Your responses to my recent post about SGA’s final episode got me to thinking about some of the shows I’ve enjoyed that ended too soon. I thought it might be fun to compile a list of My Top Ten Crushing Cancellations, those show’s whose premature demises left me alternately bewildered, disappointed, and frustrated. So I sat down to compile a list and discovered that, with the exception of three obvious selections, I was having a hard time coming up with some names. Either the series had ended on its own terms (The Sopranos), had been cancelled well after I’d discovered it on DVD (Firefly), or had deteriorated so badly in quality by the end that I had checked out well before that final episode aired (too numerous to mention). In the end, I was left with a grand total of six!
SOAP
This was one of the first serialized shows I remember watching, a mighty controversial (for its time) spoof of steamy daytime soaps that proved well ahead of its time. Every episode ended on a cliffhanger, and the season finale was no different. Did Chester kill Danny and Annie after discovering them in bed together? Did Jodie ever become unhypnotized? Was Jessica really shot by that South American firing squad? Alas, we’d never know. And what made this cancellation particularly galling were the rumors that the show had been cancelled, not due to ratings, but because certain advertisers were uncomfortable with its suggestive content.
TWIN PEAKS
This one makes the list on the strength of a solid first season that had me tuning in every week to unravel the mystery of who killed Laura Palmer. By the time it was cancelled after its second season, it was a pale imitation of its former clever self, mired in meandering storylines and replete with annoyingly weird touches (what the hell was the deal with the kid with the creamed corn?). Still, I loved Agent Cooper and thought the show’s final episode an incredibly depressing end to his story.
ROME
Ah, now this is the one that immediately comes to mind. Before Game of Thrones there was Rome, a rich and incredibly engaging period series that – well, it seems proved too damn expensive to produce past a second season.
STARGATE: SG-1
Okay, maybe I’m being greedy. Ten seasons is an awful long run. But, in fairness, the cast additions and shift in storyline that marked the show’s eighth season reinvigorated this series. Rather than feeling like the tenth season of a long-running series, it actually felt like the second season of a few series. And then we got word of the cancellation. Disappointing because I still feel there are so many more stories to tell…
STARGATE: ATLANTIS
And the same applies here. Unlike SG-1 that at least had the opportunity to go out on its own terms, Atlantis never got that chance. Going into those last few episodes, I’d heard the chances of a sixth season pick-up were 50/50. Then, after looking into it further, it looked more than likely we would get that sixth season order. And, suddenly, we were cancelled. WTF?
STARGATE: UNIVERSE
This one was the toughest because we only had two seasons. We knew the odds were stacked against us and things looked grim – until we heard word, from a couple of sources, that we would be back for a third and final season. We would get one more year to wrap up the story of Destiny’s crew. And then, out of the blue, we didn’t. We were cancelled. And then certain players stepped up and made a stalwart 11th hour effort to save the show. Only to be shut down. Ouch. This one still smarts.
So, do I have to ask? What were your top Crushing Cancellations?
Oh, by the way, the repairman swung by today, on time, and fixed the oven. I feel the need to point out that he wasn’t a Maytag repairman but a repairman sub-contracted by Maytag to do the job. So let’s call this one a push.
SG-1 and Atlantis certainly top my list.. I would also say Crusade (TNT can meddle and kill a show like no one else.. ) Adventures of Brisco County JR, Space: Above and Beyond, Journeyman, the Original premise of SeaQuest, and heck SeaQuest 2032 wasn’t bad either..
SGA, Firefly and Farscape off the top of my head. I’m sure there were more from years ago that I’ll think of later. I haven’t watched much series TV since SGA was canceled, it was too painful to go through that again.
First off, my list is close. I’m in the middle of a Firefly re-watch, current on episode 6.
SG-1
SGA
SGU. SGU made me so sad and disappointed, most especially because some of the fans of SGA helped torpedo the show.
Arrested Development
Better off Ted
My taste must be very different from the majority, because every time I really like a show, it gets cancelled. On the other hand, I can’t remember any of them now, so maybe they weren’t all that great.
congrats on your repaired oven!
i did see any of rome, kind of want to, but i hear that HBO regretted canceling that big time after the uproar over it showed just how many were watching. but yeah, i can see where that thing ate up money.
terra nova
last resort
SGA
SGU
Married With Children
Everybody Loves Raymond
Twin Peaks did get weird beyond enjoyment the 2nd season but dang was it memorable!
