Short-Lived TV Shows

[jelgate]

Actually 88 episodes is considered the minimium for syndication these days

[Gen. Chris]

Actually 88 episodes is considered the minimium for syndication these days

That's cause so few make it to 100...Lol

And the last season of Roswell wasn't quite a half season...more like 3/4

[Bradley]

I think any show that lasts less than three seasons is short-lived.

[Blencathra]

I was really annoyed when Survivors was cancelled. They literally left it completely up in the air. I really want to know what happened to Tom - hidden on that plane!

Then Outcasts. It was a bit hit and miss but it was starting to get really interesting when the BBC pulled the plug.

[The Urban Spaceman]

It depends on the series, I think.

For example, there is a show called The Last Train, which was purposely made to have only six episodes, and yet I felt was brilliantly told, and to me, that stands up as a full series with a good run.

Yet there are some shows (eg, Sliders) which I felt went on for too long, whilst other shows (Earth 2) had some fantastic ideas and concepts but were never given the chance they needed to prove themselves.

In the end, though, I think the decision can really only be made one season at a time. I think the X-Files stayed good right to the end, though the last season or two were a little sketchy in terms of plot and writing, at times. To me, SG1 should never have gone beyond 8 seasons, whilst I think Joss Wheden could probably have gotten another season out of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, to deal with the fallout of the world's potential-Slayer activation. Dark Angel could have easily gone another couple of seasons, especially since it was leaning more and more towards deeper social commentary and issues.

[knowles2]

Depends on the story, some shows can go on to long, and some shows are perfect as 2 or 3 season show.

Personally I think 6 or 7 seasons but they are rare beasts in today television world.

It all depends on the story, Roswell ended way to soon nothing was resolve. Lost was drag out to much, BSG has two seasons that just dragged on an on and on with out anything getting resolves.
Life on Mars lasted a perfect length of time for the story, it was short but sweet.

I hated Sanctuary ending, a whole new sanctuary to explore and it cancelled.


Space above and Beyond did not last very long.

SeaQuest kept on changing every season and could never decide what it wanted to be. An yet got 3 seasons, that would never happen today.

Deepwater Black only survive for 13 episodes.

[Snowman37]

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).

Three full seasons. The third was only cut short by 4 episodes from 22 to 18. Really, only the finale was rushed. Three episodes were scrapped, a time-travel episode, an Isabel/Jesse episode, some other episode I can't remember, and the finale was written as a two-hour TV movie event. Due to the cut in episodes, three were simply scrapped all together, and the finale was a two-hour script filmed as a one-hour episode. I think the producers and writers knew that their third season on UPN would be the last. Signs of the show ending go all the way back to "Ch-Ch-Changes."

All TV shows in the 1960's ended with a standard episode. "Series Finales" didn't catch on until the 70's.

I think any show that lasts less than three seasons is short-lived.

Bingo!

It depends on the series, I think.

For example, there is a show called The Last Train, which was purposely made to have only six episodes, and yet I felt was brilliantly told, and to me, that stands up as a full series with a good run.

By U.S. standards, this would be a miniseries, not a weekly TV show (which is what we're discussing).

Yet there are some shows (eg, Sliders) which I felt went on for too long, whilst other shows (Earth 2) had some fantastic ideas and concepts but were never given the chance they needed to prove themselves.

Agreed. In the case of Sliders, didn't recasting the lead kill the show for a lot of people? It might have gone over better if they killed him off or simply replaced him with an alternate reality counterpart who simply looked different.

In the end, though, I think the decision can really only be made one season at a time.

Naturally, given this is how American TV works.

To me, SG1 should never have gone beyond 8 seasons

Why? I liked the later seasons. I just wish Cameron Mitchell had been thought out better.

, whilst I think Joss Wheden could probably have gotten another season out of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, to deal with the fallout of the world's potential-Slayer activation.

I thought the slayer activations only happened because the show was ending?

[The Urban Spaceman]

By U.S. standards, this would be a miniseries, not a weekly TV show (which is what we're discussing).

I see.

Agreed. In the case of Sliders, didn't recasting the lead kill the show for a lot of people? It might have gone over better if they killed him off or simply replaced him with an alternate reality counterpart who simply looked different.

It had been slowly getting lamer over time, and killing off the lead character and sending his brother into the great unknown definitely didn't do it any favours.

Naturally, given this is how American TV works.

I've never been to America, so I'll take your word for it.

Why? I liked the later seasons. I just wish Cameron Mitchell had been thought out better.

To me, the whole Ori arc just wasn't as effective as what had come before. It's like they were desperately looking for something to keep the show going, so they went from fighting false-gods in the form of creepy symbiots, with occasional replicator menace added for good measure, to fighting a pseudo-god (Anubis) to fighting a whole galaxy of ascended powers and their lackeys. Everything just seemed to get bigger and less personal. At least in Atlantis they kept it all to one galaxy, with minor forays back to the MW.

Guess I just didn't like the Ori story.

I thought the slayer activations only happened because the show was ending?

I thought you didn't watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer because of its dabbling in the occult and the evil?

[Starfist]

Reading through this thread I am reminded of a whole selection of shows that I watched and that were cancelled before their time.

Space, Above and Beyond. Cancelled after one season, but had potential for more.
Outcasts. Shown on BBC1 but cancelled because of low ratings. (I blame the time slot when it was shown)
Seven Days. It only lasted seven episodes.

[Snowman37]

To me, the whole Ori arc just wasn't as effective as what had come before. It's like they were desperately looking for something to keep the show going, so they went from fighting false-gods in the form of creepy symbiots, with occasional replicator menace added for good measure, to fighting a pseudo-god (Anubis) to fighting a whole galaxy of ascended powers and their lackeys. Everything just seemed to get bigger and less personal. At least in Atlantis they kept it all to one galaxy, with minor forays back to the MW.

Guess I just didn't like the Ori story.

Fair enough, I understand exactly where you're coming from. This was the whole problem with the Ori. In earlier seasons, SG-1 was always up against the Jaffa, but every now and then... we saw them confront a Goa'uld. In the later seasons, we often saw them confronting Priors and soldiers, but NEVER an Ori itself. I think this might have been why Adria was introduced, an Ori in the flesh for SG-1 to confront rather than being an off screen villain.

I thought you didn't watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer because of its dabbling in the occult and the evil?

I don't, for that very reason. However, when the show moved to UPN for it's sixth season, I often caught the last few minutes of an episode while waiting for Roswell to start. I was still watching UPN for Enterprise's second season while Buffy was in it's final season. UPN was advertising the Buffy finale during Enterprise commercial breaks, so I checked it out.

Seven Days. It only lasted seven episodes.

The show was on for three years.

[iheartshep]

Does anyone recall the series Space:1999? I think that show was only on for 2 seasons but I may be wrong.

These days the networks pull a series after one or two episodes if they don't like the initial numbers. How can anyone find a fan base in that short amount of time, especially nowadays, when there are so many networks out there?

IHS

[MasySyma]

Actually 88 episodes is considered the minimium for syndication these days

It can vary. Sanctuary just got syndicated with 59 episodes and no future ones coming.

[Starfist]

I remember Space 1999. And it did only last 2 seasons.

[mandogater]

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).

I forgot about Crusade!!!!

I was always wondering what Galen's true agenda was.

[Seldini]

Another show with a short run that I wanted to see more of was Odyssey 5. It could be weird as all hell at times, but it was very original.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaJIS5rW0D8