Either they were cancelled way before they should have been or the writing just turned bad.

For me:

Sliders (1995-1999) - I loved this show. It had a wonderful cast, funny episodes, great premise. It seemed perfect. Except it was far from perfect. After two half seasons, the creator of the show (Tracy Torme) had to leave. The new staff working behind the scenes just didn't get this show at all. The writing was awful, three of the original four cast members departed the series (at different times) and the show just lost it's heart. For a show with loads of possibilities, this show didn't do anything.

Firefly (2002) - This show was great. However, with 14 episodes in the can, FOX cancelled it. Luckily they made a movie a few years later to wrap up the storylines, but this excellent show should have been around for five seasons or more.

Birds of Prey (2002-2003) - Another wonderful show that was cancelled by the WB after just 13 episodes. A true shame.

Andy Richter Controls the Universe (2002-2003) - One of the funniest shows I have ever seen in my life. This show had so much potential, but yet was cut tragically short due to FOX (and low ratings).

What else?

I agree about Firefly - never saw the others. My vote goes to Back To You (2007-08) - though the Writers' Strike didn't help matters. :(

"BACK TO YOU"-Fox, 2007 or 8 (whatever year the writers strike was)

"BACK TO YOU"-Fox, 2007 or 8 (whatever year the writers strike was)
That's the correct year - the 2007-08 season! :nod:

I actually have a long list of favorites that were, regrettably, short-lived:

The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.
Firefly
Heroes
The Invisible Man (2000-2002)
Life Is Wild
The Lone Gunmen
The Magnificent Seven
Moonlight
Relic Hunter
Roswell
Sledge Hammer!
Tales of the Gold Monkey
Tru Calling
Werewolf
Young Indiana Jones Chronicles

I'd add:

Heroes
M.A.N.T.I.S.
The Others
American Gothic
Fantastic Journey (70's)

There was this one show that NBC showed in the 1980's that was supposed to be like the Golden Girls with Loni Anderson, and two older men. NBC really promoted it, but it fell flat.

Anybody remember that show and the title???

Easy Street.

I agree, it had a lot of potential.

Adventures of Brisco County Jr

WB's Tarzan(I LOVED this show)

most of these shows interestingly enough are favourites of mine

hangin' with mr cooper- started well but by season 3, 4 lost its way slightly with geneva and nicole and without robin

caroline in the city- fans disliked seasons 3, 4, although i liked 3 and 4 wasn't too bad. but the last few eps of season 4 ruined the series for me.

ugly betty- loved season 1 (still my fav), season 2 and beyond was when the quality went downhill. hated season 2 myself, quite enjoyed season 3, which most people panned, and season 4 was ok. without marc and amanda in season 4, despite the writing getting better, ugly betty for me stopped being completely funny.

in the house- debbie allen was a riot as jackie but when her character and austin left, the show lost its spark afterwards and never recovered. especially when kim wayans and alfonso ribeiro- carlton in fresh prince- joined in season 3.

I'll also add Providence (NBC, 1999-2002). I think there were still a lot of stories to be told before the network yanked the plug unexpectedly. :mad:

I'll also add Providence (NBC, 1999-2002). I think there were still a lot of stories to be told before the network yanked the plug unexpectedly. :mad:
Providence was a good show. Back then they actually programed good shows on Fridays.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Norm and Titus both died before their time.

"Our House" - NBC (1986-88)

"State of Grace" - ABC Family (2001-02)

"Three Wishes" - NBC (fall 2005)

Til Death, Writiers Strike And Adding J.B Smove Didn't Help... Just Should Have Stuck With It's Original Premisist!!!

Til Death, Writiers Strike And Adding J.B Smove Didn't Help... Just Should Have Stuck With It's Original Premisist!!!

Yeah that's another one. It's like the show has four seasons in the bank, but of the original premise for the series, only two. And the premise was fading by the end of season two with the addition of J.B. Smoove. I mean I still liked the show, but I thought Jeff Woodcock was getting funnier as it went along, and then all of a sudden he's gone.

I also agree about "In the House." I loved that show, and really missed Jackie and Austin.

Freaks and Geeks

FlashForward

How about Picket Fences? I was really getting into the show and then they pulled the plug. I still don't know why they did, it was a really good show. :)

Oh, I liked "Murder:One" a lot too and it only got two seasons. And does anyone remember a show called "Nothing Sacred" about a Catholic priest who struggled with issues of self-worth and redemption? It was quite good and lasted less than one season.

Oh, I liked "Murder:One" a lot too and it only got two seasons. And does anyone remember a show called "Nothing Sacred" about a Catholic priest who struggled with issues of self-worth and redemption? It was quite good and lasted less than one season.
I remember Nothing Sacred. It was one of the casualties of the 1997-98 season, I believe.

