Old T.V shows that flopped when thet were first released that might do good today?

AMKC · 20-12-2023 11:35pm #1

One I have been watching recently is Stargate Universe. A lot of crap in it but I think if it was made today with just 10 or 12 episodes all that crap and filler would be left out and it woukd be a much better show now.

I never liked it at the time that it was very dull but think its not really so bad now once you skip by the stones exchange bits which was a truly terrible idea.

Gusser09 · 20-12-2023 11:37pm

Sliders.

Didnt massively flop but i think there would be an appetite for that type of show today.

Agent Coulson · 20-12-2023 11:39pm

I would not in any way have said Stargate SG1 flopped with 10 seasons and two movies and two spin offs that had another 7 seasons between them.

Having one of it's spin off end after two season was more down money not ratings if I remember right.

AMKC · 21-12-2023 12:04am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121520464#Comment_121520464

I never said that Stargate SG1 flopped but Stargate Universe did.

AMKC · 21-12-2023 12:06am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121520454#Comment_121520454

I have an idea in my head for a show like that but the more I thought about it the more I thought people will just think that its sliders again just slightly different and it would just be a flop.

Bobson Dugnutt · 21-12-2023 11:31am

The magnificent Utopia which was cancelled after 2 seasons by Channel 4.

https://youtu.be/r3gxwIqqzB4?si=qzuZis0fzHWDF1AQ

DellyBelly · 21-12-2023 11:44am

Was always surprised the TV show Brotherhood didn't get a bigger audience when first released in the early 2000's. Excellent cast and a great storyline - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brotherhood_(American_TV_series) .Think a show like this would do much better if released now

breezy1985 · 21-12-2023 12:01pm

Space Above and Beyond.

Was a bit ahead of its time as "gritty" sci-fi and certainly tried to do CGI too early.

That and Sliders (people love the multiverse now) are perfect for a reboot which is something I am usually against.

JP Liz V1 · 21-12-2023 12:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121521557#Comment_121521557

Excellent Underrated Show

FlicFlak · 21-12-2023 2:51pm

Terra Nova would have done really well today.

Dinosaurs 80 million years in the past, the CGI needed then was cost prohibitive but would be good now, excellent cast aswell!!

Tow · 21-12-2023 2:53pm

Earth 2

Radio5 · 21-12-2023 3:53pm

Eldorado. British ex-pats in Spain, they'd probably have a few issues to talk about which didn't exist in 1992/3.

MrMusician18 · 21-12-2023 3:58pm

Stacked. I thought it was hilarious, but probably a bit ahead of it's time.

SharkMX · 21-12-2023 4:09pm

The Time Tunnel

Tabnabs · 21-12-2023 4:16pm

Boss

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1833285/

Xterminator · 21-12-2023 4:32pm

firefly. was cancelled with some episodes not even shown, i think.

but it did great later with dvd sales etc, and eventually a feature movie to wrap the story up.

i

squonk · 21-12-2023 5:21pm

American Gothic, a show from the mid 90s about a family being menaced by a sheriff in a small town who had killed the younger boy’s sister. Great cast. Gary Cole, Sarah Paulson. Never really got the backing of its network let alone ratings which didn’t help as the network showed the episodes out of order in the first place. Loads of questions, who or whst is the sheriff? What happened the boy’s parents? I think it’d be a msssive show on Amazon or Netflix these days. Sort of in the vein of American Horror Story.

saabsaab · 21-12-2023 5:52pm

Police Surgeon. Great possibilities now with medicine and crime.

Nody · 21-12-2023 6:48pm

Firefly has to be at the top of the list; badly mismanaged by Fox at the time and would easily hold up today as well with potential for rotating cast as needed as people get left behind / die / join the crew etc.

wytek · 21-12-2023 9:12pm

Manimal

Automan

Salvage 1

saabsaab · 21-12-2023 10:19pm

Ghost Squad. Abour a special police unit to tackle unusual cases.

screamer · 21-12-2023 10:29pm

Anerican gothic had such potential but the us audiences found it too dark and it was cancelled.

another vote for space above and beyond also, id love a reboot

niallpatrick · 21-12-2023 10:47pm

Dark skies but Jeri Ryan (7 of 9) didn't fare too badly from being in it

niallpatrick · 21-12-2023 10:57pm

Eerie Indiana was another show that didn't get it's deserved full run.

