Kathie Lee Gifford Says She’s ‘Anti-Religion’

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Relive Influencer Mikayla Nogueira and husband Cody Hawken opened up about their milestones as a couple before their divorce announcement.

Nogueira has been candid with her followers about her ups and downs with Hawken, who has struggled with addiction.

The duo first connected on Tinder and met in 2020. In January 2022, the beauty guru got candid about the first time they met and how she knew she would “spend [her] life” with him.

Keep scrolling to see Nogueira and Hawken’s relationship timeline, from the moment they met and started dating, to getting married and announcing their divorce.

Related: Makeup Influencer Mikayla Nogueira Confirms Husband Cody Is in Rehab

After months of speculation, makeup artist and social media influencer Mikayla Nogueria has confirmed her husband Cody Hawken is in rehab to treat ongoing substance abuse issues. “My husband Cody is in rehab and I’m ready to talk about it,” Nogueria said in a video shared via TikTok on Friday, April 4. “Cody’s story is […]

Mikayla Nogueira and Cody Hawken Connected on Tinder in December 2020

Nogueira and Hawken connected on Tinder and started chatting. He sent her an “enthusiastic” message, which caught her attention. The pair exchanged numbers and started texting for “three weeks.”

Mikayla Nogueira and Cody Hawken Met in Person in January 2021

“January 23, 2021, comes around. That is the day Cody and I met,” Nogueira recalled in a social media video in January 2022. Hawken went to Nogueira’s apartment and they ordered dinner together. “He had this insane energy that was so full of love and happiness,” Nogueira gushed, noting she had never been in love before. The duo talked “for hours,” and he even helped build her furniture.

Mikayla Nogueira and Cody Hawken Got Engaged in November 2021

Less than one year after dating, Nogueira and Hawken announced their engagement. She shared the story behind his proposal via TikTok days after he got down on one knee.

@mikaylanogueira

We love you.

♬ original sound – Mikayla Nogueira

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Hawken took her on a surprise trip to Boston and walked back to the same bench they sat on during their first date. “He starts just right away, giving this beautiful speech. He’s such an angel. He gets down on one knee [and] I’m holding his hand,” she said while beaming. “I absolutely said yes.” He proposed with a circular diamond set on a band with smaller stones.

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The drama continues — even when the cameras stop. Former Teen Mom OG stars Ryan Edwards and Mackenzie Edwards were fired from the show in 2021, but controversy has continued to follow the pair ever since. Ryan joined the franchise in 2009 during the inaugural season of 16 and Pregnant, as the father of Maci […]

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They then celebrated their engagement at a steakhouse.

Mikayla Nogueira and Cody Hawken Got Married in July 2023

Nogueira and Hawken tied the knot during a romantic ceremony in Newport, Rhode Island.

Mikayla Nogueira’s Husband Cody Hawken Entered Rehab in March 2025

Cody entered rehab following a relapse. Nogueira opened up about the situation via TikTok. “For the last several months, Cody has not really been around and now you know why,” she said, noting that he struggled with addiction since a “very young age.”

“Sobriety, recovery is not linear. Relapsing is part of the recovery process. In January 2024, my husband relapsed on drugs. In April 2024, my husband relapsed on alcohol,” Nogueira shared.

She noted that she was putting on “a brave face” for the entire year of 2024. She also shared that he got his own apartment because she “couldn’t be around it.”

Mikayla Nogueira’s Husband Cody Hawken Completed Rehab in April 2025

Nogueira shared that Hawken came home from rehab and he reassured her that “everything is going to be OK.”

“We were so happy to be together,” she gushed.

Mikayla Nogueira and Cody Hawken Bought a New House in June 2025

The couple bought a $4.35 million house in Massachusetts as a “fresh start.”

“Cody and I have lived in our current home for a little over three years, and I am going to be completely transparent: Last year was a really difficult year in my marriage, for my husband and for me. We want a fresh start,” she said via TikTok.

Mikayla Nogueira and Cody Hawken Announced Their Split in February 2026

Nogueira announced that she and Hawken are getting a divorce. “I am getting a divorce,” she said via TikTok, sharing that she and Hawken still “love each other so much.”

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Nogueira continued, “We would do anything literally for each other. I want you to know that,” she continued. “I’m not going to be sharing any details whatsoever as to why Cody and I have made this decision. The main reason I am doing that is that I want to protect Cody. Cody deserves that.”

Nogueira also shared, “He and I were together for five years, married for two. And they are some of the best memories of my life. Memories that I will cherish forever. And I do not regret a single thing.”

She concluded her post by asking fans to “please leave his addiction struggles “out of the conversation.”

By Robert Scucci
| Published 15 seconds ago

The Dana Carvey Show is a fascinating watch because it was fearlessly ahead of its time, but it’s also so topical that it can really only function as a relic of the past. When it debuted in 1996, it was considered so unhinged and unwholesome that it couldn’t even finish its one-season run before getting pulled from ABC, airing only eight of its planned 10 episodes. Looking back at it today, it plays like pretty standard fare. It’s offensive and edgy, but in that “I can’t believe they got away with this in the 90s” kind of way.

Let me explain. The Dana Carvey Show aired on Thursday nights at 9:30 pm, right after one of the greatest family sitcoms of all time, Home Improvement. Sponsors weren’t comfortable kicking things off with a Mature Audiences disclaimer because they worried it would alienate viewers.

