Top 10 Shows - lasting only 1 season

The Prisoner
This is flat out the greatest show ever put on television. The style is a rediculous expresionistic celebration of the absurd, the terrifyingly real and the paranoia that lives in between. McGoohan was secretive during it's pruduction because it was a vision, not a show. I know that sounds all high and mighty but this is fiction mixed with thesis; that's what art is. There's a surreal fear that hangs in every episode. The everyman of Number 6 is never named through the whole show (though in the books it's mentioned he might be a character from another McGoohan show). And, Number 6 is Joss Whedon's favourite TV character, so that says something too.
My So-Called Life
This one gets to be in the top 3 no matter how cheese it was. While the characters are drama queens and make the biggest deal out of nothing, that was high school. The design, costumes, music, references are all spot on. Hell, even the colours are washed out on film to make it more grunge. This doesn't try to capture life in the 90s. This is life in the 90s.
Firefly
Do I even need to go into detail? This show isn't sci-fi. It's not a western. It's a character drama. Sometime's it's a little frustrating in retrospect because so much of the big picture is left out and what is filled in during Serenity is a bit rushed compared to the show. I can't really blame that on the show, however, since I'm sure Whedon would have done it proud had it still been on the air. And Book. What's the goram deal with Book?!
Brisco County, Jr.
Before Jack of All Trades, Xena and all that shit there was a good Bruce Campbell show. This was it. Never seen it? Well, do you like sit-coms? Parody? Westerns? Science fiction? Then this show is for you. Probably one of Campbell's most earnest acting ever, it's also some of his best.
Nowhere Man
I know I already put The Prisoner on the list but this is a different show, I swear. Updated for life now, this is a spiritual sequil. In The Prisoner Number 6 is trapped in a small village, people know him and he knows a secret. In Nowhere Man Thomas Veil is trapped out in the world with no home, no one knows who he is and he has no idea what secret he's "discovered". Turning the paranoia up, upping the scale and taking away any semblance of an ally this is the show for the uber-paranoid. If you thought that the X-Files might be onto something then this will convince you that the X-Files was put on TV to discredit the real conspiracies. And unlike The Prisoner this show has a concluse albeit a rushed one.
God, The Devil and Bob
A smart cartoon. It's not preachy. It's not really even religious. God seemed a little like a confused old man who managed to keep a better hold on things than he seems. Satan isn't evil like a Nazi, but just tries to get Bob to not do the right thing. He knows how to work his audience. Other than Smeck I loved it. And seriously, James Garner as god and Alan Cumming as the devil? Inspired.
American Gothic
This is up here because Twin Peaks lasted 2 seasons. No, this is really a great show. It's small town bizaar and it might be a parable for the struggle of a soul or it might actually be a struggle of a soul. Who knows. Shows with satan are awesome! And he's a cop!
Freaks and Geeks
Dispite the fact that my friend Samm Levine told me he was going to try and get me on the show and never followed through (we were in NFTY together) I still like it. It's smart, funny and (I'm assuming) a hybrid version of My So-Called Life for the 90s/70s.
Clone High
Eris bless this show. Andy dick at his best. Tom Green at his best. And the entire cast of Scrubs before Scrubs existed (Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, Donald Faison, Niel Flynn, John C. McGinley, Christa Miller, Michael McDonald, Nicole Sullivan). Completely random humor? check. Historical jokes? Check. What else can I say other than, "I have your baby in me, Giraffe!"
Studio 60
I actually had Sports Night on here but that was 2 seasons. Oops. This was 11, now moved up to 10. Still great. I think West Wing might be Sorkin's most refined but I think he's at his best when his stuff is a little messy. His writing is so back and forth with a pitch perfect ear for speech patterns that letting thiings get a bit tousled adds just another layer of humanity and realism. His trade mark "pith and banter" is here and when he gets it rolling though pop-culture (like here or in Sports Night) there's not a missed moment. Do his characters talk a bit too fast, think a bit too much and know a bit more than anyone real? Most of the time yes, but that's what makes Sorkin (and Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gilmore Girls) shine.

Leftovers
Clerks TAS
Now and Again
Brimstone
John Doe
Mission Hill
Dark Skies
Tenacious D - HBO series
The Tick – live action
Sam and Max
The Ben Stiller Show
Oblongs
Drive

Shows I didn't forget about but were "eh"
Birds of Prey
Lone Gunmen

Didn't see this one
Standoff

Newageamazon and I worked on this together. Check out her Top 10 - one season shows here.

	rockinponda: 09/27/2007 11:31 AM Yay, American Gothic! I still don't understand what's happening in that show, but that's ok. One of my friends from college was in Freaks and Geeks. He was up to bat in PE, and he said "My what?!" Yeah...it was classic.
	bulletproofheeb: 09/27/2007 12:15 PM I own the American Gothic DVDs and I still don't know what's going on. But it's awesome still.
	rockinponda: 09/27/2007 12:38 PM Yeah, I have them too, but I haven't been able to watch the last couple episodes, because my mom's DVD player is really sensitive and mine's not hooked up. Everytime I'm with people and someone knocks on the door I get a very strong urge to say, "Someone's at the door" in that Merly voice, but I assume no one else will know what I'm talking about.
	bulletproofheeb: 09/27/2007 12:47 PM When that was still on TV is was a staple in my household. My mom and I both thought it was the funniest thing to say that whenever there was a knock at the door. Sometimes I still do it but sans accent so if people don't get it (they never do) I don't sound like a total freak.
	rockinponda: 09/27/2007 4:38 PM Haha! Do you at least do the creepy whisper?
	bulletproofheeb: 09/28/2007 7:36 AM ...sometimes...
	jenni!: 09/28/2007 10:24 AM i loved the black donnelleys but they didnt even last a full season. :(
	bulletproofheeb: 09/28/2007 10:27 AM Wow, I can't believe I didn't put that somewhere on the list. I only saw one episode so it's probably end up in the "I didn't see it" section to be fair, but yeah. That existed. Oops.
	JargonTalk ©: 10/01/2007 12:02 PM What a great list, and so many memories of some excellent shows, too. Especially liked your choices of "The Prisoner" (yes, Patrick McGoohan's best role), "My So-Called Life" (agreed, real life in the '90s), "Brisco County, Jr." (so many don't even know about this one) and "Nowhere Man" (agree with your observations). A most excellent list!
	bulletproofheeb: 10/01/2007 12:11 PM Brisco County! Oh, how I miss that show. I didn't catch it on Fox but then TNT used to play it all the time. No longer. Must get DVDs... But how did the half tongue in cheek shows like Jack of All Trades, Xena and Hercules (um, every Ted Raimi show other than SeaQuest) get more recognition than Brisco? It's a crime.