We've finally posted our list of the Sci Fi and Supernatural shows that were cancelled in their prime. Why, oh why, did they have to nix Farscape? And you don't really even want to get us started on Firefly. But check out the list and let us know if you agree or disagree with our choices, or if we missed anything. While you are at it, see the comedies and dramas that were shut down too quickly.
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Television Without Pity • © 2009 Bravo Media LLC • A Division of NBC Universal •
Where was ABC Family's The Middleman? By far the best show they ever produced, it was a gem of a show. Written by and overseen by the same man who wrote the Middleman Comics. The cast was perfect down the smallest bit player. The one summer season we got of this quirky sci-fi-ish action show will forever live in my broken little heart.
Where's the Dresden Files? Totally should have made the list.
Where's NBC's My Own Worst Enemy? I thought Christian Slater did a wonderful job as a spy with another ID as a middle class dad who didn't know he was a fake.
What about Blood Ties? It got half way through Season Two before they cancelled it. Or it only got through one season. I don't know. Lifetime broke it in half for some reason ~_~
Touching Evil was an amazing show, although maybe not really sci-fi, and sadly, Burn Notice doesn't showcase Donovan anywhere near as well.
I can kind of see where you're coming from with Dark Angel and Tru Calling, but both of those shows were marred by very pretty leads doing pretty horrible acting.
The picture accompanying "Miracles" is from Stargate SG-1
Carnivale? Love that show.
Aww, I still miss Firefly. And I would add Alien Nation to the list, since the short series was much better than the movies that followed it.
I remember one called "The Others" (I think it was on NBC) that I found interesting, and was sorry to see it go after a half-season. Another worthy of mention was John Doe.
One thing I find dismaying about new shows is that many plan on cliffhanger season endings. One thing I admired about Buffy tVS was that they always ended the season as if it could be the last (with a slight exception of S5, but even then, it could have been a good end too).
Nowhere Man. I think that show had one of the most surprising finales I can remember. Seriously.
I never watched '4400' - in the picture, is the woman on the right sitting on an invisible desk? WTF?
I have always had a soft spot for Earth2 from the Nineties. It was only one season, but it was well written, with an unteresting cast. Although, if it had gone to a second season, the network wanted extreme changes. So maybe cancellation was for the best.
Space: Above & Beyond started slowly but hit a groove after a few episodes and did some outstanding work (remember the ep where no one talked and we saw the entire ep through the eyes of a cast member with a troubled past?). It was annoying that it was cancelled when it could have capitalized on the then upcoming Independence Day movie. Word was that some suit at Fox never liked the show.
I'm so happy to see 'American Gothic' on the list. I loved that show when I was younger. I was so sad to see it cancelled. And I was very sad when Tru Calling got cancelled as well. It was just starting to really hit its stride when Fox pulled it.
I hated season 5 of Angel though so I was happy to see that one end.
Oh Angel,
This is exactly why I liked listening to you so much on the TV Guide Podcast. You have the best taste in TV!. The cancellation of Angel and Firefly just broke my heart. Considering the continued popularity of all things Joss Whedon, it was a serious error in judgement. Now if someone would put James Marsters back on TV like they did with David B. and Nathan F., I would be a happy camper. (Also, a side note, canceling Veronica Mars and keeping 7th Heaven, REALLY!) Keep up the great work!
Debbie, I agree with you
James Marsters has been on Smallville--but without the blonde locks, so it took a bit of getting used to. He's a great actor anyway,no matter what role.
Alas, what could have been! Great list, Angel. I am still mourning the loss of Farscape and Firefly. And I'd almost forgotten about Space: Above and Beyond - another very good series.
Dark Angel was hardly cancelled in its prime. Season 1 rocked, but Season 2 was beyond awful. Joshua, anyone? That ridiculous "we can't touch or you'll die" plot, that mysterious cult...? Surely DA set some sort of record for going from "awesome" to "awful" in the fastest way possible
Farscape, Firefly, and Space A&B are real regrets for me. I miss 'em terribly. The rest of the list is spot on. But I would add Earth2, Crusade, and an obscure little show called VR5 - loved it. And I wish Forever Knight could have gone on a little longer. I hated the way it ended.
I agree with Michelle about Dresden Files. I would also add Good vs. Evil although others might not agree. I'm not sure if Early Edition would be in this category or not but I liked it as well as Now and Again.
