10 TV Shows That REALLY Should Have Stayed Dead

6. 24

Dexter New Blood
Fox

With its real-time structure, jaw-dropping twists, relentless action, and heart-pounding cliffhangers, 24 became the biggest show on Earth. It was also the first tv series to become the best-selling DVD, outselling every film out at the time. (This feat is all the more impressive considering The Lord of the Rings came out during the same period.)

But after watching our hero, Jack Bauer, save the world from terrorists time and time again, 24 drew to a close in 2010. But when it was announced Bauer would return for the 12-part series, 24: Live Another Day, viewers were worried the showrunners wouldn't be able to capture lightning in a bottle again. Surprisingly, the extra season was received positively and felt like a serviceable ending to the series.

Sadly, the creators attempted to catch lightning in a bottle for the third time with ANOTHER spin-off called 24: Legacy. Although it maintained the same structure as the original series, none of the main cast returned. Because it didn't try to reinvent itself in any way, Legacy felt more like a soulless rip-off rather than a continuation. To nobody's surprise, the show was canned after only 12 episodes.

Contributor

James Egan has been with Whatculture for five years and prominently works on Horror, Film, and Video Games. He's written over 80 books including 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts About James Bond 1000 Facts About TV Shows