{TV} Ended too soon: TV series that should NOT have ended/been cancelled so early :-(
TV programmes that should NOT have ended/been cancelled so soon . . .
Some of these TV series were perfect as they were, a few needed improvements/changes, but all were either a success already or were well on the road to being a hit . . .
Whether a series was ended via the producers' decision, or by the choice of the actor/s, or for some other reason, it was a sad loss. A case - for the viewers at least! - of the wrong judgement, or just a regrettable course of action.
The programmes were ended too soon, when they could easily have carried on to even greater things!
Some of these TV series were perfect as they were, a few needed improvements/changes, but all were either a success already or were well on the road to being a hit . . .
Whether a series was ended via the producers' decision, or by the choice of the actor/s, or for some other reason, it was a sad loss. A case - for the viewers at least! - of the wrong judgement, or just a regrettable course of action.
The programmes were ended too soon, when they could easily have carried on to even greater things!
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- CreatorSusannah GrantStarsPatrick WilsonJennifer EhleMargo MartindaleCenters on an ultra-competitive surgeon whose life is changed forever when his ex-wife dies and begins teaching him what life is all about from the here-after.
- CreatorDavid KoeppStarsDavid MorseAndre BraugherMatthew BorishWhen corruption charges strip him of his job, his family and his pride, former cop Mike Olshansky forges a new identity as a Philadelphia cab driver, patrolling the city as a roving vigilante who works with local police.
- CreatorIan CurtisOliver LansleyStarsChris O'DowdKevin BishopNina SosanyaO'Dowd is Lindsay Carol, a DJ on a hip radio station Skin FM. Urbane and witty on air, off-air he's a shambles, as inept in love as he is trying to be cool. Along for the ride are his perennially partying co-host Dom (Kevin Bishop), a man with a short attention span and a secret boy-band past, and his fierce but romantically hapless producer Jane (Nina Sosanya) whose efforts to keep the boys out of trouble usually land her in it. Fast, funny and filled with cutting edge tunes and celebrity cameos, FM is an hilarious romp around the world of music radio.
- CreatorDavid KendallBob YoungStarsMelissa Joan HartJoey LawrenceTaylor SpreitlerAfter a family scandal leaves Mel, a local politician, in charge of her niece and nephew, she hires a man named Joe to become the family's male nanny, or "manny."
- CreatorBen EdwardsRachael NewStarsMorven ChristieHolly AirdPeter WightA supermarket fallen on hard times moves its headquarters to Leeds.
- CreatorShaun MicallefTim PyeJason StephensStarsShaun MicallefKat StewartJonny PasvolskyThe series follows the adventures of married couple Nicola and Charlie Buchanan, who run an industrial cleaning business while solving the most baffling murder mysteries.
- CreatorPeter MoffatStarsMaxine PeakeRupert Penry-JonesNeil StukeDrama series about life at the Bar, the dilemmas and problems that modern day barristers have to face, and what it means to become a silk.
- CreatorJames DuffStarsKyra SedgwickJ.K. SimmonsCorey ReynoldsDeputy Police Chief Brenda Johnson runs the Priority Homicide Division of the LAPD with an unorthodox style. Her innate ability to read people and obtain confessions helps her and her team solve the city's toughest, most sensitive cases.
- CreatorKevin KennedyNiels MuellerStarsJim BelushiJerry O'ConnellJurnee SmollettTwo flashy Las Vegas defense attorneys go to the mat for their clients.
- CreatorPaul AbbottStarsRobson GreenNicola WalkerShaun DingwallA police drama following the exploits of a crack squad within the Organized and Serial Crime Unit, a rapid-response police force serving the entire county.
- CreatorGreg SpottiswoodBernard ZukermanStarsAmy Price-FrancisAlan Van SprangGabriel HoganThe life of detective Jessica King does not run exactly smoothly. When she becomes the head of the Major Crime Task Force, she is eager to prove she is the best cop in town.
- CreatorGary ShermanPeter LanceStarsDaniel J. TravantiErik KingJuan RamírezFollows a special police department which deals with cases where people have disappeared.
