Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Confession Wednesday: In Memoriam--The Cancelled Series of 2010
It seems like a lot of familiar shows got the axe this year. Some were planned, many were not. Too many great shows didn't even get a second season. The ones that did get a Season 2 suffered from Olympics-induced rating slumps and poor advertising. And then there were plenty of shows that should have ended a long time ago.
Here's a look at some of the shows I loved and that I'm (on some level or other) sorry to say good bye to:
Better off Ted--I think this hilarious workplace comedy had the potential to be even bigger (and better) than The Office. But, for whatever reason, no one watched it. It's one of the funniest shows I've ever seen on TV. Irreverent, ridiculous, and brilliant. Catch a few episodes online or on DVD. You won't regret it. But you might regret not having found it when it was still on the air.
And just for fun, here's a little clip from my favorite episode, "Discrimination." The company, Veridian Dynamics, installs motion sensors to save money on electricity. The new sensors react to light reflected off the skin when someone walks into a room. And...well...they can't see black people. White boss, Veronica, talks about why she understands the difficulty of facing discrimination:
Dollhouse--I desperately hope this is the last show Joss Whedon ever takes to Fox. There was some great advertising, but they gave it just about the worst time slot on TV: Fridays at 8pm. That's basically the death slot that gets filled by shows that aren't expensive and whose ratings don't matter. Who's watching TV at 8pm on a Friday night on a regular basis? Exactly. (And if you were, it was probably Ghost Whisperer, which is also cancelled this year.) I'd say that you should go back and watch Dollhouse's two seasons on DVD, but the last episode was extremely dissatisfying. It wrapped up story lines, but in a way that just didn't feel like it fit with the rest of the show. Too bad, because the rest of the series was amazing.
Flashforward--This was supposed to replace the void after LOST. But, tomorrow's episode is the end and I have a feeling nothing is going to be resolved. Which makes it hard to recommend catching up on DVD. I'm still hoping (in vain) that this Joseph Fiennes-led drama/thriller/mystery will get a surprise reprieve.
Heroes--It should have ended two years ago. I'm honestly not sorry to see it go. But, because I was such a devoted viewer for the first 2 1/2 seasons, I felt like I needed to, at least, acknowledge what it was and what it could have been.
Law and Order--I remember my mom watching some cops and lawyers program one night. I was in high school and instantly intrigued. A couple of years later, I was an avid viewer and never missed an episode. I watched with Emily in college. I watched on quiet nights when I lived alone. Twenty years is a long time and I have a lot of memories of the crime drama that redefined the genre. And I always loved that it was about the cases, not about the people. I love great characters, but having a series that was just about the stories set it apart from everything else.
Lost--I think I've said enough. Well, except for the "My Feelings on the Finale" post that I'm working up the courage to write. And yeah. I'm still in mourning. This process is going to take awhile.
Numb3rs--I wasn't a faithful weekly viewer, but I caught this one as often as I remembered it. A cop show that actually made math look cool? Yes, please! Loved it. Lots of fun. But I think I didn't stick with it on a regular basis because they spent just as much time developing the personal relationships of the characters as they did on the crimes they were trying to solve. I just wanted mystery. I didn't need all that extra stuff.
Scrubs--It should have ended after the first series finale. And it should have ended after the second series finale. I'm glad it's finally ending because this medical school thing wasn't really working out. But the older episodes? Gold.
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien--I'm with CoCo. I'm looking forward to watching his show on TBS this Fall. I think what happened to him was terrible and I hope NBC suffers a long time for this one. On the bright side, I have a newfound love for Jimmy Kimmel...when I can stay awake long enough to catch late night.
So, click here for a more complete list of series meeting their demise in the 2009-2010 season. Some very familiar and sort of surprising names showed up this year. Guess a few of the networks have decided it's time to shake things up. I just hope that works out for them. But, I've seen the new Fall lineup and it's looking like more of the same old stuff to me. Is it really so bad to try something new?
What about you? What shows are you sorry to say good bye to? Link up and tell us all about it!
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I was SHOCKED to see L&O cancelled. That show is an icon! I'm glad it will go on in spinoffs, but the original is, well, the original. I haven't watched it regularly in a long time, but it was always comforting to know it was there.
ReplyDeleteDespite my annoyance, I am going to miss Lost.
I decided not to take up any new shows in order to leave more time for writing and reading, so the only new show I watched this season was V -- because I loved the original. I'm glad that's coming back. It's really quite good.
I'm not "in the know" about these things so I'm just reading it here that Scrubs and Heroes are gone! I'm so happy! My husband insists on watching Heroes. I feel like it lowers my IQ every time.
ReplyDeleteThe last episode of FlashForward had me very irritated...but still. Cancelled? That's just sad.
ReplyDeleteScrubs should have ended properly the first time around...that show deserved better. The original L & O is my least favorite of the L & O shows, but I was still surprised that it was cancelled. It was time though, it just didn't have the same feel to it anymore.
ReplyDeleteI'm sad to see the end of 24. It was the perfecting ending. Though I understand a movie maybe in the works. :0)
ReplyDeleteWhen NBC canceled Third Watch, I was devastated. Honestly, I don't think there had been a show on TV that I loved so much except for Dallas....but that's growing up in North Texas for you.....
ReplyDeleteThese days, it's more like The Amazing Race & The Biggest Loser for me. CHLOE GET ME THE REMOTE CONTROL!
I am sad about FlashForward. With Lost gone, it seems like they can bring back FF and V.
ReplyDeleteI hope New Adventures of Old Christine isn't gone forever. I love that show. And I'm kind of sad about As the World Turns and Guiding Light. I haven't watched them for years, but I remember watching with my grandparents all summer when I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteI don't really understand why I punished myself by watching Scrubs anymore. Without Janitor & JT, it was HORRIBLE!
ReplyDeleteI fully acknowledge that I watch a lot of crap tv, but I am 100% not exagerrating when I tell you that the finale to Vampire Diaries was freaking awesome. Will someone over the age of 30 please watch it and talk to me about it? Please? It has Boone in it!...
I usually pick two or three that get canned too early. I only had one get cancelled this year. Eastwick started out slow, but started to get really good right before they pulled it. Sucks!
ReplyDeleteWith the exception of Law & Order, I don't watch any of the shows that are being canceled. However, I did watch Better Off Ted and that it was hilarious. Why some shows don't work and others do is so funny.
ReplyDeleteOh, man, Law & Order going away is difficult. I'm going to miss it tons. BUT, I have decided to purchase all the seasons Jerry Obach was in (I think it's a total of 13 seasons) just so I can watch him whenever I want. Lenny was the best.
You know, when they cancelled My So-Called Life after one season in a lousy time slot without even trying to give it a chance, I knew no show was ever going to be safe.
ReplyDeleteI was 17 when that show was on TV. I loved it and my 40-something mother loved it. I recently bought the series (season) on DVD and watched the whole thing (I'm 33 now) and it was even better than I remembered. Sometimes, the networks disgust me with their choices.
I totally loved Better Off Ted and I'm with you on Heroes. I mourn that one for what could have been.
ReplyDelete