One-Season Wonder Binges for One-Hit Wonder Day

Time to crank up Right Said Fred and Chumbawamba: Sept. 25 is National One-Hit Wonder Day — the day when we scroll through our iTunes playlists in search of those singles that were many bands’ single hit song. Television has its version of the one-hit wonder in the form of the one-season wonder, shows that only lasted a single year (if that) but have devoted fans that keep their memory alive for years and even decades going forward. Since chances are good that you’ve already seen obvious candidates like Firefly, Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared, and My So-Called Life, we decided to celebrate this particular One-Hit Wonder Day by digging a little deeper to find memorable one-season shows that you can binge on between listening to Dexys Midnight Runners on repeat.

Awake (NBC, 2012)
Bingeable on: Netflix
Realities collide over and over in this sadly short-lived showcase for the great British actor Jason Isaacs. Waking up from a car accident that claimed his wife’s life in one timeline and his son’s life in the other, detective Michael Britten (Isaacs) tries to keep his two worlds separate via red and green wristbands. But just as his personal life is drastically different in both realities, so too are the cases he’s tasked with solving. Basically, if you’re still obsessing over the meaning of the spinning top from the last scene of Inception, Awake is the show for you.
Must-see episode: “Pilot,” which sets up the rules of this tricky premise so carefully and compellingly that you’re going to have to set aside 13 hours to watch the whole series.

Eerie, Indiana (NBC, 1991-1992)
Bingeable on: Amazon Prime (With a Comic-Con HQ subscription)
Long before Stranger Things, this early ’90s series became a cult sensation by chronicling cases of small-town paranormal activity. Already less than thrilled about moving to the eerie burg of Eerie, teenager Marshall Teller (Omri Katz) is further perturbed by some of the odd discoveries he makes about his new home — discoveries like Tupperware with Fountain of Youth-properties and self-aware tornadoes. Horror master Joe Dante directed several episodes, along with Christopher Guest-favorite Bob Balaban and TV journeyman Ken Kwapis, famous for everything from The Larry Sanders Show to The Office.
Must-see episode: “Reality Takes a Holiday,” in which Marshall ventures beyond the fourth wall and discovers that he’s an actor on a show called Eerie, Indiana. It’s like The Truman Show without Jim Carrey’s manic smile.

Family Tree (HBO, 2013)
Bingeable on: Amazon Prime and HBO Go/HBO Now
Christopher Guest brought his crack mockumentary troupe to television in an eight-episode HBO series that, if there was any justice in the world, would have run for at least 18 half-hours. That would certainly have given us more opportunities to explore the many odd branches of hero Tom Chadwick’s sprawling family tree. Played by the hilarious Chris O’Dowd, Tom takes his mind off his less-than-ideal personal life by tracking his lineage all over England and even across the pond to America. Guest regulars like Michael McKean, the aforementioned Balaban, and Fred Willard all contribute memorable cameos, while ventriloquist comic Nina Conti is both heartbreaking and hysterical as Tom’s sibling, who relies on her trusty hand puppet to communicate her innermost feelings.
Must-see episode: “Treading the Boards,” in which Tom discovers his family roots in British theater, but the glamor of the stage turns out to be distinctly at odds with the reality.

No Ordinary Family (ABC, 2010-2011)
Bingeable on: Yahoo View
Michael Chiklis may have played The Thing in two ill-fated Fantastic Four movies, but his most Marvel-ous superhero was part of Greg Berlanti’s ambitious homage to Stan Lee’s legendary First Family. Like the Fantastic Four, the Powell clan — which includes husband-and-wife team Jim and Stephanie (Chiklis and Julie Benz) and their two children, Daphne and J.J. (Kay Panabaker and Jimmy Bennett) — all have distinct powers that they use in the never-ending fight against bad guys, like an earthquake-causing thief, and more personal conflicts … like dentition. These days, of course, Berlanti oversees an entire comic book-derived TV universe courtesy of his various CW shows, from Arrow to Supergirl, which makes No Ordinary Family an interesting training ground as he stretches his superhero muscles.
Must-see episode: “No Ordinary Love,” which brings Battlestar Galactica’s Tricia Helfer into the mix as the Poison Ivy-esque femme fatale who uses technology to make Jim and his best friend, George (Romany Malco), compete for her affections.

The Time Tunnel (ABC, 1966-1967)
Bingeable on: Shout Factory TV
The new fall TV season brings a pair of competing time-travel series, NBC’s Timeless and ABC’s Time After Time. They’ll have to work hard to match this Irwin Allen-produced series, one of television’s first and best trips through the timestream. While scientists Doug (Robert Colbert) and Tony (James Darren) are bouncing around from one major historical event to another, including the sinking of the Titanic and the explosion of Krakatoa, their colleagues in the present try to find a way to bring them home. Unlike some gone-too-soon shows, the 30-episode series does come to a definite conclusion, just one that has an ellipsis rather than a full stop.
Must-see episode: “Chase Through Time” featuring a young Robert Duvall as a spy trying to blow up the top-secret complex housing the Time Tunnel.