14 Science Fiction Shows That Left Us Hanging (continued)

Seaquest: DSV (1993)

Seaquest premiered on NBC September 12th, 1993. It was a fresh look at life in our oceans set in 2018. Captain Nathan Hale Bridger (Roy Scheider) commands a submarine that was the technological equivilent of the Starship Enterprise. Lucas Wolenczak (Jonathan Brandis) plays a young civilian prodigy who always finds a non-military solution to things.

The storyline of seaquest was it's undoing. At the end of season 2 the crew contacts an alien species, and it looked like the end. At the beginning of season 3 the crew awoke in the year 2032, more than 10 years in their future. I think they lost their fan following at that point.

Threshold (2005)

Threshold premiered on September 16th, 2005 on CBS, but only shot 13 episodes. The premise is about the Navy's discovery of extra-terrestrial life. The Navy assembles the best and brightest people it can find to investigate it. The cast is lead my Brent Spiner and Charles Dutton.

The 4400 (2004)

The 4400 premiered on July 11th, 2004 on the USA Television Network. The show's premise is about 4400 people that have been missing since March 3, 1946. A comet that is due to pass by Earth harmlessly suddenly changes towards Earth. The newly formed, Post 9/11 National Threat Assessment Center swings into action. As panic sets in to the masses, the comet explodes over Highland Beach (Capilano Lake, British Columbia). In a flash, 4400 people appear on the beach, with no knowledge of where they've been, or even aware that any time had past. Some have been missing months, some since 1946. Now some are starting to manifest "abilities".

The 4400 was cancelled in Decemebr 2007 after the end of it's fourth season. While much has changed since the pilot episode, the story is not over. The fans will not go quietly...

The Dead Zone (2002)

The Dead Zone premiered on June 16th, 2002 on the USA Network. It was lucky enough to run for 6 seasons before being cancelled in December 2007. The Dead Zone is based on the Stephen King's novel, and 1983 movie "The Dead Zone" starring Christopher Walken. Anthony Michael Hall portrays Johnny Smith, a man that awakes from a 6 year comawith psychic powers. Johnny Smith in love with Sarah (Nicole de Boer), and they have big plans. But Johnny is involved in a serious car accident, and lays in a coma for 6 years. Sarah moves on with her life, is married to the local sheriff. Johnny's mom dies, and Rev. Purdy (David Ogden Stiers) now has control of his mothers estate. To everyones surprise, johnny woke from the coma, and has a special ability to see things that happened, things that will happen. 

Before Smith realizes what is happening to him, he saves the daugther of his attending nurse and reveals the existence of his doctors mother. The daughter would have been killed in a fire, and the doctors mother was believed to be killed in the fall in Saigon. He leaves the hospital and checks in at the sherriff's office with critical information. They, of course, truely believe he is crazy, and is suspect. Eventually they warm up to the fact that he is never wrong, and come to depend on him when solving crimes.

No ones secret is safe around Johnny. Even the ones they have yet to experience. Johnny is also haunted by the doomsday images he gets from a local politician, Greg Stillson (Sean Patrick Flanery). This is all intermixed with the mystery of his mothers death, and his fathers disappearance, and the estate left to him.

The USA Network's decision to cancel The 4400 and The Dead Zone is blatently premature and shortsighted. Although The Dead ZOne ran a full 6 seasons, the story is incomplete.

Nowhere Man (1995)

Nowhere Man premiered on August 28th, 1995 on UPN. It ran a full season, 25 episodes. A photographer named Thomas Veil (Bruce Greenwood) finds his life has been erased after taking a picture of an execution. I don't think it has aired since UPN cancelled it. The story is left open, and unsolved. Nowhere Man was another victim of UPN's shortsightedness, and lack of viewership as a new network.

Firefly (2002)

Firefly premiered on the 20th Century Fox Television Network on September 20th, 2002. Twelve episodes were aired before finally being cancelled on December 20th, 2002. But three more episodes were actually made, they aired in August 2003.

Firefly is set 500 years from the present day. A space/western theme wrapped into one. Earth has adopted a "Federation" like society called the "Alliance", but is viewed as oppressive. The main characters travel in a "Firefly" class vessel called "Serenity". They are merchants, thieves, bounty hunters, and hereos. Even when they are out right breaking the law, they are fighting for someone who can't fight for themselves, rescuing those in trouble, and generally opposing the bad guys.

Fox never gave it a chance, timing may have been it's enemy. It aired a year after the 9/11 (2001) attacks. They probably felt it wasn't politically correct to dramatize a group of rebels who were all about anti-war, anti-government, and anti-corporate.