Guide Last Updated: July 15th, 2021
Are you searching for TV shows to stream? Do you enjoy watching short-lived and/or forgotten television? If so, this guide is for you. Below you’ll find more than 100 TV shows you’ve either never heard of or you forgot existed, all streaming and ready to watch. Most of these shows were on the air for a single season or less. I’ve also included some shows that ran for two seasons or more, particularly if one or both of those seasons were short.
Not surprisingly, most the TV shows included in this guide originally aired during the last two decades. But you can stream a handful of forgotten TV shows dating back to the 1950s.
Currently, the guide covers the following streaming services:
- ABC (Free)
- Amazon Prime Video (Subscription)
- Crackle (Free/Ad-Supported)
- CW Seed (Free/Ad-Supported)
- Disney+ (Subscription)
- Hulu (Subscription)
- NBC (Free)
- Netflix (Subscription)
- Paramount+ (Subscription)
- Shout! Factory TV (Free/Ad-Supported)
There’s some overlap, with certain TV shows available on multiple streaming services. Also, TV shows disappear from streaming services all the time, often without warning. Before sighing up for any of the subscription services, be sure to double check to make sure the show(s) you want to watch are still available.
I’ll be updating this guide periodically but I can’t possibly keep track of all the TV shows coming and going on all of these streaming services. I’ll be relying on contributions from readers to keep this guide up-to-date.
ABC (Free)
(ABC offers a selection of “Throwback” shows on its website, apps, and streaming devices like Roku, Apple TV, or Amazon Fire TV. You may need a “participating TV provider account” to watch some of these shows or episodes. See the ABC.com FAQ for more information.)
The Astronaut Wives Club (ABC, 2015) – 1 season, 13 episodes
Betrayal (ABC, 2013-2014) – 1 season, 13 episodes
Dirty Sexy Money (ABC, 2007-2009) – 2 seasons, 23 episodes
Eli Stone (ABC, 2008-2009) – 2 seasons, 26 episodes
Family Tools (ABC, 2013) – 1 season, 10 episodes
FlashForward (ABC, 2009-2010) – 1 season, 22 episodes
GCB (ABC, 2012) – 1 season, 10 episodes
Happy Town (ABC, 2010) – 1 season, 8 episodes
Killer Women (ABC, 2014) – 1 season, 12 episodes
Lucky 7 (ABC, 2013) – 1 season, 8 episodes
Malibu Country (ABC, 2012-2013) – 1 season, 18 episodes
Man Up (ABC, 2011) – 1 season, 13 episodes
Manhattan Love Story (ABC, 2014) – 1 season, 11 episodes
Mixology (ABC, 2014) – 1 season, 13 episodes
My So-Called Life (ABC, 1994-1995) – 1 season, 19 episodes
Night Stalker (ABC, 2005) – 1 season, 10 episodes
No Ordinary Family (ABC, 2010-2011) – 1 season, 20 episodes
October Road (ABC, 2007-2008) – 2 seasons, 19 episodes
Off the Map (ABC, 2011) – 1 season, 13 episodes
Reaper (The CW, 2007-2009) – 2 seasons, 31 episodes
Red Band Society (FOX, 2014-2015) – 1 season, 13 episodes
Red Widow (ABC, 2013) – 1 season, 8 episodes
The River (ABC, 2012) – 1 season, 8 episodes
Samantha Who? (ABC, 2007-2009) – 2 seasons, 35 episodes
Scoundrels (ABC, 2010) – 1 season, 10 episodes
Trophy Wife (ABC, 2013-2014) – 1 season, 22 episodes
Zero Hour (ABC, 2013) – 1 season, 13 episodes
Amazon Prime Video (Subscription)
NOTE: Shows marked with an * are ad-supported through IMDb TV.
