Top10 Most Unjustified TV Cancellations
So far, 2010 hasn't been terribly good to us fangirls. Due to the recent axing of one of the best shows on television at the moment, the following list was born. Because I like making lists. Lists are fun (and totally geeky, but that's beside the point).
Anyway, I started thinking about all those fabulous shows that were axed prematurely and not given a proper chance to ~*~grow~*~. The nostalgia, people, the nostalgia! It was really quite easy to come up with ten most unjustified cancellations, which just shows how much of my life is lived through fandoms ans fangirling. Ahem. Anyway, the shows I'm talking about here are those that only got a season or two before being hoisted over to the TV graveyard. *sniff*
Top10 Most Unjustified TV Cancellations
10. Karen Sisco (ABC)
Runtime: 2003-2004
The peeps: Carla Gugino, Kate Walsh (what, you mean where were others??)
Okay, so Kate Walsh in a recurring role, playing a lesbian detective - that's pretty much what it boils down to. That and the totally obvious flirting between her character and Karen Sisco. I mean, please, we all know what truly happened after that night out at the bar. But beside the obvious, lesbian goodness, it was refreshing to see a crime show with a female lead who was both strong and confident, and not thoroughly defined by the men in her life (although there were many). But mostly, it was just about Kate Walsh playing gay (because, um, duuuude) and the INJUSTICE of the fact that they robbed us of that awesomeness.
9. Dead Like Me (Showtime)
Runtime: 2003-2004
The peeps: Ellen Muth, Mandy Patinkin, Laura Harris, Callum Blue
The concept of this show was second to none and it worked so well, but the show only got two seasons, which is downright pathetic. And the humour! A delicious mixture of sarcasm, slapstick, irony and dark humour; "Rube is so old he probably reaped Jesus!" And who could forget the utter brilliance of Crystal? It really is a shame the show wasn't allowed to continue, because it definitely found its niche during the second season, with the addition of new characters and the establishment of various continuing storylines. The show got so good, in fact, that even the presence of Mandy Patinkin didn't bother me. Much.
8. Arrested Development (FOX)
Runtime: 2003-2006
The peeps: Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Jessica Walter
I sort of get it why the audiences didn't warm up to this show, but it still doesn't make me any less pissed off. The episodes were SO FUNNY; the show gave us new concepts like nevernude and there were Gob's pigeons in the fridge and George-Michael gave Maeby a wedding ring (one of the most hysterical word plays EVER). I'm glad that we got as many as three seasons (which is a lot when it comes to the other entries on this list) but it was still too little. Unique and real, that's what this show was.
7. Women's Murder Club (ABC)
Runtime: 2007-2008
The peeps: Angie Harmon, Laura Harris, Paula Newsome, Aubrey Dollar
It was the biggest possible mistake to alter the concept of the show after the original pilot, because that is why the show couldn't make it in the long run (plus the unfortunate timing of the writers' strike). It was so amazing to see four women leading a show, but it just went downhill when all they ever talked about was men and when Lindsay started crying in every frigging episode. Oh, and the ridiculous ending to the Kiss-Me-Not Killer storyline was the final nail to the coffin. But it still made me sad to see the show go, because having a group of women working together and being friends while headlining the show was wonderful. If only they'd stuck to that original pilot...
6. Out of Practice (CBS)
Runtime: 2005-2006
The peeps: Stockard Channing, Henry Winkler, Paula Marshall, Christopher Gorham, Ty Burrell
Um, how insanely funny was this show? Kurt the Manwhore and "I'm sorry, I need to have a word with the bartender. Gin!" Also, having Stockard Channing and Henry Winkler in the same show should totally be enough to keep it from being canceled ever. Hence, it's official: Christopher Gorham is a show killer. But yeah, this sitcom was actually funny, and Regina was such a brilliant gay character. I truly cannot understand why we only got a handful of episodes while sitcoms that are far worse go on for seasons. And did I already mention that Paula Marshall playing a lesbian was utterly fabulous?
5. Medical Investigation (NBC)
Runtime: 2004-2005
The peeps: Neal McDonough, Kelli Williams, Anna Belknap, Christopher Gorham
What did I tell you about Christopher Gorham? Anyway, talk about unjust: the ratings were actually good, but they axed the show anyway! Bastards. Yes, the concept wasn't that earth-shattering when it comes to case-per-week type of shows, but Medical Investigation worked. And boy, was it gay. It was so insanely femslashy that I still can't quite believe all the things they handed us throughout that one season. Eva's line, "You don't often see women who are both beautiful and brilliant," is one of the most obvious 'come hither' lines I've heard in my life! I suppose the only positive thing about the show being canceled after only a season is that they weren't able to mess up the femslash - Eva & Natalie will always be totally gay for each other in my book.
4. Andy Richter Controls the Universe (FOX)
Runtime: 2002-2003
The peeps: Andy Richter, Paget Brewster, Irene Molloy, Jonathan Slavin, James Patrick Stuart
Why, God, whyyyyy was this show canceled?? The type of slightly absurd humour that this show was based on made even the most ordinary situations hilarious; coffee should be drinking me! Add to that the incredible comedy acting by the cast and the result was a big ball of sitcom perfection; the memory of Jessica sexually harassing herself still makes me randomly laugh out loud. Again--like with so many other canceled comedy shows/sitcoms--the humour of Andy Richter was, in all likelihood, too smart for some people, which is why the ratings weren't high enough. Unfair, but there you go.