Well, the only one I can think of is really Atlantis, if we’re talking ‘crushing’. I may add Inspector Lewis to that, but Brit tv is a bit different, and so even if the show’s 4-ep seasons end, they may always do a one shot movie here or there, so not too worried. Usually when a show ends I’m ready for it to end, and – in all honesty – my memory is so crappy that if there were any shows that I loved and that ended prematurely I just can’t remember what they are now.
I don’t consider the cancellation of Universe as crushing, only because I was still a bit numb from the Atlantis thing, so it really didn’t come as that much of a surprise. It was more of a disappointment, if anything. More than feeling sadness over the show’s end, I felt sad for the cast, crew, and entire Stargate family. It’s no fun losing a job and though I assume most people were able to move on, I’m sure there may still be a few who haven’t quite found a place yet for themselves. A show is just a show, characters are not real, and I will eventually get over the loss. But the people who made the show? Those are real and when you start to get to know those people (mostly through your blog, Joe), then you can’t help but feel a bit sick in the pit of your stomach for them when suddenly their world turns upside down.
das
“MOONLIGHT” – Pithy-20-Something-Looking-400-Year-Old-Billionaire-Vampire-JOSEPH alone was worth a spin-off! Then perhaps, we wouldn’t have been subjected to the “TWIT-LIGHTERS”!
“SANCTUARY” – MAGNUS’ *other life* had to be worth 2 seasons of storylines alone! ..and, I *MISS* AMANDA!
Apart from the Stargate trio … may I add Outcasts?
This sci-fi show starting to show a lot of promise when it was axed. Worth watching the eight episodes if you can find them …
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outcasts_(TV_series)
SGU is at the top of my list. I still cry when I watch Gauntlet :'(
In the last few years I’ve stopped watching shows long before they go off the air. Ever since the writers strike a few years back I watch a lot less. I use to watch several hours of tv a day. Now I watch maybe 7 hours of new tv over the entire week. I end up watching my favourites on DVD.
SGA cancellation was very depressing.
So was Farscape. I loved that show.
But so was Bonanza. I miss those boys. Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe were never allowed to marry. Just say the words, “Will you marry me?” and shots rang out, killing the bride-to-be instantly. Why do you producers do that Joe?
Gilligan’s Island cancellation was sad too. Good, clean, harmless fun. So many stories left to tell. I blame Ginger. Not sure why.
These come to mind quickly….might have to add later as the brain cells kick in.
Stargate SG-1
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Universe
Firefly
Then in no particular order:
Leverage
Sanctuary
Space Above and Beyond
Bluebeard – very short lived pirate theme/ghost in modern times
My biggest and most crushing cancellation must be SGU. I’ve watched other shows that didn’t get proper endings n stuff, but they don’t hurt half as much. I’m thinking that unlike other shows, I was with Universe since the beginning and followed the show faithfully every week, which in return made me more attached to the show and characters. Reading that season 3 was so close and almost in the bad, doesn’t offer ANY solace.
in the bag*
nuts! I forgot about “CRUSADE”!! — Bad Me! Especially, since I used to know a few of the Cast Members!!
And, “SPACE ABOVE and BEYOND”!! — [psst! don’t tell, but I actually DID “date” one of the main ALIEN-GUYS!! — probably *why* I forgot about the Show..? #BestToForgetMentalBlock..]
oh! And, speaking of Aliens… “ROSWELL”!!!
Jessica was live in coma somewhere:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOJXlLxFKRY
There are series that you’d like to never end.But I can live with the way they had, Stargate Sg-1 (10 years + 2 movies), Farscape ….
The end of SGA was depressing for me. But ok at least Joe gives us some little relief with the movie information.
SGU I would not want end up being like Odyssey 5, I think us deserve B & R the end they had in mind.
I dont like some day in the future, in other tv series see Eli Wallace like a dream saying I´m alive in other galaxy & i love you…….
SGU was pretty crushing to me, but, aside from the obvious, I found I was crushed by the cancellation of “Endgame” and “The Good Guys”, also “The Chicago Code”. Damn, now I’m going to be sad thinking of all these shows as the list grows in my brain. And yes, those who cancelled “Firefly” – grumble, grumble. Also really missed what was supposed to be the last season of “Farscape”, given that it ended on a cliffhanger. I’ve taken to stopping the last episode right before the end, so I don’t get frustrated.
I loved Soap! It was absolutely brilliant. I also loved Married with Children, Al Bundy was hilarious, but then again all of the cast – including the neighbours acted their roles really well.
