TMP Television Edition: Fish Out of Water: Wandering through the Shelves hosts a weekly movie challenge in which you choose 3-5 movies based on that Thursday’s theme and explain why you chose those movies. Today’s theme is Fish Out of Water, TV Edition.
schitt’s creek (2015-2020)
One of my all-time favorite television shows, Schitt’s Creek is about the spoiled, once wealthy Rose family who are forced to move into a motel in Schitt’s Creek, a town they own thanks to a birthday prank, after finding out their business manager never paid their taxes and took off with most of their fortune. The Roses have to learn to live on little to no money while depending on the kindness of the town locals. This is a show that just gets better with each season (and every re-watch), and watching the family grow together is one of my favorite parts about it.
unbreakable kimmy schmidt (2015-2019)
After being kidnapped in the eighth grade by Reverend Wayne, Kimmy Schmidt is taken into an underground bunker and held there for 15 years, convinced by the Reverend that they’re the sole survivors of a nuclear apocalypse. When Kimmy and the other kidnapped women are rescued, Kimmy has to navigate in a world she has no idea about. I adored the first season of this show but, admittedly, sort of fell off from watching the rest, though I do plan to do so eventually.
stranger things (2016-2025)
I would say the fish out of water aspect of this show belongs to Eleven. Taken as a baby to be experimented on, Eleven grows up with dangerous powers but no real education or social abilities. She doesn’t even know what certain words mean, like friend. But with Mike, Dustin, and Lucas’s help, Eleven is soon introduced to what it’s like to be a young kid in the real world.
Joel
June 24, 2021I’m 0 for 3 on your picks this week though I’ve heard of all three.
My sister adores Schitt’s Creek and keeps telling me she’s sure I’d love it. I’m willing but I want to start from the beginning so I fully understand what’s going on and haven’t had the chance to do that yet.
I’m less eager for the others but would sample them if the chance presented itself.
My first pick is the one that I immediately thought of when I read the theme, I used to watch it faithfully when it was on. The other two are from when I was a kid.
Northern Exposure (1990-1995)-Fresh from his residency at a big city hospital native New Yorker Dr. Joel Fleischman (Rob Morrow) discovers he is contractually obligated due to a student loan agreement to practice in Alaska for the next four years. Expecting to be on staff in Anchorage he is livid when he discovers that instead he is assigned to the remote village of Cicely. Once he arrives, he finds the residents a unique idiosyncratic lot totally foreign to Joel’s New York sensibilities.
My Favorite Martian (1963-1966)-During a ride around the universe a Martian’s (Ray Walston) spaceship nearly collides with a NASA rocket causing it to crash land in the hills near L.A. where he is discovered by young reporter Tim O’Hara (Bill Bixby). At first eager for a story Tim gives the Martian shelter while he works to repair his ship and passes him off as his Uncle Martin. They become buddies as Martin tries to both adapt to earthly norms and avoid the sweet but ditzy landlady Mrs. Lorelei Brown (Pamela Britton) from finding out the truth.
Green Acres (1965-1971)-Successful New York attorney Oliver Douglas (Eddie Albert) decides to chuck big city life and move to a broken-down farm in Hooterville along with his extremely glamorous but very reluctant Hungarian wife Lisa (Eva Gabor). Silly bit of ridiculousness (they lived in a penthouse apartment in New York but can’t afford to fix up the shack of a house in the country? He farms in a three-piece suit while she wanders around the dilapidated hovel in satin and feathers) is put over by the talent of its stars and a willful suspension of belief.
Sara
June 25, 2021I almost chose Green Acres! My Favorite Martian is a great pick too. I’ve heard of Northern Exposure but never got around to watching it.
Sonia
June 25, 2021I haven’t seen your first two picks but they are both on my watchlist. Stranger Things is such a good pick! I would have never thought of it for this week though. Probably because I only think of it as a sci-fi series.
Sara
June 25, 2021Schitt’s Creek is amazing. I hope you enjoy it!
Brittani
June 25, 2021Stranger Things is a great pick for this! I didn’t even consider Eleven. I really need to start Schitt’s Creek.
Sara
June 25, 2021Yes! SC is so amazing. It took me a few episodes for it to really click but once it did, I couldn’t stop watching.
Allie
June 25, 2021I adore all 3 of these shows! Season 2 of Kimmy Schmidt isn’t great, but the final 2 really capture the humour that made the first season so funny. The movie is really entertaining, too!
ThePunkTheory
June 27, 2021Schitt’s Creek is also on my list! 😀
Stranger Things is a brilliant pick.
Sara
June 27, 2021SC is so wonderful! I never get sick of watching it.
Wandering through the Shelves
July 1, 2021I’ve only seen bits of Schitt’s Creek. If it gets added on Netflix then I’d get to properly watch it.
Sara
July 3, 2021It’s on Netflix right now, at least in the US!