Which TV show was SO ahead of its time, they was cancelled early or misunderstood?

[Messchird]

I'd have to go with Posh Nosh.
One of the funniest and the most clever satirical TV shows.
It's about two person cooking but added with word play and really, really original recipes. But that was only once that I saw it. :(

But I never forgot it.

What's your "ahead of its time" TV shows experiences?

[kalorama]

The Tick and SportsNight. Two of the funniest shows most people never knew existed.

[Messchird]

I've seen Tick, that was the show that inpirsed me to keep on drawing.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Ben Stiller Show and Dana Carvey. One was on the wrong network at the wrong time and the other was just a wild show that lost all its sponsers.

[Legato]

Firefly: It was on a network that was known for cancelling good tv shows and replaced them with crap. Had It not been canned then maybe it would have gotten a much greater fanbase and the movie wouldn't have tanked.

[Parallax48]

Ned and Stacy.

Nowadays people love Thomas Haden Church and Debra Messing....just not on this show. Their later successes don't hold a candle to this underappreciated gem of a comedy.

[Deathstroke]

SportsNight and Firefly are two of the most recent examples of being cancelled to soon.

Another two series I was thoroughly disgusted when they were canceled were ABC's Nothing Sacred and CBS's EZ Streets.

[kalorama]

Ned and Stacy.

Nowadays people love Thomas Haden Church and Debra Messing....just not on this show. Their later successes don't hold a candle to this underappreciated gem of a comedy.

I really liked that show. Nice unsentimental, darkly funny comedy.

[GoGo Yubari]

The Ben Stiller Show is a definite one. That should've been on Comedy Central or HBO or something.

[C.O. Jones]

'Now And Again', which got cancelled on one of TV's greatest cliffhangers of all time.

[Spiff]

Arrested Development. Poor, poor Arrested Development.

And Futurama. Family Guy wishes it could be as funny or heartwarming or, uh, majorly depressing.

[Messchird]

One more: Black Books. It's very good stuff.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

" The Norm Show " by ABC. Norm McDonald was at his cynical peak in this. My mom still wants the DVD set to happen.

The funniest episode was when Arte Lange ( playing Norm's younger dim witted bro) gets arrested for putting togethor an illegal gambling rig. ( He went to save Norm from doing it and got hooked himself and got arrested as the Leader).

Norm vows to get his bail money and get him out. Norm gets the bail money and hears about a horse or dog race. He ends blowing the money gambling !


In another they had to write Norm's 1st boss out after Max Wright signed. The guy goes up on the ledge with a gun and demands to talk to Norm. So he gets by the window...and yells over the bullhorn :

" Sir, your looking quite good up there. By the way sir , I'm sorry about your daughter. She told me she was 21." ( A red dot appears on Norm as he continues. Everyones lookin at him in shock. " Look , he's waving at me. See , thats a happy man."

[Shade]

Sports Night
Once and Again
Joan of Arcadia

[cactusmaac]

The Prisoner.

[Adaptoid]

I'm going with "Cop Rock". And where's the DVD by the way?

[Cyke]

Andy Richter Controls the Universe. It was essentially Scrubs but for the Conan O'Brien crowd.

And I'm so glad that Nothing Sacred's been mentioned. Score one more for William Donahue. The whole point of the show was that the main character, a priest who questions his call, ends up sticking to his faith despite all his own personal doubts. But no, we can't have a show glorifying faith overcomes all if a priest loses faith in the first place.

I really hate the Catholic League.

[traxler]

sorry, wrong thread!

[Shellhead]

Homicide: Life on the Streets had a couple of close calls early on. The network cut the first season short, at 13 episodes. The "second" season might have just been unaired episodes from the first, since the second season was like five episodes. After that, the critical acclaim managed to sway the network (was it NBC?) to give the show a fair shot, so seasons 3 - 7 were full-length seasons at about 22 episodes each.

[Forefinger]

Homicide: Life on the Streets had a couple of close calls early on. The network cut the first season short, at 13 episodes. The "second" season might have just been unaired episodes from the first, since the second season was like five episodes. After that, the critical acclaim managed to sway the network (was it NBC?) to give the show a fair shot, so seasons 3 - 7 were full-length seasons at about 22 episodes each.
Yeah, it was NBC. They never understood what they had with that show. BTW, I saw a commercial for a new FX series with Andre Braughter (I don't think that's spelled right) from Homicde, called Thief. I'll check out anything that guy does. He kicked ass as Det. Pembilton (that was his character right?) Anyway, when he had someone in the box, you knew that guy was in for it.