Did you ever watch Brimstone? It was about a man sent from hell to recapture the souls who had escaped. He was covered in tats and for each soul he brought back, one was taken away. It was dark, chilling, but of course like everything really good, it was taken off after only one season. Another show that was taken off too soon was Blake’s Seven. It was a Syfy show shown in the UK. The premiss was that a rebel guided a group of escaped prisoners against the oppressive Federation. It was wonderful. The acting superb, but the ending was an insult to the viewers…I won’t tell you in case you decide to watch it…Anyway, if there was ever a show ripe for a remake, that’s it.
SGU this was my beloved thing in my life…very very deep and depressing feeling flyis over my head …
StarGate Universe and StarGate Atlantis
It’s weird but I can’t remember too many crushing cancellations.
Living in Australia we’d usually get the shows months (if not years) after they had been aired in the U.S. so I’d often know that a show had been cancelled before the final season is aired and I’d lose interest. Or, worse, the show would be cancelled and the final season would never even be broadcast! Thanks to DVDs and the Internet that, hopefully, can’t happen again.
I remember really enjoying Soap but I only discovered it part-way through its final season so I suspect I wasn’t engaged enough to be crushed. I should track it down.
I am devastated every time I watch Firefly. It was cancelled before anyone could really appreciate how good it was. I hope the executive at Fox who signed the death warrant was fired and is now scrubbing the toilets at Grand Central Station.
I didn’t mind the end of SG-1. I felt it had run its course. The Atlantis cancellation was sad mainly because of the final episode leaving everything up in the air. I would have liked some closure. SGU’s demise was also sad but as I was actively following production on this blog and the discussions about ratings, etc, I knew its days were numbered. A third season to finish everything up would have been nice, though.
Subcontracted is not a push. That means the already not-busy repairman was too damned lazy to actually do his job, and foisted you onto another poor repairman who had to deal with your pent up frustration. Luckily you are too nice a guy to take it out on the sub.
Crushing cancellations? SGA is top of the list. I was frothing at the mouth for two weeks after that one. Space Above and Beyond was also a big disappointment, given it was never given a stable time slot to show itself off(way too many episodes interupted by football). A little show named Quark, which only lasted 6 episodes. Babylon 5 made it through its 5 seasons, but I’ve always wondered how the story would have unfolded in season five had the threat of cancellation at the end of season four forced a revision to the storyline. And too many shows were cancelled before I could get to the crushing point of disappointment. Certainly it seems that quality writing and casting works against a show’s success in the bizarro world of hollywood.
Farscape.
Firefly
Sanctuary.
SGU
Against the Grain. This one went a half season, somewhere around ’93. It was about football in Texas, and it featured a young Ben Affleck. Of course, we didn’t know who Ben Affleck was then. But this series Got It Right, and it was my first crushing cancellation heartbreak.
But, that show is the reason I now WAIT before committing to a new series. Why invest my time and interest if it’s going to be cancelled?
Of course…anything that Mallozzi and Mullie produce–I’M IN! From the first episode on.
Can’t wait to see what new TV shows you’ll come up with. It’ll be fabulous!
First, the Stargates of course. I didn’t feel quite as bad about SG1 – 10 years is LONG time for any TV series. Most are lucky to last 10 episodes. But SGA felt gone before its time, and of course SGU was just painful. It was reaching the peak of its form. It didn’t make it easier that the cast and production folks (like yourself) were/are so approachable and open to the fans of the show, and that made those cancellations more personal.
Other than those, I did feel Twin Peaks was not so much cancelled before its time, but ran out of creative fuel first. It seemed like there was just so much more you could do with the idea than the utter silliness that it ultimately descended to. I still watched it to the end though, including the “Fire Walk With Me” movie.
Sanctuary is missed too, because first, Amanda Tapping, and also it was another series that seemed to remain fresh and inventive right to the end.
I’m going to go out on a very shaky limb and lament the loss of the Canadian production “Starlost”, which most people probably won’t remember. I realize now how utterly awful the production values were (it was ’73!) and that the production was plagued with problems from the beginning, but I can’t help but think even now how the concept had so much potential. Looking back, I guess I was already a sci-fi geek at the age of 11!
I was going to add Arrested Development, but since that it working out well in the end, I’m happy. Also, it goes to show that hope is never lost for and SG revival. What do they say, in sci-fi, no one ever really dies? 🙂
I meant to add that the promise of the movies made SG1’s ending much more bearable. Also, the planned movie to end SGA at least softened that blow somewhat.
Oh, wait. 😉
Obviously the Stargate trilogy. And Firefly.
Brisco County Jr.
Leverage
News Radio (but was kind of a given after the tragic loss of Phil Hartman)
Max Headroom
I was watching Enterprise when it was cancelled. It was getting good. That was harsh, but there was enough Stargate to comfort me then.
