Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Gone Too Soon

EW.com has a fun photo gallery of what it calls "26 Great TV Shows That Got a Quick Hook." I couldn't agree more with some of their choices -- like "My So-Called Life," "The Comeback" and, most recently, "Swingtown." But have a few I can think of off the top of my head I'd like to add, below, and am hoping you will submit some, too. If you need a little help, check out this complete list of network TV schedules through the years that my brother found on Wikipedia. It's great stuff.

I know I'm forgetting many, but how about:

"Sons and Daughters" (2006)
"Dog Bites Man" (2006)
"Jake in Progress" (2005)
"Miss Match" (2003)
"Pasadena" (2001)
"Sports Night" (1998)
"Party Girl" (1996)
"Central Park West" (1995)
"Class of '96" (1993)
"All Is Forgiven" (1986)
"Double Trouble" (1984)
"It's Your Move" (1984)
"Oh Madeline" (1983)
"Square Pegs" (1982)
"Love, Sidney" (1981)
"The Brady Brides" (1981) / "Harper Valley PTA" (even with Fake Dee)
"Angie" (1979)
"James at 15" (1977)
"All's Fair" (1976)

Keep in mind I've never seen "Freaks and Geeks" or "Arrested Development."

10 comments:

Frank Anthony Polito said...

Great post topic! I concur with "CPW" (first memory of John Barrowman), "Double Trouble" (Grease 2 twins), and "Oh, Madeline." I'd like to add "The Powers That Be" (1992) starring John Forsythe and Holland Taylor as the US President and First Lady, featuring a pre-"Frasier" David Hyde Pierce as their suicidal son-in-law, Peter MacNicol (who went on to "Ally McBeal"), Joseph Gordon-Levitt ("3rd Rock from the Sun"), Valerie Mahaffey (loved her as Eve on "Northern Exposure"), Robin Bartlett (Paul's sister from "Mad About You"), and the hilarious Elizabeth Berridge ("John Laroquette Show") as the maid, Charlotte.

Brian said...

I was devastated when 'Twin Peaks' was canceled during it's second season. Granted, the second half of that season sucked, but the creative team and cast had a lot of potential to turn things around. With the current remake trend (also known as Hollywood is out of new ideas) going on, maybe we'll see some of these shows resuscitated/given another shot?

Freddie said...

How about "Dead Like Me" or "Lipstick Jungle"?

S J D said...

The first and only two shows I thought of upon reading this post were both included! "Swingtown," which I have recently started watching again, and "Pasadena" which I never saw the conclusion of, but read about it online and am STILL desperate to find online all these years later. Great post!

nojarama said...

You really should invest in "Freaks & Geeks". It was perfection IMO. And I will NEVER forgive Fox for cancelling "Reunion".

Anonymous said...

I loved Square Pegs! I loved all the new wave music that they played on the show...

Craig said...

1. Arrested Development (it supposedly took place where I live but clearly wasn't filmed here - Newport Beach) funniest non-cartoon sitcom ever.

2. Grosse Point - in agreement with EW (I still crush on Al Santos)

3. Popular - tackled some pretty serious issues hilariously. Sara Rue and Tammy Lynn Michaels were great in it.

James Greenlee said...

"All Is Forgiven" (1986)
"Oh Madeline" (1983)
"Square Pegs" (1982)

There's a reason I read your blog every day, Kenneth! All of these were huge favorites of mine, but nobody seems to remember them.

Mine:
"Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" (2008-09)
"The Powers That Be" (1992)
"Grand" 1990
"Throb" 1986

Nick said...

The show that I miss the most that never had a chance was "Life as We Know It." They had an amazingly talented group of young actors on that show.

Also, "Popular", as Craig said.

Anonymous said...

Whenever I read one of these great lists (thanks Kenneth!), I am reminded of one of my favorite TV memories.

Back in the '80s, News Center 4 (NBC in NYC) used to have a feature reporter named Kitty Kelly (not the writer of the same name). One time, for I think the 40th anniversay of television, she did a week-long series on high lights and low lights of TV History.

She covered all the usual great stuff (Man walks on the moon, "I Love Lucy", etc.) and the last day, she devoted to TV's worst.

She started to reel off a list of some of the biggest losers, shows so awful they lasted a few episodes, accompanied by still shots of the shows and her own pithy comments. It was hysterical! The entire TV studio was in an uproar, laughing their heads off. I'll never forget how she ended it:

"Hello Larry, My Mother the Car...people, do we really need to go on with this?"