Best TV Shows That Ended Too Soon
Just a few TV shows that where fantastic, but ended before their time should've come.
NOTE: These are shows that I have seen, if there's a show you think ended too soon and it's not on this list then it could be because I haven't seen it or I just didn't like it
NOTE: These are shows that I have seen, if there's a show you think ended too soon and it's not on this list then it could be because I haven't seen it or I just didn't like it
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- CreatorDavid HemingsonStarsBradley CooperNicholas BrendonJohn Francis DaleyA bad-boy chef runs wild in his New York City eatery.How did this show fail? It had the guy that created Sex & The City behind the helm, it had Bradley Cooper, John Francis Daley, Nicholas Brendon and Jaime King in the main cast and it was based on a book by a popular chef. It was hilarious, Emmy nominated and on one of the biggest networks at the... oh wait, it was on FOX, the channel known for killing every good show before it's time. This one managed to air 3 episodes before the baseball started which caused a several month gap between episodes 3 and 4, and promptly after the 4th episode the series was canceled and no more episodes got to air. Luckily this shows been released on DVD so go buy it now.
- CreatorJoss WhedonStarsNathan FillionGina TorresAlan TudykFive hundred years in the future, a renegade crew aboard a small spacecraft tries to survive as they travel the unknown parts of the galaxy and evade warring factions as well as authority agents out to get them.So let me see if I follow this, Buffy at it's best would get about 5 million viewers, Angel at it's best could just manage that, and Firefly would pull a similar number and it had the added burden of being in the Friday Night death Slot, but sadly it only lasted 1 season. it's a shame because it's possibly Joss Whedon's best work, a mix of great Sci-fi action and some brilliant western writing mingled with well constructed characters and a cast that got it from the get go. Fortunately this forgotten gem managed to get a movie and thanks to DVD it's gained a huge fanbase, but still no season 2.
- CreatorJoss WhedonStarsEliza DushkuHarry LennixFran KranzA top secret organization erases the identities of attractive young people, turning them into blank "dolls" ready for imprints of temporary identities they need to fulfill assignments for clients.I kind of understand why this one had issue finding viewers, I'll admit the first few episodes weren't the best but if you look at the 6th episode of the first season and go from there you'll see a show that was touching, clever and wonderfully written. It wasn't the kind of show you could just watch casually, if you weren't paying attention you could miss something important but if you paid attention you were rewarded with a wonderful show that was unappreciated and unwatched, at it's best it could only just break the 4 million viewer mark in season one, by season two it could only hit a high of 2 million.
- CreatorTim MinearBen QueenStarsKristin LehmanEmma StoneRochelle AytesA drama about various people competing in an illegal cross-country road race.Again how did this get cancelled? By the time it began Nathan Fillion had started getting mainstream attention (He wasn't a nerd only property), Tim Minear should've brought with him some Buffy viewers and it was a show full of car chases and action which seems oddly popular, and yet only 6 episodes got made and 4 aired, and the last episode ends on a huge cliffhanger. Again at it's best this show got 6million viewers but it dropped to about 4 and a half million by the 4th episode so it got cancelled. This is the first entry on the list that doesn't have a DVD release, it's available in the US and Canada but nowhere else which is a shame because it's a wonderful show that deserved to at least finish it's first storyline.
- CreatorSavannah DooleyWinnie HolzmanStarsNikki BlonskyZander EckhouseRaven GoodwinFunny, heartbreaking, and provocative, "Huge" follows the lives of seven teens and the staff at a weight-loss camp as they look beneath the surface to discover their true selves and the truth about one another.Yaaay a non-FOX entry on this list, this one's an ABC Family one. A fun little show about a group of kids at a weight loss camp that's a lot more warm than the concept suggests. With a star like Nikki Blonski who everyone knows from Hairspray and a show that had stars who weren't stick figures but real people, this show should've been a huge hit because it helped show people that fat people aren't evil or stupid, in this show they were the heroes.
- CreatorScott AdamsLarry CharlesStarsDaniel SternLarry MillerGordon HuntCubicle denizen Dilbert toils away at Path-E-Tech which makes undefined products. The focus is on his survival amongst a moronic boss, hostile co-workers and his malevolent pet, Dogbert.Why this one got canceled I have no idea, it was the highest rated comedy on UPN the year it started and it was fricking hilarious. Witty and smart and a cartoon that that was intended more for adults than children but without opting for just being obscene. It managed to get 2 seasons out before being given the boot, but it's on DVD so go get it now.
