It's no secret to any horror buff that the genre's greatest offerings aren't always defined by critical prestige. But when it comes to horror television, the uphill battle that new shows face to overcome skepticism and garner positive reviews is even steeper. This is aptly demonstrated by the TV landscape of the '90s, in which writers and directors galvanized the medium by venturing into as-yet-unexplored depths of scariness, violence, and production value. However, creators weren't always able to translate that broadening of horizons into favorable critical notes.
Sure, it was the decade of "Twin Peaks," "The X-Files," Stephen King's "It," and all the bold new offerings for which such beloved programs paved the way by evidencing audiences' appetite for serious, well-made horror TV. But it was also the decade of a vast number of critical flops, which have been either largely forgotten or marred by extremely negative reputations...
Sure, it was the decade of "Twin Peaks," "The X-Files," Stephen King's "It," and all the bold new offerings for which such beloved programs paved the way by evidencing audiences' appetite for serious, well-made horror TV. But it was also the decade of a vast number of critical flops, which have been either largely forgotten or marred by extremely negative reputations...
- 4/27/2024
- by Leo Noboru Lima
- Slash Film
To paraphrase a famous saying: ‘Tis better to have loved a TV show, and lost it after one season, than never to have loved at all.
Throughout the years, TV fans have loved and lost a lot of quality series, too many of which were axed after just one season despite their massive potential. Now that another TV season is behind us — which brought the cancellations of one-and-done series like Emergence and The Baker and the Beauty — we’re getting a bit nostalgic for dozens more shows that departed too soon.
More from TVLineBaker and the Beauty Fails to Find...
Throughout the years, TV fans have loved and lost a lot of quality series, too many of which were axed after just one season despite their massive potential. Now that another TV season is behind us — which brought the cancellations of one-and-done series like Emergence and The Baker and the Beauty — we’re getting a bit nostalgic for dozens more shows that departed too soon.
More from TVLineBaker and the Beauty Fails to Find...
- 7/12/2020
- by Rebecca Iannucci
- TVLine.com
Vampire shows have had a good, healthy run on television, but lately, the landscape for them has seemed anemic.
“The Vampire Diaries” ends its impressive eight-year run on Friday, coincidentally the 20th anniversary of TV’s iconic “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (and the moment that Buffy Summers arrived at the Hellmouth).
This convergence of events is a reminder that only a few years ago, vampires were the hottest trend on TV. Even when “Buffy” and its spinoff “Angel” ended, “The Vampire Diaries” and “True Blood” were there to take up the bloody mantle. But with those shows also gone, the vampire genre appears to be an endangered species.
Read More: ‘The Vampire Diaries’ Producer Julie Plec on Ending the Series, and How It Might Be Reborn, Perhaps as a Streaming show — IndieWire’s Turn It On Podcast
But not so fast. While it’s true that the biggest undead shows have left us,...
“The Vampire Diaries” ends its impressive eight-year run on Friday, coincidentally the 20th anniversary of TV’s iconic “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (and the moment that Buffy Summers arrived at the Hellmouth).
This convergence of events is a reminder that only a few years ago, vampires were the hottest trend on TV. Even when “Buffy” and its spinoff “Angel” ended, “The Vampire Diaries” and “True Blood” were there to take up the bloody mantle. But with those shows also gone, the vampire genre appears to be an endangered species.
Read More: ‘The Vampire Diaries’ Producer Julie Plec on Ending the Series, and How It Might Be Reborn, Perhaps as a Streaming show — IndieWire’s Turn It On Podcast
But not so fast. While it’s true that the biggest undead shows have left us,...
- 3/10/2017
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
It wouldn’t be an episode of True Blood if there wasn’t somebody trying to kill Sookie. So the surprise in this week’s outing, “F— the Pain Away” (“Flap the Pain Away”? Huh?), isn’t that our heroine’s life is in jeopardy but who puts it in jeopardy. Of course, since this is a recap, not a preview, even that surprise probably won’t exactly shock you. But let’s pretend you don’t already know the identity of the fairy’s attacker and run through the hour’s highlights, anyway, shall we?
Related | Cable Renewal Scorecard: What’s Cancelled?...
Related | Cable Renewal Scorecard: What’s Cancelled?...
