Greetings.
Today's question was mentioned in yesterday's thread by I believe Mike Mears. If not, well, soak up the adulation anyway.
TV show that was unjustly cancelled and deserved a longer run?
Myself, I have to go with a fairly obvious answer and say Freaks & Geeks. It's one of those shows that's built on a mile-high tower of hype, and is just as good, if not better than what people say. A fantastic show that's built with an incredible cast of characters & actors. This show had true potential to be one of the all-time greats, but was snuffed out due to ratings problems. Also, it's cousin, Undeclared is another great show that was never brought back. I remember watching it when it first aired with That 80's Show.
How say you?
Also, I've been wanting to create commentary tracks for movies for quite a while now, and I've finally got around to doing it. I did a 30 minute commentary for Die Hard just to test to the waters. So far I've got some great response to it, so I thought I'd try it out here for anyone who wants to give it a listen. I'd really like to hear what you think, along with any movie suggestions for future commentary tracks.
Caliber's Commentary - Die Hard I banter for a minute or so in the beginning, and the commentary on the film starts right after John says "welcome to the party, pal".
Today's question was mentioned in yesterday's thread by I believe Mike Mears. If not, well, soak up the adulation anyway.
TV show that was unjustly cancelled and deserved a longer run?
Myself, I have to go with a fairly obvious answer and say Freaks & Geeks. It's one of those shows that's built on a mile-high tower of hype, and is just as good, if not better than what people say. A fantastic show that's built with an incredible cast of characters & actors. This show had true potential to be one of the all-time greats, but was snuffed out due to ratings problems. Also, it's cousin, Undeclared is another great show that was never brought back. I remember watching it when it first aired with That 80's Show.
How say you?
Also, I've been wanting to create commentary tracks for movies for quite a while now, and I've finally got around to doing it. I did a 30 minute commentary for Die Hard just to test to the waters. So far I've got some great response to it, so I thought I'd try it out here for anyone who wants to give it a listen. I'd really like to hear what you think, along with any movie suggestions for future commentary tracks.
Caliber's Commentary - Die Hard I banter for a minute or so in the beginning, and the commentary on the film starts right after John says "welcome to the party, pal".
Partners on CBS
ReplyDeleteCan't argue with either Freaks and Geeks or Undeclared. But for me I would say Lights Out on FX. Great show, ended on a cliffhanger that unfortunately never got the credit it deserves. Also honorable mention goes The Black Donnelly's.
ReplyDeleteHeroes - Really liked the show. Only lasted 4 seasons.
ReplyDeleteArsenio Hall Show - My favorite late night show; deserved to still be on TV today.
inb4 everyone who says Firefly.
ReplyDeleteLegendary Nights on HBO.
ReplyDeleteReal answer, though: Party Down. So funny and so good, and a true injustice that it only lasted 2 seasons.
ReplyDeleteGoing to go old school and say WKRP in Cincinnati. That sucker had a lot of gas left in the tank when it got the axe.
ReplyDeleteIt was great, but I don't really view it as a tragedy of sorts since they will went on to better gigs.
ReplyDeleteHeroes got duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuumb.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Season 3 was where I finally said "fuck this retarded shit".
ReplyDeleteBut was just finding its feet again when it got iced. Deserved at least one more season. It'll always be the biggest casualty of the writers' strike in my mind (the second season got TOTALLY ruined by the strike and it took them a long time to recover).
ReplyDeleteEvery show Matthew Perry has been on post-Friends.
ReplyDeleteThere is only one answer:
ReplyDeleteArrested Development.
I love Freaks and Geeks, but I almost love it more because it is one season.
I never did care for Undeclared oddly enough.
Sports Night and obviously Firefly
ReplyDeleteThe same can be said for Freaks and Geeks, I suppose, but that doesn't mean I don't miss the show. Also, I don't actually think Martin Starr has found regular work just yet, at least not in TV or movies.
ReplyDeleteYou're not alone in that. I loved Freaks and Geeks with everything I have, but I just could not get into Undeclared, no matter how much I stuck with it. Jason Segel was the only real bright spot of that show for me, and he was only a recurring cast member.
ReplyDeleteJason Segel was HILARIOUS. Eric is probably one of my favorite TV characters of all time.
