bump- surely, after the first half of the season, we can add some more.

eta: For the poster who long ago asked:

That's Life was about a young divorced (?) woman, Mary Paige Kent, who also was an Italian-American New Yorker. Her folks were played by Ellen Burstyn and Paul Sorvino (who should be another honorary member here.)

It was a nice show about family and slice-of-life things. I only got interested when Titus Welliver showed up as a doctor.


And due to Enterprise getting canned, add Scott Bakula with a couple of good "long term" roles, but a path of crashed and burned series behind him (Mr. & Mrs. Smith, with Maria Bello, anyone?)

A shoo-in for this thread is Penn Badgely, who was awesome on the awesome-but-cancelled sitcom Do Over, and awesome on the awesomely-bad The Mountain this year. That guy deserves a good project.

He will play a blind detective or cop-like character on the upcoming...shoot, I don't remember the name right now. I think it's Blind Justice, but that's too chliche to be true.

Good news: Richard Burgi got himself a nice job on Point Pleasant

Bad news: I tried for the first three episodes, but Point Pleasant is totally unwatchable.

So doesn't that put him back to square one? (I'm assuming the show will be cancelled right quick if it's that bad.)
I wish Burgi's sidekick from The Sentinel, Garrett Maggart, would catch a break. I thought he was a very good actor and besides, he has purty eyes...

And yet it is true. If you can forgive the terrible title, however, this show may actually have the potential to be good; they've got the amazing blind poet/actor/writer, Lynn Manning, as their technical advisor, so it may not be too cheesy. Let us hope so, for Mr. Eldard's sake.

I'm a huge Jason Gedrick fan who not only thinks he's quite talented, but that many of his shows that 'tanked' were of very high quality [Murder One, Easy Streets...] He's been dubbed a 'showkiller' but I think he can still deliver the goods and I hope some day he has a giant hit.

I'll add Busy Phillips to this list.

Consider:
Key role on Freaks & Geeks. Show cancelled after just one season.
Guest appearance on Undeclared (which I liked). Show fails to make it to the end of its lone season (which F&G at least pulled off).
After an acclaimed recurring turn as Audrey on Dawson's Creek's Season 5, is promoted to full-time cast member for Season 6. Season 6 turns out to be The Creek's last. Worse, Audrey is completely ruined in Season 6 due to putrid writing and direction. *blehhhhh*
Finally, has guest appearance on the January 20 episode of Life As We Know It. The very next day, boom! LaWKI suddenly gets the boom lowered on it.
Coincidence?!? You be the judge.
At least BP might do better on the big screen...wait, she did "The Smokers". Oh, well.....

And a big slice of pizza to all the posters who remembered the much-missed That's Life. If I can't have that underappreciated show back on TV, then at least have Heather Paige Kent (yeah, I know she kills shows, but at least she wasn't that bad as Lydia; never saw Jenny or SRM) in a movie or something.

I've only seen her in Oh Baby (wow, that was ages ago...), but I'll still second that.

Margaret Colin- I have no idea why she isn't ridiculously famous, because I just adore her. I'm still pissed off they cancelled Now & Again, and Colin's resume also includes Leg Work that aired on CBS a zillion years ago and also starred Frances McDormand, some show called Sibs that I don't remember at all, and a couple of other dead-end series in the 80s. And I still have no idea how Madigan Men tanked so horribly with Gabriel Byrne, Sabrina Lloyd, and Margaret on the cast.

Give this woman her Murphy Brown or CJ Cregg. She will hit that mother out of the park.

The King of failed TV series is probably Ben Murphy, whose IMDb entry lists nine shows that didn't make it. One of them was "Gemini Man", in which he played a spy (or something) with the power to make himself invisible. Two episodes of the series were uneasily spliced together to create the "movie" Riding With Death, which became one of my favorite MST3K episodes.

How many shows did Maclean Stevenson make after he left "M*A*S*H"?

Actually, NBC didn't air all of the Freaks and Geeks that they ordered. Several of the episodes had their broadcast premiere when the series resurfaced on The Family Channel.

Oops!

cynicat x, I don't know. Television success is bewildering. If One Tree Hill, Seventh Heaven, and Charmed are still on the air then anything is possible as far as I'm concerened. The one thing I've learned about the medium is to never underestimate the ability of complete garbage to prosper and fester. That being said........I don't see how Point Pleasant could possibly be a long term hit. Besides there's another actress I'd like to get out of that quicksand.

