brilliant but cancelled

[stokeriño]

Although it doesn't really fit in this thread because, well...it had seven seasons, ended at what was obviously the correct point, and the actors would never have signed on for more... How great would a new series of The West Wing with the Santos White House being run by Josh and Sam have been?

Edited July 6, 2009 by stokeriño

[Lowerdeck]

Titus - but as said earlier, Fox was holding it down anyways and probably would have been better suited for HBO or Showtime. Not surprised it didn't get cut sooner.

Veronica Mars - could have gone on longer. However, if it was going to be anything like the third season - should it have?

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

Somebody posted a point since last night that I want to talk about more.

I say it in that manner to build suspense because you'll all assume it's stokerino and my West Wing geekery coming to the fore.

It's not. (Although that would be great, but I'm sure at the time we'd have been 'treated' to guest appearances by Finding A Real Job Charlie, Living As A Hermit Toby, and all the rest.)

ABC ruined Whose Line is it Anyway?. They insisted on Wayne, Ryan, and Colin being in every episode - which gave the audience the impression that these three were some sort of masters of improv (even though really they just went through the motions most weeks and were frequently outshone by fourth-seaters like Greg Proops, Jeff Davis, and Brad Sherwood). Because of the decision to have three regulars, they ensured a backlash if they ever tried to do the show without at least two of those three.

As such, the Big Three could ask for more than their share of money - when any two struggling-for-a-break improv artists could have been plucked from Second City or wherever, paid far less, and put out a more enjoyable and variable show.

The Brits (in the first few years) had it right - change the cast up every week. Keeps the show fresh, and people are watching it because they like the show, not because they like "the black guy, the bald guy, and the tall guy".

[Hobo]

Veronica Mars - could have gone on longer. However, if it was going to be anything like the third season - should it have?

The idea for the fourth season was Veronica Mars in the FBI, I think to be set a little further on in time. I think. It is hard to tell if it would've worked, but for me it would if they just never used Piz again. God I hated Piz, and oh how I cheered when Logan kicked the shit out of him.

Season three wasn't helped by the fact that Percy Daggs wasn't in it very much and they killed off Sherif Lamb and the Dean (I don't know if it was the fact that that it was that he was played by Ed Begley Jnr. or what but Dean O'Dell was the best new character of season three), that and the whole not having a story arc that ran the full season. Oh and too much Piz. Too much Piz.

I fucking hated Piz.

[YI]

I didn't mind Piz...everyone on Veronica Mars was always 'too cool'. The last 'story arc' that never got resolved in Season 3 was fucking shitty. The Dean was awesome, I was sad when he got killed off.

Also, is the US version of Teachers actually good? I know it's got that banging blonde lass from Coupling (UK version), who's married to Peter Serofenzosdneodnwitz, in it. The UK version, at least the first 2 series (3 was good too, but not to the standard of the first 2, 4 was actually good, but the cast was SO different...the locations, everything, it just feels like a different program to me) is my favourite show ever.

I adore watching the early series of the UK "Whose Line..." when Clive Anderson is awkward as fuck, John Sessions being an absolute god, Josie Lawrence looking every bit a late 80's/early 90's sex goddess ( she's funny as fuck too), Paul Merton being, well, Paul Merton (fucking brilliant), Tony Slattery being a god (I can't 'remember' him, but I miss him being on tele ) and Mike McShane and Stephen Fry cropping up from time to time, being epic...man, so, so good. I'm off downstairs to see if it's still on Virgin On Demand.

Edited July 7, 2009 by YI

[Nerf]

The PJs.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

Obscure MPH Trivia #50929: John Sessions and Paul Merton never appeared in a WLiiA? taping together

Despite this, one of Paul's answers to "World's Worst person to be stuck in a lift with" was "Hi, I'm John Sessions!".

Edited July 7, 2009 by Mr. Potato Head

[YI]

Obscure MPH Trivia #50929: John Sessions and Paul Merton never appeared in a WLiiA? taping together

Despite this, one of Paul's answers to "World's Worst person to be stuck in a lift with" was "Hi, I'm John Sessions!".

Not true. Paul Merton appeared a bunch of times in the first series when John Sessions was on EVERY episode.

In fact...checking wikipedia...they've appeared together 8-times.

If I'm ever in London when I have more money on either a Tuesday or a Saturday, would LOVE to stay a day, go see the Comedy Store Players (preferably a night with Merton or Lawrence on)...would be good stuff.

Edited July 7, 2009 by YI

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

Maybe it was Tony and John then.

[YI]

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/whose-line-is-it-anyway

BEST THING EVER!!!! 136 episodes...guess I know what I'm going to spend the rest of my week doing.

Also, while funny on Whose Line...what I've seen recently of Greg Proops, he's been fucking terrible.

Edited July 7, 2009 by YI

[naiwf]

The US version of Teachers was especially inspired, I thought. They made it a more traditional sitcom, but part of me misses that sort of form when it's done well. NewsRadio, early Friends, Cheers, etc. all played with the form really fucking well and made the laugh track all but ignorable because they were pretty awesome and Teachers had the potential to continue that run and had some good laugh-out-loud moments. I only bring this up because there's maybe one person ever in real life or the internet who's even brought up this show's six episode greatness. And while it's not as great as the other shows, it's pretty damn fun.

