Excellent But Cancelled
A list of TV series' not quite good enough for the 'Brilliant' tag, but memorable nonetheless.
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- CreatorJosh PateJonas PateStarsClayton RohnerRichard BrooksGoogy GressHeavenly agents of the "Corps" fight against demonic Morlocks in Hollywood.A quirky, funny, supernatural show along similar lines to Brimstone and Reaper. I don't remember much about it, and it's really hard to find...even by not-quite-legal means. Hopefully someday Netflix will put it up, or a DVD release will pop up.
- CreatorJason SmilovicStarsCarla GuginoBill DukeRobert ForsterThe adventures of U.S. Marshal Karen Sisco in Miami.Carla Gugino, Robert Forrester and Bill Duke starred in this quickly-canceled cop show that did a decent job of capturing the charm of Out of Sight, Jackie Brown and other Elmore Leonard adaptations. Also a bit hard to find, no DVDs were made.
- CreatorRand RavichStarsDamian LewisSarah ShahiAdam ArkinDetective Charlie Crews was framed, convicted and cleared for a crime he didn't commit. Twelve years of hard time have given him a unique philosophy on life and criminal investigation. Now he's readjusting to a world that's moved on.Aside from the main character, this was about your average cop show. The characters were generally more interesting than other shows, but the real draw was the fascinating Charlie Crews. At least it's available on DVD and on Hulu.
- CreatorGraham YostStarsJeff GoldblumMatt CravenNicole SullivanA brilliant police detective has a unique gift - he can revive victims in his mind.Somewhat similar to Life, another cop show with a interesting lead character. The show was probably more suited to the USA network, with Jeff Goldblum able to explore his quirky character to its fullest. Also, no DVD.
- CreatorGlen MorganJames WongStarsMorgan WeisserKristen ClokeRodney RowlandThe Earth is embroiled in a desperate war against alien invaders, and this series focuses on one squadron of Marine pilots involved in it.A gritty, dark military drama set against the backdrop of Earth's first war against an alien race. The show was perhaps way too ahead of its time. Canceled after one season, care to guess which network canned this promising scifi show? At least there are DVDs of the only season.
- CreatorJason HorwitchStarsJames Badge DaleJessica Ann CollinsLauren HodgesWill Travers is an analyst at a New York City-based federal intelligence agency who is thrown into a story where nothing is as it appears to be.amc has a spectacular track record for TV series. Breaking Bad is IMO the best show on television at this moment. Mad Men, The Walking Dead and The Killing are also well above average. This show remains their only misstep thus far, and it's not because the show wasn't good. The show started off a bit slow, but about halfway through the first season things picked up. It was clear that this was the thinking man's conspiracy series. Great characters, a realistic ambiance. But then they canceled it. As of right now, no DVD or Blu-ray is available.
- CreatorTed GriffinStarsDonal LogueMichael Raymond-JamesLaura AllenEx-cop and recovering alcoholic Hank Dolworth partners with his best friend, former criminal Britt Pollack, in an unlicensed private investigation business.FX is another great network, but their rep is slightly tarnished by the cancellation of this great series. The show was rather simple, about a pair of unlicensed private eyes, but the characters were strong, the dialogue was snappy and it started to really pick up toward the end of its only season. As of now, no DVD or Blu-ray.
- CreatorDaniel KnaufStarsMichael J. AndersonAdrienne BarbeauClancy BrownDuring the Great Depression, an Oklahoma farm boy and a charismatic minister learn that they are key players in a proxy war being fought between Heaven and Hell.While we are on the topic of HBO shows, here's another one. Showed a lot of promise, but was cut off at the knees. Two seasons, DVDs available.
- CreatorManny CotoStarsPeter WellerSebastian RochéChristopher GorhamAfter witnessing the sudden implosion of Earth from orbit, a group of five Odyssey astronauts is sent five years back in time by an alien force to find the cause and prevent the disaster. A vast conspiracy stands in their way.Another Showtime scifi show that didn't make it past its first season. DVDs available.
- CreatorJonas PateJosh PateStarsLake BellJay R. FergusonCarter JenkinsA marine biologist, an insurance salesman and a teen-aged boy find their lives fundamentally changed by the emergence of a new, and often dangerous, species of sea life, while government agents work to keep the affair under wraps.2005 saw a surge of network scifi shows, in response to the previous year's megahit 'Lost'. None of the three major shows survived past their first season. The show was a bit slow, but the season one finale set up some really interesting stuff that we will never see play out. DVDs available.
