Five Shows That Ended Too Soon

I've finished a number of shows recently, gone to see when the next season came out, and been horrified to see they've been cancelled. There are so many great shows that get cut before they really get a chance to shine, so many characters who don't get developed like they should, and so many plots undiscovered. Very few shows that end too soon get a good chance to wrap up the series in a miniseries event or movie and even if they get that chance it's not the same and almost never satisfactory. I've made a list of five shows that I personally think deserved a better wrap up.

#5—'The Night Shift'

Say what you will about the acting and seemingly copied plots from various other medical dramas, this show had something others didn't. It tried to capture a view of war you don't often see in TV as well as bringing to light the fact the VA does as much as it can with as little as it gets. This show focuses well on defining characters and bringing hospital drama to a more personal and less...well, soapy sort of feel. As a connoisseur of hospital shows I like the idea of a show centering only around the proceedings of the ER during the night as well as the shows ability to bring in hospital politics in a way that wasn't entirely disruptive to the show (which many shows fail to do). This show lasted four seasons, but ended on a cliffhanger with fans wondering what would happen to Shannon, Jordan and TC (an all too obvious will they/wont they dilemma, but still somehow compelling) and the fate of SAM.

#4—'Freaks and Geeks'

This show ends up on almost everyones list for shows that were cancelled too soon. Personally I loved the show and would be satisfied with just knowing what happens after Lindsay got on the bus, but this lovable misfit show was a desperate need in its time. Why the show got cancelled is something of an ambiguity; you could chalk it up to bad ratings, bad airtime, or the fact the network just cancelled it way too early for it underperforming first few episodes (six of the original episodes actually never aired). For whatever reason, this show got cancelled too soon and shouldn't have been. Time for Netflix to step in and reboot it right???

#3—'Life'

This two season show could have been great but in the midst of the writers strike of 2008 (we can't definitively say thats why it was cancelled... but thats why it got cancelled) got lost among a sea of other great shows that never quite recovered. The show follows an ex cop wrongfully convicted of the murder of his family friends. After new DNA evidence proves his innocence the cop is gifted a hefty chunk of change and a spot back on the police force. But because of law enforcement politics, is basically stuck at the bottom of the barrel with another cop just back from an embarrassing mistake. These two cops have great and quirky chemistry as they deal with the typical cop drama as well as uncover the true conspiracy and hoard of dirty cops that caused the original wrong conviction to begin with. I loved this show because of the incredible acting and well written dialogue, but the real beauty of this show is its interesting take on money, scandal, and fruit. This show is worth watching even if you don't like cop shows.

#2—'Bunheads'

The witty and fast paced dialogue of Amy Sherman-Palladino may have been enough to keep Gilmore Girls running for a long time, but it didn't stop ABC Family from ending Bunheads after only one season. This funny and fantastic show follows the story of a Los Vegas showgirl who elopes with a very sweet man only to have him die the next day and end up inheriting all his stuff... including his eccentric mother (played by the incredible Kelly Bishop, actress of Emily Gilmore) and her dance studio. The show focuses around the small dance studio in a terribly tiny town called Paradise Falls, which isn't as idilic as it sounds. Michelle (widow and former show girl) has to deal with moody teens, un-paying dance students, overbearing exes, and the joys of septic tanks, as she teaches dance lessons to some promising (and not so promising) dance students. This show has it all... or did... until it was cancelled...

#1—'Firefly'

By now you're tired of hearing how Firefly was cancelled too soon, but the injustice is just too much. This show deserved more than half a season. While fans are all thankful for the (albeit limited) closure provided in the movie Serenity, there are still too many questions about the Blue Sun, that weird Fruity Oaty Bars commercial, and the fate of Malara (Mal and Inara's ship name for those less obsessive few) The reasons behind this cancellation are murky as well, some people claim bad ratings, but others say the ratings were great. Some people claim Nathan Fillion (who has had issues with other actors and actresses on other shows) was causing/ having issues with the rest of the cast, but the entire cast swears they loved each other and are still all friends. Others claim that the messed up order in which the episodes were aired, as well as the air time for the episodes had an impact on the decision to cancel. For whatever reason, Fox cancelled this show before all 14 episodes had a chance to air. The lovable characters, fast paced plot, and general indie feel of the show made for great television. Few shows have such well loved and developed characters after so little time on screen. Many of the cult fans of this show say they have "post Firefly depression" and still, over a decade after the movie came out, are still hoping for a reboot. Despite the entire show and movie being only a weekend worth of watching (or a day if you're invested enough) this show still has a massive and devoted fan base that is still eagerly hoping for a reboot. I hate to break it to you, we may be browncoats for life, but the war is over and Firefly is not coming back. Even so, stay shiny.