Futurama was crushing, but it keeps coming back so I’m going to now hesitate to be crushed by the cancellation of anything animated.
I was still crushed by the cancellation of Firefly even though I saw it late. I thought that last episode was just the last one I’d found and I would just look more after I finished it. There’s another episode that can be found in script form, I’m pretty sure it was released intentionally. Get it from a trusted source because google will find a virus version for you.
SG-1 was up there. It was a long run and we “knew” the cancellation was coming, but they said that so many times. I had practice preparing for the blow, a bit of disbelief for each announcement, then a lack of closure when it actually happened.
Yes to most of the shows mentioned (I abhor Ray Romano, so that’s right out).
I liked Invisible Man and The Sentinel.
And Action. Too smart for TV.
666 Park Avenue. Damn.
Alias Smith and Jones, but I was 14~15 and there’s no accounting for taste at that age.
Then, of course, this was this. I always thought the production values on this were pretty amazing for 1975.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jAlE_HLDj8
Like Space:1999, maybe someday in a few years from the ending of SGU, we’ll have a resolution to the story of the lives of the people aboard Destiny.
I, too, was a fan of Soap…but that was soooo long ago I really can’t remember most of it, except that it made me lol, a lot.
That said, in regards to its cancellation I can believe it. Rumor has it that Murder, She Wrote – although a #1 show – was cancelled because advertisers pulled out due to the older (and most likely, female) demographics of its viewship.
The sad part about it is that it is my experience that most women are the purchasers for the household. Well, except maybe not the big money items, like cars, but there are plenty of single professional women and single (usually female) parent households, so – again – they make their own buying decisions. I understand that older people are usually on a fixed income, but they are often also very easy to sell to (*see door-to-door and telemarketing scams).
I think the problem isn’t just with the advertisers, but with whoever in the network courts said advertisers. It’s going to be hard to sell fast cars and cheap beer to older people. (Of course, older people are drinkers. Long story, but let’s just keep it to off-season senior citizen bus groups and motel fridges stockpiled with booze, as eye-witnessed by my sister who, at the time, worked at her in-laws beachfront hotel…it just wasn’t beer in those fridges. 😉 ) Anyway, if you have a top-rated show, then court advertisers/products that may be more appealing to those viewers, everything from cruises to convenience foods to life insurances to pet supplies. I realize prime time ad spots are a premium, but I’m sure with a bit of fancy footwork a network could fill all those spots and keep a top-rated show on air.
I really do hate the power advertisers have over the media. I hate it here on the internet, with ads flashing at me all the time. I wouldn’t mind them on tv if they were all clever, but most are just downright stupid and/or boring and deserved to be FF through.
Ya know, the more I think about it, the more I think I’d be happier living under a barter system than a capitalistic one. 😛
das
Deadwood.
How could I have forgotten Deadwood?
SG1, SGA and SGU the best serials. Is here change to see new episodes? 🙁
Hey Joe
I can remember the following shows ‘disappearing’ and wondering why?
Get Smart
Hogan’s Heroes
I Dream of Jeannie
Land of the Giants
Logan’s Run
Lost in Space
Mission Impossible
Star Trek
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
Then along came the Internet and knowing they where leaving before the actors 🙂
Truly broke up over SG:1, Sanctuary, Farscape, Firefly and Eureka.
Elminster
My top shows that ended without closure: SGA, SG1 was sad but at least we got to see cameos of the characters. Plus, we had some SG1 movies. Farscape ended badly and the movie wasn’t as much closure as I wanted. It’s been way too long since I saw Soap and I wasn’t that attached. Space 1999 was a bummer. Of course, it would have been fun to ride along with SGU. You’ve given us ideas how it would have gone and it sounded good.
Ponytail: Why blame Ginger?
Das: I loved your 1 cent story yesterday. How much money went into that phone call (salary, etc)? It cost them more arguing about it than to just write it off.
It’s snowing here but I believe it’s too warm to stick to anything. I have a pot roast in the oven, mashed potatoes and raspberry cobbler waiting on me. Hope ya’ll have a good weekend!
Mine are SG Atlantis, V, The Good Guys and Star Trek Enterprise. There was another space show that was only on for a short while (in recent “memory”, since I can’t remember the name of the show…) that was cancelled and was so good. Right now, I’m just relieved Touch is still on, good show!
Have a great weekend, everybody! 🙂
Okay, cancellations that were really disappointing: SGU would definitely have to be on the list, maybe SGA as well (not as much because we did get 5 seasons of it). Crusade, definitely, also Jeremiah (two series in a row where JMS got screwed over). Some might disagree, but I’d add Wiseguy to the list: a lot of fans didn’t like the 4th season where Steven Bauer replaced Ken Wahl as the lead, but I thought it had interesting potential and was just getting on its feet when they pulled the plug.
