5 Television Series That Went Off the Air Too Soon

Any television fan knows the feeling: finding out that one of your favorite shows has been cancelled. Some deserved to go off the air, some don't. Why? Here are 5 television shows I've encountered that went off the air too soon.

1. Moonlight (2007-08, CBS)

Moonlight followed Alex O'Loughlin as Mick St. John, a vampire struggling to adapt to normal life even after decades as a part of the undead. The show had a great cast and the stories were relatively well written. So why was it cancelled after one season? Many factors weren't in Moonlight's favor. The 2007-08 writer's strike caused it to lose a bunch of episodes, plus, vampires weren't really the norm yet. Twilight hadn't become popular, and The Vampire Diaries a mere two years away. I believe that should Moonlight had premiered one season later, it would've ran for a bit longer. Crazed vampire fans have probably never heard of this great supernatural-turned-crime drama that was all too short.

2. Malibu Country (2012-13, ABC)

Malibu Country followed Reba McIntyre in her first sitcom role since her previous long-running sitcom Reba. McIntrye played a mother named Reba, who found out her country music star husband was cheating on her in Tennessee. Faced at a crossroads, she grabbed her two kids and headed for a new beginning at a beachhouse in Malibu. Sara Rue co-starred as their nosy but loveable rich neighbour. It was a really great comedy, so what happened? Well, ABC put Malibu Country in a crappy timeslot; Fridays at 8:30. Inevitably, the show became a victim of the Friday night death slot. The show got minimal advertisements on top of a crappy timeslot, so what else would you expect but low ratings? Malibu Country was axed after a first season of 18 episodes, but somehow Neighbors, a sitcom about aliens, repeat ALIENS, received a second season.

3. Body of Proof (2011-13, ABC)

Body of Proof was a great show. That's really the only way to put it. Great cast, great characters, great stories. Former Desperate Housewives star Dana Delany starred as Dr. Megan Hunt, a former neurosurgeon who had taken up a new career as a medical examiner. The show was essentially a police procedural while briefly following Hunt's personal life. Co-stars included Jerri Ryan and Sonja Sohn. So what happened to a seemingly great show? Well, it was partly their own fault. After an amazing season two finale in which one of the lead cops is stabbed protecting Megan, season three opens some time later, with the cop in question said to have died and the two other cops said to have moved away because of the trauma. Two new cops were introduced, one who had romantic history with Megan. Body of Proof seemed to have committed suicide, in a way. Why should anyone be interested in a new cast, pretty much, the original dynamic was gone, when the old cast was just thrown out? It was especially sad because season three went down the road of the death of Megan's father, a topic brought about several times earlier. ABC cancelled the show after three seasons in May 2013. Several other networks expressed interest in picking it up, but none of this ever materialized.

4. The Carrie Diaries (2013-14, The CW)

The Carrie Diaries. What can I say about The Carrie Diaries. Perhaps TV really just wasn't ready for it. The show followed AnnaSophia Robb as a younger Carrie Bradshaw, and her life before the legendary HBO series Sex and the City. The show, in a way, was more of a cult hit. It was different, and honestly, really didn't offer much for older Sex and the City fans. But the chemistry between the cast, AND the fact it was set during the 1980s, just made it overly enjoyable. Austin Butler worked magic as womanizing stud Sebastian Kydd, Carrie's high school sweetheart, as well newcomer Lindsey Gort as younger Samantha Jones. The Carrie Diaries was great while it lasted. It was one of those shows that really shouldn't have lasted two seasons, it wasn't a show for everyone, but it did. And it was amazing. At least for me.

5. Accidentally on Purpose (2009-10, CBS)

I debated whether or not to include this one on this list, because really, it wasn't surprising that Accidentally on Purpose didn't run longer than one season. But should it have presented itself differently, it could've worked out extremely well. Jenna Elfman starred as Billie, a working class woman who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant by her one night stand, who is significantly younger than her. They eventually decide to live together, and its one and only season follows their strange situation while Billie is pregnant. They included a little too many vulgar and perhaps inappropriate jokes for 8:30 on a Monday, but really, if they had worked Accidentally on Purpose out differently, it could've been a great show that would've lasted longer. In my opinion, they really just didn't create and produce the show the right way.

And that's my list! There are so many more shows, but these were the first 5 that came to mind. The struggle will never not be real when your favorite show is cancelled. I guess we just gotta rejoice in watching reruns, if we can find any!

'The Young and the Restless': What a Difference a Year Makes

Well kids, it's been a year since The Young and the Restless made the bold decision to kill off Delia Abbott (Sophie Pollono), the young daughter of Billy Abbott (then Billy Miller, now Burgess Jenkins) and Chloe Mitchell (Elizabeth Hendrickson). The decision did not sit well with audiences, and it eventually lead into the storyline of Adam Newman (Michael Muhney) being Delia's killer, the result of a tragic accident, and he was later presumed dead. (But the term 'dead' is used loosely in soap operas...)

Several casting changes began to unfold thereafter. Billy Miller, legendary for his portrayal of Billy since 2008, announced his departure from the role last November. David Tom, who played Billy from 1999 to 2002, was brought back to take over. Tom's portrayal received widely mixed reviews. In May, it was announced that Tom had been let go from the role and Burgess Jenkins had been cast (after Miller declined to return). Several bogus-sounding reasons were given for Tom's departure, such as he was too young in contrast to Cady McClain's Kelly Andrews, even though Billy and Kelly's storyline had long since concluded. Clearly the series thought that Tom's portrayal wasn't in it for the long run. Jenkins debuted in June to even larger mixed reviews, many saying he was far too old to be a convincing Billy Abbott (Jenkins is 40, Miller and Tom are 34). I for one have grown to like him in the role, as I get major John Abbott, Sr. vibes from him.

Kelly Andrews is also another story. Cynthia Watros played her during her initial storyline of being Billy's grief buddy (in more ways than one). Watros later left the role to launch her MTV pilot Finding Carter, which has been an instant success. Cady McClain was hired to take over Kelly, starting in April. While I like McClain in the role, we all have to admit that 90% of the character's edge disappeared when Watros vacated the role. McClain's ordinary and occasionally boring portrayal is good, but some days I yearn for Watros' version of the character and how she would've played the several curveballs the character has been thrown lately, especially the revelation that she and Stitch (Sean Carrigan) are siblings. 

Delia's mother Chloe had undergone significant change too; she had a nervous breakdown. Unfortunately it wasn't the fun, soapy breakdown you'd picture in your head, no. She went berserk; she got a little too close to godson Connor (she kidnapped him to Paris), and eventually had to remarry Kevin (Greg Rikaart) to avoid being institutionalized. She also asked ex-hubby Billy to have another baby with her, just out of the blue (say what?!) Chloe eventually agreed to go to a treatment centre, in California (Hendrickson had confirmed her departure from the series). What her loved ones did NOT know is that she left town with a fresh batch of stolen Billy Abbott sperm in her handbag. Last I heard Hendrickson was supposed to return for Delia's anniversary... We'll see how that works out.

Billy and Victoria's marriage also took a turn off a cliff, after a long and tumultuous time apart during which she got with Stitch and became pregnant with a child, unsure of the paternity. Billy has been getting his sweet loving from Adam's wife Chelsea (Melissa Claire Egan). Victoria STILL doesn't know the baby daddy and obviously still loves Billy and he loves her. Meanwhile Adam is on his way home (Justin Hartley takes over the role in November), and he'll definitely find trouble when he gets back.

What a difference a year makes. But at least Delia is in peace, right?

Watch Y&R weekdays on CBS.