[The Mirrorball Man]

A TV show that was SO ahead of its time, they was cancelled early or misunderstood? The original Star Trek.

[stealthwise]

"Aaron Sorkin's Sports Night is a show that's too good to be funny!"

:)

Futurama, Undergrads, Mission Hill... what's with the animation bias?

[StoneGold]

The patron saint of TV shows way ahead of their time.

http://www.actapes.com/images/police%20squad.jpg

Six episodes. Six of the greatest episodes of anything to air on TV, ever. Leslie Nieslon doing the show that eventually became the Naked Gun movies. Seriously, pure genius.

Just below that, Get a Life, starring Chris Elliot.
http://dvdmedia.ign.com/media/reviews/image/getalife_model.jpg
http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00003PE9I.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Both these shows desperately need a full series DVD collection. Get a Life had a few episodes released on video that were eventually also collected on DVD through Rhino, but they need to put out the whole thing.

[Messchird]

Leslie Nielsen starred in a show? That's so cool! He's one of my fav American funny men.

[Petersen]

Freaks & Geeks was a really good show that didn't get a good chance. I dunno if it was ahead of it's time, but is seemed more advanced than the other childhood nostalgia shows like:that 70's show, Wonder Years, and American Dreams

[StoneGold]

Leslie Nielsen starred in a show? That's so cool! He's one of my fav American funny men.
The Naked Gun was basically the sequel to Police Squad! Nielson, and Ed Williams, who was Ted, the scientist, played the same characters. Ed, the captain, and Norberg were also on the series, but they were played by people other than Kennedy and OJ. Norberg was originally a white guy, actually.



EDIT: Oh, and Nielson is Canadian.

[SoulOnIce]

Profit.

So ahead of its time it's not even funny.

[StoneGold]

Trust me. I know what I'm doing.

http://www.serienoldies.de/images3/sledge_sledge.jpg

[Spastic Minnow]

[edit] (whoops, take too long and see what happens, I actually started writing this before SoulonIce, but had to leave wiole writing it :o )

You have to admit that Profit is right up the alley of current HBO, Showtime, F/X type programming. a morally corrupt character doing dishonest things. It really wasn't my thing though.

More my taste were the police farces like the aforementioned Police Squad! and the similarly exclamation marked Sledge Hammer!. I'm not sure if they were really ahead of their times though. You could almost say they were behind thier times. They were both 80's answers to shows the like of Get Smart. Gag heavy farces like those fell out of favor by the 80's and really haven't made much of a comeback since, outside of cartoons.
But I also don't get how Police Squad! has never been released on DVD. I used to think they'd be offered with a box set of the Naked Gun movies but that set has come and gone... Unless they plan on putting another one out sometime.

Also, anyone esle think the Naked Gun sequels never should have been named the way they were? The ful title of the first one was The Naked Gun: From the files of Police Squad! The sequels should have also been like that "The Smell of Fear: From the files of Police Squad!"

[SUPERECWFAN1]

The NBC series " Players " by Dick Wolf. It came out in 1996 and lasted awhile. The series was decent on Fridays and had good Saturday ratings. But NBC decided to cancel it.

It was a radical departure for Wolf who went against the usual Cops shows he did. This one starred a trio of ex-con artists who had to work with the police so they wouldn't go back to jail.

It starred Ice-T and Costas Mandaylar. Sadly NBC decided to cancel this unique show so we got Profiler instead. ( I always found it funny they kept that show. Mad TV used to have a sketch where no one knew the show even existed it was so funny.)

[Forefinger]

I loved Get a Life. Chris Elliot and his dad were soo damn funny.

Star Trek is the perfect example.

[tricksterpup]

2 of my all time Favorites.

MaxHeadroom
and
Doctor Doctor

[Lubichev]

Manimal!

MANIMAL!!

[Crinos]

Clone High. That must have been the greatest cartoon ever, and it never even made it through its first season.

