Some shows never got much of a chance -- and should get another go-round. One that maintains a fervent fan base is "Firefly," the Joss Whedon-created sci-fi western that starred Nathan Fillion. It aired for just one season. Yeah, there was a movie -- 2005's "Serenity" -- but come on, wouldn't a limited-run series be better? 
"Freaks and Geeks," about a group of misfit students, also lasted just one season (1999-2000). The show was full of talent -- creator Paul Feig, producer Judd Apatow, stars Linda Cardellini, James Franco and Jason Segel -- and rich in character, so it might be worth a short run to see what's happened to the gang at McKinley High. (No, "Undeclared" doesn't count.) 
Leslie Nielsen played Detective Frank Drebin in "Police Squad!" ("In color!" the credits announced), which lasted just six episodes in 1982. The show was from the Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker team that made "Airplane!' and had a similar anything-goes attitude about comedy -- one that rubbed off on "The Simpsons" and "30 Rock." The show spawned three theatrical films, but there was something about a half-hour comedy that brought out the wackiest chaos. 
Damian Lewis (center), now of "Homeland" fame, starred in "Life," an NBC series about a wrongly convicted detective that ran for two seasons in 2007-09. With its layered characters and interesting themes, the show could be refreshed for a new run. 
"Jack and Bobby," which aired for one season in 2004, had a great cast -- Christine Lahti, John Slattery, a young Jessica Pare -- and a curious concept: It was the story of two teenage brothers, one of whom becomes president. The final episode revealed some details of the future, but so much was left hanging. 
Yeah, "Deadwood" had a good (expletive deleted) run, but it still just ended. The 2004-06 HBO series about the West in the 1870s, with John Hawkes (right) and Timothy Olyphant, had one foot in fact and another in fiction, and for many fans there was more story to tell. 
Though never a huge hit, "Picket Fences" (1992-96) was popular with critics and award-givers: it was twice named best drama series at the Emmys. But Tom Skerritt (center) and the rest of the residents of Rome, Wisconsin, could use another run. 
Given its prominence in reruns once upon a time, it's surprising that "Rat Patrol" (with Christopher George) ran for just two seasons in the 1960s. The original show was about a World War II military unit in North Africa; you could easily update it with troops in the Middle East. 
Bryan Fuller, who now produces "Hannibal," has had a number of series that never got the audience they deserved. One of them was "Pushing Daisies," which ran for two seasons in the late '00s. Lee Pace (right) starred in a strange mix of mystery, magic and pie. 
Another Fuller show was "Wonderfalls," which had one season on Fox in 2004. The show starred Caroline Dhavernas as a Niagara Falls gift-shop worker who talks to the shop's figurines. Dhavernas is now in "Hannibal." 
"Party Down" had a terrific cast, including Ken Marino (left), Adam Scott (right), Jane Lynch and Lizzy Caplan. But the comedy about struggling actors doing catering lasted just two seasons on Starz. Rumor has it a film is in the works.
- "Twin Peaks" returning in 2016, latest show to be rebooted
- Bringing back old shows combines nostalgia, need for content
- A number of old shows could use revivals
(CNN) -- If you haven't heard, "Twin Peaks" is coming back.
On Monday, Showtime announced that the early-'90s David Lynch series would return for a limited run in 2016.
'Twin Peaks' returns -- on Showtime
A new "Twin Peaks" could be intriguing, since the show was so labyrinthine to start with. Indeed, the Internet erupted with enthusiasm at the news. Other ideas, such as the possibility of a "Say Anything" TV series, haven't been so well received.
Nowadays, there's no reason that a show has to die completely. Thanks to the endless appetite for content and nostalgia, old noble failures can be repurposed, rethought and recast to make shiny NEW failu -- uh, hopefuls. (Besides, as the saying goes, there's nothing new under the sun.)
What could these shows be? A long time ago -- back in the '90s and '00s -- there was a program on the now-defunct network Trio called "Brilliant But Cancelled," which was a way to showcase a number of notable network programs that died before their time.
It was a chance to look anew at shows such as Larry Gelbart's "United States," the prescient "Profit" and the bizarre "Lookwell," starring Adam West and created by Conan O'Brien and Robert Smigel. (Trio, which had an interesting mix of old talk shows, British reruns and a smattering of new programming, also died before its time, with its plug pulled in 2005.)
We've come up with our own list of TV series that we wouldn't mind seeing get a second shot. With the right brain trust, some of these programs can be better than they were.
The best example is probably "Battlestar Galactica," which in its original incarnation was an old-fashioned space opera. When it was brought back in 2004, it became a trenchant commentary on terrorism, religion and its impact on society.
What other shows could be rebooted? Check out the gallery for a few suggestions -- and join the comments to add some of your own.
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