What they didn’t anticipate was that the first sketch of the premiere episode, depicting Bill Clinton breastfeeding a baby doll and several barnyard animals with a chest full of prosthetic nipples, would do all the heavy lifting in scaring away potential audiences and sponsors. Mission accomplished.

Edgy 90s Liberal Boomer Funny, Not Haha Funny

Like most sketch shows that lean hard into topical humor, The Dana Carvey Show lives and dies by the news cycle. Carvey delivers his takes on Bill Clinton, Newt Gingrich, Jay Leno, H. Ross Perot, and a long list of political and celebrity figures. It’s funny in the moment if you’re actively living through the news cycle it’s roasting, but it’s also the kind of humor that doesn’t have much staying power. Tuning into The Dana Carvey Show in 2026 specifically for those sketches can feel underwhelming because topical humor rarely transcends generations the way more evergreen material does.

South Park’s most recent seasons fell into this trap as well, pulling in huge viewership numbers for headline-driven episodes that are met with mixed reviews later. It’s not that the jokes aren’t funny, they just don’t always age gracefully because the context of its humor evaporates over time.

The Dana Carvey Show truly shines when it leans into its more absurd and surreal instincts. Sketches like “Grandma the Clown,” “Waiters Who Are Nauseated by Food,” “Skinheads from Maine,” and “11 O’Clock News That’s Easy to Take” still work because they stand on their own. There’s no need to lampoon whatever dominated the headlines that week in these bits, which is why the comedy still lands decades later. There’s material coming out today with similar sensibilities, and these sketches feel right at home alongside it.

My personal favorite recurring sketch involves two painfully stupid pranksters, portrayed by Dana Carvey and Steve Carell. The pranksters roll up to a drive-thru or a movie ticket counter, pay for a good or service while trying not to laugh, then sprint away giggling like lunatics as if they just pulled off the heist of the century.

As the episodes progress, the bits escalate, culminating in the duo paying a prostitute $300 for a threesome, only to bolt from the room cackling and congratulating themselves for being comedy geniuses. It’s juvenile and ridiculous, but that’s what makes it so funny. It’s two grown men playing a modified version of ding dong ditch and having the time of their lives, and that’s all it ever needs to be.

Sponsors And Time Slot Were The Show’s Undoing

Had The Dana Carvey Show aired at 11:00 pm on a Friday night instead of closing out ABC’s Thursday primetime lineup, its fate might have been very different. Each episode blatantly named its corporate sponsor, as in The Mountain Dew Dana Carvey Show, which made advertisers understandably nervous given the show’s willingness to push buttons. PepsiCo, Inc. sponsored the first five episodes, but its restaurant affiliates, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, were immediately turned off by the series premiere’s opening sketch, reportedly pulling out of a deal that would have brought in roughly $600,000 per episode.

The Dana Carvey Show felt doomed from day one, but I’m glad it still exists on streaming. It helped put Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert on the map, and it introduced Robert Smigel’s Ambiguously Gay Duo, which would later find a permanent home on SNL as a recurring animated segment. For a show that barely survived eight episodes, its comedy tree has surprisingly deep roots.

While I’m usually turned off by hyper-topical humor, I’d still recommend The Dana Carvey Show to any sketch comedy fan with the patience to wait for the truly timeless bits sprinkled throughout its run. And if you’re curious about the chaos behind the scenes, 2017’s Too Funny to Fail is essential viewing. Everybody involved with The Dana Carvey Show speaks fondly about what went into its production, how the sponsors reacted, and how ABC ended up airing The Diet Mug Root Beer Dana Carvey Show immediately after a heartwarming Home Improvement episode in which Randy faces a cancer scare. It’s one of those rare instances where the humor surrounding a series’ controversies is more memorable than the show itself.

The Dana Carvey Show is currently streaming for free on Tubi.

Video game adaptations are all the rage these days, and that hasn’t gone unnoticed by Jason Blum and his horror juggernaut Blumhouse. As Fallout, The Last of Us, Mortal Kombat, and more find their footing with their own adaptations, Blumhouse struck gold with it’s long-gestating Five Nights at Freddy’s movies, based on the cult-favorite video game series of the same name. Even despite abysmal reviews, both the original film and its sequel proved to be colossal successes, pulling in huge box office and streaming numbers. Now, Blumhouse hopes to replicate that success with a movie based on the most popular horror video game around right now, Dead by Daylight, which has taken a big step forward.

A new report has confirmed that Blumhouse’s Dead by Daylight movie has found not one, but two writers to bring the Entity’s reign of terror to life. Fans of the long-running Conjuring universe will certainly be pleased, as the person who helped create that decade-defining horror saga, David Leslie Johnston-McGoldrick, is one of the writers on board. Johnson-McGoldrick will also be working with another recent star in the horror space, Alexandre Aja, fresh off of the news that the Under Paris filmmaker is developing a sequel to the sharksploitation hit. Jason Blum himself endorsed the pair as the perfect writers for the project with the following statement:

“What David and Alexandre bring to Dead by Daylight is a rare balance of character driven storytelling and relentless genre intensity. Drawing from survival horror and psychological terror, their work establishes a world where fear is not just experienced, but earned. It is a cinematic blueprint designed to attract a director who can elevate that vision through performance and scale.”