ReplyDeleteDollhouse would have been a great long-term show on Syfy or another basic cable network, but instead got buried by Fox from Day 1 and only got a second season because Fox didn't want to be blacklisted by Joss Whedon after screwing him over two straight times.
ReplyDeleteTerriers :(...
ReplyDeleteAlso, I was really digging Awake too.
Caliber, bubby, I'm your white knight!
ReplyDeleteThat said, the commentary needs A LOT of work.
It's like listening to a twelve year old on a sugar high talk through a movie.
Playmakers. I'm kind of surprised FX or HBO didn't pick it up, after all, it didn't get axed because of low ratings.
ReplyDeleteHe's on one of the Adult Swim shows. The NCIS knock-off. I am drawing a blank on the name.
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, he hasn't really found a big job. He was the best on Party Down.
Man, I'm so frustrated with myself. I lived in the LA area around the time Arsenio was finishing up, and had an opportunity to go one night (which happened to be the night Bobcat Goldthwait went nuts, flinging chairs). Unfortunately, other plans came up, and I didn't go -- I don't even remember what the hell was so important (meaning that it probably wasn't THAT important).
ReplyDeleteArrested Development got 3 seasons of low ratings and came back on netflix. Fox gave it many chances to succeed and it failed on network television.
ReplyDeleteIt got axed because the NFL didn't like it and it hurt the relationship between nfl and espn.
ReplyDeleteThanks for pointing out obvious things.
ReplyDeleteFirefly is an obvious choice not just because it was such a good show, but because of how poorly FOX treated it. The Friday night death slot, airing episodes out of order, etc. It never stood a chance.
ReplyDeletethe best part about nitro was the late night replay. i miss the summers being a kid after raw i could watch nitro like 1-4AM.
ReplyDeleteTonight Show with Conan O'brien
ReplyDeletei thought the recent resurgence of beavis and butt-head was a no-brainer. i think it would've done better on fx or spike or something though.
ReplyDeleteThe Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. The biggest screwjob since Montreal.
ReplyDeleteAgreed about That 80s Show. A totally pathetic, bad idea that people called out immediately. A huge part of That 70s Show was the Red/Eric relationship, or the way the friends acted around each other. They had maybe ONE EPISODE that referenced disco, and the rest was about rock music, and the only stereotypes of the era were found in the fashion and hair, which often went unremarked on (nobody was ever like "Hey! Nice bare chest/flared slacks!") That 80s Show was just "hey look! She's dressed like Pat Benatar!"
ReplyDeleteLearning the Ropes
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1fRXCKFrqw
Good call with Terriers. When I finally got around to watching that one, I tore through it. Donal Logue is one of the most underrated actors around.
ReplyDeleteUndeclared was at-best "okay" for me. It was the exact age and era I was (first year of college), but I found it clumsily written. Pulling the classic "fat guy with the inexplicably hot girlfriend" thing seemed pandering, too. Of course, that's the Apatow trademark...
ReplyDeleteI think that show also destroyed Eliza Dushku's career, because it not only failed, but she revealed her self to be an actress of mediocre talents on it. Despite being Joss Whedon Muses, both her & Summer Glau showed weakness in the past couple of years and suffered for it.
ReplyDeleteI admit that they kind of lost me when they shuffled the schedule around, but I remember that cop show Boomtown being really solid but being cancelled shortly after a really good first season.
ReplyDeleteYou didn't dig the new episodes of Beavis & Butt-Head? I absolutely loved them. I thought they were so far and above the originals it wasn't funny. Plus, I hated the music videos in the original show, and having them commentate on crappy MTV programs was much more funny.
ReplyDeleteDo you mean audio quality? I simply recorded it on my phone.
ReplyDeleteBathroomGuy, BOOBY
A lot of mine have been mentioned. Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared are both good calls. I mentioned Terriers and Lights Out when I posed the question yesterday.
ReplyDeleteHere's one that I doubt anyone else will say: The Loop. I thought that show was funny as hell, and it lasted 17 episodes.
