Following on from the last article on TV shows that were taken too soon, here is another take on the shows that should still be gracing our TV screens. Featured in this part is a one season wonder and Joss Whedon’s best creation of all time – I hope you all agree with me on that one. From one season to seven, these shows are incredibly different but are similar in that they faced the axe way before their time, especially the first one:
1. Flashforward
I’m sure some of you will disagree with me on this one. Adapted from a novel from Robert J. Sawyer, Flashforward follows a number of people in the aftermath of a physic event. Everyone on the planet blacks out for two minutes and seventeen seconds, where they dream of where they will be in six months time. The series focuses on the main characters, namely Joseph Fienne’s Mark Benford, as they try to prevent the future they have foreseen.
The plot was intriguing, albeit ridiculously far-fetched but the twists and turns always kept you on the edge of your seat, willing the characters to alter their fate. However, some didn’t feel the same as the show was cancelled by ABS after just one season. It gained mixed reviews and was struggling with its American audience, even though internationally it was a big hit. Facebooks groups were made against the cancellation to no avail as the show was officially taken off the air in May 2010, after only 22 episodes.
2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
One of the greatest shows of all time. Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of the biggest francises in TV history – with novels, video games, comics and a spin-off series in Angel.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the film, came out in 1992 and was written by Whedon. He felt the film was crafted in a different way than he intended so aimed to rectify this with the TV show that started 4 years later, in 1997. Buffy Summers is the vampire slayer that must go through the obstacles every teenager faces whilst defeating vampires, demons and the ‘Big Bad’ every season. To put a long story short, the show was amazing: the writing was hilarious, the cast were superb and it was groundbreaking in its approach to vampires, high school and the female action hero.
The show’s fanbase was, and still is, huge, with the show gaining an average of 4-6 million viewers per episode. In 2003, we were left without the Scooby Gang as the show was taken off the air. The show was not actually cancelled by its network, the cast and crew decided it was the right time to finish after seven seasons. The story decided to carry on a Season 8 in comic form by Dark Horse Comics.
