So this is a rant about the amount of good TV shows get cancelled and a general moan about the state of TV as it is now. Now I understand why shows get cancelled; but some of the choices theses studio’s make are just downright dumb. Shows either get put on at the wrong time slot or even sometimes the wrong channel. Ratings are a bad way to judge the success of a show due to the fact may people don’t watch the show at the same time as it is aired; Either due to the fact they are recording it, watching reruns or downloading it off the net (oo arrrg hush hush BOO!!)
My big cry about TV is, I pay a lot for my TV… yet when I want to watch something I like, its either not on, been cancelled or is just not available in my country. I live in England for heaven’s sake not Mars! I should be able to watch a show that’s filmed in English at the same time as everyone else in the world. I understand that’s a licensing issue and I will happily put my boot up the backside of anyone that doesn’t want Global Licensing to be put in place! Understand, I may not be moaning if England had Netflix. I’d happily cancel my TV box and just watch everything on demand BUT no, it’s not available in the UK!
I also can’t stand the fact I pay so much and yet I still have to put up with adverts. 400 Channels with nothing on I like, filled with adverts for crap I won’t buy. Can I please pay for the channels I want with stuff I want on and not get adverts?!
So here is a list of some of the shows that I liked that got cancelled!
Firefly (Serenity)
Ah the greatest shames of a cancelled show to ever happen. The plot sounded like a winner, Cowboys in Space! AMAZING, come on, how could that be made better? What’s that you say? It’s made by Joss Whedon! So there is a, YES, a hot Crazy chick that can kick arse and read minds! Awesome this can’t get any better!! Nathan Fillion as the captain… NO WAY, we get a cocky Picard with Fantastic Hair (I only wish I had his hair!!) Nothing could go wrong!! Come on seven seasons with great plots, ups and down, exotic women from distant planets, heroes and villains… Woo Hoo!!
Ah damn, yea cancelled it didn’t you Fox; and after only airing eleven of the episodes filmed (out of fourteen) and even airing them in the wrong order at a stupid time. Damn it Fox… you big dope!
Well at least we got one last ride on old girl thanks to Universal bringing out the feature film Serenity. Oh, and making a ton of cash off it. Bet you feel silly now Fox!!
Side-note: I miss Mal, Wash and Kaylee the most, thou Jayne will always have a place in my heart for giving me “Shiny” and that damn hat!!
Kyle XY
Ah the boy with no bellybutton. How did you fill our hearts with hope and joy of the dreams of a show showing a bright future? The thrill of a dark corporation chasing our hero(s) for the knowledge and skills they had; the fantastic cast and family development, including the stunning Andy Jensen (played by Magda Apanowicz) the girl any nerd would want for a girlfriend; and how did ABC show their affection? Yep, drop you like last week trash. And what for? Oh right, The Secret Life of an American Teenager (Surf that Juno wave ABC… just watch out for the rocks!!)
Now I have to admit I wasn’t surprised by the fact it was being cancelled. I could never believe ABC could make something this good and keep it going for very long. What pushed me on to the knife edge was the fact the cancelled it mid-season on a cliff hanger! COME ON… Do you want me to burn down your garage!?!?! That is just a slap to the faces of all the shows fans. Thanks ABC for drowning my dreams of a brighter future!!
Surface
A creature of NBC which to my disappointment, was also put down like a sick dog. Now don’t get me wrong, the show had its low points and oddity but that’s what makes this ugly duckling so great! Monsters, Evil Corporations and not a bad looking cast. Cancelled after just one season; other then it being one of my favourite shows that were cancelled, it made the list because of its similes with Fringe, which I have also, come to like, which has not been cancelled yet. Let’s hope I don’t have to add that to the list too.
Jericho
Jericho was a fantastic show. Good writing, great character development and great plot. However CBS in their grand wisdom cancelled it after one season. Maybe it was too soon after 9/11; maybe it just didn’t sit well with CBS “Normal” audience.
Now I am thankful to the thousands of fans who campaigned to get it back on the air. CBS promised a second season, which became half a season which then became 7 Episodes! Seven episodes to sum up what would take a normal show 20. Now to give it up to the writers and crew, they did well but I always felt that the last episode was rushed and could have been a three-parter. But no, the will of the mighty Studio Gods must be appeased! All I can now say about it is “NUTS”
I have also heard plans for there to be both a feature film version of the series, and a continuation of the Jericho storylines in a comic book series. All very good, but it has the smell of Firefly/Serenity success story on it.
CBS looking to make money on Old Burnt Rope? Never?!?
Dark Angel
Ah the dark vixen in our hen house. The show that brought us the lovely Jessica Alba (when I liked her before the make-up fiasco of Fantastic Four 2). The show that introduced me to DiNozzo before he was DiNozzo…
It had everything we have come to enjoy in our TV shows. A dark future (namely as there was little power) with mutants, genetic engineering, wacky going’s on and beautiful women, they had it made!
Cancelled after only two seasons by the Fox blunder machine. And the show was getting good too.
Stargate SG-1/Atlantis
Now technically SG-1 wasn’t cancelled and simply “Ended” but it was the manner of how it ended is why I have added it to the list. Now from what I understand, SG-1 was going to end after Season 8 and was to be rebranded as Stargate Command, giving way to new stories, new bad guys and the road map to another 8 happy seasons. But it was not to be, Sci-Fi instead kept it going, introducing a new Hero and a new baddie. But by season 10 it all started to feel old and ratings suffered, to end it quick and make Movies was their plan. So let me get this straight, we have to finish all the plot holes you made in the last season, kill the big bad un-killable bad guys you introduced and you give us one season to do it, oh great, thanks. The show suffered for that and it’s a shame.
On the other hand, Atlantis was canceled and after only five seasons. Maybe you’re paying for not rebranding now huh sci-fi? Now I wasn’t upset too much about the show being cancelled because it had started to repeat the plots of episodes from SG-1 but I will miss the cast and the great villain they brought to the screen, the Wraith. Space-Vampires and all before Twilight sucked all the fun out of vampires.
Now, they have had two feature films to fix the plots holes in SG-1 and an Atlantis one is on the way. So all is golden, however there is an ice berg on the horizon and that is in the form of a new show; Stargate Universe! Said to be a darker and grittier then the shows before it (think Stargate making out with the new Battlestar Galactica and having messed up kids). I just hope they live up to their promises and don’t go mad as Battlestar did. Poor Battlestar.