3. Murder in Suburbia (ITV)
Runtime: 2004-2005
The peeps: Caroline Catz, Lisa Faulkner, Jeremy Sheffield
Damn, where to start? A tongue-in-cheek crime series with a female detective duo as its leads = YESYESYES. Add to that the more than obvious femslash (and how perfect is that scene in terms of their characterisations? ♥ ), the humour, and the wonderful juxtaposition between Ash & Scribbs, and what you have should be a winner. But no. I never really understood why exactly we didn't get a third series (poor ratings?), which makes the axing just that much more painful. But, nevertheless, Ash's rules will live on, and we're all still wondering what exactly goes into Scribbs' "Sugar-Puff Drink".
2. Better off Ted (ABC)
Runtime: 2009-2010
The peeps: Jay Harrington, Portia de Rossi, Andrea Anders, Jonathan Slavin
Everything I said about Andy Richter Controls the Universe pretty much applies here as well. Perhaps the slightly absurd humour was too smart for some people, but it's a real shame the show didn't manage to find its audience, because the writing was EXCELLENT. While Andy Richter had a few, slightly weaker episodes, every single episode of Better off Ted was funny and worked brilliantly. Moreover, Portia de Rossi as Veronica Palmer was simply amazing; Portia did the best work of her career thus far. Plus, you know, the femslash. You can't deny the chemistry between Veronica and Linda - there's a very good reason Veronica felt comfortable enough to play Linda her CD!
1. Legend of the Seeker (Syndication)
Runtime: 2008-2010(?)
The peeps: Craig Horner, Bridget Regan, Tabrett Bethell, Bruce Spence
#1 spot comes as no surprise to anyone. It fills me with rage that after the current season, we may never see new Seeker episodes again. RAGE, people. You see, Legend of the Seeker might just be the perfect show, because it has absolutely everything: adventure, knives & other weaponry, fantasy, hot women, femslash, Cara's tongue, corny plots, powerful magic, Cara's gayness, girl!kissing... I could go on and on. The perfection about doubled, too, when they incorporated Cara's character into the show. Seriously, why must something this perfect be taken away from us? WHY?? I hate you, TPTB. Absolutely no love for you. Yours truly, me.
Compiling this list actually made me somewhat sad, because so much potential has been downright wasted over the years. *sigh* And all this while some crappy shows--which I won't mention here--were allowed to continue year after year. Unjust, simply unjust.
Anyway, I started thinking about all those fabulous shows that were axed prematurely and not given a proper chance to ~*~grow~*~. The nostalgia, people, the nostalgia! It was really quite easy to come up with ten most unjustified cancellations, which just shows how much of my life is lived through fandoms ans fangirling. Ahem. Anyway, the shows I'm talking about here are those that only got a season or two before being hoisted over to the TV graveyard. *sniff*
Top10 Most Unjustified TV Cancellations
10. Karen Sisco (ABC)
Runtime: 2003-2004
The peeps: Carla Gugino, Kate Walsh (what, you mean where were others??)
Okay, so Kate Walsh in a recurring role, playing a lesbian detective - that's pretty much what it boils down to. That and the totally obvious flirting between her character and Karen Sisco. I mean, please, we all know what truly happened after that night out at the bar. But beside the obvious, lesbian goodness, it was refreshing to see a crime show with a female lead who was both strong and confident, and not thoroughly defined by the men in her life (although there were many). But mostly, it was just about Kate Walsh playing gay (because, um, duuuude) and the INJUSTICE of the fact that they robbed us of that awesomeness.
9. Dead Like Me (Showtime)
Runtime: 2003-2004
The peeps: Ellen Muth, Mandy Patinkin, Laura Harris, Callum Blue
The concept of this show was second to none and it worked so well, but the show only got two seasons, which is downright pathetic. And the humour! A delicious mixture of sarcasm, slapstick, irony and dark humour; "Rube is so old he probably reaped Jesus!" And who could forget the utter brilliance of Crystal? It really is a shame the show wasn't allowed to continue, because it definitely found its niche during the second season, with the addition of new characters and the establishment of various continuing storylines. The show got so good, in fact, that even the presence of Mandy Patinkin didn't bother me. Much.
8. Arrested Development (FOX)
Runtime: 2003-2006
The peeps: Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Jessica Walter
I sort of get it why the audiences didn't warm up to this show, but it still doesn't make me any less pissed off. The episodes were SO FUNNY; the show gave us new concepts like nevernude and there were Gob's pigeons in the fridge and George-Michael gave Maeby a wedding ring (one of the most hysterical word plays EVER). I'm glad that we got as many as three seasons (which is a lot when it comes to the other entries on this list) but it was still too little. Unique and real, that's what this show was.