DAMN FINICKIY MTV! CLONE HIGH COULD HAVE BEEN THE NEXT DARIA YOU DOUCHEBAGS!!!

[RawShark]

Earth 2

Earth 2

[jadegiant77]

Wonderfalls

Point Pleasant

Dennis Leary's cop show(can't remember the name):forerunner of Rescue Me

Dark Angel

[ScottDMSimmons]

SPORTS NIGHT popped into my head right away when I read the thread title. I love that I have the series on DVD nowadays. Even though I'm sad it ended, I'm glad they gave it an ending (and a very satirical and true-to-life one (the show within the show getting cancelled)).... instead of it just stopping. I mean, I HATED it when Boston Public just stopped. I don't even think all the episodes were even played. I think FOX could have let them give it an ending (a graduation of a freshman from Season One or a closing of Winslow High would have worked perfectly).

--Scott

[ScottDMSimmons]

I loved Ned and Stacey. The premise (fake marriage for business promotions) was perfectly crazy enough, and it was a funny show. Wish it had been on longer too. Hayden Church was the main reason I wanted to see SIDEWAYS.

--Scott

http://www.mofolandia.com.br/ned/NAS_elenco02.jpg http://www.mofolandia.com.br/ned/NedAndStacey.jpg

[The Batman]

dunno about ahead of its time but Freaks and Geeks was a great show that seems to have been misunderstood and prematurely cancelled.

[Messchird]

Okay, keep going, come on!

[stealthwise]

Many people love Undeclared, which had the plug pulled so fast I was unable to catch all but two episodes.

[StoneGold]

I loved Ned and Stacey. The premise (fake marriage for business promotions) was perfectly crazy enough, and it was a funny show. Wish it had been on longer too. Hayden Church was the main reason I wanted to see SIDEWAYS.


Ned and Stacy would have only been ahead of it's time if Ned was gay. Although with the way he dressed...

[Messchird]

Sleath wise, Posh Nosh was in a worse fate. Only once I HAVE seen it and it vanished totally!
But I remember that woman and that thin man's chemistry.
Oh, it was a perfect 15 minute...

[Messchird]

I forgot to mention Parker Lewis can't lose. It was a show I watched as a kid. One of the funniest minutes in children TV shows!

[DonC]

Max Headroom is the first show that I thought of. Not many shows can satarize events 15-20 years before they happen.

[Messchird]

How did max Headroom did that? How?

[StoneGold]

I forgot to mention Parker Lewis can't lose. It was a show I watched as a kid. One of the funniest minutes in children TV shows!
That show was very much of it's time. So much so, it debuted the same day as a show damn near exactly the same as it. And it lasted a good couple of years, which is pretty good for a show about high school.

[kalorama]

"Popular" was a bit of a guilty pleasure ofr me.

[Bloopinator]

Futurama, it was literally before it's time and it got cancelled before the year 3000!
Joan of Arcadia, made dumb people think to much I guess.
Some other stuff....

[Deathstroke]

Sports Night
Once and Again
Joan of Arcadia

Oh yes, Joan of Arcadia should've been on my list.

[Hi-Fi]

Wonderfalls.

And aparently, Reunion.

[dougputhoff]

Gilligan's Island.

Seven people stranded on a desert island--sounds like a reality series.

[xnef1025]

American Gothic.

[Albert]

Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future ~ Just awesome. True science-fiction instead of the space opera that usually masquerades as sci-fi.

Ernie Kovacs ~ If Cocteau and Groucho Marx had a baby.

White Dwarf ~ A fantasy series with alot of potential that never got out of the gate (pilot only).

[GozertheGozarian]

God, the Devil, and Bob

[ScottDMSimmons]

That show was very much of it's time. So much so, it debuted the same day as a show damn near exactly the same as it. And it lasted a good couple of years, which is pretty good for a show about high school.

That other show was FERRIS BUELLER... Parker Lewis beat him at his own game. Talk about a show with a meaningful title.

--Scott

http://www.corinnemec.com/parkerlewiseh.jpgVERSUShttp://www.80s.com/saveferris/images/misc/tvcast.jpg

WINNER:

http://www.corinnemec.com/parklcast.gif

[choptop]

Firefly: It was on a network that was known for cancelling good tv shows and replaced them with crap. Had It not been canned then maybe it would have gotten a much greater fanbase and the movie wouldn't have tanked.
what Firefly has a movie.?

