I don’t think there’s much question that economically speaking, things are rough out there right now. The economic carnage isn’t limited to the average Joe worker bee, either, many TV shows may not have been given time to blossom into a full on success as budgets are tight and viewers are precious.

The fall lineup for 2008 left many TV viewers with a yawn, and as a result the networks are scrambling to make changes that will entice them to come back to the couch. So far, we’ve seen a number of shows, some showing great promise, be left by the wayside.

In particular, I knew plenty of people who really wanted to see Christian Slater succeed on the small screen. His show, “My Own Worst Enemy,” was recently lined up for termination, and I know a number of friends and family who were extremely disappointed by that development. Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money, and Eli Stone are also as good as gone. I believe the most irksome part of a good show being canceled is when it doesn’t even get a proper farewell. You’re just left, forever stuck, at some midpoint in the story, with a conclusion that will never be reached, it can be downright frustrating.

Still other shows are stuck in limbo, without being officially canceled but seemingly unlikely to being pushed forward. The Ex List, for example, only aired four episodes on CBS, and it doesn’t look like there will be any chance that the network will bring the romantic comedy back for an encore.  Other series in that vein include “Do Not Disturb” and “Easy Money” as well as “Valentine.” Let’s hope the next batch does better than the first..eh?