The A.V. Club has a list up on their site featuring 15 "lamentably lost" TV shows that only made it one season or less. As with anything where you start listing things, there are going to be omissions. And probably more glaring, there will be inclusions that make you scratch your head and say, 'Wha-huh?" Overall, I like their list. It has the usual suspects that I would have expected with Firefly, Freaks and Geeks, and Now and Again. They also included a couple that I don't think get enough press with That's My Bush and Cupid. Really, the more press that Cupid can get the better, because it really deserves a DVD release. The wha-huh inclusion for me though, Cop Rock. It was an original concept, sure, but "lamentably" implies that you feel some kind of sorrow that it's gone. I think 11 episodes was more than anyone needed to get full and complete closure with Cop Rock. As far as omissions, the shows that come to mind right away for me are Going To California, Keen Eddie, Maximum Bob, The Adventures of Brisco County Jr., and Wonderfalls. Going To California remains my number one most wanted DVD set, and Maximum Bob is in the top five. I'm curious to hear what other people view as the ones that got away.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
11-05-2006 @ 11:28AM
Carissa said...
* Miracles!!! I still have 2 eps left to savor
* My So-Called Life screams for attention
* Hidden Hills deserved much more love
* Invasion is recent, but deserved an additional season
* Lucky on F/X
* Starved on F/X
I also enjoyed Night Stalker, which was coming into its own when it was yanked and even though it went 6 episodes over one season, I still miss Tru Calling. Laugh away people!
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11-05-2006 @ 11:37AM
John S. said...
I'm probably the only person that misses Jack & Bobby
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11-05-2006 @ 11:42AM
Tina said...
My So-Called Life, of course, but mostly EZ Streets, which was dark enough to be a great HBO drama, but unfortunately, was created before HBO was doing such things. Had it stayed on the air and thrived, The Sopranos would have been just another crime show.
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11-05-2006 @ 2:37PM
Scott Tabbey said...
I liked that show on CBS called The Agency, a show about the CIA
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11-05-2006 @ 12:59PM
smashthesymbols said...
Greg The Bunny would be my top pick. Thief, Over There and The Oblongs would all be on the list too.
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11-05-2006 @ 1:04PM
Toby OB said...
As usual with lists like this, they have selective amnesia and nothing gets mentioned that's older than ten years ago.
Of those mentioned so far, I'd also vote for 'Brisco County', 'Now & Again', 'Keen Eddie' (Mark Valley is wasted on 'Boston Legal'!), and 'Wonderfalls'.
To that I'd add 'Coronet Blue', 'Nowhere Man', and 'Nichols' with James Garner.
How many years did 'Hooperman' run? If it was a one-year wonder, I'd add that as well.
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11-05-2006 @ 1:20PM
nick said...
Bakersfield PD, it deserved a full season or two.
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11-05-2006 @ 1:28PM
Tina said...
Toby OB: Hooperman ran for two seasons, according to IMDb.
I second the frustration of a list with only recent shows. The rules have changed now and shows only get a few episodes to succeed, so older series cancelled early should stand out more. Even so, one would think the ancient (1994!) My So-Called Life a mainstay of lists like this.
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11-05-2006 @ 3:26PM
Noreen said...
Don't forget about Andy Richter Controls the Universe!!
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11-05-2006 @ 3:08PM
Nathan said...
I'd really like to see a DVD release of Robbery Homicide Division.
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11-05-2006 @ 3:56PM
MTOTech said...
Anyone remember 'Johnny Bago' on CBS?
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11-05-2006 @ 3:47PM
Zach said...
I'm with noreen, i just watched a few episodes of andy richter on youtube and it's fantastic. Long overdue for a dvd release
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11-05-2006 @ 4:00PM
Gordon Werner said...
Wonderfalls was an awesome show ... at least the DVD set has all the unaired episodes on it ...
Dead Like Me on Showtime was another show that deserved another season (at least)
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11-05-2006 @ 4:34PM
Raydeen said...
YES!!!! The Agency was a great show !
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11-05-2006 @ 6:02PM
Toby OB said...
"Alien Nation" had some follow-up movies, but there's another series that was axed too soon.
And "VR-5", right up there with "Now & Again" for most frustrating cliffhanger ending. I think the time's right for that show to return.
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11-05-2006 @ 6:03PM
Toby OB said...
I knew I'd think of another one as soon as I hit the send button....
"American Gothic"
There's someone at the door.....
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11-05-2006 @ 6:12PM
AR said...
Central Park West and Pacific Palisades. These are two shows which deserved more than one season. CPW was on the wrong network. If it was on Fox instead of CBS, I'm sure it would've become the next Melrose Place.
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11-05-2006 @ 6:28PM
metz123 said...
I second EZ streets and would like to add Boomtown to the list. Both were great dark cop shows full of ambiguous characters where the crime wasn't the story, the characters were what mattered.
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11-05-2006 @ 6:31PM
metz123 said...
And while John Doe and Invasion weren't good enough to make my top 10 list I think they deserved better endings than to be dropped w/out ceremony.
This is why I have a tough time getting invested with serials like Lost and Heroes. I've had too many good shows cancelled out from under me without getting my closure. At least with Firefly and Farscape I got closure in the form of a movie and a mini series.
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11-05-2006 @ 6:56PM
Michael said...
How about Mr & Mrs Smith? This was my introduction to the wonderful Maria Bello who really held her own against Scott Bacula in this original show from about 1996.
My other fave show that never gets much kudos is The Charmings. This show that barely cracked the single season limit (only 19 episodes total) but for all practical purposes it deserves more than it gets. A very original and very funny show for the time.
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