Yeah, some of the episodes were pretty great (especially the werewolf/twilight one, where they keep howling despite dying of every pathogen ever).The only part I hated was all the commentaries during Jersey Shore- most of that show is not entertaining enough to talk about. I get WHY they went that route and not music videos (which have kind of died as a thing, and are no longer as entertainingly-bad at times- old-school MTV had a LOT of indie-level acts doing weird videos), but still it didn't work as well.
ReplyDeleteYou didn't like the music video commentaries? BLASPHEMY: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy3S4hvdlvE
ReplyDeleteSome were OK. But most of the videos were just so shitty, I couldn't stand them.
ReplyDeleteI was SHOCKED that it wasn't the first thing mentioned
ReplyDeleteYeah, the question wasn't really about what decisions you'd have made as a TV exec, but thanks for pointing out the obvious. Except you also failed to mention that they jerked it around by changing its timeslot three times and never putting any real promotion behind it.
ReplyDeleteAD was ahead of its time, though. Had it come along three years later it would've been for Fox what The Office was for NBC.
Audio quality could use some work.
ReplyDeleteBut I also think you lack a little focus. That's all. I found myself enjoying parts of it and then feeling like you were just meandering.
As much as I love Party Down, I think they exhausted the premise.
ReplyDeleteDeadwood, Firefly.
ReplyDelete(and it's bubby.)
ReplyDeleteHeroes - Was finally getting back into the groove when they pulled the plug
ReplyDeleteVeronica Mars - Had tons of potential even though the quality took a hit in season 3
Journeyman - Again tons of unrealized potential
I feel like I am going to think of more after a while...
This begins and ends with "Pushing Daisies" for me. The most unique and well-acted show on television, and it only got two short seasons because of the writer's strike killing off it's momentum. By far the best detective show ever, because it didn't take itself seriously, while being unafraid to be schmaltzy all the same. Plus Kristin Chenoweth musical numbers and the grossest death scenes ever.
ReplyDeleteKings - Brilliant new world with an epic feel... should have been on HBO or Netflix
ReplyDeleteStudio 60 on the Sunset Strip - Another one that should have been on HBO to get the full effect... basically The West Win for Saturday Night Live
I've seen an episode of it, so this is why I am asking: What do any of you feel about Life On Mars? I loved the pilot but never got around to watching it thanks to life at the time.
ReplyDeleteAlso a wonderful show that expired too soon: Life. It was absurdly great.
ReplyDeleteTerminator the Sarah Connor Chronicles.. it was very watchable and interesting.
ReplyDeleteI think the show suffered from having Matthew Perry acting like an idealized version of Aaron Sorkin himself. Most of his stuff is "why my opinions are the best ones", but before it was usually tempered. Here was just unrestrained "why I am correct and my ex-girlfriend and others are WRONG". Plus it was a show about comedy that wasn't funny.
ReplyDeleteThe Twilight one was fucking hysterical.
ReplyDeleteUndergrads. It's only been a decade. Sophomore year episodes should be just around the corner, right?
ReplyDeleteGreat point Re: Perry.
ReplyDeleteI had such a love-hate relationship with that show and it began and ended with Perry and Amanda Peete.
Bradley Whitford was fantastic, though.
I love Conan, but his new show just leaves a lot to be desired for me.
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, Leno is scum, and I'd bet any amount of money he ends up doing the same thing to Fallon.
Haha, they've been teasing that for YEARS. I love the fuck out of that show, though. It doesn't hold up quite as well now that jokes about college, cartoon characters jerking off, and more are all practically old-timey gags (plus most of the characters are one-note), but it had some real potential.
ReplyDeleteStudio 60 was screwed when it came out at the same time, and on the same channel no less, as 30 Rock.
ReplyDeleteYeah, and NBC fucking LOVED 30 Rock. I never found that show to be anything close to watchable thanks to Tracey Morgan (despite my enduring lust for Tina Fey), but NBC clearly worshipped the show and decided to push it for years no matter what.
ReplyDelete"A-wooooo *COUGH COUGH*!!"
ReplyDelete"These guys are all vampires and stuff, but I think this chick is like, a zombie or something. See how she's always just STARING, with her mouth hanging open?"
Much appreciated on the feedback, thank you.
ReplyDeleteI never got that. Why would you launch 2 shows with the same premise but different genres at the same time?