Well the problem is with Scifi Shows. you have to be smarter than the people writing it. Just so many studio heads feel stupid watching the shows and go back to what they know...in this case reality TV shows. Course remember in the brilliant bu cancelled ((had this website exsisted in 1970...or 80's)) would have been Star trek: a brilliant enesmble piece set in the future where Earth is united. Russians and Asians on the bridge! Mr. Spock is enjoyable as is Captain kirk and Dr. leonard bones McCoy. Cancelled after just three season rumor has it that CBS man in charge had a wife, and she liked Gunsmoke better so off comes Trek and on Comes Gunsmoke...
Or... NBC Yanked it's short lived battlestar galactica after just one season. It was expensive to produce (Costing nearl a million dollars and episode)) this little gem of a show had legs on the back of Lorne greene, Dirk benedict, and Richard hatch. Rumor has it that glen A. Larson is producing another Scifi show called Buck Rogers...hoepfully that will find it's place in the stars, and we wish Dirk the best of luck in his new show "The A-Team" whatever the heck that is supposed to be about!
I still haven't forgiven Sci-Fi Channel for cancelling Farscape-sniff, sniff! Agree with the other posters about Good vs. Evil(Cougar Pines!) and Forever Knight.
And I'm sorry but Tru Calling was abysmal. Just check out Shack's recaps: http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/show/tru-calling/
How about Harsh Realm? Another Fox contribution to the dead-too-soon pile. And while we're on the subject of Doug Dorsey, Strange Luck was fun and short-lived.
Shadow Chasers, from the 80's. For its era, a very clever little show.
This list is totally incomplete without Now and Again. I would also add The Dresden Files, Birds of Prey, Alien Nation and Starman, or is it too old?
Normally, I'd use this space to complain about how Alias was cancelled too soon, but really, it was dying towards the end. So instead, I will mourn for the brilliance of the first two seasons.
I was surprised to see "Tru Calling" on the list.
I thought I was the only person who absolutely loved the show even pre- Jason Priestly.
Still, as much as I personally loved the show, I can't help but think there were better shows that deserved to be on the list more that weren't.
Tru Calling? Tru Calling?!! BRILLANT but cancelled???
How about Surface? We were just getting into the dark future of a flooded East coast when they yanked the series.
Dana you beat me to Now and Again. Eric Close as a scientifically created super human who had the brain of another man who died transplanted into him and a pre-24 Dennis Haysbert as Dr. Theo (?) who was his creator/boss and not a man to be messed with. In one episode where a former colleague found out what he was doing and tried to blackmail him, Theo grabbed the autopsy power saw and cut his head off.
I very much miss Firefly--the concept, the players, the ship--badass and gone too soon.
I'd also like to submit Now & Again. It was fun and deliciously played by Eric Close as the super human body w/ the all-too-human brain implant and Dennis Haysbert as his handler/doctor/trainer.
Threshhold creepy but so engaging. I loved McCaffry and her odd ball crew. My favorite kind of creepy--invasion.
Miracles is another genre I love; creepy religious shows.
LOVED The Pretender and Witchblade. Both bad ass good fun.
Yay, all my faves have been mentioned! Firefly, Millennium (I heart Frank Black), Invasion and Brimstone (I thought I was the only one who remembered that awesome show!).
And yes, let's add Harsh Realm to the list. That one had so much potential.
I know it was a show geared mostly to teens, but I really liked Strange Days at Blake Holsey High. I found it to be a fun, quirky,intellegent show. The worst part about it ending is that it wasn't cut due to ratings or anything like that, the company that produced it went out of business and no one else picked it up. Which I guess could be the reason why it isn't on this list...
No one mentioned Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. Bruce Campbell's favorite role as a proto-steampunk cowboy lawyer hunting his father's killer in the Old West. And it's funny. It's the show that established the Fox Friday night death slot.
Another favorite of mine was Eerie, Indiana. A rare sci-fi show about kids, it was a lot darker than most expected and got one season. There was a remake 5 years later that was quickly canceled too.
I second NumberSix's suggestion of The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. It was such a cute, quirkly little series that never got the recognition it deserved. Very smart, very playful, very funny - and Bruce Campbell on our TV screens once a week? With the excellent Christian Clemenson as his sidekick? Perhaps it was just too awesome for its time.:)
I also firmly stand in the corner of Space, Above and Beyond. Not to take anything away from the current Battlestar Galactica, but "Space" was doing a lot of the same concepts 13 years ago.;)
does anyone else miss "Strange Luck" with D.B. Sweeney? I loved that show. Or how about the latest incarnation of "The Invisible Man" on Scifi with Vincent Ventresca and Paul Ben-Victor? I still have a grudge against SciFi canceling "Farscape."
I was also hoping that Earth 2 would be included on the list. It only lasted one season and NBC tinkered with the scheduling so much that no one knew when it was on. They also aired the episodes out of order. The network then axed the show, leaving viewers with an unresolved cliffhanger.
