So here I am on vacation thinking of making a vacation playlist, but feeling easily distracted. So I headed over to Stasha at Northwest Mommy to see what her Monday Listicles was going to be. Imagine my surprise when I saw that this week’s list is going to be:
Talk about being at the right place at the right time. Well I’m definitely in the right place. Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. But I mean – What?! – of course the Woody Allen in me says it’s Kismet. So thank’s for sending a vibe my way Stasha, it would have been a bummer to miss my own list and I am so psyched you picked my topic – even more psyched to do it. Cause you know I had that list of cancelled TV shows in my brain already or I wouldn’t have asked.
So, in no particular order. The Shows That Should Have NEVER Been Cancelled:
The Starter Wife – One season USA? ONE SEASON??? This show rocked. It rocked so hard, Debra Messing…need I say more? The life of an ex-wife of a film making mogul in a world where she doesn’t matter anymore. A star-studded cast, an amazingly funny show… USA I will never forgive you.
GCB – If you never got to watch this show, you missed some seriously good humor. Apparently the religious right (which I don’t usually slam) found this show to be over the top. WHAT??? Not even one whole year…. not even. In its series finale, GCB drew 5.6 million viewers!! Come on!
Star Trek Next Generation – OK I’m pulling the Star Trek card. Sorry, I just can’t help it. My devotion to this show, and the devotion of MILLIONS of other people. “Although the cast members were contracted for eight seasons, Paramount ended The Next Generation after seven, disappointing and puzzling some of the actors, and an unusual decision for a successful television show. Although doing so let the studio begin making films using the cast, which it believed would be less successful if the show were still on television, the main reason was that additional seasons would likely have reduced the show’s profitability due to higher cast salaries and a lower price per episode when sold for stripping. The decision also encouraged viewers to watch Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and the forthcoming Star Trek: Voyager, both of which were much cheaper to make than The Next Generation. The show’s strong ratings continued to the end; the series finale was ranked No. 2 among all shows that week, between fellow hits Home Improvement and Seinfeld.” -wiki
Better off Ted – I’m sorry I do not want to offend anyone, but this show just may have been the funniest show of all time. Thank you Wikipedia for working for me: Better Off Ted revolves around the employees of a stereotypically evil company. The company, Veridian Dynamics, experiments on its employees, twists the truth, and will stop at nothing to achieve its goals. It has been mentioned that Veridian has swayed presidential elections, created killer pandas and robots, weaponized pumpkins, and that there are only three governments left in the world which are more powerful than Veridian. Although not promoted as such, and rarely the focus of storylines, the show’s frequent references to futuristic technologies, killer robots, sentient computers, etc., places Better Off Ted at least partially in the science fiction genre.
Eureka – OK so there’s no Star Trek anymore…no Better Off Ted, but there was Eurkea. Eureka was the perfect blend of sci-fi and humor. So awesome…so amazing…so addictive! And then BOOM! Thank you so much syfy network for ruining my life! Once again I’m letting The Syfy Channel do the work for me: With the help of Albert Einstein and other trusted advisors, President Harry S. Truman commissioned a top-secret residential development in a remote area of the Pacific Northwest, one that would serve to protect and nurture America’s most valuable intellectual resources. Thus, the town of Eureka was born. But for all its familiar, small-town trappings, things in this secret hamlet are anything but ordinary. The stereotype of the absent-minded professor exists for a reason, and most of the quantum leaps in science and technology during the past 50 years were produced by Eureka’s elite researchers. Unfortunately, scientific exploration is rarely what one expects, and years of experiments gone awry have yielded some peculiar by-products.
Men in Trees – Anne Heche starred in this funny – just plane old good TV show. The storyline according to IMDB: A relationship-advice guru, upon learning that her fiancé is cheating on her, decides to stay in a small town in Alaska, the most recent stop on her book tour. It’s in this remote town, where the ratio of men to women is ten to one, she realizes she can truly learn about the subject she thought she knew so well — how to find, and keep, a good man.
Twin Peaks – If you haven’t seen this show, I don’t even know how to describe it. I do know that the pilot episode was ranked the #25th best TV episode of ALL-TIME by Tv Guide. Yet it was cancelled? Two Seasons? Huh?
Samantha Who? – I really loved this show. So funny such an original story line. And Christina Applegate? How could you not love her? Stolen from IMDB: “ABC’s” new hit comedy series “Samantha Who?” is certainly funny and the plot theme is centered around a neat concept of amnesia of a young lady named Samantha. It’s something that we as viewers hope never happens to us, that being memory loss, and then all of a sudden we awake and slowly have to learn about our friends and family. The big questions as the show goes on how will the new Samantha be a fun loving angel and nice girl trying to regain place of memory, or will she return to her devilish and partying ways of being promiscuous and wild.