[choptop]

sorry but Joan of Arcadia sucks to me cuz god dont need a tv show. ;)

[SUPERECWFAN1]

That other show was FERRIS BUELLER... Parker Lewis beat him at his own game. Talk about a show with a meaningful title.

--Scott

http://www.corinnemec.com/parkerlewiseh.jpgVERSUShttp://www.80s.com/saveferris/images/misc/tvcast.jpg

WINNER:

http://www.corinnemec.com/parklcast.gif


I don't think it helped Charlie Shlatter on the 1st episode of FB to pull out a chainsaw and destroy a cardboard cutout of Mathew Broderick. Granted it was an artistic statement by the producers to try but I think it failed because people liked Broderick in Ferris Bueller.

[Doom]

I think a number of people are listing shows that got canceled when they shouldn't have instead of listing ones which were genuinely ahead of their time.

[Messchird]

Doom, let's hear the truely ahead of time tv shows, if you know of one.

[Mia]

Manimal!

MANIMAL!!

Yeah that was good.

One show I liked and it only lasted six episodes was "Profit". Oh my God it was creepy and scarry. Took the notion of underhanded dirty office politics to a whole new level. I am not surprised that it was cancelled.

[kalorama]

The original Battlestar Galactica, axed after only 1 season.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

The original Battlestar Galactica, axed after only 1 season.


I remember reading a story somewhere on the internet. That Battlestar was the most expensive show for syndication at the time in the 1970's. Its a shame what happened to it. I've caught some repeats on Sci Fi when I could.

[Jared]

I do believe EZ Streets, a dark drama about an undercover cop and a crook trying to go legit, would be a success today, when long-story arcs aren't are a bad thing.

[Deathstroke]

I do believe EZ Streets, a dark drama an undercover cop an a crook trying to go legit, would be a success today, when long-story arcs aren't are a bad thing.

I don't know that it would have much more of a chance now than it did before. For every 24 or Prison Break, there's still a Reunion. It's still a 50-50 crapshoot.

[Stretch Dude]

Space Cases. A different network, maybe a couple years later...woulda been a smash.

[LoneWolf21]

Space Cases. A different network, maybe a couple years later...woulda been a smash.

I loved that show. _Loved_ it. So much fun. If it ever hit the dvd shelves I'd grab it for sure.

[Stretch Dude]

I loved that show. _Loved_ it. So much fun. If it ever hit the dvd shelves I'd grab it for sure.

I'd be first in line. SC is the show that made me a geek.

[Tommy]

I am going to second the Norm show. I found a tape of an episode where the main characters were all dressed up like Pokemon and I almost died laughing.

I will also second Popular. Brilliant show that was canceled because the Network didn't get that the show was not Dawson's Creek.

[kalorama]

I don't know that it would have much more of a chance now than it did before. For every 24 or Prison Break, there's still a Reunion. It's still a 50-50 crapshoot.

The odds of a new show succeeding on network TV aren't even that good.

[cbridentity]

ACTION. It was on Fox and starred Jay Mohr and Elena Douglas. It was a comical "insider" look at an action movie producer. I think it was pretty ahead of it's time, for a TV show.

[Deathstroke]

ACTION. It was on Fox and starred Jay Mohr and Elena Douglas. It was a comical "insider" look at an action movie producer. I think it was pretty ahead of it's time, for a TV show.

The show's pilot was absolutely hilarious. I didn't think it maintained that level of funny though. Oh, and it's Ileana Douglas.

[DonC]

I remember reading a story somewhere on the internet. That Battlestar was the most expensive show for syndication at the time in the 1970's. Its a shame what happened to it. I've caught some repeats on Sci Fi when I could.


I don't know about the syndication thing, but, yeah, the original was canceled because it was so expensive to produce. And, unfortunately, Galactica 1980 wasn't so expensive.

[DrewTheXenocide]

Do Over and Off Centre on the WB a while back were friggin' awesome. So was Oliver Beene, on FOX.

[kalorama]

I don't know about the syndication thing, but, yeah, the original was canceled because it was so expensive to produce. And, unfortunately, Galactica 1980 wasn't so expensive.