- 7/15/2013
- by Andy Patrick
- TVLine.com
Last night, Syfy premiered the new series Lost Girl, which stars Anna Silk (pictured) as a Succubus — a female who feeds off the sexual energy of others — named Bo. Was the acting stellar? No. Was there enough ‘S’ in that TV-ma Lsv rating? No. But a lot of exposition is required in a pilot like this, and now that we’ve got the setup, I assume there’ll be a little less conversation and a little more action in future episodes when Bo becomes a private investigator specializing in the paranormal. (Hello, Angel!) By the end of the hour, I...
- 1/17/2012
- by Mandi Bierly
- EW.com - PopWatch
Cleaning up litter on your local highway. Running errands for your elderly shut-in neighbor. Volunteering at the downtown food bank. These are all causes worthy of your valuable time and energy. Unfortunately, they’ll have to wait until next week. Because right now, it is your all-consuming duty to get out the vote in the final round of EW.com’s Sexy Beast single-elimination bracket tournament! Yes, folks, a battle of the beautiful that began almost a month ago with 64 entrants — vampires and werewolves, mutants and machines, aliens and other creatures (even Ms. Pac-Man!) — has been whittled down to just...
- 8/17/2010
- by Michael Slezak
- EW.com - PopWatch
“Stop using sex as a weapon,” the philosopher Pat Benatar once sang. But that mantra has no use here in EW.com’s Sexy Beast single-elimination bracket tournament, where today, we feature a steamy semifinal showdown between Twilight’s Edward Cullen and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles’ Cameron. So stop what you’re doing and click through past the jump to vote for your favorite and to get a look at lists of the 16 seeded players (and the actors who portray ‘em) in all four of our beastly divisions. (A whopping 60 of our original 64 beasts have their names crossed out…...
- 8/13/2010
- by Michael Slezak
- EW.com - PopWatch
If a picture really is worth a thousand words, I should probably just stop typing, right? Yes, folks, we are down to the final four contestants in EW.com’s Sexy Beast single-elimination bracket tournament, and today we throw X-Men’s Logan/Wolverine into the steel cage against The Vampire Diaries’ Damon Salvatore, and watch them compete for a coveted spot in the finals.
So stop what you’re doing and click through past the jump to vote for your favorite and to get a look at lists of the 16 seeded players (and the actors who portray ‘em) in all four of our beastly divisions.
So stop what you’re doing and click through past the jump to vote for your favorite and to get a look at lists of the 16 seeded players (and the actors who portray ‘em) in all four of our beastly divisions.
- 8/12/2010
- by Michael Slezak
- EW.com - PopWatch
Vampires vs. werewolves! Aliens vs. machines! This is how the delectable dueling plays out in EW.com’s Sexy Beast single-elimination bracket game. Yes, folks, today brings the second half of the quarterfinals, where a pair of Twilight hunks will duke it out, and a bad girl from V will face off against a Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles seductress. So click through past the jump to vote for your favorites, and to get a look at lists of the 16 seeded players (and the actors who portray ‘em) in all four of our beastly divisions. (Eliminated beasts have their names crossed out…...
- 8/10/2010
- by Michael Slezak
- EW.com - PopWatch
Jon & Kate: Plus 8. Octomom. Eight Is Enough. Eight-Legged Freaks. Jennifer Eight. These are deeply unsexy pop-culture phenomena involving the number eight. But on the flip side, we present to you the quarterfinals of EW.com’s Sexy Beast single-elimination bracket game. We’re confident in saying that never before has the world seen an octet this undeniably attractive. Yes, folks, we’ve got three vampires and two mutants, plus an alien, a werewolf, and a machine left to battle it out for the ultimate title. And your votes will determine the winner.
Today, we’re going to the polls for...
Today, we’re going to the polls for...
- 8/9/2010
- by Michael Slezak
- EW.com - PopWatch
They’re too sexy for this Earth/ Too sexy to wear shirts/ So sexy it hurts/They’re not human, if you know what we mean/ As they do their little turn on the catwalk…
Okay, okay, we’ll stop with the Right Said Fred homage! As long as you promise to participate in EW.com’s Sexy Beast single-elimination bracket tournament. Yes folks, our roster of 64 players has been cut in half, then cut in half again, and the second portion of our Sweet Sixteen battles includes players from The Vampire Diaries, Buffy/Angel, The Fifth Element, Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles,...