I sooooo miss Stargate!! I mean SG1. They had an ending to be sure but not to my mind a satisfying one, don’t get me started! I love Firefly and Crusade( it started out ok but never got a chance to prove itself.
Speaking of great shows Babylon 5. To me it I was going to write a show I would write the first and last episode then the rest. That way if the network canceled the show there would be an ending to give to the fans. Private practice did pretty good with its ending. The best was Babylon 5 , it even had two endings, and a 5 year story arc that’s one of the things that made it great.
Definitely ReBoot. The painful part about that show was that the producers wrapped up as much as they could in Season 3, were given a fourth season of three movies, and then the third was abruptly cancelled, leaving a huge, avoidable cliffhanger through no fault of the producers.
Crusade was also a biggie. A good show done by someone who had proved they could make a successful show, expanding a lucrative franchise, purposefully destroyed by the higher powers before it even aired.
I think that I don’t really mind cancellations so much as long as they’re given enough warning to wrap it up the way they want (and as long as I find it a satisfying end). Like Monk, which had, I think, an entire season to wrap everything up. Or even if the last episode is one where it could certainly go on from there if renewed, but it’s a satisfying end if it has to end (Journeyman and Awake come to mind).
Firefly, I think, tops the list for disappointing cancellations, although maybe retroactively, since a lot of us didn’t discover it until it was already off the air. Also, The Sentinel, Seven Days, The Invisible Man, I hated seeing those get cancelled. Actually, there are several like Firefly in that they only got very short runs, but they were good and I wanted more. Moonlight (a vampire show just a year or two before its time, I guess, but it’s fun to watch now and see what Eli would look like as a vampire), Eastwick (who knew the guy from Due South was ridiculously sexy?), and the aforementioned Journeyman and Awake (they had better endings, but I still wish there’d been more).
SG-1 reminds me of the X-Files a little bit, in that changes in the last couple seasons made it basically a new show. And… it didn’t seem to work here either. Maybe next time this sort of thing happens, there should just be a spin-off show. I’m so glad SG-1 at least got those movies to wrap things up, though I would have liked to see more.
SGA, I’ll be honest, was really petering out for me. No offense, but once you guys made the (IMO) poor decision to pointlessly kill off Carson, it was downhill from there. Not that there weren’t good episodes here and there, but I just didn’t like it as much. Carson was gone (and his clone really did seem to act like a different character, aside from actually being one), Weir was gone, I didn’t care for the new doctor, and as much as I like Sam and think Woolsey is fine, somehow their presence never quite worked for me either. And then I’m still incredibly disappointed with how you handled Michael. So, I couldn’t work up too much disappointment when the show got cancelled. Sorry.
I blame the money people for being so obviously unconcerned with the art as to make these decisions so late that the people making the show can’t wrap it up decently, but I also kind of blame the showrunners/writers for not catching on by now that they should never end a season on a cliffhanger. I never understood that, and it ticks me off when they do it, and hello, it might end up being the series finale and leaving the whole series on a terrible note, like a book with the last 50 pages ripped out. And who would want to read that? There are some shows that I have no intention of ever watching, just because I know they ended terribly (or had no real ending at all).
Oh yes, and Star Trek Enterprise. Because it had finally found itself in that fourth season. They cancelled it just as it was getting good!
SGA – Agard, wraith, those guys from the daedalus variations, and really, I can’t get sick of Mckay.
SGU – only 2 season. Need more time to cover more things.
V
Flashforward – wonderful series that kept leaving me and its fans wanting more.
Drive – Woulda been a great miniseries, but died too soon
@ Tam Dixon – To be fair, it was never an argument. It was just a lot of phone calls to an ethereal supervisor. And it probably did cost them (and me) more than it was worth.
I got the bills finished, so off to take a much needed nap. I love naps…
🙂
das
I made this list a little while back http://www.robotplunger.com/2011/05/10-sci-fi-shows-we-lost-too-soon-2/
Though I had left SG1 and SGA off at the time, given they had both had a chance to give some sort of closure. Not that I wouldn’t love to see either back for more.
Speaking of back for more, do you have any thoughts on the new SG1 mobile app game, Stargate SG-1: Unleashed, that is coming out soon?
