Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

1. Arrested Development (the funniest show ever to be cancelled)
2. Carnival (Such a great story of finding one's true self where nothing is as it seems, pure brilliance)
3. Pushing Daisies (Really colorful, Beautiful, Funny, Sweet, death this show was the full package)
4. Life (Story of a second chance, redemption, revenge Fueled with a great lead character, I'm still stuck wanting Charlie Crews to solve the riddle.)
5. Jericho (A post apocolyptic world, no contact with the outside world, no clue who attacked why, will it happen again, who can you trust, This show was intriguing it definately deserved an ending on screen instead of in a book where it ended up.)
6. Firefly (Leave it up to fox to have a great show but decide to screw around with the order because they felt it was better, They aired the pilot of the show as a finale which made this show never have a chance. Only on Fox)
7. Two Guys And a Girl (I can watch ryan reynolds in anything so why wouldnt i want more of a weekly Ryan reynolds show ... even if it was on Women's entertainment channel.)
8. Dead Like Me (If only the grim reaper phase hit like this crazy vampire craze that's struck, Because where else can i get my fix of Lazy sex deprived reapers trying to make a living?)
9. Wonderfalls (Bryan Fuller is a genius and yet all three of his shows are on my list, This was the first show he created and it was extremely comical and deserved more than a half season.)
10. Ed (Name a better bowling alley lawyer show, Thomas cavenaugh is the man)

Also would like to mention

Reaper (The best thing ever from the Cw came and went)
Studio 60 (I really really enjoyed the great characters, comedy and drama, of this series. Wish we could see where it was going)
My Name Is Earl (Cancelled with a huge cliffhanger, this show deserves better than that)
Scrubs (The new cast without Zach braff really had something going, too bad Zach was attached at the beginning and made people feel like they were watching the crap Sixth and seventh seasons again.)
Drive (I'll watch anything with Nathan Fillion in it and this show had an interesting enough of a premise to warrant more episodes)
Fastlane (It was a one hour action comedy movie every week, what's not to love, and now Poor tiffany theissen is stuck tied to a chair forever.)

I'm sure i'll be mad at myself for forgetting some, Feel free to comment on my selections as well as adding your own lists :)

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

Arrested, Two Guys and Ed had several seasons...They lasted long enough.

I'll give you Firefly.

Wonderfalls and Dead Like Me were great, but no where in my top 10.

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

Freaks and Geeks
Deadwood

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

Nobody watched any of those shows so that's why they were cancelled.

As much as we may like certain shows (I was super bummed that Sarah Connor got the ax), what can ya do. We can bitch and moan all we want, but if people don't tune in and the network doesn't make money...no more show.

So, every single one of the shows you mentioned should have been cancelled.

Can anybody name shows that were actually popular and were presumably making money but were cancelled anyway?

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

Twin Peaks, however I never saw it, nor any of the OPs list.

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

Cheers and Seinfeld had terrible ratings at the start (IIRC, Cheers was the lowest rated network show its first season). They went on to become two of the most successful shows in TV history. Sometimes shows need time. I think Firefly should have been given more time.

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

It's pretty easy to give a cheap-to-produce sitcom like Cheers or Seinfeld more time, but Firefly was much more costly to make.

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

Two Guys and a Girl didn't originally air on We, it aired on ABC, the network that gave us Desperate Housewives, the Bachelor, and Grey's Anatomy, so yeah -- good point.

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

Be happy that Arrested Development got 3 seasons, given the ratings. I could cry about a show like American Dreams but while I wanted more, I'm quite happy with what I got. Now I will bitch that they haven't released the 2nd and 3rd seasons on DVD.

Certainly one should be able to name many more shows than Jericho. It was lame from the start. It could have been great but never was good.

The most disappointing cancellations of recent memory to me are: Boomtown, Philly, The Agency, Skin, Tru Calling, Deadwood, and Titus (got 3 season but FOX fucked around the 3rd season so much in the schedule). I'm probably forgetting a few.

