TVSquad

Sure Lost is a bona fide hit, but who remembers Invasion? In fact, none of the sci fi series premiering that year (Surface and Threshold) made it beyond a single season. And yet, as Brad reported, ABC is developing The Return, a series focusing on how the world handles an "alien landing." You know, like the classic V mini-series of the '80s. In fact, the last episode of V: The Series was called "The Return." Maybe this is a secret code name for the long teased V return!

But that announcement got me thinking about all those sci fi and fantasy shows that never finish on television. It's a phenomenon us long-time science fiction/fantasy fans have learned to live with. We jump on any new genre show on television hoping against hope that the ratings will be strong enough that we'll get the whole story. Alas, we know that more often than not the plug will be pulled mid-stream and we'll be left wanting. And for every Joss Whedon who continues Buffy and Angel in comics, there are tons more who don't.

I wish I could tell you that those plans included a television mini-series or at least a small screen film, but alas series creator Kevin Falls has moved on. In fact, his new series featuring a womanizer trapped in a woman's body, is currently coming together for FOX, so at least he's sticking with the "different." He did, however, take some time out to chat it up with AICN about the bigger plans for Journeyman.

This was a show that was hugely under-appreciated by the mainstream, and almost dismissed out of the gate as a Quantum Leap derivative by many of the sci-fi crowd. The show was so much more. There was such a heart of tragedy at the core of protagonist Dan Vasser's abrupt rips through time. Unlike QL's Sam Beckett, Vasser is literally torn from his life no matter what he is doing, body and spirit, and hurtled through the timestream. Then add all that we learned about his first love Livia and there's just so much pain in the show, which makes for great dramatic television.

Topless Robot has posted a list of the top 10 sci-fi television shows that were canceled too soon.

I've never seen most of the other shows (and if a lot of America followed my example, that could somewhat explain their early cancellation), but I have watched numbers 1,2 and 7. Star Trek is an obvious choice for number 1 given that it is still the icon of science-fiction television.

I've heard good things about Max Headroom (number 3) and would probably at least watch it on DVD should it ever be released in the format. I disagree about the 1981 Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series (number 2) and think it works best at its current length. I find it interesting how the only reason the author wanted to extend Buck Rogers In the 25th Century was to see more of Erin Gray ("Off think. Off think. Off think").

Like many people, I was miffed that Journeyman wasn't picked up for another season. But maybe we'll get our fix of Kevin McKidd at Seattle Grace next year.

Entertainment Weekly is reporting that the Scottish actor, who blew (some of) us away as the time-traveling journalist Dan Vasser on Journeyman, is in talks to join the cast of Grey's Anatomy. The rumor is that McKidd would play a doctor who scrubs in at the hospital after a stint in Iraq.

There were plenty of choices for The Arrested Development Award, a.k.a. The Show Least Deserving of Cancellation Award. Among them, Las Vegas, New Amsterdam, Miss Guided, Aliens in America, and Women's Murder Club.

The Readers Choice Award goes to Moonlight, the vampire-themed crime-drama-romance that amassed an insane amount of fans during its short run. And it still might come back on another network, so we'll keep our collective fingers crossed on that.

The TV Squadders' pick is Journeyman. Here's why:

1. Time-traveling is cool. The idea of time-travel is always intriguing, as evidenced by other shows like Quantum Leap and Sliders. What's cool about Journeyman is that Dan Vasser, played by Kevin McKidd, is just a normal guy who could be any one of us. At first, he hates the time-traveling. It interrupts his life and causes undue stress, both at home and work. But later, when given the opportunity to make it stop, he chooses to keep time-traveling. He knows he's been chosen for a reason, and feels it's his calling to help people right the wrongs of history. Never mind that every episode made me wonder how much of history he changed by leaping into the past. I can only imagine that even the smallest of events might drastically alter the space-time continuum.

Did your favorite show get canceled? Yeah, mine too. It makes you think twice about investing time into a new show, because you never know how long it'll last. Sometimes even shows with fairly good ratings are sent to the chopping block.

Here at TV Squad, we're doing our part to bring attention to cool shows that were axed in the recent upfront announcements. Last week, I put out a call for considerations for The Arrested Development Award, a.k.a. The Show Least Deserving of Cancellation Award.

You made your opinions known - thank you! - and now we're into Phase 2: The Nominees. The Squad will pick our own winner, but we're giving you the chance to pick a Reader's Choice winner. Here are the nominees, and be sure to vote in the poll at the bottom.

The TV Squad Awards are in full swing, and I have the pleasure of moderating The Arrested Development Award, a.k.a. The Show Least Deserving of Cancellation Award.

Since we're focusing on shows from the 2007-2008 season, that lets out a few contenders, like Veronica Mars , Firefly, and the award's namesake, Arrested Development. But there are plenty of recent shows deserving of the honor. Five that made my list:

1. Journeyman (NBC). This time-shift puzzle starring Kevin McKidd as deer-in-the-headlights Dan Vasser took a while to hook me, but by mid-season, I was there. I love shows that make you think, and although this one developed a formula (Dan saving someone who would later go on to change history), the logistics always had you scratching your head. I was sad to see it absent from NBC's Fall 08 schedule.

