Television Series Cancelled Too Early?

[Norgy]

Arrested Development, Rubicon and Terriers are good shouts.

[Ideologue]

I think Firefly got sorted out more than well in enough in the film, which is kind of legitimately great (if you've seen the show--I have no idea what you'd make of it if you hadn't).

My number one favorite cancelled show was Andy Richter Controls the Universe.  Despite being brilliantly funny and weird (and starring two really, really hot women), it failed.  There's a universe where Andy Richter's talent was recognized and he didn't have to crawl back into his creator's shadow; it's just not ours.  Frankly, it's fucking depressing.

There's also NewsRadio, which got four seasons, but was famously and consistently fucked over by both NBC and the hands of fate.  You can make a good argument that with Phil Hartman's death the core of the show was torn out, but honestly the fourth season's not bad.  The Johnny Johnson trilogy featuring superhuman Patrick Warburton as Jimmy James' nemesis were some of the series' best, and although Jon Lovitz was never going to replace Phil Hartman, he was kind of funny in an annoying way, and everyone else was still at the top of their game.  I'd have liked to have seen more, but it just wasn't in the cards.

[Syt]

Also: Space: Above and Beyond. It had some rough edges, but I really enjoyed the show.

[crazy canuck]

Also: Space: Above and Beyond. It had some rough edges, but I really enjoyed the show.

Yeah, I would have liked to see that go into a second season.  But that was never going to happen given how they ended it in a very literal sense.

[celedhring]

I think Firefly got sorted out more than well in enough in the film, which is kind of legitimately great (if you've seen the show--I have no idea what you'd make of it if you hadn't).

My number one favorite cancelled show was Andy Richter Controls the Universe.  Despite being brilliantly funny and weird (and starring two really, really hot women), it failed.  There's a universe where Andy Richter's talent was recognized and he didn't have to crawl back into his creator's shadow; it's just not ours.  Frankly, it's fucking depressing.

There's also NewsRadio, which got four seasons, but was famously and consistently fucked over by both NBC and the hands of fate.  You can make a good argument that with Phil Hartman's death the core of the show was torn out, but honestly the fourth season's not bad.  The Johnny Johnson trilogy featuring superhuman Patrick Warburton as Jimmy James' nemesis were some of the series' best, and although Jon Lovitz was never going to replace Phil Hartman, he was kind of funny in an annoying way, and everyone else was still at the top of their game.  I'd have liked to have seen more, but it just wasn't in the cards.

The Firefly film feels like multiple seasons of story arc crammed into hour and a half, which is kind of sad. It's a nice closure, but it still feels quite shortchanged.

[frunk]

I think Firefly got sorted out more than well in enough in the film, which is kind of legitimately great (if you've seen the show--I have no idea what you'd make of it if you hadn't).

My number one favorite cancelled show was Andy Richter Controls the Universe.  Despite being brilliantly funny and weird (and starring two really, really hot women), it failed.  There's a universe where Andy Richter's talent was recognized and he didn't have to crawl back into his creator's shadow; it's just not ours.  Frankly, it's fucking depressing.

There's also NewsRadio, which got four seasons, but was famously and consistently fucked over by both NBC and the hands of fate.  You can make a good argument that with Phil Hartman's death the core of the show was torn out, but honestly the fourth season's not bad.  The Johnny Johnson trilogy featuring superhuman Patrick Warburton as Jimmy James' nemesis were some of the series' best, and although Jon Lovitz was never going to replace Phil Hartman, he was kind of funny in an annoying way, and everyone else was still at the top of their game.  I'd have liked to have seen more, but it just wasn't in the cards.

Andy Richter Controls the Universe was awesome and unfairly killed.  Such a great supporting cast on that.

NewsRadio did get 5 seasons (5th being with Lovitz).  The fourth season was weaker than the third, and the early part of the fifth was quite weak but later on it got back some of the magic.  I'd say I was fine with it being cancelled at the point that it was, but if Hartman would of still been around it could have gone for a few more seasons.

[Ideologue]

Oops, I meant 5th.

The Firefly film feels like multiple seasons of story arc crammed into hour and a half, which is kind of sad. It's a nice closure, but it still feels quite shortchanged.

I thought that was one of the best parts--it feels stuffed with incident.  Like I said, though, if you don't know these people, it's arguably a complete waste of time.  (Not entirely, though; it'd still be worth watching for Chiwetel Ejiofor.)

[frunk]

Other than Andy Richter and Firefly I'd put up Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 as undeserving of cancellation.  So goddamn funny.  Some of the best rapid fire and "ohhhhh I get it" dialogue in a sitcom ever.

[DGuller]

Dexter.

[grumbler]

The Firefly film feels like multiple seasons of story arc crammed into hour and a half, which is kind of sad. It's a nice closure, but it still feels quite shortchanged.

Serenity desperately needed a director who knew how to direct films, and a co-writer who could write action scenes.  The movie as is was pretty lame, particularly compared to the TV show.

[garbon]

Dark Angel

[crazy canuck]

I dont understand the fascination with Firefly.  I stopped watching it after the episode when they were doing a train heist of some sort (one of the first as I recall). Western themes with Western accents in a sci fi show really turned me off the show.

I watched the movie on TV at some point. It was a bit better.

[Savonarola]

The Misfits of Science
Clerks

While it wasn't canceled, I would have liked for more episodes of "Fishing with John" to have been made.

[Valmy]

I dont understand the fascination with Firefly.  I stopped watching it after the episode when they were doing a train heist of some sort (one of the first as I recall). Western themes with Western accents in a sci fi show really turned me off the show.

I watched the movie on TV at some point. It was a bit better.

So you stopped after the second episode?  The movie is not as good as most of the series.

[frunk]

I dont understand the fascination with Firefly.  I stopped watching it after the episode when they were doing a train heist of some sort (one of the first as I recall). Western themes with Western accents in a sci fi show really turned me off the show.

I watched the movie on TV at some point. It was a bit better.

So you stopped after the second episode?  The movie is not as good as most of the series.

Actually that was the first aired episode.  The original pilot wasn't aired until after the series had been cancelled.