TV Shows That Were Cancelled Too Early

Television is often a double edged sword- it can provide limitless entertainment and then take it all away. Everyone has experienced watching a show and loving it only to have it cancelled with an incomplete story told. Some shows will at least get somewhat of an ending even though it came sooner than expected, and there are those who have ended on a cliffhanger, driving us all mad. So let’s take a look at a few TV shows whose time with us was far too brief.

Veronica Mars

“Veronica Mars, I’m watching you.” There’s nothing like a little Hall & Oats reference to make you like a show just that much more. Veronica Mars premiered on UPN in 2004 and then was cancelled in 2007 after it moved to the CW for a season. The show features high schooler Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) as the daughter of a private investigator (Enrico Colantoni). She acts as the “secretary” for her father’s business when really she’s out (against her father’s permission) doing her own investigating and solving the crimes herself. Season one focuses on Veronica trying to solve her friend’s (Amanda Seyfried) murder while dealing with becoming an outcast as well as many other high school problems.

Veronica Mars is awesome! It has compelling, smart stories that are fun, entertaining, and keeps you guessing who the baddie is. The actors play their roles fantastically, and the characters are diverse and interesting. This is one show that gets it right when it comes to a strong female lead. Veronica is strong, smart, and sexy without being overly sexualized. In total there are 64 episodes of Veronica Mars, and it ends on a dang cliffhanger… but, thanks to the magic of Kickstarter, we got a wonderful movie to fill us on on the adventures of Ms. Mars once the show stopped running.

Reaper

Oh, what do we have here? Another show cancelled by the CW. Reaper lasted for 31 episodes before meeting, well, the grim reaper. Sam (Bret Harrison) just turned 21 and for some reason weird, hellish things start happening, and his parents start acting all goofy. Turns out that dear old daddy and mummy promised their first child’s soul to the Devil (Ray Wise) a long time ago in exchange for restoring sweet daddy’s failing health. When most people turn 21 they might party or have a drink, but Sam gets to reap escaped souls from hell for the Devil himself! Whoo hoo. With the help of his not so competent friends, Sam sets out to catch dangerous souls or else be obliterated by the Devil who keeps a close eye on him at all times.

Reaper contains some very skilled actors including my one of my favorite comedy actors, Tyler Labine. He adds so much hilarity to the show with just his mannerisms. Also, Ray Wise plays a glorious Devil, making you like him and yet fear him at the same time. Mix that together with a new inventive way to catch an escaped soul through items called vessels (like a vacuum and a cigarette lighter), and you’ve got a recipe for a good time. Reaper didn’t get a proper ending either. A new development in the series finale sets up a whole new can of worms that we shall never see opened.

Firefly

This show packs the major “duh” response. Just about every person (who is cool anyways) first answers Firefly when asked what show they would like to be brought back because it was cancelled too early. With the least amount of episodes of all the series mentioned here, Firefly captivated audiences immediately and has formed a rather large and dedicated fan following with its loveable characters and awesome story line. Fox really wet the bed on this one. They aired the episodes all out of order and cancelled it after only 11 of the 14 episodes aired. Fans were given a little bit of a juicy bone with a film, Serenity, following the series, but it still doesn’t take away the pain of not being able to see the characters journey through life.

Dollhouse

Imagine a world where you could just fork over a bunch of money to have a real person programmed exactly the way you want them. Whether you want a friend, lover, or maid, this person would be real flesh and blood with the perfect knowledge of whatever you asked for. That may sound like a dream but there are some huge ethical problems that go along with that as seen in the television series Dollhouse. Created by Joss Whedon and starring Eliza Dushku, this show is about a corporation programming people (dolls) with temporary skills and knowledge for various purposes like infiltrating a mob group or just to have as a companion. It all starts off rainbows and cupcakes, but by the end of the series the poop hit the fan resulting in a splat so big it ended the world. The show can be a little complicated and confusing but as the episodes progress they find their groove and get really really good and interesting. Just in time to be cancelled! Dollhouse was only given 9 months before it was cancelled with 27 episodes produced. It did wrap up pretty well, but there is a lot of untreaded water still there.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

I’m really crying on the not so inside about the cancellation of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. It needs to be brought back! I don’t care if it’s through film, graphic novel, or television, I just want to see more of the untold story. The show only got 31 episodes and didn’t get a proper end. It’s like you’ve been staring at a huge, delicious cake through a store window, thinking about getting it day after day. Then, you decide to get a piece and you take a bite, filling your life with joy and sunshine and then the baker comes by and says my boss discontinued this cake and you can’t have it any more. That might be a bit dramatic, but The Sarah Connor Chronicles is awesome. It takes place after Terminator 2: Judgment Day and while John is a teenager. Opening mid season with only nine episodes in the first batch, The Sarah Conner Chronicles was the highest rated new series of the 2007-08 television season. It was renewed for a second season and then BAM! It gets cancelled. It is just agonizing to see such a good show get left behind.

This is the Action Flick Chick, and you’ve just been kicked in the ass!

Originally posted on Fan TV.