TOP 5 TV SHOWS GONE TOO SOON...

There are TONS of tv shows out there. TONS. Some good, some great, some horrible. And it's unfortunate that it's not always the great ones (or even the good ones) that stick around. So, here is MY countdown of shows that were cancelled too soon.

#5

My So-Called Life

While this show is kind of...well...a downer, it was well done. Interesting. Intriguing. Somehow addictive. And I was shocked when it was cancelled after 19 episodes. Because it really seemed like the kind of show that would (and should) be around for many seasons. Now, I will admit, no matter how much I liked the show when it came out (I was 16 at the time), when I watch it now (as a 30 year old), I find myself sort of...annoyed by it (Seriously, how many times do they have to say "like" in a scripted show?!?). Perhaps that was the reason for its demise. Too small of a demographic. Still, MSCL deserved more - and, in my opinion, many shows since have "borrowed" (aka ripped off) some of MSCL's greatness and enjoyed far more success. No fair!

#4

It's Like, You Know

1999-2000

I bet none of you have even heard of this show. It was a really cute, witty sitcom in the late 90s starring Jennifer Grey (of Dirty Dancing) as herself. Basically, it was a BIT like a west coast version of Friends or How I Met Your Mother. A group of friends and their day-to-day adventures. I found it to be a bit more clever and fun than a lot of sitcoms out there. Apparently the viewing public (or netword execs, perhaps) did not agree, 'cause ILYK lasted a mere 25 episodes (though I'm not entirely sure all were aired...). The title of the show, by the way, was said in every episode by one of the characters.

Clip time! Warning - I was hesitant to post this clip, because it's a little...well...NOT indicative of the humor and feel of the show. However, it's the only clip on youtube. So, here ya go:

#3

Journeyman

2007/2008

One thing about me, I don't do sci-fi. It's just not me. But I LOVED this show. It lasted a mere 13 episodes, but it was fantastic. Family man/newspaper reporter, Dan Vasser, suddenly begins involuntarily time travelling to help people in trouble. But there's more to it than that - SO much more. It came on after Heroes - and what's insane is that Heroes was getting mad ratings even though it was positively awful (in my opinion) - and Journeyman was getting nothing, though it was actually an excellent show.

#2

Sports Night

1998-2000

GREAT show - great cast, great dialogue, great premise - just GREAT. But it only lasted 2 seasons. The producer (Aaron Sorkin) decided he'd rather devote time to his other show, The West Wing. I love the tagline on imdb.com: "It's about sports...The same way Charlie's Angels was about law enforcement."

The entire first episode :-D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKaO-hsb3vM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6mb6awqhQw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke_o_SF-H6A&feature=related

#1

Veronica Mars

2004-2007

There's no way I could make this countdown without including my all-time favorite show. VM lasted 3 seasons, but you might as well say it was cancelled after 2 - since the transition from UPN to The CW changed everything. The first 2 seasons were STRONG with excellent mystery arcs spanning the entire season. But once The CW picked it up , they did away with that formula and created merely decent mini-mystery arcs and then a crop of "un-Veronica Marsian" stand-alone episodes. And that just did not work. Another thing that didn't work - the new characters Piz and Parker as well as the exclusion of beloved originals like Wallace and Weevil. Oh, don't get me started on that. Season 3 COULD have been great, had it followed in the footsteps of seasons 1 and 2. But The CW made too many ill-advised changes and ruined an otherwise superb show. Not to say that season 3 wasn't good - it just wasn't the magic that seasons 1 and 2 were. SO, because of the lame meddling from The CW, Veronica Mars died an early death.