Everyone has their list of shows cancelled and gone too soon, I have put together my list of ten shows that I think deserved another season or more. I always like to see where my list differs from others, let me know in the comments below if I left off one of your favorites.
Shows Cancelled Too Soon
Freaks and Geeks was a great show that suffered from the curse of the low rating. I hate it when a quality show gets canceled in its first season due to low ratings, some shows need more time to get noticed, as is the case with most on this list. Freaks and Geeks is one of those shows that just couldn’t pick up enough steam, it now has a huge cult following and makes it onto almost every list of best TV shows. I can’t help but think if it had been given more time it could have had multiple seasons and earned a much larger audience. The great thing about Freaks and Geeks is that it was a real show, it depicted high school the way it actually was and didn’t glamorize it like so many others. The show was awkward and nerdy much like high school was and it had the ability to let you identify with the characters. In a time when shows geared toward teenagers focused on sex and drama, Freaks and Geeks focused on life and growing up, figuring out who you are and what’s important. Freaks and Geeks is available from Amazon.com
Party Down was a ridiculous, sarcastic and absurd comedy about a group of misfits working for a catering company. Fortunately most of the cast members have moved on to great shows but Party Down was a great little comedy that didn’t get enough attention. Due to low ratings and losing its main stars to other shows Party Down only lasted two seasons before being canceled. I can’t say I blame Adam Scott for going to Parks & Recreation (amazon)
If you missed this show, it doesn’t surprise me, it had only 2 short seasons with a long gap in between them. How To Make It In America was canceled shortly after its second season finished airing. HBO is known for its amazing hour long dramas and I think they may have canceled their half hour comedies to make room for more of what they are known for. How to Make It in America was a show about young people struggling to find themselves in one of the greatest cities in the world, New York. The focus of the show was set around two friends, Ben and Cam, who were trying to launch a clothing line while struggling to pay their bills. It was a fun and hip show about pretty average people trying to do great things. The show featured great young talent, an anti Sex and the City look at New York and great music. I like to think of the show as Entourage before Vince became famous, it is too bad it was canceled because it had great potential and was a lot of fun. How To Make It In America is available from Amazon.com
How can you not love a western set in space? Fireflyshould have lasted way longer than it did. Even if the setting was out of the ordinary, the stories and the characters were strong enough to forget about the strange setting and get into the show. Firefly was canceled after only 11 episodes aired but has done very well in sales since it was released on DVD and Blu-ray. 14 episodes of the show were shot which aided in the DVD and Blu-ray sales. The success of its sales and the large cult following allowed for a movie to be made, Serenitywas made for the vast amount of fans that were not satisfied with the early ending of the show. It seems that Joss Whedon hasn’t had a show stick since Angel, which is unfortunate because he has so much to offer. If you haven’t seen Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, you are missing out! Firefly was fun and exciting but I also think it came out at a time when the world wasn’t ready for it. At least we got the movie, which is more than we can say for most of these shows. Firefly is available from Amazon.com
Dead Like Me was a quirky comedy about death, although it had its dramatic elements I always found it to be funnier than dramatic. Just like Bryan Fuller’s other shows, Dead Like Me was canceled after only two seasons. Although Fuller left the show early in the first season, it still carried on as a unique and fun show. George, an 18 year old girl, dies early in the first episode and becomes a Reaper. Her job is to take a persons soul before they die, she and her co-reapers get into some pretty hilarious and ridiculous situations that make you laugh but also make you think. The show was fun and interesting, it was different from everything else on TV and it deserved another season. They released a straight to DVD movie a few years later but it just wasn’t the same. Dead Like Me had potential but much like Bryan Fuller’s other shows it suffered the low ratings curse. Dead Like Me is available from Amazon.com