- CreatorFarhad SafiniaStarsKelsey GrammerConnie NielsenHannah WareMayor Tom Kane, diagnosed with a dementia disorder, struggles to keep his grip on power in Chicago.
- CreatorSteven LevitanChristopher LloydStarsKelsey GrammerPatricia HeatonJosh GadA pair of star news anchors work together at a local TV station.
- CreatorCecelia AhernDonald ToddStarsChristina ApplegateJennifer EspositoKevin DunnA woman suffers from amnesia and is forced to find out who she really is.
- CreatorJustin HalpernDavid KohanMax MutchnickStarsWilliam ShatnerJonathan SadowskiNicole SullivanA middle-aged son moves in with his old-fashioned dad.The great William Shatner. On top sitcom form.
- StarsPhill JupitusMark LamarrNoel FieldingMusic-based comedy quiz show.1996-2014. Gone but NEVER forgotten.
- StarsRory McGrathNick HancockGary LinekerComedy panel quiz show on the theme of sport.1995-2006. Gone but NEVER forgotten.
- StarsMartin ShawKatie McEwenConnor McIntyreThe hectic everyday lives of the doctors and nurses running the accident and emergency department of St. Victor's, a large and busy city hospital.
- CreatorShana Goldberg-MeehanStarsJoAnna Garcia SwisherJennifer FinniganJosh CookeTwo sisters are at different stages in their respective relationships.
- CreatorChuck LorreDottie Dartland ZicklinStarsJenna ElfmanThomas GibsonJoel MurrayA free-spirited yoga instructor finds true love in a conservative lawyer and they get married on the first date. Though they are polar opposites, he fulfills her need of stability and she fulfills his need of optimism.Superb.
- StarsEmma PiersonSara StockbridgeHarry PeacockBritish remake of the American series "That '70s Show."Great series.
IMDb states "Only 10 of the 13 produced episodes were aired". Such a shame. - StarsSarah AlexanderNeil MorrisseyNathaniel ParkerDivorcee Gemma finds herself attracted to the roguish charm of Billy, a friend of her son. With her ex hanging around and showing off his new lady, can she resist?
- StarsAlan DaviesDarren BoydKatherine ParkinsonThe story of the executive chef at a country house hotel.Excellent. SO British; & SO great.
- StarsDavid HaigMina AnwarBeattie EdmondsonGerald leads a dysfunctional team tasked with making Britain safer. At home, he lives with his daughter and her partner, while attempting to navigate the dating scene on Susan's encouragement.Written by the great Ben Elton. Acted equally well. Cancelled. WHAT a loss. :-(
- StarsJack DeeRaquel CassidySean PowerRick Spleen is a world-weary comedian who ends up doing far too many corporate jobs to pay the bills.
- CreatorRick BermanBrannon BragaStarsScott BakulaJohn BillingsleyJolene BlalockA century before Captain Kirk's five-year mission, Jonathan Archer captains the United Earth ship Enterprise during the early years of Starfleet, leading up to the Earth-Romulan War and the formation of the Federation.
- CreatorGeorgia PritchettStarsCaroline QuentinNeil DudgeonLucinda DryzekSitcom about the dysfunctional lives of a newly married couple and the children each of them bring from a previous relationship.
- StarsKris MarshallDan JohnstonElla SmithA comedy about the world of estate agents. Bryan Dick plays Danny, who goes out of his way to help buyers secure their dream homes. He has to work alongside money mad Matt, played by Kris Marshall, and office bitch Mel, played by Christina Cole.
- CreatorSimon WheelerAlan WhitingStarsStephen FryKarl DaviesCelia ImrieSolicitor Peter Kingdom runs a small Norfolk legal practice with apprentice Lyle and secretary Gloria, assisting eccentric locals. Peter lives with unstable sister Beatrice and recently lost half-brother Simon mysteriously.
