Best short lived TV series

I kind of get bored trying to invest time in watching an old series even if they are quite good (or even great) simply because of time you need to invest to watch the whole damn thing ( Lost, Smallville, Buffy , Star Trek Voyager, Heroes...)


I have watched Tower Prep which was a 1 season show and was pretty damn good for a kids/teen series

I am watching Night Visions - Twilight Zone-ish thriller/horror/chiller anthology

I will watch Wonderfalls as that seems interesting

I have a preference for quirky, fantasy, surreal things - Anyone got suggestions?

There was this one a few years ago called 'Flash Forward'. I thought it was really good and a bunch of people at college did as well, no idea why it was cancelled :(. That was only 1 season (22 episodes I think)

The Dresden Files - Was very good and I really should read the books simply because I enjoyed the show so much.

You might have seen it already but the mini-series "The Lost Room" is really worth watching.

Oh, and "Carnivale" (2004) it only lasted one season so it ends a little strangely but it was good enough that I bought the series.

I am sure I posted a reply but it does not seem to have taken...anyways thanks for the suggestions guys - they all look interesting

I may try to see Joan Of Arcadia as it has a similar premise to Wonderfalls - 2 seasons of about 45 episodes...maybe too much

Just got around to seeing Freaks And Geeks and I highly recommend it

thanks for the recommendation of The Lost Room - very good

Yeah, Carnivale was really good. 2 seasons though - but only 24 episodes in total. I think Twin Peaks is still amazing (2 seasons, 30 episodes) But both were cancelled, so they are not really wrapped up in the most satisfactory of ways.

Btw, British and Dannish/Swedish shows have shorter runs.

Being Human (UK) and Misfits, first seasons, were really good, twisted supernatural creatures, and superpowers, respectively, and made it all interesting again.

The Fades was also fun and very short, if you still tolerate shows with teenage protagonists. And flesh-eating zombies, sorta. Great visuals, and some good ideas, some funny scenes, just 6 episodes.

Some sci-fi/fantasy:

Dollhouse (two seasons, twenty-seven episodes)
Firefly (one season, thirteen episodes and one film--Serenity)

If those are not comedic enough or if overarching season-long narratives exhaust you, then how about some short-lived "quirky" cartoons:

Dilbert (two seasons, thirty episodes)
The Critic (two seasons, twenty-three episodes)
Mission Hill (one season, thirteen episodes)
The Oblongs (one season, thirteen episodes, and the most fantastical of the group)

Or, best of all:

The forty-five-or-so-minute sci-fi/fantasy musical tragicomedy mini-series Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. Can't go wrong with that.

One of my faves was Alien Nation (1989). Sadly, there were only 22 episodes.

First that came to mind for me was The River.
www.imdb.com/title/tt1836195/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

I rarely like ABC shows but this one was really good. Only lasted the first season (about 7 episodes) and then they cancelled it. It's about a team who goes to the Amazon to find a missing TV host once they find evidence the guy might still be alive. They have to go to a really mysterious part of the river/jungle and it's got a lot of spooky stuff.

good suggestions guys - though I'll pass on Twin Peaks - David Lynch :( - and Firefly...I saw that years ago and just could not see its appeal at all

I just finished watching the Dilbert series - good on the whole but more weird and surreal than the comic strips, but too much Dogbert for my liking - great voice acting though


I may be a glutton for punishment and try Riverworld

Not sure why I didn't mention this before but if you liked Wonderfalls... you really should watch "Pushing Daises" there are only two (very short) seasons. I only watched the first seasons of "Dead Like Me" but it was fun and quirky which is something I like and perhaps should try to watch again.

"Better of Ted" was another very funny and great show that didn't last very long. And of course the UK version of "Life on Mars"... I didn't think that I would like the show that much but the music and humor was great.

thanks jaytoast - I hsd really mixed feelings about Wonderfalls - the premise was really good and the lead actress Caroline Dhavernas (sp?) was good but it slipped into predicible rom-com too quickly...as Pushing Daisies is from the same team of people I am a bit reluctant

Being a Brit I have seen Life On Mars which was good fun...English series tend to be short and to the point ...anyone following this thread and wants a quirky series to watch I recommend Jonathon Creek...a slightly off centre mystery series which ranged from some truly excellent mysteries to goddamn awful. The series is based on HOW the murderer did it. Overall good chemistry from the leads and just weird enough to be interesting and normal enough to be relatable. Only 28 episodes in total
Oh, and the great thing is that most episodes seem available on Youtube

I would say Arrested Development, but it's back. I see that you're a bit hesitant to watch Pushing Daisies, but I thought it was great and lived up to it's premise. Other short-lived shows that I'd recommend

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: Only if you like Aaron Sorkin's other shows (The West Wing, Sports Night, The Newsroom.), if not, it may come off as smug.

Undeclared: It starts a bit roughly, but towards the about the seventh episode, it's really funny. (Just skip the sixth episode all together. Adam Sandler guest stars, and the entire episode is essentially a whack off session to his "greatness.")

@BradWesley123 - good recommendations - Undeclared was pretty good and not too demanding

Arrested Development should be worth checking out---dont worry that its back on tv I just found out that Jonathon Creek series which I assumed finished several years ago had a special episode this Easter and is due to be renewed later this year

Sorry, what I meant was that AD is back, and not really short lived anymore. I've seen every episode, and it's my favorite show ever. I highly recommend it.

The Prisoner
Nowhere Man
American Gothic
The Adventures of Brisco County Jr
Life on Mars (UK)

Not on DVD but you can find them if you look around

The Others
Nightmare Cafe
Probe
The Phoenix
Strange Luck

thanks guys

I am actually checking out Neon Genesis Evangelion an anime series from the 90s - if you want to know where Pacific Rim lifted its ideas then this is the place- 32 (((EDIT 26 ))) episodes of approx 20 minutes each - so about 10 and half hours(((EDIT 9 ))) in total - pretty low investment - interesting to see how they had to make the series predictable yet have a story arc - I am surprised at how erotic in places it is

Another series for anyone else keeping track ...Welcome To Paradox - a short sci-fi anthology series of 1998 maybe worth checking out

Even though it reminds me of a Latino version of Dallas, I would have to say that Cane starring Jimmy Smits is one of the best short lived series. Cane basically is about a Latino family's rum making business' trials and tribulations. The show was killed by the Writer's Strike, sadly.

www.imdb.com/title/tt0955250/

If you have access to Netflix, and enjoy horror, I would highly recommend Hemlock Grove, a Netflix Original series that was a single-season project. Also, Dark Angel and Jericho, both of which are only 2 seasons.

I'd also recommend BBC's Copper, which has fairly short seasons. Sadly, I just found out that it has been cancelled, though the second season was completed.

Terra Nova its pretty damm good!

Add 'Vinyl' to this list. Phenomenal show that will now officially only last one season. Scorsese produced, with a ridiculously amazing soundtrack, top-notch production overall, and fun times with famous musicians from the 1970s

I loved watching FIREFLY.

Red Hand Gang