Cancelled Too Early: 90s TV Shows

The nineties had the best television shows. And many of them were cancelled too soon. Perhaps this was because some of them were simply ahead of their time. Below is a list of shows that were some of my favorites until they were cancelled. These are in no particular order.

Covington Cross

Covington Cross was an excellent show that took place in medieval England. It's about a widowed father, played by Nigel Terry, and his four grown children. It was a bit humorous how all of his kids wanted to be knights. Of course his daughter couldn't be since she was a woman. Thirteen episodes were made, but they weren't all aired after the show premiered on ABC in 1992. It has yet to be released on dvd, but many fans have managed to obtain all the episodes including those that weren't aired. Other actors included Glenn Quinn (who also starred on Angel).

One West Waikiki

One West Waikiki was a very interesting show that took place in Hawaii. It's about a coroner, played by Cheryl Ladd, and a homicide detective, played by Richard Burgi. Part of what made the show enjoyable was watching these two characters interact. They never failed to make me laugh. The show wasn't a comedy; it was simply the way they would argue and carry on together that was funny. It originally aired on CBS in 1994. It technically ran for two seasons, but only twenty episodes total were made.

The Crow: Stairway to Heaven

The Crow: Stairway to Heaven originally aired in 1998 and was based on the popular movie "The Crow." In this show, Eric Draven is played by Mark Dacascos. The show is very similar to the first "Crow" movie and the actors were all great in their roles. The writers made the character of Sarah, played by Katie Stuart, a bit more sarcastic than the one in the movie, but she's just as likable. I believe they did an excellent job of casting this role. The Crow: Stairway to Heaven ran for one full season and is finally being released on dvd later this year.

Highlander: The Raven

Highlander: The Raven was a spin-off of the very popular show Highlander: The Series. Fans came to love Amanda, played by Elizabeth Gracen, from the few times that her character was on Highlander: The Series. Highlander: The Raven also starred Paul Johansson. He played a cop who found out Amanda's secret, that she's an immortal. Right after, he quit his job and started doing private investigation work. In Highlander: The Raven, Amanda's character seemed slightly different. I suspect that this might have been a turn off for some fans, but it didn't bother me. The show really just needed time to 'come into its own.' However, it was cancelled after the first season. Thankfully, it is available on dvd.

Kindred: The Embraced

Kindred: The Embraced was a TV show based on the role-playing game called Vampire: The Masquerade. The show is about different clans of vampires and how they interact. Some do not get along with others. The leader from each clan had to attend meetings with the other leaders. The show took place in San Francisco and first aired on FOX in 1996. I know the show is different from the game, but having never played the game, I don't know enough to comment about the differences. The show is available on dvd, and the dvds include an episode that was never aired on television.

Forever Knight

Forever Knight was about Nicholas Knight, an 800 year old vampire homicide cop living in Toronto who wanted to be mortal again. The only mortal who knows his secret is the local coroner, played by Catherine Disher. She is also the one helping Nick in his search for a cure to become mortal. The show flashes back to different times in Nick's life, showing his struggle with being a vampire and brief moments when he enjoyed his life. These flashbacks are similar to how Highlander: The Series did flashbacks. Other main characters include Nick's vampire father, Lucien LaCroix, who doesn't want Nick to become mortal again.

Unlike the other shows on this list, Forever Knight ran for three seasons. However, three seasons wasn't enough of this amazing show. Forever Knight originally aired on CBS in 1992 and was cancelled after the first season. After being off the air for one year, it returned and went into syndication. USA network had the show for its third season, and then it was permanently cancelled due to the USA network pulling its funding. A reliable source says the USA network couldn't have aired Highlander: The Series if it hadn't dropped Forever Knight because the people who owned Highlander: The Series wouldn't let them. All three season of Forever Knight are finally available on dvd.

Other Shows

I never saw The 'New' Dark Shadows, starring Ben Cross, because I didn't even know that it existed when it originally in 1991. The poor show just wasn't given a fair shake. The problem was that in place of airing the show, the network usually aired updates on the Persian Gulf War. There were twelve episodes made, but I do not know if they were all aired on television. However, the show is available on dvd.