Which TV series got canceled too soon

[redirish28]

You know how it does. You start watching a tv series and you really love it and suddenly because of bad rating or time/date hoping it is canceled.


Which shows do you think should had been given more of a chance to develop?


My wife is a huge Bruce Campbell fan. She has the Adventures of Brisco County Jr. and I've been watching them when she has them on.


It wasn't too bad. She complains about that show being canceled before it should have been and start listing others.

[RandomThoughts]

1. 300 Million, what to do, what to do.

300 - Army Of Darkness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfLHhO-bCFE

[Duer 157099]

2. I'm still wondering what the hell happened to "Brotherhood"

I saw a preview for a new show that stars the main guy from Brotherhood, so I figure it's not coming back.

But it just sort of ended in the middle, a WTF sort of thing.

[jonnyblitz]

3. the HBO series, "Carnivale". I would have enjoyed a few more

seasons of "Rome" as well. I forget what cable channel that one was on.

[wickerwoman]

37. Rome was on HBO too

I started watching it because I love I Claudius and wanted to see young Livia and then as soon as the character is introduced the show was canceled.

But it's pretty obvious why. It must have been way too expensive to make.

[jonnyblitz]

73. I read it was exactly that, the expense, that caused it's

cancellation!

[cemaphonic]

79. Rome, at least ended in a natural spot with the defeat of Antony and Cleopatra

Carnivale clearly had a lot more story to tell.

[joeybee12]

133. Yeah, but the second season of Rome should have been two full seasons...

they crammed too much in because they knew they were ending.

[lifesbeautifulmagic]

38. I love Carnivale! Definitely my choice

one of the few series I actually bought on dvd.

[jonnyblitz]

74. I own it as well! nt

[racaulk]

62. Carnivale was my first thought. What a brilliant series!

I hear that the story creators had a six-season story arc planned, but HBO canceled the show after two seasons. It would have been great to see the directions the story went in and how the characters were to develop. Carnivale's cancellation was a huge disappointment for me.

:(

[jonnyblitz]

72. I forgot it dealt with the dust bowl, which is mentioned in it's

description on HBO. I knew little about the dust bowl until I recently watched a history channel documentary about it. I need to re-watch the show, I have it on DVD. you are correct, the possibilities could have been endless for character and plot development.

[jg10003]

95. Carnivale

The ending of Carnivale was very unsatisfying, it needed one more season.

[jonnyblitz]

108. oh I know. I completely agree. nt

[PassingFair]

109. +100

That cancellation left me with a GIGANTIC
atavistic hole in my heart.

Still not over it.

Some things should be resolved, and
that seriously effed with my brain.

[TK421]

132. Carnivale is my pick as well...I became addicted to that show

[Sky Masterson]

4. Witchblade

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNP38YrqDjM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witchblade_%28TV_series%29
Following a pilot film in August 2000, the cable network TNT premiered a Witchblade television series based on the Witchblade Top Cow Productions comic book series in 2001. The series was directed by Ralph Hemecker and written by Marc Silvestri (who also wrote the comic book) and J.D. Zeik.

Yancy Butler starred as Sara Pezzini, Anthony Cistaro as Kenneth Irons, David Chokachi as Jake McCartey, Eric Etebari as Ian Nottingham, Will Yun Lee as Danny Woo, Conrad Dunn as Tommy Gallo, Kenneth Welsh as Joe Siri, and John Hensley as Gabriel Bowman, among others. Although critically acclaimed and popular with audiences, the show was canceled in September 2002; there was speculation that the cancellation was connected to Butler's entering rehab for alcoholism.<1>

[HopeHoops]

5. Star Trek. Its "five year mission" only lasted three seasons.

If THAT doesn't qualify for "too soon", what does?

[KamaAina]

68. Ever hear of time warp?

:P

[HopeHoops]

70. Yeah, and going forward is the easy part. Going backward isn't.

[WillParkinson]

128. Yes, but the pelvic thrust...

Really drives me insa-a-a-aaaane.