Did you even know there was going to be a fourth film in the Terminator series? Yup, and it's going to star Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, and Anton Yelchin (Huff and Chekov in the new Star Trek movie). Sorry, Arnold Schwarzenegger is busy being the Governor of California, but there another name added to the cast, and what a cool name it is.

Moon Bloodgood, who played Livia in Journeyman and Rita in the short-lived Daybreak, is about to sign on to the new sci-fi movie, Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins. The film will be directed by McG (he directed the Charlie's Angels big screen movie) and is the first film in a planned trilogy. Bale will play John Connor (currently played by Thomas Dekker on FOX's The Sarah Connor Chronicles)., fighting evil robots after most of mankind has been destroyed. I have no idea if this plot will make sense with what is currently going on in the FOX show (or in the previous movies, for that matter), but thinking too much about all of it will give you a headache anyway, so just accept whatever happens.

(S01E06) Nice to see a little more personal information about the other characters. I was curious when we would get to meet the famous Eddie Marquez. Nestor Serrano is one of my favorite character actors and he's a good choice for the role. My only worry is that Eva's "Papa Don't Preach" routine is already wearing thin.

Not that you can really blame her for being so pissed off all the time. In this episode alone, there were numerous occasions where John worked the case by himself. If I found out my partner was more willing to discuss the case with his dog than with me, I'd be pretty bent out of shape about it too.

It's that festive time of year when children put tinsel on the television antennas and hang mistletoe over their favorite DVDs. Where celebrities check into rehab to spend the holidays with all their celebrity friends. And where the rest of America is invited to corporate non-specific, non-religious, non-alcoholic generic winter holiday luncheons where they can mingle with their co-workers and say things like "Remember when this company used to have real Christmas parties?"

But while political correctness may have ruined most holiday functions, nothing can ruin Festivus! That magical season in which TV Squadders hope and pray for televisions dreams come true. And I know just what I want...

• At 8, CBS has Frosty the Snowman, followed by Frosty Returns.
• NBC has a new Clash of the Choirs at 8, then season (series?) finale of Journeyman.
• ABC has a new Duel at 8.
• There's a new Crowned on The CW at 8, then a new Gossip Girl.
• PBS has a new Wired Science at 8.
• ABC Family has Year Without A Santa Claus at 8 (Heat Miser!), then Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys.
• Also at 8: Food Network has Rachael Ray's Holiday Entertaining in 60, then Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade Holiday.
• At 9, CBS has a new Criminal Minds, then a new CSI: NY.
• Hallmark has A Grandpa For Christmas at 9.
• At 10, ABC has A Holiday Celebration at Ford's Theater.
• TBS has two new episodes of Tyler Perry's House of Payne at 10.
• HBO has Inside the NFL at 10.

Check your local TV listings for more.

Ah, Festivus! A time of year where we reflect on the months that have passed in TV land and what we would like to see happen in the future.

As you will see, my "All I want for Festivus" list is tainted by the fact I live in Canada. Since I know there are a lot of Canadians reading TV Squad, I decided to not remove these items from my list as I know I'm not the only one out there wanting them.

Without further ado, here is what I wish Festivus Claus will bring me this year!

• At 8, ABC has the premiere of the game show Duel, followed by new episodes of Notes from the Underbelly and October Road.
• NBC has the premiere of the new game show Clash of the Choirs at 8, then a new Journeyman.
• TCM has Frank Sinatra in Come Blow Your Horn at 8.
• At 9, PBS has a new Great Performances.
• There's a new K-Ville on FOX at 9.
• USA has a new Monday Night RAW at 9.
• GSN has a new High Stakes Poker at 9.
• Lifetime has the movie Lost Holiday: The Jim and Suzanne Shemwell Story at 9.
• Hallmark has the movie Angel in the Family at 9.
• Also at 9: Food Network has Winning Holiday Cookies.
• At 10, TNT has a new Saving Grace.

Check your local TV listings for more.

I think Jericho fans opened up a Pandora's Box.

Months after that show's fans got CBS to reconsider their cancellation by sending tons of nuts to the network (inspired by a line Skeet Ulrich said in the final episode), Journeyman fans have started a campaign to send boxes of Rice-A-Roni to NBC in hopes of getting them to change their mind (the show hasn't been "officially" canceled, but it doesn't look good).

If you haven't watched the show before, the reason why fans are doing this is because in one episode, our hero Dan Vasser went back in time to 1987 and got trapped in a giant box of Rice-A-Roni.

Considering the dearth of new scripted programs, I can't help but wonder why the networks aren't streaming more episodes of their shows online. Why just the last three to five episodes? With a prolonged break between new episodes inevitable, wouldn't it make sense to have more of the existing episodes available online. Especially for shows like Journeyman and Bionic Woman, who haven't exactly lit up the ratings but haven't officially been canceled yet.

But NBC.com has up the last four to five episodes of each. And considering the linear nature of some aspects of the show, especially Journeyman, why not give bored TV fans the opportunity to watch the entire series online? You've already proven you're going to fill up the airwaves with reality dreck.