My Entertainment Weekly Fall TV Preview should pop up in my mailbox in a few weeks, and I hope I’m pleasantly surprised by some new shows I haven’t heard of yet. Because so far, 2013 has been an absolute bloodbath for quality television.
Tonight, we’ll bid farewell to “Futurama” (9 p.m. Central on Comedy Central) for the second time. It’s been on the air since 1999, on two networks separated by one long hiatus, in 10 distinct years of episodes, in seven DVD volumes (eventually to be eight, or nine if you count the movies as a volume), and in an officially measured seven seasons. It numbers 140 total episodes. Whew.
Last week, when Doctor Zoidberg found love with a woman who lacked a sense of smell, Matt Groening’s underdog “other” show showed it is still the master of balancing sweet-natured humor with goofball humor with mean-to-its-characters humor with scientifically valid humor. It’s a shame it’s going off the air because we need a show that points out the absurdity of the modern world — from the increasingly frightening things done by governments to weird things we take for granted about science and our technology-dominated lifestyles. It’s up to “The Simpsons” now, but as much as I respect that show too, “Futurama” has a more flexible structure and a better writing team at the moment. And “Futurama” has never seemed past its prime; to be honest, “The Simpsons” sometimes does.
I’m thinking of tackling “Gilmore Girls” as my next rewatching project largely because I’m feeling the gaping void of no Amy Sherman-Palladino show on the air thanks to ABC Family’s utterly brain-dead cancellation of “Bunheads.” This show — which managed to be so witty and cool that even adult males could comfortably admit to liking a show about ballet (at least among other people who like good TV) — deserved the same seven-year run that “GG” got. Instead, it got one season, and I’m not at all sure that the creator can make lightning strike for a third time. As one final knife to the gut, some cast and crew got together to film a beautiful farewell dance number.
Cartoon Network’s “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” ended with shocking abruptness after five seasons thanks to the Disney purchase of Lucasfilm. Originally intended as a roughly seven-season show, “The Clone Wars” closed up shop with dangling arcs about Ahsoka leaving the Jedi Order, Ventress flirting with the light side and Darth Maul becoming an enemy of his former master. Plus, Ahsoka’s departure will no doubt have a major affect on the unstable Anakin. We at least need books or comics to address these gaping holes in the “Star Wars” narrative, but I’m afraid it won’t happen. Despite the huge popularity of “Star Wars” and “The Clone Wars” specifically, there’s been no news about whether, when and where these stories will continue. Slightly soothing the pain is the knowledge that a new series, “Rebels,” is in the planning stages, with “Clone Wars” helmer Dave Filoni on board.
Two less-talked-about losses from 2013 include: 1) The CW’s “The L.A. Complex” — which mastered the self-centered, overly dramatic teen-show template the same way “Bunheads” captured the quirky, stylized teen-show template. It made the best use of the “Melrose Place” hotel, well, ever, it introduced Leslie Stevens & the Badgers into my CD collection, and it featured the best portrayal of a self-loathing gay rap star in TV history.
And 2) ABC’s “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23.” Sure, the new “SportsCenter” commercial where James Van Der Beek makes fun of his “Varsity Blues” line (“I don’t wawnt … your life”) is great, but he did that same self-deprecating thing 10 times a week on “Apt. 23,” which really has no comparison among sitcoms. I suppose the somehow-likable self-centeredness of Van Der Beek and Chloe (Krysten Ritter) follows in the tradition of Larry David’s work, yet the plots weren’t about real-world annoyances; rather, they were off-the-wall, over-the-top and pop-culture-savvy, ranging from Chloe’s impossible party stamina to Van Der Beek’s “Dancing with the Stars” turn.
“The L.A. Complex” and “Apt. 23” were shows I took for granted until they were yanked away. I never took “The Clone Wars,” “Bunheads” or “Futurama” for granted, but their loss hurts too. It just goes to show that if you love good TV, it’s impossible to shield yourself from the pain.
But will the Fall of 2013 deliver even one new show that I love as much as these five? Based on what I’ve heard so far, I seriously doubt it. Sure, there’s a new Joss Whedon show, but it’s part of the “Avengers” franchise where he’s a hired gun; it’s not quite as exciting as an original Joss concept, even something as experimental and flawed as “Dollhouse.” And there’s a new Sarah Michelle Gellar show, a dramedy where she plays Robin Williams’ daughter (!), but it sounds pretty awful.
I hope I’m wrong; I hope the fall includes five shows whose loss I will eventually mourn. But more likely, my TV future will increasingly be comprised of great cable dramas like “The Bridge” and “The Killing” (I hope it doesn’t join the list of cancellations, but I fear it will), and DVD rewatching projects.