ReplyDeleteIs that the one where the guy can't touch anything because if he does he'll kill it?
ReplyDeleteI may be the only person on earth that loved That 80s Show. The pilot was god awful, with (as you said) every other joke being a "we're in the 80s!" reference, but after a few episodes, it calmed down a bit. Yes, it continued, but I'm a sucker for 1980's nostalgia, so I didn't mind.
ReplyDeleteThe relationship between Tuesday, the spiky haired punk rock girl (Chyler Leigh) and Corey (Glenn Howerton from It's Always Sunny..) was fantastic, until they pulled a Moonlighting and had them hook up in the last few episodes. The rest of the cast was all talented, but bogged down by bad writing. Geoff Pierson was the dad in an extension of his Unhappily Ever After character, Brittany Daniel was the typical 80's soap opera bimbo, etc. Then they would pull WWE booking and make her some executive at a company out of the blue. They were throwing darts in the writing room.
I freely admit it was a guilty pleasure show, and the writing was very sub par, even the non-80s references. I remember they preempted the show many times (I think once it went over a month without even an episode airing, new or rerun), and even aired episodes out of order (the Valentines Day episode aired about two weeks before V-Day). Plus, they piled on the broke guest stars (Tiffany, Pat Benatar, Ed McMahon) near the end. I can see exactly why it failed, but I enjoyed it, ha.
Around season 3 is where it started to go bad.
ReplyDeleteI still watch some clips of Arsenio Hall show posted on youtube. And to this day, it is still fun and entertaining to watch.
ReplyDeleteThose were fun times to be a wrestling fan.
ReplyDeleteI guess Family Guy and Futurama qualify for this list if Arrested Development does.
ReplyDeleteParty Down and Freaks & Geeks get honorable mentions but it's Terriers by a country mile. I loved everything about that show. I can't fathom that the ratings were so bad that Fx couldn't justify a home for it. The writing, plotting, tone, and setting all were just so up my alley. But I've also come to terms with the idea that it will never be back, and that one season was less of a serial tv show and more of a televised novel, only meant for one season.
ReplyDeleteAnother one I'll drop in is United States of Tara. The first season was kind of uneven but by the second and third they just presented a brilliant show that tore apart every piece of the dna of its premise, plus had relatable characters, and was funny. They brought it in for a smooth landing but they could've done so much more.
I loved Terriers too but if I remember correctly the show never drew in a million plus viewers after the premier episode. I think even the president of FX expressed his disappointment that he couldn't justify keeping such a great show on the air.
ReplyDeleteArsenio Hall is actually coming back to TV- haven't you heard? Of course, there's now like 800 talk shows late at night.
ReplyDeleteHis power is to return things to life with a touch. He can't touch them TWICE or else he'll kill them. Tragically, the love of his life is one of them.
ReplyDeletewrong about Undeclared and the overrated Arrested Development
ReplyDeleteI loved that show at the time, but I think the ship has sailed as far as bringing it back now.
ReplyDeleteno i mean i figured it would've stayed around longer. i actually liked them tooling on the mtv shows too.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the shows Key West and Thousand Lives of Blackjack Savage as a kid. Both only lasted one season on Fox and NBC respectively but I do remember making it a point to try to watch them. Also, The Adventures of Brisco County Jr is criminally underrated and should've gotten a longer run.
ReplyDelete- Get a Life
ReplyDelete- Mission Hill
- Newsradio
I loved Newsradio but the show fell off once Hartman died. Didn't really care for Jon Lovitz in that show.
ReplyDeleteReaper-Ray wise was awesome as the Devil.
ReplyDeleteI didn't really criticize it's quality or anything. I just didn't get into it. Thanks for the reading comprehension.
ReplyDeleteRay Wise is awesome at everything he does.
ReplyDeleteBut that role was he's peak,and the show had a great humor and characters.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely agree.
ReplyDeleteParty Down was incredible. The Steve Guttenberg episode is one of the funniest half hours of TV ever.
ReplyDeleteAt least we got the NEW WKRP with Tawny Kitaen.
ReplyDelete'Awake'. Show was fucking awesome, so of course NBC axes it after one season. Even then, they managed to wrap up that one season so cogently that it stands on its own as a great little mini-series.
