I'm keeping it light today. It's a holiday for most of you, and who wants anything deep on their day off? Not me. I mean, if I were off, that is. Instead I'm here writing this for you. Yeah, I could've done it over the weekend, but... well.. I didn't. So there's that.
Let's talk about TV for a minute. I recently saw a commercial for the latest installment of Survivor. Survivor? Yes, Survivor. As in, the same show I watched once or twice like, 15 years ago? I didn't even know that shit was still on. It's still on because someone is watching it. What is wrong with people? Can you really not find anything better to watch than Survivor?
Who remembers the SNL skit from a hundred years ago called "The Thing That Wouldn't Leave"? It featured John Belushi as a party guest sitting on a sofa watching TV and eating snacks. The party is over, and the only people left are Belushi and the host couple. They keep dropping hints to get him to leave -- fake-yawning and saying they're going to hit the sack, etc. -- but it's not working. He won't go. "Good night," he tells them, settling in. "I'm gonna watch a movie. Got any more of these chips?"
A lot of TV shows are like that. They linger longer than they should. Survivor is one example. ER is another. I thought that show would never end, and it only did once they had run out of things to threaten the ER (a tank, ebola, zombies, etc). CSI is another, but instead of dying, it just keeps adding new cities. The list goes on of shows that jump the shark but keep on breathing when they should just go off into the woods to die.
This is what makes me appreciate Lost, my favorite show, even more. Now in its sixth and final season, Lost knows when to quit. Seinfeld did the same thing. We're going out on top, they say, instead of adding a kid or moving to a new city or some other desperate act to keep viewers interested. You gotta admire that.
I won't even get started on good shows that were killed because they were too intelligent for Joe and Mary Beercan. Arrested Development, anyone? Freaks & Geeks? Boomtown? Firefly? All were damn good television. I'll say it again: what is wrong with people?
Okay, your turn: what shows stuck (or are still sticking) around too long? What shows got the ax too soon?
Happy Presidents' Day. They're all dead, so it can't be too happy for them.
Let's talk about TV for a minute. I recently saw a commercial for the latest installment of Survivor. Survivor? Yes, Survivor. As in, the same show I watched once or twice like, 15 years ago? I didn't even know that shit was still on. It's still on because someone is watching it. What is wrong with people? Can you really not find anything better to watch than Survivor?
Who remembers the SNL skit from a hundred years ago called "The Thing That Wouldn't Leave"? It featured John Belushi as a party guest sitting on a sofa watching TV and eating snacks. The party is over, and the only people left are Belushi and the host couple. They keep dropping hints to get him to leave -- fake-yawning and saying they're going to hit the sack, etc. -- but it's not working. He won't go. "Good night," he tells them, settling in. "I'm gonna watch a movie. Got any more of these chips?"
A lot of TV shows are like that. They linger longer than they should. Survivor is one example. ER is another. I thought that show would never end, and it only did once they had run out of things to threaten the ER (a tank, ebola, zombies, etc). CSI is another, but instead of dying, it just keeps adding new cities. The list goes on of shows that jump the shark but keep on breathing when they should just go off into the woods to die.
This is what makes me appreciate Lost, my favorite show, even more. Now in its sixth and final season, Lost knows when to quit. Seinfeld did the same thing. We're going out on top, they say, instead of adding a kid or moving to a new city or some other desperate act to keep viewers interested. You gotta admire that.
I won't even get started on good shows that were killed because they were too intelligent for Joe and Mary Beercan. Arrested Development, anyone? Freaks & Geeks? Boomtown? Firefly? All were damn good television. I'll say it again: what is wrong with people?
Okay, your turn: what shows stuck (or are still sticking) around too long? What shows got the ax too soon?
Happy Presidents' Day. They're all dead, so it can't be too happy for them.
Dollhouse----got the axe way too soon!!! Brilliant show.....wish it was still around :-(
I miss Dollhouse so much. And it just ended. It went from being kinda sucky to one of my favorite shows ever by the end.
Dollhouse was good in theory, but really terrible on the air. I wanted to like it, but it just didn't translate well into a show.
One show I'm really sad about is Virtuality. It had such potential, much more than that crap Defying Gravity that ended up on tv.
I can never forgive Dollhouse for causing Sarah Connor Chronicles to miss out on a third season.
Fox, I hate you. So. F*cking. Much.
I agree that Firefly shouldn't have gotten the ax but from what I found out it was to 'anti government' or some bull like that and they pulled it. But makes me question why Serenity is played alot. And I have seen sci fi play SOME Firefly here and there late nights.
