OT: The best TV show nobody watched

[rjpb]

Homicide: Life on the Streets was frequently brilliant, but it ran for almost a decade didn't it? Hardly a show nobody watched.

 

Sports Night is a great choice.

 

I'll add Frank's Place, the New Orleans based show featuring Tim (Venus Flytrap) Reid.

 

Homicide was fantastic. Always on the verge of cancellation, but the best thing on television for a long time.

 

Frank's Place is a great choice--what was that '87-'88? Great cast, great acting, and funny in an understated way. Definitely deserved more of an audience.

 

How about some truly crappy shows that didn't deserve the success they got. I'll vote Night Court-cheap rip-off of Barney Miller that I don't think I ever even genuinely chuckled at.

 

 

Somebody at NBC liked Homicide - it was always near the bottom of the ratings, but kept on coming back for another season. Never saw Frank's Place, but agree completely about Night Court.

[awe4one]

I'll go old skool: NBC News Overnight with Lloyd Dobbins and Linda Ellerbee. So far ahead of its time it was stunning.

 

 

Loved the show...

 

Jim

[ComicSupply]

How about best mini series on TV

 

Rich Man Poor Man

[chrisco37]

Sledgehammer was great.

 

The Comedy Central Show, "Strangers with Candy" is one of the funniest shows ever. I think it ran six "seasons", but each season was only 6 episodes. Best show ever.

[heinlein99]

How could I forget - Wonderfalls. Thankfully, the full first season is out on beautiful DVD but it's absolutely insane that the network cancelled it, and didn't even let the full season air. But then, that network has problems being fair and balanced.

 

(Caveat: I'm hopelessly in love with the show's star, Caroline Dahverna (sp?).)

[Fan4Fan]

Profit

 

[mrwoogieman]

Manimal!

[Ringfinger]

Profit

 

 

Looks intimidating.

[otherworldcomics]

I vote for Millenium. I think it survived three seasons before getting pulled. Very creepy show starring Mr. Creepy himself Lance Henrickson.

 

As much as I liked it, very few people that I knew seemed to follow the show at the time, but its developed quite a "cult" following since its demise. I'm sure the executives at Fox were surprised when it actually survived the difficult Friday evening time slot during its first season.

Didn't it follow the number one rated show at the time in X-Files?

 

I thought the X-files had moved to Sundays long before then?

I could be wrong, but I thought Millenium followed X-Files and was successful for a bit. Then X-Files stopped and Millenium was cancelled shortly after.

 

Yep, Millenium originally aired with X-Files for the first season at least. It even had at least one crossover episode with X-Files. I watched the first season but soon dropped it. Just started getting confusing as to which direction they were trying to go. Same thing happened with X-files. I think Chris Carter just lost it there for a while.

[otherworldcomics]

Two shows I loved as a kid and an adult. First, Hardcastle and McCormick. Hardcastle was a retired judge and McCormick had been a car thief (or something like that) teamed up to get the bad guys. I just loved the sports car. It was so damn 80's cool. In the 90's there was Space: Above and Beyond. Lasted only one season, and was pretty good for its time. It was one of the first sci-fi shows that really had a military premises. Unlike Star Trek (which I loved) they weren't exploring they were fighting aliens (Chigs) and A.I.'s (kinda like Terminator/Battlestar Galactica Cylons) It only lasted one season but it had a lot of great ideas. You can get it on DVD now. I have the set and rewatched it. Yeah, the CGI is a little dated now but the show still holds up. Wish they had a bigger budget and more time. The show had just really started to congeal when it got cancelled.

 

Oh, and yes, there was an early 80's live action "DnD" show but I don't remember the name. I can only remember a bit from one of the episodes. I believe the show had to do with two brothers as princesses and they had a rival cousin. I remember them fighting some monster that could only be killed by stabbing it in one ear but they couldn't remember which ear.

[Stronguy]

Space Above And Beyond -- that show was solid all the way through. If you like Battlestar Galactica you will love this one.

 

Wiseguy -- it's already been mentioned. According to the DVD extras Ken Wahl broke his back while the last season was filming and that caused the show to spiral downhill.

 

News Radio -- even though it lasted several seasons it never gets it props.

[Illiterati-migration]

How could I forget - Wonderfalls. Thankfully, the full first season is out on beautiful DVD but it's absolutely insane that the network cancelled it, and didn't even let the full season air. But then, that network has problems being fair and balanced.

 

(Caveat: I'm hopelessly in love with the show's star, Caroline Dahverna (sp?).)

 

I've been waiting for someone to mention Wonderfalls! (And Arrested Development and Scrubs.)

[precodekeith]

Does anyone remember a short lived sit-com from the 80's called "IT'S YOUR MOVE"??? If memory serves correct, it starred Jason Bateman & the guy who played the first husband of Marcy Darcy in Married w/Children.

 

I was probably in 6th grade when this was on, and I don't think it even made it one whole season before it was yanked. I remember being really let down when I went to watch it on its scheduled night to see the conclusion of the two part "Dregs of Humanity" rock group episodes & it was simply not aired.

 

Don't know if I'd even like it today, but back then the practical jokes & one upmanship were great stuff for a young guy to enjoy.

 

"We are the Dregs!"

"Yeah!"

[tilleycs]

I'm not sure if this qualifes as "nobody watched" it, but it was unappreciated in my view and could have went longer.

 

The "White Shadow" was way ahead of its time tackling serious issues like drugs, domestic abuse, teen pregnancy, homosexuality and more with a perspective that didn't try to provide all th answers or get too 'preachy".

 

Agreed. Great show.

[mrwoogieman]

Manimal!

 

 

[Red Hook]

I vote for Millenium. I think it survived three seasons before getting pulled. Very creepy show starring Mr. Creepy himself Lance Henrickson.

 

As much as I liked it, very few people that I knew seemed to follow the show at the time, but its developed quite a "cult" following since its demise. I'm sure the executives at Fox were surprised when it actually survived the difficult Friday evening time slot during its first season.

 

I've got the first two seasons on DVD and it's among my fave shows of all time.

 

Also, I half-nominate The Lone Gunmen, which ultimately was disappointing. They played if for laughs and it never reached it's "potential".

[Pirate]

Space Above and Beyond was a personal favorite

[otherworldcomics]

Does anyone remember a short lived sit-com from the 80's called "IT'S YOUR MOVE"??? If memory serves correct, it starred Jason Bateman & the guy who played the first husband of Marcy Darcy in Married w/Children.

 

I was probably in 6th grade when this was on, and I don't think it even made it one whole season before it was yanked. I remember being really let down when I went to watch it on its scheduled night to see the conclusion of the two part "Dregs of Humanity" rock group episodes & it was simply not aired.

 

Don't know if I'd even like it today, but back then the practical jokes & one upmanship were great stuff for a young guy to enjoy.

 

"We are the Dregs!"

"Yeah!"

 

Yeah, I remember this one. Use to love it as well. Was sad to see it go.

[Dyan]

How about best mini series on TV

 

 

 

If I remember correctly, Rich Man Poor Man was HUGE.

 

My two ........... Space Above and Beyond and Joan of Arcadia. Although, I'm sure that I could think of more. Paul Sands in Friends and Lovers, for one.

[topofthetotem]

Manimal!

 

 

 

Hey I used to like that show