- CreatorTim KringStarsJill HennessyMiguel FerrerRavi KapoorBrash, stubborn and resourceful ME Jordan Cavanaugh revives her career in Boston, occasionally breaking the rules and ticking off the cops or her co-workers. On the home front, she gets crime-solving help from her retired-cop dad.
- CreatorDavid MaplesStarsMary McCormackFrederick WellerPaul Ben-VictorU.S. Marshal Mary Shannon must hunt down witnesses for federal cases in the witness protection program while also managing a rather dysfunctional family and her own personal life.
- StarsLenny HenryRoger GriffithsCaroline Lee-JohnsonFamous chef Gareth Blackstock struggles with dividing time between wife Janice and the restaurant. It's a good thing he can let off steam with his remarks.
- CreatorTerry GeorgeJack MapleStarsCraig T. NelsonRoger Aaron BrownSean Patrick ThomasChief Jack Mannion becomes the police chief of Washington D.C. and cleans up the nation's capitol.
- StarsJoanna LumleyNicholas JonesOliver CottonA 61-year-old woman copes with her life's unexpected problems.{UPDATE that negates the inclusion of this TV series on this list!:}
NOTE: Good news! I added this series to this IMDb list in 2015. The only series of the drama that I was aware of - & that I had seen - at that date, was 10 years earlier, when the programme was released back in 2005.
I have since discovered - but only last year - that this superb drama WAS brought back again, for a 2nd series, in 2007. Great news!
So, having found out in 2020 that there has been a follow-on to Series 1, I have just ordered the DVD of Series 2. I now look forward to watching the continuation of this insightful drama! - CreatorMark TavenerStarsStephen FryJohn BirdJames LanceThe inner workings of a successful PR firm - lying for a living.
- StarsPauline QuirkeIan McElhinneySteve John ShepherdA female detective inspector with a big attitude winds up her troops and her superiors, but gets good results. In addition to her work, she also has to cope with her ne'er-do-well kid brother.
- StarsNeil PearsonPaul ReynoldsRosalind AyresTrevor Heslop is a sports agent desperately trying to preserve his integrity even though he is surrounded by cut-throats. The biggest cut-throat of them all however being his friend and business partner, Sammy. His problems are compounded by a troubled marriage, a wayward son and arrogant self obsessed clients.
- StarsPauline QuirkeFelix ScottPooja ShahDrama set in a busy Missing Persons Unit.
- CreatorFred BarronStarsRobert LindsayZoë WanamakerGabriel ThomsonBen Harper, a misanthropic dentist, has little time for most people, including his wife Susan, and their children Nick, Janey, and Michael.
- CreatorDavid E. KelleyStarsMandy PatinkinAdam ArkinHector ElizondoThe lives and trials of the staff of a major hospital in Chicago.
- CreatorColin BatemanStarsJames NesbittDel SynnottClaudia HarrisonAs a maverick cop with a dark past, DS Tommy Murphy fails a psychiatric assessment but is given one last chance by his boss and given a dangerous undercover assignment.
- CreatorJames WoodTom HollanderStarsTom HollanderOlivia ColmanSteve EvetsThe misadventures of an Anglican vicar, his wife, and a small but odd group of parishioners in London.
- StarsEmma FryerTom BennettAndrew BrookeThe antics of the dysfunctional staff of Sutton branch of a mobile phone retailer.
- CreatorChristopher MurpheyStarsDana DelanyJeri RyanGeoffrey ArendMedical examiner Megan Hunt's unique approach to solving crimes puts her at odds with her superiors.
- CreatorPeter GrimsdalePaul UnwinStarsCatherine SteadmanZoe BoyleShaun DingwallA TV series set in early 1960s England and centered around the doctors and nurses in a gynecology ward.
- CreatorAbi MorganStarsRomola GaraiBen WhishawDominic WestA behind-the-scenes drama and espionage thriller in Cold War-era England that centers on a journalist, a producer, and an anchorman for an investigative news programme.
- StarsJack DavenportGina BellmanSarah AlexanderSix best friends talk about all aspects of sex and relationships on their never-ending quest to find true love.
