12 Sci-Fi Shows Cancelled Too Soon - AOL TV - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JamesG · 11-16-2009, 05:38 PM

Joss Whedon has become something of a tortured artist since Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended its highly successful seven-season run in 2003.

Since Sunnydale was destroyed and Angel got pulled right when it was finding its own identity post-Buffy, Whedon has yet to find another long-running hit. It's still hard to believe that a show as great as Firefly only lasted one season!

Whedon's bad luck continues with the recent announcement that Fox is pulling the plug on Dollhouse, a series that had enough of a following -- and potential -- to warrant another season. Would Dollhouse have really hit its stride further down the road? We'll never know. Here are some other sci-fi television series that met their makers too soon.

Angel

Number of Seasons: 5 (1999-2004)
Number of Episodes Aired: 110
Number of Episodes Unaired: 0
Network: The WB

Yes, Angel did just fine, running for five seasons and enjoying a fan following that was almost as large and powerful as that of Buffy's. By all means, Angel was a success -- the problem is that it was canceled just when it started to get really good.

By season 5, Angel was its own show, not just "a Buffy spin-off," and it could've gone in some very interesting and exciting directions if it had stayed alive -- or undead, as it were.

Bionic Woman

Number of Seasons: 1 (2007)
Number of Episodes Aired: 8
Number of Episodes Unaired: 0
Network: NBC

This "re-imagining" of the 1970s series chronicling the adventures of a hot bartender (Michelle Ryan) who becomes an even hotter "Bionic Woman" when she gets newfangled parts after almost getting killed in a car accident was initially both too dark and too goofy, with Katee Sackhoff stealing the show as Ryan's malfunctioning predecessor/nemesis.

However, the show was just starting to get its sea legs when production was halted due to the Writer's Strike that began in November 2007.

Birds of Prey

Number of Seasons: 1 (2002-03)
Number of Episodes Aired: 13
Number of Episodes Unaired: 0
Network: The WB

Loosely based on the DC comic book of the same name, Birds of Prey featured the adventures of the Huntress, the Oracle and Black Canary in "New Gotham" (a Gotham City without Batman).

For the most part, the show seemed oddly embarrassed by and resistant toward its comic book origins (Q: Why in the hell doesn't Huntress wear a mask? A: Because the producers need us to see Ashley Scott's hot face at all times), but there were enough pretty-good episodes amongst the mess (one featuring classic Batman villain Clayface) to make one think that it could've been a great show with a little more time -- and maybe some writers that had a little more respect for the source material.

And, yeah, Ashley Scott was pretty hot.

Brimstone

Number of Seasons: 1 (1998-99)
Number of Episodes Aired: 13
Number of Episodes Unaired: 0
Network: Fox

A New York City police detective is killed in the line of duty and sent to Hell because he enjoyed killing the man who raped his wife.

The Devil sends him back to the land of the living to capture 113 souls that have escaped the underworld -- unfortunately, our hero didn't get close to snagging all 113 souls with just 13 episodes.

Dark, funny and clever, Brimstone may've been too ahead of its time to connect with an audience -- John Glover was especially delightful as Ol' Scratch himself. And when will this underrated series finally make its way to DVD?

Firefly

Number of Seasons: 1 (2002)
Number of Episodes Aired: 11
Number of Episodes Unaired: 3
Network: Fox

Another Joss Whedon Special, Firefly was actually top-notch science fiction, mixing swaggering Western elements and high Space Opera melodrama with the trademark Whedon sarcasm and attitude we've come to know and at least sort-of love.

The ragtag crew of the good ship Serenity was good company for all of 11 aired episodes -- Whedon, however, ended up having something of the last laugh, as DVD sales of the series were good enough to warrant a follow-up feature length film, the equally excellent Serenity (2005).

Invasion

Number of Seasons: 1 (2005-06)
Number of Episodes Aired: 22
Number of Episodes Unaired: 0
Network: ABC

A case of unfortunate timing, poor handling and just plain bad luck, Invasion barely invaded before it retreated and was never heard from again.

Hurricane Katrina made ABC pull some of the marketing campaign that focused on the series' disaster elements, instead concentrating strictly on the alien invasion plot.

Despite a promising start, viewers started to drop like flies, and the network put the series on hiatus after the 10th episode until Jan. 2006.

Invasion finished its 22-episode run in May 2006. The series had such potential -- how could you go wrong with William Fichtner? -- and the producers announced some exciting future plotlines ... for a future that would never come.