Joe, I agree with your selections. It’s a shame there’s only one season of Firefly. A
At the time SGU was cancelled, it was getting better every week. The show was a big shift for fans of SG-1 and SGA, and I think it took awhile for many of us to adjust to that difference. SGA still had a lot of life left in it! Its cancellation was grossly unfair. And despite the changes in SG-1 after season 8, its mythology and well-drawn characters (and the actors who played them) makes it one of the best sci-fi series of all time. I think you were all victims of the bad economy. And if I ever win the lottery, I’ll bankroll that third SG-1 movie!
And Eureka! I can’t believe I forgot that one.
In this age of reality TV, I’m wondering in 20 years, what shows the kids today will be crushed about being cancelled. Billy the Exterminator? Ice Road Truckers? Honey Boo Boo? Hoarders?
I don’t watch any current shows today. I prefer reruns. If they were good, I figure they ran long enough to make it to syndication. Plus I’ll already know how they ended. The pressure is off.
When I watched SGA’s Vegas, I was blown away at the style it had. When everyone mentioned it was a CSI imitation, I’d didn’t know what they were talking about because I had never watched CSI. So I watched one and thought, oh, it is just like it. (still loved Vegas!) I never watched Friends, Seinfield, all medical or lawyer shows. Wonder what would happen if TV blew up and was no more. Force us to go back to good old books. And it would be quieter. No advertisers yelling at you all the time.
@ Tam Dixon – I’m not sure. After the show was over she regretted being on it. (I thnk she is at peace with it now.) I loved the character Ginger. I loved them all.
The tragedy of SGU’s cancellation is so overwhelming that I won’t even mention any others. The most serious, grown-up space science fiction series ever, addressing the most important subject imaginable–the secret of Creation!–gets canceled simply because it had the terrible luck of arriving during the transition period between traditional television and online viewing. The loss of any fine show is unfortunate, but SGU’s loss is a blow to all mankind, even those who never watched it. The bell tolls for thee.
A friend of mine who is deeply involved with American soaps told me recently about an actress who wanted more money for her role. Apparently, the producers of soap operas are pretty ruthless when it comes to keeping actors in their place. So, this particular actress, instead of the raise, got put in a coma. Don’t mess with the powers of the soap. 😉
I was very disappointed when, after one whole season, Primeval New World was cancelled.The show has had it’s ups and downs, but was finding it’s legs in the last few episodes. It is also chock full of Stargate alumni, produced by Martin Wood, directed by Amanda Tapping and Andy Mikita. Special Effects by people like Mark Savela and Lauren Bankroft-Wilson, and many Stargate actors like Louis Ferriera(Col. Young), Dan Payne(Kull Warriors), Eric Breker(Col. Reynolds), Lexa Doig(Dr. Lam), Patrick Gilmore(Dale Volker), Patrick Sabongui (Kanaan) and Chuck Campbell(Atlantis Technician).Syfy in the U.S is supposed to get the episodes this summer. Here’s hoping they like it enough to pick it up.
SG-1
A Gifted Man
Leverage
Star Trek – Though I am (definitely) not a ‘Trekkie’ it seems that a show so iconic should have had a few more seasons.
Tammy is right! Eureka, too! LOVED that show.
the entire stargate franchise being canceled is the most frustrating.
the long baited, i mean long waited for sam/jack confirmation was supposed to happen in the 3rd sg1 movie, but the baby was thrown out with the bath water.
lots of frustration and 🙁 involved.
SG1
SGA
SGU (It was getting better and better)
Enterprise
Sanctuary
I didn’t follow Farscape or Firefly until they were already cancelled, so I can’t say these came as a shock.
And congratulations on the oven repair (no hugs?)
We survived the teenage sleepover…now I just need to get over my bad cold.
Besides all the flavors of SG, I would have liked to see more Star Trek Enterprise.
SG-1 ended with season 8 for me. S9 & 10 were another show. SGA definitely had more stories to tell. I was just beginning to really like SGU when they pulled the plug. Would not have missed it if it had been canceled after the first season but season 2 was so much better.
Sanctuary hurt. I really didn’t think they would cancel it so soon.
Others I missed were West Wing….I know it reached a logical conclusions but I really would have liked to see more…mainly because I wanted more Josh/Donna 🙂
I thought ER could have gone a couple more seasons.
And call me crazy but Enterprise was still telling good stories
~Cancellation of SGU is one of the most crushingly awful, non-death related, things to happen to my life. I adored that show. It was my dream scifi pretty much. Maybe some of the relationship stuff could be overkill, but otherwise I thought it was perfect-ish. Still haven’t watched the last episode. I’m saving it for my deathbed.