- StarsReece ShearsmithAlex KingstonAdjoa AndohA missing persons unit investigate serial killers who target the impressionable and vulnerable.
- CreatorJimmy McGovernStarsRobbie ColtraneGeraldine SomervilleKieran O'BrienDr Edward "Fitz" Fitzgerald is a criminal psychologist. He is rather anti-social and obnoxious but he has a gift for solving crimes. Thus he is employed as a consultant by the Manchester Police.
- StarsRobert PastorelliCarolyn McCormickJosh HartnettUnconventional psychologist Gerry "Fitz" Fitzgerald is one of the best police interrogators in the business, mostly because his own quirks and perversities help him get inside the criminal mind.
- StarsGabriel ByrneBrian GleesonNick DunningA chief pathologist in the Dublin city morgue investigates sudden death victims in the 1950s.
- CreatorNick CollinsStarsCaroline CatzLisa FaulknerJeremy SheffieldThe series focused on various murders in the fictional suburban English town of Middleford. The crimes are solved by two female police detectives, Inspector Kate Ashurst and Sergeant Emma Scribbins, aka "Ash and Scribbs".
- CreatorDavid RenwickStarsTamsin GreigMontserrat LombardSheridan SmithAlice Chenery and Gil Raymond are perfect for each other. They like the same things, respect the same things, and share the same beliefs. The only problem is that they are completely unaware of each other's existence.
- CreatorDylan MoranStarsDylan MoranBill BaileyTamsin GreigBernard Black runs a book shop, though his customer service skills leave something to be desired. He hires Manny as an employee. Fran runs the shop next door. Between the three of them many adventures ensue.
- CreatorTom HertzStarsPatrick WarburtonMegyn PriceOliver HudsonTwo couples and their single friend, all at different stages in their relationships, deal with the complications of dating, commitment, and marriage.
- CreatorEmily SpiveyStarsChristina ApplegateMaya RudolphWill ArnettTakes an irreverent look at parenthood through the point of view of an acerbic working mother, along with her stay-at-home husband and opinionated parents.
- CreatorDmitry LipkinStarsEddie IzzardMinnie DriverShannon WoodwardA family of crooks assume the identity of an upper-middle-class suburban clan in the Deep South.
- CreatorMatthew CarnahanStarsCourteney CoxIan HartJosh StewartA tabloid editor and her photographer try to make their way in the world of celebrity journalism.
- CreatorGeorge JeffrieBert Tyler-MooreStarsRafe SpallSimon GreenallIan KirkbyPete, a journalist, is an average bloke, but what sets him apart is that his life is observed, analysed and commented on by two sports commentators.
- StarsOlivia WilliamsDarren BoydPeter WightWhen Geraldine Bretherick and her five-year-old daughter Lucy are found dead in the bathroom of their luxury home, the case divides new DS Charlie Zailer and her DC Simon Waterhouse.NOT the greatest chemistry between the two leads, but nonetheless a series that could have been built upon.
- StarsAlison SteadmanStewart WrightAshley JensenWhen Pauline Paradise decides that she has had enough of her immediate family, she decides to move in with her sister, who has a decidedly more unconventional life.
- CreatorBill GallagherStarsRobert James-CollierSophie ThompsonAndrea LoweA comic story set in a blue collar world, about love, romance, family and babies. When Joe returns from his travels he is shocked to discover that the love of his life is carrying another man's baby.
- DirectorGeoffrey SaxStarsPatrick KennedyTamzin MerchantEmerald FennellSet during the London Blitz of 1940, this is a world where people live life in the moment. It is also a world where criminals can use the blackout and devastation to hide their darkest activities.
- CreatorBen CourtCaroline IpStarsRupert Penry-JonesPhil DavisSteve PembertonA fast-tracked inspector, a hardened detective sergeant, and an expert in historical homicides investigate modern crimes with connections to the past in the Whitechapel district of London.
- StarsJay HuntTracey CoxJeremy MilnesReality dating show ... Transforming singletons who are hopeless at finding the perfect partner ...
