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15 More TV Shows That Were Ahead of Their Time
Even More TV Shows That We Miss By Kurt Anthony Krug
February 08, 2010
15 More TV Shows That Were Ahead of Their Time
© Mania/Bob Trate
Due to the overwhelming response from the January 14 list of TV shows that were cancelled before their time, we’re cranking out another list. There’s some shows that readers mentioned, there’s some that they didn’t, and there’s some that are very obscure. Props to you if you remember any of ‘em. Listed below another list of good TV series with potential that got unfairly clipped at the knees:
15. Shell Game (CBS, 1987) & Knightwatch (ABC, 1988-1989)
These two short-lived TV series are perhaps the most obscure on this list. Shell Game lasted only six episodes, starring Margot Kidder (of the Superman movies) and James Read (TV’s North & South) as husband-and-wife con artists. The two divorce and go their separate ways. Read’s Riley has gone straight, adopts the name John Reid (the Lone Ranger’s real name) and is now a producer for an investigative TV news magazine that exposes crooks and conmen. He’s also the lover of the show’s anchor Natalie Thayer (a pre-CSI Marg Helgenberger). Kidder’s Dinah accidentally crosses path with “John Reid” and eventually joins him on the TV show, hoping to woo him away from Natalie. She also enjoys going straight. The cast is great and the chemistry between Read and Kidder, as well as Read and Helgenberger, was undeniable.
Knightwatch was an action-drama was created by Kevin R. Sullivan (How Stella Got Her Groove Back) and featured a pre-Law and Order Benjamin Bratt, a pre-Seaquest DSV Don Franklin, a pre-Broken Arrow Samantha Mathis, and a pre-Parenthood Harley Jane Kozak. Knightwatch capitalized on the Guardian Angels neighborhood watch group, which consisted of ex-gang members who assisted the police using non-lethal methods. They even ran into trouble with the police. It just didn’t get the run it deserved, especially going up against The Cosby Show on Thursdays.
14. Street Hawk (ABC, 1985)
Another obscure, short-lived show. Jesse Mach (Rex Smith, who played Daredevil in 1989’s The Incredible Hulk Returns tele-film) is a police officer chosen to test the Department of Justice’s state-of-the-art, ultra-secret assault motorcycle to battle crime the cops can’t touch as the vigilante Street Hawk. According to IMDB.com, George Clooney (Up in the Air) guest-starred in an early episode of Street Hawk when he was just starting out.
13. Tru Calling (FOX, 2003-2005)
A dark combination of Groundhog Day and Ghost Whisperer, Tru Calling starred Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse) as Tru Davies, who has the ability to speak to the dead and relive the day the decedent died in order to prevent it. As a bonus, she can also change what happened between herself and her friends/family. FOX cancelled the show and didn’t bother to air the finale. The potential was there, but the timeslot kept getting jerked around so much that people gave up on it.
12. Fantasy Island (FOX, 1998-1999)
The 1977 Fantasy Island series was remade/re-imagined into a somewhat darker version with Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange, Star Trek: Generations) taking over as Mr. Roarke. Many of the dark and supernatural aspects that were only hinted at in the original were definitely brought to the forefront here. What probably killed this series is that it was called “Fantasy Island.” If it had another name, perhaps it would have lasted a few seasons instead of 13 episodes.
11. Jack & Bobby (2004-2005)
Jack & Bobby centered around the story of two brothers, Jack (Matt Long, Ghost Rider) and Bobby McCallister (Logan Lerman, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief). One of them eventually becomes the President of the United States from 2041-2049. It was co-created by “New York Times” best-selling novelist and comic book writer Brad Meltzer and also starred Christine Lahti (Chicago Hope) as their mother. Each act had a framing sequence of people looking back on the McCallister administration, which was somehow connected to an event playing out in the brothers’ lives in the present.
10. Journeyman (NBC, 2007)
A favorite among Mania readers, journalist Dan Vasser (Kevin McKidd, TV’s Grey’s Anatomy) can jump through time, though he has no control over his powers. His purpose in the past is to help change someone’s destiny for the better. He’s not the only person who can skip through time as he learns his fiancée, whom he believed to be dead, also has this power. Like all the show’s on this list, the potential was there; this show was just pulsing with it, but NBC pulled the plug on it prematurely.
9. Murder One (ABC, 1995-1997)
24 was not the first show to have an overarching plot that spanned the entire season, Murder One was; 24 was just one of the first shows to be successful with its overarching plot. Murder One followed a group of lawyers led by the icy Ted Hoffman (Daniel Benzali, Murder at 1600) who defended a high-profile client whose case was highly publicized and sensationalized, full of twists and turns. What hurt it in the next season, ABC dropped the season-long case in lieu of several cases spanning a good chunk of the season. Plus, Benzali left the show. Like Veronica Mars, once the season-long plot was dropped, notice how both these shows went down the tubes?
