Cancelled Television Shows
Say goodbye to some favorites and not-so-favorites.
Some cancellations were surprising in that it happened so soon; others were even more surprising because it took so long.
What better way to celebrate the hiatus doldrums then a look back at 2006: The Year That Wasn't. Which is really just a fancier way of listing shows that were cancelled in 2006:
Happy Hour: An attempt to update The Odd Couple. A good, simple guy moves in with a hard partying idiot after his girlfriend dumps him. The only funny thing about this sitcom was in how bad it truly was.
Vanished: Senator's wife goes missing. Family members have secrets. Josh Hopkins (Go-To Guy 2006) has a role. This drama was totally unwatchable, and not helped by Gale Harrold's complete boringness (yes I made up that word, but it fits). Also not helped by Gale Harrold's alleged diva behavior. (Where exactly does he get off thinking that was acceptable? Careful Deadwood-boy, you've reached showkiller status)
Kidnapped: Rich guy’s kid goes missing. Family members have secrets. Will Denton plays the kid, who was the only watchable thing about this show.
Justice: Zzzzzzzz. Wha? Oh, sorry. Yeah, Sydney’s dad plays a lawyer and the gay kid from Dawson’s Creek is in it. Zzzzzz.
Smith: An interesting premise: Ray Liotta plays a family man doubling as a jewel thief. An overly cast show, but at least it was filled with actors that I like (Virginia Madsen, Jonny Lee Miller, Amy Smart, Simon Baker). I wasn’t a fan of the surprisingly dull pilot, and clearly I wasn’t alone.
Twenty Good Years: I know exactly what the network executives were thinking. John Lithgow plus Jeffrey Tambor equals funny. Hmmm… Not so much.
Til Death: Another one that should have been good. Newlyweds move in next door to a long-time married couple. Some funny stuff to mine there, even though I’m not a fan of either Brad Garrett or Joely Fisher. But the problem wasn’t with them – it was that the sitcom just wasn’t that funny. Frankly, it was a little mean and depressing. I had the same issues with Everybody Loves Raymond. “These people hate each other! Why would I ever want to get married?” I certainly wouldn't want to check in with them every week.
6 Degrees: I liked this show, a decently written drama about how the lives of a group of New Yorkers are intertwined. The real problem was probably that it was after Grey’s Anatomy, and Degrees was a little too serious for that audience. And perhaps a little boring.
3 Lbs: A silly show starring Stanley Tucci as a neurosurgeon and showkiller Marc Feuerstein as her protégé. Look up “Trying too hard” in the dictionary for more information.
Saved: Ok,a paramedic friend of mine refused to watch the show because it was so unrealistic. But I didn’t care because I like Tom Everett Scott. Although I did think his character could have done better than wishy-washy Elizabeth Reaser, and it always bugged me that there never seemed to be any doctors or patients in the hospital.
Runaway: The CW’s attempt at a serialized drama. Come on CW, you didn’t really expect us to tune in every week to see Donnie “New Kid” Wahlberg did you?
Daybreak: Just from watching the promos I knew this show wouldn’t last. If I groan in boredom when the promo comes on, why would I decide to torture myself for an hour? Come on Taye Diggs, you’re a talented guy, find an agent who can think outside the box.
Big Day: “That’s not cancelled,” you say? Just wait.
And finally, can we have a moment of prayer for The Nine? I must find out what happened in that bank.