- CreatorHank SteinbergStarsAnthony LaPagliaPoppy MontgomeryEnrique MurcianoSeries about the special FBI Missing Persons Squad that finds missing people by applying advanced psychological profiling to reveal the victims' lives.
- CreatorJonathan E. SteinbergStarsMark ValleyChi McBrideJackie Earle HaleyA unique bodyguard protects his clients by secretly infiltrating their lives in order to draw out and eliminate threats.
- CreatorTony JordanStarsBen MillerElizabeth BerringtonRaquel CassidySet among a fictional production team working on the real-life soap opera "Echo Beach."
- CreatorPaul MendelsonStarsEmily JoyceGeraldine McNultyHugh DennisThermoman is a multiple-powered superhero who originates from the planet Ultron. In an attempt to do his best to fit in with life on earth, he creates the human alias of George Sunday.
- CreatorTony BasgallopStarsDexter FletcherMartin MarquezMichael ObioraAt a posh urban hotel, the love lives and whims of its wealthy guests are attended to by hard-working staff who have their own troubles with love.
- StarsSteve CooganJames BachmanRasmus HardikerTommy, an ex-roadie, runs a pest control biz in Stevenage post-divorce. He lives with Magz and mentors his assistant Raymond, seeing himself as a maverick dispensing wisdom.
- StarsAnne DudekBonnie EngstromMichelle GomezThe Book Group" is a dark comedy that follows an American and the dysfunctional book group she forms in Glasgow as a way to make friends.
- StarsDavid MitchellRobert WebbSusan LynchThe adventures and politics of a British ambassador to a fictitious Asian country called Tajbekistan.
- StarsAmanda HoldenCaroline QuentinChris LanghamA situation comedy portraying the frenetic everyday life of a woman counselor.
- StarsPaul WhitehouseChris LanghamAlison KingA psychiatrist who helps various people
- StarsAlison LintottLisa JacksonAndy NymanWhich of the staff are safe at the surreal Kirke University when cuts are imminent? Writer of 'Joy Of Zero', Imogen Moffat looks safe, as does womanizer Matt Beer - vital for seducing the restructuring guru Georgina.
- StarsPatrick MacneeGareth HuntJoanna LumleySecret agent Steed, working for an unnamed branch of British intelligence, is teamed up with two partners to fight evil plots for world domination, dealing with suspended animation, biological warfare, robotics, and other threats.
- StarsTony CurtisRoger MooreLaurence NaismithTwo worlds collide when Lord Brett Sinclair, a titled British man, and Danny Wilde, a Bronx-raised, self-made American, reluctantly join forces to right wrongs and protect the innocent.Only 1 series of this superb drama was ever made. Such a loss to television, that it didn't produce more than those 24 episodes. Two great stars, & a blend of adventure & fun. A perfect case of 'The Saint' meets 'The Avengers'.
- CreatorMark McCorkleBob SchooleyStarsChristy Carlson RomanoWill FriedleNancy CartwrightA high school cheerleader and her clumsy best friend balance their duties as global crime-fighters with the typical challenges of adolescence.
- CreatorKarl SchaeferStarsD.B. SweeneyPamela GidleyCynthia MartellsA photographer suffers from "strange luck," and is the victim of both good and bad coincidences that involve him in the problems of others.
- CreatorNancy MillerStarsHolly HunterLeon RippyKenny JohnsonAn angel offers a jaded Oklahoma City police detective the chance to redeem her life.
- CreatorJason HorwitchStarsNeal McDonoughKelli WilliamsChristopher GorhamThe cases of an elite government medical investigation unit specializing in public health emergencies, such as serious disease outbreaks.
- CreatorMaurice GranLaurence MarksStarsHarriet WalterHenry GoodmanJaye GriffithsTen years ago, Spike ('Henry Goodman'), abandoned Amy ('Harriet, Walter') and ran off to Paris with his mistress. Amy never quite recovered from the shock and has spent all that time in therapy trying to come to terms with Spike's betrayal. Amy thinks she has recovered when her lover falls in love with and moves in with her own daughter and she finds herself back at square one, alone and miserable, with only the young, beautiful, popular, cynical Tanya (Jaye Griffiths) to comfort her. Completely out of the blue Amy and Spike literally crash into one another again in a car wash. Is there still a spark left burning between them or will past hurt and pain prevent them from reuniting?
