5 of My Favorite Shows That Were Cut Short

When you find a show that contains one or more of the following:

a) A solid storyline that keeps interest
b) Likeable and/or interesting characters that have more than one dimension
c) Witty dialogue and writing in general

and most importantly

d) Cultural references for intelligent people

.. it has most likely already been cancelled, is in danger of being cancelled, or is about to completely jump the shark. There are rare exceptions, of course, but the majority of genuinely good shows out there are not on a long list of those that got a fair chance or a full run. But people are morons, so they watch shit. Those morons watching that shit brings in revenue for the advertisers, therefore that shit gets funded and contunues to pollute the airwaves while a show with a solid (significantly more loyal) if somewhat smaller fanbase get figuratively stabbed in the jugular and left to die.

This has happened to me too many times to count. I find a show, I love it, I look forward to it every week, and out of nowhere, BAM. Dead, and far too soon. Nielsen can just suck it, really.

I figured I'd pick 5 of the best (in my opinion) shows this has happened to. There are many, but.. I picked 5. Deal. And since someone bitched about how everything I've written so far is all "asian stuff" (which is just because that's all I've been watching lately, I do actually have many other interests, I just have to be in the mood to write about other things), I'd like to point out that none of the following shows are asian. They are all in english. There are a few reasons for this, one of the main ones being asian dramas are meant to be relatively short and tell a complete story in about 9 to 11 episodes anyway, so they rarely get cancelled.

But moving on, in order of oldest cancellation to newest:

Firefly (2002 - 2003)

This show is quite possibly one of the greatest things I've ever seen. Mainly because I'm a total geek, but that's besides the point. Though accurately described as a space western, Firefly is so much more than that. As Whedon shows often are. FOX never gave this show a fighting chance, and it's sad, because even for the short time it was on, broadcast out of order, no less, it somehow gained an amazing following, and we got Serenity after everything (remember what I said about loyal fanbases? they work sometimes). Now let's just hope for a sequel. And since no one in the Whedon-verse ever really stays dead, I'm sure we can work something out for certain individuals.

Arrested Development (2003 - 2006)

The good news? The Arrested Development movie is said to be in production (or pre-production, or pre-pre-production, or something). The bad news? It got cancelled in the first place. This show was absolutely brilliant and I have no idea why it only lasted 3 impossibly short seasons. There was so much more of this thoroughly dysfunctional family to explore, a few good seasons worth at least. Hopefully they can use some of that comic gold in the upcoming movie and do a good job continuing the series without ruining it.

Veronica Mars (2004 - 2007)

Remember what I said about intelligence in shows being a major factor in their cancellation? I can't think of a better example than Veronica Mars. One of the smartest shows on TV (or at least it used to be), VM suffered when The WB and UPN combined a few years back to form the stupidest channel ever. Also known as The CW. Even when it's new network was tweaking it's format and arc and churning out some not-so-Veronica episodes, it was STILL better than 98% of the crap on TV. So naturally they had to get rid of it (?). Guess people are threatened by smart women, or something. A movie was rumored, but it's doubtful at this point.

Nearly Famous (2007 - 2007)

Quite possibly the worst offender of a brilliant show cut short. Even for a British series it was tiny, at only 6 episodes. And I'm guessing you've never even heard of it. The finale was left WIDE open for a second series, but it seems that ship has sailed, the show having never gained the proper following it needed and deserved. The end can either be seen as the world's biggest cliffhanger, or a rare somewhat accurate portrayal of how some things in life actually end up. Lovely, despite and partly because of the sad ending.

Pushing Daisies (2007 - 2009)
The horrible thing is, I got into this show RIGHT before it got cancelled. With the first season being shortened to 9 episodes because of the writer's strike, and the almost as short 2nd season being axed close to the end, there is so much of this "forensic fairytale" that can still be told. Movie anyone? I mean, hey, it happened for Dead Like Me, another cool Brian Fuller project. Disregarding the fact that the direct to DVD Dead Like Me: Life After Death was pretty barfworthy. It was a movie, wasn't it? Beggars can't be choosers. We can be complainers afterwards, but whatever. It most likely won't happen, but one can dream. The Pushing Daisies comics have been confirmed, however.