~ST: Enterprise, while I didn’t watch it all the time (the theme song was off-putting), I was crushed because it was the end of Star Trek on TV, and the next new show they put on that channel (I think in the same timeslot) was the Brittany Spears and Kevin Federline ‘reality’ show, which made me want to blow up the earth.
~Arrested Development (obviously)
~Futurama (but it’s baaaack!)
~The Sarah Silverman Program, it was so weird. I love weird.
~ST:The Next Generation. It got a full run, but I would have liked to see it go on forever. Voyager too. But I’d trade them both for 7 years of SGU. Or even one more year. sigh. Thank you for what we did get, though. It was so good.
SGU (*weep, weep, weep*)
Life
Lie to Me (this one still ticks me off! I LOVED this show! Smart, funny, intellectually stimulating.)
As always, fangirling you from afar!
~ LJ
G’day
Have to agree on all the SG’s. In particular SG-1 and SGU.
Eureka
Twin Peaks, great Season 1, S2 not so good.
ST:TNG. Did not care much for the movies, became the Picard and Data show.
Sanctuary, really miss Amanda.
The Pretender. Wanted Jarod to be free.
The Flying Doctors, great Aussie drama.
I think all the crushing cancellations have been mentioned.
There are a couple other shows that I wish had stayed on the air:
Alphas
Viper
Untouchables(90’s version)
Poltergeist: The Legacy
Oh my. I’d have to do some thinking back to my childhood. I did love Soap. It was a great show. Right off the top of my head without doing some back-checking:
Gidget: That’s going back, huh?
Battlestar Galactica (the original series with Richard Hatch as Apollo)
V (the original version)
SeaQuest (before it jumped the shark) but
SeaQuest 2032 because once the aliens were gone, this was interesting, too
Farscape absolutely devastated me (before it was given a miniseries to tidy up the storyline). This was the first time I was involved in a campaign to save a show. I am Farscape.
Jericho: I found it in season 2, got quickly caught up with the season 1 DVD’s, and then it got cancelled. But it may get another life on Netflix (fingers crossed).
All versions of Stargate because I can never get enough Stargate.
Battlestar Galactica’s Blood and Chrome. They did not even wait to see how the miniseries did before they decided not to pick it up for a series.
Caprica: I think the story was finding its legs finally.
V — The remake.
Journeyman: With the guy from Rome in it, it was like The Time Traveler’s Wife.
Terra Nova: Again, the last few episodes it was just finding a good pace.
Touch — Oh wait, that hasn’t been cancelled yet, but I am fearing for its life just when it’s developing a “24”-like pace.
Rome: I agree it deserved more seasons.
Earth2: Did they ever find New Pacifica?
Dead Like Me: I didn’t discover this show until years later. I’m sorry I didn’t know of it when it was on.
Star Trek Enterprise: And they gave us a SUCKY ending. How dare they make Trip be dead!
Millenium:
FRINGE: There was more story to tell.
Cupid: The original version. Joe Flanigan was on this show for several episodes. It was adorable.
The Mole: They did resurrect it for a season 2 but it involved celebrities and I thought it was more interesting with regular people.
7 Days: Do you see a trend here. A lot of these shows on my list are sci-fi.
Odyssey 5
Defying Gravity: Yep I’ve said it. Grey’s Anatomy in Space.
Miracles with Skeet Ulrich. GOD IS NOW HERE or GOD IS NOWHERE?
I’ll think of some more in a bit.
Glad your oven got fixed! I hope you gave him payments in hugs!
Another one
John Doe:
OH!!! OMG How could I forget these:
Fairly Legal
Common Law
Political Animals
These are all recent ones.
Dresden Files
The Bionic Woman (reboot)
Eli Stone
30 Days with Morgan Spurlock
The Listener (although I hear Directv is going to air these since they continued in Canada).
Mental (I really enjoyed this show).
Human Target
Lie to Me
I watch toooooooo much television.
The ending of SGU was something of a Singularity. After which nothing would be the same again. It drove me to all but abandon the SyFy channel, which Has completely lost it’s way…..And the fact that they have since picked up at least 10 GoPro filmed Paranormal shows only makes worse….SyFy is now a reality TV channel. SGU clearly had a mixed first season, but after every 10 episodes it got better and better and by season 2 it was utter perfection. It at least deserved another season to wrap up the Amazing revelations that the second season presented.
After that I quit watching SyFy with the exception of a few shows, which I made a point to either DVR or download. And now most of those shows are gone…Caprica, Sanctuary, and Even Alphas suffered the same fate.
SGA would be #2 on my list, But it was the cancellation of SGU that made it even more tragic…….Since after that we lost all hope of the SGA and SG1 movies.
