SURVEY SAYS: What Canceled TV Show Would You Like to See Make a Comeback?

Of course, some shows are canceled prematurely, some “jump the shark” and then painfully stagger on for a bit (generally longer than they should be allowed to), and others manage to enjoy a full run – but we still hate to see them end. 

This week I asked readers, “If you could resurrect one cancelled TV show, what would it be?” 

The answers, as you might expect, were diverse, and provided an interesting walk down memory lane. 

First off, the shows that were mentioned, but only by one or two respondents: 

All in the Family  

The Andy Griffin Show 

Arrested Development 

Cagney and Lacey 

Caprica 

Carnivale on HBO 

Cheers 

Countdown with Keith Obermann 

Critic 

Crossing Jordan 

Dallas 

Dark Shadows 

Dead Like Me 

Dresden Files  

Ed 

Evening news with Walter Cronkite or Huntley & Brinkley when news was news and news only. 

Flash Forward 

Flashpoint 

Ghost Whisperer 

The Gong Show! 

Gunsmoke 

Homicide: Life on the Streets 

I Love Lucy. 

Jericho 

L. A. LAW 

Life Goes On 

Life on Mars 

Monk 

Mr. Ed 

Perry Mason 

Peter Gunn 

Price is Right 

Quantum Leap 

Sex and the city 

Six Feet Under 

Smothers Brothers 

Sopranos 

Sports Night! 

The Agency 

ThirtySomething 

Twin Peaks 

Unit 

What About Brian 

Wild, Wild, West 

WKRP in Cincinnati 

Then there was the group that got more support, but weren’t enough to crack our top 10  

ER 

Friday Night Lights (just canceled). 

Heroes 

My So Called Life 

Making the bottom five of the top 10 were: 

24 

Carol Burnett Show 

Law & Order 

Lost 

Northern Exposure 

Seinfeld 

West Wing 

Now, before we get to the top 5, here are some of my favorite comments from this week’s verbatims: 

I guess I wouldn't resurrect any because I had to really search my mind for an answer and couldn't come up with one.  Sad commentary on tv programming. 

Lost was awesome; still having withdrawals almost a year later. Living vicariously through the island folk is more exciting than my HR/benefits real life. 🙂 

Made me laugh, made me cry and made me think. 

Why do the funny ones get cancelled and the boring reality shows keep running? 

I remember that my dad reluctantly bought our first tv and forever called it the idiot box as he maintained there were far more productive things to do. Little did he know that, on a device smaller than my mom's holiday placemats, I'd someday have the world at my fingertips and similarly lament the use of my productive time. 

But this week’s Editor’s Choice goes to the reader who asked, “Why hasn't Survivor been cancelled?  What a waste of electricity...” 

And now, as for the top 5… 

Star Trek 

This was actually tied for fourth, but I placed it in fifth because there were votes for the original Star Trek, Star Trek: the Next Generation, and even Star Trek: Voyager.   

But the truth is, most of the folks who voted for Star Trek voted for any/all of the above.  Live Long and Prosper! 

The Cosby Show:   

It ran for eight seasons (September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992), and its leading characters ("Cliff" and Clair Huxtable) routinely top our annual lists of favorite TV Mom and TV Dad.    

Boston Legal:  Ran from October 3, 2004 through December 8, 2008. 

In its five-year run, it was nominated for 22 Emmys (winning 5). 

M*A*S*H:   

The series premiered in the US on September 17, 1972, and ended February 28, 1983, with a finale that was the most-watched television episode of all time (an estimated 105.97 million viewers), before Super Bowl XLIV topped it (106.5 million viewers).  However, the ratings and audience share remain higher with the M*A*S*H finalie - and when the M*A*S*H finale aired in 1983, there were 83.3 million television homes; whereas in February 2010, there were almost 115 million television homes.

The series, which covered a three-year military conflict - lasted eleven seasons. 

…and the top vote getter in this week’s poll was… 

Firefly:   

Described as an American space Western, this series is the brainchild of Josh Whedon ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), it only ran 14 episodes.  But it found new life in the movie "Serenity."  If you haven't seen it - check it out! 

Thanks to everyone who participated in our bonus survey!