Jericho

Number of Seasons: 2 (2006-08)
Number of Episodes: 29
Number of Unaired Episodes: 0
Network: CBS

Jericho made nuclear war sexy, as the residents of a small Kansas town manage to turn their lives into a grand soap opera filled with secrets, lies and infidelities in the aftermath of a large-scale nuclear attack on the United States.

The show was a blast (ha!), with some truly startling set pieces and character revelations along the way.

It was canceled after its first season, but fan support managed to get it renewed for a second -- and that's it. Too bad -- there was a lot more of the brave new world to explore.

The Lone Gunmen

Number of Seasons: 1 (2001)
Number of Episodes: 13
Number of Unaired Episodes: 0
Network: Fox

A goofy spin-off of The X-Files that just didn't quite work (but nonetheless almost did), The Lone Gunmen proved that everyone's favorite conspiracy theorists worked better as supporting characters and not stars of their own show.

However, some of the episodes had that magic Chris Carter touch, including the rather eerie pilot episode in which the boys uncover a government conspiracy to crash a plane into the World Trade Center (the episode aired about six months before Sept. 11).

We wouldn't have minded their company a little longer, but Fox pulled the plug after 13 episodes; a bitter Carter blamed fans for not loving the show enough and ended up killing off the Gunmen in the final season of The X Files. Sheesh, Chris!

Millennium

Number of Seasons: 3 (1996-99)
Number of Episodes: 67
Number of Unaired Episodes: 0
Network: Fox

The sort-of sister show to The X-Files was a great series in and of itself, with Chris Carter given the creative freedom to really get dark and weird about an ex-FBI agent (Lance Henriksen, who was excellent) investigating serial murderers with ties to both the supernatural and a secret organization with prophecies of an upcoming apocalypse.

The series took place in the years leading up to 2000, but Fox pulled the plug in '99 -- after a strong first season, ratings began to slip when it was condemned to a Friday night slot in the second. We could've predicted that.

Star Trek

Number of Seasons: 3 (1966-69)
Number of Episodes: 79
Number of Unaired Episodes: 0
Network: NBC

It's hard to imagine that, once upon a time, Star Trek wasn't considered much of a success, considering we now live in a world with Star Trek conventions and zillion-dollar Star Trek reboots directed by J.J. Abrams.

Yes, once upon a time, Star Trek was a struggling little sci-fi show, never dreaming of the huge pop culture phenomenon it would become. It barely made it past the first season and ended up only being on the air for three.

Another, oh, 20 seasons of the adventures of the starship Enterprise probably would've been just fine with everyone.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Number of Seasons: 2 (2008-09)
Number of Episodes: 31
Number of Unaired Episodes: 0
Network: Fox

What's wrong with you, Fox? It's a Terminator TV show. Yes, the Terminator. And Summer Glau is in it. You couldn't have given it another chance?

At least one more season, especially since things started to really get good in the second? Too bad. Unlike the characters on the show, you can't go back and fix your mistakes, Fox. Hmph.

Tru Calling

Number of Seasons: 2 (2003-05)
Number of Episodes: 25
Number of Unaired Episodes: 1
Network: Fox

Before Eliza Dushku's Dollhouse was canceled by Fox, Eliza Dushku's Tru Calling was canceled by Fox -- and also after only two seasons, at that.

Eliza played Tru Davies, a morgue worker with a unique connection to the dead people in her place of employment -- and the ability to go back in time 24 hours before their deaths and attempt to keep them from dying.

Tru Calling, while sometimes clumsy, was filled with mystery and intrigue, never interested in giving easy answers to its questions of fate vs. free will. There were a lot more stories to be told in this world, but alas -- Fox opted not to go back and keep it from dying.

http://insidetv.aol.com/2009/11/14/s...lled-too-soon/

dakert · 11-17-2009, 04:03 AM

Planet Of The Apes (1974) should have had more than just 14 episodes

tv star collector · 11-17-2009, 09:20 AM

I loved Tru Calling. I'm glad that show was mentioned because I thought it had a lot of potential. I'd like to have seen it go on longer than
two seasons. Unfortunately, there was no time for a series finale and a lot
of loose ends were never tied up.

Some others that come to mind:

Moonlight
Dark Angel
Roswell
Adventures of Brisco County Jr. (not a sci-fi show per se but it had
some sci-fi elements in it)
The Flash

MickeyMac · 11-17-2009, 11:04 AM

I think they could have gotten at least one more season out of both The Time Tunnel and the original Outer Limits.

JamesG · 11-17-2009, 11:16 AM

I was thinking about it more after I posted the list; does anyone think Angel should not have been mentioned on this list?

Angel was a supernatural/fantasy/horror/drama. I watched it, and Buffy as well, but I don't think it belongs on a sci-fi list.

