This is the nineteenth category of the 7th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2012-2013 seasons. This category is a special one, given out three times in the past five years, honoring those shows which died this past season. "Threshold", for those who do not know, was a fantastic science fiction drama that premiered in 2005 on CBS and was axed after only nine episodes (the DVD release contains four additional unaired episodes). Led by the great Carla Gugino and featuring a fun cast, the show began with an electrifying pilot surrounding an interesting type of alien invasion strategy. Unfortunately, the show premiered around the same time as two similar sci-fi series, the dreadful "Surface" and the impressive "Invasion." Both those shows outlived "Threshold" but ultimately did not make the cut for a renewal order. "Threshold" was the victim of a bad timeslot, and just to make it worse, CBS decided to renew a staggering six series from the 2005-2006 season. This category was suggested by a friend several years to be titled the "Firefly" award, but I hadn’t yet seen that show, which has a large enough fan base, thus, I would like to honor the memory of "Threshold" with this award. This year, this category includes shows that were cancelled during or immediately following their first or second seasons.
Alphas (Syfy): This series about people with superpowers seemed like the most fitting entry for its network, and to see it axed after only two seasons is truly regrettable. This season’s main plotline pitted one set of mutants against another, and its cliffhanger conclusion indicated that it was only going to get more interesting.
Ben and Kate (FOX): Why this show died when the much less even “The Mindy Project” lived on is a mystery. Nat Faxon and Dakota Richards were fun leads for the show, and Lucy Punch was a superb supporting player. While the premise may not have been original, this was a great cast and a wonderful complement to FOX’s other comedic offerings.
Boss (Starz): Everyone loves “House of Cards,” but few remember this magnificently dark and dramatic show with a tremendous cast led by Kelsey Grammer. A third season may never have been in the cards, but the fact that it was doomed because of a premature season two renewal before its first season even premiered is a shame, especially considering the less impressive “Magic City” suffered exactly the same fate. Watch this one if you haven’t seen it – it’s truly terrific, and season three would have been awesome.
Common Law (USA): I debated whether to include this, “Apartment 23,” or “Vegas” as the fifth nominee in this category, and I opted for this short-lived USA series because it was the least ambitious and most evenly entertaining of the three. Michael Ealy and Warren Kole were a superb pair, and this was exactly the type of fare that USA usually showcases, which made its predictable demise all the more lamentable.
Enlightened (HBO): Series on HBO and Showtime are always better off than others because those premium networks tend to invest in their shows, and to see this completely creative, one-of-a-kind dramedy get sent off the air after only two short seasons is terrible. Its second season demonstrated that it knew where it was going, and the only real comfort is that, out of this list, it’s the only one that really got to be wrapped up in a satisfying way.
Next up: Best Drama Series
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