‘Dead by Daylight’ Is a Giant, Living Tribute to Horror

Come this June, Dead by Daylight will have turned 10 years old, and the game still has new regular updates and an active playerbase to this very day. Dead by Daylight is a multiplayer horror game that pits 4 players against 1 other, with the team of four being a group of survivors trying to escape a player-controlled serial killer. While the game has a regular cast of original and terrifying killers, the game has since crossed over with a large variety of horror franchises, including Saw, Stranger Things, Nightmare on Elm Street, and even other video games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill. The upcoming Blumhouse movie will likely not incorporate the crossover characters due to rights issues, but the horror giant does have access to some figures in the game, like Michael Myers from Halloween and Springtrap from Five Nights at Freddy’s, so who knows who might be lurking in the shadows?

Blumhouse’s Dead by Daylight movie is now in development. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

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Release Date

October 27, 2023

Runtime

109 Minutes

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Director

Emma Tammi

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Writers

Scott Cawthon, Seth Cuddeback, Emma Tammi

Franchise(s)

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Five Nights at Freddy’s

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Kim Kardashian And Lewis Hamilton Star Signs May Play A Huge Role In Their Romance

The Astrologer Spotlights The Athlete’s Stable Traits As A Win For The SKIMS Founder

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By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 36 seconds ago

Arguably, the greatest current Star Trek writer is Tawny Newsome: after voicing the hilarious Beckett Mariner on Lower Decks, she began writing for Starfleet Academy, all while working on a new, live-action Trek comedy. Newsome is a powerhouse writer who helped SFA craft its recent tribute to Avery Brooks, but she ruffled more than a few fandom feathers on a recent podcast appearance. That’s because she basically threw the fans under the bus by implying that anyone criticizing Starfleet Academy is simply hating on the show’s younger performances.

Recently, Tawny Newsome conducted an Ask Me Anything on YouTube, and she discussed the criticism that Starfleet Academy had been getting. “The side of the fandom that enjoys tearing these shows down … they exist. Which is fine,” she said. “But there is something different now with this show, because our cast is so young. And I just want to say: really think about who you are tearing down.”

Calculating Who To Blame For Star Trek’s Failures

Taken at face value, Newsome seems to be conflating most (if not all) criticism of shows like Starfleet Academy. That is, anyone who is “tearing these shows down” is also trying to tear down its young cast. However, this reaction doesn’t make any logical sense because almost all major criticisms of the show focus on failures at the writing and production level.

As someone who is deeply entrenched in NuTrek criticism (having contributed many thousands of words to it myself), I can confidently say most critics and even outright haters of Starfleet Academy focus more on the writers than the actors. Sure, you can find the occasional person taking potshots at, say, overweight characters, but even those critiques are limited almost exclusively to the older actors. The general consensus about Starfleet Academy’s young cast seems to be that they are very talented and would simply benefit from better writing and direction.

You’ll Eat What Trek Gives You, And You’ll Like It!

Why, then, is Tawny Newsome deliberately conflating criticism of the show with criticism of its young actors? The simplest explanation is also the saddest: this looks like a very transparent attempt to silence any and all critiques of Starfleet Academy. That show’s biggest defenders will now use her words to argue that anyone who criticizes this new Star Trek spinoff is someone who must hate its young, diverse cast and is therefore not worth listening to.

This is doubly disingenuous because very few NuTrek critics are interested in “tearing these shows down” for the fun of it. For the most part, these are passionate Star Trek fans (usually on the older side) who want the franchise to return to its former glory. For such fans, Starfleet Academy would be a much better show if it focused less on embarrassing Zoomer humor and more on just giving us a good Star Trek episode. “Series Acclimation Mil,” for example, very nearly ruined its touching tributes to Avery Brooks and Deep Space Nine with lowbrow d*ck and fart jokes that were downright embarrassing to watch. 

Naked Hypocrisy From Paramount

Using Newsome’s logic, my criticism of this episode’s lowbrow jokes is tantamount to me trying to tear down the cast of Starfleet Academy. But it wasn’t the youthful cast that filled this episode with weird potty humor; it was the middle-aged Newsome, who wrote it! In this sense, her recent podcast comments take on a kind of self-defensive tone, with her instantly demonizing any and all criticisms of the very show she works for.

Tawny Newsome’s words are already pretty offensive to fans like myself who genuinely want NuTrek to improve. However, what is more concerning is the idea that she might speak for Alex Kurtzman or other powerful figures at Paramount when she dismisses all criticism of Starfleet Academy as some inexplicable hatred for its young actors. The biggest hope among many critics is that the new show will get better over time, but it seems clear that the show will never improve if everyone involved with its production is busy making excuses and generally throwing well-meaning critics under the bus.

Paramount To Fans: It’s Always Your Fault

At the end of the day, all that will matter to Paramount is the numbers. Starfleet Academy has already been renewed for a second season, but the series has proven to be controversial among fans and quickly fell out of the Top 10 ranking on Paramount+. This is despite it being a well-marketed new Star Trek show. Should viewership get low enough, the show might get prematurely canceled, like Discovery and Lower Decks before it. 

