Guest Author - Amy Ralston Young

It looks like Fox really does want to succeed as a major network. Network officials yanked “Anchorwoman” after its premiere and discarded the remaining episodes it ordered. Hallelujah!

The beauty queen-turned wrestler- turned news anchor based show now joins a growing list of shows canned not soon enough (I have a feeling ABC’s “Cavemen” will soon join that list too). Here is a look of some other shows you probably won’t remember.

One and Done

“Emily’s Reasons Why Not” 2006
Cancelled by ABC after the pilot aired, this sitcom starring Heather Graham had already taped five more episodes. Graham played Emily Sanders, a girl who lived by a set or rules called “reasons why not.” Before she did anything she made a list of the consequences of her actions and then would decide what to do.

The premise was lame and the writing just wasn’t funny. Better luck next time.

The show also starred Khary Payton, Smith Cho, Nadia Dajani, and Michael Benyaer.


“What’s Alan Watching?” 1989
Corin Nemec played 17-year-old Alan, a couch potato who views life and his family as one big television program.

This show had a great cast and was actually funny. It even won a Critic’s award.
I guess it just didn’t do it for the network and was aired as a “special,” with CBS deciding to drop it after that.

The show also starred Barbara Barrie, Peter Michael Goetz, Fran Drescher, David Packer, Cheryl Pollak, Rob Bartlett, and Eddie Murphy.


“Costello” 1998
This Fox show centered around an Irish-American family in South Boston. The accents were terrible, the language was offensive, and the jokes were hard to find. It wasn’t a good show, but it had the potential to be one.

The show starred Annie Wood, Steve Monroe, Dan Lauria, Sue Costello, Josie DiVincenzo, Matthew Mahaney, Jenny O’Hara, Kerry O’Malley, and Chuck Walczak.





Less Than 1 Season

“The Brian Benben Show” 1998
The CBS sitcom starred… you guessed it, Brian Benben. Benben played a news anchor ousted from his position by the arrival of better-looking newcomers. It had potential, but it couldn’t live up to “Murphy Brown” or “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” and it was cancelled after only 4 weeks.


“Encore, Encore!”1998
This NBC sitcom starred Nathan Lane as an out-of-work opera singer who returns home to his mother, sister, and nephew. There was plenty of physical comedy in the show, but most of the jokes were derived from the snobby and outlandish attitude of Lane’s character.

The show also starred Joan Plowright, Glenne Headly, and Ernie Sabella. The show only lasted 11 episodes.


“The Secret Lives of Men” 1998
This show was about three divorced men who are forced back into the lives of bachelors. They stuck together and tried to guide one another through the ups and downs of life without women.

The show starred Bradley Whitford, Mitch Rouse, and Peter Gallagher. It lasted only 7 episodes.


“Work With Me” 1999
The first cancellation of the season, this show starred Nancy Travis and Kevin Pollack as attorneys and spouses. Pollack’s character quits his high paying job to work with his wife and now they have to make it work 24/7.

Ethan Embry also starred in this sitcom. The show disappeared after 4 episodes.


The list could go on and on. If you can think of any more, stop by the forum and let’s make a list.