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

Knight Rider (NBC) The show started to get better towards the end. Too bad it got canceled early.
The Invisible Man (SyFy)
Las Vegas (NBC)
Moonlight (CBS)
Killer Instinct (Fox)
New Amsterdam (Fox)
Eli Stone (ABC)
The Class (CBS)
Life On Mars (CBS)
Sliders (Fox)

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

Freaks and Geeks
Karen Sisco
Pushing Daisies

I don't know what my other seven would be yet, but those are three I really hated to see go.

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

I know people constantly bitch and moan about the Nielsen ratings system, but every single one of the shows listed in the OP was not a ratings hit. Some were actually duds. The TV business is a lot more cutthroat than it was 15-20 years ago when some networks actually let shows like a Seinfeld or Cheers find an audience. There is hundreds of millions of dollars at stake in each development season...So a network can't let a show that costs $5-6M per episodes "find an audience" when the ratings suck and advertisers won't pay the bills. Plus the people who watch TV nowadays have really short attention spans and if it doesn't click right away, the channel will get changed.

Pushing Daisies was definitely a unique and creative show, but it was never a ratings hit. Season 1 did okay, but season 2 was a fucking disaster IIRC. The writer's strike didn't help either causing the show to be off the air for almost 1 year. Hell, I recall people in this forum stopped caring once they saw the horrible ratings it was getting.

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

I can name one that was still popular and pulling in good ratings:

Without a Trace (CBS)

It was getting 11-12M per week, but was cancelled because of high production costs.

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

But, if I had to pick one that should have gotten a chance it would have been Journeyman from NBC a few years. It got screwed by the writer's strike and was given an awful timeslot (vs CSI Miami and The Bachelor on Monday Nights) It had a very cool premise and I think it could have lasted multiple seasons if it was given a different time and aired earlier (8 or 9pm)

But, 9 times out of 10, if the show gets the axe, chances are I will forget about it and not look back.

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

BS. You were devastated when Persons Unknown was canned.

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

:lol:

Nope...Those infamous NBC promos said..."By the end of the summer, all will be revealed." Which didn't happen obviously. My mind was already set on 13 and done no matter what.

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

it is true back in the day lol They were able to afford to give shows an extra season or two even if the ratings were low, now as soon as they see a decline they pull it and add some reality show or something with jerry o connell even though all his shows get cancelled after 3 episodes. I don't care why they were cancelled. Those are the shows that i enjoy and would love to have seen more of, some definately more deserving than others. Carnivale is my number one most disappointed because i loved that and we never got an ending. Others like Ed and Two guys sure they both got 4 seasons but i wouldn't mind seeing more of those characters. Better off ted is one that i forgot along with Eli stone. The writer's strike did hurt alot, someone else mentioned Journeyman, that was a little slow butit got really really interesting then got cancelled. Also My own worst enemy had potential if they would have just given it another season. Shows like breaking bad only have what like 2 million viewers while Pushing Daisies had 6. If only Amc Picks up all these shows lol.

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

Cable and Networks have different philosophies when it comes to ratings. Shows like Mad Men, Breaking Bad or Sons of Anarchy get anywhere from 2-5M viewers a week each and are considered hits because the audiences are much smaller. The big networks obviously have much larger audiences and alot more money in advertising.

^^ You say you don't care why they were cancelled, but 9 times out of 10 it's ratings and that's the nature of the beast. Creatively any cancelled show could last longer than the time they were given. Hell, I would have loved 5 seasons of Journeyman, but it wasn't meant to be. Why put something on the air that noone or very few people are watching?

As I've grown older, I've learned to understand the business side of television alot more and it puts everything more into perspective. If something I like ends or gets the axe, I move on. A great site that features daily ratings from both cable and networks is:

tvbythenumbers.com It will definitely give you a different perspective and understand a little more why some shows make it and some don't.

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

Two words: "Veronica Mars" !! WHERE is that proposed movie. Please...anyone!? Even if it's on DVD.