8. Profit (NBC, 1996)
A series mentioned by Mania.com readers, Profit was executive produced by David Greenwalt (Angel) and Stephen J. Cannell (The A-Team), and starred a pre-Heroes Adrian Pasdar as an amoral corporate raider named Jim Profit who was raised in a cardboard box by an abusive father. He eventually kills his father, sleeps with his stepmother (Lisa Blount, An Officer and a Gentleman), and works his way up the corporate leader. Michael Douglas’ Gordon Gecko from Wall Street has nothing on this guy.
7. The Crow: Stairway to Heaven (Syndication, 1998-1999)
Mark Dacascos (Brotherhood of the Wolf) takes over the role of Eric Draven from the late, lamented Brandon Lee, who played the character in 1994’s The Crow, based on James O’Barr’s cult comic series of the same name. This show had decent ratings, plenty of positive buzz, and Universal decides that it doesn’t want to continue the series. That’s really smart thinking there. A tele-film was planned to tie up all loose ends, but it never happened. Fans deserve closure to this series.
6. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (FOX, 2008-2009)
This series proved that you can have a Terminator without Arnold Schwarzenegger as Summer Glau (Firefly) played Cameron, the Terminator sent back to protect future savior of humanity John Connor (Thomas Dekker, Star Trek: Generations). The finale had plenty of WTF moments as an alternate version of Derek Reese (Brian Austin Green, 90210), John’s uncle, comes from the future (the “real” Derek was killed a few episodes prior), and the T-1000/Catherine Weaver (Shirley Manson of Garbage) is really against Skynet. Very exciting twists… certainly more than Terminator: Salvation, the fourth Terminator movie with Christian Bale (The Dark Knight) as John Connor, released during the summer of 2009, provided.
5. Eli Stone (ABC, 2008-2009)
Jonny Lee Miller (Dracula 2000) plays the titular character, an attorney who has prophetic visions after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain aneurysm. Co-created by Marc Guggenheim (who wrote The Amazing Spider-Man for Marvel Comics), the cast also included Natasha Henstridge (Species) and Victor Garber (TV’s Alias). Sadly, this show’s timeslot kept getting jerked around and episodes were pre-empted.
4. The Flash (CBS, 1990-1991)
Not even the “Fastest Man Alive” could outrun bad time-slots and bad timing. It originally aired on Thursday nights when The Cosby Show and The Simpsons went head-to-head. It was then pre-empted several times and yanked around, ending up on Saturday night, the death knell for many shows. Plus, in the comics, Wally West was the Flash at that point, not Barry Allen, who was used for this show. The potential was there and it was a good show, but the timing was off. John Wesley Shipp (TV’s Dawson’s Creek) played Barry Allen, a.k.a. the Flash. He looked the part. This is definitely a show that deserves to be re-imagined. Get former Flash comic book writer and Smallville writer/producer Geoff Johns to helm a new version of the show, along with Howard Chaykin and John Francis Moore, who contributed to this show, to work with Johns.
3. Freaks & Geeks (NBC, 1999–2000)
While this series created by Paul Feig (TV’s Arrested Development) and Judd Apatow (Knocked Up) was not a genre show, it was about a group of geeks who were fans of all things geek–comic books, Star Trek and Star Wars–that was set in suburban Detroit, circa 1980. It also focused on the freaks’ trials and tribulations as well, featuring many actors who have gone on to star in various Apatow movies, including Seth Rogen (40-Year-Old Virgin) and James Franco (the Spider-Man movies). Freaks and Geeks was on “Time” magazine’s 2007 “100 Greatest Shows of All Time” list. “Entertainment Weekly” ranked it as the 13th-best series in the last 25 years.
2. Futurama (FOX, 1999-2003; Comedy Central, 2008-Present)
The Simpsons creator Matt Groening masterminded another animated sitcom series. While (arguably) it was funny as The Simpsons, it wasn’t as big a hit as The Simpsons. Taking place in the future, it really spoofed many conventions in sci-fi (admittedly, that’s really understating the show’s premised). Its timeslot was ying-yanged around like FOX did with Arrested Development). “Entertainment Weekly” recently pointed out that FOX was not known for its patience with animated shows, having cancelled Family Guy twice. Fortunately, Comedy Central is supposed to air a new season of 26 episodes of Futurama sometime this year. Let it be sooner than later.
1. Twin Peaks (ABC, 1990-1991)
Many surreal things happened in the small town of Twin Peaks, Washington when special agent Dale Cooper (Kyle Machlan, Blue Velvet) investigated the death of homecoming queen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee, TV’s Dirty Sexy Money). Laura Palmer’s death became a lightning bolt throughout pop culture, spoofed and homaged by all media: TV shows, movies, comics. This show ended on an unresolved cliffhanger, to which there has been no closure to this day.
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Missed the last one? Try 15 Cancelled TV Shows That Were Ahead of Their Time
Love TV? Also read 12 Hottest Women of Genre TV
& 8 Annoying TV Characters
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The one i was sad about was the black donnelleys. that show was great...too bad it was on the same time as CSI....thats like the kiss of death for a show!