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I thought it might be nice to do a thread on underappreciated shows that deserve to be more appreciated than they are.
Parameters:
The show must have lasted no more than two seasons/series [concluding special(s) okay].
Seasons that are 100% reruns don't count in the above tally.
Episode count doesn't matter.
The show must have been axed by the network for business reasons. Shows that were miniseries (The Prisoner, Watchmen, etc.) or that ended early for creative reasons (the original Fawlty Towers) don't count.
Shows that appear likely to be cancelled but haven't yet don't count until the axe finally falls.
Try to focus on shows you really enjoyed, not just shows you didn't mind, shows that people are missing out if they haven't seen.
If a show follows the letter of the above but not quite the spirit, it's okay to mention, but please include a caveat.
It's okay to list a show that's already been mentioned, but do mention what you personally liked about it.
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Some of my favourites (more later):
Misfits of Science: Fun upbeat superhero series. Likeable characters, effects that hold up reasonably well give the show's age.
Boomtown: Cancelled very early in season 2. Cop drama showing the events from a range of characters' perspectives.
That's My Bush!: George W. Bush is the main character in this sitcom which was more about poiking fun at sitcom tropes than about politics. Caveat: Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have admitted that they had covered much of the ground they intended to. Even if the show had been renewed, it's very possible they would have ended it soon enough anyway.
Fantasy Island (1998 version): Of the various incarnations this one was probably the most darkly humorous.
Alien Nation: Cop with alien partner series based on the movie. Really delved into the prejudices and cultural differences. Caveat: Multiple TV movies followed the only season.
The Gifted: Fun superhero series focussing on an undreground movement. Made it to a second season but that was it.
Pushing Daisies: A pieman could revive the dead, but if he touched them again, they died permamantly, and if be didn't something similar nearby would die (without negating the first rule). After the previous Writers Strike, the audience sadly largely didn't come back for the second season.
Cloak and Dagger: Great chemistry between the two main characters based on the Marvel comics.
The Flash (first series): One of the first superhero shows to really focus on it's main and supporting cast. Nice special effects, unique sets, Danny Elfman music.
Krypton: Looked at the conflicts including of social class in the doomed planet. Plus it posed the question of whether Earth's greatest champion should be preserved if it means the planet still gets destroyed.
Online!
Eerie, Indiana
Freaks and Geeks
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zuckyd1 wrote:
Eerie, Indiana
Freaks and Geeks
Can you elaborate please? If you were trying to convince someone to hunt these series down, what would you say?
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The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.: One-season early 90's western/sci-fi/comedy/adventure show starring Bruce Campbell as the title character. Was the lead-in for another then-brand-new Fox show called the X-Files. Fox execs actually thought this show would do better in the ratings than the X-Files, who knew? In his autobiography, "If Chins Could Kill," Campbell admits that by the time the show was cancelled he was ready for it. Its opening theme music would later be used for years during many, many live sports broadcasts. Also co-starred Julius Carry (RIP) and Christian Clemenson with frequent guest appearances by Kelly Rutherford, John Astin, John Pyper-Ferguson, and Billy Drago.
Yes, I'm a fan.
Last edited by skippcomet (5/12/2023 8:29 am)
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The show that got me thinking of this thread hadn't been cancelled when I started it (so I was hoping I wiouldn't have to add it) but has now:
Gotham Knights: I hadn't expected to like this show from the preview but it turned out to be a lot of fun. A nice mix of characters who are misfits in different ways forced to come together after some of them were framed for Batman's murder. There's still a couple episodes left and well worth giving a try despite the cancellation.
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Paul Reubens' passing reminded me of another one: You Don't Know Jack. Loosely based on the computer game series, it was a fun, quirky comedy game show.
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Nowhere Man: After taking a picture of executions in South America, photojournalist Thomas Veil finds his entire life erased, and is forced to go on the run throughout America to keep himself and the negatives out of the clutches of a conspiracy.The closest there has ever been to an American version of the Prisoner. Canceled because the network thought viewers would find the series too confusing, although it was one of the highest rated shows.
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The Fades. A pre-Agents of SHIELD Iain De Caestecker as a youth who has the power to perceive ghosts ("Fades") and starts having apocalyptic dreams just as a group of angry spirits begin targeting and killing people. Also starred Daniel Kaluuya (later to star in Get Out, Black Panther and Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse), Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell in Game of Thrones), Tom Ellis (prior to starring in Lucifer), and Joe Dempsey (Gendry in Game of Thrones). One season of six episodes. Won a BAFTA (UK equivalent of an Emmy) for Best Drama in 2012, the year after it aired, had decent ratings, still cancelled anyway.
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In the Flesh. Ran two seasons and a total of nine episodes (3 and 6 respectively for season 1 and 2). Set after the Rising, a zombie apocalypse that was narrowly averted initially by hastily formed local human militias and then by the discovery of drugs that can restore the original human minds of the zombies not destroyed by the militia. Now those suffering from PCD (Partially Deceased Syndrome) are attempting to reintegrate into society, but this isn't easy, both because they are haunted by memories of what they did while flesh-eating monsters and because former militia members are less than happy to be letting "rotters" back into their communities. A surprisingly deep and thoughtful tale, which won multiple awards and had very strong ratings...so the BBC cancelled it after the second season ended on a cliffhanger, with their excuse being that they needed to use the money for more diverse programming. Which turned out to be a really naff reality TV game show called I Survived a Zombie Apocalypse. Seriously, the BBC actually made the excuse that it was part of their remit that they had to make a wider range of shows, and since they already produced Doctor Who then they already had a SF/fantasy genre show and so had to make something to appeal to different tastes. And then they immediately made another zombie show, just a much poorer one.
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Quantum Leap (new version). While it's probably fair to say that it wasn't quite as good as the original, Raymond Lee as Dr. Ben Song was, like Sam before him, a very sympathetic lead who may have wanted to get home but still cared about the people he had to help in his time travels. And it was nice to have Beth have a slightly more important role than she did in the original series. Lasted 2 seasons.
Firefly: A western in space with some quirky deeply flawed characters. Lasted 1 season with episodes in wrong order. Did lead to a movie and of course still has a strong fan following.
Dollhouse: Trafficked humans (albeit apparently consensual to a point) have their minds erased and new personas implanted. Not without its flaws but raised some interesting moral questions. Last 2 seasons.
American Gothic: A town is ruled over by a demonic sheriff (Gary Cole, best known for comedies but quite scary in this role). Lasted 1 season. Some episodes aired out of order and some episodes didn't see the light of day until after the series finale.
Brimstone: After souls escape from Hell, the main character, also in Hell, is offered the chance to return to full life if he sends the escapees back to Hell by shooting them in the eyes. I suspect that the big problem was that it was a network show instead of a premium cable show; even though shooting the escapees in the eyes created a light effect, not blood, audiences with perhaps more mainstream tastes may not have been prepared for something like this. John Glover as the Devil bore more than a little resemblance to his portrayal of Lionel Luthor on Smallville not long after. Lasted 1 season.