[some guy]

6. Guiding Light

:evilgrin:

[sarge43]

7. Firefly, Frank's Place and Kings n/t

[WolverineDG]

123. Kings was good!

I thought I was the only one who watched it!

dg

[Mojambo]

8. The Middleman. n/t

[MicaelS]

9. Nowhere Man....

With Bruce Greenwood.

[Kat45]

91. I liked that show too. n/t

[Ptah]

10. Gunsmoke

[MiddleFingerMom]

139. As in the info below, Gunsmoke is MY favorite radio show -- but I didn't realize that the TV show...

.
.
.
.
.
...lasted more than twice as long.
.
.
.
From Wikipedia:
The radio version ran from 1952 to 1961, and among radio drama enthusiasts
"Gunsmoke is routinely placed among the best shows of any kind and any time."
The television version ran for 20 seasons from 1955 to 1975, and still remains
the United States' longest-running prime time, live-action drama with 635
episodes (Law & Order ended in 2010 with 489 episodes).
.
.
.
The radio show was darker and more adult. There was little doubt as to Miss Kitty's
REAL job and Matt Dillon sometimes made "anti-hero" choices -- more pragmatic and
vengeful than moral at times. Though the TV series was very good (and James Arness
the better Dillon visually, though William Conrad definitely SOUNDED better -- more
convincingly impressing the listeners that here was a man that nobody better
fuck with. In reference to William Conrad's later role on TV as "Cannon", an L.A.
detective, comedian Franklin Ajaye used to say, "It takes Cannon so long to get out
of his car 2-3 times a show that there is hardly time for anything else.").
.
.
.

[Mariselle]

148. Gunsmoke?

I came on this thread just to reply "Gunsmoke" as well. Well done.

[REP]

The Invisible Man (2000)

Oh, crap.

[timtom]

11. Briscoe Freaking County!!

I saw one episode when it was on, but was never able to locate it after that.

I have since obtained the series and I've enjoyed it immensely. That, in turn, prompted me to buy the "Jack of All Trades" series.

[CBR]

12. My So-Called Life... nt

[MattSh]

129. Oh yeah...

That disappeared way too soon...

The knock-offs that came later, like Freaks and Geeks just were not as good.

[ScreamingMeemie]

13. "It Takes Two", a sit com featuring Patty Duke and Richard Crenna

It was a sitcom in the early 80's. Lasted one season. Helen Hunt and Anthony Edwards played their teenaged kids. Billie Bird was the grandma and it was hilarious.

[nuxvomica]

17. That reminds me of "All's Fair", another Richard Crenna sitcom

He and Bernadette Peters were political opposites working in Washington. Michael Keaton was hilarious in what I think was his first TV series.

[flvegan]

14. 30 Days (Morgan Spurlock's show), Brothers.

[nuxvomica]

15. Dead Like Me, My World and Welcome to It, Supertrain...

Get a Life, The Beverly Hillbillies, etc.

[Burma Jones]

16. Action (Jay Mohr), Arrested Development, Deadwood, Carnivale, Rome, The Great American Dream Machine

I think that's about it for me.....

[yankeepants]

48. deleted : wrong spot

[CaliforniaPeggy]

18. Flash Forward!

I was totally hooked, and could not wait to see what happened next......

And then it was gone.

:(

[6000eliot]

46. You too, Peggy?

I even did a paper on it for the Popular Culture Association last year. I didn't even bother with The Event, because I didn't want to go through it again.

[Love Bug]

131. I liked Flash Forward, too

It got a little off track but so did LOST, so I don't understand why ABC canned it after only one season.

[txwhitedove]

19. Jericho

[tinymontgomery]

22. I'm with you there

should have kept going

[CBR]

23. I loved Jericho... nt

[Mojambo]

24. Good call.

There is a Jericho: Civil War comic book series that has been coming out (entirely too) sporadically though.

[Ptah]

20. Beany And Cecil (the sea sick serpent)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOxNtOMTpSo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTExv5cARVQ

[NoGOPZone]

21. Police Squad, the Tick, and Quark nt

[Sky Masterson]

27. Quark and the Tick!!

and Police Squad! All three were awesome shows

[meegbear]

80. Definitely Police Squad!

I have the DVD and brought it down to my local bar. Everyone was in tears laughing.

