Spring cleaning is upon us. While we scrub our floors, rearrange our closets and detoxify our mini fridges, television executives are making decisions about the future of their shows. Shows that aren't getting decent enough ratings get thrown out like a moldy block of cheese, which is sometimes sad, since not all of the cheese that gets thrown out is moldy, or the mold has yet to take over, and the rest of the block could easily be saved by simply slicing off an inch or two. Instead of trying harder to promote the show or waiting for its viewership to develop, most networks opt to move the show to a less desirable timeslot until it disappears, if not pull the show entirely. Proving my cynicism to be a bit overblown, NBC has announced that the Tina Fey sitcom "30 Rock," despite its relatively small audience, will be returning for a second season. However, its fellow critically acclaimed comedy-night-done-righter, "Andy Barker, P.I.," was not so lucky. The final two episodes will be virtually wasted this Saturday at 7 p.m. As a celebration, or rather, condemnation of TV show cancellation, I have decided to list what I consider to be the top five most disappointing comedy cancellations in television history. Most of my picks are fairly recent, and most of the greatest television tragedies took place within the past decade. Shows just weren't canceled as much and as prematurely during the early days of television. The order of my list is not based on how much I liked the show (I loved them all), but rather how upsetting and untimely its cancellation was when it occurred. No. 5: "Police Squad!" Six episodes. Twelve titles. Countless hilarious moments. The show began its run on ABC in 1982 only to get canceled after four episodes. The remaining two episodes were discarded during the summer. The show was the brainchild of UW-Madison alumni Jerry Zucker, David Zucker and Jim Abrahams. Fortunately for the trio, the concept was turned into the highly successful "Naked Gun" movie trilogy. They got the last laugh, so to speak. No. 4: "The Job" Denis Leary's gritty cop comedy was top-notch television. If only it had aired on FX like its brother "Rescue Me." Instead, it ran on ABC, which is probably the most impatient network with poor ratings (although FOX is a close second). "The Job" lasted for two short seasons and a total of just 18 episodes, a number fewer than a single season for most series. As Joey Ramone's version of "What a Wonderful World" played over several touching twists, I must admit that I got a little teary-eyed while watching the closing scenes of the series finale. Of course, my allergies were acting up, and I was chopping an onion at the time, plus I had just gotten poked in the eyes — but the last episode did get to me just a little. No. 3: "Arrested Development" I consider this the funniest show to ever air on television, and I strongly believe nothing will ever be able to top it. This was the pinnacle of sitcom-dom. It's all downhill from here. Fox gave this show an honest try, but the core audience never expanded. After two seasons of low ratings, and with cancellation constantly looming, Fox moved the show from its cozy Sunday night timeslot to Monday. After even poorer third-season ratings, Fox cut the season down to 13 episodes, airing the final four on a Friday night. Although it is my favorite show of all time, the reason I do not rank its cancellation higher is because it actually had a decent run. Out of all of the shows on my list, "Arrested" had by far the most episodes, with 53. During its three-season run, a complex storyline emerged and was properly concluded. That's not to say the writers couldn't have kept it going, but what they made of the show's somewhat brief life was more than satisfying. No. 2: "Andy Richter Controls the Universe." If only he did. Then this show would still be on. Alas, Andy Richter just can't catch a break (aside from his one big break as Conan O'Brien's sidekick for seven years). This show was one of the most clever and inventive sitcoms in recent years. It got off to a bit of a slow start, but once it got going it really took off with strong storylines and even stronger characters. Just as it got great, the show was canceled in the middle of its second season, leaving behind several unaired episodes. What a waste. No. 1: "Freaks and Geeks." What happens to the students of McKinley High School? Will Sam, Neal and Bill ever truly fit in? What becomes of Lindsay and Nick's relationship? What will they all do after graduation? Will they all even graduate? We'll never know, thanks to NBC's cancellation of this brilliant hourlong coming-of-age comedy that didn't even get to complete its first season until the show aired on cable. Since NBC moved the show around so many times, it never got a fair chance to gather a significant audience. Add to that a premature departure that left its cult fans with several unresolved issues and unfulfilled hopes, and you have yourself the most unfortunate comedy cancellation in television history. The only saving grace of a show's disposal nowadays is the possibility for it to go to DVD or cable. In fact, four of the five series on my list can be purchased on DVD, the only exception being "Andy Richter Controls the Universe." If only he did. Then the show would be on DVD. Networks, when performing your spring cleaning, if you must throw something away, at least remember to recycle. It's the responsible thing to do. Mike Peters is a senior focusing on communication arts, film and business. Do you use the three R's (reduce, reuse and recycle) when watching television? Let Mike know at [email protected].