Brilliant But Canceled

"It's a shame that we'll never know
The conclusion to our favourite shows
We will never know the outcome
Of those fanciful lives on TV..."
--Asthmaboy, "Down to the Puget Sound"

In no particular order, the top five shows I'd travel back in time to prolong if Hollywood were my oyster:

1. Freaks and Geeks (1999 - 2000)
This now-legendary period piece created by Paul Feig and Judd Apatow is a punch-you-in-the-gut realistic look at high schoolers on the fringe. It may be
set in 1980s Michigan, but the show itself feels universal. My personal favorite characters are the perennially hopeful-yet-dopey Nick Andopolis (mostly thanks to Jason Segel's absolute fearlessness in creating cringeworthy comedic moments); sweet, unguarded Sam Weir, who despite his lack of social confidence is a natural leader among his friends; and above all, perhaps the most heartbreakingly realistic geek ever seen on television, Bill Haverchuck. Ever since I first saw the show I've followed the careers of its stars, and I cheer as if for an old friend or family member every time a Freaks and Geeks alum pops up on television or the big screen.

2. Undeclared (2001 - 2002)
Another failed Apatow production, this half-hour comedy lasted less than a season. I was one of very few people who happened to catch the show as it aired, and it actually led me to watch Freaks and Geeks on DVD later on. I
was in college at the time, and what drew me in as a fan of Undeclared was
the realism. Seth Rogen, a star and writer of the show, got all the details right, from Jay Baruchel's Snood tee-shirt to the awkwardness of being sexiled by a roommate. This was no musty middle-aged interpretation of life for my generation.

3. Veronica Mars (2004 - 2007)
This high school detective show with a noir bent got a solid three seasons. Chock-full of fast, witty banter and a snarky female lead who often came across as almost brittle, the series became a cult hit. As many shows featuring high-school-aged characters do, Veronica Mars reached a challenging point at the end of its second season, when most of the characters graduated from high school. The third season, with some casting changes and a more serialized format, was widely criticized by fans, but in my opinion creator Rob Thomas had found his rhythm again by the end of the season. It was too late for the show, which had been plagued by poor ratings and a lack of confidence from the network since its inception, but rumors persist of a possible Veronica Mars film. We can only hope that the Hollywood Suggestion Box gods will get it greenlit.

4. Firefly (2002 - 2003)
I was introduced to the Joss Whedon oeuvre in my high school years, when Buffy the Vampire Slayer became a huge hit. I watched Buffy on and off until the Angel spinoff premiered, at which point I transferred my fickle teenage affections to David Boreanaz. Then I started college and forgot all about Joss and his wonderful Whedonverse. A couple of years ago, after watching entire seasons of Buffy on Netflix, I decided to give Firefly a shot. It's the best of the Whedon shows - whether due to its originality or its too-brief lifespan, which meant it never jumped the shark, I'm not sure. Unsurprisingly for a space western set in the future, it never had a big audience. In addition to its challenging premise, the show suffered from poor network decisions which caused the episodes to air out of order and made it difficult for any but the most devoted Whedon fans to keep up. Luckily, the Suggestion Box gods smiled on Joss Whedon, and he was able to make a followup feature film, Serenity, which is utterly satisfying in its own right as well as a fitting resolution of the unanswered questions in Firefly.

5. Arrested Development (2003 - 2006)
I became an Arrested Development fan very quickly, although the pace and sheer density of the jokes were so hard to grasp at first that I might never have continued to watch were it not for my more perceptive roommate. Marisa and I began to make it a point to watch, and as we graduated from college we kept watching the show from our different cities. It was a way to maintain our common language and our college friendship, and besides that it was hilarious. I, and everyone else I knew who watched the show, became something of an Arrested Development evangelist. We quoted our favorite episodes, shoved our copies of the series into our unsuspecting friends' hands, had gatherings to force our acquaintances to watch the show, and gave the DVDs as presents. I bought my older brother the first season for his birthday one year, and within weeks of his beginning to watch he had bought the second and third seasons as well. Four years after Arrested Development's cancellation, I still begin my emails to him with a "Heeeeeeeeeey Brother." As with my other beloved and low-rated shows, I feel a tremendous nostalgic affection for the cast and creators. And as with the others, I'm not alone in my longing for more of a good thing. Not coincidentally, there are rumors of an Arrested Development movie as well.