Favorite short-lived TV series?

[WI_DEM]

I would say for me it was the 1975-76 mystery series "Ellery Queen" starring Jim Hutton (father of "Ordinary People star Timothy Hutton). I was just 11 when it came on, but I loved watching it and especially when the Queen character would issue his "challenge to the viewer" to see if we had gotten all the clues and could solve the case.

here is a link:
http://www.elleryqueenshow.com/cast-hutton.html

Oh yeah, I also liked "The Night Stalker" with Darren McGavin.

[7th_Sephiroth]

1. Greg the bunny

1 season, 2 eps diddent even get to air

[maddiejoan]

6. Covington Cross

It was like Bonanza in medieval times!

[CBHagman]

19. Maybe you and I were the only two regular viewers.

I had to watch anything with that medieval setting. Nigel Terry and Cherie Lunghi were also part of the appeal.

As for other short-lived TV series, I watched Nothing Sacred (a victim of conservative lobbying), the excellent Homefront, and Davis Rules, which was a wonderful show before they destroyed it by changing networks, recasting, and switching to 90th-rate writing. It was fine when it featured Patricia Clarkson in a recurring role (the first season only, alas) and improvisation from Jonathan Winters.

[Longgrain]

2. Pink Lady and Jeff...

Mr. Smith, and Manimal!

[4_Legs_Good]

3. Is 4 seasons short enough?

If so FUTURAMA period, end of story.

Probably too long a run, though. Too short in the grand scheme of things though. 10,000 seasons woulda still been too short.

david

[megatherium]

4. Nightstalker.

Without a doubt. If you're not familiar, it was a short-lived show circa 1976 that involved a newspaper reporter trying to locate his brother who had become a vampire. The reporter kept coming across other strange paranormal things. Very similar to the X-Files -- but the X-Files was inspired by Nightstalker (so I have read).

I'd love to see this come out on DVD.

http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-2694/Kolchak_The_Night_Stalker/

on edit: added link. It aired one season, 1974-1975, and it starred Darren McGavin. And wouldn'tcha know it, the folks behind the X-Files are producing a new version.

[expatriot]

5. Planet of the Apes TV series, 1974

[Benhurst]

7. Northern Exposure NT

[short bus president]

16. didn't they get 5 or 6 seasons out of that show?

I think the doctor switch was season 5, and that pretty much ended it.

[Benhurst]

23. I thought it was during their second season that CBS started switching

around around its schedule, and by the third they were shutting it down. But you may be right.

[MrScorpio]

8. Harsh Realm, Bakersfield PD and Firefly

[fluffernutter]

9. Sports Night

[tinfoilinfor2005]

30. I agree...

I was about to post that until I noticed your post. Good taste. (bet you like chocolate, too, huh?)

[bigwillq]

10. My So-Called Life

A great one!

[short bus president]

11. Sledge Hammer.

Loved that show.

[fishwax]

48. I got the first season DVD a couple of months ago

The show is still funny today :)

[Mr.Green93]

12. Action

Jay Mohr .... Peter Dragon

[Technowitch]

13. Firefly

Without a doubt.

[4_Legs_Good]

20. I only gave it a one episode chance

before giving up on it. I'm a big Buffy/Angel fan, so I gotta admit I was disappointed. I think, though, that I regret not giving it more of a chance. Joss Wheddon rocks, and I'm sure he woulda done a good job had we tuned in.

Is the series worth picking up on DVD (dumb question, I know)

david

Edit: You have GREAT taste TechnoWitch, so I shouldn't even doubt you! :) :)

[YankeyMCC]

25. Firefly

[Deja Q]

14. The Critic

ABC had the formula right. But summarily cancelled it, saying it was too gross-out. (this is the same network that saw "married w/children" and then created "Roseanne".

FOX bought the program and ruined it.

[LSdemocrat]

53. I agree

[patricia92243]

15. Car 54- Where are you?

[reprehensor]

17. The Bearcats!

The Bearcats

One of my earliest childhood memories is of watching the Bearcats! When I was little. Real little. I still remember that cool car!

[benny05]

18. The Education of Max Bickford

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0285356/

With Richard Dreyfuss and Marcia Gay Harden

Only one year. I thought it was pretty damn good, and I watched it. Couldn't understand why it didn't make it.

