Everyone remembers that show they watched that seemed like it was made for them personally. The characters meant so much to them, and the actors who portrayed them felt like family. The jokes always hit, andthe sad momentsleft them in tatters. The problem with the world is that those shows are rarely the ones that last. It’s just a cruel twist of fate that they seem to go for one or two seasons andthen get canceled.
Trying to explain to people why a show getting canceled is a big deal and having them respond, “I’ve never heard of that show,” is devastating. Perhaps this is overselling the fact that some beloved shows get canceled and then forgotten. But the ones that are important to a person never die. Maybe some of these largely forgotten'90sshows hit home the same way for some. Enjoy the nostalgia.
10’Millennium' (1996 - 1999)
Millennium
Fans knew they were set to get a version of horror and sci-fi when Chris Carter made a new show after the success of The X-Files, which he created.MillenniumfollowedLance Henriksen’s Frank Black, who was a former FBI agent with the gift of being able to see inside other people’s minds. He uses this talent to read the minds of serial killers and murderers and help the mysterious Millennium Group, which he freelances for, catch the criminals. Frank’s daughter Jordan also has some of his gifts.
The show is filled with mystery and intrigue, similar toThe X-Files, where nothing is what it seems.Millenniumbegan with high ratings, but the interest in the show petered off after a few seasons, and the show was ultimately canceled after the third.The X-Filesran an episode in Season 7 featuring Frank and the Millenium Group to provide closure for the storylines.
9’Kindred: The Embraced' (1996)
Kindred: The Embraced
Kindred: The Embracedonly ran for one season, but it had some memorable characters that might have been worth pursuing if not for a sad circumstance.The fantasy showfeatured C. Thomas Howell as a San Francisco Police Detective who learns that the mob boss, played by Mark Frankel, that he is pursuing is actually the prince of the city, the ruler of the group of vampires that secretly run the city. The show featured a strange bond between Howell and Frankel, who protect each other and work together to better the city.
It was based on a board game and also featured Erik King, Kelly Rutherford, Stacy Haiduk, Brigid Walsh, Erik King, Channon Roe, and Jeff Kober. It ran for seven episodes before its cancellation. Critics loved Frankel’s character, but unfortunately, the actor died later that year in a tragic car accident.
8’Strange Luck' (1995 - 1996)
Strange Luck
D.B. Sweeney had come off a string of films that had received low ratings and poor box office returns when he tried his hand at TV inStrange Luck.Strange Luckfeatured Sweeney as Chance Harper, a freelance photographer who frequently finds himself in precarious situations. He seemsto always luck outand be where he might be needed. The show follows him each week, helping to save someone or talk his way out of a tight spot.
The sci-fi elements of the show feature prominently as Harper was the lone survivor of a plane crash when he was a child. The series featured Pamela Gidley, Frances Fisher, Cynthia Martells, and Scott Plank. The show ran for 17 episodes and was canceled due to low ratings.
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7’The Ben Stiller Show' (1992 - 1993)
The Ben Stiller Show
The Ben Stiller Showhad a strange run, as six episodes aired on MTV in 1990 and then 12 more ran on Fox from 1992 to 1993. A 13th episode aired on Comedy Central in 1995, closing out the series that featured some incredibly talented comedy stars who went on to great things in entertainment. The Fox version featured Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, Bob Odenkirk, and Andy Dick as the featured stars with John F. O’Donohue also appearing in every episode.
The irreverent humor and silliness of the series weren’t for everyone, and the show never quite found its footing. But itwas created by Stillerand Judd Apatow and features Odenkirk, David Cross, Dino Stamatopolous, Robert Cohen, Brent Forrester, and Sultan Pepper as writers, making it worth giving a shot. The show won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program in 1993.
Herman’s Head
Herman’s Headstarred William Ragsdale as Herman Brooks, a research assistant at a magazine publisher. But the main story of the series is what’s going on inside Brooks' mind, as the show featured his four emotions reacting to different situations. ThinkInside Out, but for adults, as the four emotions were lust (Ken Hudson Campbell), sensitivity (Molly Hagan), genius (Peter Mackenzie), and anxiety (Rick Lawless).
The show also featured Hank Azaria as Herman’s best friend, Heddy Newman as a coworker of his, Jason Bernard as his boss, and Yeardley Smith as a secretary in his office. The series also featured cameos from Bobcat Goldthwaitand Leslie Nielsenduring its run. It ran for three seasons from 1991 to 1994.
