30 Day TV Challenge: Day 1A- A show that should have never been canceled

I swear I thought I lost this, but this is the original Day 1 post... enjoy!




I could write volumes about shows that should not have been cancelled.  And as such, I am not going to choose only one show for this entry.  Nor am I going to list every show that was erroneously cancelled.  Another caveat...I am also going to limit myself to shows that I have a vested interest in.  So while I do believe Firefly deserves a place on this list, I did not watch it when it first aired.  Hence, no real vested interest.





1. Tru Calling

Starring Eliza Dushku (Tru Davies), this Quantum Leap esq show dealt with people who died asking for Tru Davies' help.  As the first season progressed, Jason Priestley (Jack Harper) joined the cast as Tru's opposite.  At the close of the first season, we see the lines drawn.  Tru helping people to live, and Jack making sure they stayed dead.  FOX gave it a poor second season, which started to deal with what would happen if Tru saved somebody who did not ask for help.  Oh, if memory serves, FOX had cancelled it because it was not compatible with the show it preceded, The OC.  F-U FOX number 1.





2. Arrested Development

Listen, there is always money in the banana stand.  Arrested Development is an awesome show that Ron Howard did not see working as a TV show, but maybe a movie.  Following the Bluth family it documented their trials and tribulations as son Michael Bluth tried to save the family from not only financial ruin, but itself.  F-U FOX number 2.





3. Stargate: Universe

So what if it tried to be Battlestar Galactica in cinematography?  The third installment in the Stargate franchise saw a crew that was thrown way the hell across the universe (Star Trek Voyager anybody?)  Anyway, it was a great show that was really hitting its stride, and its a shame that SyFy pulled the plug.





4. Journeyman

Speaking of Quantum Leap esq shows, Journeyman was  about a man Dan Vasser (Rome's Kevin McKidd) who could travel backwards in time.  The catch?  No idea when it was going to happen, save for some pretty nasty headaches.  And then there's his ex-fiance Olivia Beale (Moon Bloodgood) who could travel froward in time.  During Dan's leaps back, he would run into Olivia who would give Dan help as he altered the destiny of somebody.  A hell of  a show which was not given a chance to prove its self.





5. Carnivale

Masons!  Knights Templar!  Magic!  Good! Evil!  Clancy Brown!  Right there is more than enough reason to love this show.  This HBO epic followed the story of Ben Hawkins (Nick Stahl) as  he battles Brother Justin (Clancy Brown) against the backdrop of the Great Depression in the mid-western USA.  Another case of a show not having enough warning before it cancelled, the second season ended on a MASSIVE cliffhanger.  Even though it has  no ending, it is still a show to check out.  Its also a very visual show, so there is enough there to delight.