Earth 2 was way ahead of its time. Plus, it had Clancy Brown as one of its stars and that's good enough for me.
I would like to state that Dark Angel was not brilliant, nor cancelled to soon. No it was not. But, sniff, I still miss Firefly.
Dark Angel?! Man I loved that show. Mostly for Jensen Ackles, though hahaha.
Ok, let's be real here. The show wasn't the greatest--the plots were messed up--but they had some really interesting personalities on there...sometimes...wow. Now that I think about it, it was a really bad show most of the time. Most especially when Alec wasn't on the screen.
So much potential with a plot like DA, but so little pay-off
All this additions are brilliant, but what about "Jericho?" I was one of those who cheered when it got a seven ep reprieve to tie up loose ends and cheered when the Texas Air National Guard saved the day (who knew they could be cool after the shrub?)
What about "Now and Again"? It starred Eric Close as a 45 year old man whose brain got transferred into a super-strong cyborg. The one and only season ended on a cliffhanger, just as he told his wife who he really was, and then he would presumably be on the run from the government agents who created him. I'm still pissed.
I posted "Brisco" on the comedies/dramadies list. But it should be here. Also "Strange Luck."
"Dark Angel" was sometimes good, sometimes bad, but it was always enjoyable for the eye candy.
I think if a show got more than 3 seasons, it probably shouldn't be on a "cancelled before its time" list. "Angel," "The Pretender," etc. got to play out real storylines. Something like "Firefly," "Brisco," and one of my personal favorites, "American Gothic" were just screwed.
Firefly and American Gothic were both ruined by the networks airing episodes out of order. They were both awesome shows, but when considering how X-Files and Buffy ended up, I sometimes think it's better this way. Tru Calling may not have had great acting, but the story was great and original. Dark Angel went way downhill season 2, but I loved Alec, and the Halloween eps were great - my first exposure to Gorillaz. I cried when Kyle died on The Pretender, and was happy to see Jeffrey Donovan on other shows. I remember a mid-80's show called Werewolf that I loved, and hope to see on DVD eventually.
Ooooh, anyone else remmeber VR5? I thought that show was awesome, but it never even managed to be on at the same time from week to week.
When it comes to short-lived shows, I don't think I loved any other show **while it was on** as much as I loved JOURNEYMAN.
What about Dead Like Me? It was just hitting its stride when it was cancelled after two years.
I liked to see Farscape on the list. I thought it had an interesting perspective, in which Earth and humans were only a small (and fairly insignificant) part of a kaleidoscope of different planets and cultures.
Kudos for remembering Invasion, but please amend the list with The Dresden Files.
Yikes! I would never have put the 4400 on this list. The last season was horrible. It was never a "great" show (neither was Dark Angel). I'm glad that "Invasion" made the list, though. I would have added Earth2 and definitely The Middleman. It still amazes me that "Secret Life of an American Teenager" is a hit on ABC Family and yet Middleman barely got one short season.
Now and Again, man. I still think about that show. And cry over Farscape.
What about Freaky Links? Ethan Embry was so good in that show, and it actually was pretty freaky at times. I was so disappointed when it got cancelled, especially since they never gave us any answers to any of the mysteries
Was I the only one who loved "TimeTrax" with Dale Midkiff? Unfortunately it aired on Saturday afternoons so only those with no life watched it.
SO glad Angel was included. I still have occasional stabs of anger about that, and as for Farscape and Firefly...Well at least they are still appreciated I guess
Invisible Man (I-Man) on Sci-fi channel. Paired with Farscape on fridays, it didn't last as long but was a great show.
B: I loved timeTrax as well, but I had forgotten all about it until you mentioned it.
I'm SO with anyone waving the Firefly flag. Gone WAY too soon. The idea of not seeing where Joss would have taken the show makes me cry. I agree with whoever said Carnival and Alien Nation. I loved Alien Nation. I also like 4440. It had gotten a bit crazy, but it didn't really get a chance to wrap up. What about "Haunted" with Matthew Fox? Never got off the ground was on UPN for cripes sake! Back to Firefly... I WANT IT BACK!
Yeah, it was a British show... but no Hex? That show was canceled way too soon.
Yeah, it was a British show... but no Hex? That show was canceled way too soon.
i love Freaky Links. i just got in to the show watching reruns on chiller tv but it is so kick ass amazing. i love i its a shame it got the axe but what can u do. what about firday the 13th thetv show i dont kno if it did get he ax but it was pretty good.
oh i so forgot about point pleasant it was a good show about the kid of the devil. it was on fox right after tru calling. or right b4 i cant remeber
I've just rewatched Carnivale, seasons one and two. Like a good wine it just gets better with age. If I remember rightly that was 'book one'. Books two and three were to move the story forward in time so maybe, just maybe it could resurface? Ronald D Moore's subsequent work with Battlestar Galactica surely justifies it.
