TV Shows / Series that were cancelled too early (1 Viewer)

[JohnnyU]

Name a TV show or series you think shouldn't have been cancelled. Not those that just ran their course and had a scheduled end date, but those that were just cancelled out of the blue and left their audience saying, WTH?.

Here are two of mine.

1. DeadWood (2004 - 2006) HBO - Deadwood received wide critical acclaim, particularly for Milch's writing and Ian McShane's co-lead performance. It also won eight Emmy Awards (in 28 nominations) and one Golden Globe. TV Guide ranked it #8 on their 2013 list of 60 shows that were "Cancelled Too Soon".

I hear the real reason was it was too expensive to make, but I don't have anything to prove that.

2. Peacemakers (2003) USA Network - In the late 1800's a new addition to law enforcement is evolving. Forensic science is in its infancy and the Wild West will never be the same. Enter Federal Marshal Jared Stone, the product of the Old West who has the smarts to know that the times are changing and he has to change with them. With ex-Pinkerton Agent Larimer Finch and local mortician Katie Owen, they make up Silver City, CO's., newest crime fighting team.

Peacemakers was critically acclaimed, but had a limited appeal.

 

[Osaurus]

Automan

 

[Baloney Sandwich]

Profit on Fox...way ahead of its time

 

[fantasycurse42]

Glory Daze - Show had a ton of potential and was canceled after one season.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glory_Daze_(TV_series)

 

[squistion]

My So-Called Life

Singlehandedly killed by Claire Danes after the first season ended. ABC was wavering/undecided on whether to renew it, but then she announced she was considering leaving the series for a movie career and since her lead part would have to be recast they quickly decided the series would not be renewed.

 

[JohnnyU]

On the flip side of this thread, 2 and half men should have been cancelled as soon as Charlie Sheen left.

 

[whoknew]

My So-Called Life

Singlehandedly killed by Claire Danes after the first season ended. ABC was wavering/undecided on whether to renew it, but then she announced she was considering leaving the series for a movie career and since her lead part would have to be recast they quickly decided the series would not be renewed.

We've done this a ton, but:

Sons and Daughters - it was really funny.

Plus Gillian Vigman is hot.

 

[FlapJacks]

Carnivale

Freak and Geeks

 

[Cybergeek]

Gunsmoke

 

[pollardsvision]

Firefly.

 

[Thunderlips]

What gets me is when they don't even give young or new shows much of a chance at all... Firefly is probably the poster boy for this tactic from the network execs.....but two lesser known ones:

Knights of Prosperity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frsqKNYYMo0

Kitchen Confidential. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uXv0anYsMU

Both were given NO chance to even remotely build an audience.

 

[Raider Nation]

The White Shadow.

 

[JohnnyU]

Carnivale

Freak and Geeks

I loved Carnivale. Talk about a dark show, but I loved it. What has that main charactor (the young guy) done recently?

 

[Ookie Pringle]

Manimal

 

[JohnnyU]

Gunsmoke

LOL

 

[JohnnyU]

copper my wife and i loved that one but then bam they cancel it and now sunday nights are crummy brohans i wrote them an e-mail but hey it is me so now they are probably just passing it around and laughing at how dumb i am take that to the bank brohans

i don't think Copper has been cancelled. Like many series, there is a long layoff between seasons end and the start of the next season. Did I miss its cancellation?

edited - bam - http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/bbc-america-cancels-copper-two-631830

perfect example for this thread. My wife and I also liked that show and we didn't even know it was cancelled.

 

[SWC]

yeah and i just deleted my other post somehow sorry it is off the air my wife looked it up brohan

 

[shadyridr]

Terminator Salvation with Queen Cersei was a great show

 

[Gopher State]

BLUE MOUNTAIN STATE

 

[Hawks64]

Dead Like Me

 

[Insein]

Firefly.

This.

 

[Cjw_55106]

Name a TV show or series you think shouldn't have been cancelled. Not those that just ran their course and had a scheduled end date, but those that were just cancelled out of the blue and left their audience saying, WTH?.

Here are two of mine.

1. DeadWood (2004 - 2006) HBO - Deadwood received wide critical acclaim, particularly for Milch's writing and Ian McShane's co-lead performance. It also won eight Emmy Awards (in 28 nominations) and one Golden Globe. TV Guide ranked it #8 on their 2013 list of 60 shows that were "Cancelled Too Soon".

I hear the real reason was it was too expensive to make, but I don't have anything to prove that.

2. Peacemakers (2003) USA Network - In the late 1800's a new addition to law enforcement is evolving. Forensic science is in its infancy and the Wild West will never be the same. Enter Federal Marshal Jared Stone, the product of the Old West who has the smarts to know that the times are changing and he has to change with them. With ex-Pinkerton Agent Larimer Finch and local mortician Katie Owen, they make up Silver City, CO's., newest crime fighting team.

Peacemakers was critically acclaimed, but had a limited appeal.

I watched the first season of Deadwood on Xfinity on demand. It was ok, but I didn't rush back to watch season 2.

 

[SWC]

there was another bbc show i liked called the reclaimers it was about these guys in bbcland that went around and found old pieces from old homes and used them to rebuild other old houses and i do not know if it was cancelled or they just stopped showing it over here but it was pretty great but i like shows about fixing stuff and cars so hey there you have it take that to the bank brohans

 

[BobbyLayne]

The White Shadow.

Damnit RN

 

[inca911]

Battlestar Gallactica (1978 original, only one season)

 

[Long Ball Larry]

What gets me is when they don't even give young or new shows much of a chance at all... Firefly is probably the poster boy for this tactic from the network execs.....but two lesser known ones:

Knights of Prosperity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frsqKNYYMo0

Kitchen Confidential. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uXv0anYsMU

Both were given NO chance to even remotely build an audience.

is knights of prosperity streaming anywhere/ never saw it, but big Donal Logue fan.

