It’s no secret that this seems to be something of a golden age for television. Everywhere one looks there are signs of it. Of course, the shows that get more than one season are the ones that get the lion’s share of attention, and it’s almost always these shows that become part of the television canon.
What about those numerous television series that didn’t get more than a season, but really deserved to? Television history is full of such shows, and it is sometimes useful to take a look back at those television series that, for whatever reason, weren’t given the full run they deserved.
Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip
Aaron Sorkin is one of the giants of television as well as film, and his works almost inevitably become a key part of the cultural conversation. Every so often, however, one of them lands with a bit of a thud on the television stage, and that is unfortunately what happened with this show. It had all of the key ingredients of a Sorkin show, but for some reason it just didn’t seem to land and, despite some great promise, it was robbed of the chance to live up to its full potential.
Terra Nova
Credit has to be given to Terra Nova for being a show that was willing to take some chances with what could be shown on network television. And, to be fair, it has some pretty great special effects and the premise, that a group of humans have to go back in time to set up a colony in the prehistoric past, was an interesting one.
It seemed like there was a lot of potential here, and it could have gone in some really interesting directions if it hadn’t been canceled.
Grandfathered
As with so many other sitcoms, this one came out of the gate with two things in its favor: TV veterans John Stamos and Paget Brewster. There was an undeniable chemistry between these two characters, and it was clear that they were capable of being at the center of a lot of charming stories.
Unfortunately, there were some stumbles with the writing, and the show just couldn’t seem to land on its feet. The brutal reality of network television scheduling meant that it was never going to give Stamos the chance to get the hit show that he clearly deserves.
The New Normal
The New Normal is one of those rare things: a Ryan Murphy show that didn’t get more than one season. It’s really a shame, too, since it was a cute show, one that was a little lighter and less excessive than Murphy’s shows tend to be.
As its title suggests, it was an exploration of the changing norms around gender and sexuality in contemporary America. There’s undeniable chemistry between Rannells and Bartha, but unfortunately it just seemed to be missing the kind of writing it needed, and it was denied the chance to course-correct in later seasons.
Normal, Ohio
Normal, Ohio is one of those shows that seems to have largely fallen through the cracks of television history, and it’s unlikely that most people even that it came out. It was a fairly edgy show for its time, though, and it really wanted to take a look at small-town life in America.
There’s a charm to this show that, sadly, went unappreciated at the time, and it’s hard not to wonder what might have happened had it been given more time on the air.
LA To Vegas
This is one of the oddest shows to have come out in recent years, but that was a key part of its charm. It focused on a budget airline, its employees, and the engers on flights between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
There was a certain edginess to the show, and there was something more than a little zany about its comedic touches. In some ways, it felt like a throwback to an earlier era of sitcoms, and it’s a shame that it didn’t get more of a chance to explore its characters.
The Muppets (2015)
There are few pop culture creations more durable than the Muppets. Time and again, they’ve come out of relative obscurity to become culturally relevant again. That certainly looked like it was going to be the case with their most recent traditional television outing, but for some reason it just didn’t seem able to catch on with audiences. Despite the fact that it made some questionable choices— such as having Piggy and Kermit break up— it was still a charming show that deserved more than it got.
Once Upon A Time In Wonderland
Though it wasn’t nearly as successful as its Once Upon a Time in Wonderland was in some ways a better, more focused show than its predecessor. It seemed to have a firmer handle on its narrative and its stories, even if the special effects sometimes left something to be desired.
Unfortunately, it struggled in the ratings (hardly surprising, since it was somewhat similar to its sister show), and it was cut off at the knees.
The Oblongs
The Oblongs is one of the strangest animated shows to ever air outside of cable, focusing as it does on a family that lives in a toxic wasteland below all of the wealthier citizens.
It’s a biting piece of political commentary, and the voice cast was truly great, featuring not only Jean Smart (one of the best television actresses of her generation) but also the great Will Farrell. It was, perhaps, a bit too ahead of its time and didn’t get a chance to really attain greatness.
Penny Dreadful: City Of Angels
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels is a truly tragic case of a show that deserved more than one season but didn’t get one. Like its predecessor, it was dark and delicious and, at times, convoluted. In fact, it was probably that last characteristic that ultimately spelled its doom.
That’s truly unfortunate, because the show was yet another opportunity for the divine Natalie Dormer to continue showing audiences that she’s a brilliant actress with radiant talent.