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That'll never get old

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Ins, Mar 3, 2011.

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  1. Ins

    Ins
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    A friend recently sent me a link for a TV show which I felt didn't get to run it's course. It's called Garth Marenghi's Darkplace and it's a spoof on badly filmed (and written) horror shows.. since I loves me some bad horror I was hooked.



    There are only 6 episodes (all of them you can find on youtube).

    Focus: Any shows you felt got cancelled too early, and/or didn't get to explore all the possibilities? What'll never get boring?

    Alt Focus: What show were you a fan of but ran too long or beat an idea into the ground? What made you lose interest?

    For me an example is How I Met Your Mother. I enjoyed the first 3 seasons, but by the 4th I stopped giving a shit about stories going 'And that's how I stood near a bus stop your mother once walked by'.

    For Garth Marenghi's Darkplace maybe the badly acted/filmed thing would get old.
     
    #1 Ins, Mar 3, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 27, 2015
  2. DrFrylock

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    The White

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    If you were not alive in the 80s, you should probably not post in this thread. While the 1990s and later had their share of shows that were canceled after only a few episodes, 90% of them were just attempts to clone "Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place." Laaaaame.

    Let's get this out of the way first: Firefly. There, I said it, so you don't have to. Seriously. We know. We get it.

    In the 80s, you had a long string of shows that ran for about one season (sometimes less) with the craziest plots you can imagine. It was so awesome. Who remembers:

    • The Wizard, a one-season show about a genius dwarf toymaker that makes magical toys while under the protection of some guy that was clearly told to "just play Bruce Willis."
    • The Powers of Matthew Star, about an alien teenager just trying to be a normal high school kid while on the run from intergalactic assassins and under the protection of Louis Gossett, Jr.
    • Automan, which was basically Weird Science meets Tron. A computer programming cop creates a holographic superhero who is assisted by a flying cursor that draws him cars whenever necessary.
    • Probe, from the mind of Isaac Asimov, a reclusive genius solves crimes and mysteries with his hot secretary. This show actually didn't suck, but it got canceled after 7 episodes anyway. Kind of Monk meets The X-Files.
    • Starman, a spinoff of the 1984 Jeff Bridges movie, where Bridges is replaced by Robert "And don't call me Shirley" Hays.
    • Street Hawk, which was Airwolf with a motorcycle.
     
  3. Frank

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    Focus: I feel like Rome didn't get it's fair shake, it was an excellent series about two common men in the Roman military as Rome changed from a republic to dictatorship to empire. Unfortunately they decided to cancel it so the whole second season felt rushed.

    I know it seems stupid, but I really liked Journeyman, a show about a time traveler saving people's lives. It only lasted one season, but I found it somewhat engaging and liked the direction the show was headed in.

    I would have liked another season of New Amsterdam as well. It was basically another CSI show, but the main character is a 400 year old immortal that uses his knowledge to solve crimes.

    Alt-Focus: Heroes... yeah.
     
  4. Rush-O-Matic

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    I was alive in the '80s, but nothing really sticks in my brain from that time that was cancelled. Recently, though . . .

    Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - I think I was the only one that liked that show. Part of that was because of Summer Glau. But, you know, Firefly, T:TSCC and now The Cape have all been cancelled. Hmmmm, cruel, cruel Summer, indeed.

    Life - Awesome show, great premise, stellar cast. Sarah Shahi is smoking hot (or was, before she had a baby) and I thought Adam Arkin was the perfect support.

    Terriers - How the HELL did this not get another season? Wait, Donal Logue was in that, too (along with Life) so, I'm seeing a trend . . .
     
  5. Nettdata

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    Better Off Ted: What a great show. I still regularly rewatch the 2 seasons it lasted.

    For those of you that haven't seen it, go check out the first episode.


     
    #5 Nettdata, Mar 4, 2011
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  6. Dmix3

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    Better Off Ted - I'm still pissed at ABC for canceling it. One of the funniest shows I can remember in recent memory. If they had given it any support and moved it to Wednesday instead of The Middle or any of those other crap shows it would still be on. I defy you to watch this and not laugh...

     
    #6 Dmix3, Mar 4, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 27, 2015
  7. rei

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    Firefly.

    I'm pretty sure that's the cliche cop-out answer by now and I'm sorry.

    Alt Focus: The eighth season of That 70s Show should never have happened, especially because the ending of Season 7 was such a natural closing point.
     
  8. Nettdata

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    Absolutely. I downloaded the entire run, and went ahead and deleted the 8th season because it was like it wasn't even the show any more... it was that off.
     