Middleman would be a stretch. It was a nice quirky little show and it deserved a satisfying end, but I'm not up in arms about its cancellation. However, where oh where is Jake 2.0.? It was a serious, well-done exemplar for the more recent comedy "Chuck," a Six Million Dollar Man update that actually worked. Chris Gorham and Keegan Conner Tracy were excellent in it. It had David Greenwalt at the helm, and was building toward a satisfying end-of-season showdown before the ridiculous UPN yanked it off the airwaves.
Pushing Daisies and Eli Stone probably belong in this category as well. I agree about Tru Calling but I remember back when it was airing that y'all dumped it from your recap schedule halfway into the first season.
Dead Like Me is another missing title. Also, Quantum Leap belongs on this list. Four and a half seasons was too short for a Sci-Fi classic.
Great list!
But I agree with those who say Dresden Files should have made the cut. Fantastic premise, fantastic cast -- Paul Blackthorne and Terrence Mann were brilliant. The show had SO much potential and an entire set of novels waiting to to be turned into great TV. It got ONE short season. That one really hurt.
Agree with Angel, Firefly, American Gothic, Invasion even Witchblade a little. I miss Dark Angel, only because I miss Jensen as Alec.
Would add Jake 2.0 to the list.
No one has mentioned "Earth: Final Conflict" yet. Majel was so wonderful in that.
OMG, I loved Time Trax! Dale Midkiff was so sexy.
No mention yet of "New Amsterdam"? That was a good show. I watched all 8 episodes on Hulu, and I wanted to see if he ever found The One.
Dresden Files, of course SciFi seems to like the demographic wrestling gives them better.
FIREFLY!!!! SOB! Seriously, why don't you just give me a paper-cut and pour lemon juice on it. I still have friends over every Friday night to watch the episodes, and it just is amazing every time I see it. This was a well-written, well-acted, and beautifully set show that managed to be smart and funny and poignant at the same time. I just get so damn frustrated every time I think about how it was canceled even though it had developed a solid and slightly rabid fan base after just a few aired episodes. I just feel like the networks have a serious lack of respect for their viewers.
Interesting that Tru Calling was included. I'll admit liked it, but it was TwoP that started calling for its cancellation around the 2nd episode. And moved the show into Permanent Hiatus after 11 episodes. I'm not bitter (seriously, that wasn't sarcasm) I just think it's weird that TWoP bashed the show so much and now the site (or Angel, at least) is listing it as brilliant but cancelled.
And I can't agree on Angel. I liked the show, but by the fifth season it seemed like they were running out of stories to tell. I also couldn't get over Spike returning--James Marsters is great, but it didn't make sense (how did the amulet get retrieved from the Hellmouth? Why do I try to make sense of the show? Both good questions.) Anyway, perhaps brilliant, but not cancelled too soon IMO.
Interesting that Tru Calling was included. I'll admit liked it, but it was TwoP that started calling for its cancellation around the 2nd episode. And moved the show into Permanent Hiatus after 11 episodes. I'm not bitter (seriously, that wasn't sarcasm) I just think it's weird that TWoP bashed the show so much and now the site (or Angel, at least) is listing it as brilliant but cancelled.
And I can't agree on Angel. I liked the show, but by the fifth season it seemed like they were running out of stories to tell. I also couldn't get over Spike returning--James Marsters is great, but it didn't make sense (how did the amulet get retrieved from the Hellmouth? Why do I try to make sense of the show? Both good questions.) Anyway, perhaps brilliant, but not cancelled too soon IMO.
Excuse me? Hi - The Adventures of Brisco County Jr called; it should by rights be mourned over all other shows on this list.
Just a little nitpick on Brimstone. His wife was not murdered, she was raped. She was still alive which led to some very poignant scenes. Best devil ever by the way.
I agree about Now and Again. It ended with him pulling his wife and kid out of the house just before it blew up. I think there were still places to go there.
Grossly missing from this list: Freaky links! Anyone remember freaky links?
They were like those Ghostfacers asses from Supernatural, only actually awesome, funny and cute.
Are we talking about the same "Tru Calling" that implemented a "previously on Tru Calling" segment at the 30-minute mark because its audience was presumed incapable of following a basic plot? Admittedly, to each his or her own, but this list seems more like a random assortment of cancelled sci fi shows than a list of shows that were *brilliant* and cancelled.
But I still miss me some Farscape.
