I've had a few people say that they liked the Top 10 movie lists I did last year (Stephen King movies & Vampire movies). So, I thought I'd do another one for TV shows. This time though, I will be doing my top 10 list of shows that were cancelled way too early (from the 2000's decade) - or shows that peaked in interested after cancellation. My rule though is that the shows were aired partially or fully during the early 2000's decade and are not longer than three seasons. Shows airing longer than three seasons had a fairly long stretch and are not applicable here. Why the early 2000's? Mostly because this patch of television viewing has become such a fertile ground for great shows with tragic results. The advent of reality TV hit it's stride during this period and the results were not pretty for many traditional shows, namely any genre related series that didn't have a CSI or Law & Order in its title.
10. The Lone Gunmen - Premiered in 2001. Length - 1 season / 13 episodes.
This is the only direct spinoff of the The X-Files. Coming off the cancellation of Chris Carter's other two creations (Millennium in 1999 & Harsh Realm in 2000) this series had the most promise for becoming a hit. This was a late mid-season replacement that appeared in March 2001. The show starred three quirky characters - Byers, Frohike, and Langly - who were the most unlikely of friends. The show focused on their common paranoia, but bickering personalities.
The show had dismal ratings and tried to spring back with a season cliffhanger featuring David Duchovny, making a guest appearance as the character Fox Mulder. Unfortunately this was not enough to offset the show's problems. The show's 2nd season would've kicked off Fall 2001, but networks were rethinking television from the bottom up that season, this show was doomed no matter the ratings. In hindsight, this show is sorely missed. With the last two seasons of The X-Files practically adbsent of Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny - hardcore fans realized the mistake of letting this little gem fade away. The Lone Gunmen 2001 to 2001 RIP.
9. Wonderfalls - Premiered in 2004. Length - 1 season / 13 episodes.
This is the odd show that I could never catch on television. I heard about how good it was, even though no one could quite explain what it was about.
"This girl Jane works a gift shop at Niagara Falls where she begins hearing voices and seeing inanimate objects speak to her. They tell her to do things in cryptic ways that lead to miraculous resolutions. She thinks she's crazy and everyone else thinks she is too... with comic results."
I told you it's hard to explain. But, it's truly awesome as noted by the critical fame and awards it received after such a short run. Too bad most people only watched the DVDs way after the cancellation, these are the same people (like me) who would've liked to see more seasons on air.
8. Birds of Prey - Premiered in 2002. Length - 1 season / 14 episodes
After the success of Smallville from the previous season, The WB decided to branch out in its DC Comics related interests. If they could show the world of Superman in the past, why not just show the world of Batman in the future? So they did. This show had a perfect formula set up in the pilot. Super small cameos by Batman, Batgirl, and Joker were enough to hook me in. But then the story just felt less and less like Gotham City as the episodes dragged on. The stories focus on the three main characters, which were all straight from the BOP comic - Oracle (ex-Batgirl Barbara Gordon), Huntress (metahuman offspring of Catwoman & Batman), and Dinah (young superhero-to-be with telekinetic & telepathic abilities).
Sure, there was a Clayface moment and there were plenty of Dark Knight references. But in the end, they weren't enough. I lapsed in my viewings and didn't get to see the finale... which I realized way too late as being awesome. Not only was there a hidden story building up inside this quiet little series, it was a fanboy's dream come true. I won't spoil it for you... even though most of you will never see it.
Lesson learned? Well first off DC Comic inspired shows are not all instant gold. Smallville is now headed to it's 9th season, which makes you wonder why this show is not just renamed "Metropolis" or "Superman" by now. This was supposedly a story about Clark Kent when he was a young boy - but that was eight years ago. Haven't we reached the present day of that universe yet? Apparently not. So the lesson is - Superman's past equals 9+ years... or possibly an eternity. Batman's future equals about five months that no one remembers. Poor little Batman.
7. Dead Like Me - Premiered in 2003. Length - 2 seasons / 29 episodes (1 followup movie)
What happens after you die? Well this series shows you, but not completely. Certain people are chosen to be grim reapers of sorts after they die. The reapers are suppose to help all the others after they die. But for all the ones being helped to the thereafter? We only see bits and pieces of what happens to them after they go into the white light. The main character, Georgia (George), has to live a regular life of work, responsibilities, boredom, family problems, and much more - and that's after she's dead. Being a grim reaper is a tough job and George is the kind of slacker that's never been able to keep a job. Now she has to buck-up and take on being a reaper, but also hold down a temp job at a company she hates too. She has two bosses, which leads to a ridiculously long day of meetings, sticky notes, and dead people. Life sucks... but death is even worse.
This show was only on for two seasons, but it had a strong following. Due to demand, this show has launched a direct-to-DVD movie that follows up after the second season. There's about four years in between these, so not sure if there will be an explanation or not written into the story. I personally haven't seen it yet, but I'm stoked. This dark comedy series sticks in my mind for some reason. I'm glad that there's enough of us out there to push this series back into some kind of production.
6. Greg The Bunny - Premiered in 2002. Length - 1 season / 13 episodes (followup spinoff series in 2005)
This show is best known as the original Fox series which paired all kinds of crazy puppets with equally hilarious actors, such as Seth Green and Sarah Silverman. The adult situations may sour the taste-buds of some hardcore Muppet/Fraggle fans, but this is not your father's Jim Henson approved show. This series still makes me laugh even after seeing several of the episodes multiple times. As for the second incarnation of the show, I wasn't quite as pleased with it. It's good, but the absence of all the famous actors ruined the interaction recipe that made this show so special. The second show focused on film parodies for IFC, which are funny but not as funny as the original series. I'm glad that the fans helped to resurrect this show, but what we got wasn't the living, breathing original show. It was more like getting a zombie version instead, which will always end badly. Did I take that resurrection / undead analogy a little too far? Maybe.
Stayed Tuned for Part 2 containing My Top 5
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