TV Shows Tragically Canceled vs. Crap That Lingered

[The new erato]

Same here! I consider The X-Files the greatest TV-show ever and I enjoy those 13 TLG -episodes very much!

So that means you understoos the grander plots and schemes? Please explain, I saw most episodes and though mostly enjoying them (until the show inevitably degraded) for what they was, I never understood the logic (?) behind the shows underlying premise.

[Teresa]

So that means you understoos the grander plots and schemes? Please explain, I saw most episodes and though mostly enjoying them (until the show inevitably degraded) for what they was, I never understood the logic (?) behind the shows underlying premise.

Their name has to do with the Lone gunman theory behind JFK's assassination.

"In the late 1970s, the House Select Committee on Assassinations concluded on the basis of controversial acoustic evidence and an investigation into Oswald's and Ruby's alleged connections, that President Kennedy was "most likely killed as the result of a conspiracy". This conclusion is also controversial."

Some say there was a second shooter due to the angles of the bullet wounds.
John F. Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories

"Most put forth a criminal conspiracy involving parties as varied as the CIA, the KGB, the American Mafia, Mossad, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover,former Vice President Richard Nixon, sitting Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, Cuban president Fidel Castro, anti-Castro Cuban exile groups, the Federal Reserve, the military-industrial complex, representatives of Big Business, or some combination of those entities and individuals."

Personally I believe it was the military-industrial complex who was in LBJ's back pocket as JFK only sent military advisers and refused to escalate Vietnam into a war.  LBJ did this right after JFK was killed.

So the Lone Gunmen used this name for the underground magazine to expose all kinds of government conspiracies.  A great show for all of us conspiracy believers.   

[The new erato]

Thanks for your answer, but I was mainly curious about the grander scheme behind the X-files series (which was screened on Norwegian TV)  was. TLG I've never seen, though your explanation is interesting!

[Sergeant Rock]

I'm still disappointed at the fact that, for only two and a half sparkling seasons, there was money in the banana stand.

Michael: I burned it. Down to the ground.

George Sr.: There was money in that banana stand.

Michael: Well, it's all gone now.

George Sr.: There was $250,000 lining the inside walls of the banana stand.

Michael: What?

George Sr.: Cash, Michael. What the hell did you think I meant when I said...
[strangles Michael, yelling] There is money... in... the banana stand.

Prison guard: [George Sr. quickly takes his hands off Michael] No Touching.

George Sr.: No touching.

Prison guard: No touching.


Yes...the cancellation of Arrested Development has to be considered a tragedy. If I had to pick the single greatest sitcom ever, it might be this one. Another outstanding show that Fox destroyed. They really are an evil empire.




Sarge

[Scarpia]

Thanks for your answer, but I was mainly curious about the grander scheme behind the X-files series (which was screened on Norwegian TV)  was. TLG I've never seen, though your explanation is interesting!

If the show had a grander scheme the producers could not remember it from one season to the next. 

[Scarpia]

Michael: I burned it. Down to the ground.

George Sr.: There was money in that banana stand.

Michael: Well, it's all gone now.

George Sr.: There was $250,000 lining the inside walls of the banana stand.

Michael: What?

George Sr.: Cash, Michael. What the hell did you think I meant when I said...
[strangles Michael, yelling] There is money... in... the banana stand.

Prison guard: [George Sr. quickly takes his hands off Michael] No Touching.

George Sr.: No touching.

Prison guard: No touching.


Yes...the cancellation of Arrested Development has to be considered a tragedy. If I had to pick the single greatest sitcom ever, it might be this one. Another outstanding show that Fox destroyed. They really are an evil empire.

Well, if they destroyed it they also created it.  I also think it is in contention for the best show ever.  But Fox would have kept it if only someone had actually watched it when it was on television.   

[The new erato]

If the show had a grander scheme the producers could not remember it from one season to the next.

My impression too. Hence the question to one who liked it who might have a clue. Individual episodes could be very entertaining though, though seldom exactly catering to one's taste for the logical.

[DavidW]

Thanks for your answer, but I was mainly curious about the grander scheme behind the X-files series (which was screened on Norwegian TV)  was. TLG I've never seen, though your explanation is interesting!

There is an alien race that had the ability to conquer and eradicate our race.  A small group of men in positions of power made a secret pact with this race.  They and their families would be spared if they worked with the aliens to develop a hybrid slave race, part alien part human.  Mulder's father was part of that group, so was the cigarette smoking man.  Most of the overarching plot of the show had to do with Mulder uncovering the conspiracy. 

You and Scarpia have the wrong impression, it was complex and had many elements from renegade aliens, the black oil, clones etc but everything was logically connected and only seemed like a mess because it took so long to tell and it was a mystery for Mulder to unravel.  If you made a list of the main plot episodes and sat down and watched them closer to each other you would more easily see how everything fits together.

[The new erato]

seemed like a mess because it took so long to tell

QFT.

[DavidW]

The key word is seems.  It wasn't a mess.  This does demonstrate why these types of shows don't work too well usually.  Few have the patience or attention span necessary to follow it.  I personally like shows with a story to tell, and not just the same thing every week.

[Scarpia]

The key word is seems.  It wasn't a mess.  This does demonstrate why these types of shows don't work too well usually.  Few have the patience or attention span necessary to follow it.  I personally like shows with a story to tell, and not just the same thing every week.

I see.  I stopped watching somewhere around the 17th season, and by then only a foreshadowing of the plot had been enunciated.  To bad I didn't have the foresight to see it through to the end.   

