Possibly the best use of our Netflix account is watching TV series that we enjoy without having to wait a week between episodes. Kate and I finished watching Freaks and Geeks a couple of weeks ago, and really enjoyed it. It is one of many cancelled shows that we seem drawn to.
In an attempt to post something with actual WORDS, I’ve put together the following list of canceled shows that you should check out (in your gobs of free time). Keep in mind this list is limited to those shows that really got cut off prematurely (2-3 seasons, max), which is why Buffy and Angel don’t make the cut.
- Firefly – I’ve written about it before, and it still remains number one on my list of “quality shows that shouldn’t have been canceled.”
- Freaks and Geeks – Quality characters, great dialogue, and the typical high-school situations that everybody can relate to.
- Arrested Development. – This show was gut-bustingly funny. Rumors of an Arrested Development movie are making the rounds, but it just won’t be the same.
- Wonderfalls – A quirky show from the mind of Bryan Fuller. Caroline Dhavernas (as Jaye) deserves another prime-time shot. She’s hysterical.
- Pushing Daisies – A quirky show from the mind of Bryan Fuller. Do you sense a theme here? This is the most recently deceased show on the list. Lee Pace (who also starred in Wonderfalls) leads a stellar cast in a high-budget show that was only recently cancelled.
I’m a glutton for punishment. There’s nothing like getting sucked into a show with nothing to look forward to after the first (or second) season comes to a close. Use the comments to recommend your favorite canceled show.
Okay – you Twitter/guilted me into commenting. 🙂 First of all, it’s not a cancelled show, but it IS a show that you have to watch from the beginning to “get”. 24!! (I believe that you were infected with the 24-bug by me, right?) I watched the first three seasons via Netflix before the 4th season came out. LOVE 24!!!
Second … I am a mild Trekkie. About a year ago I got hooked on Star Trek Voyager re-runs on TV, and decided to start at the beginning of the series (which is not presented in vignette shows like the other ST series’, but in a very linear ongoing story). I’m currently in season three….
You did indeed infect me with the 24 bug. However, I beat that disease last season when the suckitude reached such a magnitude that I quit on it with 5 or 6 episodes left. I might give it another shot this season, but I already have too many shows that I have to watch online at 1 in the morning. 🙂
Considering that 34 hours of my DVR now have Books 1 through 3 of “Avatar: The Last Airbender”, Vicky & I would have to highly recommend the venerable series. While it’s anime, as you can see from the Wikipedia and IMdb pages, it’s very mature in its characters, morality, and story. I told Vicky that it would probably be worth spending $80-$110 on the box set.
I stopped using Netflix some time ago, but my HD-DVR and iTunes accounts have been keeping me up-to-date. We stopped buying DVD a few months ago and went solely Blu-Ray on new purchases.
I really enjoyed the one season of New Amsterdam when it was on. Sadly one of the vic’s of the writers strike last season.
I enjoyed Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (Same guy that did the West Wing). Though, I did think that the first half the season was much better than some towards the end when they knew the show was going to be cut.
However, it’s no Firefly. “I’m going to the special Hell”