I think just about every television fan has at least a few shows that they thought were canceled before their respective time was up. They’re the shows that were on the wrong network, too different, or not given ample time to find their footing in the increasingly impatient mess that is television. These days, if you struggle out of the gate, you might as well pack it in because your life expectancy can go from 5 seasons to 5 minutes in the blink of an eye.
Luckily for us, there have been outlets for canceled shows to get their day in court, so to speak. DirecTV has been known to show reruns/full seasons of shows that were cut short (as well as pick up struggling shows, though they recently nixed this practice), while IFC has shown reruns of gold standard gone-before-its-time sitcom Arrested Development and Judd Apatow’s critically adored Freaks & Geeks and Undeclared. It looks as if the Bluth family and Apatow’s crews have some company, as IFC has announced that it’s picking up The Larry Sanders Show, The Ben Stiller Show, Mr. Show with Bob and David, and Faster, according to the New York Times.
The first three will all premiere in the first week of the New Year, while the Jay Mohr starring Faster has been put on hold until the fourth quarter of 2011. It’s a big win for television fans in general, especially those who hold those four particular series in high regard. In a time when it’s not a given for your show to be released on DVD upon its completion, having the access to even watch certain shows again can be hard to come by, so for IFC to show as many prematurely canceled shows as they do is a tremendous gift to its viewers. Not only do they earn respect as having the gumption to show material that most channels would balk at, but they’re unleashing material with a rabid fan base that hasn't been shown to the newest generation of TV fans. Even if all four series disappoint in the ratings, I wouldn’t call it a loss for IFC. They were likely cheap to acquire, so the financial loss would be minimal, and the clout they acquire from this move is enough to offset any hit that cancellations cause a network.
Are you a fan of any of the four shows IFC is picking up? Will you be watching their reruns?