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

Dog Bites Man
Stella
Upright Citizens Brigade

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

I will never be able to just pick one between Firefly and Freaks and Geeks. I have wondered how F & G would have sustained itself when at most there were 4 years of high school and those kids were all changing physically. Also, I might be sad but I'm pretty sure every actor playing the freaks are happy they didn't get tied down to a lengthy tv show. They are all huge stars now.

I think Firefly would have lasted longer if it had found success and the entire cast would have been happy with a hit show. We're actually getting another dog and we are naming her River.

Arrested Development was on long enough to not be considered, but My So-Called Life should have gone on a few years and I think Claire Danes would have been fine doing tv for a while.

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

The worst network IMO is Comedy Central when it comes to early cancellation. I'm With Busey was awesome and around before the whole internet awareness of how bonkers he is.

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

Veronica Mars
Undeclared
Tru Calling
reaper
wonderfalls
Dana Carvey Show
Andy Richter's two shows
Eli Stone
Enterprise
Police squad tv show

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

I'm curious how "The Event" on NBC will pan out. They've been hyping that show for months, but what happens if the first couple weeks have dismal ratings? I suppose it depends how many episodes they have in the can, but that has to be a very expensive show to produce. I guess I don't know for sure since it hasn't aired yet, but based on the previews it appears to be quite expensive.

So if "The Event" bombs right from the start do you think they'll pull it?

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

My Name is Earl

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

Just the Ten of Us

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

Of Course they will, Look at Flash Forward, they hyped that one up when it started and then cancelled it.

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

But they never aired the episodes already in the can. I kind of wonder what kind of numbers FOX genuinely expected to get for any original programming aired in primetime on a Friday night.

Jericho was done IMHO. They needed to wrap things up and stop spinning their wheels.

Freaks & Geeks was a real pity. I only wish I had watched it when it was on. I would also say the same for My So Called Life.

Finally, I will have to add Kyle XY which I just watched on Hulu.. Sure it was getting a little ridiculous, but I would have appreciated giving them a chance to resolve all the storylines.

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

One I don't understand is Deadwood (or any other show on a subscriber network). Since HBO's income is based on subscriber dollars, not on advertising, wouldn't their income be the same whether 1 person watched, or 100 million?

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

My So Called Life, ding ding ding!!!

Flash Forward. I loved it...!

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

Keen Eddie. :sad: It was fun, kwirky, face paced and had some good leads.

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

Karen Sisco
Related
Tru Calling - While I didn't watch this one while it aired I got the DVD's and the end of the first season/second season was really headed in a good place.

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

Sorry, but I just don't see any way those characters and situations could ever have been commercially viable.

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

Boomtown
Law & Order
Third Watch
NewsRadio
Scrubs
Pushing Daisies
Life
Dead Like Me
My Name is Earl
The Riches

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

i am shocked no one has mentioned The Comeback (HBO). Lisa Kudrow was perfect in it. Here's hoping her new Shotime series Web Therapy is as good but more successful.

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

I don't understand putting shows on a list that were on for years. In some instances it wasn't cancelled so much as "we talked and we're done". Scrubs particularly comes to mind - season 8 was it?

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

:hscratch: But they still have to make shows that customers like, that earn new subscribers at a good cost ratio. I'm not saying that customers didn't love it of course, but I'm sure their data showed that it either didn't bring in many new subscribers, or that the cost per episode versus subscriber retention/gain wasn't worthwhile.

Either that or they finally said one too many f u's.

Re: Top Ten Tv Shows That Never Should Have Been Cancelled
 

Absolutely in agreement on Journeyman. The 10PM time slot was unneccessary, and should have gone to a different day at 8 or 9PM. Man, I miss that show :(

Other shows I sorely miss;

Lucky Louie (Granted, Louis CK has a new, admittedly better, show on FX, but how much could this show have been costing HBO?)
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Back to You (A welcome return to the 3-Camera workplace comedy, although if this show had continued, we probably wouldn't have Modern Family)
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
Better Off Ted