ReplyDeleteI'm probably the only person that doesn't like Arrested.
ReplyDeleteEvery time someone mentions Sports Night, I think of that Family Guy episode.
ReplyDelete"It's too SMART to be funny!"
I didn't hate it, but I don't see it as "brilliant" as most people seem to think it is.
ReplyDeleteSo do I, but doesn't mean it wasn't a great show.
ReplyDeleteConan's Late Night show was always my favorite, after Letterman became a crabby curmudgeon in the late 1990's. However, his Tonight Show was tempered down too much and seemed too grandiose for his type of humor. Part of the charm of Late Night was the cheap crudeness of it all, in that old, small studio with terrible-but-hilarious props and puppets. The Tonight Show was too state of the art for him, and so was the writing.
ReplyDeleteI'm not going to fully blame Leno, Conan still had that weird humor that didn't appeal to a mass audience (I remember my then boss at work, a 60 something woman, complaining about how he was too hyper - classic Jay fan). However, I remember Jay getting the bigger name guests on his shitty talk show, and Conan would have say, Will Arnett as his lead guest. He was hosting the top of the mountain show, but was getting Late Night level guests.
Conan's last week on the Tonight Show, where he dropped the wide appeal and just did his kind of humor, was fantastic. It's too bad his TBS show still has that polished feeling to it. I went to his "Legally Prohibited" theater tour and it was amazing. He hosted his TBS show in NYC about a year ago, in a big theater hall, and it was 1000 times better than that 200 seat theater in L.A.
Original or American?
ReplyDeleteYeah, I don't blame anybody who doesn't like it. I won't defend it to the death like I would Mad Men.
ReplyDeletegunsmoke
ReplyDelete1 billion likes for mentioning GAL. That show was BRILLIANT. At least it is on DVD now.
ReplyDeletein fact, you could say hes...
ReplyDeletetwin peak(s)
upvote for heroes. the carnival setting ruled
ReplyDeleteWCW Monday Nitro.
ReplyDelete'and here we see where herpes comes from' while pointing to the jersey shore hook up board
ReplyDeleteseason 4 was great
ReplyDeleteand although the last scene of the that scene was designed to be a series finale, it works
I was going to say Homicide: Life on the Streets. Then I googled it and it ran for 7 seasons! Strangely enough, I never watched the Wire, so I didn't see the follow up.
ReplyDeleteGene Roddenberry's Andromeda was 5 seasons, but it was getting confusing and weird after the 3rd.
Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes
Big Cat Diary/Week/Live
Odd choices, but I like my good American animations and my wildlife documentaries.
question for the heroes lovers
ReplyDelete(and SPOILERS~ in case you need them... hey, we dont all watch shows when they come out)
sylar's face turn: swerve or legit?
On paper, everything about it seems to be something I would like, but it just didn't do it for me. I can see why people like it though.
ReplyDeleteDamn, I forgot about Newsradio. But after Hartman died, the series just wasn't the same. Lovitz's antics were not Hartman's antics.
ReplyDeleteMy favorites are the 2 that featured JK Simmons and Joey Lauren Adams as the rich couple that hated each other vehemently. Whenever they were in the same vicinity, all they would do is cuss the other out. Quality entertainment IMO.
ReplyDeleteMaybe he meant if Hartman hadn't died.
ReplyDeleteHopefully a swerve... he killed (get it?) as a heel.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite lines is when he had that kid with him that looked up to him and helped him get away from... something I forget... and the kid says "I helped you back there what are you going to do for me??!?!" and he responds "I didn't kill you... that's kind of a big deal for me"
And it made me a fan of Adam Scott. HATED that guy after Step Brothers.
ReplyDeleteLucky (FX, 2003). John Corbett was the man and the writing staff won an Emmy, I believe. Lasted one season and was forgotten about soon after.
ReplyDeleteI didn't follow his shows religiously after a while, but I felt Conan's Late Show and Tonight Show started being kind of meh. He still deserved much more time of course.
ReplyDeleteHis new show was good to start, but kind of meh now.
thats the kid whose mom was in oopurtunity knocks
ReplyDeletedidnt he microwave her or something
Yes... I don't recall what his exact powers were but it was something like that.