*Adventure, Inc. (syndicated, 2002-2003) – 1 season, 22 episodes
*The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (NBC, 1956-1957) – 1 season, 30 episodes
*The Adventures of Swiss Family Robinson (PAX, 1998) – 1 season, 30 episodes
*The Barbara Stanwyck Show (NBC, 1960-1961) – 1 season, 36 episodes [27 streaming]
*Booker (FOX, 1989-1990) – 1 season, 22 episodes
*The Californians (NBC, 1957-1959) – 2 seasons, 69 episodes
*Colonel March of Scotland Yard (Syndicated, 1956) – 1 season, 26 episodes
C.P.O. Sharkey (NBC, 1976-1978) – 2 seasons, 37 episodes [34 streaming]
*Decoy (syndicated, 1957-1958) – 1 season, 39 episodes
*Harts of the West (CBS, 1993-1994) – 1 season, 15 episodes
Hawkeye (Syndicated, 1994-1995) – 1 season, 22 episodes
Life with Elizabeth (Syndicated, 1953-1955) – 2 seasons, 65 episodes [17 streaming[
*Man in a Suitcase (ABC, 1968) – 1 season, 30 episodes
*Mike Hammer, Private Eye (Syndicated, 1997-1998) – 1 season, 26 episodes
*Mr. Lucky (CBS, 1959-1960) – 1 season, 34 episodes
On Our Own (CBS, 1977-1978) – 1 season, 22 episodes [19 streaming]
*Pat Paulsen’s Half a Comedy Hour (ABC, 1970) – 1 season, 13 episodes
*The Rebel (ABC, 1959-1961) – 2 seasons, 76 episodes
*Space Precinct (syndicated, 1994-1995) – 1 season, 24 episodes
*Stringray (NBC, 1986-1987) – 2 seasons, 24 episodes
*Tucker’s Witch (CBS, 1982-1983) – 1 season, 12 episodes
The Westerner (NBC, 1960) – 1 season, 13 episodes
*Women of the House (CBS/Lifetime, 1995) – 1 season, 13 episodes
Yancy Derringer (CBS, 1958-1959) – 1 season, 34 episodes
Crackle (Free/Ad-Supported)
Bad Teacher (CBS, 2014) – 1 season, 13 episodes
Between Brothers (FOX/UPN, 1997-1999) – 2 seasons, 17 episodes
The Blacklist: Redemption (NBC, 2017) – 1 season, 8 episodes
Brothers (FOX, 2009) – 1 season, 13 episodes
The Critic (ABC/FOX, 1994-1995) – 2 seasons, 23 episode
The Dana Carvey Show (ABC, 1996) – 1 season, 8 episodes
Dilbert (UPN, 1999-2000) – 2 seasons, 30 episodes
The Goode Family (ABC, 2009) – 1 season, 13 episodes
Grady (NBC, 1976-1976) – 1 season, 10 episodes
Last Resort (ABC, 2012-2013) – 1 season, 13 episodes
Mr. Sunshine (ABC, 2011) – 1 season, 13 episodes
Pan Am (ABC, 2011-2012) – 1 season, 14 episodes
The Player (NBC, 2015) – 1 season, 9 episodes
Sheena (Syndicated, 2000-2002) – 2 seasons, 35 episodes
Space Precinct (Syndicated, 1994-1995) – 1 season, 24 episodes
The Unusuals (ABC, 2009) – 1 season, 10 episodes
CW Seed (Free/Ad Supported)
BrainDead
The Carrie Diaries (The CW, 2013-2014) – 2 seasons, 26 episodes
Extant (CBS, 2014-2015) – 2 seasons, 26 episodes
Forever (ABC, 2014-2015) – 1 season, 22 episodes
Hellcats (The CW, 2010-2011) – 1 season, 22 episodes
Limitless (CBS, 2015-2016) – 1 season, 22 episodes
Privileged (The CW, 2008-2009) – 1 season, 18 episodes
Pushing Daisies (ABC, 2007-2009) – 2 seasons, 22 episodes
The Secret Circle (The CW, 2011-2012) – 1 season, 22 episodes
The Tomorrow People (The CW, 2013-2014) – 1 season, 22 episodes
Whiskey Cavalier (ABC, 2019) – 1 season, 13 episodes
Disney+ (Subscription)
Marvel’s Agent Carter (ABC, 2015-2016) – 2 seasons, 18 episodes
Marvel’s The Inhumans (ABC, 2017) – 1 season, 8 episodes
The Muppets (ABC, 2015-2016) – 1 season, 16 episodes
Hulu (Subscription)
24: Legacy (FOX, 2017) – 1 season, 12 episodes
American Gothic (CBS, 1995-1996) – 1 season, 22 episodes
Better Off Ted (ABC, 2009-2010) – 2 seasons, 26 episodes
Bordertown (FOX, 2016) – 1 season, 13 episodes
Debris (NBC, 2021) – 1 season, 13 episodes
Dollhouse (FOX, 2009-2010) – 2 seasons, 26 episodes
Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 (ABC, 2012-2013) – 2 seasons, 26 episodes
Firefly (FOX, 2002) – 1 season, 14 episodes
Freaks and Geeks (NBC, 1999-2000) – 1 season, 18 episodes
The Loop (FOX, 2006-2007) – 2 seasons, 17 episodes
Napoleon Dynamite (FOX, 2012) – 1 season, 6 episodes
Second Chance (FOX, 2016) – 1 season, 11 episodes
Son of Zorn (FOX, 2016-2017) – 1 season, 13 episodes
Stacked (FOX, 2005-2006) – 2 seasons, 18 episodes
Touch (FOX, 2012-2013) – 2 seasons, 26 episodes
Wayward Pines (FOX, 2015-2016) – 2 seasons, 20 episodes
NBC (Free)
(NBC offers a variety of TV shows through its website, app, and on streaming devices like Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV. You may need to link to a ” TV service provider” to watch certain shows or episodes. See the official NBC.com FAQ for more information.)