$#*! My Dad Says – I’m sorry, but you had me at William Shatner. This show was seriously funny. Seriously, and Will said some things I would have liked to have said. Thank you wiki: Ed is a very opinionated 72-year-old who has been divorced three times. His two adult sons, Henry and Vince, are accustomed to his unsolicited and often politically incorrect rants. When Henry, a struggling writer and blogger, can no longer afford his rent, he is forced to move back in with Ed, which creates new issues in their tricky father-son relationship. As weeks go by Henry is unable to find a job as a writer, mostly due to the lack of good material. He finally lands a job, when during his interview Ed interrupts with an irrational phone call that sparks the interest of the eccentric editor conducting the interview. Henry is ultimately hired, but is forced to continue living with Ed in order to have readily-available material via his father’s unsolicited rants, hence the title $#*! My Dad Says.
Remington Steele – And then there was Pierce Brosnan. I am not so shallow as to say that the ONLY reason I watched that show was because I got to watch this handsome debonaire heart-throb with the sexy british accent. I actually watched this show because my secret desire was to be a Private Detective, and if Laura Holt could do it, so could I. So get this, they cancelled the show in the 5th season while it still held the #2 spot! Then the outpouring of outrage by viewers caused the network to re-instate the show. HOWEVER, Albert R Broccolli had already contacted Pierce Brosnan and offered him the part of James Bond in the movie The Living Daylights. So they created the last season as a series of 6 made for TV movies, and that was the end. It was bittersweet. I lost my favorite show, but I gained my second favorite James Bond. So there’s that. (Meanwhile, I feel my desire for that show is satisfied by Castle now on ABC, it’s like Remington Steele only backwards and with the cops)
For the fact that I have no time at all to watch TV these days – thank you blogging – I do have a varied and intense history with television. I am a child of the 70’s, which by it’s nature means a child of television, so of course I take it personally when my favorite show’s are cancelled. TV is my mother after all.
Jen Kehl 
This is definitely a topic that I also could sink my teeth into. I think my number one choice would be My So-Called Life. Seriously that show was so damn good back in the day and still will watch reruns if they get replayed. A few more on my list was American Dreams and also Pan Am. Sometimes, it makes me wonder how certain shows last, that really shouldn’t while others like we stated have no chance in hell even though they should!!
Oh Janine! American Dreams! Didn’t even think of it. My whole extended family was sitting around throwing shows into the mix last night, there were so many good ones!
Oh man, so many shows canceled before their time, where to begin?
Freaks & Geeks
Life As We Know It
Ed (remember, about the lawyer who also owns a bowling alley? So funny, and it had Justin Long before he was The Mac Guy, Julie Delpin before she was Claire in Modern Family)
Pushing Daisies
Home Movies
(and of course I second the motion on Star Trek TNG)
… I’m sure there are more but I cant think of them at the moment.
Kari ~ Pushing Daisies and Ed both were on my short list!
Men in trees was the best!
Heather! I am so glad you knew Men in Trees, I can’t tell you how many times people are like, huh?
Bleep My Dad Says was AWESOME! It had such a great cast, Shatner, Will Sasso and Nicole Sullivan. I was so sad when it was cancelled!
You already know how I feel about Trek…
Other thoughts by me:
-Freaks and Geeks should NOT have been cancelled so soon.
-While I agree Gilmore Girls was kind of running its course, I’m still pissed about how they abruptly ended it. What kind of a world is it when there is no Kirk to laugh at??!!
-Off Centre-does anyone else know about that show besides my husband and me? It was FUNNY! It had several of the American Pie people in it.
I’m sure there are others that I will think of as soon as I hit “Post Comment”!
Sarah ~ I am going to google Off Centre now. And I feel the same way about Greek (which was so not my demographic but I loved) as you do about Gilmore Girls.
I heard about GCB but never got around to watching it. It’s gone already? Not surprised! The reason I wanted to watch it was BECAUSE the far right had their panties in a twist!
Marie ~ I really don’t get it. I mean, yes, they went to church. But it just didn’t compute. Anyway, you should check it out!
Great topic, thanks so much for calling it! I forgot about a whole bunch of these. Never heard of Ted one tho, must check! Have a great vacation!!
Thanks Stasha! So glad you did it!
LOL that would have been a bummer to miss your own list. I think this was my favorite one. I’m sorry if I offend anyone for agreeing with you on Better of Ted. My husband was one of “those people” who looked at me like I was crazy for laughing. LOVED Remington Steel. That wouldn’t be a bad one to see if I could find again. I don’t remember if they ever got together.
Kenya~ You and I clearly have a lot in common! I still watch Better Off Ted on netflix, because no matter how many times I watch it I laugh my “you know what” off!