In addition to the expense, I recall seeing a Richard Hatch interview where he said that each episode also required so much production time that they were constantly running up against deadlines and were having trouble completing episodes in time for them to air.

[DF2506]

Dead Like Me-A great show. I only saw it on dvd, since I don't have Showtime. I'd heard about this online and took a chance with Season 1 and thought it was GREAT. Liked season 2 also. I thought it was terrible when Showtime canceled. Man, they've really gone downhill alot...

Wonderfalls-From the same creator of Dead Like Me, this was a really good show and definitly deserved to go on. Glad the rest of the season came out on dvd...*sigh*

Firefly-Only 13 episodes this show was out. Ya, it got lucky and had a movie, but that was only because Joss Whedon wouldn't give up! I'm glad for the movie, because it was great. Sure, it didn't do great at the thearter, but at the very least it got that one movie! Thats more then most shows. Still, what could have been with the series...

Farscape-It got four seasons, but I still think this show was canceled too soon. It was just really great. I loved it. Sure, not every episode was great, but it had more quality episodes then most shows. Loved the wackiness and the Crichtonisms and...well...everything. Just a cool show. Miss it a ton!

Joan of Arcadia-I really thought Joan was going to last. It seemed like it was going too. It got 2 seasons and was going good...and then....CBS cans it. *sigh* Miss this show.

Now & Again-CBS again. This was a really good show for them. Eric Close was cool in it and the series was excellent. Disliked that it ended on a cliffhanger. *sigh* Hate when that happens!

Sliders-Sure it got 5 seasons, but after FOX messed it up with season 3, it was never the same. Season 1 and 2 were really brillant. Just great sci-fi, mixed with dark humor and really good characters. FOX decided to put more action and less dark humor, plus plenty of movie rip-offs into season 3. It just went downhill. Sci-fi took it over in season 4 and it was a little bit better, but no season 1 or 2. And season 5..well...it was ok. Still better then season 3, but the show was definitly not the same without Jerry O'Connell...

John Doe-FOX had the perfect replacement for the X-Files here. They should have put this on X-Files Sunday night time slot. I think it would have done great there. Instead...they put on Fridays. Death night for any FOX genre shows. John Doe was a cool show. And another show that ended on a cliffhanger...

Strange Luck-Really strange show, but really good show too. D.B. Sweeny was good in it. Liked all the episodes. This show even had an X-Files reference! I think there may have been a crossover with the X-Files if this had lasted. *sigh*

Nowhere Man-This could have been the next X-Files. Heck, it could have been BETTER then the X-Files. So much mystery and Bruce Greenwood was really good in this show. Just a really cool show. UPN definitly should have hung onto this one!

Enterprise-This show was getting really good! Maybe the best it had been (though I did like season 1 alot). I think UPN really jumped the gun here. This was really the only show UPN had going for it. Sure, Veronica Mars is good, but this was THE show for UPN. Star Trek launched the network. I mean come on! If they could give VOYAGER seven years, they could have given this show THAT! *sigh*

And thats all for now. Man...so many great shows....

DF2506
" Miss them all too. Especially Farscape, Firefly, Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls, and Joan."

[Messchird]

I remember Pinky and Brain and Freakzoid! a long time ago. They were great cartoons.
And a mention to Richard Pryor must not go amiss, the Richard Pyor show was very ahead of its time.

Now I'll change the topic: Movies. What movies were so ahead of time, they were either ignored or ridculed or underpromoted?

[o1pickleboy]

Sliders-Sure it got 5 seasons, but after FOX messed it up with season 3, it was never the same. Season 1 and 2 were really brillant. Just great sci-fi, mixed with dark humor and really good characters. FOX decided to put more action and less dark humor, plus plenty of movie rip-offs into season 3. It just went downhill. Sci-fi took it over in season 4 and it was a little bit better, but no season 1 or 2. And season 5..well...it was ok. Still better then season 3, but the show was definitly not the same without Jerry O'Connell...

Strange Luck-Really strange show, but really good show too. D.B. Sweeny was good in it. Liked all the episodes. This show even had an X-Files reference! I think there may have been a crossover with the X-Files if this had lasted. *sigh*

Nowhere Man-This could have been the next X-Files. Heck, it could have been BETTER then the X-Files. So much mystery and Bruce Greenwood was really good in this show. Just a really cool show. UPN definitly should have hung onto this one!