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (NBC, 1979-1981) – 2 seasons, 37 episodes
Dracula (NBC, 2013-2014) – 1 season, 10 episodes
Emerald City (NBC, 2017) – 1 season, 10 episodes
Heroes Reborn (NBC, 2015-2016) – 1 season, 13 episodes
Kings (NBC, 2009) – 1 season, 13 episodes
Knight Rider (NBC, 2008) – 1 season, 17 episodes
Kolchak: The Night Stalker (ABC, 1974-1975) – 1 season, 20 episodes
Life (NBC, 2007-2009) – 2 seasons, 32 episodes
Prime Suspect (NBC, 2011-2012) – 1 season, 13 episodes
Smash (NBC, 2012-2013) – 2 seasons, 32 episodes
Netflix (Subscription)
The Baker and the Beauty (ABC, 2020) – 1 season, 9 episodes
Champions (NBC, 2018) – 1 season, 10 episodes
Containment (The CW, 2016) – 1 season, 13 episodes
Frequency (The CW, 2016-2017) – 1 season, 13 episodes
Great News (NBC, 2017-2018) – 2 seasons, 23 episodes
Jericho (CBS, 2006-2008) – 2 seasons, 29 episodes
Life Sentence (The CW, 2018) – 1 season, 13 episodes
No Tomorrow (The CW, 2016-2017) – 1 season, 13 episodes
The Unicorn (CBS, 2019-2021) – 2 seasons, 31 episodes [Season 1]
Paramount+ (Subscription)
NOTE: Paramount+ was known as CBS All Access from 2014 to 2021.
All Rise (CBS, 2019-2021) – 2 seasons, 38 episodes
Angel from Hell (CBS, 2016) – 1 season, 13 episodes
BrainDead (CBS, 2016) – 1 season, 13 episodes
The Code (CBS, 2019) – 1 season, 12 episodes
Extant (CBS, 2014-2015) – 2 seasons, 26 episodes
Freaks and Geeks (NBC, 1999-2000) – 1 season, 18 episodes
Happy Together (CBS, 2018-2019) – 1 season, 13 episodes
Instinct (CBS, 2018-2019) – 2 seasons, 24 episodes
Jericho (CBS, 2006-2008) – 2 seasons, 30 episodes
Life Unexpected (The CW, 2010-2011) – 2 seasons, 26 episodes
Limitless (CBS, 2015-2016) – 1 season, 22 episodes
Salvation (CBS, 2017-2018) – 2 seasons, 26 episodes)
Star Trek: The Animated Series (NBC, 1973-1974) – 2 seasons, 22 episodes
Superior Donuts (CBS, 2017-2018) – 2 seasons, 34 episodes
Twin Peaks (ABC, 1990-1991) – 2 seasons, 30 episodes
The Unicorn (CBS, 2019-2021) – 2 seasons, 31 episodes
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (ABC, 1992-1993) – 2 seasons, 28 episodes
Shout! Factory TV (Free/Ad-Supported)
Ace Crawford, Private Eye (CBS, 1983) – 1 season, 5 episodes
C.P.O. Sharkey (NBC, 1976-1978) – 2 seasons, 37 episodes [34 streaming]
Fridays (ABC, 1980-1982) – 3 seasons, 58 episodes [select episodes streaming]
Hawkeye (Syndicated, 1994-1995) – 1 season, 22 episodes
Marker (UPN, 1995) – 1 season, 13 episodes
The Goldbergs (CBS/NBC/DuMont/Syndication, 1949-1955) [71 episodes streaming]
The Goode Family (ABC, 2009) – 1 season, 13 episodes
“The Greatest American Heroine” [Unsold Pilot] (NBC, 1986)
The Rebel (ABC, 1959-1961) – 2 seasons, 76 episodes
The Tim Conway Comedy Hour (CBS, 1970) – 1 season, 13 episodes
The Tim Conway Show (CBS, 1980-1981) – 2 seasons, 31 episodes
Swan’s Crossing (Syndicated, 1992) – 1 season, 65 episodes
If I’ve missed any short-lived or forgotten TV shows streaming on any of these services, please let me know by leaving a comment or sending me an e-mail. Also, if you think I should include additional streaming services in this guide, I’m open to suggestions.