Okay, okay, we’ll stop with the Right Said Fred homage! As long as you promise to participate in EW.com’s Sexy Beast single-elimination bracket tournament. Yes folks, our roster of 64 players has been cut in half, then cut in half again, and the second portion of our Sweet Sixteen battles includes players from The Vampire Diaries, Buffy/Angel, The Fifth Element, Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles,...
- 8/6/2010
- by Michael Slezak
- EW.com - PopWatch
According to the philosopher Miley Cyrus, “It’s always gonna be an uphill battle/ Sometimes I’m gonna have to lose.” But Miley Cyrus is a mere human, and therefore does not speak the same language as the combatants in EW.com’s Sexy Beast single-elimination bracket tournament. Yes folks, our roster of 64 players has been cut in half, then cut in half again, and the first of our Sweet Sixteen battles include players from True Blood, V, Doctor Who, X-Men, Beowulf, Twilight, and Underworld. And for the first time in Sexy Beast history, we’ve got lady beasts facing gentlemen beasts!
- 8/5/2010
- by Michael Slezak
- EW.com - PopWatch
Release the Kraken! Wait, on second thought, don’t: He’s not sexy enough! That’s right, only the hottest of the hot are invited to participate in EW.com’s Sexy Beast single-elimination tournament, and temperatures continue to rise as we approach our Sweet 16 round. Today’s final set of Top 32 showdowns includes characters from Angel, Lost, Star Trek: Voyager, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Twilight, and Underworld, and it’ll be especially tough for fans of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, who’ll have to choose between two fetching franchise players. So click through past the jump to vote for...
- 8/3/2010
- by Michael Slezak
- EW.com - PopWatch
As EW.com’s Sexy Beast bracket game gets closer to its Sweet 16 round, the eliminations are getting more shocking, and your votes are becoming more important than ever. Just ask the combatants in our “Aliens, Machines, and Their Ilk” division, where the first and fourth seeds (BSG’s Number Six and Star Trek’s Spock) lost their second-round battles to scrappy, sexy underdogs (V’s Anna and Doctor Who’s Tenth Doctor). Today’s duels will be especially hard on fans of The Vampire Diaries and Interview With the Vampire (as characters from those franchises face off against their...
- 8/2/2010
- by Michael Slezak
- EW.com - PopWatch
EW.com’s Sexy Beasts showdown: Some call it beastspolitation, but we think it’s just good old-fashioned summer fun. Yes, folks, today we continue onward with Day Two of the second round of our single-elimination tournament, featuring characters from True Blood, Buffy, Star Trek, Doctor Who, Beowulf, Species, Underworld, and From Dusk Till Dawn. Only 16 players will advance to Round 3, so click here to see the entire 64-player bracket (then click again on the image for a zoomed-in view) and after the jump, vote for your favorites in four scintillating showdowns, plus get a look at lists of the...
- 7/30/2010
- by Michael Slezak
- EW.com - PopWatch
Things are starting to get ugly in EW.com’s Sexy Beasts summer showdown! Yes, folks, as we enter round 2 of our single-elimination tournament, we’re pitting characters from True Blood, X-Men, and Twilight against their own franchise teammates, and just so our alien buddies don’t feel left out, we’ve matched up a Battlestar Galactica babe against a hot little number from V. From this round of 32, only 16 will advance to Round 3. So click here to see the entire 64-player bracket (then click again on the image for a zoomed-in view) and after the jump, vote for your favorites in four bodacious battles,...
- 7/29/2010
- by Michael Slezak
- EW.com - PopWatch
S to the E to the X to the Y. B to the E to the A to the S to the T. Yes indeed, folks, we’ve just spelled out the title that 64 captivating creatures are coveting as part of EW.com’s Sexy Beasts single-elimination tournament. Today’s showdowns — the final set of first-round fights — include characters from Angel, Beauty and the Beast, Star Trek: Voyager, Mars Attacks!, X-Men, Twilight, and Wolfman. For the uninitiated, a team of EW.com editors selected 64 contenders, with your votes determining which 32 will advance to Round 2. So click here to see the...
- 7/28/2010
- by Michael Slezak
- EW.com - PopWatch
What’s more exciting than beasts that go bump in the night? Not much. Which is why EW.com is diving headfirst into Day 7 of our Sexy Beasts single-elimination tournament. Today’s showdowns include characters from Lost, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Watchmen, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Underworld, and Harry Potter. To reiterate, out of the 64 contenders chosen by a team of EW editors, only 32 will advance to Round 2. So click here to see the entire bracket (then click again on the image for a zoomed-in view) and after the jump, vote...
