Some Shows Gone Too Soon...

Now that the television season is over halfway over, and February sweeps are a distant memory, I thought I'd go over a few of the shows I felt were prematurely cancelled before they had time to show what they were all about.

Kitchen Confidential, which was on Fox (which also happens to be the "hatchet" channel), based loosely on the book of the same title by celebrity chef, Anthony Bourdain, was given too few episodes to hit its stride.  Crippled by a horrid schedule in which it was pre-empted several times for the MLB playoffs and World Series, I don't believe it ever got the chance to shine.  The strong acting of its lead, Alias' Bradley Cooper, and very good 3-dimensional supporting characters, including notable performances by John Cho and Frank Langella, weren't enough to save it from the Fox chopping block.  

Perhaps the most challenged show on the Fox network, Arrested Development, was given 3 seasons to ripen before being plucked from the branch.  Strong fan support saved it a couple of times, but the disrespect that the network showed in airing the final four episodes unannounced and with no marketing really shows how much faith they had in its continuance.  This show marked the revival of Jason Bateman's career and perhaps one of the most despicable characters seen on screen in Will Arnett's portrayal of a man named Gob (pronounced like "Jobe").  Witty wordplay, another strong cast of characters, and completely unbelievable situations were the strong point of this show that failed to find any real audience.  There's rumors of this show coming to Showtime, so let's pray for premium cable.

Next up is Nic Harcourt's baby, Love Monkey .  With television's everyman, Tom Cavanagh, in the leading role of an A & R man at a fledgling record label, it lasted maybe three episodes before falling to the CBS axe.  A unique concept, great music, and even cameos by some stars of the music scene while sounding cheesy, really worked.  Another fine cast of supporting actors including Jason Priestley and Larenz Tate attempted to push the envelope as a contemporary group of young professionals just getting into the prime of their careers, but that's never enough.  It's too bad it's gone now.  Lot of potential behind this one.

Lastly, and probably the least well-known, is another CBS drama titled Threshold.  Combining an X-files type conspiracy with the popular flavor of the day, neurotic forensic scientists, it may have come off trying too hard to be quirky.  Even with Carla Gugino in the lead, it was doomed.  A show that probably made people say, "Who?" when seeing the opening credits, these underlooked actors ( Brent Spiner, Robert Patrick Benedict, and Peter Dinklage) were well-suited to their parts, but not well-known enough to attract an audience.

New shows will be coming up in the next couple of months to replace these suckers, and although a few of them might be winners, I still think it's a shame these four are gone.  Maybe it's for the better if all these actors and creators find strong productions.