Television is great for telling serialized stories over a long period of time, but not
every TV series is meant to last.
Whether it's because of stiff competition, upheaval at the network, or simply being ahead
of their time, some shows are canceled before they have a chance to reach their full potential.
None of these series made it past a single season - and we still aren't over it.
Clone High
The animated MTV show Clone High followed clones of Abraham Lincoln, JFK, Cleopatra,
and Gandhi, among other famous historical figures, each reinvented as a different teenage
archetype, as they try to manage hormones, homework, and a secret government program
with evil designs on their school.
"Jeez Abe, you grew like a foot."
"You grew like, a pair of bewbs."
The show's irreverent humor and use of real-life historical figures were bound to lead to controversy,
and its depiction of Gandhi as a horny party animal led hundreds of Indian citizens to
go on a hunger strike in protest.
After the controversy, the show was ultimately canceled with no hope of renewal.
Still, while it ended too soon for many fans, the show's single season remains a fascinating
time capsule of early-2000s MTV animation.
My So-Called Life
Following Claire Danes' character Angela Chase and her friends as they dealt with real, timely
issues like homophobia and abuse, My So-Called Life's depiction of teenage life was genuinely
groundbreaking.
From great dialogue to well-written characters, the show established a unique depiction of
a high schooler's search for identity.
Danes' performance was sometimes uncomfortably familiar, and the show's unflinching look
at the less-discussed aspects of adolescence was a critical hit.
"He's bisexual."
"How can he be bi-anything?
He's a child, he's obviously very confused."
"No, he's not confused."
"He wears eyeliner!"
Unfortunately, while the show was beloved by its fans, Danes was ready to move on to
new things by the end of the first season, and low ratings meant the show was unlikely
to get a second season with or without her.
Still, its influence reverberated through nearly every high school-set series that followed.
Firefly
When discussing shows canceled before their time, it's basically impossible to exclude
Firefly.
The show's focus on science fiction adventures fused with Western sensibilities, combined
with creator Joss Whedon's trademark dialogue, made a huge impact on fans.
Those fans proved it with their now-legendary campaigns to save the series, which eventually
resulted in a big-budget movie continuation, Serenity.
Like any sci-fi series, elements of Firefly arguably haven't aged well, but it still remains
a joy to see Zoe and Wash as one of the only functional couples on the show.
They're as traumatized and cynical as the rest of the crew, but nonetheless refuse to
let their past define them - just one reason Firefly's one-season voyage remains the focus
of a devoted fanbase.
The Tick
The original live-action The Tick followed the addle-brained hero and his frustrated
former accountant-turned-super-sidekick Arthur, using a mix of Seinfeld-style humor and off-brand
Justice League-type antics to introduce a host of ridiculous characters.
"My head feels like it's gonna have a baby!"
The madcap comedic stylings and Patrick Warburton's booming voice have become almost inseparable
from the DNA of modern comedies, but The Tick only lasted one season.
While the show's run might've been short, it was definitely sweet, with a whole host
of ridiculous allies and enemies menacing our favorite bulging, blue bug.
"Evil never sleeps mister."
"Oh, leave me alone.
I'm 112 years old, I'm done."
"Don't be an Adolf Quitler!"
Although it's great that Amazon resurrected the property, without Warburton and the rest
of the original cast on board, the original Tick's cancellation still feels like a missed
opportunity.
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
Starring the one and only Bruce Campbell as Brisco, The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
mixed classic western tropes like train robberies and corrupt juries with anachronistic technology
like rockets and projectors.
Much of the charm came from Campbell's distinctive comic timing and everyman persona, but the
scripts were surprisingly clever.
The show was set in 1893, a full 100 years before its airing in 1993, which allowed for
all sorts of Futurama-esque winking at popular culture filtered through the lens of classic
genre trappings.
Anyone who loves Campbell's work - or can simply appreciate a quirky good time - needs
to see this cult classic.
The Get Down
Baz Luhrmann's The Get Down was always going to be subject to scrutiny.
Luhrmann is a love-him-or-hate-him director, and when you add in the massive price tag
and the difficult-to-define genre, the show was destined to leave some viewers scratching
their heads.
The Get Down tried to tell an unusual kind of magical realist story about the search
for mythical records, and passionate musical performances that could convert foe to friend.
Even when the show approached abstraction, its core trio of kids in the slums of New
York brought an emotional reality that bedrocked the series.
"The way I see it, all of us here on this planet.
And we're on a journey.
And it is a mystery."
Sadly, the show just never found enough of an audience, but the entire run is still part
of the Netflix lineup, just waiting for the right viewers to get hooked on its musical
myth.
Freaks and Geeks
Many shows have taken place in high school, but none with the level of uncomfortable,
frank honesty that fueled Freaks and Geeks.
Brought to viewers by a flock of future famous faces and writers including Judd Apatow, Seth
Rogen, Linda Cardellini, Jason Segel, and James Franco, it offered a unique depiction
of adolescence.
"Yeah well, what are you gonna do?"
"I don't know, what are you gonna do?"
It's stunning to look back on the show and see the onscreen evolution of some of our
favorite talent, but even more impressive is the timelessness of the stories and the
way they're delivered.
Although it was set in the early '80s, Freaks and Geeks remains eternal because of its willingness
to embrace the awkward, acne-ridden side of being a teenage misfit.