For part two of this blog post (part one is shows that were cancelled too early but had more than one season), let us have a quick chat about some amazing shows that got canceled in their first season… some in their first episode. This isn’t just a list of shows, but shows that I found totally amazing, those shows that broke my heart when I found out they were cancelled.

Firefly FOX (2002)

What can you say about Firefly. Probably the most under-rated sci-fi show ever put on the little screen.  After filming only 14 episodes the show was cancelled and then a loyal cult following got a movie made called Serenity in 2005. This show has a special place in my heart because my wife watched it with me and actually enjoyed it. If you know my lovely wife you might actually still be shocked by that one. She is not the type of person to sit and watch TV with her husband and with my affinity to Star Wars (she has never watched any of the movies), Star Trek (never a movie or a series) and Stargate (watched a couple episodes maybe), who would have ever thought she would like Firefly… maybe she likes cowboys?

Terra Nova FOX (2011)

This show was one of those revolutionary ideas that really pushed the realm of the believable but it turned out quite interesting.  I think that they could have gotten 4-6 years out of this idea without working up much of a sweat.  I was very disappointed to find out that my cliffhanger season one ending was going to be all I ever saw.

Now and Again CBS (1999)

Here is a cancellation that really pissed me off. This one may have played a bigger part in my decision to quit on TV subscriptions than I remember… maybe I can give more credit to all that money I am saving to CBS? It was very rare that I actually tracked a show to catch every episode but this show had me hooked. I loved Dennis Haysbert and Eric Close, the story was enthralling, the action was addicting and the comedy made me laugh out loud.

The Forgotten ABC (2009)

I really enjoyed this series but maybe because it had two big things going for it in my book: Christian Slater and mysteries.  I love mysteries and the idea that there are volunteers out there trying to identify cold case victims, the Jane and John Does that we read about, kinda intrigued me.  The show had a great cast and great writers.  It could have easily kept me watching for a long time.

The Finder FOX (2012)

Classic comedy with some great twists.  I am going to miss the gentle giant played by the late Michael Clarke Duncan and the cocky Walter Sherman played by Geoff Stults. It amazes me at some of the crap that networks like Fox air when they cancel shows like this.

The Good Guys FOX (2010)

Colin Hanks, son of Tom Hanks, holds his own with Bradley Whitford while they play good cop / crazy cop. I couldn’t watch the show without thinking about Burt Reynolds from the Smokey and the Bandit shows playing smokey instead of the bandit.  I laughed so hard at this show. It was so well written and the cast could not have been chosen better. But Fox screwed me again.

The Defenders CBS (2010)

2010 was a bad year for losing great shows in their first season and The Defenders was one of those shows. James Belushi and Jerry O’Connell (Sliders 1995 – 1999) played Las Vegas lawyers and we all know how much I love a good legal drama. If you don’t, you do now. This legal drama was freaking amazing. Once again, I was pissed when they cancelled it but apparently there aren’t many people in Hollywood with much taste in good entertainment.

Just Legal WB (2005)

Don Johnson may have been a hero in my adolescence in Miami Vice and Nash Bridges but my favorite role he played was in Just Legal.  Jay Baruchel, whose voice became famous to all children in the “How to Train a Dragon” movies, plays Skip Ross, an overachieving child prodigy with a law degree. The two characters together made for some of the best courtroom drama I had ever seen. Despite the quality of the program, it was cancelled just 3 episodes into it’s 8 episode run.

So do you know of any single season shows that were amazing that I missed?