I find it amusing that "Tru Calling" made the list, seeing as it was canceled from Television Without Pity well before it got canceled from TV. Not that I disagree-- I loved "Tru Calling." Yes, I know it had its problems, but it could be brilliant sometimes.
I'll add to the support for "Now and Again" -- it was amazing.
I was completely absorbed by Invasion which aired right after Lost on ABC. The show actually made it to a season ending cliff hanger only never to return. What a jip!
Yeah Carnival was creepy and perverse. I really miss it.
Brimstone. I loved that show so much. It had so much potential and John Glover as the wicked and wickedly funny devil.
The "Tomorrow People" was one of my favorite shows/movie on Nick when it came out but was short lived.
I kinda liked "Space Cases" on Nick when I was a kid too but it got yanked.
Firefly totally rocked. I second the motion to add The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. to the list. Totally cool and funny show.
No Kidding! I can't believe Dead like Me didn't make the list.
I've been enjoying old episodes of The Pretender on Hulu :D
Super article! Agreed on all points. But The Middleman and My Own Worst Enemy should be on it. Middleman was funny! Its only fault was that no one watches Family Channel.
Agree with Brimstone, Millenium and Earth: Above and Beyond and would 2nd (3rd) Earth2, Adventures of Brisco County, Jr and The Invisible Man. Oh, and I forgot about the Tomorrow People, thanks Yaypie.
FYI - James Martsters has appeared on Torchwood, as Captain John - one of Cpt Jacks's former lovers. Yowza.
I vote for Earth-2 (1994-1995) and The Adventures of Superboy(1988-1992) Taking it back much further,Voyagers! (1982-1983) and 'The Incredible Hulk'(1977-1982)
Oh yes Voyagers! Poor Jon-Erik Hexum (sp?).
He was on the second season of Torchwood in a really awesome role, he'll probably be on it again...
Farscape was awesome & I didn't find Firefly 'till after it was canned. One I didn't see on you list was SciFi's The Invisible Man. Great banter, great characters and fx ahead of their time.
Re: American Gothic.
"Caleb though gets help from his ghostly sister, who looks a hell of a lot like Sarah Paulson." Probably because it was Sarah Paulson.
Odyssey 5 on Showtime...2002? was a good show hitting its stride that was axed after one season...pity.
Where's Day Break? That show had me on the edge of my seat.
Completely agree about "Strange Luck" but can't with regards to Farscape. The latter had moments of brilliance but was also littered with truly bad episodes. By the time they did the movie of the week where Nigel swam around eating the pieces of the two main characters so they could be put back together.. seriously.. when will the hurting stop?
Totally agree with "Firefly" and "Farscape" being on the list. It still hurts.
But where is "Earth 2"??? That show had heart and was cancelled far too soon. :( (I agree that Tru Calling doesn't belong on the list either!)
What about Dead Like Me? It was a Showtime series that lasted just 2 seasons, about a young girl who dies and, instead of going to some afterlife, is tapped to become one of the undead reapers who takes souls prior to a person's scheduled time of death. It was so funny, irreverent, and moving- I was so upset when it didn't come back for a Season 3.
EXACTLY!
Earth2 was a great idea and I never understood why it got pulled...plus it had "the Noxema girl"
Invisible Man was just brilliant, and had the best voice-over/monologuing of any show I have seen (available on hulu now). SciFi(i.e. NBC) screwed the pooch when they destroyed the Friday lineup of Invisible Man, SG-1 and Farscape. Petitions and letters just couldn't save them...they rather spend the money on crappy shows that lasted six months instead of those that would have lasted another six years-inefficient management if you ask me.
Dead Like Me, Dresden Files, Firefly (a must I hope they make another movie Serenity was killer), Angel, Space A&B, Holy cow the list can go on and on..... and I heard they have made a DVD Movie continueing Dead Like Me, someone told me Amazon.com has it..... gotta look into that one. If you are seriously gonna mess with good sci fi ask before you nix it cause you can not believe how many die hard fans of certain shows there are out there who would love to see their shows come back..
Cindy mac
john doe why does fox even attempt sci fi shows they get you intrested then yank em after 1 season also dead like me from showtime
I guess we can now add Kyle XY to that list...just when it starts growing into its own and getting really good, they give it the axe! :(
I guess we can now add Kyle XY to that list...just when it starts growing into its own and getting really good, they give it the axe! :(
What about "Surface"? I loved that show.
I miss Carnivale....
Sadly, we can now add The Middleman and Kyle XY to this list. *sniffle*
I agree with Farscape and Veronica Mars are blatant examples of tragic loss for our screen, each in their own genre were delightful to watch and masterfully handled.
