Cable TV is no longer the only place you can find high-quality television. Websites and streaming services like Netflix and Amazon are quickly becoming where it's at for the most original and experimental new shows available now.
Here are 10 stand-out shows, available only via an Internet connection, that you can (and should) watch right now.
Hulu Plus
The Awesomes
Hulu admittedly doesn't have a whole lot that's worth watching in its "originals" department, but you might want to give The Awesomes a chance. It's a bit uneven, but when it's on-point, it can be hilarious. A "cartoon for adults" from the minds of Seth Meyers and Mike Shoemaker, it's about a superhero team that's assembled from the reject pile after all of the regular heroes quit.
Blue
Julia Stiles stars in this drama about a professional call girl who tries to keep her son from finding out the truth about her life. Blue began its life as a YouTube original, but Hulu snatched it up for its third season.
Amazon
The After
As Chris Carter's first series since The X-Files went off the air, The After is about a diverse group of eight strangers who are thrown together and forced to rely on one another after a mysterious event breaks down society's infrastructure. The show seems to focus mostly on this cast of very distinct characters, but Carter throws in some intriguing mysteries along the way, like how none of the people in the group have met before yet they all share the same birthday. The cast includes Sharon Lawrence, Heroes' Adrian Pasdar and a surprisingly serious Jamie Kennedy. Currently only the pilot is available, but viewers dug it so much that Amazon picked it up earlier this year for a full season. New episodes are expected in 2015.
Alpha House
This John Goodman comedy vehicle finds four U.S. Senators living as roommates in a D.C. house. It's got extra cache for being created by Garry Trudeau, the man behind the Doonesbury comic strip, and it was reportedly inspired by a similar situation that occurred in real life with real politicians.
Transparent
Transparent, from Jill Soloway of Six Feet Under and United States of Tara, stars Arrested Development's Jeffrey Tambor as a California dad secretly living as a woman. But throw out all your Bosom Buddies preconceptions, because this ain't that kind of show. It's more of a play on words with its title, and mixes comedy with serious drama. There's only a pilot at the moment, but new episodes are in the can and are scheduled to be posted starting September 26, 2014.
Hand of God
The best offering from Amazon's current pilot season, the jury is still out on psychological thriller Hand of God, but you should definitely check it out anyway. Ron Perlman stars as a shady judge who has a nervous breakdown that leads him to what he believes is an encounter with God, who wants him to atone by becoming a vigilante. You'll detect shades of Breaking Bad among its morally gray characters, along with its shocking twists. A real nail-biter, and very well crafted, it was created and directed by World War Z director Marc Forster.
Crackle
Chosen
Heroes' Milo Ventimiglia stars as an ordinary man forced to become an assassin in this Crackle series that can't quite afford its ambitions on its tiny budget. Still, it's an intriguing premise and its cat-and-mouse game definitely has its moments. It begins when Ventimiglia's divorce lawyer character finds a box on his doorstep with a gun and a photo of someone he has to kill to save the life of his daughter. Chosen recently aired its third season, but catching up won't require as much time as you'd expect. Each season is just six episodes long.
Sequestered
Crackle's newest show boasts some impressive "character actor" pedigree, featuring the talents of Patrick Warburton, Jesse Bradford, Summer Glau, Bruce Davison, Dina Meyer and more. The plot revolves around a high-stakes jury that's sequestered after one of their own is attacked. It turns out, there's a conspiracy surrounding the entire trial that's putting everyone involved in danger.
Netflix
House of Cards
House of Cards is the show that changed all the rules for online/streaming programming. After recruiting A-list talent like Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright, Netflix pledged a network-sized budget to it, and left it in the hands of its capable producers. The political drama became a headline-grabbing hit almost overnight, and changed the entire model of how we consume TV programming. Catch up on the first two seasons now in preparation for Season 3, coming in 2015.
Orange is the New Black
If House of Cards changed the rules, Orange is the New Black was the show that capitalized on them and generated the biggest buzz of any online series ever. Highly original, funny, heartbreaking and always thought-provoking, Orange showcases life inside a women's prison, where the politics, relationships and dangers inside turn out to be engrossing viewing that pulls you in and doesn't let go.
In addition to these four outlets, other online destinations have announced intentions to get into original programming. Yahoo recently agreed to fund a new season of Community, PlayStation Network is launching Powers based on the indie comic book, and Xbox is planning a Halo live action TV series to accompany its blockbuster franchise.
It's safe to assume more players will enter this growing field in the near future.