7. Women's Murder Club (ABC)
Runtime: 2007-2008
The peeps: Angie Harmon, Laura Harris, Paula Newsome, Aubrey Dollar
It was the biggest possible mistake to alter the concept of the show after the original pilot, because that is why the show couldn't make it in the long run (plus the unfortunate timing of the writers' strike). It was so amazing to see four women leading a show, but it just went downhill when all they ever talked about was men and when Lindsay started crying in every frigging episode. Oh, and the ridiculous ending to the Kiss-Me-Not Killer storyline was the final nail to the coffin. But it still made me sad to see the show go, because having a group of women working together and being friends while headlining the show was wonderful. If only they'd stuck to that original pilot...
6. Out of Practice (CBS)
Runtime: 2005-2006
The peeps: Stockard Channing, Henry Winkler, Paula Marshall, Christopher Gorham, Ty Burrell
Um, how insanely funny was this show? Kurt the Manwhore and "I'm sorry, I need to have a word with the bartender. Gin!" Also, having Stockard Channing and Henry Winkler in the same show should totally be enough to keep it from being canceled ever. Hence, it's official: Christopher Gorham is a show killer. But yeah, this sitcom was actually funny, and Regina was such a brilliant gay character. I truly cannot understand why we only got a handful of episodes while sitcoms that are far worse go on for seasons. And did I already mention that Paula Marshall playing a lesbian was utterly fabulous?
5. Medical Investigation (NBC)
Runtime: 2004-2005
The peeps: Neal McDonough, Kelli Williams, Anna Belknap, Christopher Gorham
What did I tell you about Christopher Gorham? Anyway, talk about unjust: the ratings were actually good, but they axed the show anyway! Bastards. Yes, the concept wasn't that earth-shattering when it comes to case-per-week type of shows, but Medical Investigation worked. And boy, was it gay. It was so insanely femslashy that I still can't quite believe all the things they handed us throughout that one season. Eva's line, "You don't often see women who are both beautiful and brilliant," is one of the most obvious 'come hither' lines I've heard in my life! I suppose the only positive thing about the show being canceled after only a season is that they weren't able to mess up the femslash - Eva & Natalie will always be totally gay for each other in my book.
4. Andy Richter Controls the Universe (FOX)
Runtime: 2002-2003
The peeps: Andy Richter, Paget Brewster, Irene Molloy, Jonathan Slavin, James Patrick Stuart
Why, God, whyyyyy was this show canceled?? The type of slightly absurd humour that this show was based on made even the most ordinary situations hilarious; coffee should be drinking me! Add to that the incredible comedy acting by the cast and the result was a big ball of sitcom perfection; the memory of Jessica sexually harassing herself still makes me randomly laugh out loud. Again--like with so many other canceled comedy shows/sitcoms--the humour of Andy Richter was, in all likelihood, too smart for some people, which is why the ratings weren't high enough. Unfair, but there you go.
3. Murder in Suburbia (ITV)
Runtime: 2004-2005
The peeps: Caroline Catz, Lisa Faulkner, Jeremy Sheffield
Damn, where to start? A tongue-in-cheek crime series with a female detective duo as its leads = YESYESYES. Add to that the more than obvious femslash (and how perfect is that scene in terms of their characterisations? ♥ ), the humour, and the wonderful juxtaposition between Ash & Scribbs, and what you have should be a winner. But no. I never really understood why exactly we didn't get a third series (poor ratings?), which makes the axing just that much more painful. But, nevertheless, Ash's rules will live on, and we're all still wondering what exactly goes into Scribbs' "Sugar-Puff Drink".
2. Better off Ted (ABC)
Runtime: 2009-2010
The peeps: Jay Harrington, Portia de Rossi, Andrea Anders, Jonathan Slavin
Everything I said about Andy Richter Controls the Universe pretty much applies here as well. Perhaps the slightly absurd humour was too smart for some people, but it's a real shame the show didn't manage to find its audience, because the writing was EXCELLENT. While Andy Richter had a few, slightly weaker episodes, every single episode of Better off Ted was funny and worked brilliantly. Moreover, Portia de Rossi as Veronica Palmer was simply amazing; Portia did the best work of her career thus far. Plus, you know, the femslash. You can't deny the chemistry between Veronica and Linda - there's a very good reason Veronica felt comfortable enough to play Linda her CD!
1. Legend of the Seeker (Syndication)
Runtime: 2008-2010(?)
The peeps: Craig Horner, Bridget Regan, Tabrett Bethell, Bruce Spence
#1 spot comes as no surprise to anyone. It fills me with rage that after the current season, we may never see new Seeker episodes again. RAGE, people. You see, Legend of the Seeker might just be the perfect show, because it has absolutely everything: adventure, knives & other weaponry, fantasy, hot women, femslash, Cara's tongue, corny plots, powerful magic, Cara's gayness, girl!kissing... I could go on and on. The perfection about doubled, too, when they incorporated Cara's character into the show. Seriously, why must something this perfect be taken away from us? WHY?? I hate you, TPTB. Absolutely no love for you. Yours truly, me.
Compiling this list actually made me somewhat sad, because so much potential has been downright wasted over the years. *sigh* And all this while some crappy shows--which I won't mention here--were allowed to continue year after year. Unjust, simply unjust.