When you think some shows get resurrected after they've run their course and bid farewell (yes 7th Heaven I'm looking at you, lol)... *sigh*
THANK YOU for including Threshold -- I was hoping you would. I still miss that one. It was going places, and it should've been allowed to at least see the end of a first season. What a cast!
I was surprised you didn't include "Invisible Man", "The Chronicle", and "Special Unit 2". Lighter fare but very entertaining.
Did anyone remember "Dead Last" on WB from '01? Funny & quirky.
13 Eps only.
firefly ::sob::
I believe that Tru Calling was a very endearing show, I enjoyed it emmensely. It did however come across a cheesie in the beginning of the series, too cheesy, but it was showing promise.
I am behind all of the Farscape fans 100% BRING BACK FARSCAPE!!
The idea behind Tru Calling was fantastic! It was really original and right up my alley, and I honestly think that if the execution had been better, it would have been a big hit. I wish another show would pick up on that idea, because they're really are limitless possibilities.
Anyone who Loved or even Liked the short lived Dresden Files will Love the books. The show plots were loosely and I meen very loosely based on the first few books and there are currently ten books published with more to come. Plenty to keep any fantasy fan busy for a while.
Anyone else remember Odyssey5 or the Total Recall Series. I just got finished re watching the later and am reminded how realy smart and interesting it was.
Seriously someone is paning Farscape? Farscape? The Best Scifi every made. Smart, Funny, great puppetry.
Thank you, oh thank you for putting Roswell on your list of cancelled too soon! It is incredibly addictive and so much fun! Thank goodness UPN finished it out for us!
Also, nice call on The Pretender!
Prey (with Debra Messing.), Surface and Daybreak all ended in cliffhangers. M.A.N.T.I.S. finally made it to DVD.
I looked, and looked, did not see anyone remeber Special Unit 2..Love the charaters and stories...it ended all to soon....
Farscape was by far the best Sifi on tv, why there hasnt been more i just dont know why, my whole family loved it,why did it have to end?
A lot of my favs are listed. 'American Gothic' ('there's someone at the door') was absolutely brilliant. Humorous, in such a twisted way!
And due to the unfortunate death of Mark Frenkel, 'Kindred: The Embraced' came to an end.
I miss 'Pretender','Millennium' and definitely '4400'. Fans were left hangin', waiting for a new season.
There's also a fantastic show that had a short run in the 90's called 'Eerie, Indiana'. I got a kick out of that one.
I wish there were new episodes of 'Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction'. I'd take the re-runs.
A lot of my favs are listed. 'American Gothic' ('there's someone at the door') was absolutely brilliant. Humorous, in such a twisted way!
And due to the unfortunate death of Mark Frenkel, 'Kindred: The Embraced' came to an end.
I miss 'Pretender','Millennium' and definitely '4400'. Fans were left hangin', waiting for a new season.
There's also a fantastic show that had a short run in the 90's called 'Eerie, Indiana'. I got a kick out of that one.
I wish there were new episodes of 'Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction'. I'd take the re-runs.
ABC left viewers hanging when they cancelled Invasion and replacing Eli Stone with Scrubs was a mistake. Abc seems to be canceling shows left and right without getting the pulse of the people. I don't remember the name of the show but it was kind of a male version of Sex And The City with Dillon McDermot and Nia Long was a good show also. ABC needs to get it right before they cancel a show.
Invasion was a great show with a great cast that ended with no ending. WHYYYY????
I so miss Firefly. It had a great cast and the stories were great. Miss this very much.
Firefly was great. Definitely agree it was cancelled too soon. Joss Whedon has not been getting the credit he deserves. If they cancel Dollhouse without giving it a second season and chance, I will be very upset!
ABCs invasion..i was hooked from the first episode and the season ended with a cliffhanger, of course we never saw the rest.Im still upset with ABC
There are several sci-fi shows that went well before their time. Here is my list: Stargate SG1, yes 10 years is a long time, but this show could have gone on forever; Stargate Atlantis, this show too had endless potential; John Doe, I loved this show, but only five people got to enjoy it because Fox constantly changed the time it was on; Millenium, very dark, but a great show; The Pretender; Dead Like Me; Star Trek DS9 and Enterprise, these were the best installments of the franchise, yet they both died too quickly; Fringe, I understand it is on the chopping block, while I am not a fan of Anna Tovar, the show is really entertaining and great sci-fi, John Noble alone makes the show enjoyable, but the writing is excellent and I am sad to see it go.
John Doe, Dresden Files,all the Stargates, BSG, Firefly; though I've been able to watch some of them on Fancast.com.