  9. silway

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    Nowhere Man. A show about a photgrapher who goes to the bathroom at a restaurant one night after a gallery opening and when he gets back to his table no one in his entire life knows who he is, his bank accounts don't exist, etc. The one season it aired was pretty cool, all about him figuring out why some powerful conspiracy acted to effectively make him disappear. I think it was one of the 90s shows UPN did that were all interesting and quirky.

    Ditto to the Sarah Connor Chronicles. Hell of a goddamn cliffhanger to end on.
     
  10. BL1Y

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    Alt-Focus: Saved by the Bell

    The beach resort? Kelley's grandfather's Hawaiian hotel? Jessie's dad's wedding? Tori? The college years? The new class?

    It was like they were planning a George Lucas style merchandise campaign.
     
  11. Nom Chompsky

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    Focus AND Anti-Focus:

    Chappelle's Show. Obviously it wasn't cancelled, but it sucks that he felt like he should no longer be making the show, when the first two seasons were so great.

    And them trying to air half-finished sketches without him was just...off.

    Alt-Focus:

    Coupling. Replacing the breakout character with a similar but not nearly as good character hasn't ever worked, has it?
     
  12. Nettdata

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    Party Down: It was a really funny show about caterers. I remember when I first heard the premise I thought "how the fuck can they have a show about caterers?". It was awesome, and only lasted 2 seasons.

    Twin Peaks: Bastards. That's all there is to say about that.

    Rubicon: It was done in the format of a classic 70's slow-paced espionage show... and it was awesome. It was getting REALLY good, and getting people heavily invested in it, when they killed it.

    Defying Gravity: It was a stretch for prime time on a big network, but it was a really well done science fiction series (starring Ron Livingston) that came out in 2009. Only lasted 13 episodes and they canned it, which is too bad, as it had pretty good production values and a reasonably interesting story. More than anything, it was just refreshing to see science fiction that didn't suck. Hell, even the SyFy channel hardly has any sci-fi on it any more.

    On that same note...

    CAPRICA: Too short of a run, if you ask me. Really, really well done, and was getting more and more interesting, and then it was gone.
     
  13. Frank

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    Can't believe I forgot this one, I'm in the middle of watching season two right now. I almost dismissed it because like you said, the premise seemed stupid, but someone on the board recommended it so I gave it a shot and am glad I did.

    One thing I find impressive about the show is that they manage to do the entire episode on the job and never have to go to any of the characters' homes or even (only exception so far was the orgy episode) off the premises of the event they're catering.
     
  14. hamshackler

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    Focus: MTV came out with a cartoon about 10 years back called 3 South that I thought was hysterical. It was cancelled pretty abruptly, but my friend and I loved it so much that we joined an online forum just to petition it getting back on the air (spoiler: we failed).

    Watching the clips now, it doesn't seem quite as funny, but I remember laughing out loud when i used to watch that show.

    <a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSI_UxTUMPw&feature=related" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSI_UxTU ... re=related</a>
     
  15. cynismus

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    Sports Night - it was Sorkin's great show BEFORE West Wing came along. I think it ran for maybe 2 seasons, and I loved it. The writing, acting, and film work was brilliant, and I was rather upset when it was cancelled. Stupid ABC.

    Robert Guillaume was by far the best part of that show.
     
  16. JPrue

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    Focus: Lone Star (2010) - The show is set in Texas and is about a con-man who makes a living through real estate deception, while living a double life with two women. I, as well as "the critics", thought that the writing and character developments were great, but the show aired against tough and established competition and was cancelled due to poor viewership after only a few episodes.
     
  17. Jimmy James

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    Focus: Newsradio. Four seasons of Phil Hartman at his comedic acme and one season of Jon Lovitz ruining the series.
     
  18. Nettdata

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    I totally forgot about this. I remember watching this show and liking it a lot.

    God I hate TV execs.
     
  19. dewercs

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    Arrested Development was one of the greatest shows ever made, and it pisses me off that it got cancelled.
    I am not sure if people did not get the humor or catch all the double entendre that was used but that show was just brilliant as were the actors. The writing of that show was outside of the box awesome.

    What is funnier than Tobias Funke an Analyst and Therapist with a business card that says Anal-rapist.

    And most of the idiots in this world want to watch Two and a Half men, which is neither funny or well written.
     
  20. john_b

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    Focus: Carnivale.

    An HBO series set in the Great Depression featuring a (what else) traveling carnival. The main plot centers on a guy with healing and resurrection powers and his eventual meeting with an "evil" version of himself (same powers, etc) named Brother Justin. There were other assorted mysterious characters sprinkled in. I thought it was a good show and from what I remember, it kind of just had an open ending, which was disappointing. I remember liking the show, but if I recall, most reviews on it were mixed.
     
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