Eight gay-inclusive TV shows that ended too soon

The new fall TV season is upon us which means there's a new line-up of shows to discover. However, only a third of those shows will get a second season and, unfortunately, some will be worthy of a second (or third or fourth). As a fan of "Brilliant but Canceled" shows myself, here are a few shows that included gay characters and deserved a longer run.

My So-Called Life (ABC)

A teen drama that managed to find the fine line between exploring teen angst without letting their characters come off as shallow and self-obsessed, My So-Called Life managed to realistically explore issues teens faced, especially with gay teen Ricky Vasquez, memorably played by Wilson Cruz. Despite a loyal fanbase, the show struggled against Mad About You and a freshman Friends on Thursday nights and ABC canceled the series. Reruns on MTV, however, helped the show find an even larger audience.

Action! (Fox)

A cynical and bitter view of Hollywood, Action focused on Peter Dragon, a selfish and mean-spirited movie producer fighting to maintain his clout after his latest film bombs. Peter heaped abuse on his gay assistant Stuart (played by out actor Jack Plotnick) while repeatedly losing power games against Bobby Gianopolis, a gay mogul whose generous endowment would mesmerize Peter. One of Action's many memorable episodes came when Peter has sex with a closeted star (played by Richard Burgi) in order to convince him to stay closeted. The series also featured Fab Filippo, who'd later play Justin's violinist boyfrined on Queer as Folk, as a drug addicted young star.

So NoTORIous (VH-1)

By this point, I thought Kirstie Alley's Fat Actress had worn out my enjoyment of sitcoms where celebrities mock their image by playing fictionalized versions of themselves -- the template had begun to feel a little too familiar. However, Tori Spelling embraced the dysfunctional side of her image with an enthusiasm that made So NoTORIous' view of Hollywood dysfunction seem fresh. It was hard to miss Zachary Quinto (who would later bring sexy menace and hoyay action to Heroes as Sylar) as Tori's gay, Persian-American pal, Sasan. (One of Sasan's most memorably moments occurred when he joined a trendy church known for repressing its gay members -- seeing it as a good opportunity to easily pick up sexually frustrated gay celebrities.) Interestingly, So NoTORIous' final episode didn't air on VH-1, but on Logo.

Party Girl (Fox)

Sure, this sitcom pales in comparison to the film that inspired it. Still, it had a very talented cast with Christine Taylor, Swoosie Kurtz, Merrin Dungey and a pre-Hedwig John Cameron Mitchell who rose above the uninspired scripts to bring out some very funny moments. It was probably the lack of falafel purchases and punchlines about the Dewy Decimal system that did this one in, but in Party Girl's four episodes Taylor and Mitchell's characters had some great moments, like when Taylor referred to The Hardy Boys as 'those two gay kids who solved mysteries.' When Mitchell's character tried to correct her, she smiles and replies, "No, those were very different times."

Some of My Best Friends (CBS)

Unlike Party Girl this was a case where a sitcom was a big improvement on the movie that inspired it. Based on Kiss Me Guido, this sitcom cast Jason Bateman as a gay man who takes in a straight roommate (played by Danny Nucci) when he finds himself in need of some additional income. This Marc Cherry-written sitcom also introduced audiences to the hilarious Alec Mapa. On the bright side, the show's cancellation left Bateman free for Arrested Development.

The Crew (Fox)

Although it was largely dismissed as a Friends clone, I preferred this sitcom about flight attendants who shared an apartment (hey, that premise sounds familiar) for being more diverse than Friends ever was. David Burke played Paul, a gay flight attendant who (conveniently) was a bit of a loser in love with poor self-esteem, a trait that prevented him from casually dating as his friends did, but still got the occasional romantic storyline. I still quote Paul's memorable line where he declared fuscili "the gayest of the pastas" in an episode where his single friends drag him to a cruisy grocery store. Burke went on to play Arthur in the short-lived live action Tick sitcom and recently played Kitty Walker's TV producer on Brothers & Sisters.

Popular (The WB)

This entry actually did get a second season, but it ended with a tangled web of cliffhangers (which included RuPaul as Mary Cherry's long lost father) that left fans hanging. Popular was our first exposure to Ryan Murphy's work, and the quirky mix of heartfelt drama and absurd campiness made for an addictive series. Popular was also our first glimpse of Ugly Betty hottie Christopher Gorham.

Wonderfalls (Fox)

Fox probably cemented his reputation as a heartbreaker for people who enjoy quality television when this quirky comedy, which managed to combine a cynical protagonist with an optimistic tone (while never leaving a whiff of schmaltz), was quietly put on the air in a bad time slot and taken off the air a few weeks later. Written by the out Bryan Fuller, this strange series followed a modern day Joan of Arc who received cryptic messages from inanimate objects that led her to help people. Fuller said that if there had been a second season, we would have seen Jaye's lesbian sister, Sharon, give birth through a child conceived through immaculate conception.