Well it’s Friday for me and that means two things, I can sleep in tomorrow (but I won’t) and it’s time for the Friday top five.
Every once and a while I am reminded that it is show business, not show friends. Production companies are increasingly not your friend. They package stuff and tell you that you like it and it’s edgy and how clever it is. Often the movies and the shows aren’t actually these things.
Once and a while though a show is really good, really clever and you do love it. But it doesn’t sell Cheetos, not to the right people anyway and they take your friend away.
Not because the show sucks, in fact the show has tonnes of potential but the suits only care about the bottom line, not the art.
Today’s list is my Top Ten shows that shouldn’t have been cancelled:
- Farscape - to me it is so obvious, I have no idea why the show was taken off the air. They had agreed to do a fifth season, they pulled the plug with little notice so what we were left with was a cliff hanger series finale. Pfft. Whatever, they came back and did the amazing Peacekeeper Wars. The thing is that they should not have cancelled a show that the suits themselves referred to as a “smart, sexy, intelligent and fun series that rewrites the book on sci-fi entertainment. Farscape is not only the most ambitious original series on basic cable, we think it’s one of the best-written shows on television, period.“
- Firefly - I guess this is another one of those shows that it doesn’t make any obvious sense to cancel in my mind. The cast were great, the stories entertaining and the look of the show was breathtaking. It didn’t help that it was shown in the wrong order in irregular times. The show was badly handled by the network.
- Enterprise - not many are going to agree with me on this one, I don’t care. The show got really good in the forth season and we were strung along by the studio so they could make 100 episodes and syndicate the show. When the powers that be removed themselves from the day to day production the show got really strong it was only when they returned for the series finale that it sucked again. There was so much they could have done!
- Seaquest DSV - yeah, this is a weird one. First season was well made, generally well acted and was taking this type of show in a different direction. The second and third seasons became more sci fi focused, much to Roy Schneider’s dismay. Despite the flaws I could easily have watched another season.
- Angel - who didn’t want to see Angel go fight him a dragon? I know it never rated as well as Buffy but those who watched it, loved it. I know there’s a Season Six comic series but it just isn’t the same and now I suspect we’ll never see an Angel film or mini series - sigh
Oh yes there are lots that have been missed, Men in Trees for example that was the result of bad network management, Futurama which was cancelled for who knows why!? Aquaman never even got to a series. Recently I would have at least liked to see the end of Invasion, Threshold and Surface.
So open the floodgates, shed a tear and share your most missed shows that should never have been cancelled!!
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04/07/2008 at 6:54 am Permalink
I miss Farscape so much. Recently I was wandering around the web looking for all things Farscape and came across a blog which referred to Farscape as the leader in Pseudo Bondage Poses.
I wont link to it here because turned out to be a rather ummm graphic bondage blog. But the final paragraph was
“The idea of spicing up bondage imagery with poses copied from commercial bondage porn except the women are clothed is brilliant, and so far as I know, completely unfollowed-up-on by other series. What is everyone waiting for? Farscape has blazed a glorious trail, why does no one follow?”
So it would seem it is not just the Sci-Fans out there missing Farscape.
Maritas last blog post..Ducks!
04/07/2008 at 6:56 am Permalink
Damnit. I was going to edit out the words in the quote that would get you nasty google search and totally got distracted and didn’t. Sorry.
Maritas last blog post..Ducks!
04/07/2008 at 9:12 am Permalink
That’s alright Marita, I don’t think I’ve reached out to the graphic bondage blogging community as much as I could have
I can’t wait for the Farscape mini web episodes, I hope that they pave the way for maybe another miniseries, or even Stargate like DVD movies?
04/07/2008 at 10:46 am Permalink
I am so down with the Farscape series being cancelled. But I was very happy with the Peacekeepers War movie that they released.
I didnt really get into Firefly until it was in reruns. I did enjoy it though.
Oh how I miss the “Sci Fi Friday” nights here that had Farscape, SG1 and Atlantis. Those were great times.
04/07/2008 at 11:29 am Permalink
Joanna - yeah it seems like it was the absolute dream team line up for scifi channel. I have read some articles that point to it not being their fault too.