5’Get a Life' (1990 - 1992)
Chris Elliott had been a staple on TV since the early 1980s, having been a production assistant, writer, and key actor onLate Night with David Letterman. After his successful run on the series, he had several TV roles before starring inGet a Life, which he created alongside Adam Resnick and David Mirkin. Bob Odenkirk andCharlie Kaufman were both writers on the series, which starred Elliott as Chris Peterson, a childish paperboy who still lives above his parents' garage in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The series featured Elliott’s dad, Bob, as his father in the show, as well as Elinor Donahue as his mother, Sam Robards as his best friend, and Robin Riker as his best friend’s wife. In Season 2, he moves out of his parents' house and into the garage of Brian Doyle Murray’s character. The show was silly and irreverent and was canceled after two seasons. After that, Elliott went on to make various appearances onThe Late Show with David Lettermanbefore ending up onSaturday Night Livetwo years afterGet a Lifeended.
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4’The Tick' (1994 - 1996)
A staple in the Fox Kids lineup,The Tickwas an animated series that ran from 1994 to 1996. Based on the popular cartoon character created by Ben Edlund,The Tickfollowed a superhero by that name, voiced by Townsend Coleman, who, alongside other superheroes, protects the City from bad guys and supervillains. The series features The Tick taking on a regular man, an accountant named Arthur, as his sidekick, as he fights crime in the City.
The show openly mocks superhero cartoons, as some of the other superheroes in the series are Man-Eating Cow, Sewer Urching, Breadmaster, Dyna-Mole, and more. It had humor that was meant for adults and also jokes for kids, making sense that it became a cult show among many. The show was revived with live-action versions starring Patrick Warburton in 2001 andagain in 2016 starring Peter Serafinowicz.
3’The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.' (1993 - 1994)
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
An Old West-set drama goes over very well with fans nowadays, as seenin1883and1923following the success ofYellowstone. But back in 1993, fans got 27 episodes ofThe Adventures of Brisco County Jr.,and that was all that came. Bruce Campbell starred as the titular character, who was a Harvard-educated lawyer who became a bounty hunter in 1893. The show was created by Carlton Cuse and Jeffrey Boam and had some sci-fi elements to it as well as a lot of humor, which Campbell has always been good at.
The series also featured Christian Clemenson, Julius Carry, Kelly Rutherford, John Astin, Billy Drago, and John Pyper-Ferguson.Brisco County Jr.was well-received by critics and earned a bit of a cult following. But the masses never bought into the long-form episodes and out-there storytelling. It was canceled after one season.
2’Parker Lewis Can’t Lose' (1990 - 1993)
parker lewis can’t lose
Ferris Bueller’s Day Offwas a massive hitback in 1986 and has remained prominently in pop culture ever since. Fox tried its hand at a similar take on a teenager who is cooler than the rest withParker Lewis Can’t Lose. The series starred Corin Nemec as the titular character, who is aiming ot fit in among his high school friends and rise up the social hierarchy at Santo Domingo High School.
The show focused on its place in the zeitgeist by frequently referencing other shows and moments in current pop culture. Similar to Ferris Bueller, the villain of the show was the principal, played by Melanie Chartoff. The series also starred Billy Jayne, Troy Slaten, Maia Brewton, and Timothy Stack. Parker Lewis Can’t Lose ran for three seasons and was created by Clyde Phillips, who went on to bigger success withNurse JackieandDexter.
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1’New York Undercover' (1994 - 1999)
New York Undercover
WithLaw & Orderbeing one of the most successful series of all time, Fox tried their hand at a Dick Wolf-created series withNew York Undercover. The series ran for four seasons and focused on New York City’s Fourth Precinct. It starred Malik Yoba as Detective J.C. Williams and Michael DeLorenzo as Detective Eddie Torres, two undercover cops who many of the storylines focused on. It was notable for being the first police drama to feature two African-American lead actors.
The series also featured Patti D’Arbanville-Quinn, Lauren Vélez, Jonathan LaPaglia, Marisa Ryan, Josh Hopkins, and Tommy Ford. Yoba is the only star who remained on the series for the entirety of its run. New York Undercover featured many actors who appeared inmultiple roles as different characters, a staple of crime dramas likeLaw & Order.