For Starfleet Academy skeptics, this is the ultimate Kobayashi Maru: if you watch the show and complain, then you are criticized for tearing down the series and its actors, and everyone will ask, “why are you watching if you hate it?” But if the show gets canceled, you’ll get blamed, with fans saying the series could have succeeded if you and other haters had simply sucked it up and watched. For NuTrek critics, Tawny Newsome’s words are a sobering reminder of the Paramount mentality: no matter what negative thing happens to a new Star Trek show, it will always be your fault for not blindly liking it!  

Before Dark Winds returns to AMC with a thrilling fourth season, you may not have time to revisit Season 3 beforehand. Still, it’s been a year since our favorite tribal police officers were on active duty, making now the perfect time to read up on those events before we head back to Navajoland. So, what happened to Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon), Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon), and Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten) last season?

‘Dark Winds’ Season 3 Follows Leaphorn and Chee on the Trail of a Monstrous Killer

Image via AMC+

Like every season of Dark Winds, Season 3 adapts the works of author Tony Hillerman, namely the novels Dance Hall of the Dead and The Sinister Pig. Combining elements from both while splitting the main narrative into two, the season begins with Joe Leaphorn wrestling with the vision of a monster known as a “Ye’iitsoh.” As the creature stalks him in the wilderness, the season flashes back to earlier when he and Jim Chee (now officially a member of the Navajo Tribal Police after leaving the FBI and working the private sector for a while) are on the trail of two boys who have disappeared. While Ernesto Cata (Alonso Rappa) is killed, George Bowlegs (Bodhi Okuma Linton) gets away and hides in the wilderness as Leaphorn and Chee pursue him — and the monster who is hunting him.

So, who is this monster? Well, it turns out to be none other than a local archeologist, Dr. Reynolds (Christopher Heyerdahl), who was caught by the two boys by accident when they watched him plant archeological evidence at his dig site. After anthropologist Teddi Isaacs (Carly Roland) discovers the truth, she attempts to tell the officers about Reynolds’ plans for George, only to be killed by the doctor herself. At this point, Reynolds’ entire career is on the line, and the only way he can get out of this is by killing every witness who could identify him. So, with the help of Sheriff Lawrence “Gordo” Sena (A Martinez), Leaphorn and Chee plan to use George as bait to capture Reynolds at the train station, eventually leading to his death as Chee shoots Reynolds.

Having learned to embrace his Navajo heritage, Season 3 also pushes Jim Chee to come to terms with his troubled past. He eventually makes peace with his former rival, Shorty Bowlegs (Derek Hinkey), upon helping save his son George, and he realizes that he has finally found his place on the reservation. For everyone else, however, that lesson is a harder one to learn.

Bernadette Is Down at the U.S./Mexico Border in ‘Dark Winds’ Season 3

Image via AMC

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Elsewhere, Bernadette has joined the U.S. Border Patrol, where she discovers a drug-trafficking ring. Although nobody seems interested in pursuing her theory — namely, her boss, Senior Chief Ed Henry (Terry Serpico) — Bern begins an investigation of her own. This leads her to oilman Tom Spenser (Bruce Greenwood), who she believes is using his business as a cover to smuggle drugs (and the occasional person or two) into the country, all while paying off the entire Border Patrol department. This includes her roommate, Elenda Garza (Tonantzin Carmelo), who soon betrays her for a bigger payday. It’s here that Spenser’s enforcer, the villainous hitman, Roberto “Budge” de Baca (Raoul Max Trujillo), tries to bury Bern alive. Fortunately, he fails miserably.

But here’s where things get especially complicated for Bern. In the time she’s been stationed at the U.S.-Mexico border, she has fallen for her coworker Ivan Muños (Alex Meraz). However, Ivan has also taken Spenser’s money, and though he claims not to have spent any of it, she still can no longer trust him, despite their intimate encounters. Instead, Bern blows the lid off the whole operation, convincing Ivan to help her take Spenser down. While they succeed, Spenser gets away, and she and Ivan break up before Bern leaves the Border Patrol behind to return home to the Rez. Upon her return, sparks begin to fly once more between her and Chee.

Related

‘Dark Winds’ Season 4 Review: Zahn McClarnon’s Western Noir Thriller Packs a Powerful Punch With a New Villain

Franka Potente joins the AMC series as Leaphorn’s deadliest threat yet.

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‘Dark Winds’ Season 3 Ends With a Split for Joe and Emma Leaphorn

All of this aside, perhaps the biggest struggle of the third season exists in the Leaphorn home. After federal agent Sylvia Washington (Jenna Elfman) arrives on the Rez to investigate the death of B.J. Vines (John Diehl) — who Joe left for dead at the end of Season 2 — all the heat is put on our favorite Navajo lieutenant while he’s in the middle of an investigation. Of course, Emma (Deanna Allison) knows what Joe has done. Although her heart has been broken by his actions, and she believes he is no longer the man he once was, she lies to Washington about his whereabouts on the night in question. In the end, the case against Joe is dropped, and Washington returns home to, well, Washington, D.C.

But things aren’t left happy between Joe and Emma. The results of his lies and actions weigh heavily on Emma, who decides to leave the reservation (and Joe) for the time being. After discovering his deep-seated psychological issues and the guilt that plagues him, Joe Leaphorn must become a better man if he is going to win his wife back. While she still loves him, the season ends with the revelation that she is not sure that she can forgive him. With that, Dark Winds fans can expect Season 4 to pick up where we left off with the Leaphorns, Chee, and Manuelito.