Tork · 21-12-2023 11:30pm

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip with Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford.

retalivity · 21-12-2023 11:33pm

Dollhouse, I thought was pretty good, and had plenty of mileage left in it

AMKC · 21-12-2023 11:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121521614#Comment_121521614

I agree with both of these. Was looking at the Space Above and Beyond DVD in Tower Records recently. Very tempted to buy it but did not in the end. Might reco sider that. I might buy it yet as it was brilliant if I can not stream it anywhere.

Sliders was brilliant too. Loved it.

AMKC · 21-12-2023 11:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121524325#Comment_121524325

What was Dark Skies about? Sure I seen it but do not remember it. Did it get about 3 or 4 seasons and end kind of abruptly. Was that the show with the android in it like Data?

If it was then yes it was a great show and deserved to last longer.

Ten of Swords · 22-12-2023 12:16am

Bedlam

An indie horror show financed by Sky about 10 years ago. It was originally due to be 3 seasons long but cancelled at the end of Season 2 (leaving it on a huge cliffhanger 😡). The story at the time was that funding couldn't be agreed for the 3rd season so it just fizzled out of existence.

Horror shows are back in style right now though so I think it would do well, it had pretty good production values for a low budget show.

It was set in an old asylum that had been converted to an apartment block and followed the 'ghost of the week' format.

The owner of the place was actor Hugo Speer and he's in disgrace right now for alleged nude antics on the Full Monty TV show set so he probably wouldn't be invited back!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0aLi_Zel30A

Bobson Dugnutt · 22-12-2023 12:23am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121523064#Comment_121523064

Such a great show. Had sort of The X-Files mixed with Twin Peaks vibe going on.

whomitconcerns · 22-12-2023 12:24am

Live

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121523064#Comment_121523064

Loved it. Have it on dvd and download. Someone's at the door......

saabsaab · 22-12-2023 12:37am

Life (with Damian Lewis). Great series might work now..

ofthelord · 22-12-2023 12:45am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121521503#Comment_121521503

Has to be one of my top 5 shows

silliussoddius · 22-12-2023 1:27am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121523064#Comment_121523064

Reminds me of another show around then, Milennium starring Lance Henriksen.

riffmongous · 22-12-2023 1:47am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121524704#Comment_121524704

I don't remember anything about that anymore except that it had Damian Lewis and I really enjoyed it. I must give it a rewatch

GreeBo · 22-12-2023 1:50am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121520454#Comment_121520454

ahh Sliders, the rich mans Quantum Leap :)

tobefrank321 · 22-12-2023 2:11am

I could be wrong here but didnt Startrek flop when it first came out in the late 60s and was cancelled after a couple of years?

CastorTroy · 22-12-2023 3:10am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121524537#Comment_121524537

It was a show that tried cashing in on the X Files popularity. Set in the 60s about aliens being among us and involved in multiple conspiracies, including the JFK assassination, if I remember correctly. Only lasted 1 season I think.

Not sure if alien/conspiracy shows are popular these days?

I know they got to wrap up, but I would like to see more shows like Warehouse 13 and Eureka.

As others have mentioned, there are shows that suffered due to being ~22 ep seasons that would've worked better being shorter.

I think 7 Days could be a good thriller and could make it lighthearted as well. Maybe an 8 episode season with the first episode being the event ending with traveling back then 1 episode for each day, even though I know the original series was mission of the week.

I would say Cupid but it already had a second attempt in 2009.

I wouldn't mind Bryan Fuller trying again with his quirky shows like Dead Like Me (we won't talk about the film) and Pushing Daisies. They could appeal to modern audiences for their easy viewing.

bcklschaps · 22-12-2023 6:44am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121522837#Comment_121522837

"Boss" was excellent (Kelsey Grammer playing against type and Kathleen Robertson... Holy jaysus 😍) but was it really a flop? and would it do any better 10 years later. No & maybe.

