An Ode to the Fallen

Finding a show you love is like finding the perfect pair of pants. Once you have them you never want to let go. You get to know the characters, get attached to the storyline and can't wait to see how it's all going to end. Then some exec sitting in an office decides it's not as lucrative as they had thought. And with one decision your show is no more. They don't provide you with any closure, no happy ending for your characters. You're lucky if they wait to finish off the season.

So this is my ode to the fallen, to the TV shows that never got the chance they deserved.

1. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009) 2 Seasons.

I loved this show. It had everything, plot, intrigue, interesting characters, special effects. I mean how can you go wrong? The plot followed Sarah Connor as she tried to protect her son, John, from the terminators that are sent to kill him, while working to destroy Skynet in order to prevent Armageddon. It was really interesting to see the character of John Connor try to deal with being a teenager while also dealing with the knowledge that he will one day lead the resistance against the terminators. Then there's the terminator Cameron who has been sent to protect John, and John's uncle Derek from the future. By the time we reached the end of Season 2 we were left with the promise of an amazing Season 3. But then all of a sudden it was cancelled. I actually shed a tear when I heard this. There was speculation for a while that it would be cut but I'd refused to believe it. This is my number one cancelled show that I wish would return.

2. Jericho (2006-2008) 1.5 Seasons.

This is a case of a mid season cancellation. There's nothing worse than when they leave you in the middle of a season, not only do you not have any answers, they've just asked a whole bunch more questions. This show followed Jake Green (Skeet Ulrich) who has returned to his hometown of Jericho, Kansas to get some money that's been left to him. When he gets there however the United States is attacked and major cities are destroyed. Jericho, however, remains. Jake quickly becomes the town hero, constantly putting himself in precarious situations to save his townsfolk. Jake himself has an interesting history having been away for years after leaving the town under bad circumstances. It was a great show that focussed on a small town as they dealt with the aftermath of the attack and the company that rose to power as the dust still settled. They left us mid second season after we were just starting to learn more about the corrupt company that appeared to be behind the attacks.

3. Kings (2009) 1 Season.

This show really surprised me. I honestly wasn't expecting much when I saw it on my netflix menu. I gave it a chance though and am glad I did. The show is a modern day alternate-reality drama loosely based on the story of King David from the bible. We follow Capt. David Shepherd who saves the King's son during battle and stands up to the enemy's tank, aptly named Goliath. The King then invites David to a banquet and he quickly catches the eye of the nation, and the King's daughter. The King becomes concerned when God starts telling him that David will be King. He attempts to get rid of him but our hero is made of tougher stuff. I really enjoyed Christopher Egan's performance as David and Ian McShane's brilliant but slightly untrustworthy King Silas Benjamin. I think this show had a lot of potential and it's a shame we only got one season.

4. Firefly (2002-2003) 1 Season.

This show was a fan favourite and when it was cancelled there was an uproar. Created by Joss Whedon, the brilliant mind behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this show followed a renegade crew aboard a spacecraft called Serenity, 500 years in the future, who had fought on the losing side in a civil war. Nathan Fillion stars as the charismatic Capt. Malcolm Reynolds, leading the renegade crew including his first mate Zoe Washburne, a child prodigy with telepathic abilities named River, and her brother Simon.

Although the show was cancelled, Whedon bought out a film named Serenity in 2005 which tells the story of the crew as they meet River and Simon and try to evade an assassin. This is a really entertaining movie whether you've seen the TV series or not. I think it was great that Whedon did this for his fans.

So that is my short list of four TV shows that were cancelled too soon. I would love to hear what your favourite cancelled TV shows are. Sadly there are too many of them out there.