Agreed. Neither Vega$ nor Spenser for Hire were failures on the level of many of the people noted in this thread. 3 seasons each, and at least a modicum of lasting cultural awareness.

I agree with the person who said that Dabney Coleman is the ultimate person for this thread. Unlike Ted McGinley, he wasn't so much a show-killa as much as a guy who Johnny Nielson just never GOT.


It wasn't leaving M*A*S*H which killed his career as much as actually BEING on a little show called Hello, Larry--infamous as one of the worst sitcoms ever made.

Hello? With all the hype that surrounded life w/ bonnie about Bonnie Hunt never keeping a show, and then of course, when life w/ bonnie wasn't...kept, why has no one mentioned the really talented Bonnie Hunt? I know she's been in many and the last did really well. David Alan Grier was there too, and he's had some tanks outside of In Living Color. This sort of runs into the territory of Whoopi! I posted about Wren T. Brown on another board, he played whoopi's ultra conservative brother, and was received well by critics. I know he's been on many other things as well as commercials, I'd like to see him do well, he's getting a guest spot on half and half, on UPN, but unfortunately that's really going to help.

I nominate Jewel Staite. Was on Flash Forward, but the show was canned when ABC and the Disney Channel didn't know what to do with it. Went on to Nickelodeon's Space Cases, was on there for a season when her character's "imaginary" friend replaced Catalina, her character. Then went on to Higher Ground (cancelled) and Firefly (also cancelled).

I love Penn Badgley!!! If the WB is smart, they should start grooming him as the heir apparent teen heartthorb since he actually is a teenager ( or at least pretty damn close).

If Everwood ever did a flashback episode featuring young Patch Abbott, Jewel Straite would be perfect as young Rose.

I wouldn't worry too much about Piven, he's John Cusack's* best friend which is why you've seen him in movies like Grosse Point Blank and Serendipity and Runaway Jury.

* My #1 movie boyfrined.

Margaret Colin is married to Justin Deas. Maybe you are thinking of Blair Brown--she and Richard Jordan had a long-term relationship and a son together.

Carla Gugino - joined Falcon's Crest the year it folded. Fired from the first season of Spin City because they decided Michael J Fox shouldn't have a love interest, then hired Paula Marshall - a 2-stars-one-slot version of Carla, who's had I think six failed series herself - to play his love interest. Joined Chicago Hope the year it folded. Given the lead in Karen Sisco, which got canned before it ever really got going. I know with her movie work she's got a decent career, but I do wish she'd get one really good go at a series.

Actually, Karen Sisco had lots of these actors:

Peter Horton - he will always have Thirtysomething, and he's done some good directing work, but - The Geena Davis Show. Brimstone. Parts that went nowhere in doomed series LAX and Line of Fire.

Gary Cole - Midnight Caller (although that didn't do too bad). American Gothic. Crusade. Family Affair.

Kate Walsh - Turks. The Mike O'Malley Show. The Fugitive. The Men's Room. Joint Custody.

Some shows, like Lost, give these actors a whole new lease of life. Others, like Karen Sisco or Andy Richter, are like black holes of genuine talent. You're so pleased they got a decent role on an interesting-looking series, but you're pretty sure that means it's all about to fall apart.

Sharon Lawrence.


I believe she had her biggest success on NYPD Blue (never watched it--yes, I was the one), but after she left that, there was a string of unsuccessful shows. Fired Up, Ladies' Man, and Wolf Lake, to name a few.

Too bad. Luuuvvv that woman. I would watch a TV show of her reading the New York City yellow pages, if they'd make one.

Paget Brewster, late of Andy Richter, has been in 5 or 6 failed series so far.

I'm not sure why, but Traylor Howard seems to be sit-com kryptonite. Neither Boston Common nor Two Guys, a Girl... lasted a full two seasons. She then had a show on NBC with Nathan Lane, or someone, that I don't think lasted two episodes.

Now that she's hopping on an already established show (Monk), we'll see if her luck turns. For her sake, I hope so, but I'm not making any bets.

Chris Gorham or is it Gorman, not too sure.

He off Popular which got stomped on, interesting show actually, as an idea, I normally detest teen shows. Then he went to Jake 2.0 and that got stomped out.
Wonder whether he's gonna get any luckier on Medical Investigations.

I would add the British comic actress the late, great Joan Sims to the list.

