Cancelled Or Ongoing, These Titles Are Worth Your Time

People say that they want to watch new things. However, whether people care to admit it or not, they tend to make selections based on at least some degree of familiarity. First, I will list a few titles that I am sure many people love. Afterward, for each one, I will recommend a familiar title that perhaps may not have been on your radar.

1. Avatar: The Last Airbender

2. Freaks and Geeks

3. The Lord of the Rings

4. Rick and Morty

5. Star Wars: The Clone Wars

6. Stranger Things

1. If You Love 'Avatar: The Last Airbender,' Watch 'The Dragon Prince'

Avatar: The Last Airbender, the animated Nickelodeon fantasy series, had a sequel show titled Avatar: The Legend of Korra. But it also has a spiritual successor in the form of another world presented within Netflix original The Dragon Prince. ATLA alumni have actually worked on it. This includes Sokka voice actor himself Jack DeSena, who voices Callum, one of two half-brother princes who go on a journey with an elf named Rayla to help an infant dragon in hopes that doing so can end a conflict.

This animated fantasy series has the same humorous and adventurous feel of its Nickelodeon counterpart, and deals with different cultures of Xadia. Rest assured, the animation improves after the first season. Each season is a different book named after an element. (Sound familiar?) So far, there are three seasons, but Netflix has renewed the show so that its entire seven-season saga can be told. Now is your time to catch up!

2. If You Love 'Freaks and Geeks,' Watch 'Everything Sucks'

So what do these sitcoms have in common? Both are period pieces that got cancelled after one season. Freaks and Geeks is set in 1980s high school whereas Everything Sucks is set in 1990s junior high. Both are very well written as they delve into what kids go through at such complicated stages of their lives, where people seem to sort themselves into cliques, have trouble with relationships, and worry about being judged for being different.

Everything Sucks is a Netflix series, and it seems that, like its spiritual predecessor, it did not get enough attention. Maybe Freaks and Geeks aired at a time when people were more nostalgic for the '70s and watching That '70s Show. Likewise, maybe people were not nostalgic enough for the '90s when Everything Sucks was on, as the '80s seemed to still be what was "in." Even with the story not completely resolved, Everything Sucks deserves attention, and can perhaps fuel some discussion about the confusion and hardships that kids experience.

3. If You Love 'The Lord of the Rings,' Watch 'Zack Snyder's Justice League'

This might seem like a stretch to some on the surface, but Zack Snyder's Justice League actually has the epic fantasy feel that is often associated with The Lord of the Rings. It includes narration of a battle that is important to fateful events that unfold in the present. Darkseid feels very much like the Sauron of this world. The fight between Steppenwolf and the Amazons is comparable to battles seen in Peter Jackson's films.

When the heroes confront evil together, there are inspiring moments of hope. It is clear that they are all fighting for a better world. This cut of Justice League is much better than what was put out in 2017. Speaking for myself, the four hours fly by pretty easily. Its presence on HBO Max can be enjoyed by DC fans and by audiences who may not necessarily be super familiar with DC but appreciate epic fantasy. Even though the film teases an unresolved storyline, it is still worth the watch.

4. If You Love 'Rick and Morty,' Watch 'Solar Opposites'

Given that the animated sci-fi comedy series Solar Opposites was created by Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland and writer/producer for that show Mike McMahon, Solar Opposites inevitably feels like Rick and Morty but with aliens living among humans. One of them, Korvo, is actually voiced by Roiland and sounds and acts pretty much like Rick. Terry might feel like a Morty to him at times, though he is more exuberant. And their replicants Yumyulack and Jesse (the kids of the family), along with The Pupa, add something different to the family's dynamic so that it does not feel too copy-and-paste.

The standout storyline, however, is the one involving people who have been shrunken by these aliens and put in the wall, where they build their own civilization and endure war and revolution. "The Wall" storyline is a recurring joke that becomes an epic of its own, and you may even become more invested in that survival story than the typical sitcom shenanigans of the alien family. This Hulu original has two seasons thus far, and I desperately want to see what happens next within The Wall.

5. If You Love 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars,' Watch 'The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance'

People are sometimes wary of prequels. But just like how The Clone Wars fleshed out the prequel era of Star Wars, Age of Resistance fleshes out some of the backstory teased in the original The Dark Crystal film from 1982. Both shows utilize not only the familiar characters who are expected to be around earlier in the timeline, but also new characters to latch onto who represent different walks of life. We come to find out that each Gelfling clan is different, and that things are not all black and white when it comes to the Skeksis, who are generally villainous.

On top of that, the puppetry and the visual effects are incredible. The world of Thra comes to life in much the same way that the galaxy far, far away has felt bigger thanks to the animated side of the franchise. Age of Resistance was, unfortunately, canceled by Netflix on a cliffhanger, but it is a visual feast to consume. The story has an epic and adventurous feel, with humor in all the right places.

6. If You Love 'Stranger Things,' Watch 'I Am Not Okay With This'

I Am Not Okay with This is a coming-of-age comedy drama based on a comic book. The main character, Sydney Novak, discovers that, along with the usual teenage confusion with relationships and whatnot, she has telekinetic powers. So, like Stranger Things, it deals with adolescent lives but also includes elements that one may consider somewhat sci-fi or horror.

Whereas Stranger Things seems like it could go on forever given its popularity, I Am Not Okay with This got cancelled after one season and ended on a cliffhanger. Despite this, I actually think it is still worth the watch. The young actors in this give believable performances that are to be commended.

So now you potentially have up to six new recommendations. Each of these are not too much of a time investment, but they are definitely worth viewing. People made these stories for a reason, and I firmly believe that these particular stories can be enjoyed and analyzed thoughtfully.