# Cancelled, but Brilliant? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 1, 2003, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancelled-but-brilliant/145968 "2003-01-01T00:10:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancelled-but-brilliant/145968/41 "2003-01-02T02:56:23Z")
No one’s mentioned Homicide yet? ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancelled-but-brilliant/145968/42 "2003-01-02T04:12:21Z")
Dark Angel Birds of Prey Firefly And I might as well add FastLane, cuz it’ll probably be cancelled soon enough…it’s been moved to the Friday of Doom slot. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancelled-but-brilliant/145968/43 "2003-01-02T06:54:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by chique \* > \*\*No one’s mentioned Homicide yet? \*\* “Homicide: Life on the Streets” was indeed a great show, and one of my Hall Of Famers, but it certainly didn’t get cancelled before it’s time. It had a pretty long run (especially considering the crappy ratings), and a great finale TV movie to close things up…Timmy ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancelled-but-brilliant/145968/44 "2003-01-02T06:56:13Z")
**Cupid!!!** [sub]geeze, I get all the way down here and noone has mentioned Cupid yet. Has it already been forgotten?[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Tommyturtle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@Tommyturtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tommyturtle)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancelled-but-brilliant/145968/45 "2003-01-02T08:30:09Z")
I’ll second Profit and It’s your move…both cool shows and add one I haven’t seen listed yet. American Gothic…To be honest I don’t really see how it could of lasted more than a couple seasons anyway but to kill it before it made it to the end of it’s first season seemed to me premature. ---
**Author:** ![Philosophocles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Philosophocles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philosophocles)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancelled-but-brilliant/145968/46 "2003-01-02T08:39:22Z")
Here’s a second to the nomination of Doctor, Doctor–a truly hilarious show that was snuffed out way too early. ---
**Author:** ![Harli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c0e974/32.png) [@Harli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harli)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancelled-but-brilliant/145968/47 "2003-01-02T13:17:13Z")
**Lok!!!** Yes! definitely **Cupid!!** I don’t believe I had forgotten that show. I thought I was the only one who watched it! Whenever I’d mention it to someone I’d just get that dull, blank look. It is because of that series that I adore Jeremy Piven as much as I do. _sigh_ ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancelled-but-brilliant/145968/48 "2003-01-02T15:46:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SolGrundy \* > **But now I’m starting to wonder, after seeing some of these series and hearing their producers and writers talk. Which shows really _shouldn’t_ have been cancelled? I can’t really think of any.** I don’t know that this is really the point. Yes, maybe it’s incorrect to say any of these shows _shouldn’t_ have been cancelled, but the tragedy (and maybe the fault, dear Brutus, lies not within the suits but in our selves) is that you can no longer see these programs every week and yet “According to Jim” and “The District” continue on. As to letter-writing campaigns, sure, they typically don’t work, but they have worked at least twice (Cagney & Lacey and the original Star Trek). The second in particular was quite important – although it lasted only one extra season (and that a rather lackluster one), that bumped the number of available episodes up to the syndication minimum of 79, making possible all the later movies and series. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancelled-but-brilliant/145968/49 "2003-01-02T21:51:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Harli \* > \*\ ***Lok!!!** Yes! definitely **Cupid!!** > I don’t believe I had forgotten that show. I thought I was the only one who watched it! Whenever I’d mention it to someone I’d just get that dull, blank look. It is because of that series that I adore Jeremy Piven as much as I do. > _sigh_ \*\* Well apparently you and I were just about all that watched it. I do have to admit, I really enjoyed the writing, especially the dialogue. Jeremy Pivens does not do much for me. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancelled-but-brilliant/145968/50 "2003-01-02T21:53:17Z")
_Jack and Jill_. I loved that show. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancelled-but-brilliant/145968/51 "2003-01-02T22:09:43Z")
So, nobody’s lamenting David E. Kelley’s _Girls Club_? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Vanyel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@Vanyel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vanyel)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancelled-but-brilliant/145968/52 "2003-01-02T22:12:01Z")