To which I will add: Terriers.

 

[HellToupee]

Police Squad

Deadwood

Rome

Hello Ladies

Firefly

 

[FreeBaGeL]

There are a billion of these, but the obvious answer is Firefly.

 

[Wildcat]

Greatest American Hero

 

[FlapJacks]

Here's why I think Firefly got canceled...it was the prostitute character. People were looking for a great adventure show that they could watch with their kids like the old Star Trek. Having to explain prostitution to kids was a tough barrier to entry for a lot of family people and may have cost the show some audience.

JMHO

 

[Josie Maran]

It makes me cry that FX cancelled Terriers.

 

[Fennis]

Welcome Back Potter

Sherman Potter returns from Korea to a life of a high school teacher.

 

[Raider Nation]

Greatest American Hero

Loved the theme song.

"Believe it or not, George isn't at home..."

 

[FreeBaGeL]

Here's why I think Firefly got canceled...it was the prostitute character. People were looking for a great adventure show that they could watch with their kids like the old Star Trek. Having to explain prostitution to kids was a tough barrier to entry for a lot of family people and may have cost the show some audience.

JMHO

I think there were a lot of other reasons that were much more important than that.

Firstly, the botching of how it was aired and advertised by the executives. The executives switched the order around to try and put the heavy action episodes up front, which meant that the over arching plot (which, while not completely focused on by the show, was still referenced often and confusing when aired out of order) made no sense. They also put it in a bad time slot, then changed the time slot and didn't really advertise the new time at all so anyone watching it casually didn't know when it was on.

Also, the premise of a space western is a bit of a hard sell. I remember that it took me quite a bit of convincing from a friend to finally give it a look.

 

[Insein]

Here's why I think Firefly got canceled...it was the prostitute character. People were looking for a great adventure show that they could watch with their kids like the old Star Trek. Having to explain prostitution to kids was a tough barrier to entry for a lot of family people and may have cost the show some audience.

JMHO

I dont think it was targeted towards kids. I remember it being on at 9 I thought.

I think it was the odd order the decided to show it in. They aired the train job which was the 3rd or 4th episode before the pilot that sets up characters and background.

 

[FlapJacks]

Here's why I think Firefly got canceled...it was the prostitute character. People were looking for a great adventure show that they could watch with their kids like the old Star Trek. Having to explain prostitution to kids was a tough barrier to entry for a lot of family people and may have cost the show some audience.

JMHO

I think there were a lot of other reasons that were much more important than that.

Firstly, the botching of how it was aired and advertised by the executives. The executives switched the order around to try and put the heavy action episodes up front, which meant that the over arching plot (which, while not completely focused on by the show, was still referenced often and confusing when aired out of order) made no sense. They also put it in a bad time slot, then changed the time slot and didn't really advertise the new time at all so anyone watching it casually didn't know when it was on.

Also, the premise of a space western is a bit of a hard sell. I remember that it took me quite a bit of convincing from a friend to finally give it a look.

definitely hurt...I also don't think the executives were sold on the show,

 

[Killerclown]

Undeclared

Profit

Bakersfield P.D.

 

[elguapo07]

M*A*S*H

 

[JohnnyU]

M*A*S*H

I don't think that show applies.

 

[Tau837]

These were the first two that came to mind for me:

Southland

Life

 

[RBM]

Deadwood

Vegas

Alcatraz

Life on Mars

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

"Lucky"

I don't get the love for "Firefly". Pretty mediocre if you ask me.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

Alcatraz

Shtick, right?

 

[Christo]

Several good ones already posted. I'll add Against the Law.

 

[FlapJacks]

Here's why I think Firefly got canceled...it was the prostitute character. People were looking for a great adventure show that they could watch with their kids like the old Star Trek. Having to explain prostitution to kids was a tough barrier to entry for a lot of family people and may have cost the show some audience.

JMHO

I dont think it was targeted towards kids. I remember it being on at 9 I thought.

I think it was the odd order the decided to show it in. They aired the train job which was the 3rd or 4th episode before the pilot that sets up characters and background.

making a swashbuckling space adventure show and excluding kids and families at the outset kind starts you off in not a great spot....

 

[McGarnicle]

I'll second Police Squad. Also Cane, with Jimmy Smits about a bunch of Cubans growing sugar and making rum which was a casualty of the writers' strike, and the second incarnation of V. I'm still pissed off how they left me hanging.

 

[RBM]

Alcatraz

Shtick, right?

No. Even if I wasn't interested in finding out why they were coming back, the weekly dynamic of a sicko criminal from the 60s coming back with the hunt for him was good enough for me. It was different.

 

[Insein]

Here's why I think Firefly got canceled...it was the prostitute character. People were looking for a great adventure show that they could watch with their kids like the old Star Trek. Having to explain prostitution to kids was a tough barrier to entry for a lot of family people and may have cost the show some audience.

JMHO

I dont think it was targeted towards kids. I remember it being on at 9 I thought.I think it was the odd order the decided to show it in. They aired the train job which was the 3rd or 4th episode before the pilot that sets up characters and background.

making a swashbuckling space adventure show and excluding kids and families at the outset kind starts you off in not a great spot....

They were going after the star trek and star wars nerds in the 25-50 range.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

"Lucky"

I don't get the love for "Firefly". Pretty mediocre if you ask me.

You're pretty mediocre.

 

[Insein]

"Lucky"

I don't get the love for "Firefly". Pretty mediocre if you ask me.

Don't worry. Not your thing. I dont think theres a sci-fi show you do like.