I am 100% with you on Star Trek. That show got better as it progressed, and I feel like it was sent to a farm upstate far before its time.
Jen ~ So true…so true.
Okay…I’m gonna date myself heavily here…thirtysomething and Northern Exposure.
I cried during both finales because I’m a big effing sap.
And more recently WEEDS! True, the writing had not been completely up to um…snuff…the last couple…few…seasons…but I loved that show, I loved me some badass Nancy Botwin, suburban pot sellin’ mom. sniff.
And United States of Tara. I caught up on Netflix and was all set for season four when I realized there WAS no season four. Buzzkill.
So not dating yourself Linda! We debated 30 Something here. My bro-in-law and I loved that show, my younger sister was like – you guys are losers… so I left it out. I also agree about Northern Exposure, and that show had a great soundtrack!
When a show gets cancelled there should at least be some kind of epilogue. I mean really? After 4 years of loyalty you just leave us hanging??!!
It’s funny, my hubby and I watched Eureka for awhile and loved it but then felt it just got cliched and formulaic. Not sure I would put that one on the list. Here is my list:
Arrested Development (obviously)
Firefly (I guess the movie made up for it but…)
Carnaval (soooo mad!!)
xo
Deb – I think Eureka agreed with you, did you watch it when they changed the course of history??? Just saying. It shook things up.
GCB! I LOVED LOVED LOVED that show and I was so sad when it got cancelled.
And Twin Peaks. What is up with that show? I have never seen it and it might be the fact that David Lynch is associated with it. I still haven’t recovered from the mindf— I got from his movies. Convince me, Jen!
Jean – I couldn’t handle Blue Velvet, so I wasn’t jaded. It’s still kind of a mindf**k, but it’s OK for TV 🙂 And I know GCB!!!!!!
I don’t get to watch a lot of TV, but MAN am I fanatic about the shows I do watch. It REALLY pisses me off when suits cancel one of my faves. I’m still railing about “Eli Stone” getting the boot and that was 4 years ago!
Mary, I totally agree! What the heck!
The only one of these I’ve seen is Samantha Who, and I totally agree–that should never have been cancelled! I’m pretty sure Cecilia Ahern, who’s one of my favorite authors, was a co-writer on that show…? Otherwise, my head’s so far stuck up reality t.v.’s ass (besides The Office and Always Sunny in Philadelphia, both of which I LOVE–and both of which, coincidentally, happen to be scripted like reality t.v. shows), that I feel like I need to get on the Netflix and start watching some of these!
Dude, Shay… get the Netflix! If for nothing else than Better off Ted!
Twin Peaks!!! David Lynch doing a TV series… yeah very likely but maybe there was something in the water at the time. “damn find TV series, Diane”
(Eureka very excellent too)
Clark ~ We do agree pretty frequently don’t we?
I feel like a loser for not even having heard of some of these! But, ah, Twin Peaks. I need to rewatch that someday. And I’m with Janine- My So Called Life would be at the top of my list! Happy vacationing, pal! Hope you are loving every second!
Hey Stephanie! Having a great time! Can I recommend at least checking Better Off Ted out? You won’t be sorry!
I have a book called SH!T My Dad Says. I wonder if the show was based on the book. I haven’t heard of most of these, but I don’t get out much. Well, I take that back, I’ve heard of four. My aunt loved Twin Peaks – she talked about it all the time. I had no clue what she was talking about. 🙂
Kate ~ That show was based on that book, so if you liked it – you might want to check it out!
Yes, I did watch that one! The overarching story was good but then each episode got annoying.
Well Sarah, great minds think alike!
OK… well then you are absolved. For me it added excitement and I was re-hooked!
Heading off to watch Better Off Ted – never seen it, but you sold me on it!
Natalie, tell me what you think!
Loved The Starter Wife and GCB although i did not watch the others. I would like to add Lipstick Jungle to the list!
Kate! I totally loved Lipstick Jungle, someone else put that on their list, I had completely forgotten about it!
Does it count that The Office is leaving the air? I am devastated!
Yes it counts, but…. I don’t watch it – sorry 😉
Models Inc.
Don’t judge.
Don’t worry, I won’t 🙂
Totally had a list ready for this topic, and um, my kids had other plans for me. Yes and YES to GCB and Better off Ted – loved, loved, loved those. And Remington Steele – sigh. They were so hot, even if they apparently didn’t really like each other.
I’m mad they canceled the revamped V, if only because the last episode was a huge cliffhanger, and now I will never know if the lizard people take over Earth. And Alphas. I’ll never know if Gary was really the last man standing or not. humpf
We’re a Star Trek household here too – loved TNG. And we love Eureka. And Twin Peaks. Great list!
Hey Katie! Thanks for stopping by, I know..where did our shows go??