btlives

I still like some of the writing/premise today with these series ...

1. Brimstone
2. Earth 2
3. Nowhere Man
4. Millennium
5. China Beach
6. Space Above & Beyond
7. Politically Incorrect
8. Mole (hosted only by Anderson Cooper)
9 & 10 are so old lets leave it at 8............

Gizmo

ChillerTV plays episodes every once and a while. I enjoyed the show as well.

phraseturner

I miss Sports Night still to this day... but having the re-release DVD set helps. ABC just didn't get it, did they? At least the cast has stayed busy since then.

But I'd have to disagree with you about Studio 60... to a degee. Loved S60's launch and first half of season, but mid-season when ratings were not what NBC wanted, the tinkering began. Though Sorkin denied it, you could see the show lurch in a different direction when it returned after Christmas, playing up the romance angle.

Still, I never saw watching as a chore: dense, literate dialog, complex discussion of current events and politics, terrific acting (what a cast!), film-quality production values. Still, I did grind my teeth at the obvious network pressure being applied to things...

I'll watch anything Aaron Sorkin gets on the air. But at this point, I think he's too good for TV. Just look at what fills most of the networks' prime-time hours now.

Jim Patterson

The 4400

maingon

My Number one is Firefly

Dark Angel
Space Above and Beyond
In the Line of Fire
Arrested Development
Miracles
Angel

sven

Deadwood
Carnivale
Rome
Arrested Development
Party Down
Firefly
Journeyman
Life
The Tick
Space Above and Beyond

Joseph B

Star Trek - The Original Series -- NBC cancelled the show before discovering that it was one of the most popular shows on TV in the 18-35 demographic. (The Nielsen's were biased at the time for women over the age of 45 since it was thought that they had the most disposable income! It was one of the reasons Kirk had to have a romance every other week.)

Farscape and Firefly -- Firefly, in particular, was a ridiculous cancellation due to the fact that the pilot didn't even air until after the ax had already fallen. Also, the show was constructed to be in a loosely-based linear form and was aired out of sequence and regularly preempted to boot.

Back to You -- Obviously hurt by the writer's strike and the mysterious mid-season change in the actress portraying the daughter.

rfduncan

Wouldn't that have been Ned and Stacey?

AndyCleveland

Agree 100% on both.

Geofferson

Good call.

I would also have liked to see Robbery Homicide Division, Brimstone and Harsh Realm continue.

Jobronie

I figure you meant that tongue-in-cheek, but just a reminder to the kids out there that Drebbin was a very different character in the TV show than he was in the movies. And I liked the TV Drebbin (and the show in general) a whole lot more than than I did the movie Drebbin.

FatTony

Arrested Development - It's been said numerous times already, but it bears repeating: best sitcom ever! We're lucky to have had it for even three seasons (though I think the storyline with Charlize Theron is a misfire in an otherwise perfect set of episodes).
Better Off Ted - Too zany to ever succeed, but the two half-seasons we got were hilarious. Keeping my fingers crossed that the second season hits DVD someday.
Firefly - I really didn't like this show the first time I watched it, but luckily gave it a second chance. The only non-Star Trek sci-fi series I own.
Freaks and Geeks - It would have been really interesting to see how the show developed beyond the first season.
Futurama - I know it's back on, but it never should have been cancelled in the first place. They have yet to fully regain the momentum they had going when the series originally ended, IMO. The movies were mediocre, and the new episodes have merely been good, not great. Still glad to have it back though.
Party Down - I guess it wasn't really "cancelled" as much as it just wasn't renewed due to key players moving on to other projects. Still a bummer though. Just started watching it a week ago and am loving it.

sven

Crap I forgot about Ted. Another hilarious show dead before its time while shit like 2 and Half Men just keeps on going.

AsmodeusVice

I'm still super pissed that Fox canned The Tick after only 9 episodes. They didn't even give the show time to be found, let alone find an audience.

That was one of the funniest shows I've seen in a while. Patrick Warburton was perfect as The Tick.

I think Fox gets their jollies from putting great shows on the air and then pulling them when people start to find and then love them. They did that to me back in the mid 90's when they had Oggy and the Cockroaches on Saturday mornings. As soon as I found the show, I'd get up religiously to watch it. As soon as I really got into it, they pulled it a few weeks after I found it. Bastards!!

mortalplague

yeah it would have been cool to have another party down, but i don't know how it would have been with those people leaving. It already took a huge hit when jane lynch left to do Glee. journeyMan did have great potential. yeah i couldn't believe they got rid of better off ted, it was hilarious! Another i have to mention and i might be alone on this lol is Sit Down Shut Up. It was very silly but it still made me laugh, it was nice to see half of the arrested development team back together for that project, but got cancelled after like 4 episodes. I even found myself like Sons of tucson as well. it wasn't great but still very enjoyable goofy show. Cancelled after like 3 as well both by Fox.

starman9000

Really? I blind bought the first two seasons and couldn't make it through one episode. Does it change, or if I hated the first will I hate the rest?

Jason

I loved Better Off Ted. It could have found an audience on cable somewhere.

I'll second Farscape and Firefly and add Enterprise to the Sci-Fi list. I can't see how all three of these wouldn't have been hits on Sci-Fi. Would have certainly been better than most of what they show.

I'd like to think the live-action version of the Tick would have found an audience on Adult Swim, but it was probably too good for that crowd.

hasslein

Gilligan's Island and WKRP were both very popular when cancelled.

crankyman

i also liked that episode of 'drive'.

sven

I tried to get into Drive because of Fillion but it was pretty terrible.

nateman

I also have to add Without a Trace and Cold Case.

starman9000

I am very interested in ancient history and the Bible. That's why I didn't like it, he was giving stock to absolute idiots, iirc.

Groucho

Doctor Who

Interestingly, when it was canceled in 1989 it had higher viewership than it does today (in terms of raw UK numbers). However, because cable, satellite, etc. the audience is much more diluted so the 21st century reboot is now one of the BBC's flagship shows.

leckyf

1. Firefly - I'd give up the other nine on this list for this one.
2. Jericho - way too many questions left unanswered
3. Arrested Development - happy to get three seasons
4. Playmakers - cancelled because the NFL didn't like it
5. Harsh Realm - Well I enjoyed it...
6. The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. - such fun and great characters!
7. Defying Gravity - great science and long mysterious arc
8. Lateline - Al Franken!!
9. Jeremiah - Luke Perry!!....kidding...but I like that kind of stuff
10. Studio 60 - So well written, I think they knew it was done towards the end.

Phodg

Sports Night
The Black Donnellys