The Adventures of Pete and Pete is sure proof that shows written for children don't need to be simplistic and condescending. The jewel in Nickelodeon's crown was a delightfully quirky, coming-of-age series about two brothers both called Pete, as they deal with their friends, family, potential love interests, and of course, their enemies. From its catchy opening tune by Polaris, to the ridiculous number of cameo appearances from the likes of Steve Buscemi, Iggy Pop, Michael Stipe and even Adam West and the sheer honest way that it spoke to its young audience, Pete and Pete is practically unrivaled as superior entertainment for youngsters. Managing to combine a surreal tone with a very real engagement with issues facing young kids, the show essentially gave us the best of both worlds: it had earnest intentions, but layered them underneath hilariously over-the-top storylines, and it made for some of the most creative children's TV ever made. What's more, it holds up extremely well when viewed as an adult, and it's a genuine surprise that so many of the stars didn't ultimately graduate onto more high-profile work (Big Pete, aka Mike Maronna, is now a Hollywood electrician).
26. Firefly
Yet more proof that Fox is run by some of the most idiotic people in showbiz, they never really gave Joss Whedon's short-lived but immensely-loved sci-fi western a chance, cancelling it after 11 of its 14 episodes had aired, while inconsistent scheduling and airing episodes out of order naturally never allowed it to amass the fanbase it needed. However, Firefly thrived on DVD to the point that Whedon convinced Universal to give him $40 million to make Serenity, a big-screen version of the show that rather regrettably bombed at the box office. As for Firefly itself, it benefited hugely from Whedon's typically quick-fire scripts, bursting with wit and never taking themselves too seriously. In conjunction with this, the high production quality proved extremely immersive, but the show's real victory is the cast, whose chemistry ensures there's never a dull moment aboard the spaceship Serenity. Nathan Fillion won the hearts of geeks the world over with his portrayal of protagonist Malcolm Reynolds, and the others, namely Alan Tudyk's Wash, Jewel Staite's Kaylee and Adam Baldwin's Jayne, were almost impossible not to love, even after just 11 episodes (though the other 3 episodes were eventually made available on DVD). It's devastating to think about what the show could have been if Fox just gave it a chance, but the show's massive cult success is a testament to how brightly it burned for its brief tenure on our screens.
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