She may have done the odd bareable slot on some comic vehicle for somebody else, the Carry On movies are the perfect example but she usually ended up doing tripe.

Example, she did Worzel Gomage about a scarecrow who came alive played by Jon Pertwee the 3rd Doctor Who, and then one of single weirdest turns ever in the role of Katryca on Doctor Who, 'Trials of a Time Lord' parts 1-4 during the 6th Doctor (Colin Baker) era. She died in 2002 I think penniless and basically alone, a lost firmament in the British comedy crown.

I know you are gonna think that referencing a movie series isn't strictly speaking on-topic, but then again everybody who went on these things were brought up from so-so comedies on t.v. and radio, Hattie Jacques, another series veteran was primarily a t.v. actor who never got a shot at anything decent on her own, she was always paired off with an impotent man and forced to remain grossly overweight because they typecast her, she desperately wanted to slim and died of a heart attack before her time in 1980. Most of them struggled to find a place on other people's shows and eventually gave up trying, Kenneth Williams is the perfect example, and resigned himself to ever more ridiculous and excrusiating talk show appearances in the 1970s.

Joan Sims was very popular - and, IMHO, good - in a recurring role in "As Time Goes By" as Rocky's drum-playing second wife, Madge. It was only her death that ended her time with that excellent and successful series.

Actually, Two Guys and a Girl, or whatever it's called, lasted a mind-numbing four full seasons.

And there was also the brief TV version of "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," which also featured Richard Dean Anderson (pre-MacGyver) and River Phoenix (pre-everything).

Andre Braugher, who was nothing short of brilliant on Homicide: Life on the Street and then went on to Gideon's Crossing and Hack.

Word on Busy Phillips and Carla Gugino.

Wow. I stand corrected. It even very nearly hit the 100-episode mark.

I nominate the cast of Twin Peaks, aside from Lara Flynn Boyle and Heather Graham (hated Annie). Michael J. Anderson (The Dancing Dwarf) is now starring on Carnivale. I love him, but not as much competition, you know?

Many of them have crossed over to crappy movies, B-movies, TV movies, and guest starring roles, but no big hits for this very talented group.

I mean Sherilyn Fenn alone was a goddess. What happened? I see her screwing her stepson as an SVU baddie of the week.

Isn't he on one of the Law & Order shows? I'm trying to remember the exact title of the show (which is a shame, because I love it!). It's the one with the guy who's practically a savant he's so brilliant at solving crimes. Hmmm..."Criminal Intent"??? I think that's it.

Anyway, I love this topic! I'll have to think a bit about who to add to your list.

The DA on L&O:CI is played by Courtney B. Vance, if that's who you're thinking of. Poor Andre Braugher has been sucked into many sucky shows.

SF should have stayed on as a Harley Quinn on Birds of Prey. I think that she had an edge that her replacment didn't have, and sometimes a show is only as good as the guys who plays the villians. Where would Smallville have been if Michael Rosenbaum didn't play Lex Luthor?

Allison LaPlaca: She was in Duet, which morphed into Open House (Ellen DeGeneres was on that), and a few others, then turned up on The John Laroquette Show when they were trying to make it more "viewer friendly." In an episode featuring Joey Lawrence, when his character tells her character that she is funny, she comments "Yeah, five failed sitcoms, no one gets me." I didn't actually like her on John Laroquette, but I blamed the writers; that show was better when it was dark and surreal.

She also appeared on a few episodes of Friends, as Rachel's boss - she had a fling with Chandler, and later, her character gave Rachel a promotion, but died (was hit by a car, I think, off-screen, of course) before she'd let anyone else know.

One of those "dead-end series" was called Foley Square.

I kinda agree with that assessment. She's talented, but she's the kiss-of-death.

I so totally agree with this. Margaret Colin has also been in a few Lifetime movies (come on, ya know ya love 'em), and was in The Butcher's Wife (which I happen to love). There's just something about her that keeps me watching.

I second this. Jewel is by far one of the more talented young actresses I've seen. Yet she can't get a role on a lasting show (despite that they are all pretty much good, especially Higher Ground and Flash Forward). Here's hoping Serenity is a success!

She's the one who sprung to my mind first when I saw this topic. I think she had more time on Friends than on any of her other shows. She's always very funny, but she was especially hilarious on Friends.

