As HitFix’s Uncanceled Showdown begins its third round, we wind up with a bunch of Elite Eight pairings that are thematically linked – even if they aren’t always the pairings we expected, based on the seedings.
As planned, we have two short-lived Judd Apatow series going up against each other, as fans will have to choose between “Freaks and Geeks” and “Undeclared” in one match-up. And in the opposite corner of the bracket, we have “Deadwood” vs. “Twin Peaks,” giving us a show that ended before its creator was ready vs. a show that lasted longer than its creators expected or intended. (Mark Frost has said neither he nor David Lynch had plans for a second season, which is why it was such a mess.)
Then we get into some of the upsets, with a pair of recent FOX sci-fi series in “Almost Human” and “Terra Nova” taking out higher seeds, respectively, “Terriers” and “My So-Called Life.” (Once again, “Terriers” doomed by its bad name and the fact that almost no one watched.) Will sci-fi fandom choose dinosaurs or android cops? And will this match-up finally give us the answer to how you kill someone with a dinosaur?
Finally, it will surprise no one that “Firefly” is still alive. Now, though, it faces off against “Jericho” (which just beat a slightly higher seed in “Pushing Daisies”), which is one of the only shows in the competition to have also returned from the dead. Will it be nuts to Captain Tightpants and friends? Or will Jake Green get stomped on by the hero of Canton, the man they call Jayne?
Voting’s starting now. Since there’s been a bit of confusion in previous rounds, let me remind you that to vote, you click on one of the show photos for the match-up in question.