What to Binge This Weekend: 'The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles'

You think this weekend will be different. But 48 hours later and there you are, slack jawed and bleary-eyed, chugging through your DVR backlog of Last Man Standing.

It doesn’t have to be like this. We’re not telling you to get lives (because who are we to judge). We’re just telling you to binge-watch better TV shows.

We, the fearless folks at Yahoo TV, watch the idiot box like it’s our job, because it is. Leverage our complete lack of social lives by checking out these under-seen, under-appreciated, Yahoo TV-approved programs. Each is available on a popular streaming service. You’re welcome.

This week’s pick: The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (available on Netflix).

YOUNG Indiana Jones, you say? Not quite. Everyone’s favorite grumpy grandpa had very little (notice we didn’t say “nothing”) to do with this show, which ran three seasons on ABC in the early ’90s.

Each episode featured either a high school- or middle school-aged Indiana Jones getting into (what else?) wild adventures — finding trouble and romance along the way. While the stories aren’t on par with Raiders of the Lost Ark, we can say that they’re often a heckuva lot better than Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. And the series boasted a slew of guest stars, many of them familiar faces. You’ll spot pre-fame appearances by Daniel Craig, Clark Gregg, Anne Heche, Elizabeth Hurley, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lukas Haas, and Jeffery Wright. Indy was played by Corey Carrier as a young kid and Sean Patrick Flanery (Boondock Saints) as a teen, both of whom do a fine job of portraying the man in the hat.

Originally, the shows were an hour each (including commercials), but on Netflix, the episodes have been recut, resulting in 90 minute programs from start to finish. The longer running times might make binge-watching less satisfying (your thumb won’t be able to click “watch next episode” as often), but the show is worth the sacrifice. It was ahead of its time and legitimately fun. Plus, it’s actually kind of educational.

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Wait, where are you going? We’re not saying you’ll learn anything. Just that it features historical figures like Thomas Edison and T.E. Lawrence, Winston Churchill and others. True, Young Indy isn’t for everybody, but the George Lucas-produced series (later re-named The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones) gives viewers a chance to spend more time with the great archeologist and treasure hunter in an entirely new way, and boasts incredibly high production values for an early ’90s show. Give it a try. We don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

And — spoiler alert! — Harrison Ford does make a memorable appearance.

The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles is available for streaming on Netflix.