WHERE IS EUREKA? Please bring it back. I enjoyed that show so much.
I like fringe and I think Anna Tovar does a great job I hope they don't cancel it but one show you forgot was sanctuary it was very good and different and I miss Moonlight they just ended it with no story closer and I loved forever night but there ending really stank.
I agree, Firefly, Dresden Files, Carnivale, Dead Like Me, American Gothic, Haunted, Special Unit 2, Farscape, Eerie, Indiana. I love True Blood, Dexter and Reaper but alas I'm wondering if they will fall to the axe from the networks also. The only show that hasn't is Lost. But since the shows creators set a time table for it to end they may get a pass. Plus they added what the networks seems to like the most, eye candy. I believe that was what was missing from all these shows that were canceled. Unfortunately, sex sells on networks, not real strong female characters that don't sleep with everyone on the show in the first season.
HOPEFULLY, the SCI-FI channel will read the postings here and go after some of the well liked shows. SCI-FI channel can make me happy by cancelling Battlestar Galactica, Scariest Places On Earth, Ghost Hunters and Stargate-SG !!!!!!
Firefly most definately should not have been axed so soon, the people who made that decision had their heads up their you know whats. The show was smart and fun.
Did anybody consider the New Fantasy Island? I loved the witty dialoges that went on between the characters. Of course it doesn't hold a candle to the old one, but it was still gool.
I agree with (almost) all the above. But does anyone remember Starship Trooper Chronicles:Roughnecks. I know it was animation, but I watched it all the time with my boys. The CGI was amazing and the story lines were really intelligent. Not sure which channel, it was a while ago, and a great show.
I got hooked on dark angel! aparently too late!?! Then it was cancelled. Then caught firefly and was hooked again...Then again cancelled!!! what gives no one makes a show for me!!! By the way SERENITY was a lovely suprise!!!
What about Enterprise? Way too short. I also agree that The Adventures of Brisco County Jr died too soon. I would have like one more season of Farscape with some better resolutions. I have enjoyed seeing Farscapes' two leads on Stargate Atlantis.
What about HEX? i loved that show!
What about HEX? i loved that show! and Dead Like Me was cancelled way too soon!
Wonderfalls..
Absolutely, why was Dresden Chronicles not at top of the list!
Space: Above and Beyond!
I loved American Gothic. Carnivale was the best show ever cancelled IMO.
Life on Mars just got cancelled. This was an excellent show with a cast of characters that made my day. The story lines were thought-provoking and the action superb. I don't know why 5 million viewers is not enough for the moguls. Get rid of their bonuses and run them out the door.+
I totally agree with the Dresden Files. But let's not forget about Star Trek Enterprise. Honorable mention Dead Zone.
Farscape is most the best to be canceled too soon. There are so many others that deserve to go on or be returned I would love to see Scifi or Upn take some of these cancel shows and air them from beginning to end. Firefly, Invisible Man, Dead like me, Dark angel and many of these shows that have been cancel before their time. It would certainly give us a break from shows that I like but are tired of Xfiles, Outer limits and infomercials.
So many right ons - Witchblade and Moonlight especially (although Moonlight had a pretty good following, check other sites for comments). One you missed had a character named Harry, a PI and wizard (actor stars as Brooke Shields' hubby on recently cancelled series) - very fun and interesting. Why is it reality junk survives and the good ones always lose?
Hey! Why isn't (The 4400) included in the shows that ended too soon! It was on for four season's doesn't that deserve recognition? I soo wish that nbc would put it back on tv? I miss it soo much!
Hey! Why isn't (The 4400) included in the shows that ended too soon! It was on for four season's doesn't that deserve recognition? I soo wish that nbc would put it back on tv? I miss it soo much!
Heartbroken - love Life on Mars - so terribly dissapointed. We are stuck with 5 nights of Leno (ick) and they are cancelling good shows? I don;t think the programmers actually watch tv at all.
I agree. Jericho was the best show and I was very upset that it was cancelled. My entire family loved it so much that our dog is named "Jericho". We miss it.
The 4400 is already on the list.
I agree that two shows that should definitely be on this list are FreakyLinks and Dresden Files!
FreakyLinks never got a fair chance. The network didn't promo it very well & it had that awful Friday night timeslot. But with its interactive website, FreakyLinks was ahead of its time. It was the next generation X-Files, right when we needed a fresh approach (while X-Files dragged on and on). Now that Chiller shows it, maybe we can finally get it on DVD!
I agree with dresden files and strange luck. I might be alone with one of my favorites Misfits of Science (1985).
