Monday, September 6, 2010

Chapter 2.3: Rest In Peace Beloved Shows

I believe I may be cursed. Not the kind of curse that makes you speak in limericks or develop a fear of bunnies or trip every time you say the letter F. It wasn't cast on me by a cackling witch or a wandering band of gypsies. No, this curse is far worse. This curse is a show killer. It takes TV shows with bright promising futures and strikes them down in their prime.

I am not paranoid. This happens to me too often to be coincidence. My family and I watch the first season of a show. We get invested. We tape it on nights when we're not home. Then suddenly, next season (or sometimes even mid-season) the show is gone, replaced by something new (sometimes something that makes us roll our eyes in disgust and change the channel. Okay, not just sometimes. Often).

This is why a show like The Class (funny, sweet, smart) gets axed after 18 episodes while a show like Family Guy (crude, offensive, annoying) thrives for season after season after season. So this is a post for all the shows who have fallen in the wake of this curse. The shows who for no real reason have ceased to exist.

The Class: This show was in the CBS comedy Monday line up about four years ago. One of the co-creators and writers was David Crane, who created and wrote Friends. The premise is eight people who went to third grade together reunite for a party one classmate has planned for his fiancee (who was also in their class. And who snaps and breaks up with him) with all the people he could find from third grade for the twentieth anniversary of the day they met. The show follows these eight as they rekindle lost love, go through the frustrations of dealing with your past, deal with bad situations, and make new loves and friends. It was an excellent show and you can't even buy it on DVD. You can however go to YouTube and watch all 18 episodes.

Firefly: Of course this show makes the list. The absolutely wonderful Joss Whedon show about space pirates. Captain Mal and his crew are smugglers on the ship Serenity. They travel the 'verse, trying to stay below the Alliance's radar while defying them for a war won years before. When they are strapped for cash one trip, the decide to take on passengers. Passengers with secrets, and in a world where lying low is vital, secrets can be dangerous. It was funny, it was shiny, it was a wonderful show. And it died after one season with many questions left unanswered. There was a movie sequel to the series, called Serenity, but it still didn't address everything. The first and only season can be bought through Amazon.

Blood Ties: Based on the book series by Tanya Huff, this series follows former cop and now private detective, Vicki Nelson who ends up meeting Henry Fitzroy, the bastard son of Henry VIII turned vampire/comic book artist, during a case. Henry is intrigued by Vicki and helps her with some of her tougher, supernatural cases. Her ex-partner and former lover Mike Celluci still has feelings for Vicki (mostly frustration from her trying to involve herself in police business and circumvent the system, but other feelings too) and ends up involved in these cases as well. It was a really interesting show (and I actually found it more fun than the books) that had one fatal flaw: it was on Lifetime. Seriously, why would you put a vampire show on Lifetime? First and second season are on DVD.

Life on a Stick: Another comedy that died before its time. I can't remember much about this comedy, but I know it was a lot of fun to watch. IMDB says the show is about two slacker best friends who work at the food court in the mall. The main character, Laz is in love with a coworker and trying to deal with a dysfunctional home life. Most memorable moment for me was the Spartacus episode/scene. You'll know it when you see it. Not available to buy, but you can watch the whole series on YouTube. Ah YouTube, a treasure trove for lost memories.

The Dresden Files: Another series based on books, this time by Jim Butcher (and the book series is flippin' amazing! It gets better as the series goes on so don't stop if you don't like the first couple books). Harry Dresden is Chicago's only professional wizard with a somewhat sketchy past. He's also a private detective and a consultant for the Special Investigations branch of the Chicago PD. Along with Bob, the wisecracking skull, and Lieutenant Karin Murphy he keeps the supernatural world from hurting the human one. First and only season can be found on DVD. Do not expect them to be exactly like the books, a lot is different.

Shark: The smart-aleck DA turned prosecutor whose ethics you sometimes question, but always end up cheering for. This drama only got two seasons. But it was witty, the characters were likable and you got to watch scumbags get put away, as well as quick repartee on Shark's part. It was awesome. The first season DVD can be bought, but the second season is only on Amazon's Video on Demand.

The Deep End: Speaking of lawyers, this show followed five young law school graduates, just starting at a large firm. It also only died in the last year, just in case you think I'm paranoid about what has happened in the past and doesn't actually happen now. The show was only six episodes long, but it was funny, charming, and wonderfully written. You can buy the episodes through Amazon's Video on Demand, but it looks like a DVD will eventually be released. You can also watch the last five episodes on ABC.com/thedeepend

Life: Charlie Crews was a cop until he was framed for his friend and business partner's murder. Now he's out after being exonerated and given a hefty sum in payment for false conviction. He's back on the force and along with helping people, he most of all wants to solve the murder he went to jail for. Crews was quirky, fun, and just great. The show was awesome, but it got two seasons and then died. All the episodes (seasons 1 and 2) can be seen at NBC.com/life. Both seasons can also be bought on DVD through Amazon.