[Mad_Dem_X]

81. Yes, Police Squad!

Now I've got the theme song stuck in my head. :D

[lunamagica]

25. Cop Rock....

Yes, I loved the series and watched every epsode :blush:

[blaze]

30. Yes!!!!!!

I totally loved that one as well!!!

I think I missed the first couple of episodes and then, poof, it was gone!!

There were some amazing voices in that show and I always thought it was a great way to introduce great talent.

[lunamagica]

126. Good to find another fan of the show! Every time I mentioned how much I liked it

people would laugh in my face; yet both my sisters and I loved the show. That was very unusual for us. We were really bummed when I was canceled.

[pokerfan]

26. Freaks and Geeks & Sports Night

[kick-ass-bob]

63. SPORTS NIGHT! YES!

That was a brilliant show.

[Bennyboy]

93. Sports Night for sure NT

[GreenPartyVoter]

111. I loved "Freaks & Geeks." I was reliving my youth through that show. LOL

[fishwax]

114. those were the exact two I was going to name

:thumbsup:

[madrchsod]

28. east side/west side - one of the best tv shows of all time

http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=eastsidewest

the show will never be released...

[abq e streeter]

29. F Troop

[blaze]

31. My World and Welcome To It!!

Based on James Thurber stories. (Thank you KO for Friday Night Stories!!!!)

I was a kid... I'm 56 now... so I'm thinking it came out in the early to mid sixties?

[Courtesy Flush]

58. The one about the cartoonist? nt

[blaze]

87. Here's a link!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_World_and_Welcome_to_It

[ChoralScholar]

32. This season? Outlaw.

Of all time? Probably Freaks and Geeks.

[FloridaJudy]

33. Firefly

One of the most intelligent and creative Science Fiction series ever made. I fell in love with the characters and their worlds from the first episode. Fox doesn't like edgy stuff like that unless it's wildly popular from the very start, like House. Why the SF channel didn't pick it up still baffles me, though.

The series is available on Hulu, but no more new episodes, alas!

[Dr Morbius]

53. Agreed; Star Trek also.

[iris27]

116. Absolutely Firefly.

I am a big sci-fi fan, but Firefly tops everything else out there, IMO.

[Xithras]

138. Another vote for Firefly.

Whedon explained why SciFi couldn't pick it up. SciFi was actually interested, but they are a tiny channel when compared to Fox, and they don't have massive budgets. When Firefly was cancelled, SciFi was still dealing with some losses taken on some earlier shows, and were funding the production of SG:1 and Eureka, were right in the middle of filming the first season of BSG, and were ramping up production of SG:Atlantis. They didn't have a lot of money left over. Fox made it clear that they weren't interested in letting a potentially hot competing show go to a competitor for any small amount, and wouldn't even enter into negotiations with SF because they knew that SF wasn't going to offer any price they were interested in.

Fox still owns the rights to the Firefly franchise, and only sold the rights for a single movie to Universal (and wouldn't even give them the rights to the Firefly name as part of that deal). According to the rumor mill, Fox required that Whedon kill off main characters to permanently end the story as a condition of the movie deal, which is why Wash and Shepherd were killed off. They were tired of hearing from fans, and knew that gutting the crew would head off any future attempts to resurrect the show. It worked, and Whedon himself walked away from the franchise after the movie wrapped.

[Zavulon]

34. Brimstone.

I doubt many here will remember it, but it was great.

There was a Canadian series called Intelligence which was spectacular but got canned after two seasons and left us with a massive cliffhanger. CBC bastards.

[Mojambo]

35. Oh, I remember it.

Great show. John Glover as the devil.

They were running a marathon of it on one of the genre channels on my parents DTV a couple weeks back.

[murielm99]

59. I remember it.

I liked that show, too.

[Iggo]

99. The guy from thirtysomething and he had all them tattoos...

...and he had to catch escapees from hell, and every time he got one, one of his tattoos would burn off? Yep. I liked that one.

I also liked the comedy version that came out a couple years ago: Reaper. That one got cancelled way too soon, too.

[applegrove]

36. "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd"... the original "Sex and the City".