11-16-2009, 05:38 PM	#1
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,005	12 Sci-Fi Shows Cancelled Too Soon - AOL TV Joss Whedon has become something of a tortured artist since Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended its highly successful seven-season run in 2003. Since Sunnydale was destroyed and Angel got pulled right when it was finding its own identity post-Buffy, Whedon has yet to find another long-running hit. It's still hard to believe that a show as great as Firefly only lasted one season! Whedon's bad luck continues with the recent announcement that Fox is pulling the plug on Dollhouse, a series that had enough of a following -- and potential -- to warrant another season. Would Dollhouse have really hit its stride further down the road? We'll never know. Here are some other sci-fi television series that met their makers too soon. *Angel* Number of Seasons: 5 (1999-2004) Number of Episodes Aired: 110 Number of Episodes Unaired: 0 Network: The WB Yes, Angel did just fine, running for five seasons and enjoying a fan following that was almost as large and powerful as that of Buffy's. By all means, Angel was a success -- the problem is that it was canceled just when it started to get really good. By season 5, Angel was its own show, not just "a Buffy spin-off," and it could've gone in some very interesting and exciting directions if it had stayed alive -- or undead, as it were. *Bionic Woman* Number of Seasons: 1 (2007) Number of Episodes Aired: 8 Number of Episodes Unaired: 0 Network: NBC This "re-imagining" of the 1970s series chronicling the adventures of a hot bartender (Michelle Ryan) who becomes an even hotter "Bionic Woman" when she gets newfangled parts after almost getting killed in a car accident was initially both too dark and too goofy, with Katee Sackhoff stealing the show as Ryan's malfunctioning predecessor/nemesis. However, the show was just starting to get its sea legs when production was halted due to the Writer's Strike that began in November 2007. *Birds of Prey* Number of Seasons: 1 (2002-03) Number of Episodes Aired: 13 Number of Episodes Unaired: 0 Network: The WB Loosely based on the DC comic book of the same name, Birds of Prey featured the adventures of the Huntress, the Oracle and Black Canary in "New Gotham" (a Gotham City without Batman). For the most part, the show seemed oddly embarrassed by and resistant toward its comic book origins (Q: Why in the hell doesn't Huntress wear a mask? A: Because the producers need us to see Ashley Scott's hot face at all times), but there were enough pretty-good episodes amongst the mess (one featuring classic Batman villain Clayface) to make one think that it could've been a great show with a little more time -- and maybe some writers that had a little more respect for the source material. And, yeah, Ashley Scott was pretty hot. *Brimstone* Number of Seasons: 1 (1998-99) Number of Episodes Aired: 13 Number of Episodes Unaired: 0 Network: Fox A New York City police detective is killed in the line of duty and sent to Hell because he enjoyed killing the man who raped his wife. The Devil sends him back to the land of the living to capture 113 souls that have escaped the underworld -- unfortunately, our hero didn't get close to snagging all 113 souls with just 13 episodes. Dark, funny and clever, Brimstone may've been too ahead of its time to connect with an audience -- John Glover was especially delightful as Ol' Scratch himself. And when will this underrated series finally make its way to DVD? *Firefly* Number of Seasons: 1 (2002) Number of Episodes Aired: 11 Number of Episodes Unaired: 3 Network: Fox Another Joss Whedon Special, Firefly was actually top-notch science fiction, mixing swaggering Western elements and high Space Opera melodrama with the trademark Whedon sarcasm and attitude we've come to know and at least sort-of love. The ragtag crew of the good ship Serenity was good company for all of 11 aired episodes -- Whedon, however, ended up having something of the last laugh, as DVD sales of the series were good enough to warrant a follow-up feature length film, the equally excellent Serenity (2005). *Invasion* Number of Seasons: 1 (2005-06) Number of Episodes Aired: 22 Number of Episodes Unaired: 0 Network: ABC A case of unfortunate timing, poor handling and just plain bad luck, Invasion barely invaded before it retreated and was never heard from again. Hurricane Katrina made ABC pull some of the marketing campaign that focused on the series' disaster elements, instead concentrating strictly on the alien invasion plot. Despite a promising start, viewers started to drop like flies, and the network put the series on hiatus after the 10th episode until Jan. 2006. Invasion finished its 22-episode run in May 2006. The series had such potential -- how could you go wrong with William Fichtner? -- and the producers announced some exciting future plotlines ... for a future that would never come. *Jericho* Number of Seasons: 2 (2006-08) Number of Episodes: 29 Number of Unaired Episodes: 0 Network: CBS Jericho made nuclear war sexy, as the residents of a small Kansas town manage to turn their lives into a grand