IF the Syfy channel would have 5 scripted Sci-Fi series, and then showed nothing but Sci-fi Reruns it would be a channel worth watching…..I wouldn’t even mind if they kept a few ghost shows and wrestling to help bring in more revenue.
#3 would be Terra Nova.
#4 Sanctuary
#5 Caprica
I have another one: Alphas I will never get to see what ever happened to our gang, especially no more Gary in my life.
I don’t recall every shows, but are some:
SG series. SGU being the most frustrating. The series was getting very good.
Sancturary
Alphas
Kyle XY
Lois & Clark:…
Millenium
Legend of the seeker. Crushing because I’ll miss Bridget Regan.
Merlin (not really cancelled, but creators choosed to stop the series.) Have not seen the end but not sure I want to.
I miss SGA, Eureka, Life and Wonderfalls. Life was just the best, I couldn’t get why it wasn’t a bigger hit. I blame Jeff Zucker.
Stargate Atlantis. That is all.
SG1,SGA,SGU,Sanctuary,JAG
And Battlestar Galactica
Let’s see… SG-1, Firefly, Farscape, Human Target, Dresden Files, Angel, Eureka, Eli Stone, Blood Ties… and many more
I’m still crushed over the cancellation of Veronica Mars. Just re-watched the show and it’s still one of my all time favorites.
Being a long-time Whedon fan(I felt Buffy and Angel ran their course just fine), I was of course crushed when Firefly got the axe. Thankfully, because of the fans, Serenity got made and they did it so well that people who had never heard of the show could watch and get plugged into the series. I never got into Dollhouse because I feared the same looming executioner staring down it’s next victim. I was right. Come to think of it, FOX has a great long history of canceling great shows way before their time. For me, I was affected most by the cancellations of Firefly, then Arrested Development, The Tick, Running Wilde, and couple others that don’t come to mind right now. Arrested Development hit me pretty hard and thankfully, again, the fans made their voice heard and the show is coming back, kinda.
There are more shows that for some reason or another caught my fancy and were just great, to me, that I miss. Two Guys and a Girl… got good after they dropped the “pizza place” and added a few crazy cast members(including Nathan Fillion). Doctor, Doctor was a particularly funny show starring Matt Frewer(yes, Max Headroom) that I really enjoyed, until it just disappeared.
I’m sure there are others that I can’t remember right now. It just really sucks to have people who you KNOW never watch you’re favorite shows make decisions on whether or not they should remain on the air. Sure, I get the whole “bottom line” argument, but if someone(who actually mattered) at FOX or SyFy actually ever watched any of these shows, things might have turned out different. Honestly, I’d really like to see a chart or graph or something showing what TV shows TV execs actually watch at home. I think that’s the most interesting demographic and I’d love to see “the numbers”.
-Mike A.
SGU stands out for me. I was a critic of the show when it was barely half a season old but it went on to become one of my favourite sci-fi shows of all time: quite possibly the next best thing to Star Trek for me. It will also be a source of disappointment that the Destiny was not able to complete its journey.
SG1 and SGA are up there, too, but at least they both had decent runs.
Outside of those, I would add The 4400 and Sanctuary.
Still bitter about SGA. Incredibly bitter about Firefly and Terra Nova, too. I was upset by BSG’s cancellation despite being one of the few fans of the finale, just because I still believe it’s the best executed science fiction show ever. I was not fond of Dark Angel’s cancellation because while I disliked the turn S2 took, I wanted to see the continuation of the plot.
Heroes. I may have been very annoyed by most of S2&3, but, S4 had picked up again.
And for more Adrian Pasdar shows that should not have been cancelled: Profit and Mysterious Ways. Mysterious Ways was arguably more my favorite (following the line of The X-Files and Fringe in terms of science/faith plots) but Profit was pure genius. Well before its time, unfortunately. But AMAZING.
Been giving this thread a lot of thought and I remember being absolutely crushed when China Beach was cancelled. I love that show. Robert Picardo was great in it but Dana Delaney was just fabulous!
Intelligence
SGU
Firefly
Prime Suspect (US)
The Chicago Code
Da Vinci City Hall
We’re all with you on the cancellations of the stargate series!!
If its any consolation, the savesgu Facebook group has just passed 80,000 likes and the walls of NBC, syfy and MGM are constantly plastered with fans wanting a return. We know the futures bleak but there’s still hope yet!
DEFYING GRAVITY!!!!!!!! And SGU, of course, right up there with BSG. Blood and Chrome, never got on the air (on the web, though). Terra Nova and Primeval New World (my grandson is heartbroken, he hates TV Execs even though he doesn’t know who they are).