Best 'One Season Wonders'
 

For a deeper field, I'll consider anything with fewer than 25 total episodes as 'one season'.

So what's the best y'all have watched? I'm putting forth HBO's "The Brink" and the cult favorite "Firefly" as two series which, were shortened, had enough resolution to consider them completed story arcs.

Terriers

Only had one season on FX back in 2010

One of my all time favorite shows though.

Claymore (anime) - Show writers ****ed up by going off Manga and completely botching the end of the season so there will never be a season 2.

Luck (HBO) - Great premise, solid casting but got the axe as SJW's raged over the abuse of horses.

Hello Ladies (HBO) - Another show with a solid premise and cast. I don't even know why it was cancelled. HBO must have really really high standards.

I'm probably in the minority (since it got cancelled and all), but I really liked NBC's "The Event". It got to the end of season one with a major cliff-hanger, and poof, cancelled.

I also thought Fox's "The exorcist" was well done too (but it had 2 seasons I believe).

Firefly. I mean, that's the answer, right?

Terriers, Freaks and Geeks, Ben Stiller Show, Clone High were all good as well.

No, because I'm assuming there's probably a British TV show that was just the tits and only designed to be fewer than 25 episodes by design.

Because the limeys are like that.

Firefly and Freaks and Geeks stand out to me off the top of my head. Godless was really good too but I dont think it was planned to have more than one season so not sure it counts. Lucky Louie was hilarious. My So Called Life was pretty good as well.

Yep, Firefly is the answer. Was there another one season wonder that spawned a motion picture or propelled so many careers? Great characters with great actors who played them.

Never heard of this but after some research I'd like to check it out. Cant find it on Netflix or Amazon Prime though. Guess I'll have to pirate it.

I wanted to say the D&D cartoon but it ran 2 seasons with 28 epsides
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g_eN1oJRyfA" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Its Your Move.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U4I6P0g7HUM" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Nice, forgot about this show. LOVED D&D when I was a kid (cartoon and the game)

The Oblongs

Brink, Firefly were great. I'd add Profit to the list

Even though it’s technically 1.5 seasons (30 episodes total), I really loved Jericho. Non zombie dystopian stuff really interests me.

Brimstone. A fantastic show from the late 90s about a cop sent back from hell to collar a bunch of escapees from hell. Peter Horton was great as the cop, and John Glover was deliciously evil as the devil - I really can't think of a better devil portrayal in anything I've seen before or since - he was sort of a cross between DeNiro's devil in Angelheart and Clancy Brown's Kurgan from Highlander. It was well written, dark, moody, twisted and awesome.

Sadly, it was the baby of a Fox executive who got whacked, and from what I've read the new guy basically torpedoed it to spite him. Didn't even last a full season. ****er.

It was on Netflix for a year or two. Maybe they bring it back eventually? Ok x

Freaks and Geeks

Firefly for sure

I enjoyed John from Cincinnati.

J from C was shit, but it had a great cast

Sherlock.

Firefly obviously. Some others I'd second:Terriers was awesome. So disappointed when that was canceled.

Great show.

Another good devil portrayal was Ray Wise on Reaper, ran 2 seasons on CW in the 2000s.

I can see him being a good devil.

He was good but I may have been watching for Missy Peregrym. Can neither confirm nor deny.

Oh yes. Love her in FBI. She's hot as hell. :drool:

She's been in a lot of eps of VanHelsing on Syfy. In very tight clothes.

Watching the first episode of Reaper now. It's basically a comedy version of Brimstone. I dig it.

How about ‘Space Above and Beyond’?

Aired on FOX in the mid 90s. I remember liking it a lot, but probably doesn’t hold up anymore.

Party Down was 2 seasons, but it qualifies with 20 total episodes. Pretty funny. Lots of star power.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....aL._SY445_.jpg

If you can suspend the ridiculous concept that Marine naval aviators are also expendable enough to be foot soldiers, I'd say it still holds up.

Pushing Daisies -- just a damn interesting, unique show that I'm sure I'd have gotten tired of had it gone 3 seasons or more (they'd leaned too hard into the Ned/Charlie romance too early).

Better off Ted -- Really funny, really dark.

I think they both just slightly go over the 25 episode cutoff but Reaper and Dead Like Me should be considered. Also, I think I was the only person on the planet that watched it but FreakyLinks, a sort of Millenial X-Files.

Came here to post this.

I'd throw Terra Nova into the mix as well.

Here are a couple that I'm gonna mention that i know aren't actually that great.

'The Trophy Wife' was often tedious but I have a thing for Malin Akerman and Bradley Whitford is just entertaining.

'Go On' with Matthew Perry was almost good but just didn't quite get over the hump to actually good. It was viewable with the potential to have become pretty decent with another season to sort some stuff out.

'Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency' is one that it took 2-3 weeks of curiosity watching (as a Douglas Addams fan) before I decided that I actually liked it. Very quirky and interesting and I was bummed to see it cancelled. I suspect 'Lodge 49' will follow a similar track and get canned after about 22 episodes.

Conviction is the only new thing I could contribute.

It's not very good but MY GOD I love Haley Atwell.

Agent Carter too. It was decent but they needed to throw at least a little budget at it.

Loved Brimstone. My father said it was shot in "Spooky-Vision".

Wow, forgot about that one. Really good show.

I liked Agent Carter a lot, but it was 3 seasons I think.

I thought it was one. I could be wrong on that.