This one is a no brainer and I am positive that it is on every best show and dumbest cancellation list out there. Arrested Development is the first show that people think of when it comes to canceled too soon, it was brilliant and funny as hell. Unfortunately the show couldn’t get the ratings that it needed to stay on the air. I think that most of the shows fans today, are people who missed the boat the first time around and didn’t actually watch the show until after it was canceled. The huge following that the show has earned over the years seems to be aiding in the possibility of a movie. We’ve been hearing about this movie for years now so I am a little skeptical but would love it to happen. Arrested Developmentis a ridiculous comedy about a completely dysfunctional and mostly delusional family. It is very smart and witty but I love it for its wackiness. If you haven’t watched Arrested Development, you must be the only one, you are missing out on some of the greatest television ever made and I suggest you watch it NOW! Arrested Development is available from Amazon.com
Another common factor in a show getting canceled before it should have is the cost, Carnivaleis one of those shows that was costing HBO too much money per episode. The producers wouldn’t compromise on the cost of each episode and therefore the intended six season story was cut to two. Carnivale was a story of good and evil that took place during the depression, it centered around Ben Hawkins, a young man who takes up with a carnival and soon discovers he has heeling powers. His story is countered by Brother Justin Crowe and his sister Iris. Brother Justin begins experiencing similar powers to Ben and the two stories start to intertwine. The look of the show was fantastic, the production value was amazing and it is understandable why it cost so much. The worst part about this cancellation is that it was unexpected and therefore the Second Season was left on a pretty intense cliffhanger that we didn’t get to see resolved. The show was elaborate, dark and twisted, it was a mystical exploration of good and evil that needed another season! Carnivale is available from Amazon.com
Pushing Daisies was meant to be somewhat of a spin off from Dead Like Me and unfortunately suffered the same fate. Another fun and quirky show from Bryan Fuller that revolved around life and death. Pushing Daisieswas a bright and colorful murder mystery with theatrical flare! The story focused on Ned, a pie shop owner that has the ability to touch things and bring them back to life, this ability gets him involved with a private eye who uses his ability to solve cases. Ned brings a childhood love back to life and the two fall in love all over again. His ability comes with consequences and sets him on a path of self discovery. I thought this show was fun and whimsical, it had mystery and charm and the occasional musical number. The concept was unique and I would have loved to see the story play out. I’m waiting for Bryan Fuller’s next project, maybe the next one will stick! Pushing Daisies is available from Amazon.com
Deadwoodreceived critical acclaim on a very wide level, winning Emmy awards, a Golden Globe and pleasing television critics around the world. Even though it was canceled over five years ago, I still hear people talking about it and how they wish there was more of it. Deadwood was a very expensive show to create and was ultimately the reason for its demise. Although it was looking like two one hour television movies would happen after the cancellation, they never came to be. Deadwood was a wild western that dealt with many of the issues of the times, but it is most commonly know for containing a whole lot of swearing. The show was not historically accurate but it did depict real life characters to tell its stories. Although the book hasn’t been completely closed on Deadwood, it is very unlikely that it will be heard from again. Deadwood is available from Amazon.com
In my opinion, Studio 60 is one of the biggest tragedies in television cancellation history! A bit dramatic, I know, but Studio 60 had such great potential to be a long lasting series. Unfortunately for Studio 60 the timing was all wrong, it was competing on the same network with 30 Rock and the similarity in settings apparently meant that one of them had to go. I guess there wasn’t enough room on the network for two completely different shows with very loose and minimal similarities. Studio 60 was a smart drama about the behind the scenes of a late night television show. The sketch comedy show served as the background to a show with great characters and great writing. I am currently in the middle of watching The West Wing for the first time and it pains me to think about how good Studio 60 could have been if it was given the opportunity. Studio 60 was sharp and witty, it was sarcastic and funny, it had everything I look for in a show. What makes me even angrier about this cancellation is that 30 Rock, which is still going, got tired after its third season and needs to go away. In my eyes Studio 60 was the far superior show and could have amounted to so much more. I am pretty bitter about this one if you haven’t noticed. If you missed the one season of Studio 60 that made its way to our televisions back in 2006 then I recommend you check it out and get pissed off with me! Studio 60 is available from Amazon.com