- 7/27/2010
- by Michael Slezak
- EW.com - PopWatch
As the philosopher Timbaland once instructed: “Get your sexy on.” And here at EW.com, that’s exactly what we’re doing on Day 6 of our Sexy Beasts single-elimination tournament. Today’s showdowns include characters from Moonlight, The Vampire Diaries, Grindhouse/Planet Terror, The Fifth Element, Beauty and the Beast, Beastly, Blade, and Interview With the Vampire. As you may know by now, out of the 64 contenders chosen by a team of EW editors, only 32 will advance to Round 2. So click here to see the entire bracket (then click again on the image for a zoomed-in view) and after the jump,...
- 7/26/2010
- by Michael Slezak
- EW.com - PopWatch
When I say “sexy,” you say “beasts!” Sexy! Beasts! Sexy! Beasts!
Hell yeah, PopWatchers, we have arrived at Day 5 of our Sexy Beasts single-elimination tournament, and today’s showdowns include characters from The Vampire Diaries, Charmed, The Mummy Returns, Futurama, Avatar, True Blood, and Interview With the Vampire. By now, you probably know the drill, but just in case, I’ll repeat the deets: Of the 64 contenders chosen by a team of EW editors, only 32 will advance to Round 2. So click here to see the entire bracket (then click again on the image for a zoomed-in view) and after the jump,...
Hell yeah, PopWatchers, we have arrived at Day 5 of our Sexy Beasts single-elimination tournament, and today’s showdowns include characters from The Vampire Diaries, Charmed, The Mummy Returns, Futurama, Avatar, True Blood, and Interview With the Vampire. By now, you probably know the drill, but just in case, I’ll repeat the deets: Of the 64 contenders chosen by a team of EW editors, only 32 will advance to Round 2. So click here to see the entire bracket (then click again on the image for a zoomed-in view) and after the jump,...
- 7/23/2010
- by Michael Slezak
- EW.com - PopWatch
Roar! That sound you hear is lascivious creatures clashing in the night. Yes, folks, today we have characters from Species, Splice, Underworld, Angel, Queen of the Damned, True Blood, and Star Trek (big- and small-screen varieties) fighting for their survival in our Sexy Beasts showdown. Of the 64 contenders chosen by a team of EW editors, only 32 will advance to Round 2. So click here to see the entire bracket (then click again on the image for a zoomed-in view) and after the jump, vote for your favorites in four fearsome fights, plus get a look at lists of the 16 seeded players...
- 7/22/2010
- by Michael Slezak
- EW.com - PopWatch
Another day, another brutal Sexy Beast showdown here at EW.com. Today, we’ve got characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Doctor Who, District 9, Beowulf, The Hunger, From Dusk Till Dawn, and a classic ’80s video game — all of whom will need your votes if they’re going to live to fight again in our single-elimination competition. Yes, math aficionados: That means only 32 of the 64 contenders chosen by a team of EW editors will advance to Round 2. So click here to see the entire bracket (then click again on the image for a zoomed-in view) and after the jump,...
- 7/21/2010
- by Michael Slezak
- EW.com - PopWatch
Day two of EW.com’s Sexy Beasts summer showdown is upon us, and we’re pitting characters from X-Men, True Blood, and Twilight against their fellow franchise players. Cruel and bloody and with a total disregard for human decency? Yep, that’s how we like our beasts.
For those of you who missed Monday’s matchups — click here, because polls are open for 80 hours — let us explain the concept: EW.com’s editors put their heads together to pick the 64 ultimate Sexy Beasts, and now we’re asking you to crown the king or queen of the pack in an old-fashioned,...
For those of you who missed Monday’s matchups — click here, because polls are open for 80 hours — let us explain the concept: EW.com’s editors put their heads together to pick the 64 ultimate Sexy Beasts, and now we’re asking you to crown the king or queen of the pack in an old-fashioned,...
- 7/20/2010
- by Michael Slezak
- EW.com - PopWatch
Apologies to our human readers, but in today’s pop-culture landscape, there’s nothing sexier than being a beast. Vampires and werewolves, aliens and mutants, monsters and machines: These are the new objects of our lust. Built from DNA that’s infused with a little added danger, beasts are always ready to kick ass, take names, and raise our collective pulse rates in the process. EW.com’s editors put their heads together to pick the 64 ultimate Sexy Beasts, and now we’re asking you to crown the king or queen of the pack in an old-fashioned, single-elimination tournament. Every...