[Starbucks Anarchist]

39. Twin Peaks.

[fizzgig]

47. i would have liked more of that

[joeybee12]

134. Definitely!!!! nt

[kwassa]

40. Deadwood, The Wire.

Deadwood was the most profanely smart show out there, and had just begun is possibilities.

The Wire had thoroughly explored its, being the best TV series of all time, yet it was so good it should be on forever.

[begin_within]

41. Arrested Development, Police Squad! and to some extent, Ugly Betty

Ugly Betty was good the first year, then went into decline, but in its last season, got a lot better just as it was cancelled. They should have given it one more year.

[XemaSab]

42. American Gothic

One season of awesome. :D

[jobycom]

43. Austin Stories, Rude Awakening, Frank's Place, and I agree with your spouse about Brisco County. nt

[Lydia Leftcoast]

44. Nothing Sacred

It was about a Catholic parish, and a lot of conservative Catholics condemned it without seeing it, because it showed the priests and nuns as fallible human being instead of plaster saints, even though it wasn't anti-religious in any sense.

Two or three of the episodes that were made were never shown on TV. I'm told that the entire series was shown in other countries, but for us Americans, it's just plain gone.

[AngryOldDem]

103. I would really have liked to have seen those final episodes.

And thanks to gutless ABC, for caving into the pressure. At the time I recall reading that the series was ending with the church burning down and the priest having a true crisis of faith.

I liked the show because it was realistic. It wasn't Bing Crosby in the happy priest role. No wonder the likes of Bill Donohue and the Catholic League blasted it into oblivion. Can't have real life intrude with the faith, now can we?

[Lucian]

45. Angel.

[yankeepants]

49. Kath and Kim

I loved that show and then it was gone. Waaaaahhhhhh!

[BlueIris]

50. Twin Peaks, Deadwood and the American version of Touching Evil.

Those are the three t.v. series whose cancellations still get my hackles up. I still can't believe we were denied a fourth season of Deadwood.

[ceile]

65. I thought I was the only one who watched Touching Evil

Great show....

[BlueIris]

90. Jeff Donovan and Vera Farmiga had such nice chemistry.

Glad to see both their careers are still going strong.

[MissHoneychurch]

51. Life

damn, Damien Lewis is just hot

[murielm99]

60. Oh, that was a good one.

I think it was just too complicated for some people.

I don't think he's hot - just interesting.

[siligut]

124. I didn't like him at first, all that tilting his head like a dog and stuff.

Nothing against head-tilting dogs or cats for that matter, but it was too much when combined with some of the other quirks the character had. Then he grew on me and some of the quirks lessened too. I decided I liked him and very much enjoyed the second season. FYI, Damian is in a fairly interesting film called Assassin in Love, if you want to see more of him, it is available from Netflix instant streaming too.

[laylah]

52. Jericho nt

[area51]

54. Dark Shadows n/t

[WinkyDink]

55. "Tour of Duty." "American Dreams." "Get a Life."

[kick-ass-bob]

64. Tour of Duty was great the first year

but they ruined it the second year. It deserved much better, but got hooked on the characters too much too fast.

[WinkyDink]

120. I loved Sarge and LT!

[elocs]

56. Hands down: Firefly; then Freaks and Geeks. n/t

[dawg]

57. Pushing Daisies

Too twee for some, but I loved it.

[PeaceNikki]

89. Me, too.

[GreenPartyVoter]

112. I loved it too!

[bikebloke]

61. Deadwood, Firefly and Jericho

And I wish they'd release Ashes to Ashes, because it feels like Like on Mars (UK) ended too soon.

[ceile]

66. Cupid, The Dead Zone, The Dresden Files

So pissed when they didn't renew Dresden Files.

[HughBeaumont]

67. Freaks and Geeks, My Name is Earl.

Both NBC shows. My Name Is Earl wasn't even allowed to conclude. It just got CUT off. Bullshit.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

69. Nowhere Man -nt

[mcollins]

71. A Few

Rome
Deadwood
Battlestar Galactica (although they did paint themselves into a corner)
(I did hear they cancelled Caprica)
Life on Mars (US version)

[RZM]

75. Deadwood and Rome

I think Rome ended because it was too expensive and I heard Deadwood ended because David Milch wanted to make 'John from Cincinnati' . . . which wasn't canceled soon enough!

