Shows that should never have been cancelled

[HockeyProphet]

I tried, but just couldn't get into it. I only watched maybe 3 or 4 shows, so maybe I didn't give it enough time?

Yeah, you have to give it some time to grow on you! I really loved it by the end of it. Very Seinfeld-ish.

Also, it's cool how the show runs. Larry David writes scenarios, and the actors have no lines. So they know about what is happening in the scene but it's mostly improvised!

[Dakkster]

Oooooh, so THAT'S Tour of Duty! I had to look it up when you guys mentioned it. I had no idea that was the original title. I watched the hell out of it when I was younger and here in Sweden the title of the show was "Platoon B in Vietnam". I need to go hunting for some episodes... This thread has made me fill up almost 500 gigs of my new external hard drive

[metaldude26]

I watched Jericho... awesome first season... but the writers just didn't have enough plot focus to keep it moving.
Probably a limited budget too. Also, the "characters" on Jericho remind me of the Walking Dead. They were captivating short-term... but didn't have long-term staying power.
The one character was actually used on both shows to hook viewers - can't remember the guys name.

Lennie James, brilliant actor. The screen sizzles when he's on it. They tried giving him his own show on AMC but that was some hot garbage.

I enjoyed Jericho but that show was definitely too clunky to ever succeed. Great premise poor execution. They had a great serialized premise but then made every episode a procedural with the "problem of the week" and you could see the seams all too clearly. If I'm not mistaken they carried on the show with a comic/graphic novel of some sort for those who might be interested.

The cancelling of the second season of Friday Night Lights was too bad as well.
That show goes down as one of my wife & I's favourite shows.
Same story though - TV viewers are more geared towards Reality TV or Extreme-Case Drama.
Viewership for the common family sitcom has died.
The five seasons of Friday Night Lights were so good (IMO) that my wife & I actually bought t-shirts from each high school just to "represent" occasionally.

Friday Night Lights was the best but the second season was the best thing that could have happened to that show. They were really messing things up and they essentially got to hit reboot and pretend it never happened. There were still some great moments in that season, which ultimately made it worthwhile but my goodness the Landry stuff. Oh my goodness.

[forumname]

As far as I'm concerned, this conversation starts and ends with Freaks and Geeks. At the same time, ending after 1 season may have only added to its appeal. I would have loved to see some shows, particularly the Simpsons, shut down during their prime so I could hate them for it... Instead, 10-20 extra years of garbage are there to remind me why all good things need to come to an end.

[Pengwin7]

As far as I'm concerned, this conversation starts and ends with Freaks and Geeks.

Freaks and Geeks is an interesting one to debate.
When it was cancelled, everybody was still no-names... and nobody missed it initially.
Now, looking back on who everybody has become, it's one of those shows that is really good to watch "15 years later".
I love it.

Since me & the wife just finished F&G on Netflix, we actually moved onto Undeclared. (same producer: Apatow, who I love)
I'm not sold on Undeclared through the first 4 shows. Kind of meh. No comparison, IMO. There is no way Undeclared is even close to as good as F&G.
Baruchel is good... but the main chick isn't too good. Just watched Segel, the boyfriend come to school episode - who is a really fun actor to watch in goof-ball guy-type roles. He nails them all.

I'll probably watch out the season.
But it's cookie-cutter repeat of F&G with less interest.
Even the "English-accent" guy is just basically an English version of "the cool" James Franco.

One underrated thing about TV shows, IMO, is the opening show song/credits/theme.
The Freaks & Geeks opening "I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation" (Joan Jett - Bad Reputation) just makes me excited to watch every show.

For anybody that hasn't seen Freaks & Geeks, just watch the opening song/credits - and you'll probably want to watch the single season:



[Side note #1: The "main" geek, John Francis Daly - see above, went on to be a supporting actor in a show called "Bones"... if anybody watches that. One of those guys you say "Oh... yeah... that's the little Geek kid... oh, cool!"]
[Side note #2: Linda Cardenelli was the girl-type I wanted to be my girlfriend in high school. That also hooks me into watching it.]

Whereas Undeclared has nothing interesting to open the show.

We actually probably watched "Weeds" for an extra season or two just because we enjoyed the opening "Little Boxes" song so much.
Same goes for "House of Cards". It's a 10/10 show all on its own... but something about the opening gets me ready for the show.

[The Comish]

Peng - Thanks for posting that clip for Freaks & Geeks. I had no idea there were so many actors that turned into name actors. I may have to try and watch this.

[forumname]

Freaks and Geeks is an interesting one to debate.
When it was cancelled, everybody was still no-names... and nobody missed it initially.
Now, looking back on who everybody has become, it's one of those shows that is really good to watch "15 years later".
I love it.

Since me & the wife just finished F&G on Netflix, we actually moved onto Undeclared. (same producer: Apatow, who I love)
I'm not sold on Undeclared through the first 4 shows. Kind of meh. No comparison, IMO. There is no way Undeclared is even close to as good as F&G.
Baruchel is good... but the main chick isn't too good. Just watched Segel, the boyfriend come to school episode - who is a really fun actor to watch in goof-ball guy-type roles. He nails them all.

I'll probably watch out the season.
But it's cookie-cutter repeat of F&G with less interest.
Even the "English-accent" guy is just basically an English version of "the cool" James Franco.

One underrated thing about TV shows, IMO, is the opening show song/credits/theme.
The Freaks & Geeks opening "I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation" (Joan Jett - Bad Reputation) just makes me excited to watch every show.

For anybody that hasn't seen Freaks & Geeks, just watch the opening song/credits - and you'll probably want to watch the single season:



[Side note #1: The "main" geek, John Francis Daly - see above, went on to be a supporting actor in a show called "Bones"... if anybody watches that. One of those guys you say "Oh... yeah... that's the little Geek kid... oh, cool!"]
[Side note #2: Linda Cardenelli was the girl-type I wanted to be my girlfriend in high school. That also hooks me into watching it.]

Whereas Undeclared has nothing interesting to open the show.

We actually probably watched "Weeds" for an extra season or two just because we enjoyed the opening "Little Boxes" song so much.
Same goes for "House of Cards". It's a 10/10 show all on its own... but something about the opening gets me ready for the show.

Undeclared was okay, but you're right - not close to Freaks and Geeks. If you're watching Undeclared on Netflix, beware that the episodes aren't iin the right order (at least they weren't when I watched).

[newfcollins]

I loved MacGyver. Wished that had stayed on for longer.

Also A-Team. But they screwed the final season by having that bad guy in charge of the group.

[Pengwin7]

Peng - Thanks for posting that clip for Freaks & Geeks. I had no idea there were so many actors that turned into name actors. I may have to try and watch this.

Besides Freaks & Geeks being a really, really, really good show...
It's a good "conversational" piece when talking about recent comedy movie/TV history with friends.

The main producer, Judd Apatow, basically collected this cast of actors/actresses for F&G and was really proud of his work.
He thought the show was incredible, but NBC dropped it after low ratings.
Apatow has actually been cited as being vengeful towards NBC since then... and part of his life-work producing so many good comedies is a big middle-finger to NBC to say
"Look at my work, look at these actors, they're good... watch all the stuff that America will love them for."

Rogen is a good story in himself.
Canadian Jew that pretty much made it on his own and supported his struggling parents.

Apatow's group is actually referred to as a little "rat pack" of his own - as any comedy lover will notice how many films/shows have Franco, Rogen, Segel, Baruchel, Steve Carrell, Paul Rudd... or some combination of those actors.

[Dutch]

tour of duty & airwolf were some great shows too that could have lasted one or two more years