Let’s say you’re feeling nostalgic for the 2010s, but you’re also in the mood for something new — perhaps, a series that flew under your radar when it was on the air. The solution to your internal paradox could be ABC’s fish-out-of-water sitcom “Suburgatory” starring Jane Levy and onetime TVLine performer of the week Alan Tudyk.
In “Suburgatory,” Levy plays Tessa Altman, a precocious teenager who moves from Manhattan to the suburbs with her single father (Jeremy Sisto). Tudyk portrays Noah Werner, a goofball dentist who befriends Tessa’s old man and starts a dad band with him in Season 2.
The three seasons of “Suburgatory” (2011 to 2014) include their share of era-specific signifiers: There’s a twee indie-pop theme song, jokes about upper-middle-class moms who constantly drink oversized iced coffees, and gags about text messages.
Also starring Cheryl Hines, Ana Gasteyer, and Chris Parnell, “Suburgatory” has an average 91% Rotten Tomatoes score from both audiences and critics. One Redditor proclaimed, “That show was so funny. Great spin on a lot of old tropes.” Elsewhere on Reddit, a fan mused that the sitcom is one of several Tudyk projects that seem to find new audiences over time. “Things with Alan Tudyk usually are underrated while they’re on and appreciated when they’re gone,” they wrote. “Suburgatory, Powerless, Firefly, Rogue One…”
“Suburgatory” is currently streaming for free on Tubi.