Earlier this week, I blogged about actors and actresses that I'd like to see back on t.v. This post is a list of five shows from the first decade of the 21st Century that I wish had been on longer. These shows aired for one season or less, thus leaving some of my favorites like Veronica Mars, Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone, Everwood or Life off the list.
Jack & Bobby - This show about two brothers, one of whom grows up to be President, and their single mother, whom is sometimes a help and at others a hindrance, has a lot of heart and and a surprising depth for a CW show. It a had a fantastic group of character actors in recurring roles - I think their entire budget may have been spent on guest stars. Available streaming on Netflix.
Keen Eddie - Mark Valley was terrific as a fish out of water New York cop who somehow winds up attached to the London Police (or maybe Scotland Yard? I was never really clear about that.). It was sly, funny and completely unlike anything else on t.v. at the time. To top it off, Valley had terrific chemistry with co-star Sienna Miller. Fox canceled it after airing a handful of episodes, Bravo aired the rest. It remains a treasured part of my dvd collection.
Kings - This retelling of the story of David & Goliath wasn't perfect, but Ian McShane was mesmerizing as King Silas, as was Susanna Thompson as Queen Rose. The machinations of these two made me glad that I'm not involved in politics at any level. Ratings-wise, it was a disaster for NBC in spite of heavy promotion. Available for viewing on Hulu.
The Middleman - ABCFamily let this delightful gem go after airing only 12 episodes. On the one hand, I'm terribly disappointed. On the other, I'm glad. About how many shows can you say honestly that you enjoyed every single episode. This is one of those shows - even the vampire puppet episode. That's right, I said it. Vampire puppets. And, especially in the finale, Matt Keeslar gives us a memorable performance.
Wonderfalls - Quirky, sarcastic, charming, there aren't enough adjectives for me to use to describe what was right about this show. It also had a terrific cast with Caroline Dhavernas, Tracie Thom, Lee Pace, William Sadler, Diana Scarwid and Neil Grayston.
What are your favorite shows that aired for less than a season in the past decade?
Funnily enough, I just watched the first two episodes of The Middleman last night - highly amusing :)
ReplyDeleteThe "gone too soon" that always comes to mind is now more than a decade ago (how is that possible?!), but I'll offer it anyway: "Cupid" (1998-99), starring Jeremy Piven and Paula Marshall, created by Rob Thomas. I loved, loved, loved that show, but it was too smart and snarky to stay on for long. It's the reason I loved Jeremy Piven long before Ari Gold - 14 episodes of genius. If you haven't already watched it, do!
I'll have to add it from my Netflix list. Thanks for the rec!
ReplyDelete