ReplyDeleteclaire: 'are you going to eat my brain?"
ReplyDeletesylar: 'claire... that's disgusting'
but its awesome cause its what we all were thinking (that he eats the brains), and youre lying if you say otherwise
I've never been a huge Whedon fan, so I didn't miss his shows getting canceled too much.
ReplyDeleteDushku's ability never seemed great. It just happened to work for Faith.
Twin Peaks for me. Granted the show lost its way after the solving of the Laura Palmer murder. But to have the show cancelled with Agent Cooper being possessed by Bob was brutal. Would have loved to see where season 3 would have went with that story line.
ReplyDeletethat death chick and her brother plus super~mohinder was bad
ReplyDeletematt got annoying with the daphne
baby touch-and-go~ was the shit, tho
I think they wrote themselves into a corner with him (and Peter, and Hero also) that they were SO powerful it made it hard to but them in situations where they couldn't just insta-win.
ReplyDeletewheres annie
ReplyDeletewheres annie
wheres annie?!
I can't stand Tracey Morgan.
ReplyDeleteI know why it got axed.
ReplyDeletei think audrey was s'posed to survive the bank explosion, but not katherine
ReplyDeletethen we could see the wacky adventures of donna and audrey getting to know each other as sisters
Logue has only been on "Sons of Anarchy" for a little bit, but his role expands in the upcoming season. Looking forward to it...the little we saw of him looks awesome.
ReplyDeleteAmerican. I haven't quite made it to the original yet.
ReplyDeleteWhoever did the casting for Cop Out should be ashamed of themselves. It's no wonder both Kevin Smith and Bruce Willis seem to hate each other now.
ReplyDeleteI was a huge fan of "The Critic" when it first aired. The episodes on ABC were fantastic, some really biting stuff. Then it was cancelled and got a second life on FOX, but it wasn't the same...seemed too watered down. I wish ABC had stuck with it a while longer to see if it gained a foothold.
ReplyDeleteRome. Sucks we will never get to see that show's take on Jesus.
ReplyDelete'it stinks!'
ReplyDeletethe itchy and scratchy and poochie show
ReplyDeleteNot sure if anyone's mentioned it, but Sports Night was fantastic and ended way too soon.
ReplyDeleteTestees on FX should of never been cancelled. That show was hilarious. Funniest show I had seen in years.
ReplyDeleteWow! I totally forgot about BlackJack Savage until you mentioned it. Wasn't he like a dead pirate that had to save 1000 lives in order to go to heaven or something like that? For whatever reason, those shows seem doomed to fail. There were a couple that came along later in the 90s (I think one was called Bromstone) that got axed as well.
ReplyDeleteUpvoted for Brisco.
ReplyDeleteI feel for Jimmy Fallon. He's got boyish good looks and an innocent charm, but he's in over his head on Late Night. The Tonight Show is going to be a struggle for him. My money is on him lasting a year before the network hands the reins over to Tina Fey.
ReplyDeleteReally? I always thought he was awesome, ever since the Boy Meets World days.
ReplyDeleteSeason 4 really was something else, so I agree. The ending was super abrupt, but that's what happens I guess. Stupid greedy NBC.
ReplyDeleteThat's kind of what Whedon was good for, in a way. He let the characters play to the actor's strengths, and not necessarily the other way around. Kind of reminds me of booker-era Heyman in a way, except he's better at earning money (see: The Avengers).
ReplyDeleteWhere's Poochie?
ReplyDeleteAgreed. It wasn't great by any means, but it was enjoyable enough to keep watching. I hated that it ended on that cliffhanger.
ReplyDelete'Firefly'.. without a doubt. and I say this as someone who didn't actually watch the show until it was on DVD.. I would also say that 'Journey Man' was a really good show and I wanted to see what would happen in subsequent seasons.
ReplyDeleteGOD, how I miss Pushing Daisies. There was talk of continuing it in comic book form but it never came to pass.
ReplyDeleteYoung Justice. And the old Spawn series on HBO.
ReplyDeleteTotally forgot about Get a Life! I wonder if it holds up.
ReplyDeleteWhich reminds me...Earth's Mightiest Heroes got screwed.