- CreatorSimon NyeStarsPatrick BarlowImelda StauntonRichard LumsdenA British comedy series following the misadventures of a small law firm. The staff includes such characters as the young and eager bumbler Colin, the old and timid bumbler Bob and the stern and unsympathetic office commander Stella. Leading this gang is the completely incompetent Dick Spackman, who breezes through life unaware that his employees can barely handle their own affairs, let alone their clients'.
- StarsMyleene KlassKatherine JenkinsRolando VillazónEight pop stars or musicians have to learn how to sing opera. They are mentored by classical singer Katherine Jenkins and opera singer Rolando Villazon. One will get voted off each week until there is a winner.
- StarsTamsin GreigJo BrandFrank SkinnerSix celebrities each pursue their dreams of becoming musicians.
- StarsChris RamseyKimberley NixonLisa McGrillisSet in the town of Hebburn in Tyne and Wear, this series follows the Pearson family, Joe, Pauline and their son Jack, who has secretly married a middle-class Jewish girl, Sarah, on a drunken binge in Las Vegas.
- Arts strand billed as "an interruption to the schedules", featuring hundreds of 3-minutes films about everything, by everyone, for everybody.A great chance for a 3-minute show that could be made by ANYONE. But the series was removed from the circuit! :-(
Only 33 episodes were made in total. What a loss! Whatever those 3 minutes contained, it was a breath of fresh air. Plus the time slot was brief so it couldn't be said to be a waste: each episode took up no more time than a cup of coffee!
. . . And ANYTHING would be better than the 'reality TV' dross the TV producers put us through these days! Sigh! :-( - CreatorPatrick HarbinsonStarsTrevor EveHelen BaxendaleNatasha LittleFrom the first phone call with kidnappers to risky excursions into exotic and dangerous locales, negotiator Dominic King places himself in the line of fire to bring the victims home.
- CreatorTracy TorméRobert K. WeissStarsJerry O'ConnellSabrina LloydJohn Rhys-DaviesA boy genius and his comrades travel to different parallel universes, trying to find their way back home.
- CreatorJon Harmon FeldmanStarsEliza DushkuShawn ReavesZach GalifianakisA university graduate working in the city morgue is able to repeat the same day over again to prevent murders or other disasters.
- CreatorBryan FullerStarsLee PaceAnna FrielChi McBrideA pastry chef with the power to bring dead people back to life solves murder mysteries with his resurrected childhood sweetheart, a cynical private investigator, and a lovesick waitress.
- CreatorHoward OvermanStarsToby StephensRonny JhuttiRoger GriffithsTwo Detectives Jack and Georgina who share chemistry but have complicated personal lives.
- CreatorMatthew GrahamAshley PharoahStarsSamuel WestUkweli RoachOrla BradyEternal Law is an intriguing, fresh drama about angels living among us, helping and guiding humans when they are at their most desperate, set in the ancient city of York (England).
- CreatorSimon NyeStarsMartin FreemanPeter SerafinowiczKen MorleyThe series revolves around the store staff as they engage in a daily wisecrack battle with packs of DIY obsessed clients.
- StarsNaga MunchettyDeclan CurryGillian Lacey-SolymarThe BBC's award winning daily business, personal finance and consumer news programme weekday lunchtimes on BBC2.
- CreatorKay MellorStarsGaynor FayeNicola StephensonSunetra SarkerA family-run veterinary practice in Yorkshire. Sisters Anna and Sarah couldn't be more different, and long-simmering secrets may soon tear them apart.
- CreatorNicholas Hicks-BeachShelley MillerStarsClive RussellBrendan CoyleCal MacAninchDrama about the members of a Scottish mountain rescue team both on and off the hills.