One show I hope will go on time is Supernautral, I adore the show alot as it deals with many things that hold my interest, but I don't want it to drag out too long either cuz damn I'll be broke buying that many box sets XD
Mad Mad House! Anyone remember that? It ended after 1 season made me sad because it made fun of other 'reality shows' and was just off the wall in general.
I think reality shows should get the ax because they've been around WAY too long and not everyone's life is anything like the 'reality' in those shows. Hell if they really wanted reality for their shows EVERYONE would have their own and then it'd just be creepy.
I completely agree about "ER." That show went on for literally years after I stopped watching it. "CSI," yes, PLEASE pull the plug on it/them. "House" is one that I wish they'd kill too. I hate the constantly surly doctor character with no bedside manner, and the plot is the exact same one every single episode.
On a positive note, some shows like Arrested Development and Freaks and Geeks that I missed when they were on, are available on DVD, and I've been able to get them from the library to watch. There is so much junk on TV that I don't watch, it's nice to be able to watch these shows on DVD that were worthwhile when they were on but just didn't get the ratings needed to keep them going.
Your last line made me laugh! HA! =)
Happy President's Day to you too. I do have the day off, but since I no longer get paid holidays, having the day off has its down side too, unfortunately.
I love House! I don't feel like it is done yet, plus I think Hugh Laurie's character is pretty funny. I'm not sure how much longer it will be on, though. think I heard rumors that Hugh Laurie didn't want to do the show anymore.
House bored me after three episodes. To each his own, I guess.
I've given up on modern tv. I've gone back to my roots and I'm watching BBC shows from the '70s and '80s. Brilliant comedies like Yes, Minister, The Good Life, and All Creatures Great and Small. I highly recommend all of them and they can all be found online on netflix or on dvd from amazon.
The show Instant Star got booted too soon and it ended so shiteous. It was supposed to go through season and got the axe after season 4. Who doesn't hate it when the two characters that belong with each other don't end up together when the series ends? It was horrible!
Shiteous. I'm stealing that. Thank you.
I can't believe that! I'm so excited that a guyspeak guy liked one of my words and is using it!
Can I just say how happy I am to hear that someone else on the planet loved Instant Star as much as I did?
I thought I was seeing things...
The last season was so random and so rushed
pretty much the only show i watch is lost and i respect it so much for being able to wrap up without leaving us fans without a conclusion. i remember many moons ago being a giant fan of 'the pretender' and crying buckets (i was ten, okay?) when it was canceled. i recently watched all seasons of deadwood and am livid to find out that a movie was promised to tie up loose ends and now declared canceled. i think most shows on the air continue wayyy after their prime- if they ever had one. very unfair really.
Stargate didn't need to go on for 10 seasons. Really, how many times can McGuiver (wait, I meant Jack O'Neill) save the galaxy?
On that note, they should have kept going with Stargate Atlantis. Ronan Dax rocked my underpants...I mean sox....But now I have Stargate universe to comfort me.
Now Caprica is on, I love it!! I always wondered how the hell those fraking toasters got the way they did. Plus it's one big imagination trip.
That's all I can come up with now. I'm gonna go watch the brilliance of Firefly.
I was just thinking the other day that Survivor has been on for 10 years. I remember what a big deal the finale was, with the host being flown in a helicopter or something. Now it's so quaint when compared to all the reality shows that followed.
Shows that need to go:
- Law & Order. Does anyone still watch the original? I couldn't tell you who's on it now. Sam Watterson? Me? Who knows.
- 60 Minutes. I mean really. Keeping Andy Rooney on TV should be classified as torture.
- I would say E.R., but they finally put it out of its misery last year.
- America's Funniest Home Videos, which is completely pointless now with the Internet and YouTube. Also, no one tapes anything on video anymore.
Gone too soon:
-Freaks and Geeks
- Andy Richter Controls the Universe
- Andy Barker, P.I.
- Pretty much every Andy Richter show outside of Quintuplets
- Carnivale (ends on a cliffhanger)
- The Comeback (Lisa Kudrow's HBO show that no one watched which is awesome)
- The Dana Carvey Show
- Wonder Showzen
- Dollhouse (seriously, it got a lot better after the first five or six episodes)
- Conan's Tonight Show
I know everyone says Arrested Development, but I would rather it have had three perfect seasons with no dip in quality than some great seasons, and some mediocre ones. We're lucky we got three seasons, and probably will get a movie.