- CreatorBragi F. SchutStarsCarla GuginoBrian Van HoltBrent SpinerA team of experts are assembled after the U.S. Navy discovers an extra-terrestrial object briefly appeared near a ship in the Atlantic Ocean.Carla Gugino, Brent Spiner, Charles S. Dutton and Peter Dinklage headline this alien conspiracy show, that like its contemporaries Surface and Invasion, didn't make it past its first season. A pity, but at least we got it on DVD for posterity.
- CreatorShaun CassidyStarsWilliam FichtnerEddie CibrianKari MatchettA Florida Park Ranger and his family deal with strange occurrences in the aftermath of a hurricane.Probably my least favorite of the 2005 Network SciFi shows, it was still an interesting show that could have found its legs. DVDs available.
- CreatorJack KennyStarsAidan QuinnSusanna ThompsonChristian CampbellReverend Daniel Webster turns to a modern incarnation of Jesus to help him deal with his personal and professional problems.Canceled partially because certain people didn't like Christians painted as fallible, sinning human beings. Well, I never!
- CreatorAdam F. GoldbergSeth GordonStarsBret HarrisonAlphonso McAuleyChristian SlaterA high-tech security firm takes extreme, and often questionable, measures to sell their protection services.Wait, I think this was actually picked up at the last moment, but how much do you want to bet it'll get canned during its (I think truncated) second season?
- CreatorMike GibbonsLori Jo HoekstraDaniel KellisonStarsNorm MacDonaldKyle MooneyLinda WangThere's a new Norm in sports. Funnyman Norm MacDonald returns to the desk to give you an update on the week's dropped passes, foul balls, and unnecessary roughness - and that's just what happened off the field. Sports, you've finally met your match.How could this have possibly cost too much to continue producing?
- CreatorRick BermanBrannon BragaStarsScott BakulaJohn BillingsleyJolene BlalockA century before Captain Kirk's five-year mission, Jonathan Archer captains the United Earth ship Enterprise during the early years of Starfleet, leading up to the Earth-Romulan War and the formation of the Federation.They started to introduce more heavy story and character arcs, which made me invest more into the show just in time for them to cancel it with a pretty hastily-made series finale.
- CreatorDavid MametStarsDennis HaysbertRegina TaylorAudrey Marie AndersonA secret US military group conducts covert operations across the world, facing several life-threatening situations during their missions.Had a good run, but like Enterprise was canceled once they decided to move away from "mission of the week" stuff and introduce more long-term storylines. The show featured some good Mamet-esque dialogue, and the wives' stories were often even watchable.
- CreatorSteven BochcoChris GerolmoStarsJosh HendersonLuke MacfarlaneErik PalladinoA dramatized take on war in Iraq.Perhaps too controversial for its time? Or maybe it just cost too much, but I have a hard time believing this didn't get good ratings.
- CreatorJudd ApatowStarsJay BaruchelCarla GalloCharlie HunnamCollege freshman Steve Karp, his girlfriend and their fellow dormmates embark on one of the greatest experiences of their lives. Unfortunately for Steve, his lonely and recently divorced father is tagging along for the ride.Apatow's second try at a TV series, this time more of a conspicuous comedy. Unique, funny and sadly brief.
- CreatorDiablo CodyStarsToni ColletteJohn CorbettRosemarie DeWittA woman struggles to find a balance between her dissociative identity disorder and raising a dysfunctional family.
- CreatorKenneth JohnsonStarsGary GrahamEric PierpointMichele ScarabelliIn the near future, a human cop and his alien partner fight crime and discrimination in Los Angeles.
- CreatorDavid GreenwaltJoss WhedonStarsDavid BoreanazCharisma CarpenterAlexis DenisofThe vampire Angel, cursed with a soul, moves to Los Angeles and aids people with supernatural-related problems while questing for his own redemption.I was actually liking the show more and more with each passing season, as the ensemble grew.
- CreatorJeff SegalStarsStevie Louise VallanceCampbell LaneRobby BensonSet in the beginning of the 22nd century, an interplanetary war wages between humanity and the Neosapiens.