Staying In

Entertainment Weekly recently put up a gallery of reader-submitted canceled, but still missed TV shows. Looking through the gallery was like looking at a collage of every show I’ve ever loved and lost. There were some omissions — Everwood, Pasadena, Profit, Miracles, Firefly, Cupid, Karen Sisco, Dead Like Me — but for the most part, the list closely resembles my TV on DVD collection. At least, the ones I could actually get my hands on. Unfortunately, too many brilliant, but canceled shows remain without a DVD release.

Here’s the list (with some comments from me) because nothing’s better than opening up old wounds and waxing nostalgic about the shows we’ve lost.

1.) Jericho

2.) Freaks & Geeks - I am ashamed to say, I still have not finished watching this show, even though I like what I’ve seen. Plus, you have to love a show that brings us a cast with this many comedy and drama superstars. I’m particularly grateful for James Franco (if you haven’t seen his James Dean TV biopic, rent it right now!) and Ben Foster. The show also featured Joanna Garcia (Privileged), who I find utterly charming and adorable, and the lovely Rashida Jones.

3.) Angel – The show was the spin-off of Buffy, but Angel quickly became its own dark, smartly written beast.

4.) Sports Night

5.) Grosse Pointe – A hilarious send-up of life behind the scenes of 90210-like show created by Beverly Hills, 90210 executive producer Darren Star. Coming from the original 90210, Star filled Grosse Pointe with many inside jokes. Unfortunately, this sly show was too smart for The WB.

6.) Rome

7.) Early Edition – Oh yes, my love for Kyle Chandler goes back to this show.

8.) Popular – I know a lot of people really love this show, but it was one of the few WB shows I didn’t care for. But thanks for introducing us to Christopher Gorham. And Bryce Johnson ain’t bad on the eyes.

9.) Drive – Tim Minear (The Inside, Wonderfalls, Angel) + Nathan Fillion (Pasadena, Firefly) + Fox = death.

10.) Covington Cross

11.) Veronica Mars – I prefer to pretend the show ended at season 1, but I still care fondly for the characters, especially Logan Echolls, one of the best characters I’ve ever come across on TV. Discovering what was really underneath Logan’s veneer and his secret love/hate relationship with Veronica during season one were two of the best arcs during the show’s run.

12.) Eyes – I’ve lamented before about this show, which starred nearly half of ABC’s current star roster: Tim Daly, Kate Walsh, Eric Mabius and Natalie Zea, plus My So-Called Life‘s A.J. Langer, Young Americans‘ Mark Famiglietti and Melrose Place‘s Laura Leighton, who’s appeared on plenty of canceled shows (Skin, Early Edition, Tru Calling, Cupid).

13.) Carnivale – Despite loving the performances and production values on this show, its meandering and confounding plot lost me after five episodes. Is it worth a rewatch?

14.) Brimstone - Never seen it, but John Glover as Lucifer? Awesome.

15.) Skin – This Romeo & Juliet-type show set in the world of porn and politics wasn’t brilliantly written TV, but it was an entertaining guilty pleasure that featured two beautiful leads (a pre-O.C./House Olivia Wilde, D.J. Cotrona) and the formidable Ron Silver.

16.) Once and Again – Perfection. No show has done talking to the camera better than Once and Again. It wasn’t a gimmick, but a beautiful window into the characters. Please come back to TV, Sela Ward. This show also introduced me to some wonderful young actors: Evan Rachel Wood (pre-Marilyn Manson), Shane West (never better than when he was on this show) and Julia Whelan, who, unfortunately, seems to have disappeared from acting. Oh, and it also managed to get a good performance out of Mischa Barton!

17.) Wonderfalls – My favorite Bryan Fuller series. Sorry, Dead Like Me and, sadly, the soon-to-be-canceled Pushing Daisies.

18.) My So-Called Life – I think it’s a real testament to the writers that this show remains as relevant, relatable and watchable today as it did when it first aired. Being a teenager has never been more painful and beautiful.

19.) Arrested Development - Another show I haven’t finished watching. Oops.

20.) Boomtown – Forget Mark, Donnie is the Walhberg that can act. Just check out his heartbreaking performance in this series, if you don’t believe me.

21.) Kitchen Confidential – Bradley Cooper, I’ve loved you since Alias, but this show just wasn’t for me. I’m glad you and the rest of the great cast have moved on to better things.

22.) Farscape – If I go missing, it’s because my friend killed me for not watching this show yet.

23.) Century City

24.) Jake 2.0 – Executive producer David Greenwalt (Profit, Miracles) knows about canceled shows. Like Bryan Fuller, Tim Minear and anybody who’s ever worked with Joss Whedon or worked with someone who’s worked with Joss, Greenwalt’s had more than one show canceled.

25.) Max Headroom

26.) Gideon’s Crossing – Andre Braugher. Enough said.

27.) Joan of Arcadia – I enjoyed Joan‘s first season, but Wonderfalls, which came out around the same time and shared a similar concept, although a completely different tone, won my heart.

28.) Homefront - I look forward to checking out this series, if it ever comes out on DVD. Not only does it star Kyle Chandler, it also featured Ken Jenkins (Scrubs) and Kelly Rutherford (Gossip Girl‘s underrated MVP, if you ask me) in a post-WWII setting.

29.) Jack & Bobby – The one Greg Berlanti series I didn’t fall in love with. I tried. I really did.

30.) Reunion

31.) Kindred: The Embraced

Which shows have you loved and lost?