Awwww, I love AFV. Yes, we have youtube, but you can just tune in and laugh, you don't have to search through the mountains of stuff on the internet to find something funny. Plus, the Tom Bergeron's comments are what make most of the videos funny anyway. I love catching re-runs too, cause it's not like a regular show with a plot, you can miss a week and not be behind and confused. Anyway, hope it stays!
Good list, Nickyboy. I thought I was the only one who watched The Comeback. HBO has become TV's most impatient network. The same people who left The Sopranos on 2-3 seasons too long and ran Arlis$ for what, 5-6 years (?!), yanked The Comeback, Deadwood, Carnivale and John From Cincinnati far too soon.
The Comeback! I almost forgot about that show. That show was brilliant...I miss it!
freaks and geeks was gone way too soon. you can get it on dvd, but there's so much more that needed to happen in that show before it was canceled. specifically, i wanted to see a painfully awkward daniel/ lindsey relationship fall to pieces before it was off the ground. you know it was gonna happen. and it NEVER GOT TO.
Can I just add that America's next top model (I know, I'm mentioning something great here -cough-) is going on season 14 now?
How many models does one country need anyway?
You speak the truth. That show is mind-bogglingly vapid. The show I want to see is Let's Kill Tyra Banks.
All of these are great examples. I watched ALL of those HBO shows and was ticked when they got canceled, especially The Comeback. I mean, c'mon! Lisa Kudrow was excellent on that.
Now, I can't believe I'm admitting this, but the show that I loved that got canceled too soon was... ugh, don't judge me... Men In Trees.
Yes, I know. I lose all indie cred for liking it, and I don't care! I didn't even mind Anne Heche in it, and that's saying something. I miss watching it every. week.
I miss M*A*S*H*. It wasn't on long enough, and you can never find it on TV anymore.
cough
Wise ass. ;)
Good Call on the Freaks and Geeks! I just think it came before it's time...lol! Wow, was that above and beyond cliche or what?! No but seriously, look at who was on it, and how great they've become now... My fav was the little brother (haven't been privy enough to buy the box set, so excuse me if the names slip my mind) on Waiting... At the end, "AND YOU MONTY! OOO! YOU'RE THE COOLEST GUY AT SHENNANIGINS, THAT'S LIKE BEING THE SMARTEST KID W/ DOWN SYNDROME!" Classic! Now my favorite now, and am praying that lame ass show "How I Met Your Mother" won't ruin it.... THE BIG BANG THEORY! You haven't seen it? WATCH IT!
Here's one nobody mentioned, and that I am probably going to receive a lot of flack for saying: American Idol. How many people can there possibly be out there who might have musical talents that can be exploited on national television? Two seasons was enough. I only watched the first season before I cried foul, and was done with it. I mean 3 months to listen to critiques by an asinine amount of judges, when there could be something more relevant to watch? And to conclude my little statement, I don't watch Glee (which if no one knows, AI has taken their time slot).
I second AI. I watched the first 2 seasons as well. Now you couldn't pay me to sit through an episode.
As an angsty teen in the 90's, I'm going to nominate "My So-Called Life" as a show that got canceled way too soon. I know it was a little overdramatic at times, but I still catch an episode on TV every once in a blue moon and remember how much I love it. I think it still rocks, but maybe that's just the sentimental part of me talking.
P.S.--Watching the new Lost right now, Cary. They are burying the real Locke. God, I'm going to miss this show. Never enjoyed being so confused before!
Yes! MSCL was completely awesome!
What's hilarious is that I was almost exactly like Angela at 15, and I had a male friend almost exactly like Ricky (minus the eyeliner) who was completely wonderful and unique.
Also, they axed Coco waaaay too soon. His Royal Redhead Hotness is going to show all those chimps at NBC!!! He is the king of chic geeks!!!
Since I don't watch regular TV like regular people I'm all about the cartoons that ended too soon.
The Oblongs - only 13 episodes and Will Ferrel was the voice of the limb missing, pipe smoking, 50's style father...why?!
Clone High - again, just 13 episodes of this goodness. It was left with so many questions not answered. Would good ole Abe Lincoln end up with Joan of Arc? Does Ghandi ever lose his virginity? Plus a pretty good opening song by Abandoned Pools that gets stuck in my head for days.
Home Movies - just Youtube Coach McGuirk...trust me. Please do it.
I'm going to say this, as a huge fan and lover of the show, but The Simpsons is over. A couple of years ago when everyone was saying how the new seasons suck, I stood up for it. But now, the script is horrible, there are no true one liners or plots I even care to remember. Yes I still watch it, like I'm watching an old person die, live, die, and then live again. Give it up, go be with all your dead friends.