- CreatorTrey ParkerMatt StoneStarsTimothy BottomsCarrie Quinn DolinKurt FullerSomewhat dim President George W. Bush's White House more closely resembles the set of a sitcom than real life, down to the laugh track.Yes this one was technically cancelled because of high production costs, but if there had been more viewers I'm confident they would've pushed on. A comedy show that starred the president that wasn't actually making fun of him, it was intended as a parody of 70's and 80's sitcoms. It took scenarios that we've all seen a million times, but when done by George and Laura Bush in the White House it becomes so much funnier.
- CreatorIan BiedermanStarsJames WoodsDanielle PanabakerSophina BrownSebastian Stark is a well-known Los Angeles attorney who leaves his lucrative career defending wealthy criminals to be a prosecutor for the district attorney.James Woods playing a lawyer... do I really need anything more? This show was basically House in a courtroom and I think it's a billion times better. Shark was a complex character who was trying to repent for the people he had kept out of jail who should've been sent there and he didn't mind breaking a few rules on the way. The highlight of the series would be a 3 episode arc that involved Shark going toe to toe with a sociopath which would lead to a standoff that was just terrifying.
- CreatorGreg BerlantiMarc GuggenheimStarsJonny Lee MillerNatasha HenstridgeLoretta DevineSan Francisco lawyer Eli Stone begins to see things, which leads him to discover a brain aneurysm. But his visions lead him to accept cases with little monetary gain but a lot of moral goodness.Another Lawyer show except this one had the lawyer hearing voices, in the form of people doing George Michael songs. It's a strange and quirky show that was just hitting it's stride when the plug got pulled and it vanished from TV, but luckily both seasons are out on DVD
- CreatorBryan FullerStarsLee PaceAnna FrielChi McBrideA pastry chef with the power to bring dead people back to life solves murder mysteries with his resurrected childhood sweetheart, a cynical private investigator, and a lovesick waitress.Another show with a weird concept that would've turned a lot of people off, but it's beautiful look and witty writing should've brought them all back if only it had the chance. A strange cast played the roles to perfection, and I call them strange because the show itself is strange (It's about a pie man who can bring the dead back to life but only for one minute, if that's not strange I don't know what is) and it required a cast that wasn't one you'd normally expect. Somehow all the strange ingredients that went into this show brought out a fantastic product, one that was sadly shortlived. However hope is not lost, not only are the DVDs available now but there are comics based on the series being released in 2011 so the Pie Man will live on.
- CreatorBonnie TurnerTerry TurnerWhoopi GoldbergStarsWhoopi GoldbergWren T. BrownElizabeth RegenA faded singer decides to reopen her hotel's lounge.It was about as UNPC as you could get, it dealt with race and terrorism and had a main character that smoked like a chimney, but it was funny. It was hilariously funny and the cast brought an energy to the show that was undefinable and sadly unappreciated.
- CreatorJon Harmon FeldmanStarsEliza DushkuShawn ReavesZach GalifianakisA university graduate working in the city morgue is able to repeat the same day over again to prevent murders or other disasters.Similar to Pushing Daisies, this show dealt with the idea of stopping death by going back in time and changing the events of the day in order to save a life. It was a great little show with a fun cast and was willing to get gritty and kill off main characters just because it could, so why was it... oh wait, it was on FOX, nevermind.
- CreatorSteven LevitanChristopher LloydStarsKelsey GrammerPatricia HeatonJosh GadA pair of star news anchors work together at a local TV station.While not as good as Kelsey or Patricia's previous shows this little gem was funny on it's own with characters that were quirky and a cast that played each little quirk to perfection. It was a well written comedy that was more popular than it's lead in Til Death, and yet it wasn't renewed while Til Death got more seasons that no one watched
- CreatorMick GarrisStarsKaren Elizabeth AustinJ. Winston CarrollMiho NinagawaGenre veteran Mick Garris has amassed some of the greatest horror film writers and directors to bring to you the anthology series, "Masters of Horror." consisting of twenty six one-hour films over 2 seasons.With only 2 seasons there was so much more life in this anthology horror series that sadly won't be realized. A treat for fans of horror movies because it let the directors have free reign, there were no limits given to them beyond no Male Nudity and No kids killing kids. The films they made were made how they wanted them, without much network interference (With a few exceptions, some were deemed to violent to be aired but are on the DVD sets). Only 2 seasons of this show got made but since each episode was like a movie that's 26 hours of horror happiness
- CreatorJosh FriedmanStarsLena HeadeyThomas DekkerSummer GlauSet after the events in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Sarah Connor and her son, John, try to stay under-the-radar from the government, as they plot to destroy the computer network, Skynet, in hopes of preventing Armageddon.How can a show based on an insanely popular movie series go out like this one did? It was a good solid fun action show that was respectful to the source material and had a cast that perfectly portrayed the difficult roles they'd been handed, and yet it's ratings were low and it sadly got canned.