Sliders- failed from to much moving. It kept it core fans, but harely gained new ones. At the end the show wasn't even the same show.

Nowhere Man was ahead of it time- talk about the orginial identity theft.


I like to add

7 days and obdessy 5- they were sci fic shows that you didn't need a degree to understand. One sci- fiction concept and run with it(at least for 7 days) Obdessy 5 was just cool. They both also had large doses of reality in them.

[Deathstroke]

7 days and obdessy 5- they were sci fic shows that you didn't need a degree to understand. One sci- fiction concept and run with it(at least for 7 days) Obdessy 5 was just cool. They both also had large doses of reality in them.


Odyssey 5 will be hitting DVD soon.

[IamtheRock3]

MOST disney cartoons that canceld becaused of their stuput 52 episode rules

Ducktails was a classic


Batman Beyond


Profit- Was like the nip tuck, the shield in sensibillity. But I dont know how long they could keep the story of a scumbag..without making him not get caught riddiicolus..because they would want to keep topping themselves

Mahattan Arizon- think that the name..was a USA show came on before this show a War next door..pretty damm funny

Sam and max- would of put it on after the simspsons made it more Teen oriented, The kids would follow, so would Weed head adults

Freakly Links- have a show about it now..called Supernatural

Lone Gunmen- man if they stuck with the feel and Drama/Humor balance for the Pilot..it would STILL BE ON

Futurama

[GabrielleWP]

Twin Peaks Way before the whole JJ Abrams craze.

[kalorama]

Twin Peaks Way before the whole JJ Abrams craze.

I thought Twin Peaks was cancelled well after its time. After the initial 6 episodes, the whole thing descended into an unfathomable mess.

[StoneGold]

Yeah, the first season or so of Twin Peaks was very much of it's time. The ratings were great. But they really hadn't figured that sucker out. It wasn't really designed to be network series television.

[GabrielleWP]

I thought Twin Peaks was cancelled well after its time. After the initial 6 episodes, the whole thing descended into an unfathomable mess

StoneGold Yeah, the first season or so of Twin Peaks was very much of it's time. The ratings were great. But they really hadn't figured that sucker out. It wasn't really designed to be network series television.

Em no. Both wrong.
Twin Peaks was from April 1990 to June 1991. After the hype following the first few episodes, and after Laura's murder was "solved". ABC moved it around in time slots, and less than a year after it started in Feb, they put in on a leave of absense. They finally said ok to the last 6 or so episodes, but the damage was done.

So I still think it wasn't allowed to grow and given time like other shows. I mean if mindless sh*t like Family Matters, Full House and Major Dad could rank in the top 20 for those years, and Twin Peaks wasn't, doesnt say much for the thinking mans tv.

GWP

[kalorama]

Em no. Both wrong.
Twin Peaks was from April 1990 to June 1991. After the hype following the first few episodes, and after Laura's murder was "solved". ABC moved it around in time slots, and less than a year after it started in Feb, they put in on a leave of absense. They finally said ok to the last 6 or so episodes, but the damage was done.

So I still think it wasn't allowed to grow and given time like other shows. I mean if mindless sh*t like Family Matters, Full House and Major Dad could rank in the top 20 for those years, and Twin Peaks wasn't, doesnt say much for the thinking mans tv.

GWP

And how does any of that make my opinion of the show "wrong"?

Like I said, I thought the show was interesting for the first few episodes. After that, it started to choke on its own hype and became a silly, over-the-top mess, more interested in being "unique" (read "self-consciously weird") than actually telling a story.

[TomGun13]

Leslie Nielsen starred in a show? That's so cool! He's one of my fav American funny men.

Leslie Nielsen is Canadian

[TomGun13]

Trust me. I know what I'm doing.

http://www.serienoldies.de/images3/sledge_sledge.jpg

You beat me too it.

[jessecuster]

So many great shows listed here:
Firefly
Sports Night
Undeclared
Parker Lewis - I still call Abraham Benrubi "Kubiak" whenever I see him on a show.

[Davideaux]

Dennis Leary's cop show(can't remember the name):forerunner of Rescue Me


"The Job" should have never been canned. It would work now, especially opposite "Earl" and "the Office."