[LeftOfSelf-Centered]

76. Cupid, Dead Like Me, J-Pod...

I'm referring to the 90s Cupid with Jeremy Piven; I heard they remade the show later, but I can't imagine it working without him.

J-Pod was a Canadian show, based on the book by Douglas Coupland. I loved the book and found the first episode of the show somewhere on the net. I thought it was awesome, but probably too weird to survive on TV.

I also felt the new Battlestar Galactica series ended too soon, as I thought it was only just getting really interesting, with the humans and a Cylon faction having to learn to live together. And the last Episode felt like it just crept up on them; like they were in the middle of a story arc and somebody said "Ok, we got one episode to wrap everything up".

[hedgehog]

77. Space: Above and Beyond - Really thoughtful morality play covering all sorts of issues.

In the years leading up to 2063, humanity has begun to colonize other planets. Without warning, a previously unknown alien species, the "Chigs", attack and destroy Earth's first extra-solar colony and then destroy a second colony ship. The bulk of the Earth military forces sent to confront the Chigs are destroyed or outflanked. In desperation, unproven and under-trained outfits like the 58th "Wildcards" are thrown against the Chigs. The Wildcards are the central focus of the series, which follows them as they grow from untried cadets into veterans. Although the unified Earth forces come under the control of a reformed United Nations, the UN has no armed forces of its own and therefore navies such as the U.S. Navy and the Royal Navy operate interstellar starships.

The Space: Above and Beyond milieu includes an underclass race of genetically engineered and artificially gestated humans who are born at the physical age of 18, and are collectively known as In Vitroes or sometimes, derogatorily, "tanks" or "nipple-necks". The In Vitroes have replaced the previous underclass, the artificial intelligences known as Silicates. These human-looking androids, referred to as "walking personal computers", have rebelled, formed their own societies, and wage a guerrilla war against human society. The Silicates are also suspected of having some involvement with the Chigs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space:_Above_and_Beyond

[Bennyboy]

78. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.....

I Loved that show. One of the best TV Moments in history was the Christmas episode with the new Orleans musicians. excellent writing great actors. Too bad that 30 Rock premiered the same season.

TV is much worse off without AAron Sorkin.

[dixiegrrrrl]

105. YES !!!!!!

what there was of it was excellent.

[AngryOldDem]

107. It's on DVD.

I especially like the Gilbert & Sullivan parody in the second (I believe) episode, where they skewer network censors. Complete with the LA Philharmonic.

[zipplewrath]

135. I thought of that too

It could have been better, but it was still some of the best writing on televison. We need more Sorkin's writing for TV.

[eShirl]

82. Two Bruce Campbell series: The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. and Jack of All Trades

ABC, Jr
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVrZE5Y2lV4

JOAT (better theme song)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fqp4xT7M3w

[driver8]

83. Sports Night!!

One of the greatest shows, ever!

Sadly, it couldn't decide if it wanted to be a comedy or a drama.

[MrScorpio]

84. Bakersfield P.D.

That was one funny show

[Gabi Hayes]

110. can't believe you said that. it was my first thought when I saw the OP. seen this?

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Bakersfield+P.D.&aq=f

[Connie_Corleone]

85. Deadwood, Rome, Carnivale and Brotherhood.

[Lilith Velkor]

86. Caprica

:(

[Iggo]

100. That was cancelled?

Well, damn.

[laconicsax]

127. So say we all.

[Xithras]

136. Caprica is visually awesome, but...

...the story lacks any real tempo. If you watch long enough, you eventually start to hate all of the characters. Hell, you eventually want to hate the whole world. The crappy dad who ignored his daughter and is OK with killing people to get his way. The loser mom who didn't give a crap about her kid until she was dead. The spoiled teenager-turned-robot who wasted her genius and whines about being blamed for her own poor decisions. The friend-turned-terrorist who was willing to kill her mentor on someone elses word. The minority religious leader who is JUST FINE with mass murder. The twisted society that presents itself as "normal" on the surface, while terrorizing minorities and supporting some seriously morally fucked up holoband alterverses.

