NBC may be in deep waters these days, but you can’t fault them for not putting on quality programs. It was just unfortunate America didn’t bite. Here’s three series that were up and out on NBC in the last couple of seasons. These three definitely deserved to survive, and probably would’ve helped NBC stay afloat if nurtured.
Kidnapped
September 20, 2006-October 28, 2006/June 24, 2007-August 11, 2007
Starring Timothy Hutton, Dena Delany, Jeremy Sisto, and Delroy Lindo
Watch the entire series at the Sony-owned Crackle.
Kidnapped was an ambitious, serialized thriller that came from probably one of NBC’s strongest development slates (one that included Friday Night Lights, Heroes, and 30 Rock). Following a wealthy family through the ordeal of their son being kidnapped, the series was exciting, well written, and tremendously acted. It was yanked off the air though, despite a positive response from critics and fans alike. This was the season viewers apparently felt like serialized dramas were the plague and avoided them (all of them, on all the broadcast nets). Kidnapped was one of them. It had the potential for a long run, with different cases each season. Unfortunately, it didn’t catch on.
The Black Donnellys
February 26, 2007 – April 2, 2007
Starring Jonathan Tucker, Thomas Guiry, Olivia Wilde, Billy Lush, Michael Stahl-David, Kirk Acevedo
Watch clips of the series at Fancast
I never really “got” The Sopranos or The Godfather, so I went into The Black Donnellys not expecting much. But by the end of the pilot, I was hooked. I absolutely loved this series, following four Roman Catholic Irish-American brothers who get themselves into organized crime in Hell’s Kitchen of Manhattan. It was gritty, tough, but also sincere and amusing at times. NBC originally slotted it for the prime ER Thursday slot, but pulled back (very common at NBC it seems). They instead put it behind Heroes on Mondays but NBC’s reluctance in distinguishing the series from other shows about organized crime involvement doomed the show.
Journeyman
September 24, 2007 – December 19, 2007
Starring Kevin McKidd, Brian Howe, Gretchen Egolf, Moon Bloodgood, Reed Diamond
Watch full episodes of the series on Hulu
Journeyman was an interesting series in its premise and how it developed over its 13-episode run. A man involuntarily travels through time. We never got to find out why, unfortunately. And the series started off very ambiguous in its overarching premise. Halfway through, we learned a lot more each week which then finally gave the viewer a reason to care about what happens to our intrepid time traveler. The viewers grew as the series went on as well, but it wasn’t enough for NBC to keep it on the air.