Teachers was horrible. As a devout Sarah Shahi fan, I found that show painful to sit through.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/whose-line-is-it-anyway

BEST THING EVER!!!! 136 episodes...guess I know what I'm going to spend the rest of my week doing.

Also, while funny on Whose Line...what I've seen recently of Greg Proops, he's been fucking terrible.

Good when making shit up. Horrible when prepared or scripted. Colin Mochrie's the same way.

[Dr. Rated-R]

The show Stella, with Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, and David Wain. I thought it was wonderful, and I never really heard a bad review for it, but Comedy Central passed on doing a second season. Sucks. Though they are starting a new show, next week actually, with the two Michaels that I'm excited about.

Also, I got pretty into Human Giant halfway through the second/last season. I've since watched most of the episodes and I thought it was great. A little hit and miss at times, but I thought it had a lot of laughs. As far as I know MTV isn't bringing it back.

Whenever it comes up, I was always pretty bummed that the cartoon Pirates of Dark Water never concluded properly. Loved that show when I was younger.

Other than those three, mark me down for the usual Arrested Development/Pushing Daisies go-to statement.

Edited July 7, 2009 by The Rated-R Superstar

[I Don't Mind]

Invader Zim. Jesus that was an awesome show.

[TheSqauredCircleMessiah]

Although it doesn't really fit in this thread because, well...it had seven seasons, ended at what was obviously the correct point, and the actors would never have signed on for more... How great would a new series of The West Wing with the Santos White House being run by Josh and Sam have been?

I have heard that the producers were hoping that The West Wing would extend beyond a 7th season, which is why they moved up the timeline in the show so that the election would boost their ratings. I would have love to see a Santos administartion but more than that, the West Wing with a Vinick adminsitartion. Alan Alda was so awesome as Arnold Vinick, as was Stephen Root on that show and maybe they could've tried to get Matthew Perry to return as Joe Quincy as basically be a Republican version of Sam, it would've been awesome.

But yeah...SportsNight, definitely.

I also would have loved for Studio 60 to get a chance, especially if Aaron Sorkin got his head out of his ass and realized that people didn't want The West Wing comes to SNL. So much wasted potential in that show.

[NobBe Nobbs]

If I'm ever in London when I have more money on either a Tuesday or a Saturday, would LOVE to stay a day, go see the Comedy Store Players (preferably a night with Merton or Lawrence on)...would be good stuff.

I thoroughly recommend doing so. The January before last, I was there when Phill Jupitus was a guest, funniest thing I've witnessed in a long time, and I have special memories of it because he and somebody else took a minute to rip the piss out of my friend for suggesting "eighties porn"

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

Although it doesn't really fit in this thread because, well...it had seven seasons, ended at what was obviously the correct point, and the actors would never have signed on for more... How great would a new series of The West Wing with the Santos White House being run by Josh and Sam have been?

I have heard that the producers were hoping that The West Wing would extend beyond a 7th season, which is why they moved up the timeline in the show so that the election would boost their ratings. I would have love to see a Santos administartion but more than that, the West Wing with a Vinick adminsitartion. Alan Alda was so awesome as Arnold Vinick, as was Stephen Root on that show and maybe they could've tried to get Matthew Perry to return as Joe Quincy as basically be a Republican version of Sam, it would've been awesome.

But yeah...SportsNight, definitely.

I also would have loved for Studio 60 to get a chance, especially if Aaron Sorkin got his head out of his ass and realized that people didn't want The West Wing comes to SNL. So much wasted potential in that show.

Is well-connected lawyer to White House speechwriter a common career path?

[million$$man]

Sportsnight: I loved that show, and was dissapointed it didn't catch on.

Swingtown: It's one of those shows that you either loved it or hated it.....I got hooked from the first episode....Should've lasted more than one season, and would be a perfect fit for Showtime.

Herman's Head I loved that show as a kid....

[TheSqauredCircleMessiah]

Although it doesn't really fit in this thread because, well...it had seven seasons, ended at what was obviously the correct point, and the actors would never have signed on for more... How great would a new series of The West Wing with the Santos White House being run by Josh and Sam have been?

I have heard that the producers were hoping that The West Wing would extend beyond a 7th season, which is why they moved up the timeline in the show so that the election would boost their ratings. I would have love to see a Santos administartion but more than that, the West Wing with a Vinick adminsitartion. Alan Alda was so awesome as Arnold Vinick, as was Stephen Root on that show and maybe they could've tried to get Matthew Perry to return as Joe Quincy as basically be a Republican version of Sam, it would've been awesome.

But yeah...SportsNight, definitely.

I also would have loved for Studio 60 to get a chance, especially if Aaron Sorkin got his head out of his ass and realized that people didn't want The West Wing comes to SNL. So much wasted potential in that show.

Is well-connected lawyer to White House speechwriter a common career path?

Sam was a lawyer before he came to the Bartlet campaign

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

...touché.