Dark Winds Season 4 premieres February 15 on AMC and AMC+.

Developing the perfect sitcom is what every writer dreams of doing. Given the legacy of the genre, getting your foot in the door can sometimes be a challenge in and of itself. But then, keeping it on the air is the battle. There have certainly been some wallops of flops over the years. Not just because you have a major name—Whoopi Goldberg, Bette Midler, even Emeril Lagasse—doesn’t mean it’s going to be a surefire hit.

But then there are the cases of really strong shows that, for reasons beyond our control, get axed well before their expiration date. Maybe it was low ratings, too much competition, a risky concept, or simply the timing; losing a beloved sitcom can be a gut punch for the creators, actors, and fans alike. It’s time to take a trip down memory lane and remember the sitcoms that got the axe before we were ready. Let’s raise a glass and give them one last hurrah as they live rent-free in our minds.

1

‘Rutherford Falls’ (2021–2022)

Image via Peacock

Being one of the first shows to help launch a streaming app is not an easy task. When Peacock first went live in 2020, it just so happened to be the same year as the COVID-19 pandemic. While we were all stuck at home, not everyone was eager to turn to something new. Especially a new streamer. Among some of the first titles to join Peacock was the severely underappreciated Rutherford Falls. Created by Ed Helms, Michael Schur, and Sierra Teller Ornelas, the series follows the unlikely friendship between history buff Nathan Rutherford (Helms) and Native American museum curator Reagan Wells (Jana Schmieding) in their quirky titular small town. A crisis of friendship is tested when the mayor (Dana L. Wilson) decides to move a statue of Nathan’s ancestor, the town founder, because drivers keep hitting it. Nathan embarks on an idealistic campaign to keep the statue in place. Reagan has to juggle loyalty to her friend and to her people, the Minishonka Nation. Using comedy and irony to highlight the biases that are present in today’s society surrounding Native Americans.

Rutherford Falls used a marginalized community and a white community to compare and contrast society’s views on their heritage and preservation throughout. It was praised for its authentic Native perspectives to mainstream comedy, focusing on community, identity, and everyday colonialism with heart and humor. But then, it was yanked. Despite critical praise, it was a battle between acclaim versus performance. Because of low viewership, the ultimate excuse was that Rutherford Falls was cancelled as a result of a cost-cutting measure. Ornelas attempted to shop the series around, but it didn’t pan out. The reality was that timing was everything. Perhaps if it had arrived a hair sooner or after lockdown was lifted and Peacock was more established, we’d be celebrating Rutherford Falls as a triumphant series.

2

‘The Ropers’ (1979–1980)

Image via ABC

Spin-offs are hard. Not only do you have to live up to the hype of the original series, but you also have to expand upon it and make it even better. After the massive success of Three’s Company, ABC was desperate to capitalize on the series, and fast. After the first season, Norman Fell and Audra Lindley were asked whether they would move their characters, Stanley and Helen Roper, to their own series. They passed, but the network was persistent. With Fell fearful of the series flopping and thus being out of a job and an iconic role, it eventually took some convincing, and a guarantee that he could return to the main series, The Ropers was finally born.

At first, the show did well. Feeding off the new iteration of Three’s Company, now with Don Knotts as the new landlord, The Ropers put the married couple in a new light. Having sold their apartment building, they move to Cheviot Hills, where social climber Helen attempts to fit in with the community, as Stanley does little to acquiesce. And thus, the comedy of the series. Believing it was a surefire hit anywhere ABC put it, the show was moved from Tuesday nights to Saturdays, and it bombed. Somehow, believing the show would appeal to a younger demographic, it failed, and thus, The Ropers was cancelled. While Fell tried to return to Three’s Company, the popularity of Knott’s Ralph Furley essentially prevented Stanley from returning full-time. Though the Ropers made one final appearance, the two iconic characters were forced into retirement.

3

‘Happy Endings’ (2011–2013)

Image via ABC

When your cancellation is deemed the “worst TV decision,” you know that’s worth something. Yet, that doesn’t soften the blow of having your series end before it should have. This is the story of the three-season hit Happy Endings. The series followed the antics of six best friends in Chicago: loving married couple, the overacheiver Brad (Damon Wayans Jr.) and perfectionist Jane (Eliza Coupe), ditzy Alex (Elisha Cuthbert), daydreamer Dave (Zachary Knighton), slacker Max (Adam Pally), and party animal Penny (Casey Wilson). As the dynamic shifts, the comedy remains. The 2010s response to Friends and How I Met Your Mother, Happy Endings was a tight relationship sitcom that still managed to be refreshing. But if there’s one type of refreshing that can kill a series, it’s when you refresh the weekly lineup.

Despite the third season earning critical acclaim, ABC took a drastic measure and moved the series from Wednesdays first to Tuesdays and then eventually the death spot of Friday night. Back in the ’90s, ABC triumphed with a Friday night block, but that heyday had been so far removed that attempting to revitalize the evening with a beloved show was simply just a risk. Even being applauded as an underrated and under-watched series, ratings are everything. As much as fans tried to get the show shopped and revived, it was of no use. Happy Endings was a great series gone too soon.