There is something about her.


https://photos.smugmug.com/Theatre/D...owder001-L.jpg


I can't think of what it is.


https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ca/d8...2ad4d4eebb.jpg




I wish I could put my finger on it.


https://66.media.tumblr.com/d46051eb...cu1so1_400.jpg


I feel like it's on the tip of my tongue.




https://pics.me.me/peggy-carter-42197431.png




Nope. Just can't figure it out.


https://i.imgur.com/5knT4hC.jpg?fb

Just checked: 2 seasons, only 18 episodes, so it counts. Good call.

Ooh, Matthew Perry reminds me of the run Studio 60 had. The kind of "behind the scenes" look at not-Saturday Night Live was enjoyable enough to overlook Sorkin's desire to preach.

Came out at the same time as 30 Rock; still remember a commercial with Tina Fey explaining to Alec Baldwin that he signed up for the OTHER behind-the-scenes sketch show show. The one without Sorkin, Perry, Whitford, and Busfield.

Everyone seemed to think 30 Rock would be the one to fail.

In fairness - it gets an asterisk and is in the pool via technicality.

26 episodes were created, thus making it uneligible for inclusion. However, it was cancelled after 24. The final 2 were going to be aired by were pre-empted by the NBA Finals and never shown.

So with only 24 aired episodes and as a clearly worthy inclusion in this discussion, I felt it qualified...

Is it cheating to mention Band of Brothers?

Freaks and Geeks.
The People vs. OJ Simpson

Yeah, I don't think a miniseries taken to its conclusion counts...

BoB and The People vs. OJ I'd count as anthologies since the latter was followed by the Versace miniseries and BoB was followed by the Pacific.

Good Call.

I actually tracked down a used DVD set of this show years ago.

I stopped watching Heroes after Season 1. Does that count?

The Spectacular Spiderman

The Night Of- one season, my favorite TV show of all time actually. Vice Principals is also pretty funny, two season show I think with 18 episodes.

Damn how could I forget Vice Principals? That show is hysterical.

2 seasons but glad you brought it up because I’d forgotten I need to go back and watch it.

Rubicon. One of AMCs first original shows. Might still be a thread on here about it?

Cupid. A great showcase for Jeremy Piven and Paula Marshall from the late 90s

Good ones.

Freaks and Geeks was perfect. I’ll throw in a new one, undeclared was a great show and highly underrated.

Now that's a deep cut. Charlie Hunnam, Jason Segel, Seth Rogen, Carla Gallo and Jay Baruchel.. nice.

Firefly might be the best show to ever get canceled. Deadwood (although it lasted a couple seasons) is right up there...

Under the 25 episode or less criteria...I thought The Critic was pretty good, had some hilarious moments. A cartoon made by a couple of the showrunners from the simpsons.

Technically it has 2 seasons but Greg the Bunny on Fox is sorely missed. And yes I know it was on IFC before it came to Fox.

Some of you watch WAY too much TV!

It went on for 3 seasons but Hung on HBO was an excellent show.

For me, Freaks and Geeks was an amazing show and I wish they would've done more.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8YMrdLZi-w8" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_sGZWHbyXKs" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Don't Trust the B**** in Aprtment 23 was really good, but it lasted 26 episodes over 2 seasons.

I was really pissed when Flash Forward only got one season. Loved that show.

something more recent:

What would Sal do?

ROFL holy shit that was a funny show. :thumb:

The Critic was brilliant.

The Critic got 3 seasons didn't it? I'd say that takes it out of the running here.

I remember it being on for a bit. And yes, it was outstanding.

EDIT: Well I'll be damned - only 2 years. Surprised at it's cultural resonance given it's short run. Or maybe I'm just WRONG about it's cultural resonance and there are only about 23 people who have ever heard of it or care that it was cancelled. Well **** those guys - I liked it.

There you are. Have I ever asked what the 'local' take is on Chris Lilley?

Saw he has another series out, and everyone is bellyaching about his cultural appropriation again.

Yes! Now and Again. I had forgotten about that one. Deserved a much longer run.

DOG BITES MAN

This show from 2006 was like the office, centered around a Spokane, WA news crew. The premise was they went into public and filmed around real people not knowing it was a comedy show.

Zach Galfinakis was one of the actors, was one of the very first things he did.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_Bites_Man#Episodes

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UMJdeqi3g4U" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Any of you guys watch JERICHO?

It was pretty popular and cancelled after two seasons.

https://www.netflix.com/title/70142437

My friend Skeet Ulrich was the star, He was our neighbor in Hollywood Hills (my couple of years living the Dane MCCloud life). Nice dude. A bit quiet.

Mmmm Andrea

Reaper. The first season was excellent, the 2nd not so much and it was cancelled.

Noticed UFO was on prime a couple days ago.

Loved that show.

I enjoy his comedy, but after a bit, it becomes very repetitious. like watching a jeselnic special :D

most i know, think so little of him that it's never ever been brought up. conversely, the aussie politician getting caught at a us strip bar...

pure gold :thumb:

Another single season X-Files=lite show I liked back in the day was Eerie, Indiana. It only made it 19 episodes.

A show that I thought was entertaining and had promise but was dumped after a single season was Surface, about a boy who finds a baby sea monster of some sort and tries to raise it. Unfortunately, it ended on a cliff-hanger so I don't think there is much rewatchability except to frequently see Lake Bell in bikinis.

http://i.imgur.com/RxLDQ9A.gif

Edit: The kid's sister was pretty hot too.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/...4Njc@._V1_.jpg

Indeed! As are almost all of the Gerry Anderson series, for those who may be curious.