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Underrated/Overlooked TV series (1 Viewer)

Randy Korstick

Senior HTF Member
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Feb 24, 2000
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5,839
American Gothic:
Some great writing and a truly original horror concept. This show kept getting better and better as its only season went on and could have become the greatest horror T.V. ever if it had only been given another season or two. Too bad it was on a major network(CBS) as genre shows are doomed from the beginning on these networks. Also some really great acting in this show by a great cast. You will never think of Gary Cole(Brady Bunch, Family Affair, Crusade) as anything but creepy once you see him in this.
 

DwightK

Second Unit
Joined
Sep 12, 2000
Messages
269
I'll second, third an forth American Gothic. It was killed when CBS's new family-friendly owner decided they would only air family-friendly shows.

Another favorite of mine that was killed prematurily was "The Chronicle" on Scifi. Neverdid understand that death but what a great show.
 

Jeff Kohn

Supporting Actor
Joined
Dec 29, 2001
Messages
680
How much you want to bet that in a month or two we'll be able to add "Miracles" to the list? The premise of this upcoming new ABC show looks really good, but I'll be very surprised if it lasts longer than 4-6 weeks on a major network (particularly ABC given all the blood-letting they've been doing this past year). I don't know why the big 4 networks even bother with this type of programming if they're not willing to accept that it takes time to build an audience for it and that you'll never get the kind of numbers from genre shows that you will from Friends, Law and Order, or The Bachelor.

As for past shows that make my list, many of them are genre shows that were never given a chance, mostly from Fox:

- Space: Above and Beyond
- Strange Luck
- Harsh Realm
- Brimstone
- Firefly
- Haunted
- Dark Angel (1st season, mutant-dogboy stuff in S2 was stupid)
- Kindred: The Embraced
- Invisible Man (At least they wrapped things up pretty nicely)
- Harsh Realm (DB Sweeney should have been the lead though)
- The Others (hate the way it ended on a cliff-hanger, too)
- Wolf Lake (am I the only person who liked this show?)
- Millennium (1st two seasons were some of my favorite TV of all time, can't wait to buy the DVD's except for the 3rd season which totally sucked)
 

Steven K

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jan 10, 2000
Messages
830
Fox Always struggled trying to find a show that could successfully fill the 8:00 PM Friday Night slot, aka "The Hour Before The X-Files."

Brisco Country Jr.
Sliders
M.A.N.T.I.S.
Strange Luck
VR5
Some show similar to Knight Rider

The latter 4 were horrible (hell, I dont even remember the name of the vehicle-based episode). But Brisco Country Jr. and Sliders were fantastic. I'm still hoping for a Sliders DVD release, dunno if we'll ever see it.
 

Jason Seaver

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Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Messages
9,303
Hey, "VR.5" was greatness - especially once you included the three episodes Fox skipped. Besides, what other recent show had the nerve to off a character who was in the opening credits during the third/fourth episode?

many of them are genre shows that were never given a chance, mostly from Fox:
Just remember: Other networks don't even put these things on the air.
 

Jeff Kohn

Supporting Actor
Joined
Dec 29, 2001
Messages
680
Just remember: Other networks don't even put these things on the air.
Sometimes I wonder which is worse: to get hooked on 3 or 4 episodes only to have the show abruptly canceled, or to not watch it in the first place. I guess I'll take what I can get, but it sure is frustrating sometimes.
 

Vickie_M

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Joined
Dec 31, 2001
Messages
3,208
Twin Peaks - because, even though it was a hit for the first season, it was unfairly bashed when the season ended and Laura Palmer's killer wasn't revealed. Then, once the killer was revealed halfway through the 2nd season, people lost interest and it was not renewed. Laura Palmer's killing was just a hook, which worked to get people involved in the world of Twin Peaks, but there was so much more there. It could have gone on and on. I thought what was happening at the end of the 2nd season was plenty interesting. Sure there were some missteps (James and the "older woman") in the 2nd season, but nothing fatal. It should have gone on and on.
Due South - this quirky dramedy about a Canadian Mountie working in Chicago was a mild hit in Canada, but didn't do that well in the states. It did have a cult core of viewers that got a few more episodes shown (maybe a whole season, I can't remember) but there just wasn't enough support to keep it going. I remember reading that Canadians wanted it to stay on the air, but that without American production money, it wasn't affordable. I miss everything about it, especially the music. It was one of the first good shows to feature excellent pop music, a lot of it featuring female vocals, by people such as Sarah McLachlan (WAY before Lilith Fair), Holly Cole, Figgy Duff and others.
Cupid - this great series lasted less than a season, I think. It was an odd little show about a man (Jeremy Piven) who thinks he's Cupid. Yes, that Cupid. He's ordered to see a psychiatrist (Paula Marshall) and chemistry ensues. I thought the show was clever and funny, but with a tinge of sadness and melancholy (maybe it's Piven's eyes) that gave it depth. They never indicate whether he is or is not Cupid, not even with a wink either way. The character obviously believes he is, but we never see it because circumstances are such that he can't use any of the powers he says he has. I think that was a strength of the show, not a weakness, because it's not just a gimmick. He really could be, yet has to bring people together without any magic. It could all be in his head, which, of course, is what everybody else thinks. The couples didn't always work out, but is that because he really wasn't Cupid, or because he didn't have his magic to keep them together? Piven doesn't play the character as a goofball or a loon, he's a serious guy with a sense of humor, and is capable of deep thoughts and wicked comebacks. For a show called Cupid, it wasn't icky sweet and filled with romantic goo. He really believed in romance, as would the real Cupid (um, well, ok) but he saw the dark side of how humans think of and treat relationships. That's what made him sad. A good show, gone too soon.
 

Chris_Morris

Screenwriter
Joined
Jan 4, 2002
Messages
1,887
My choices:
Without a Trace (best new show of the season IMO)

That Was Then (corny yes, but had potential, too bad ABC was looking for immediate gratification instead of trying to make shows work, and 9pm on Friday night is a death sentence for a new show anyways. Is there any doubt as to why Another Bad Choice is at rock bottom?)

Beyond Belief: F or F (Fun show to guess whether the stories were true or not)

Freaks and Geeks ('nuff said, this show rocked)

Chris
 

Robert Ringwald

Senior HTF Member
Joined
May 16, 2001
Messages
2,641
Felicity. Thankfully WB let it run, but any other network would have shot it down in the first 8 episodes...

It was actually a pretty smart, and realistic show, that just never seemed to make it huge.

ALIAS
It's got a good core audience, and gets okay ratings. But this is another show that really deserves more.
 

Travis_S

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jan 14, 2001
Messages
681
Location
St. Louis, Missouri
Real Name
Travis
Agreed about American Gothic, an absolutely amazing show. I taped alot of the episodes but the tape has disappeared. They need to release this on DVD.
 

Dan Rudolph

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2002
Messages
4,042
Cleopatra 2525. The show got quite good when it moved to the hour format, but i think it had already been cancelled.
 

Nick_Scott

Second Unit
Joined
Sep 9, 2001
Messages
321
My favorite underrated:
Max Headroom

It was far ahead of its time.

Another one was whiz-kids, about a group of hackers (who were the good guys!).

Nick
 

TerryW

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Jul 25, 2000
Messages
216
Buffalo Bill with Dabney Coleman and Geena Davis
Nightmare Cafe
Smoldering Lust aka Black Tie Affair
The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd
Twilight Zone 1985-86 revival
Day by Day
 

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