Top 10 Unfairly Short Lived Shows (One Season Wonders)

Criteria: All shows must have been cancelled within or at the end of the first season, a season usually is around 22 or 24, any show that lasts any longer (or onto a second season) do not count, The Critic lasted 2 seasons but wasn't really given a chance, Arrested Development was mostly unwatched on television but it lasted three seasons so that doesn't count either, also a show like Band of Brothers was originally planned as a mini-series and that doesn't count either, let's star the top 10...

10- Clone High (2002-03)

Clone High was a short lived animated series produced by Bill Lawrence (of Spin City and Scrubs fame) about an high school the clones of lot of famous historical figures attend, such as Joan of Arc, Abraham Lincoln, cleopatra, JFK and Gandhi. The show as a lot of funny moments thanks to the High School horndog Gandhi. Best line of the entire series however goes to jock JFK when he says "Nothing bad ever happens to the Kennedy's!". Working checking out, think it's only available on Canadian R1.

9- Young Americans (2000)

Something of a spin-off to Dawson's Creek, that helped launch the careers of Ian Somerhalder (Lost), Kate Bosworth and Katherine Moennig (The L Word) was I believe debuted on American television in the Summer set around Rawley Summer Academy (an Elite school). Moennig plays a female pretending to be male to get into the school. Apparently it did not bad numbers but was not brought back, shame. Lasted about 8 episodes and not currently available on DVD.

8- Greg the Bunny (2002)

The cast features Eugene Levy, Seth Green, Bob Gunton and Sarah Silverman and guest appearances from Gary Oldman and Corey Feldman was basically Meet the Feebles made for American Network Television. There's enough laughs to be had thanks to some of the great puppet characters such as Count Blah (whose speech impediment means he says Blah at the end of every sentance). One of the things responsible for love of Sarah Silverman. Currently available on R1, as is Greg the Bunny: The Best of Film Parodies. 7- Clerks: The Animated Series (2000)

Only six episodes produced, only two of which aired, the two which aired are probably the better two, straying away from the film it is based somewhat. I truly think Jeff Anderson as Randall came into his own on this show even improving on his performance in the film, his memorable for me for a number of reasons including "Who's driving the car? Bears driving the car, how can that be?" and the entire flashback episode (the second episode). Available on R1. 6- The Ben Stiller Show (1992-93)

Before A-List beckoned, Ben Stiller starred in this short lived sketch show alongside Janeane Garofalo, Bob Oedenkirk and Andy Dick. Unusually recorded without a laugh track, Stiller even cautiously mentions in the first episode that they might get cancelled soon. It's like any sketch show, there's some stinkers to be had however Stiller's Cruise is always good as is Oedenkirk's Charlie Manson, fact: The Do It guy that Stiller does whilst in disguise in Starsky and Hutch orginated here. Worth checking out. Available on R1.

5- Undeclared (2001-02)

It's certainly in the same league as Freaks and Geeks (see below) and is something of a natural follower on dealing with college life as oppose to F&G high school life and even a bunch of actors appear in both. There isn't many college based television comedies out there really (Boy Meets World went to college, as did Saved By the Bell, they where the first two that came to mind), the cast are excellent, a standout being folk singer Loudon Wainwright however the inclusion of Christina Payona's Tina is useless though. Only available on R1.

4- Eerie Indiana (1991-92)

Brilliantly crafted and shockingly short lived, I could have sweared there was more than 19 episodes made. Cult enough to gain a sequel series titled Eerie Indiana: The Next Dimension. This was a constant favourite of mine when I was a kid (and it actually features future Spidey Tobey Maguire). With some highly original episodes, the series is truly exceptional. Available everywhere I think.

3- Firefly (2002-03)

Joss Whedon is god alone for creating Buffy the Vampire Slayer and it's spin-off Angel but Firefly is also of genuis. Thankfully the DVD sales where high enough to warrant a feature film titled Serenity. It's kind of the Anti-Star Trek, there's no aliens for one and the story of River Tam (Summer Glau, pictured above) is very intruging and is somewhat addressed in the movie thankfully, Nathan Fillion as Captain Mal Reynolds also deserves to become a star after this.

2- Police Squad (1982)

It's unbelievable that this only lasted six episodes. An argument could be made they are the funniest six epiosdes ever made of anything (a lot of the jokes got repackaged for the movie) and I never tire of it despite how few episodes they are. This along with Airplane basically ended Leslie Nielsen as the serious actor. Best of all unlike the films it's not tainted by the inclusion of O.J. Simpson. Available everywhere it seems.

1- Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000)

Straight in at number one as close as you are going to get to a perfect show. Freaks and Geeks is one of the few teen-aged show that feels so real. Maybe it was just too good too last very long, maybe if it had gone two or three seasons, the magic of it would have gone. Busy Philipps' Kim Kelly is a truly wonderful creation: perfectly bitchy, my best friend Rich also as mucho love for Lindsay (Linda Cardellini) and any show with Joe Flaherty is alright by me. Available on R1 only.

Film Now

Had a pretty quiet day, not doing much next couple of days either, handed in the final cut of a short film on poverty and money issues I was making for work and deserve a couple of days off at least.

Finished watching ER Season Six today, in which I've spread out watching over the past week, it's probably the last truly exceptional season of the series (even though many of the later seasons are well good), I call it an exceptional season because of many a thing such as Alan Alda's guest arc, Corday and the serial killer, Two of the Goonies appearing, the two parter Be Still My Heart and All in the Family which involve the staff having to treat two of their own, Carter's drug problem, Mark Greene and his dad, the farewells of...SPOILER ALERT Jeannie and Hathaway- which includes a cameo from George Clooney and much, much more, love this series, going to be staring on ER Season Seven ASAP.

Some of the film's I've watched the last week or so include But I'm a Cheerleader, starring Natasha Lyonne and Clea DuVall, which sees Lyonne as a cheerleader whose family and friends believe she is a lesbian and send her to a rehab camp for homosexuals, the film which could have been so much i.e a biting satire but just feels flat for some reason despite good performances by them both aswell as RuPaul and Melanie Lynskey. Clerks II is very funny in most places if sometimes not feeling like a proper sequel to the original, the original characters are still funny and there is welcome support from among others Trevor Fehrman and Rosario Dawson, recommended. Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny is another film funny in places, as not a particular fan of the Tenacious D "sound" I probably viewed this film differently to a lot of people (I do like the presence of Jack Black and Kyle Gass) and some of the musical numbers feel like I've already seen them in School of Rock for some reason, full marks for Tim Robbins cameo. Slither is a loving b-movie tribute starring Nathan Fillion (of Firefly fame) and Elizabeth Banks (the sex freak in 40 Year Old Virgin) which takes a little bit to get going but is super fun once it does, suprisingly dark in places. Romy and Michele's High School Reunion stars Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow as two former high school losers going to their high school reunion (as the title does suggest!) is midly to averagely funny and the two leads are very likeable at times, not life changing but a good way to spend 90 minutes. Today I watched Brewster's Millions, the 1985 version starring Richard Pryor and John Candy, a film I watched fairly regularly as a kid, Pryor as to spend $30million in 30 days to inherit $300million from his kook of an uncle, likeable film thanks to the lead performers, I think it's a tad underappreciated. That's all thart comes to mind.

Current TV Shows in Rotation: M*A*S*H Season Ten, Amazing Stories Season One, ER Season Seven, Charmed Season One.

Planned Watching?: Streets of Fire (1984), War of the Worlds (2005), Stir Crazy, Throw Mama From the Train, The Way of the Gun, Batman Returns, Everyone Says I Love You, Time Bandits and The Elephant Man