- 7/19/2010
- by Michael Slezak
- EW.com - PopWatch
Right now Kathy Bates is the new owner of Dunder-Mifflin on 'The Office,' but you know that her role on that show is going to be short-lived (even if Sabre does hold on to the paper company). However, that doesn't mean that Bates is leaving television.
Bates is talking to David E. Kelley about a starring role on his new NBC legal drama (Kelley seems to have a thing for legal shows, eh?) 'Kindreds.' She would play the head of the law firm.
'Kindreds' should not be confused with 'Kindred: The Embraced,' which was about vampires, not lawyers (insert your own joke here). 'Kindred: The Embraced' would probably be a hit if it had premiered today and not 1996.
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Programming, Celebrities, Casting, Reality-Free
Permalink | Email this | | Comments...
Bates is talking to David E. Kelley about a starring role on his new NBC legal drama (Kelley seems to have a thing for legal shows, eh?) 'Kindreds.' She would play the head of the law firm.
'Kindreds' should not be confused with 'Kindred: The Embraced,' which was about vampires, not lawyers (insert your own joke here). 'Kindred: The Embraced' would probably be a hit if it had premiered today and not 1996.
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Programming, Celebrities, Casting, Reality-Free
Permalink | Email this | | Comments...
- 3/8/2010
- by Bob Sassone
- Aol TV.
All right, Fangoria Campers. You may recall that in a prior installment (read it here) I tackled the idea of the Best Horror on TV. Ever. I listed a number of appropriate series possibilities, and invited you to kick other nominees into the list. What we’re going to do now is narrow that list down to 15. You give me your top Five based on the list, and I’ll compile the top 15 nominees for a later installment. I ask that you stick to the list; however, if you offer a compelling case for a show that I or the commenting readers missed the first time around, I might be convinced to add it.
So now, the list:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Angel The Twilight Zone The X-Files Dark Shadows Tales from the Crypt Tales from the Darkside Night Gallery Kolchak; The Night Stalker Supernatural Twin Peaks Friday the 13th:...
So now, the list:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Angel The Twilight Zone The X-Files Dark Shadows Tales from the Crypt Tales from the Darkside Night Gallery Kolchak; The Night Stalker Supernatural Twin Peaks Friday the 13th:...
- 5/22/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (Troy Brownfield)
- Fangoria
Apologies to the legions of Fango Faithful: inasmuch as I've been trying to get on a regular schedule with Unkillable Classics, a number of obstacles have thrown their limbs in the way. No matter. We're forging ahead. For this installment, I'd initially considered discussing Let The Right One In, but I'm almost afraid of overexposing it in a way at this point. Maybe we'll give it some time and come back. For the moment, though, I'd like to swing away from film and discuss a different kind of classic: TV. I'm inviting you, the reader, to help me divine the greatest horror-related TV shows of all time.
Here's how we'll do this: I'm going to kick out a list of a few dozen classic series. You can respond with some that I may have neglected to include. From there, the next few installments of Unkillable Classics will follow this thread,...
Here's how we'll do this: I'm going to kick out a list of a few dozen classic series. You can respond with some that I may have neglected to include. From there, the next few installments of Unkillable Classics will follow this thread,...
- 3/25/2009
- Fangoria
Sci Fi gets rights to 'Enterprise'
Sci Fi Channel has acquired rights to the off-network drama Star Trek: Enterprise along with several other series, made-for-TV movies and miniseries through a deal with CBS Paramount Domestic Television. Along with Enterprise, the deal includes exclusive cable rights to the classic series The Twilight Zone, which marks a renewal for the network; the show Tales From the Darkside; and such short-lived series as CBS' Threshold, starring Carla Gugino, and Wolf Lake, with Lou Diamond Phillips, as well as UPN's Jake 2.0, starring Christopher Gorham, and Haunted, featuring Matthew Fox. Other acquired titles include the series Kindred, the Embraced, Level 9, Special Unit 2 and All Souls. Sci Fi said it's planning to premiere Enterprise, a Star Trek prequel that stars Scott Bakula and ran from 2001-05 on UPN, in early fall. Tales From the Darkside will premiere later this year, and the other acquired series will debut sometime during the 2006-07 season.
- 8/3/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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