[Young Avenger]

All the new shows that debuted on Fox this season.

[Spastic Minnow]

All the new shows that debuted on Fox this season.
:confused:
The new fox shows this year were riddled with retreads (2 crime procedurals, a quirky law show, a disfunctional family sitcom) and have had a modest amount of success. True, two of the more unique projects failed but I wouldn't say Reunion or Kitchen Confidential were really ahead of their time. Reunion was an attempt to create a gimmick like 24 and KC was one of many "quirky" comedies premeiring in the last few years.

Prison Break is somewhat unique but it is successful so it can't be accused of being 'ahead of it's time."


My new nomination goes to "Miracles," which was only about 2-3 years ahead of it's time. I really think it would have been a hit if it was debuted in this new genre-friendly post-'Lost' landscape.

[Jape]

I wouldn't call it ahead of it's time, but it was certainly unique and bloody funny. Black Books on Channel 4 in the UK. It had such a great mixture of silly/surreal events and realisms that most sitcoms don't have. Truly a show based on the little smart things over stupid 'climaxes' (a lot of the jokes in the first episodes got applause from the audience). It did start to follow the usual formula towards the end however, so maybe it was for the best that it ended?

Still Dylan Moran and Bill Bailey in a Frankenstein homage quickly followed by them killing the Pope with an 'inferior wine' is comic gold. As well as the smart casual jacket made of receipts bit. :rolleyes:

[DDM]

Joan of Arcadia-I really thought Joan was going to last. It seemed like it was going too. It got 2 seasons and was going good...and then....CBS cans it. *sigh* Miss this show.

Joan of Arcadia lost its audience. The show never recovered; thus, the show was cancelled. It happens.

Sliders-Sure it got 5 seasons, but after FOX messed it up with season 3, it was never the same. Season 1 and 2 were really brillant. Just great sci-fi, mixed with dark humor and really good characters. FOX decided to put more action and less dark humor, plus plenty of movie rip-offs into season 3. It just went downhill. Sci-fi took it over in season 4 and it was a little bit better, but no season 1 or 2. And season 5..well...it was ok. Still better then season 3, but the show was definitly not the same without Jerry O'Connell...

Sliders never had a stable Earth. They kept sliding from Earth to Earth. It became more confusing with the new characters. I didn't care for the Slider race that imprisoned other Earths. From that point, the show lost its direction.

[Immaterial_Girl]

Dead Like Me-A great show. I only saw it on dvd, since I don't have Showtime. I'd heard about this online and took a chance with Season 1 and thought it was GREAT. Liked season 2 also. I thought it was terrible when Showtime canceled. Man, they've really gone downhill alot...

Wonderfalls-From the same creator of Dead Like Me, this was a really good show and definitly deserved to go on. Glad the rest of the season came out on dvd...*sigh*

Firefly-Only 13 episodes this show was out. Ya, it got lucky and had a movie, but that was only because Joss Whedon wouldn't give up! I'm glad for the movie, because it was great. Sure, it didn't do great at the thearter, but at the very least it got that one movie! Thats more then most shows. Still, what could have been with the series...

Farscape-It got four seasons, but I still think this show was canceled too soon. It was just really great. I loved it. Sure, not every episode was great, but it had more quality episodes then most shows. Loved the wackiness and the Crichtonisms and...well...everything. Just a cool show. Miss it a ton!

Joan of Arcadia-I really thought Joan was going to last. It seemed like it was going too. It got 2 seasons and was going good...and then....CBS cans it. *sigh* Miss this show.

Now & Again-CBS again. This was a really good show for them. Eric Close was cool in it and the series was excellent. Disliked that it ended on a cliffhanger. *sigh* Hate when that happens!

Sliders-Sure it got 5 seasons, but after FOX messed it up with season 3, it was never the same. Season 1 and 2 were really brillant. Just great sci-fi, mixed with dark humor and really good characters. FOX decided to put more action and less dark humor, plus plenty of movie rip-offs into season 3. It just went downhill. Sci-fi took it over in season 4 and it was a little bit better, but no season 1 or 2. And season 5..well...it was ok. Still better then season 3, but the show was definitly not the same without Jerry O'Connell...