Did anyone like "Mr. Show With Bob and David"? Amazing. I also loved "Da Ali G Show", which was funnier and relied less on shock humor and more on actual wit, than his movies!
I loved Kath and Kim! I can't watch the australian version it's not on my t.v. but it was the best show ever! it ended after one season and how is 30 Rock still on? It's not even that funny
Shows that I was sad to see go...
-Curb your Enthusiasm
-Buffy the Vampire Slayer (although, the last season was Amazing!, lots of tears were shed)
-Strangers with Candy
-Firefly (damn you Fox, damn you to hell.)
-Dead Like Me
-Samurai Champloo
-Flight of the Conchords
Current shows that I loooove
-The Office
-It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
-Colbert Report
Shows that I wouldnt miss if they fell of the face of the earth
-Anything to do with MTV
-Jersey whore or shore, or whatever the hell its called
Totally agree. I loved Dead Like Me so much. The movie was meh, but at least there was some resolution.
Adding to the list: Farscape.
Wasn't MTV supposed to stand for MUSIC Television?
Not skanky desperate false-reality shows?
SDFRSTV?????
Maybe it's cause the name was too long to stick ;)
Smallville. I watched that for the first two seasons. Like oh 9 years ago. My boyfriend STILL freaking watches it. I watched an episode with him the other day and it was RIDICULOUS, the only merit it has going for it is Clark Kent's hotness. And apparently they are already signed on for another season. WTF
I don't understand how Smallville is still on. I have never met anyone in my entire life who watched Smallville. Seriously. The Real World too. I'm pretty sure they've run out of interesting cities, and it's really just sad that these people don't have anything better to do with their lives. Oh and don't they have parents?
one show that got the axe too soon: moonlight. a crime fighting vampire.
I have general disdain for any reality TV, so we could have lost Survivor and Idol before they even happened. As much joy as Nip/Tuck brought me, it was done a few seasons ago and it just lingers. I enjoyed Love Monkey for the two episodes it was on, and would have watched further. I love the original CSI and it still stays fresh, but could do without CSI: Miami, to be sure.
Does anyone remember a show called "Oh Madeleine"??
Or "The Tracey Ulman Show"?? (was where the simpsons got their start!)
Both of those shows was gone WAY too quickly!!
Also... I think that "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brian" got the ax way too soon!!
First DOLLHOUSE - so sad I haven't even been able to finish watching the second season cuz I don't want to see it end. Buffy was my all-time favourite but went on too long, season 7 was terrible but the finale is by far the best series finale ever. However not a fan of the Angel finale - I get their' reasons but from the person who brought me the buffy finale i wanted more. So I am scared to finish dollhouse because I know it got better once they gave Joss control - but right now he's got me 50/50 on how this one might end :(
Cartoons yes UNDERGRADS was awesome - so was Mission Hill
American Idol has gone on far too long, so has Survivor and any show on MTV hurts me to watch. Smallville has been on their last season for like 4 seasons so that just leaves me confuzzled.
I miss pop-up video. I also miss old hosts of video on trial - the sexiest comedian chick was hilarious. & random local radio people made it interesting. don't get me wrong show is probably still funny - love it don't watch it religiously though
Arrested Development was amazing - I would still enjoy it Jason Bateman slays me & makes me a little excited at the same time - love him & the show!!
Is One Tree Hill off the air yet? I remember liking hat show in high school then discovering it was still on which baffled me...
sorry I'll be done now
The one I was thinking of the whole time along with dollhouse but forgot was FASTLANE - again with everyone else stupid fox!
X-Files; it was a great show which was sometimes ridiculous, but they sold the ridiculous with a straight face so that you totally bought it. Then they moved from Vancouver to LA, the movie came out, and it became self-aware. They stopped taking themselves seriously, and while that was awesome at times, it also turned the show into a parody of itself that was impossible to invest yourself into anymore.
Oh, yeah, and totally, Smallville. That show has no business still being on the air. Really, the premise is about Clark Kent's teenage years, before he was Superman. The dude's like 30 now. He's grown up. He doesn't even live in freakin' Smallville anymore. He moved to Metropolis, like, seven seasons ago. He's freaking Superman already! It's like if Gilligan and crew managed to get off the island and back to civilization, and the show still went on for ten more years!
I have to say that for the last few of hours i have been hooked by the impressive posts on this website. Keep up the good work.
I have to say that for the last couple of hours i have been hooked by the impressive posts on this site. Keep up the wonderful work.
Greet stuff thank yo for the information