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Primetime shows that were cancelled too soon


amybrickwallace

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I remember in the early 90's there was a hilarious comedy sketch show on FOX called The Edge with a pre-Friends Jennifer Aniston, Julie Brown, and Wayne Knight (from Seinfeld and 3rd Rock). It ended after one season because Fox thought it was too expensive to produce and wanted to cut the budget. I still think about some of the sketches and laugh, especially the Designing Women parody. 

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Some shows I thought were cancelled too soon were Reunion on Fox: I loved this show and how it was about a mystery and tried to chronicle the life of six friends over 20 years. Unfortunately it only got like 13 episodes and only 9 of them were shown in the US before it was cancelled.

 

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Life on Mars (The American Version) (2008-2009) I thought this was another good show that dealt with different time periods that was cancelled too soon.

 

And the comedy Out All Night (1993). I felt like this show should have fared better. It was modern for it's time and had a nice cast. If it had came a few years later maybe UPN would have rescued it, like they did  In the House.

 

 

 

 

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The Powers That Be (NBC, 1992-93). Amazing cast. John Forsythe, Holland Taylor, Peter MacNicol, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Robin Bartlett, Valerie Mahaffey, and David Hyde Pierce in a role that presaged Niles on Frasier. I was pissed when the show was cancelled, but in hindsight, it was a blessing, since almost everyone on the show went on to bigger and better things.

 

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And, of course, Looking, which a lot of people found boring. I loved it.

 

 

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For some good ol' dishy dramas.... 

 

MODELS, INC. (1994-1995, Fox). It ran a full season on Wednesdays after 90210, as Melrose Place had just made their move to Mondays. 

 

RINGER (2011-2012, The CW). Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, it was dishy, dramatic, with a slight cheese factor (low budget). I would've loved to at least get a second season. The cliffhanger had the one twin realizing her dead twin was still alive. 

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Back to You (Fox, 2007-08)

 

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I feel that this sitcom was more a victim of bad timing - read: the 2007 WGA strike - than anything else. Despite the talent on both sides of the camera, Fox didn't give the show enough of a chance - even after the writers' strike was settled.

 

In hindsight, everything worked out well for many of the people on BTY. Patricia Heaton and Ty Burrell landed on ABC on The Middle and Modern Family, respectively. Both shows are now in their ninth seasons. Josh Gad has gone on to a successful stage and film career. Kelsey Grammer and Fred Willard still pop up on shows and commercials. 

 

Plus, as a fan of The Middle, I can't imagine it without Patty Heaton. Frankie Heck is a much better role for her than BTY's Kelly Carr was.

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I liked this one too, although I don't remember that being the opening sequence. Remember when they changed the actress playing the daughter towards the end of the season? 

 

On another note, these are the same creators who went on to do Modern Family, so it all worked out in the end.

 

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