[mikehiggins]

21. Sledge Hammer, without a doubt eom

[Huckebein the Raven]

22. My list:

Firefly (damn you Fox :grr:)
My So Called Life
Keen Eddie
Dark Angel
The Lone Gunmen
Exo-Squad (Lasted 2 seasons)
The Critic
Odyssey 5 (damn you Showtime :grr:)

[mcscajun]

24. Odyssey 5

Most promising Sci-Fi show I'd seen in a few years. It ran on Showtime and then, Poof! Gone, with six unaired episodes denied to us...

Odyssey 5 premiered on Showtime on June 21, 2002. The series is about the crew of a space shuttle who see Earth destroyed while on a mission in space. They are given the chance using alien technology to return to Earth as it was five years earlier and change its history, hopefully to avoid the path that led to its destruction.

http://www.pazsaz.com/odyssey5.html

[jandrok]

26. The Prisoner

ABSOLUTELY the best televised science-fiction series EVER!! Hands down! Pure effing genius.

[mondo joe]

27. The Fantastic Journey

All I know is when I was 13 I loved it.

[Nomad559]

28. Get a Life

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098802

:)

[swag]

43. Seconded

[eleny]

29. Frank's Place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And there's no DVD available. :cry:

[MrScorpio]

31. How can I forget UFO?

[peekaloo]

32. My World and Welcome To It.

[Blue in a Red State]

33. LateLine

Al Franken's series.

[flamingyouth]

34. Grosse Pointe

And as a kid I was a huge fan of the Night Stalker.

[Fenris]

50. KOLCHAAAAAAAK!

:D

[WindRavenX]

35. Freaks and Geeks

It was a fucking crime that show was cancelled.

[Dastard Stepchild]

36. TV Funhouse...

Also, I liked the Andy Dick show on MTV, but that lasted 3 seasons. Unlike TV Funhouse, which was about 8 episodes.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

45. got 'em all on tape

thanfully

always wondered why this show got canned. everyone i knew loved it.

[Dastard Stepchild]

56. that is awesome...

As the shows aired, I told myself that I should be taping them for later enjoyment, but of course, I failed to do so.

[Mojambo]

37. Fawlty Towers

Although the brutally high energy level required of Cleese's performance might have killed him had the show run any longer.

[deadparrot]

38. Same here...

I have the entire series on DVD (three disks--12 episodes, I think).

It cost me a small fortune, considering it's a three-disk set...but it's so good. :)

[arwalden]

39. Odyssey 5, Dead Like Me, Good Morning Miami

[Malikshah]

40. When things were Rotten...

Don't think it would stand the test of time to be my favorite series, but I do remember liking it as a kid and being disappointed when it was cancelled...Mel Brooks just couldn't get his brand of humor to cross over to TV -- too many restrictions I guess...

[Baclava]

41. The Invaders

http://www.theinvaders.co.uk/

The Invaders is a 60's science fiction series which originally ran for two seasons. The first episode was aired January 10th 1967 and the last, March 26th 1968.

The Invaders revolves around the character of David Vincent (played by Roy Thinnes), who has discovered that the Earth is being invaded by beings from another planet. These beings have taken human form, and are virtually undetectable from human beings.

[Catshrink]

42. Boston Legal (Can you say "Denny Crane?")

[peekaloo]

51. What?

BL got canceled?

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

44. The Ben Stiller Show

brilliant writing, featuring Ben, andy dick (back when he was actually funny), and bob odenkirk

and of course it started my 13 year infatuation with Ms. Janeane Garofalo

[solinvictus]

49. I'll second that one!

It was a funny show way ahead of its time.

[Mojambo]

54. And a third from me

If only because it spawned the career of Bob Odenkirk, who is a wonderfully skilled writer and performer.

[Redstone]

46. EZ Streets,

with the vastly underrated (both for acting and general hotness) Debra Farentino, and others.

I'd pay big for a VHS or DVD of this series.

Redstone

[ScreamingMeemie]

47. "It Takes Two" with Patty Duke, Richard Crenna, Helen Hunt and Anthony

Edwards. Billie Bird was excellent. It was a great show and I remember being depressed when they cancelled it. :(

[ghostsofgiants]

52. Twin Peaks

The ending of season 2 left so much potential for the third season.

[WMliberal]

55. My So Called Life, That's my Bush

[Historic NY]

57. Star Trek the original