4

‘Better Off Ted’ (2009–2010)

Image via ABC

With the rise of single-camera comedies taking over the ’00s, every network tried to capitalize on the new fad. But that also meant exploring an array of risky concepts. Not that satire is that brazen, but alas. Created by Victor Fresco, Better Off Ted followed the titular Ted Crisp (Jay Harrington), a single father and head of research and development at the soulless conglomerate of Veridian Dynamics. With the use of narration, Ted tends to break the fourth wall for comedic purposes. A witty approach to the workplace comedy, Better Off Ted lived in a similar realm to Arrested Development, and not just because Portia de Rossi was in the main ensemble.

Critics loved the concept, noting it as ahead of its time; but that didn’t translate into viewership. Audiences didn’t tune in enough. Fresco had felt that the series was not given fair promotion or enough time to build an audience, but the bigger problem was Better Off Ted was too smart for the time slot. ABC tended to place classic sitcoms in Better Off Ted‘s space, so audiences expecting a wholesome comedy instead found a surrealistic, rapid-fire show. Though the cast has reunited from time to time, the series lives on through its cult following.

5

‘Samantha Who?’ (2007–2009)

Image via ABC

After making her name as a young actress on Married with Children, it was finally time for Christina Applegate to lead her own show. Proving that she could handle the pressure thanks to an array of guest spots, including her brilliant recurring role on Friends, she got her shot on ABC’s Samantha Who? The title went through a few name changes before settling on the final answer. The series followed Applegate as Samantha Newly, who develops retrograde amnesia after a hit-and-run. Upon awakening, she discovers that her old self was selfish and unlikeable, so she sets off on a mission to rectify her past, making amends with everyone in her life. A brilliant concept with a strong cast, which also included Melissa McCarthy and Jean Smart, Samantha Who? had all the makings of a hit, and it did. Until that pesky schedule change.

For the first season, Samantha Who? was the highest rated sitcom on television, surpassing Two and a Half Men, which had previously held the honor. As a Monday night series that had a strong lead-in with Dancing with the Stars, Samantha Who? was golden. Then, by Season 2, things changed. Moving the air slot, the series featured a new lead-in: the failed series In the Motherhood. While the ultimate excuse was the inability to slash its budget to warrant a third season, its move to Thursday destroyed the following it once had. A truly smart series with a wonderfully mature performance from Applegate, Samantha Who? deserved a longer journey on television.

6

‘Kevin Can F**k Himself’ (2021–2022)

Image via AMC

Riding high off of the success of Schitt’s Creek, it was finally time for Annie Murphy to go solo. Created by Valerie Armstrong, AMC picked up a bold and incredibly risky series called Kevin Can F**k Himself. A riff off of the CBS sitcom Kevin Can Wait, which was criticized for how the lead character’s wife was written off the series, the AMC show took the incident as a jumping off point. The premise followed Allison McRoberts (Murphy), a woman struggling to redefine her life amid an unhappy marriage to her husband, Kevin (Eric Petersen), a narcissistic man-child whose treatment of Allison was borderline domestic abuse. The twist of the series was how the show was presented through contrasting perspectives. In one format, it was through a typical mutli-cam sitcom. The other, when Allison was navigating her personal struggles, was told through a dramatic single-camera approach.

By breaking television conventions, Kevin Can F**k Himself set itself apart from anything on TV. Especially what was on the network it was airing on. Perhaps the struggle was this was not the typical AMC show viewers watched on the cable channel. AMC made the decision to end the series after two seasons, similar to other series at the time. Further, it came down to a creative decision from Armstrong who felt, after Allison’s liberation, the story had concluded. Now, this did not bode well with the fans. Murphy’s star vehicle was exceptional, but in a self-contained world of television, some shows prefer not to overextend themselves to the dismay of its viewers.

7

‘Freaks and Geeks’ (1999–2000)

Image via NBC

Surely you’ve heard of the mythical teen comedy Freaks and Geeks. Maybe you didn’t watch it, but the series has been discussed for decades thanks to the individuals involved who became some of Hollywood’s biggest names. Created by Paul Feig and executive produced by Judd Apatow, Freaks and Geeks was set in the fictional town of Chippewa, Michigan at a suburban Detroit high school at the start of the ’80s. Lindsay Weird (Linda Cardellini) and her younger brother, Sam (John Fracis Daley), attend the same school with different friend groups. Lindsay is part of the freaks, alongside Daniel Desario (James Franco), Ken Miller (Seth Rogen), Nick Andopolis (Jason Segel), and Kim Kelly (Busy Philipps). Sam’s friends are the geeks, comprised of Neal Schwieber (Samm Levine) and Bill Haverchuck (Martin Starr). And thus, the title Freaks and Geeks. Littered with nostalgia, Freaks and Geeks was the show that never had the chance to soar.

The series’ ability to lampoon adolescence was a major draw into the show’s success. Even with Emmy nominations and critical praise, if you’re a victim of erratic scheduling, there’s little hope of remaining on screen. Compared to the network’s massive hits like Frasier and Friends earning double the viewers, Freaks and Geeks was an easy target to give cancellation to. Further, having to compete with the juggernaut game show Who Wants To Be a Millionaire, it was near impossible to have any safety net. The direction of the series did not align between network and creator, so they cut the chord. While many sitcoms have come and gone, essentially being lost to time, the legacy lives on thanks to the success of the individuals involved. As Apatow put it, “Everything I’ve done, in a way, is revenge for the people who cancelled Freaks and Geeks.”

