All good things come to an end, and we’ve got to accept that shows like The West Wing, The Sopranos, Band of Brothers, The Pacific and Smallville cannot go on forever, however it is pretty gutting for fans when their beloved TV show is killed off before its time. You devote hours of your time, getting to know the characters – possibly over years at a time; and then without warning they are out of your life for good, with no sense of resolution.
To mark the recent cancellation of V, The Event and Stargate Universe, here’s a personal top 10 of TV shows cancelled before their time:
10. Journeyman (2007)
A show that you probably have never even heard of, but one which showed some real potential; Kevin McKidd from Rome stars as Dan Vasser, an investigative reporter in San Francisco who finds himself jumping back through time. Sound familiar?
It would be easy to dismiss Journeyman as an updated version of Quantum Leap but the whole show had a real quality to it, with a rich story, a great soundtrack, some awesome characterisation and a show that showed the consequences of time travel on Dan’s family. It was just building up to something good when it was cancelled.
9. Space Above and Beyond (1995)
In many ways SAAB was the Battlestar Galactica of its time, but with less visibility and less critical acclaim. Best described as ‘Vietnam’ in space; Space Above and Beyond told the story of an elite core of US Marines the ’58th Squadron’ and tracks their progress from recruit through the war.
Nominated for two Emmy Awards for its awesome soundtrack and cutting edge visual effects (cutting edge for 1995!); the show was the brain child of two producers from The X-Files; it was retooled half way through and made into a much darker beast. Ultimately a one season wonder, it didn’t pull any punches – the brilliant final episode was extremely hard hitting. It’s worth watching, it also stars James Morrison who later went onto star as Jack’s boss in 24.
8. Jericho (2006-2008)
The United States is no more – in the first episode of Jericho, a series of Nuclear explosions all over America completely isolate the town of Jericho from the rest of the country and the world. The survivors in a small town need to work together to both uncover what has happened to the US and find those responsible, but also defend themselves from attacks from a neighbouring town intent on stealing their resources.
Jericho had so much potential, the Second season shifted the direction of the show – the final episode had the US break down into a state of Civil War, however the show was cancelled on a cliffhanger. In fairness to those involved, it was cancelled twice – the first time it got a reprieve after thousands of complaints were received. The second time it went quietly into the night.
7. The 4400 (2004-2007)
Originally positioned as a one off 6 episode miniseries, The 4400 was ultimately made into 3 further, very short seasons. 4400 people who have vanished without a trace are suddenly returned to Earth without any memory of being gone – and without aging a day. Some have special powers. The whole series was about why they were here, and what this means to the human race.
After initially resembling an updated version of The X-Files, the show evolved quickly to be best described as an early (slightly melodramatic) version of Heroes. As ‘The 4400’ had such short seasons, there were very few filler episodes. It left on an open cliffhanger – in other words, the producers left the fans with some level of resolution, but enough hanging threads to make a Season 5 if renewed. Definitely worth giving it a go – you can get the whole of Season 1 as one rental online here (£2 if you’re not an online subscriber. If you’re an Unlimited customer then you even get this sent out as a Top Ticket for FREE).
6. Stargate Atlantis (2004-2009) / Stargate Universe (2009-2011)
When it was announced in 2009 that Stargate Atlantis was being cancelled but there was going to be a new Stargate show with a darker look and feel called Stargate Universe, this left a lot of Stargate fans perplexed. Stargate Atlantis in many ways was superior to the original Stargate SG-1 show with more relatable characters, some decent show mythology and most of all, it was fun.
Stargate Atlantis should never have been cancelled; Stargate Universe was pretty dull to begin with and put off a lot of fans. But you know what? It actually got better. When it was cancelled, SGU had kicked it up a gear and had managed to become something with real potential – if it had not been cancelled in Season 2, SGU could have had a terrific year 3.