Going to be watching Stargate: Continuum this weeked
04/07/2008 at 12:22 pm Permalink
Lol… MISS all of these shows… Really Miss Enterprise thou
04/07/2008 at 12:51 pm Permalink
Ooooo…Im so jealous! It doesnt come out in the US until 7/29.
I will be waiting to read your review.
04/07/2008 at 1:16 pm Permalink
I’m glad someone else does too Robbie, I think the show was just hitting its stride when they cancelled it. I love the way they sorted out the Klingons and the Vulcans in that last season (undid all the bad work done before them).
04/07/2008 at 1:26 pm Permalink
Joanna - yeah it doesn’t actually come out here for a while either - it looks like I may just be getting a guest reviewer actually so that’s pretty cool - fingers crossed.
04/07/2008 at 1:28 pm Permalink
The only thing they have yet to explain is the Klingon change between ST:TOS and ST:TNG etc… Would have liked to have that mystery solved on tv…
04/07/2008 at 2:59 pm Permalink
Robbie - I guess you just have to assume they found the cure, hard to show on screen because there is no show based around the end of TOS and the motion picture.
04/07/2008 at 5:28 pm Permalink
because it’s been quite a bunch of years back since I watched episodes of Farscape on the BBC I watched it randomly,but always got glued to the screen. Cancelling it..what were they thinking.
Enterprise might be one of those series I watched soooo much that even by watching random episodes on all kinds of channels in Dutch, English and even in German..I saw them all I think. Cancelling a winner always sucks.
Angel: saw a bunch of episodes..but never till the end..might have to do that still.
My other losses: Jericho, Stargate sg1 (although the movies are a nice way of continueing), Threshold, Veronica Mars, Bionic woman, Harsh realm, Blade the series (they even made a movie with the same storyline of the 1st season..like wtf..just don’t!) and finally Brimstone. I cry a tear for the cancelled shows.
Arjans last blog post..Smoking prohibited: 01-07-2008
05/07/2008 at 1:44 am Permalink
Firefly, definitely.
I wouldn’t have minded one more series of Angel either.
Don’t think I ever watched the other three.
Other stuff I wish hadn’t been cancelled…
Twin Peaks.
American Gothic.
Studio 60.
Deadwood.
NYPD Blue (even after 11 series, I could have gone on watching Dennis Franz forever).
Rols last blog post..Unwanted
05/07/2008 at 7:47 am Permalink
Just googled Farscape and I remember watching it, but couldn’t remember it. It is a Jim Hensen production !!!! Wow.
LOVED Firefly, but they had it on really really late here. We have the DVD of Serenity.
Angel was the only other ‘normal’ time slot you have listed. The coven have a thing for Dave which you may have noticed if you have been following your fellow Hot Hunks
I did think at times the storyline got a bit messy and far fetched but hey it is fantasy right?
Widdle Shamrocks last blog post..Smiley Saturday
05/07/2008 at 3:45 pm Permalink
I miss angel…………….
I was just starting to get into firefly when it disapeared!
The networks don’t seem to give some shows long enough to gain an audience before they can them these days. Some shows need time to grow on their audience, but it would seem that if they aren’t “instant hits” then they are shite to the suits.
Bettinas last blog post..Love the sound of my own voice…
05/07/2008 at 8:14 pm Permalink
suddenly thought of the following question: which series would you really hate if it would to be cancelled now?
Mine: Lost…I really need answers.
Arjans last blog post..Smoking prohibited: 01-07-2008
06/07/2008 at 3:08 pm Permalink
I wanted “Now and again” to continue.
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07/07/2008 at 11:23 pm Permalink
Robbie, “Enterprise” did indeed cover the reason why ST: TMP and ST: TNG Klingons look different to TOS (The Original Series) Klingons. “Affliction” and “Divergence” are the episodes you need.
I miss “Enterprise”. a Season Five was going to feature, they hoped, the Andorian Shran as a regular crewmember, and a Kzinti story by jimmy Diggs (based on TAS, ie. the Filmation animated series - and the SF novels of Larry Niven).
Mind you, I wish we also had a TOS Season Four (now coming from IDW Comics), that “Birds of Prey” had continued, and that “V: The Series” didn’t go stupid. There were also scuttled plans for one more season each of “The Adventures of Superman” (George Reeves suicided) and “Batman” (the Batcave set was scuttled befire another networks bid was accepted).
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