8

‘Two Guys and a Girl’ (1998–2001)

Image via ABC

I like to believe I have an eye for talent because I was obsessed with Ryan Reynolds on Two Guys and a Girl, or Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place as it was originally titled. Unlike some titles on this list, Two Guys and a Girl did have a decently healthy run. However, when you end on a cliffhanger, the devoted fans will riot. I know I certainly did! Let’s back up to the premise. The original premise follows Pete (Richard Ruccolo), Berg (Reynolds), and Sharon (Traylor Howard), three friends in their twenties, as they navigate life, love, and careers in Boston. Starting at the pizza place they worked at during college, the series eventually expanded to focus on their post-collegiate lives, including the expansion of recurring characters, Johnny Donnelly (Nathan Fillion) and Ashley Walker (Suzanne Cryer).

Built upon the extraordinary chemistry of the lead trio, Two Guys and a Girl was a major hit during its run. But then, like other titles, ABC decided to move the series to the Friday night death spot, where it had a steep decline in ratings. After the shock result, the network tried to place it back to Wednesdays to restore its former glory, but it was too late. The series finale ended up being an episode called “The Internet Show.” It was an interactive show in which the fans of the show voted on the outcome online. The premise of the episode led to four different endings in whch each of the women believed they might be pregnant. The hope was to have the winner, who was Ashley, give birth by the end of Season 5. But that season never came to fruition as the show was canceled. It was a major blow, but that’s the business!

9

‘Pushing Daisies’ (2007–2009)

This one still stings. It’s time to discuss the uniquely whimsical Pushing Daisies. Created by Bryan Fuller, the series followed Ned (Lee Pace), a pie-maker with the ability to bring things back to life with his touch. Of course, this power came with a stipulation. Alongside his formerly deceased childhood crush Chuck (Anna Friel), co-worker Olive Snook (Kristin Chenoweth), and private investigator Emerson Cod (Chi McBride), Ned and co use his special ability to solve murders. With a cast that also featured Swoosie Kurtz as Lily, Chuck’s agoraphobic birth mother, and Ellen Greene as Vivian, Chuck’s aunt, the brilliant ensemble helped make the series wonderfully charming and aesthetically delightful. But after two seasons, Pushing Daisies died, and it was unable to be brought back to life by Ned.

Timing is everything, and because of the 2007–2008 writers’ strike, Pushing Daisies suffered from fully coming to fruition. With the first season being impacted, Fuller went on to focus on the ordered second season. But when ratings declined, presumably due to the aftermath of television limbo, ABC opted not to order additional episodes beyond the second season’s initial pick-up. With so many more stories to tell, Fuller had hoped to expand the series into other media, but it never happened. A quirky and distinct series, Pushing Daisies truly never had its time to blossom.

10

‘Sports Night’ (1998–2000)

Image via ABC

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One of the greatest entertainment writers of all time is Aaron Sorkin. If there is one thing he knows how to do, it’s write a story about the inner workings of a workplace. Before The West Wing or Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip or The Newsroom was Sports Night. Pulling the curtain back on a SportsCenter style show, Sorkin’s series focused on the professional and personal lives of the on and off-air staff producing a live nightly cable sports news show. Centering on anchor duo Casey McCall (Peter Krause) and Dan Rydell (Josh Charles) and executive producer Dana Whitaker (Felicity Huffman), Sports Night was notorious for Sorkin’s infamous “walk and talk,” as well as his fast-paced dialogue that captured the thematic elements of journalism ethics and the navigation of network pressure. A brilliant series that featured a dynamite ensemble that also included Joshua Malina and William H. Macy, it seemed as if ABC had a hit on its hands, but when the new millennium arrived, Sports Night departed.

Even through its smart writing, stellar cast, and unique direction, Sports Night struggled to find a devoted and dedicated audience. Because audiences expected a laugh riot and received something more in line with a dramedy, there was a disconnect. Perhaps it was ahead of its time or even on the right network. Sorkin did have the opportunity to move the series to another network, including Showtime; yet, he opted to dedicate all of his time to The West Wing on NBC. History tells us that it was the right decision, but the reality remains that Sports Night was one of Sorkin’s greatest projects.

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Sunrise is prominently known for iconic anime such as Cowboy Bebop and Gundam, but the studio is also acclaimed for producing one of the best-written sci-fi dramas of all time! While 2024 marked the first North American exposure and global release of Makoto Yukimura’s cult classic anime adaptation Planetes, Crunchyroll’s addition of science fiction to its library has sparked celebration and new attention to the forgotten show that redefined the space genre. In 2026, the series is still streaming on Crunchyroll (and via the Crunchyroll Amazon Channel), though it’s now locked behind a subscription after the free trial.

Unlike the typical narrative in space — often featuring larger-than-life battles or alien encounters — Planetes takes a grounded, realistic approach to the cosmos. Airing in 2003 and set in the year 2075, the series follows members of the “Debris Section” on DS-12 Toy Box as they carry out the dangerous, thankless task of clearing space junk orbiting Earth. The 26-episode anime has earned a devoted following over the years for tackling “blue-collar” themes with romance, humor, and psychological depth.

