Great shows that were too smart for audiences

No, Sports Night made the mistake of having network suits who were about two years behind the curve in realizing that not everything had to be slapstick funny, or punchline funny, or whatever you want to call it. So the stuck a laugh track on it and fucked it up beyond recognition. It wasn't supposed to be a situation comedy. It was supposed to be something different.

And a couple years later you had a million shows calling themselves "dramedies" and wishing they could be half as clever.

Meanwhile, America got teary-eyed over the demise of Everybody Loves Raymond. Which wasn't funny, clever or dramatic.

 

Ben Stiller Show. My So Called Life started on network then reran on MTV.

 

After seeing Futurama on Adult Swim, I have no idea why it was cancelled. The show is clever as hell at all times, sometimes meloncholy, sometimes poignant, and sometimes sweet. And it never fails to entertain.

 

It had a laugh track in the early episodes, so I guess it was supposed to be a comedy.

I don't know how you quantify what is too smart for audiences, but there have been a lot of great, well-made shows that have died. Among them:

Arrested Development -- I'm still pissed its gone

The Job

Futurama

Gideon's Crossing

Push, Nevada

 

I loved Matt Pinfield.

When I was a teenager, "120 Minutes" was a weekly destination for me.

No one could introduce a video like Pinfield.

"And right now, we've got a new video from The Cure. The Cure is currently working on a split EP with the Smiths, who actually collaborated with the last record by the Pixies. Speaking of, a little later, we'll have a video from Kim Deal's new side project, one where she collaborated with Thurston Moore, Mike Watt and Henry Rollins. Rollins, by the way, will be hitting the road with his band to support his new album, titled simply 'GRRRRAAARRRGGGHHH!' Now, there's been some shakeup with Rollins Band, as they had to borrow the rhythm guitarist from The Dickies, who just wrapped up a tour in Europe. Not a lot of people know, but The Dickies initially had auditioned Paul Westerburg as their lead singer. Things didn't work out, and Westerburg obviously landed on his feet with the Replacements. No word yet on whether there's going to be a Replacements reunion, but a little later, we'll have a video from Tommy Stinson's new band, which also has backing vocals from Lane Staley from Alice in Chains..."

 

Arrested Development, Arrested Development, Arrested Development

 

I'd probably also nominate The Wire, which hasn't been cancelled, but only because its on HBO.

I don't know if it's too smart per se, but it might be too involved for the average TV viewer.

 

Actually, I think the term "dramedy' was used much earlier, and it was for a show that might also fit into this thread.

Anyone remember "Hooperman"? It had John Ritter as a cop and Barbara Bosson as his boss (I think the captain of his precinct. If I recall correctly, it was done by Steven Bochco after Hill Street Blue and about five years before NYPD Blue. It wasn't really a comedy, but it was only a half-hour.

Oh, and another show from the 80s for this thread: "Buffalo Bill" with Dabney Coleman.

 

Sirs, Madames,

My World and Welcome to It (William Windom with Thurber line-drawing animation, a comedy out of the pages of the NYer)

The Senator (Hal Holbrook)

Coronet Blue (Frank Converse, an amazing series, never jumped and the resolution, never filmed, would have been great)

Mr Smith (an incredibly lame idea on the surface, sublimely done)

Bay City Blues (had a friend work on it, shoulda had a life)

Man of the People (Jim Garner needed one last triumph and this should have been it)

Buffalo Bill and The Slap Maxwell Story (Dabney Coleman could have been a great heel manager in wrestling)

Paper Chase

My So-Called Life

YHS, etc

 

The Wire definitely qualifies. It's too complicated, everything isn't tied up with a nice little bow at the end of each hour and the resolutions aren't always pretty.

The show I really liked that no one seemed to watch was "Over There." Although, I think it had more to do with timing and being a touch too realistic for people right now. But damn, that was a great, great show.

 

Ledbetter, my interpretation of "too smart," is something that the audience didn't get or understood until it was too late, when the show was cancelled. Then again, everyone's interpretation is different than mine. But anyhoo, I forgot about The Job. I enjoyed Leary in it.

Paper Chase was the first show I ever saw on cable. I was too young to understand the synopsis, but when I have some free time, I'm going to find Paper Chase and watch it again.

 

Jackass.