ReplyDeleteHe went back to his home planet.
ReplyDeleteNBC axed it because the ratings were poor despite being in the marquee Thursday at 10 timeslot.
ReplyDeleteNewsRadio ran 5 seasons, had 97 episodes, and was awful without Phil Hartman. It had enough seasons to go into syndication.
ReplyDeleteBad example.
I bought the DVD and some of the 1st season eps don't, especially the first one, but they get the vibe real quick and by the 2nd season they don't give a shit and it's awesome.
ReplyDeleteBecause you're not going to say no to Aaron Sorkin and Tina Fey when you both have them at your network
ReplyDeleteStudio 60 was screwed when it was Aaron Sorkin being Aaron Sorkin, only his major issue involved a comedy show. That stuff works for West Wing, not for this show.
ReplyDeleteAlso the skits were awful
I liked the American. Felt it kinda was wrapped up nice and would have drug if it had multiple seasons.
ReplyDeleteArrested Development had three seasons. It was never going to be a hit on network TV. Fans should be lucky it ran as long as it did.
ReplyDeleteIt aired Sundays. And then it aired Mondays. They put the show out of its misery airing the finale on a Friday.
ReplyDeleteThe FOX didn't promote it is a complete myth. They did promote it, it's a show that's impossible to promote.
Also, Office and Arrested Development are two completely different shows and that comparison doesn't work.
I pegged him as one of those guys who could only do the douchebag character which is funny since he's been sympathetic on everything else he's done (Party, Parks)
ReplyDeleteAlso, Calibur said unjustly cancelled. Most of these shows were cancelled for a reason and were given opportunities.
ReplyDeleteThat's why Freaks and Geeks is a really bad example. It was just very much justly cancelled.
Superman The Animated Series - The best portrayal of Superman in any medium, as good as the Batman series, but only got two little seasons.
ReplyDeleteMaybe from a ratings point of view, but I think it is pretty obvious we're talking about quality.
ReplyDeleteSince when is Children's Hospital cancelled? I swear I saw an ad for the season premiere last night.
ReplyDeleteI was mentioning it for the people that did not why it got axed.
ReplyDeleteFair enough. Sorry if I came off like a condescending prick.
ReplyDeleteOh man, I could go on and on with this one. Off the top of my head-
ReplyDeleteHappy Endings, Vegas, Sports Night, Young Justice, Breaking In, Exo Squad, Deadwood, Rome, Insomniac, Tales from the Gold Monkey, Swingtown, and the Original Battlestar Galactica...
I started watching it on NetFlix because everyone said it was an amazing show, and I watched it a few times when it was originally on the air. I never felt like I "got" the show, though.
ReplyDeleteI really think Sports Night could have continued had Aaron Sorkin not gotten ADD and started focusing on the West Wing. Sports Night was such a great show that just lost the support of the guy who created it.
ReplyDeleteI think the videos being shitty was kind of the point...
ReplyDeleteSomewhat off topic, but I was just talking about Conan's stint on the Tonight Show with one of my reporters this morning, and he mentioned how NBC told him he couldn't have Pearl Jam on as the musical guest for his first show because "they weren't a big enough name."
ReplyDeleteAnother one of my reporters, a 23-year-old recent college grad who was also in the conversation, replied, "I don't know who Pearl Jam is."
I need to find co-workers who are closer to my own age...
Yes it did.
ReplyDeletei approve of boobies
ReplyDeleteI really loved Studio 60, but I was fine with it being cancelled, because it felt like they dealt with EVERYTHING in that season, there were no loose threads to pick up on for Season 2. Maybe they did that purposely when it was clear it wasn't getting picked up.
ReplyDeleteA lot of my problem with the show, though, came from Sorkin. Having watched Sports Night and The West Wing obsessively, Sorkin reused scenarios, jokes, even lines of dialogue ALL THE TIME. He even does it in some of his movies.
The finale with Darkseid was awesome.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to go with Angel. Coming off its best season - Season 5 - the show gets cancelled, supposedly because Whedon wanted the WB to commit to an early pick-up and they wouldn't, so Whedon took his ball and went home.
ReplyDeleteI really wanted to see if Angel got to slay the dragon.