CramCycle · 22-12-2023 7:55am

Most of the shows mentioned were not flops, they just ran out of steam but most got a few seasons. This said, this is a rewind of some great shows. Sliders, SGU, Utopia. On the basis of that I am going to have a look at the other shows on the thread. This said, they wouldn't do better now, it is just luck whether a show lasts on streaming services now as some absolute muck keeps getting refreshed as a lot of people don't want to think anymore.

saabsaab · 22-12-2023 3:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121524863#Comment_121524863

Great show. I think it might have inspired the mentalist?

niallpatrick · 24-12-2023 2:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121524537#Comment_121524537

sorry for late reply: dark skies was sort of like the X files but centered around aliens taking human form, parasitic aliens referred to as Ganglions secreting themselves in the skull of their hosts. There was also the classic 'grey' type alien involved as well. Yeah 3 or 4 seasons then cancelled. Nope no androids in dark skies as far as I can remember. Another poster mentioned 'space above and beyond' there were sort of androids or replicants in that show referred to as 'tanks' genetically enhanced clones. Might have been another android type replicant in the show about the super sub with Roy Screider, forget it's name. Dom DeLuises (American comedy actor) son played the clone/androidy thing.

odyssey06 · 24-12-2023 3:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121532979#Comment_121532979

Seaquest DSV is the Roy Scheider series, another one that didn't do as well as might be expected.

niallpatrick · 24-12-2023 7:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121533155#Comment_121533155

Thanks thats the show, star trek under water wouldn't really sell it to me as a TV executive plus the crappy CGI, all video toaster workstations the same as Babylon 5 and the stories weren't that good. A Crotechedy captain hot doctor and a boy genius who was best friends with a dolphin that could communicate electrotonically and always ending with a snarf snarf moment (thundercats?) plus flipper.

breezy1985 · 27-12-2023 4:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121533809#Comment_121533809

That show had loads of BTS problems mostly due to the producers and network panicking.

When season 1 didn't go as well as expected they went full dumb sci-fi tropes in season 2 and when they dropped the science and ecological themes for a more military one Schneider went nuts which is why he is barely in season 3. Constantly changing the crew lineup as well.

Good premise but not enough ocean stories for the old 24 episode non arc 90s formula.

The guy playing "the Wesley Crusher type" was tipped to be a big teen heartthrob actor but sadly killed himself in his 20s when the career failed.

Ash.J.Williams · 27-12-2023 4:53pm

Garth merengi was cancelled for low viewers and now selling out multiple nights live with a massive following

https://youtu.be/VamgprCpEGw?si=KrEj8oJMfai_Bqxm

https://youtube.com/shorts/5inJtEslM9s?si=HwkBs4LfZwZxKExi

Hangdogroad · 28-12-2023 6:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121522744#Comment_121522744

Nah, that show flopped because it was a steaming pile of poo with terrible scripts and acting.

Sleepy · 28-12-2023 7:01pm

Another vote for Space: Above and Beyond. It did okay numbers in the ratings but was massively expensive to produce at the time which resulted in it getting killed off. Would love to see it rebooted!

Evade · 28-12-2023 7:20pm

S:AaB really could benefit from a reboot. The premise was good, if a little weird having pilots also be an infantry squad. But a reboot could change that by expanding the cast a little. There could even be some tension if both West brothers were in the main cast. The might consider scraping of a little of the cheese too "Angry Angels" goes too far even by military moto standards.

breezy1985 · 28-12-2023 8:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121544456#Comment_121544456

That "cheese" was kinda a thing of its time. I would imagine a sci-fi now would be played much more serious.

Had some good world building and plenty to explore with things like the "tank" people.

amacca · 28-12-2023 9:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121521614#Comment_121521614

Am I the only one that really liked sliders at the time it was released

Old T.V shows that flopped when thet were first released that might do good today?

Comments

Being young is a great advantage, since we see the world from a new perspective and we are not afraid to make radical changes - Greta Thunburg

Being young is a great advantage, since we see the world from a new perspective and we are not afraid to make radical changes - Greta Thunburg