John Doe-FOX had the perfect replacement for the X-Files here. They should have put this on X-Files Sunday night time slot. I think it would have done great there. Instead...they put on Fridays. Death night for any FOX genre shows. John Doe was a cool show. And another show that ended on a cliffhanger...

Strange Luck-Really strange show, but really good show too. D.B. Sweeny was good in it. Liked all the episodes. This show even had an X-Files reference! I think there may have been a crossover with the X-Files if this had lasted. *sigh*

Nowhere Man-This could have been the next X-Files. Heck, it could have been BETTER then the X-Files. So much mystery and Bruce Greenwood was really good in this show. Just a really cool show. UPN definitly should have hung onto this one!

Enterprise-This show was getting really good! Maybe the best it had been (though I did like season 1 alot). I think UPN really jumped the gun here. This was really the only show UPN had going for it. Sure, Veronica Mars is good, but this was THE show for UPN. Star Trek launched the network. I mean come on! If they could give VOYAGER seven years, they could have given this show THAT! *sigh*

And thats all for now. Man...so many great shows....

DF2506
" Miss them all too. Especially Farscape, Firefly, Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls, and Joan."

I'm totally with you on Farscape, Nowhere Man, Strange Luck and Enterprise. It seems every show I like is doomed to early cancellation!

[Ravenheart]

Dead Like Me-A great show. I only saw it on dvd, since I don't have Showtime. I'd heard about this online and took a chance with Season 1 and thought it was GREAT. Liked season 2 also. I thought it was terrible when Showtime canceled. Man, they've really gone downhill alot...



I agree 100% That was a great show and there were so many things they could have done on the show.Its a shame it was cancelled.

[Deathstroke]

Sliders never had a stable Earth. They kept sliding from Earth to Earth. It became more confusing with the new characters. I didn't care for the Slider race that imprisoned other Earths. From that point, the show lost its direction.

It also didn't help when they lost Jerry O'Connell. I loved Rembrandt, but when the main actor leaves and they come up with a hatchet job replacement for him, it's just not the same.

[brian2322]

kolchak the nightstalker

[spoon_jenkins]

Sliders-Sure it got 5 seasons, but after FOX messed it up with season 3, it was never the same. Season 1 and 2 were really brillant. Just great sci-fi, mixed with dark humor and really good characters. FOX decided to put more action and less dark humor, plus plenty of movie rip-offs into season 3. It just went downhill. Sci-fi took it over in season 4 and it was a little bit better, but no season 1 or 2. And season 5..well...it was ok. Still better then season 3, but the show was definitly not the same without Jerry O'Connell...

It amazes me that fans so overwhelmingly agree about how Sliders went wrong (I generally agree with you, but I think it declined some more on Sci-Fi rather than bouncing back a bit), and yet TPTB could realize the mistakes they were making. Whose lame advice were they listening to?

Sliders- failed from to much moving. It kept it core fans, but harely gained new ones. At the end the show wasn't even the same show.
I disagree, at least in my case. I started watching during the second season and quickly became a big fan. The show didn't keep me with all its changes. It alienated me, and I think others as well.

[Goldenbane]

"Working" with Fred Savage: That show was absolutely hilarious!! Even when the NBC screwed with it and changed everything in the second season, Fred, the other characters, and the rest of the show's crew still tried so hard to be funny...and generally succeeded. It was sort of like Family Guy funny, a bit edgy. I really miss "Working."

[Messchird]

I got some interesting TV show called Strangers with Candy.
It's about a old woman who has to go back to High school.
Here's the photo for it.

http://www.gothamist.com/images/2003_6_strangerswith.jpg

Apparently, it only had 30 episodes...

[blackdragon6]

war of the worls tv show,ahead of its time in terms of gore.and also had interesting subplots and story arcs.the premise of the story is that the aliens didn't die but they went into a form of hibernation.and their body's was placed in drum containers,and their ships was put into warehouses.though unfortunately some eco terrorist released the aliens by accident.and the aliens come out of their hibernation and take over the terrorists bodies.so this small batch of aliens go around trying to revive others,and their war machines.so theres this underground covert guerilla warfare going on between the aliens and a goverment black ops unit.some time one side would win and some time one side would lose.and even sometimes they would even have hollow victories.