I also agree about "In the House." I loved that show, and really missed Jackie and Austin.

i did read somewhere that debbie quit the show because she wasn't happy with the writers or something.

i did read somewhere that debbie quit the show because she wasn't happy with the writers or something.

Yeah, the show wasn't perfect. But it had a good cast and the humor was there. I look at it like "The Odd Couple." The first season was pretty lame. But the cast was great, and you could see the potential to be a great show. It developed into one. But with "In the House" changing casts and premise, it didn't get any better.

I forgot to add "Frank's Place", which IMHO, is one of the great buried treasures and unappreciated short lived potential classics of all time.

Goode Family

Here are some of my favorite short-lived shows canceled too soon:



"The Crow: Stairway to Heaven" (1998)


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"Brimstone" (1998-1999)


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"Harsh Realm" (1999-2000)


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"Carnivàle" (2003-2005)


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FlashForward

beat me to the punch, the show had so much potential and then the ratings fell quicker than a nuclear bomb.

oh...

The Jay Leno Show.

I actually have a long list of favorites that were, regrettably, short-lived:


The Magnificent Seven


love that show and thankfully it's complete on DVD.......although CBS should have been decent enough to order at least one final TV movie to wrap up the storylines.

Yeah, the show wasn't perfect. But it had a good cast and the humor was there. I look at it like "The Odd Couple." The first season was pretty lame. But the cast was great, and you could see the potential to be a great show. It developed into one. But with "In the House" changing casts and premise, it didn't get any better.

i read on IMDb that only 3 eps were made for the first season then the next 15 or whatever were on on NBC, then it moved to UPN.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112015/episodes

frankly, they should've left it as it is with debbie allen on the show and not made those changes. when kim wayans joined full time and alfonso ribeiro joined after, it became completely different. but without debbie's influence, presence and comic efforts, in the house just wasn't the same. it lost its way completely. thus, it wasn't as funny or good as it was afterwards.

I forgot to add "Frank's Place", which IMHO, is one of the great buried treasures and unappreciated short lived potential classics of all time.
Created by one WKRP alum (writer Hugh Wilson) and starring another (Tim Reid). Didn't Tim Reid leave Simon & Simon to join this show?

Created by one WKRP alum (writer Hugh Wilson) and starring another (Tim Reid). Didn't Tim Reid leave Simon & Simon to join this show?
Yes, he did.

I thought so - thanks!! Thankfully, he rebounded with another hit series a few years later with Sister, Sister. :cool:

i read on IMDb that only 3 eps were made for the first season then the next 15 or whatever were on on NBC, then it moved to UPN.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112015/episodes

frankly, they should've left it as it is with debbie allen on the show and not made those changes. when kim wayans joined full time and alfonso ribeiro joined after, it became completely different. but without debbie's influence, presence and comic efforts, in the house just wasn't the same. it lost its way completely. thus, it wasn't as funny or good as it was afterwards.

The first season had six episodes and the second had, I think the normal 22 episodes. I used to tape all the episodes off of NBC during it's original run. But I never took care of my tapes, and thus, I don't have them today. I stopped taping during the third season. The third season is when it moved to UPN, but we didn't have UPN during their regular hours so it would come on at like 2:30am. I had to go to school and my VCR didn't record it, and I missed too many episodes that I gave up taping them. I wish the show would come to DVD.

A few more I enjoyed that didn't get off the ground:

Thunder Alley (ABC, 1994-95)
All-American Girl (ABC, 1994-95)
Christy (CBS, 1994-95)
Me & The Boys (1994-95)

Andromeda (2000-2005)- Syndicated sci-fi series had a great first season (with an unbelievable cliffhanger). Somewhere around season two, producer Robert Hewett Wolfe left and the show just lost all of its potential afterward and I stopped watching.

Homefront (1991-1993)- Great series about post WWII home life. It never got much of a chance.

Andromeda (2000-2005)- Syndicated sci-fi series had a great first season (with an unbelievable cliffhanger). Somewhere around season two, producer Robert Hewett Wolfe left and the show just lost all of its potential afterward and I stopped watching.

Homefront (1991-1993)- Great series about post WWII home life. It never got much of a chance.
My grandma LOVED Homefront - and was so sad to see it yanked.

The WB's "Savannah" produced by Aaron Spelling was absolutley addicting in it's first season and was higly rated when it debuted in the summer of 1996 (It was the #1 rated show on the WB in it's first season). By the time it returned for a second season in 1997 the show was moved to Monday nights where it was in competition with a number of hit series including and its ratings plummetted and the series was cancelled.

It's a shame too because it was a great show with excellent writing, a great cast and absolutley addicting storylines.

Also, "My So-Called Life" was a great series never given a chance to survive.