Shows That could have been Faves if the network did not cancel them

[roadman65]

I am talking about short lived series that did not make it to the end or even half way through a season.

Mine I loved The Law and Harry McGraw starring Jerry Orbach (Len Briscoe Law & Order) and Barbara Babcock.  The show was on in 1987 and like usual when CBS pulls the plug on a show instead of being open about it, they air specials in its place or even sporting events making the episodes only shown once a month.  This way  that viewers can forget about the program and when the few episodes that aired do come on, the nielsons become so bad that the cancellation is a must.  That was with this series as the episodes became shown less and less and then CBS yanks it from the programming.

It was a detective show based on a character from Murder She Wrote who often solved cases for an attorney in which both the detective and lawyer both had a love to hate relationship.  Orbach was Harry McGraw an unethical detective while Babcock was Ellie McGuiness a proper attorney who hated McGraws methods of finding information in which the two found conflict with each other.

Then there was Aaron's Way on NBC in the mid 80's.  NBC had it for part of a season.

What were some of yours.

[NE2]

The Hasselhoffs.

[bandit957]

In the early '80s, there was a sitcom called 'Maggie' that my mom just hated hated hated hated hated. It lasted about 3 episodes, but I don't know if it would have been a big hit if it had lasted longer. I was sorry to see it canceled, because I thought it was so funny how much my mom hated this show.

[bandit957]

Also, the only thing I remember about the sitcom 'Maggie' is that there was a particularly gruesome scene where one of the characters got punched in the face and bled everywhere.

[abefroman329]

Life on Mars (US), Party Down. Maybe Vinyl, though I found the anti-hero main character really hard to stomach.

[bandit957]

Also, the only thing I remember about the sitcom 'Maggie' is that there was a particularly gruesome scene where one of the characters got punched in the face and bled everywhere.

I JUST FOUND THIS SCENE ON YOUTUBE AFTER 37 YEARS!!!!!

One of the bratty kids on the show got hit with a baseball bat and his teeth got knocked out!

[US 81]

Firefly.

[wanderer2575]

Police Squad!  (In color!)

In the early '80s, there was a sitcom called 'Maggie' that my mom just hated hated hated hated hated. It lasted about 3 episodes, but I don't know if it would have been a big hit if it had lasted longer. I was sorry to see it canceled, because I thought it was so funny how much my mom hated this show.

It was based on humorist Erma Bombeck's books, just as the later "Dave's World" was based on humorist Dave Barry's books.

[HazMatt]

There was one in the late 90s called the Brian Benben show, that was cancelled 3-4 episodes in.  My mom hated it but I thought it was pretty funny.

[froggie]

Firefly.

Yep.  But at least Joss was able to make a movie a few years later...

[kurumi]

Candle Cove.

[abefroman329]

Police Squad!  (In color!)

In the early '80s, there was a sitcom called 'Maggie' that my mom just hated hated hated hated hated. It lasted about 3 episodes, but I don't know if it would have been a big hit if it had lasted longer. I was sorry to see it canceled, because I thought it was so funny how much my mom hated this show.

It was based on humorist Erma Bombeck's books, just as the later "Dave's World" was based on humorist Dave Barry's books.

Police Squad was a) years ahead of its time and b) a really hard concept to maintain over a single television season, let alone several. There's a reason the Naked Gun movies came out once every several years and the quality diminished over time.

Erma Bombeck also had a television series based on Just Wait Until Your Father Gets Home, animated by Bil Keane.

[abefroman329]

There was one in the late 90s called the Brian Benben show, that was cancelled 3-4 episodes in.  My mom hated it but I thought it was pretty funny.

I remember it, it was awful.

[Throckmorton]

   
Frank's Place, 1987-88. Tim Reid and an ensemble cast.   
   
It did run an entire season but was not renewed. It should have been.   
   
The one about the homeless guy was a real hoot.   
   
   

[US71]

The Hasselhoffs.

Never heard of it

[Takumi]

The Hasselhoffs.

Never heard of it

It was more popular in Germany.
https://youtu.be/SwpM0afTteE

[abefroman329]

Ein, zwei, drei, HASSELHOFF!

[Henry]

As a native Chicagoan, I would say Superior Donuts. I wish they'd add a third season to see what would become of a stellar cast that included the always brilliant veterans Katey Sagal and Judd Hirsch.

[HazMatt]

There was one in the late 90s called the Brian Benben show, that was cancelled 3-4 episodes in.  My mom hated it but I thought it was pretty funny.

I remember it, it was awful.

May have been, I'm sure teenage me had terrible tastes.

[BamaZeus]

Freaks and Geeks should have survived longer than it did

[hbelkins]

Wasn't there a third spinoff of Law & Order that didn't last? I think it may have been called "Trial By Jury."

Not quite fitting the OP's criteria, but it's hard to believe that as big of a franchise as "Star Trek" became, the series only lasted three seasons.

[Takumi]

Wasn't there a third spinoff of Law & Order that didn't last? I think it may have been called "Trial By Jury."

Yep. It was notable for the last appearance of Briscoe. Also its arrangement of the Law & Order theme was reused for the later seasons of Criminal Intent.

[english si]

Life on Mars (US)

I know the US series, post-cancellation-announcement had a terrible ending, however the UK series' sequel had likewise with the finale. It aired a couple of days before Lost's infamously terrible finale, though I watched it pretty much straight after to try and get over the terribleness of Lost - it was a show I enjoyed more, but cared less about the theory stuff and wasn't what people were talking about, and it hurt in that same way, but more so. That same, crippling, "Well everything that's gone before, that I enjoyed so much, has been turned into ash. Thanks for wasting so much of my time - it was great until I saw this, now it's annoying and unpleasant" feeling.

Firefly.

That's surely a 'fav because the network cancelled it'. It might have lasted a full season before hitting a sophomoric slump, but it would have got there as fatigue kicked in in the writer's room (I really don't think US TV schedules are conducive - sure some can pull it off - but there's a reason HBO, Netflix, etc go with 10-13 episodes a year max). The supplementary stuff (including the Big Damn Movie) is great, but part of that is because there was the time to craft it properly.

[Brandon]

Wasn't there a third spinoff of Law & Order that didn't last? I think it may have been called "Trial By Jury."

Yep. It was notable for the last appearance of Briscoe. Also its arrangement of the Law & Order theme was reused for the later seasons of Criminal Intent.

Well, the death of Jerry Orbach (playing Lenny Briscoe) might have had a little to do with it.

[abefroman329]

Wasn't there a third spinoff of Law & Order that didn't last? I think it may have been called "Trial By Jury."

Not quite fitting the OP's criteria, but it's hard to believe that as big of a franchise as "Star Trek" became, the series only lasted three seasons.

There was also a spinoff called Law and Order: UK that lasted a lot longer than it should have. Particularly since, as I understand it, the scripts paid no attention to the substantial difference between UK and US criminal justice systems.