TV Shows That Were Cancelled Too Soon

By Jaya Daniel

There are too many shows out there that have gotten unfairly cancelled due to low ratings. As pointed out in TV ADD = Missing Out?, in this day and age many times shows aren’t given the chance to grow an audience. Here is my list of the top 5 show that were cancelled too soon.

Veronica Mars

Cast: Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring, Percy Daggs III, Enrico Colantoni

 

While it’s true the series had a chance to wrap up its story with a movie, it doesn’t ease the sting of the show getting cancelled before its time. Revolving around a young private detective, Veronica Mars was a smartly written show with witty dialogue and excellent characters.

If you like Veronica Mars you may want to try iZombie. A newly turned zombie, Liv helps the police department solve cases based on the visions she gets from the brains she eats. Rose McIver as Liv is nothing short of brilliant with all the characters she plays.

Firefly

Cast: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Adam Baldwin

Another show that ended its short life with a movie (Serenity), Firefly only had one season, but grew a large cult following in the sci-fi world. This space western centers on Mal (Fillion) and his crew of smugglers. The show is funny, sharp and full of action and drama.

If you like Firefly you may want to try Supernatural. A supernatural thriller about brothers who hunt demons, the show is funny, clever and full of heart. And 11 seasons in, it shows no signs of slowing down.

Selfie

Cast: Karen Gillan, John Cho

Eliza is young and self-centered, but finds her social status plummeting when an embarrassing video of her goes viral. To revamp her image, she enlists the help of her marketing expert boss. The show may have had a slow start, but really picked up as the season went on and you found yourself falling in love with Eliza with each passing episode.

If you like Selfie you may want to try Younger. A divorced mother in her 40s decides to take charge her life and pretends to be a 20-something to get a job in publishing. But, she finds that keeping her secret may not be as easy as she thought.

Pushing Daisies

Cast: Lee Pace, Anna Friel, Chi McBride, Kristin Chenoweth

Ned, a sweet pie maker, has a unique ability to bring things back from the dead. The catch? He has one minute to touch them and return them dead, or something/someone of equal size will die in its place. Ned helps a private detective solve murders and collect the reward money, but they hit a snag in the plan when Ned brings his childhood sweetheart back to life and doesn't have the heart to kill her again.

If you like Pushing Daisies you may like Chuck. A tech for the nerd herd -- think Best Buy’s Geek Squad -- Chuck's life takes a turn when he inadvertently gets all the governments secrets, aka the intersect, downloaded into his brain and uses his newfound abilities to help catch bad guys.

Enlisted

Cast: Geoff Stults, Chris Lowell, Parker Young, Angelique Cabral

Three brothers, all in the army, find themselves serving at a base in Florida. While two of them are happy with their low-key assignments, the oldest brother, Pete, is less than thrilled with his new assignment of leading a troop of misfits. Critically acclaimed, the show only lasted one season, but deserved more with its funny antics and sensational characters.

If you like Enlisted you may like Brooklyn Nine-Nine. This comedy focuses on Detective Jake Peralta of Brooklyn’s 99th precinct. While an unconventional cop who may not follow the rules, he always get the job done. But, when a new, no-nonsense captain joins the precinct, Jake finds himself struggling to adjust to the new rules.

Honorable Mention

• Matthew Perry’s Go On - a man who lost his wife and is ordered to go to group therapy after having a breakdown
• Jay Harrington’s Better Off Ted - a work-place comedy with quirky characters and one man who has to keep it all going
• Bryan Fuller’s Wonderfalls - a girl hears voices from inanimate objects and she has to listen or risk the consequences
• Malin Akermin’s Trophy Wife - a young newly-married women dealing with her husband’s three children and two ex-wives
• Judd Apatow favorites Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared - a group of high school and college students deal with the pitfalls of growing up