American Idol dominates three nights a week, yet these small glimpses at brilliance were never really given a fair chance to shine. Well, at least Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader is still thriving. Sigh.
10. Family Guy – Sure, its back now, but this randomly eccentric comedy was only saved after devout fans bought scores of the show on DVD. This one would be higher on the list if it weren’t back on the air again.
9. The Tick – A show about a gigantic blue superhero that really doesn’t do much except sit around has never been so brilliant. 9 episodes later…this Tick was squashed.
8. Dark Angel – James Cameron’s sci-fi extravaganza starred Jessica Alba as a genetically enhanced super soldier and the final episode of season 2 left with a “to be contined…” ending. Sadly, no such continuation ever came.
7. Wonderfalls – A recent college graduate works in a Niagara Falls gift shop and has conversations with animal figurines. Quirky, funny, original, and dead after 4 episodes.
6. Futurama – A futuristic series from The Simpsons creator Matt Groening, Futurama lasted longer than most canceled FOX shows, yet it still met its maker prematurely. Re-runs on Cartoon Network and in syndication keep this one from being higher on the list.
5. Undeclared – Before Knocked Up and The 40 Year Old Virgin, Judd Apatow gave audiences this comedy about college dorm life. Hailed by fans and critics as realistic and smart, the show still didn’t receive a large enough audience, so FOX gave it the axe.
4. The Ben Stiller Show – A nasty little show that was way too cool and funny for its time, Ben Stiller’s attempt at a comedy series lasted only 12 episodes. Don’t worry, though. Because of his superstardom now, leaks of the series are easy to find on the internet.
3. Boston Public/Ally McBeal – Revolving around the faculty at Boston’s fictional Winslow High School, Boston Public initially received much success, but many time slot changes signaled the end for this once-promising series. Boston’s partner in a successful Monday night match-up was Ally McBeal, a show about a quirky female lawyer that heralded many pop culture phenomena (remember that damn dancing baby?). Like Boston Publici, Ally McBeal had trouble sustaining an audience, and numerous guest stars and time slot changes were not enough to save the show.
2. Arrested Development – Numerous critics called it the funniest show of the season. Loyal viewers were left in stitches week after week. FOX moved the show around all the time, trying to find the audience it so justly deserved, yet such an audience never came. The show, about the trials and tribulations of the eccentric Bluth family, was cancelled after three seasons. Even Showtime expressed interest at picking up the show after FOX cancelled it, yet this never happened. It still lives on DVD though.
1. Firefly – Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Joss Whedon created a groundbreaking space western, and nobody watched. This brilliant show is still talked about today as one of the all time best series that was ended much too early. Check it out on DVD, you won’t be disappointed.