"Dead Like Me" and FireFly" are shows that were so well done and yet, not extended. Says a great deal about "corporate" and how little they think or care about the viewing public. Neither of these shows EVER had a mediocre episode...incredible music on "Dead Like Me" (Stewart Copeland..."The Police")
Strange Luck was awesome. No so into Farscape, but do mourn Firefly.
It may seem harsh and unpopular, but we really should look at these show from an honest perspective about their real potential to continue if not axed.
This would be my analysis of the list (I am also writing this as a list because all I can find is the gallery view).
-4400: saw it some, couldn't figure out where it could go, suits were probably thinking the same.
-American Gothic: never really had a good range of audience appeal.
-Angel: now here was a show in it's prime. The show really had hit its stride and was absorbing all the Buffy audience since ended a year earlier. It was axed do to cost as a business decision from the suits of the collapsing WB.
-Brimstone: good show for Scifi, loads of possibilities, siphy just love crap and hates good shows...
-Dark Angel: let's get real, this show exist on sex appeal. The plots were going no where and if not axed, Alba would have ditched for her movie career. Plenty of talent, never had a prime.
-Dark Skies: interesting show, it quickly lost it's focus, really had no where to go.
-FarScape: The mother of all axed in it's primes. This show could have easily ran 2-3 more seasons and ended with a conclusion like BSG was allowed to do. It is comparable to Star Trek on the level of screw up cancellation was, and all because the suits from the various companies involved in production could not play well together.
-Firefly: Also comparable to Star Trek in level of screw up in ending this show. Firefly could have ran for many upon many season. And cancel for what, some dumb cheap reality shows that could not survive. The real shame is that fox refused to sell firefly to someone that would have appreciated it.
-"": never watched it.
-Pretender: interesting concept, good for a season, then got boring and went no where.
-Space, Above and Beyond: was really just hitting it's stride after a slow start up, it really should have been given another season to see what happened.
Totally missing from this list is "Star Trek Enterprise" which had an amazing fourth season where they had really found their stride as far as episode formats, story plots, and character developments.
I remember "The Adventures of Brisco County Jr" and "Erie Indiana" as Saturday morning kid shows...that is just a really tough market if there are not toys involved.
I loved "Earth 2", but got the sense they would have ran out of story ideas half way through another season.
"Dead like me" I have the complete box set. If it had been on network or basic cable instead of Showtime, it would still be on the air today. But premium cable requires sexual nudity and grotesque violence every other episode or their elite audience gets bored.
Final thought: "Dead like me" and "Firefly" never had an episode that was not great in every way, I can count on one had the "bad" episodes of "FarScape".
The dearly Departed shows that i like:
4400
Firefly
The Dead Zone
Star Trek: Enterprise
Farscape
Terminator: Sarah Conner Chronicles (I 'm still hoping its just a rumor)
Now and Again
Angel
Network TV sucks.
Dresden Files
Blood Ties
Eureka
Jake 2.0
WTF is up with wrestling on the Sci-Fi Channel???
I miss many of those, but especially the 4400. I would have liked to have seen more of Firefly. I also liked First Wave which just seemed to vanish mid plot.
Possibly the most annoying was the pulling of Invasion and Space: Above and Beyond. Both were terrible and slow but then started to get great and then got canned.
ARGH!
I read most of the comments here and i can not believe there has not been 1, ONE, mention of Jeremiah!! Amazing show killed WAY before it should have been.
The Middleman should be on this list! I still have denial over its cancellation. Such a great cast, such amusing episodes, such potential for future storylines. Wah.
And, drat it, also Pushing Daisies. And The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne!
What about Now And Again that was on CBS??? That show was great, John Goodman in the falshbacks were aewsome, Eric Close was great.....ended way too fast
I hated to see Firefly and Space: Above and Beyond go. But I was really disappointed when they took off Farscape. One of the few shows where the human is outnumbered by aliens. Dramatic and at times even comical. Great characters, too.
Had to add something. I thought of Brisco County Jr. as a Western. But it did have sci-fi elements. I thought that show was great. The interaction between County and Lord Bowler was not to be missed. I would have added Life On Mars because I loved that show. But what they did to the end just turned me off.
CRUSADE!! This year is the tenth anniversary, too. Cancelled by TNT before an episode had ever been aired.
ODYSSEY 5!!
Really fun show, though it never seemed to decide what it wanted to be.
JEREMIAH!!
The first season was fun; still haven't been able to see the rumored second season!
Millennium, The Lone Gunmen, Firefly
As goes the newspapers, so goes the studio system. That day is coming soon...
I think Star Trek Enterprise got cancelled too soon
yes loved space above and beyond was bummed when it got cacelled
I loved Space Above And Beyound. It was years ahead of it's time.