[DavidW]

Oh c'mon by the movie nearly the whole story had been revealed and that was only half way in the show.

And you know considering the fact that only like 10% of the show had to do with the main plot, you could probably leisurely watch the entire arc over the course of a few weeks or so.

[Scarpia]

And you know considering the fact that only like 10% of the show had to do with the main plot, you could probably leisurely watch the entire arc over the course of a few weeks or so.

That's my point.  The "main plot" wasn't a substantial part of the show, and it isn't worth watching a television show for a decade to follow such a silly premise, which could have been the subject of an Ed Wood movie.  I used to watch the show occasionally, mainly for the more humorous episode.   When it was over and came out on DVD I started watching it sequentially but it didn't hold my interest and I pooped out somewhere in the second season.

[Scarpia]

So the Lone Gunmen used this name for the underground magazine to expose all kinds of government conspiracies.  A great show for all of us conspiracy believers.   

Cut short because, although people in insane asylums can watch television, they can't buy any of the products advertised, which Fox had failed to foresee when they decided to produce the show.

[DarkAngel]

There is an alien race that had the ability to conquer and eradicate our race.  A small group of men in positions of power made a secret pact with this race.  They and their families would be spared if they worked with the aliens to develop a hybrid slave race, part alien part human.  Mulder's father was part of that group, so was the cigarette smoking man.  Most of the overarching plot of the show had to do with Mulder uncovering the conspiracy. 

You and Scarpia have the wrong impression, it was complex and had many elements from renegade aliens, the black oil, clones etc but everything was logically connected and only seemed like a mess because it took so long to tell and it was a mystery for Mulder to unravel.  If you made a list of the main plot episodes and sat down and watched them closer to each other you would more easily see how everything fits together.

The true value of DVD (or recently direct streaming) version of long complex TV series is by eliminating commercial breaks and compressing 60 minute show to 40-42 minutes of nonstop action for each episode you can actually pick up many subtle complex details easy to miss before......really makes a much stronger presentation and more coherent story line. Also not waiting a week between episodes is a huge advantage in understanding all the details of a very complex show

I really notice this on shows like X Files, 24 and a few others...........
Extremely cheap to buy complete X files DVD set on eBay now

[DavidW]

Scarpia the tv show wasn't silly for it's genre.  There were many episodes that were of the same caliber as the best of the genre, The Twilight Zone.  You have to remember that during that time the Star Trek shows went WAY down hill, and anyone wanting a scifi fix had the X-Files as the best option.  If you dislike the show and were such a casual watcher that you've only seen an episode or two, you probably are not the best one to opine about the coherence of the main story. 

[DavidW]

The true value of DVD (or recently direct streaming) version of long complex TV series is by eliminating commercial breaks and compressing 60 minute show to 40-42 minutes of nonstop action for each episode you can actually pick up many subtle complex details easy to miss before......really makes a much stronger presentation and more coherent story line. Also not waiting a week between episodes is a huge advantage in taking all the details of a complex show

I really notice this on shows like X Files, 24 and a few others...........
Extremely cheap to buy complete X files DVD set on eBay now

24 and Lost it really helped with.  But you know what it really, really helped with (for me)?  Babylon 5.  I only watched a few episodes when it was on, and I never got it.  A friend of mine had me watch it on dvd, and suddenly it made sense and you can see that the entire show was one story and follow what was happening to all of the characters.

Something else in addition to streaming and dvds is that when I watched Battlestar and other sf shows, the scifi channel would marathon run the older episodes before picking it up again, very helpful.  I remember when the Peacekeeper Wars aired they actually marathon ran the entire series of Farscape.  I taped it and watched a ton.  Super cool, wish that other networks would do that.

[Scarpia]

If you dislike the show and were such a casual watcher that you've only seen an episode or two, you probably are not the best one to opine about the coherence of the main story. 

I used to watch it when re-runs were shown on Saturday or Sunday night after prime time.  I'd estimate I've seen 50% of the episodes, probably none from the last 3 seasons or so. 

My favorites (that I can recall) were when the same guy robs the same bank over and over again in a time loop, the one where Mulder and Scully get stuck in some weird Texas town and some guy who Scully remembers as charming and Mulder remembers as goofy falls for her.  The "main plot" episodes typically bored me.

[karlhenning]

There is an alien race that had the ability to conquer and eradicate our race.  A small group of men in positions of power made a secret pact with this race.  They and their families would be spared if they worked with the aliens to develop a hybrid slave race, part alien part human.  Mulder's father was part of that group, so was the cigarette smoking man.  Most of the overarching plot of the show had to do with Mulder uncovering the conspiracy. 

You and Scarpia have the wrong impression, it was complex and had many elements from renegade aliens, the black oil, clones etc but everything was logically connected and only seemed like a mess because it took so long to tell and it was a mystery for Mulder to unravel.  If you made a list of the main plot episodes and sat down and watched them closer to each other you would more easily ee how everything fits together.

This is the best explanation I've ever seen for I Love Lucy!

[DavidW]

I used to watch it when re-runs were shown on Saturday or Sunday night after prime time.  I'd estimate I've seen 50% of the episodes, probably none from the last 3 seasons or so. 

My favorites (that I can recall) were when the same guy robs the same bank over and over again in a time loop, the one where Mulder and Scully get stuck in some weird Texas town and some guy who Scully remembers as charming and Mulder remembers as goofy falls for her.  The "main plot" episodes typically bored me.

Oh those are good ones!  I think I really liked the episode with Ed Asner and Lily Tomlin as ghosts, and the one in that small town where it rained whenever the weatherman was sad.