It's well written and gorgeously rendered, but it's also a dark, dreary story without any real heroes. It's no real suprise that it's had a problem holding audiences.

I've watched all of the episodes up until now, and I'll probably watch the last 5 when they air next spring, but it's not a show that I'll really "miss".

[stray cat]

88. Petrocelli

[Kat45]

92. Journeyman, When Things Were Rotten, Life's Work, Life on Mars

I know there are more but they're not coming to mind right now.

[JanMichael]

94. LIFE ON MARS!!!!! It was cut short by ABC. Bastards. nt

[TroglodyteScholar]

96. Keen Eddie, Upright Citizens Brigade

[jg10003]

97. ALF

The last show was a cliffhanger that was never resolved.

[buzzard]

98. Horatio Hornblower. n/t

[Kaleva]

101. Gunsmoke

[mucifer]

102. M Squad (one of the shows that Police Squad spoofed) 1950s Chicago

cool series filmed here in Chicago staring Lee Marvin. It lasted 3 years then they did an episode on police corruption and mayor daley got the show kicked out of his city. That was the point they pretty much stopped filming anything in Chicago until "The Blues Brothers". They show the reruns of M Squad now on local tv. It's fun to look at my city in the 1950s.

[zen_bohemian]

104. Evening Shade n/t

[dixiegrrrrl]

106. Third Watch.

Only 2 seasons.
" 55 Squad's police, fire and paramedics units in this debut season of the NBC drama. Veterans and rookies alike are tested every day on the streets of New York City,"

This was one of John Well's productions, who did the West Wing, ER, and another too short series,
China Beach.
Good character development, warts and all.

[leeroysphitz]

113. MASH n/t

[mythology]

115. Veronica Mars

I'd include Veronica Mars, even if the third season was
overall weaker than the first two due to changing the show
format in an attempt to draw in viewers.

[nytemare]

117. Dead Like Me, Terminator Sarah Connor Chronicles, The Addams Family

[Lindsey]

118. For me, without question, Arrested Development. n/t

[Mrs. Venation]

119. Boomtown

I really liked it, so, of course, it got shit-canned after a short run.

[cynatnite]

121. Sarah Conner Chronicles. I loved the series. n/t

[Bucky]

122. Friends, Mash, Full House,

And of course Happy Days

[bigwillq]

125. My So-Called Life

Sports Night

[Love Bug]

130. Alien Nation

It only lasted one season in 1990 when Fox was a new network and had very limited programming, like 21 Jump Street. I think if the series had come out a couple of years later it would have lasted much longer. IIRC, there was little science fiction on TV at the time with Star Trek: The Next Generation being the only other genre show. They did go on to produce a series of four made-for-TV movies to resolve the cliffhanger and move the story forward, so at least there was that.

[TK421]

137. I used to watch that...it was a good series

I also used to like Friday the 13th the series ( had a thing for Robey )

[MiddleFingerMom]

140. Frank's Place, Deadwood, Dead Like Me. n/t

[Rhiannon12866]

141. Crazy Like a Fox - Jack Warden - CBS

:(

[muffin1]

142. Three come to mind...

Arrested Development, Friday Night Lights, and The Wire.

[dembotoz]

143. square pegs, Eirrie Indiana--still can't spell

[sakabatou]

144. Escaflowne

It didn't get cancelled, but it had its budget gutted.

[Xipe Totec]

145. Soap

Soap is an American sitcom that originally ran on ABC from 1977 to 1981.

The show was created as a parody of daytime soap operas, presented as a weekly half-hour prime time comedy. Similar to a soap opera, the show's story was presented in a serial format and included melodramatic plot elements such as amnesia, alien abduction, demonic possession, murder and kidnapping. In 2007 it was listed as one of Time magazine's "100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME," and in 2010, the Tates and the Campbells ranked at number 17 in T.V. Guide's list of "T.V.'s Top Families".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTeppN1PwH8

[Dyler Turden]

146. John From Cincinnati, Deadwood, Firefly, Jericho,

Life on Mars, Carnivale.

[Dyler Turden]

147. And Eli Stone!

Loved that show.