And these are just a few of the shows this has happened with. Is it any wonder that every spring I hold my breath to hear which shows will be returning in the Fall and which haven't made the cut? I fear for the shows I come to love, especially when they're new. It feels like in a world that cares more about ratings and money than anything else, the really good shows that maybe have a smaller, but very loyal, audience never get the chance to bloom.

Do you have any favorites that have been canceled before their time? What shows have you loved that got killed before they really developed?

6 comments:

  1. When people lament about TV shows being canceled in their prime, the most famous example that comes to my mind is the original series of Star Trek which people still complain about being unfairly canceled--even though it consists of SEVENTY-NINE episodes.

    Now, it may just be me, but I don’t consider a show with seventy-nine episodes to be a fledgling show anymore. This is probably because, unlike many years ago, television networks are much more ruthless in killing new shows if they’re not immediately showing promising numbers.

    Personally, I don’t hold grudges against networks for axing shows, but I am always a little frustrated when a show I like isn’t given a DVD release—regardless of how many episodes were aired/created. At the very least, I wish the studios could be bothered to put the episodes up for digital download somewhere. It might not make them a ton of money, but if they’ve already paid to have content made, it seems odd that they wouldn’t bother trying to squeeze whatever profit they can out of the carcass of that content. Imagine, for example, all the money made from the release of the Firefly DVDs. I know many diehard fans who buy multiple copies of the DVDs for themselves and to give as gifts for birthdays and holidays.

    A side note, though—I disagree with the idea that the presence of a show like “Family Guy” on television is a threat to the longevity of other television shows. Variety on television is awesome and one of the amazing things about television (as is variety in television watchers’ taste, etc.) Unless a fledgling show (with a similar target audience) is being pitted against “Family Guy” in the same timeslot on a different network, I don’t really see how “Family Guy” would be a threat to it. What damages shows more, in my experience, is when networks can’t pick a date and time for a show and stick with it long enough for people who are interested in the show to be able to catch more than two or three consecutive episodes. Or when they change the time and fail to announce or advertise the change far enough ahead of time.

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  2. I don't think Family Guy is a threat to other shows. I just think it sucks that a shows like Family Guy or Big Brother keep going while other shows aren't given a chance

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  3. But the other shows you mention ARE given a chance. Shows that aren't given a chance are shows that are rejected when they're nothing more than a pilot or a concept in someone's head that an executive goes "yeah, no" about when he or she hears about them. "A chance" is a relatively subjective term how you're using it. Dollhouse, for example, was given not just one season but two seasons to establish itself. Yet the writing and concept and plot never really pulled itself together enough to get the numbers that the network wanted. Yet some people still complain about how it was canceled unfairly. Unfortunately, in terms of television, at least, an awesome idea or a show that is "funny, sweet, [and] smart" is not enough. A show has to appeal to a broad enough demographic. Family Guy does that, as much as it might not appeal to someone like you or I or other individuals.

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  4. Yeah, I see your point. At least there are a few episodes of shows that I've fallen in love with and they aren't lying on the cutting room floor

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  5. The Sarah Connor Chronicles. :( It only got two seasons which is horribly tragic because it was soooo interesting and well done. I mean the 2nd season ends on a CLIFFIE and gets EVEN MORE INTERESTING AND YOU NEVER FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS!!! GAAHHHHH!!! John and I frequently wish there was more.

    (I would have mentioned Firefly--but you did first... so yeah. :D)

    There are some shows I think that are just meant to end earlier--for instance, Buffy ended SO WELL. While I was sad that it ended, I felt that it was time and the ending was perfect. Angel--while not cancelled before its time-- ended badly (seemed rushed/too quick).

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  6. The Class, Shark and Life.... didn't make it, but stupid shows like Big Brother and The Bachelorette do??? what kind of crazy universe do we live in. Is it just that the decision makers have no sense of humor or idea of what passes for decent entertainment???? Is it just a room full of monkeys pressing random buttons to see who gets renewed for the next season and who gets axed even if their story lines are left in limbo???

    I'm sure The Amazing Race is next to go.... it's the show I rush home for, the show I don't answer the phone during.... it's bound to get cut by those asinine monkeys!!!!!

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