Four Canceled TV Shows That Don’t Need a Revival

BreakingModern — It’s 2015. Phones are big again. It’s acceptable to unironically enjoy Fast and Furious movies. And most importantly, no television show is ever really dead.

Before the rise of cable and streaming, if a TV show was canceled, it was done. Now, with all sorts of finished programs receiving additional seasons, like Community on Yahoo, and Arrested Development, Full House and Degrassi on Netflix (along with too many reboots to list), it’s clear no television show is definitively over in this day and age.

Still, do we really need all of these shows to return? I’m thankful Arrested Development and Community produced new episodes, but both of those had stories left to tell. Full House is unquestionably receiving a new season/reboot, but who really wants that? It’s not like we’re still waiting for any cliffhangers to be resolved (Will Uncle Jesse’s band make it to their gig on time? Will Bob Saget still play the most boring character on television?).

Here’s a list of four shows that, in my humble opinion, shouldn’t rise from the grave.

tv shows

Party Down

It pains me greatly to write that I don’t wish for the geniuses behind Party Down to pop out a third season because this showbiz sitcom, centering on actors and writers, trying to break into Hollywood while working as caterers, was a favorite of mine. Party Down showcased impeccably well-written scripts performed by more than capable actors like Adam Scott and Lizzie Caplan.

And still, this 20-episode storyline doesn’t leaving me longing for more. After its cancellation in 2010, there was a lot of talk about a third season or a movie. Nothing ever came to fruition, obviously. And this may be for the best. While it ended on a somewhat ambiguous note, Party Down told a complete story that was as sweet as it was hilarious.

tv shows

Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous

You’ve never heard of this show, have you? That’s okay. Nobody has. That’s why it was canceled. Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous was the creation of comedian Bo Burnham and writer Dan Lagana. The mockumentary style series chronicled a narcissistic teen (Burnham) on his misguided journey toward stardom, much to the chagrin of the friends and family he regularly mistreats.

MTV had a clear disinterest in ever giving Zach Stone any sort of chance to succeed, canceling the show before it had even stopped airing and never promoting it. Regardless, Burnham’s project told a complete story in its 12-episode run, featuring an ending that rivals that of similar mockumentary The Office (U.K. version). There’s simply no desire for more Zach Stone, however good it was.

tv shows

Futurama

Come on. You know what Futurama is. You’ll get no series description from me. Futurama, while one of the best written shows in television history, should definitely not come back from the dead. Why? Because this animated sci-fi comedy has already been resurrected several times! The show was canceled on FOX, renewed by Comedy Central for four television movies, and then renewed by Comedy Central again for four more seasons. Each incarnation of Futurama had a strong finale, though the latest was especially strong. We’ve just had too many Futurama finales, and it’s about time that one of them sticks.

tv shows

Freaks and Geeks

I was three years old when this legendary high school drama was canceled by NBC, but I’m sure it must’ve stung for those who were alive with strong pop culture taste at the time. Freaks and Geeks was about … you guessed it, freaks and geeks. Set in a Michigan high school in 1980, this Paul Feig/Judd Apatow venture was a refreshing change of pace from the Dawson’s Creek-type teen programming at the time. Freaks and Geeks was real, awkward, honest and not afraid of the quiet moments. It also served as a launching point for a lot of careers (James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Linda Cardellini and more cough).

Quite frankly, there’d be no way to bring back Freaks and Geeks that would make sense. A potential film could focus on the characters returning home for a reunion of some sort, but honestly, seeing any of these people in Chippewa, Mich., again might hurt too much, forcing us to wistfully consider what the show could have become had it been given a second season.

For BMod, I’m .

All Screenshots: Jordan Wold

Jordan Wold

Author: Jordan Wold

Jordan Wold is a pop culture obsessive writer from the Midwest. He plans on attending Boston's Emerson College in the fall of 2015 as a Visual & Media Arts major. He is also far too proud of his own tweets. Follow him @JordanWold1.

Share This Post On

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>