Streaming has become the fastest and easiest way to watch TV shows and movies, including those that were released several years ago. However, that doesn’t mean that you can find anything on streaming platforms or free services. Licensing issues, music rights disputes, or limited distribution deals add to why streamers are wary of buying TV shows.

There are series that are available to buy on Amazon, and others even have DVDs. Besides that, there’s no other way to watch TV shows that are not on network channels or streaming platforms these days. Sadly, several great shows that should be a must-watch have gotten lost when they deserve a chance to be seen by a wide audience.

Once And Again (1999-2002)

A critically acclaimed series, Once and Again centers around two people trying to start the second chapter of their lives. Once and Again was not an overly popular series, but it’s a great show nonetheless due to its emotional depth, relatable storyline, and memorable performances from Sela Ward and Billy Campbell.

Surprisingly, Once and Again has never made it to streaming platforms, despite the number of ’90s TV shows that have been added to services like Netflix, Disney, HBO Max, and Paramount+. In 2002, Buena Vista released Once and Again season 1 on DVD. After three years, fans of the series petitioned to have the second season released.

Unfortunately, season 3 of the series didn’t have the same opportunity and was never released. Then, in 2007, Buena Vista no longer had the license to Once and Again, making it impossible for it to be added to any streaming library.

Raised By Wolves (2020-2022)

A dark and gritty sci-fi series, Raised by Wolves failed to capture the attention of audiences, thus missing the opportunity to become mainstream. Following two androids raising human children, Raised by Wolves was a fresh show that stood apart in the genre. After releasing its second season, the excellent sci-fi series was abruptly canceled.

Raised by Wolves initially aired on HBO Max, and when it lost its home, the show couldn’t find a new one. A sci-fi series isn’t cheap to produce, and HBO Max had to let it go in order to cut costs. Although Raised by Wolves can’t be found on any streaming platform, it is available to rent on Amazon.

Chicago Hope (1994-2000)

Medical dramas are pretty popular, and streaming platforms know that. TV shows like Grey’s Anatomy, ER, and The Pitt have become such huge successes that other series in the genre want to replicate their popularity. Unlike ER, however, the 1990s CBS drama, Chicago Hope, is missing from streaming platforms.

The reason for this lies in the music that was used in the medical drama. The series didn’t necessarily use well-known music. However, Mandy Patinkin’s character can be heard singing Broadway songs during surgery. Because of this, many streaming platforms opted to leave Chicago Hope off their roster.

Broadway songs are not cheap to license. With audiences having a pick of the litter when it comes to medical dramas, Chicago Hope just didn’t seem to be worth spending that much money on, especially because it wasn’t going to be profitable enough for companies to invest in.

Murphy Brown (1988-1998)

A TV show about journalism and feminism would thrive in today’s climate, which makes it even more puzzling that a groundbreaking series like Murphy Brown is still not available to stream. The award-winning sitcom wasn’t just popular with critics, but audiences as well, and was in the top 10 most-watched TV shows for four consecutive seasons.

In 2018, CBS created a revival of Murphy Brown, but it only lasted one season. So if a revival was possible, it begs the question of why the original series can’t be streamed anywhere. The answer to that, like for many TV shows, is music rights. There are so many popular Motown songs used in the show that would need to be licensed if Murphy Brown were to be watched on streaming platforms.

Additionally, Warner Bros. is the owner of the rights to Murphy Brown, despite it airing on CBS. As such, licenses will have to be bought in order for audiences to stream the show, and strangely, no streaming platform is willing to do that yet.

China Beach (1988-1991)

The Emmy Award-winning medical drama China Beach is a series that was ahead of its time. While it’s now popular to have shows that focus on developing their characters and understanding their intentions and motivations, it wasn’t like this on TV in the ‘80s. China Beach’s focus on the Vietnam War and the doctors who healed soldiers made it even more endearing.

However, it wasn’t exactly a commercial hit even though critics praised the show for its complex characters and deeply moving plot. The issue that has continuously arisen with China Beach is music rights. When it was released on DVD, several songs had to be deleted or replaced to avoid paying for the licenses.

With that in mind, there are no streaming platforms that would willingly spend a pretty penny for audiences to watch a show they’ve probably never heard of or even cared about.

Willow (2022-2023)

Warwick Davis in Willow (2022)

Disney’s adventure-fantasy series Willow centers around six friends who go on a journey to save the world from evil. The series is based on the cult classic 1988 film and saw some of the original characters from the movie reprise their roles. Willow had a great first season, but that was it for the show.

In 2023, Disney canceled the series in order to reduce costs, which is something that has become commonplace in today’s world of streaming. Since then, the show hasn’t been picked up by another studio, nor is it available for streaming.

Ed (2000-2004)

When Ed aired its first season, the drama had a staggering 16 million viewers. Although these numbers are obviously great, Ed is one of those TV shows that seem like they have been wiped out from the face of the earth. Unlike some series that are not available on streaming but at least got DVD releases, Ed didn’t have the same fate.

The answer to why Ed isn’t on streaming isn’t clear-cut. Music rights could play a role, just like they do in other classic TV shows. There’s also the matter of the series being owned by two studios: NBC-Universal and Paramount.

Due to this dual-ownership, it’s not easy to determine how Ed can be brought to streaming as several issues of licenses, including music rights, have to be ironed out first. There doesn’t seem to be any hope that Ed will ever see the light of day, more so because it seems to have been forgotten by anyone who loved the series.

Millennium (1996-1999)

Custom image by Yeider Chacon

Procedurals often have to find a way to stand out, as there are so many of them competing for audience attention. Shows like Monk, 24, Psych, and The Blacklist added a unique twist to plots that have now been done several times over. Millennium was ahead of its time in the sense that it wasn’t your regular police procedural drama.

The show followed an ex-FBI agent who had the ability to read the minds of criminals, which at the time was an extraordinary concept. Millennium garnered a huge fan following before its popularity slowly began to dwindle.

While repeats of Millennium aired on FX and Chiller, the show itself hasn’t been revived or even added to streaming. Fox owns all rights to the series, which makes it strange that it’s been quietly forgotten as the years go by. There haven’t been any talks about music rights, either. A reboot of Millennium seems impossible, and its addition to streaming platforms even more so.