The Five Canceled Shows I Will Miss the Most

The first half of 2015 has been very bad for the TV programs I watch. Including the programs that had or will be having a planned ending such as Justified and Falling Skies, seventeen of the programs I have been following have been canceled.

Based on what I have been reading, it may be a side-effect of the demographic I inhabit, which is not the 18-30 demographic that advertisers seem to prefer because of their spending habits. I can’t change my demographic, or the statistics that apparently accompany us, so will I have to change my viewing habits?

Six of my programs were canceled after only one season. In fact, some were canceled before even finishing the first season! Yikes! I know I sound like an old codger when I say it, but is this the result of our instant gratification mentality? If it is not a hit from the first moment it airs, it’s out of here, or so it seems!

Of the seventeen shows, I want to talk about the five I will miss the most and why. I have not included any of the shows that had a proper ending, because while I definitely will miss/am missing them all at least I don’t feel like I was left hanging. For completeness, I have listed below all the canceled/ended/ending programs that were a part of my viewing schedule.

Canceled After One Season

Forever
Battle Creek
Constantine
The Messengers
Intruders
Gracepoint

Canceled After More Than One Season

Perception
Atlantis
Helix
In The Flesh
Resurrection
Sirens
Longmire (picked up by Netflix)

Planned Ending – With Proper Closure

Justified
Falling Skies
White Collar
Continuum

This program, about Henry Morgan who is immortal, really had a lot going for it, and I know there are a lot of fans that are up in arms about its cancellation. In fact, its cancellation came as a bit of a surprise to the producers and stars. Worse, the ending left the viewer hanging – will he or won’t he tell Detective Martinez that he is immortal? She has certainly witnessed some weird stuff and is curious.

I think she deserves some answers, and in my imagination, he does tell her the truth eventually and she accepts it – after a while. It always takes a while, right?

This program really was just getting started and in my opinion showed so much potential. It was the story of a small town police department with very limited resources and the FBI agent who was assigned to set up a field office there. Everyone except one detective readily accepts the FBI agent, because he is so handsome, personable and an all around great guy. But of course, he has a secret; something that happened in the past which resulted in him being sent to Battle Creek from Detroit.

In the season finale we finally found out what the secret was, so that is good, but it ended with Milt, the FBI agent, getting shot! Seriously – will he live or die? I’m pretending that he lived, because to consider the alternative is just inconceivable!

This show got three seasons before being canceled, which helps lessen the sting a little, but the supposed reason for it being canceled – that TNT wanted edgier programming – is just ridiculous in my opinion! Come on guys! This program was entertaining, intelligent, and fun to watch!

It told the story of a schizophrenic genius who acted as a consultant on crimes with the FBI. It contained interesting characters and the cases dealt with different mental illnesses which brought a new level of public understanding to these conditions. The finale did resolve one thread by allowing Kate and Donnie to marry, but it left Daniel hanging in his schizophrenic delusion, which was very unsatisfying. I choose to believe with the help of his friends he is doing better now!

A story straight from a comic book, I felt this show was also one that was just hitting its stride but was canceled after only one season. Each episode was better than the last and the stories held my interest and then some!

Constantine is a demon hunter and master of the occult. I was really enjoying watching him fight the legions of evil each week and really wanted to know about the rising tide of evil that was coming. I guess we will never know what that was all about, but I believe that Constantine and his friends saved the world!

This BBC program was not your typical zombie show. Oh, no, absolutely not! It took the road untraveled and looked at the issue of zombies that are cured, or mostly so, by regular injections. Now, don’t get me wrong, everything is not puppies and kittens! Nope, these zombies, or as they refer to them, PDS (Partially Deceased Syndrome) sufferers will revert if they don’t get their shots. They do not eat and their skin is deathly pale.

What I really liked about this show was that it explored issues of acceptance and alienation in a format that was out of the ordinary. PDS sufferer’s rights, discrimination, acceptance by your family and guilt for past deeds haunted every episode. The final episode left many threads hanging and not finding out what happens next is very distressing!

How has 2105 been for your shows? Are you feeling unhappy over cancellations of some of your favorite programs? Are you thinking of not watching new shows for fear of them being canceled? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below!