soap opera filled with secrets, lies and infidelities in the aftermath of a large-scale nuclear attack on the United States. The show was a blast (ha!), with some truly startling set pieces and character revelations along the way. It was canceled after its first season, but fan support managed to get it renewed for a second -- and that's it. Too bad -- there was a lot more of the brave new world to explore. *The Lone Gunmen* Number of Seasons: 1 (2001) Number of Episodes: 13 Number of Unaired Episodes: 0 Network: Fox A goofy spin-off of The X-Files that just didn't quite work (but nonetheless almost did), The Lone Gunmen proved that everyone's favorite conspiracy theorists worked better as supporting characters and not stars of their own show. However, some of the episodes had that magic Chris Carter touch, including the rather eerie pilot episode in which the boys uncover a government conspiracy to crash a plane into the World Trade Center (the episode aired about six months before Sept. 11). We wouldn't have minded their company a little longer, but Fox pulled the plug after 13 episodes; a bitter Carter blamed fans for not loving the show enough and ended up killing off the Gunmen in the final season of The X Files. Sheesh, Chris! *Millennium* Number of Seasons: 3 (1996-99) Number of Episodes: 67 Number of Unaired Episodes: 0 Network: Fox The sort-of sister show to The X-Files was a great series in and of itself, with Chris Carter given the creative freedom to really get dark and weird about an ex-FBI agent (Lance Henriksen, who was excellent) investigating serial murderers with ties to both the supernatural and a secret organization with prophecies of an upcoming apocalypse. The series took place in the years leading up to 2000, but Fox pulled the plug in '99 -- after a strong first season, ratings began to slip when it was condemned to a Friday night slot in the second. We could've predicted that. *Star Trek* Number of Seasons: 3 (1966-69) Number of Episodes: 79 Number of Unaired Episodes: 0 Network: NBC It's hard to imagine that, once upon a time, Star Trek wasn't considered much of a success, considering we now live in a world with Star Trek conventions and zillion-dollar Star Trek reboots directed by J.J. Abrams. Yes, once upon a time, Star Trek was a struggling little sci-fi show, never dreaming of the huge pop culture phenomenon it would become. It barely made it past the first season and ended up only being on the air for three. Another, oh, 20 seasons of the adventures of the starship Enterprise probably would've been just fine with everyone. *Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles* Number of Seasons: 2 (2008-09) Number of Episodes: 31 Number of Unaired Episodes: 0 Network: Fox What's wrong with you, Fox? It's a Terminator TV show. Yes, the Terminator. And Summer Glau is in it. You couldn't have given it another chance? At least one more season, especially since things started to really get good in the second? Too bad. Unlike the characters on the show, you can't go back and fix your mistakes, Fox. Hmph. *Tru Calling* Number of Seasons: 2 (2003-05) Number of Episodes: 25 Number of Unaired Episodes: 1 Network: Fox Before Eliza Dushku's Dollhouse was canceled by Fox, Eliza Dushku's Tru Calling was canceled by Fox -- and also after only two seasons, at that. Eliza played Tru Davies, a morgue worker with a unique connection to the dead people in her place of employment -- and the ability to go back in time 24 hours before their deaths and attempt to keep them from dying. Tru Calling, while sometimes clumsy, was filled with mystery and intrigue, never interested in giving easy answers to its questions of fate vs. free will. There were a lot more stories to be told in this world, but alas -- Fox opted not to go back and keep it from dying. http://insidetv.aol.com/2009/11/14/s...lled-too-soon/

11-17-2009, 04:03 AM	#2
dakert Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: May 10, 2007 Location: Altoona PA Posts: 3,411	Planet Of The Apes (1974) should have had more than just 14 episodes

11-17-2009, 09:20 AM	#3
tv star collector I Love Susie Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 18, 2005 Location: South Carolina Posts: 4,486	I loved Tru Calling. I'm glad that show was mentioned because I thought it had a lot of potential. I'd like to have seen it go on longer than two seasons. Unfortunately, there was no time for a series finale and a lot of loose ends were never tied up. Some others that come to mind: Moonlight Dark Angel Roswell Adventures of Brisco County Jr. (not a sci-fi show per se but it had some sci-fi elements in it) The Flash

11-17-2009, 11:04 AM	#4
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,004	I think they could have gotten at least one more season out of both The Time Tunnel and the original Outer Limits.

11-17-2009, 11:16 AM	#5
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,005	I was thinking about it more after I posted the list; does anyone think Angel should not have been mentioned on this list? Angel was a supernatural/fantasy/horror/drama. I watched it, and Buffy as well, but I don't think it belongs on a sci-fi list.