emotive; 30 Rock – genius and a close second due to Fey’s writing ability; Bojack Horseman? I love it. Tough round.

Available On: Netflix

11. Bojack Horseman | Jack Baker

To answer your question Matt, yes The Simpsons has had more phrases enter the pop culture lexicon than Seinfeld and it’s not particularly close.  Is it apparent yet that I love animated shows? Bojack Horseman is the funniest/saddest show to come out in a long time. It can go from being hilarious to heartbreaking faster than any show since the early Simpsons.

Bojack Horseman tells the story of a washed up 90’s sitcom star as he tries to rebuild his career and deal with his personal demons. Also, he’s an anthropomorphic horse. If you thought Will Arnett was great as Lego Batman, then you’re in for a real treat here. The rest of the cast is outstanding as well with Paul F. Tompkins, Amy Sedaris, Allison Brie, Aaron Paul, Character Actress Margo Martindale, and basically every other hilarious comedian and actor that you can think of.

The animation is brilliant. The show goes to places that other shows would never dream of going. An episode with only one line of dialogue? Check. An entire episode of an animated show built around a sad, heartfelt, hilarious, heartbreaking monologue? Perfected. It’s a beautiful show and you should get on board if you haven’t already.

Available On: Netflix

12. 30 Rock | Brandon Andreasen

Few shows have hit jokes as smartly and consistently for such a long time as 30 Rock managed to do. On a former website helmed by a curly headed fuck, we did a full on draft of the episodes, and it was genuinely difficult because there was so much greatness. Season 2-6 were among the best collection of television ever done. The show didn’t overstay it’s welcome like so many others, which is unfortunate, because if there was ever a show under the reign of Trump to hit their absolute stride, it would have been 30 Rock.

Available On: Hulu

Round 4

13. Parks & Rec | Brandon Andreasen

The hilarious little brother to The Office, the show took the concept of The Office, and then created a much larger world for its characters to occupy. In the process, they created one of the greatest television characters of all time, Ron Swanson.

The show didn’t overstay its welcome, and got off the air before it became too stale. It is crazy to think there was a time when NBC was airing The Office, 30 Rock, and Parks and Recreation on the same night, which is insane to think about in binge watching retrospect.

Available On: Netflix, Amazon Prime

14. The Challenge | Jack Baker

NBA All Time Leading Scorer/Veronica Mars staff writer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar once described The Challenge as, “A spicy jambalaya of grueling sports and angsty melodrama, it’s basically Lord of the Flies in a fancy villa. Instead of fighting for the survival of the moral values of civilization, they’re backstabbing for a million dollars. It has all the sumptuous excess of Kabuki theater, which is what makes it so addictive.”

If it’s good enough for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, it’s more than good enough for you. You should start watching The Challenge. Like right now. It has intense competitive action, Some seasons are streaming on MTV.com, something called Pluto TV, and if you really want, I’ll DM you a link where you can download all the old episodes. 

15. Nailed It | Rick Copper

I’ll have to admit, I went off the deep end on this one, I did. However, I will say in this round I would not put it last – that spot is reserved for that preaching pleading whining show The West Wing. My God every episode was a ‘see? They suck” with a rotation of ‘Theys.’

If you want to shut off your brain and watch incredibly inept people vie for prizes they clearly do not deserve (they’re doling out Kitchen-Aid mixers to people who do not belong in a kitchen!) then have at it. I swear you’ll all of a sudden look up and go “where in the hell did 2 hours go?” and then watch another 2 episodes.

Available On: Netflix

16. The West Wing | Matt Drufke

Ok… Let’s fucking get into it.

Here is the picture from the chat we were in when I announced my pick:

So, clearly, I’m writing with heathens. Because Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing is an absolute joy to watch… but maybe not for the reasons you think.

First off, Sorkin made a prime-time soap opera out of what was supposed to be White House intrigue. There’s an assassination attempt and the fact that President Bartlett (Matin Sheen) concealed having MS. And that’s just the first season. The West Wing also gives us prostitutes, step-children trying to use the President for their own political gain, and constant attacks on a bitter press core… in thinking about this, maybe Trump watched a lot of this show and thought, “Hey, I could do this.”

The show will be critiqued by some as a liberal fantasy; a world where people were able to get good politics done with long monologues and people looking into their hearts. But I think those people are missing the point: with The West Wing, Sorkin isn’t giving us a view of how the White House is… he’s asking us to look at how it should be. A kinder, better-spoken, well-thought brand of politics. One we need now more than ever.

So, you suck MY ass, Brandon!

Available On: Netflix

Check back tomorrow for rounds 5-6!