All 6 seasons of THE CISCO KID is available on Amazon Prime. Plus THE PRISONER and all seasons of NYPD BLUE
Cool!
Sadly, no VR.5.
On Hulu, I’d add Saved by the Bell: The College Years. And if 2 seasons qualifies: Land of the Giants and Car 54, Where Are You?
NBC and ABC also have a “throwback” selection of shows on their sites — and ad supported. They are largely populated by short-lived in-house programs like The Cape, Outsourced, L&O: LA, Up All Night, and Smash on NBC; and Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, FlashForward, Reaper, Manhattan Love Story, Trophy Wife, and The Muppets on ABC. The one classic short-lived throwback is the original BSG on NBC’s site.
Thank you for this. I have watched quite a few of the shows that are available via Amazon Prime.
Unfortunately, most of these are US only services. Netflix in other countries has some different programming so availability varies.
love it! so I can stream for free?
Other short-lived shows: Hank, No Time For Sergeants, F Troop, My Mother the Car, Knight Rider. Also short-lived but immensely popular and well- remembered was Gilligan’s Island!
The one and done Melrose Place revival is available via Prime. This list is cool.
Amazon Prime also has Dilbert and recently added Gidget as well.
Amazon Prime just added Booker, the 21 Jump Street spin-off.
With new streamers popping up, it won’t be long before every lost series is up for download!
Amazon Prime has 20 episodes of “Strike It Rich” (Syndication, 1986-1987; 1 season, ~195 episodes) available for streaming thanks to Buzzr. The show was pretty obscure and scarce prior to them being added back in January.
Love and Marriage on Amazon starts off with four early episodes. The next eight in their ‘season one’ are actually the eight episodes that NBC never aired. In these shows one of the two daughters is mysteriously absent from the opening titles and the show itself, and is never mentioned. Perhaps her disappearance was explained in one of the episodes Amazon skipped over.
THE ROKU CHANNEL also streams some short-run TV series, such as TATE, 26 MEN. THE ADVENTURES OF JIM BOWIE, GIDGET & GOOD MORNING WORLD.
Canada’s top TV network CTV has a free streaming area on their site called CTV Throwback which offers many of the shows that are on the Sony/Crackle streaming service — including Bad Teacher and Rake, which are both awful — but they also offer the following short-lived series which aren’t on your list:
‘Til Death
10 Items Or Less
Hawthorne
Joan Of Arcadia
Justified
Muddling Through
My Boys
My Two Dads
Necessary Roughness
Ned and Stacey
Parker Lewis Can’t Lose
Sanford Arms (6 episodes)
Square Pegs
Tabitha
The Naked Truth
The original Rake, from Australia, is off color but EXTREMELY funny and on Netflix
Where could I watch shows like my three sons Marcus welbey old soap operas old sit coms
As far as I can tell, the greatest shows ever produced, ” I Love Lucy, ” ” The Lucy Show,” and ” Here’s Lucy” were not mentioned. Thankfully, they are alive and well on HULU!
Tubi has tons of older shows (for example Naked City). Too many to list.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS COLLECTION OF SHOWS! Unforch it doesn’t contain anything about ABC’s Triple Emmy Award Winning ROOM 222 with my favorite actress MISS KAREN VALENTINE from 1969 – 1974. Taking a gander at it recently it’s just as hip as ‘twas then often concentrating on societal issues that are still relevant today. And today… HAPPY 74th BIRTHDAY, KAREN! Cheers, TRETierney
Anyone have any idea where I can watch or buy The Case Of The Dangerous Robin starring Rick Jason?
The Film Detective (thefilmdetective.tv) offers a large number of short-lived and forgotten shows. I’m not sure if they offer complete series runs, but they do offer:
The Adventures of Champion
Dangerous Assignment
Four Star Playhouse
Fury
Judge Roy Bean
Lock Up
Man with a Camera
Public Defender
Stanley
Suspense
The Range Rider
and others. Their TV Grab Bag option has individual episodes of The $64,000 Question, The Spike Jones Show, Biff Baker, USA, and others.
I’ve been trying desperately to find the CW tv show, “Cult,” and can’t find it ANYWHERE, now that it’s been removed from Netflix. I’d also like to find the show, “The Messengers,” also originally on The CW (also recently removed from Netflix). I was willing to pay for these shows in a legitimate way, but no one seems to want to take my money. So, now I’m looking to find them bootleg. Can ANYONE help me?