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    Short-Lived TV Shows

    How long does a show have to be on for the show to have had a decent run? What's that magic number where, even if it ends on a cliffhanger, you feel like it had a good run? For me, it's three seasons.

    Firefly, Jericho, Surface, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles; they all ended way too soon. At some point, I may get around to seeing Stargate: Universe, but I've a feeling that I will feel the same way given how the audience here at GateWorld flipped out over the cancellation. What about Sanctuary? To those who finished it, did the short seasons make four seasons seem like the cancellation came too soon?

    #2
    This is a difficult question, but not an impossible one for me to answer. 3 seasons sounds about right for a good run. May I also add... I hate cliffhangers.

    I agree Firefly and The Sarah Connor Chronicles ended way to early in their respective runs.
    As for Jericho, I can't really comment as I've only seen a couple of episodes.
    Stargate Universe had at least another season, in my opinion.

    Sanctuary I enjoyed. I think the 'short' seasons worked.

    Here in the UK for example there have been plenty of shows cancelled before their time.
    Star Cops, it only had 1 season. The last episode ended on a cliffhanger. There was a rumoured season 2 planned. Then we have 'Blake's 7' it was on for 4 seasons and ended on a big cliffhanger.
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      #3
      I understand the frustration of cliffhanger endings. Surface and Terminator TSCC are the worst offenders.

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        #4
        For me it comes down to two shows, Firefly and the Original Battlestar Galactica.
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          #5
          The most recent one on my radar that left me really bummed was the cancellation of Tera Nova. The first few episodes were really epic, it did level out a bit but the finale was also fantastic. Right now I'm watching Grimm which got a second season, so here's hoping; and Scandal which I don't believe will last much longer on ABC.

          It's almost difficult to get into anything new not knowing when the network will hit it with the hatchet. I also liked Chase as well.

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            #6
            Originally posted by Sweetsong View Post
            The most recent one on my radar that left me really bummed was the cancellation of Tera Nova. The first few episodes were really epic, it did level out a bit but the finale was also fantastic.
            Didn't the show end up lasting only some dozen episodes?

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              #7
              Originally posted by Snowman37 View Post
              Didn't the show end up lasting only some dozen episodes?
              Terra Nova lasted for 14 episodes. If my memory serves my correctly.
              "What do you mean by 'Oopps'?"
              Team Starfist protects all. But having a fully loaded P-90 helps...
              Reality is an illusion... Created by those who cannot handle Stargate...!
              Jankowski's Rules: Rule 1: Check your Six!
              I'm not perfect. But parts of me are excellent I also cook...!
              To thy own self... Be true
              May the odds.... Be ever in your favour..!

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                #8
                Surface
                Jericho
                The Invasion
                The 4400
                Terminator TSCC
                Deadwood (not really a big fan of it cause I've only watched parts of the first season, but...)
                Roswell
                SGU
                Sanctuary
                Spartacus (mainly cause I don't want to see it end so soon but I can understand why they're doing it)

                I'm sure there's more...they are rattling around in my brain somewhere.
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                  #9
                  Originally posted by Gen. Chris View Post
                  Roswell
                  Sanctuary
                  Roswell was on for 3 years, Sanctuary for 4. If that's too short a run, what would you consider a minimally good run? The discussion isn't about whether a show ended before it's time, but rather... shows that the network simply didn't give a chance.

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                    #10
                    The Lost World (there should have been two more seasons)
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                      #11
                      Originally posted by Gen. Chris View Post
                      The Invasion
                      The 4400
                      Deadwood (not really a big fan of it cause I've only watched parts of the first season, but...)
                      Spartacus (mainly cause I don't want to see it end so soon but I can understand why they're doing it)
                      I meant to ask, how long were these on for?

                      Originally posted by Morgania View Post
                      The Lost World (there should have been two more seasons)
                      How long was the show on?

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                        #12
                        Invasion: 1 season
                        The 4400: 4 seasons, but one of the seasons was only six episodes
                        Deadwood: 3 seasons
                        Spartacus: 3 seasons + 1 miniseries

                        I think 5 years is a good run. But that also depends on how many episodes they get a season. I almost put Farscape but seeing as how it got 88 episodes it's not bad.

                        Oh, and of course Firefly.
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                          #13
                          Human Target...it only got 25 episodes.
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                            #14
                            Ah, if we're going with a round episode number... I figure if a show puts out at least 60-70 episodes (equal to three seasons), that's long enough to where the show doesn't end too quickly. I looked at the Farscape episode guide. 88 episodes plus a 3-hour miniseries/movie. For a science-fiction show, a four-year-run is actually pretty good.

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                              #15
                              Firefly, although I'm glad it at least got a conclusion of a sort with Serenity, largely thanks to fan lobbying. Same thing happened with Farscape, which did get a decent conclusion after a disappointing cliffhanger ending.

                              The Babylon 5 spinoff Crusade, which was intended to be 5 seasons long like B5, got canceled after 13 episodes.

                              In the "business", 100 episodes is considered a good run, because it greatly enhances the chances of syndication later. Unfortunately, few shows make it that far these days.

                              I would say Roswell too, it got two and a half seasons, and the last short season was very rushed because the writers wanted the show to have a proper ending rather than a cliffhanger or just ending on a bog-standard episode (as happened with ST-TOS).
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