Not I. ---
**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancelled-but-brilliant/145968/53 "2003-01-02T22:32:45Z")
I’ll add another vote for _Firefly_, if only because my family’s sick of hearing me rant about it. _My So-Called Life_. I loved that show. And I can’t forget _MST3K_. I don’t care if it ran for 10 seasons. I want more! ---
**Author:** ![Vanyel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@Vanyel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vanyel)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancelled-but-brilliant/145968/54 "2003-01-02T22:41:36Z")
Actually, **ladybug** , there were 11 seasons of MST3K including the KTMA days. Although they did later redo several of the KTMA movies in the earlier years (_Godzilla_s, _Mighty Jack_, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![scablet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@scablet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scablet)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancelled-but-brilliant/145968/55 "2003-01-02T22:42:13Z")
_Aeon Flux_ went off the air after far too few episodes. Ditto to _Sifl + Olly_… it would seem that MTV can’t hold on to anything _too_ good for any extended period of time. Hoo boy, can’t keep going on with this “unique” and “entertaining” crap!! Quick, schedule another rerun of the 2002 Mtv Whatchamahickey Awards Extravaganza Supreme hosted by Jill Celebrity! _Freaks and Geeks_ is also sorely missed. ---
**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancelled-but-brilliant/145968/56 "2003-01-02T22:47:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Vanyel \* > \*\*Actually, **ladybug** , there were 11 seasons of MST3K including the KTMA days. Although they did later redo several of the KTMA movies in the earlier years (_Godzilla_s, _Mighty Jack_, etc.) \*\* Thanks, **Vanyel**. 🙂 I thought of that while I was posting, but I wasn’t sure if the 10 seasons included the KTMA days. I still want more episodes, though. ---
**Author:** ![Vanyel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@Vanyel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vanyel)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancelled-but-brilliant/145968/57 "2003-01-02T22:56:28Z")
Then come one over to the [Digital Archive Project](http://www.dapcentral.org/index.php) and start downloading! ---
**Author:** ![FallenAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@FallenAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallenAngel)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancelled-but-brilliant/145968/58 "2003-01-02T23:21:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cliffy \* > \*\*As to letter-writing campaigns, sure, they typically don’t work, but they have worked at least twice (Cagney & Lacey and the original Star Trek). The second in particular was quite important – although it lasted only one extra season (and that a rather lackluster one), that bumped the number of available episodes up to the syndication minimum of 79, making possible all the later movies and series. > > –Cliffy \*\* Crap. At least now I know whose fault it was and how the travesty happened. I’ve always loathed Star Trek in all of its incarnations, and now I discover that if a few more people would have just pocketed their pens and shelved their typewriters like they should have, the world could have been saved all those terrible hours of continuously recycled drek. Darn. ---
**Author:** ![FallenAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@FallenAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallenAngel)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancelled-but-brilliant/145968/59 "2003-01-02T23:27:08Z")
Two series I can’t believe got yanked were **Square Pegs** (It was on when I was in 7th grade and gave me a lifelong lust for Sarah Jessica Parker), and **Key West** , which was killed by Fox after 12 episodes but had some of the best writing in the history of television. BTW: I met Johnen Vasquez and the rest of the ZIM crew ehre in Phoenix around Halloween. To say that it’s unlikely JV will ever work with Nick again is a mild understatement. He feels he’s been “repeatedly ass-raped by those monkey-brained wastrels” and with pretty good reason, given the suit-mandated direction he was forced to put up with on every episode despite the promise of creative control and artistic freedom in his contract. On the upside, though, I DID get to see the never-to-be released final episode of ZIM that night. Glorious. ---
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancelled-but-brilliant/145968/60 "2003-01-03T00:49:58Z")
Thanks to **The Wrong Girl** for remembering **Frank’s Place** , which lacked car chases, smutty double entendres, in-jokes and other accoutrements of successful shows and simply featured quality writing and acting. What a concept - a show that inspires you to think instead of turning off that facility. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancelled-but-brilliant/145968.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancelled-but-brilliant/145968.md?page=4)