- StarsMichael MooreJay MartelGideon EvansActivist film director Michael Moore hosts a show where he continues his crusade to expose wrongdoing by the high and mighty.Yeah I know Michael Moore is an incredibly polarising figure, you either love him or hate him but even the biggest hater has to admit that he has his moments. This show brought out the Sodomobile which Michael drove around the country and running into the WBC, making them flee in gay induced terror. He took shots at the woman who got Monica Lewinski to destroy someones privacy. He took on a healthcare provider and got a needy man an organ that he'd been denied. He even took on the police's percieved racism by convincing a ton of black people in New York to trade in their wallets for bright orange ones (Which are impossible to confuse with guns). One of the few shows that can actually make a point and change a life at the same time.
- CreatorKirstie AlleyBrenda HamptonStarsKirstie AlleyBryan CallenRachael HarrisKirstie Alley plays a version of herself: an actress who is struggling to lose weight and revive her Hollywood career.Like Michael Moore, Kirstie Alley is an actress you either love or hate and her show could get that same reaction. Only lasting 6 episodes it was a very funny show that didn't rely on a laughtrack to tell you when to laugh and was in general a good quality satire that wasn't going to get a second season
- CreatorMitchell HurwitzStarsJason BatemanMichael CeraPortia de RossiLevel-headed son Michael Bluth takes over family affairs after his father is imprisoned. But the rest of his spoiled, dysfunctional family are making his job unbearable.3 Seasons seems like a good run for any show, but when your show is as clever, witty and subversive as Arrested Development was then frankly you deserve more. It had some amazing one liners and possibly some of the best setups to punchlines that I've ever seen (Any fan will know what I mean when I merely mention "Loose Seal", which for me was a moment I found to be hilarious, well written and very clever). Not to mention one of the best uses of 1 person playing 2 roles that I've seen in a while. There was nothing I could even slightly say bad about this show, it was brilliant and didn't need a laugh track to tell you where the jokes are. The only reason it's so low on this list is because we got 3 seasons out of it.
- CreatorJeff LiebermanStarsJohn WatersBill LakeJoe BostickA round-up of stories about marriages that end with one spouse murdering the other.In an age where true crime TV series can run forever, ones with a little twist to them are hard to come by and this is one of those. John Waters is a very original choice to host a True Crime show, his love of court cases is known to a lot of his fans but the charming way that he narrates as the Groom Reaper is ingenius and the cases that they choose are interesting. The acting for the recreations is top notch and it mixes genuinely suspenseful cases with splashes of wonderful dark comedy, usually provided by wicked puns by John Waters himself. Only lasting 13 episodes, look for this one on DVD because it's fun to watch.
- CreatorJohn EnbomChris NielStarsHank AzariaKathryn HahnMo MandelColleagues Alex and Helen unexpectedly become intimate after recent losses. Though they attempt to keep things platonic, they can't resist their desires and growing affection as friends meddle in their complicated relationship.Based upon the UK series of the same name this show had a lot going for it. It was funny, no laugh track and is one of the few cases where a remake of a UK show actually works in an american context. It IS most certainly a watered down version of the UK show, no swearing of any kind is done and this version is far more family friendly but at 4 episodes, there was a ton of potential for truly great comedy that was squandered by the network
- CreatorMatthew CarlsonStarsAlan CummingJames GarnerFrench StewartGod and the Devil wager whether car worker Bob Alman can live a decent life without divine intervention. Bob faces temptations while proving humanity's decency.A cartoon show where God is a main character... nothing can go wrong here. Writing wise this show was amazing, the voice acting sublime, the animation top notch and the people involved in it just hilarious. The only reason this show was cancelled you might ask? Religious people got pissed and demand it be taken from the air. Apparently having God as a main character like this was just too offensive, even though they treat him with incredible respect throughout the series