I tried reading the comics for a bit, and it takes a pretty awesome route with the characters afterward. I didn't stick with it though unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it was the same for me with the comics, the Buffy comics, too. The tone just wasn't right for the characters and the situations just started getting too out there. It never felt right.
ReplyDelete'Boss' on Starz. Everything about the show was amazing, and it only got 2 seasons. If 'Justified' is ever cancelled, even after its 20th season, I'm going to say it's premature. I can't get enough of that show.
ReplyDeleteIf I remember correctly, Angel takes the dragon on as a pet, Wesley becomes the corporate ghost of Wolfram and Hart, and Gunn turns into a vampire and begins to think that Angel's prophecy was really about him all along.
ReplyDeleteBut then Buffy brought Angel and Spike into their comics and I can't remember if it totally was screwing with Angel's continuity or not.
I loved 'Homicide,' but it lost some of its fire the last couple of seasons, so I wasn't too mad when it ended its run. I wish they'd never had Pembleton have the stroke; once he wasn't totally himself the show started to slip.
ReplyDeleteThat show was really good. It's unfortunate because the big networks (NBC, CBS, ABC) feel like they can't afford to give a show the proper time to build an audience. Look at 'The Wire.' Didn't have great ratings for like 5-6 years, then all of a sudden everybody decided they loved it and it was a huge hit. If HBO hadn't given the show time to find its niche and develop a following, that never would've happened.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that character is so intense. I recognized him right away, but had to double check IMDB to make sure that was the MTV Commercial/Grounded for Life guy. That's the most interesting plot on the show right now.
ReplyDeleteCrusade. I think the bean counters @TNT were to blame for that one.
ReplyDeleteTim Tebow is overrated. You're welcome, clones-James Phillip Rome #WarJStew
ReplyDeleteJohn from Cincinnati
ReplyDeleteOh and I can't fucking believe starz canceled party down. Great show
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Jennifer Tilly wasn't weeping over KW's cancellation
ReplyDeleteNo, Conan's Tonight Show made the Spinks/Tyson fight last long
ReplyDeleteThe original incarnation of the DC Nation, full stop (meaning: GL and YJ). I saw the first Beware the Batman and it seems OK, time will tell if it grows on me further, or will end up like The Batman. Haven't seen Teen Titans Go, but can't see how it would appeal to more than just kids. But you couldn't beat the first two series that made that block up.
ReplyDeleteAvengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, had it been given more seasons, would have given even the DCAU/Timmverse a run for its money.
What about...the SATURDAY AM VERSION OF SONIC THE HEDGEHOG??? Also killed after 2 seasons cause the Mouse was invading ABC (ironically, Disney would own DiC in a few years after that), and with a cliffhanger no less! And no I don't count all those Fox Kids or whatever Sonic series.
I was crushed when that show got canceled. It was starting to get great
ReplyDeleteNO, I think Jay'll tell Comcast to SUCK IT! when Fallon's Tonight Show does XFL ratings
ReplyDeleteHBO and NBC is apples and oranges. HBO makes its money off subscriber fees and can afford to spend money on expensive shows.
ReplyDeleteSpectacular Spider-Man: infinitely better than the '90s cartoon. actually had storyline progression, and the take on certain villains was pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteI blame Trump
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, sons of Tucson. They made one season, I randomly watched it on Netflix and it was very funny for a network show
ReplyDeleteThe critic and Dragnet (Ed oneil version).
ReplyDeleteYes, and at least you could say JL/JLU was a continuation of it. A: EMH wasn't so lucky.
ReplyDeleteThat was my point. HBO/Showtime have more leeway to let a show gets his foothold with an audience, where NBC/ABC/etc have to hope for instant hits.
ReplyDeleteYeah that's it. I looked it up on youtube today and it seems like it was probably really shitty but I had fond memories of it as a kid for whatever reason.
ReplyDeleteRIP Lord Bowler
ReplyDeleteOkay. I'm just saying it's not fair to compare the two.
ReplyDeleteI liked Awake and thought the ending was a good way to provide closure while also setting up the third dimension for season 2. Interesting show, though a bit muddled at times.
Agreed. Add Wolverine & the X-Men too.
ReplyDelete