Four low-rated TV shows worth saving

I have the frequent misfortune of choosing to watch TV shows that end up having short lives.
Four of my favorite TV shows are “on the bubble” and being considered for cancelation because of low ratings. They are:

1. “Cupid” (ABC): With all the violent, pessimistic, base TV shows out there, you’d think there’d be a place for a gentle, romantic comedy with heart and mystery. This remake of the 1998-1999 TV series of the same name might be even more short-lived than the original. Both shows feature a main character who thinks he’s the Roman god of love, Cupid, and must get 100 couples to fall in love so he can return to Mt. Olympus. Or he might just be insane. In many ways, the new version is better than the original, which lasted just 14 episodes on ABC. (Another episode was unaired, according to Wikipedia.) The freshman series is a midseason replacement with just 7 episodes ordered.


2. “Dollhouse” (Fox): Another entertaining and thought-provoking series from Joss Whedon, the creator of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel” and “Firefly.” This show, staring Eliza Dushku, got off to a slow start but is really cooking now plot-wise. “Dollhouse” revolves around a secret organization that uses programmable people to carry out missions and fantasies for high-paying clients. Fox ordered 12 episodes of the new series. (A 13th episode was filmed, but Fox hasn’t agreed to air it.)


3. “Reaper” (CW): Now in its second season, “Reaper” is a hugely enjoyable comedy-drama. The show focuses on Sam Oliver (played by Bret Harrison) who works as a reaper for the devil, retrieving souls that have escaped from hell. Oliver is helped by two sidekicks – slacker co-workers from a home improvement superstore called the Work Bench. Comic standouts include Sam’s buddy Bert “Sock” Wysocki (played by Tyler Labine) and the Devil (played by Ray Wise).


4. “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” (Fox): This television sequel to “The Terminator” and “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” movies has been inconsistent during its two-season run so far. This season started slow (a sin with short attention span audiences these days), but ended with a bang. The show is at its best doing twisty science-fiction and intense action sequences featuring murderous Terminator robots from the future.

My hope is that these shows have fans at the networks who are willing to give them another chance and maybe a different time slot. Or maybe a cable network is willing to pick them up. Either way, fingers crossed.