I'd nominate most of the cast of the classic 90s BBC series This Life. Jack Davenport's the only one who's been consistently successful (thanks to Coupling, Pirates Of The Caribbean, The Talented Mr Ripley and so on) out of what I thought was a very talented cast. Andrew Lincoln had Teachers and a supporting part in Love Actually, but the others, particularly Daniela Nardini who was so good as Anna, have largely disappeared from view unfortunately.

I third this, and don't forget her excellent run on the short live Fox series Wonderfalls, oh wait you didn't see her? That's right, FOX cancelled the show four episodes in and unless you live in another country or own the dvd set, which i do recommend buying or renting, you won't see her wonderful performance. Anyways, she was great as the cheating wife, when I first saw here I was like, Becca?! Wha?!

Rob Lowe. Neither Dr Vegas nor Lyon's Den lasted a full season. Come back to The West Wing, Sam! Return from Mandyville!

Word to those who mentioned Alison LaPlaca. It was always a treat to see her pop up on a show (though that usually meant it was damned).

For some reason, she reminds me an awful lot in looks / demeanor of Suzie Plakson (known and loved by Trek geeks as Worf's chick, hot Vulcan doctor, Mrs. Q AND an Andorian).

Both, I think, deserve more TV love.

And yeah to Margaret Colin, too.

Maurice Godin, You can keep both versions of "The Office" I'll take "Working" anyday as long as Maurice Godin is in it. He was also hilarious as Heather Locklear's ex-husband on "Spin City". He was also hilarious in the Valerie Bertinelli vehicle, "Cafe Americain" he's just a funny guy.

I agree 150% with those who say Alison LaPlaca

Also David Morse, I know he was on "St. Elsewhere" but that was a long time ago and he wasn't the star. He's genuinely good. I remember when St. E premiered. One of the local papers called him "future superstar", it never happened but he's so good. He played the sensitive dad in "Contact", crazed criminal in "Desperate hour" and tough but decent guard in "The Green Mile"

I'd like to add Chyler Leigh to the mix. Poor girl can't catch a break. Well, I guess she can catch the break, just can't hold onto it.

Girls Club - Cancelled first season
Reunion - Cancelled first season
That 80's Show - Cancelled first season (I loved this show!!)
plus another handful of "TV Series" listed in her IMDB that I've never even heard of.

It's too bad because I really like her!

I want Keith Szarabajka to catch a break and get a hit show.

- The Equalizer - got an 'Also Starring' credit for its last two seasons.

- Stephen King's Golden Years - short run summer series, ended on a cliffhanger, movie tacked on ending not much better.

- Profit - Brilliant, dark, mesmerizing show... and F(UCKS)OX yanked it after the pilot and three episodes. Now out on DVD. God, I miss this show the most, although I really enjoyed EQ too, particularly Keith's character.

- Spy Game - sure, he wasn't in the opening credits, but between playing ex-KGB agent Shank, and doing the voice of the POTUS, he certainly had a presence on it.

- Angel - the antangonist who kept on giving, even after his own death. Brilliant as Holtz.

Guest starred on tons of shows, done voices for video games, is terrific with audiobooks and on NPR's Selected Shorts... why the hell can't he catch a break?!?

Bringing this back to add Sean Faris to the list. When Life As We Know It was canned, he went on to Reunion, which also got pulled.

velouria, yes yes! Margaret Colin is wonderful. I think I tend to get her mixed up with Elizabeth Perkins, which is possibly why she isn't a ginormous star.

Jamey Sheridan...one of the handsomest, funniest, most talented actors in the business and he's never gotten the respect he deserves.

Shannon's Deal (1989-90) should have been his big break. It was a great show and he was awesome in it, but it failed to click and NBC canceled it after two seasons. Then he landed on Chicago Hope as the replacement for the hugely popular Mandy Patinkin. The poor guy didn't stand a chance. Patinkin's fans wouldn't accept him and he didn't last long. Now, he's on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, where he tries hard but is completely overshadowed by the constant mugging and scenery-chewing of Vincent D'Onfrio.

I can understand why people wouldn't want to place him on this list, but the king of failed sitcoms is of course Jason Bateman.

I love Arrested Development as much as the next guy, especially if the next guy is a critic, but let's be frank, it has never been popular and that it has lasted even this long is due to the sheer will of the rabid (yet still small) fanbase.

Otherwise the man's career is littered with failed sitcoms.

The Hogan's remains his most successfull series.

Paula Marshall is his female counterpart. In fact they bombed in a sitcom together. I guess that makes Chicago Sons the nexus of the failed sitcom universe.