‘Planetes’ Is a Blue Collar Story of the Humanistic Lives of Space Debris Collectors

Image via Sunrise

By focusing on the external and internal challenges that space poses for ordinary people, Yukimura’s Planetes holds a unique place in anime history. One of anime’s most defining features is its commitment to portraying space with the working class! In contrast to Vinland Saga‘s pacifist adventure, Planetes is set in 2075 and follows the lives of the “Debris Section” of the Technora Corporation. The team, often nicknamed “Half Section” due to its lack of funding and low status, is tasked with removing dangerous space debris from Earth’s orbit. Although it’s an unglamorous job, their work is essential to the safety of other space missions.

The plot centers on Ai Tanabe (Satsuki Yukino), a rookie recruit who believes in the power of love and teamwork, and Hachirota “Hachimaki” Hoshino (Kazunari Tanaka), a jaded and ambitious debris collector who dreams of owning his own spaceship. As they navigate the physical and emotional challenges of their job, they confront issues like loneliness, fear, and existential questions about their purpose in space. Other key characters include Fee Carmichael (Ai Orikasa), the chain-smoking section manager who cares deeply about environmental problems, and Yuri Mihairokov (Takehito Koyasu), a calm, thoughtful astronaut haunted by the loss of his wife in a space accident. Together, they deal with corporate bureaucracy and office romance, all while facing personal growth and the struggles that come with life in orbit.

Instead of centering on elite astronauts or daring explorers, Planetes puts the spotlight on an often-overlooked aspect of space: the maintenance workers. This focus on the blue-collar heroes of space offers a refreshing perspective that is rarely explored in the sci-fi genre. By depicting the lives of everyday workers, each character brings a unique perspective and motivation to the job, from Hachimaki’s dream of owning his own spaceship to Fee’s fierce dedication to her family and underappreciated job. Hachimaki, he is mostly driven by ambition and a desire to make a name for himself, yet his journey as a debris collector forces him to confront his worst fears. His arc, which includes a profound existential crisis, explores what it truly means to find direction in life.

Planetes doesn’t just ask what it takes to balance work and private life, but what triggers people to explore it! In doing so, the anime is given a slice-of-life feel rather than high-stakes heroics. Moreso, the show dazzles twice as brightly because of its interactive setting and forward-thinking art style.

‘Planetes’ Art Style Focuses on the Authenticity of a Space World in 2075

The visual style of Planetes further reinforces its realistic tone with an art style that prioritizes authenticity in an imaginary 2075. The designs of spacecraft, space suits, and stations are grounded in current technology, lending a sense of believability to the series’ depiction of space. The animators took care to represent the effects of zero gravity accurately, with characters floating, maneuvering carefully, and using handholds and tethers. This attention to technical detail adds to the show’s immersive quality, allowing the viewer to escape through the open society of Technora Corporation firsthand.

Directed by Gorō Taniguchi, author Yukimura’s imagination blooms in a full circle. What makes Planetes feel so alive is that it depicts a futuristic world where humans can be born and live on the moon (these types are called Lunarians), who operate like any ordinary person. The show backs up the possibility of this bizarre community by creatively showing space workers going about everyday business like shopping, hanging out at cafés, and even renting a motel for a private rendezvous. Just like the characters, the lived-in concept is well fleshed out to a convincing scale, which makes the show much more addictive.

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Sound design also plays a crucial role in Planetes, with silent scenes capturing the eeriness of the vacuum of space and moments of intense quiet emphasizing the isolation the characters feel. Combined with the evocative music score composed by Kōtarō Nakagawa, this careful sound design brings a cinematic aesthetic to the series that can rival the allure of Cowboy Bebop‘s space background.

As a Cult Classic, ‘Planetes’ Also Tackles Environmental Issues and Corporate Exploitation

If you thought Planetes couldn’t get any deeper, think again. Sunrise’s underrated classic highlights the environmental impact of human activity. The duty of the Toy Box employees is a clear allegory for pollution on Earth, emphasizing humanity’s tendency to neglect ecological responsibility. By tackling this subject, Planetes calls for the need for eco-friendly practices even beyond our planet, reminding us that our actions have consequences, no matter where we go.

Planetes also examines issues of class disparity and corporate exploitation in space exploration. In the anime, space travel is largely controlled by powerful corporations and wealthy nations, leaving poorer countries and individuals at a disadvantage. This unequal distribution of resources is evident in the Debris Section’s limited funding and the dismissive attitude toward its workers. By exploring the socio-economic inequalities of its fictional workspace, Planetes offers a commentary on the real-world challenges of globalization and corporate power. These themes make the anime relevant, reflecting real concerns about opportunity in a future where space is the new frontier.

Most importantly, the critical success of Makoto Yukimura’s Planetes has become a beloved cult classic and a sci-fi darling rooted in love. Its realistic approach, focusing on blue-collar workers, and exploration of ethical and existential questions helped pave the way for other sci-fi works that emphasize the human condition. The anime demonstrates that stories set in space can instead find beauty and meaning in the everyday struggles and dreams of ordinary people. For fans of moving storytelling, Planetes is an incredible honor for such a heartwarming journey that redefined what science fiction anime can achieve.

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Release Date

2003 – 2004-00-00

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  Kazunari Tanaka

  Hachirouta Hoshino

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Planetes is available to stream on Crunchyroll now!

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