The 21st century has seen some excellent TV shows, but they aren’t all readily available in all formats. The landscape of modern entertainment has shifted massively since the year 2000, with the advent of streaming prompting a huge shift in how we consume entertainment. This has been especially true for TV, with television fully embracing the switch to streaming and the majority of new shows being released specifically for streaming platforms. Many of the best TV shows of recent years have been released via streaming, although many of them also find their way onto other forms of media. Some still air through more traditional television avenues, and many of them are eventually released on different forms of home media.
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Many of the best shows on Netflix, Prime Video, and other similar streaming platforms become popular enough to secure a wider home media release. This sometimes comes as the result of pressure from fans and general demand for a DVD release, but it doesn’t always happen. In some cases, some of the best TV shows are only available to stream, no matter how much they desperately need a home media release for those eager to own a physical copy.
5) Atlanta
Atlanta combined several of the many talents of Donald Glover into a single, critically-acclaimed project. His acting, writing, comedic, and musical abilities came together perfectly to make Atlanta a massive success, with all four seasons of the show earning plaudits from critics and securing a huge fan base. Although Atlanta has, admittedly, had a limited release on home media, it’s only the show’s first two seasons that are available. To watch Atlanta in its entirety, including the final two seasons, it can only be watched via streaming.
4) Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Though Chilling Adventures of Sabrina proved somewhat divisive with audiences, it remains a great supernatural comic book TV show. Based on the Archie comic book series of the same name, it was initially intended as a companion series to Riverdale, but ultimately became its own Netflix show with only brief crossovers. It’s a fun and entertaining adaptation of the character’s story, but despite that, it’s only available to stream and has never officially been released on any form of home media.
3) Heartstopper
Adapted from the great slice-of-life comic series of the same name, Heartstopper found major success upon its Netflix release. The show’s three-season run saw it become one of the most prominent LGBTQ+ romance series in history, with its touching and emotional drama proving hugely popular with audiences. Despite Heartstopper‘s incredible quality, it is only available to stream on Netflix and has yet to be released on any form of home media, even though to do so would almost certainly be popular with its fans.
2) The Legend of Vox Machina
The Legend of Vox Machina is an interesting example of the innovative ways TV shows can be conceived. Adapted from the first Dungeons & Dragons campaign of the Critical Role webseries, The Legend of Vox Machina blends fantasy, action, and comedy, and was made possible by a successful Kickstarter campaign. Despite becoming one of Prime’s best fantasy shows, it has yet to receive any home media release, and can only be watched by streaming it on Prime Video.
1) Midnight Mass
Midnight Mass is often described as Netflix’s best horror series, with Mike Flanagan’s writing and direction making one of the scariest, most inventive horror shows in decades. A horror masterpiece, Midnight Mass combines religious ideology and imagery with a sinister vampire threat in an isolated island community, and was rightly praised by critics and fans alike for its quality. However, despite its nature as an iconic miniseries, Midnight Mass can only be streamed on Netflix, even though it desperately deserves a home media release.
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