Due to the failure of Stargate Universe, MGM have placed all Stargate projects on a permanent hold. Some of the producers have moved on to develop the new The Transporter TV series starring Jason Statham. Jason Momoa from Stargate Atlantis can be seen as the new Conan. But ultimately neither of the shows should have been cancelled. It could have been a studio cash cow for another 10 years.
5. Heroes (2006-2010)
Pretty much everyone watched Heroes when it first started and it was clear that it was going to be a big hit when everyone you met was talking about ‘Save the cheerleader, Save the world’. Season 2 was a MASSIVE misfire, a short season due to the writers’ strike; it pressed reset on the story that had been building for the past year and almost ended the whole franchise.
Seasons 3 and 4 were much better though – particularly with fan favourite bad boy Sylar played by Zachary Quinto. Sometimes X-Men, sometimes 24; always interesting. It’s a shame it couldn’t have made it into year 5 as it was still building up momentum and there were still things left unresolved.
4. Boston Legal (2004-2008)
Each week the Boston Legal gang would tackle new and eccentric cases which touched on issues from sex surrogates to gays in the military to pagans and even the Iraq War. It was one of the only shows on television to raise difficult issues and the show often referenced real life events –not least the election of Obama.
But unlike other legal shows, these characters were three-dimensional, we got to know and appreciate them as a ‘family’ and cared what happened to them – particularly the friendship between the two characters Alan Shore (James Spader) and Denny Crane (William Shatner). It was basically the drama elements of House matched up with the legal elements of Ally McBeal, without the Vonda Shepherd soundtrack that makes you think of a Tampax advert.
The series ultimately ran for 101 episodes and won 12 awards but didn’t attract the right audience – the network wanted young people to watch, the show as a whole had a devoted older audience, less likely to engage with advertising. It is rumoured that David E Kelly got a fifth and final (half) season for his beloved show by giving up the rights to an American remake of Life on Mars.
3. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009)
Set a few years after the events of Terminator 2, the Sarah Connor Chronicles was an awesome show right up until it was cancelled. Starring Lena Headey as Sarah Connor, Thomas Dekker as John Connor and Firefly’s Summer Glau as a Terminator sent from the future to protect them; the series expanded the Terminator franchise, making it more than just a ‘chase film’.
It was dark and gripping and recaptured the feel of the earlier Terminator movies. Season 2 even saw Shirley Manson introduced as a liquid metal T-1000 type character. Unfortunately it was also expensive. The show was cancelled at the end of Season 2 – on a cliffhanger that will never be resolved.
2. 24 (2001-2010)
I had to think long and hard before including 24 in this list – but I really don’t see why they couldn’t have continued the show for years. It’s not like the show has been believable for a while now – people shot in the morning are back at work in the evening; Jack Bauer is the unluckiest man on the planet.
But for nearly 10 years, there was one hero we could call upon to deal with terrorists all over the world, one who would torture suspects to get information and do whatever it takes to make America a safer place for everyone (and no, I’m not talking about George Bush); although ending on a high, 24 could have gone on for many more years. They are talking about making a 24 movie but (DAMNIT Chloe!) it’s not as good as a full season.
1. Firefly (2002-2003)
I suspect that the people responsible for the cancellation of Firefly deep down acknowledge and now accept that it was a mistake. The same studio was responsible for the cancellation around the same time of Family Guy and Futurama – both of which were eventually brought back.
Firefly was a different type of TV show – a western in space starring Nathan Fillion as Mal Reynolds, created by Joss Whedon, the man behind Buffy and Angel. It won an Emmy Award and two Academy of Science Fiction Awards. The cast reunited for a big blockbuster movie Serenity (with another studio), which proved that there was certainly life in the show.
A dark sci fi drama before it’s time, Nathan Fillion said earlier this year that if he won the lottery, he’d buy the rights to Firefly and make new episodes; this has resulted in a whole online campaign to help him raise the cash.
So that’s my top 10, completely off the top of my head. What are your thoughts? What shows would you most like to see back on TV? Comment below.
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