They say breaking up is hard to do, but it's not always hard -- it really depends on the breakup. There are the easy, necessary and long overdue breakups along with the sad, painful, and shocking ones. When we learned of the more than three dozen TV shows ending this season, we started to realize (being the crazy TV fans that we are) that those same breakup categories can apply to the farewells we bid to our favorite (and not-so-favorite) TV series. (Although there's a much smaller chance of drunk dialing an old favorite sitcom.)First, there are the cancellations that caught us by surprise; the shows we really wish wouldn't leave us. Samantha? Earl? (as in "…Who?" and "My Name Is…") We thought things were going so well! You were so charming and captivating and we truly enjoyed spending time with you. But, alas, you're going and there's nothing we can do to make you stay. Sigh.

Next, there are the series we once had exciting relationships with, but as time went on things got a little dull. In the case of dramas like "ER" and "Prison Break," by the end we barely recognized the shows we fell in love with years ago. We saw these breakups coming and we know ending it is for the best, but we'll always have the good old days.

And finally, there's the last, and least painful, category. The shows we barely got to know. They looked good on paper so we tried starting something up with series like "In the Motherhood" and "Kings," but lost interest before the relationships even got off the ground. We won't lose any sleep over these barely-got-to-know-ya shows, that's for sure. See-ya!

Check out a few of the notable cancellations in each category and say your own proper goodbyes:

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THE HEARTBREAKERS:



"My Name is Earl" (NBC)

Though never dubbed Must-See TV, "My Name is Earl," which followed a petty crook on the road to redemption, had a strong following and actually delivered its fair share of laughs. Over the course of four seasons, Earl (played to perfection by man-boy extraordinaire, Jason Lee) mixed and mingled with some of the weirdest and wackiest characters to ever grace the small screen, including one of TV's funniest females, 2006 Best Supporting Actress winner Jamie Pressly, who portrayed Joy Farrah Darville-Hickey-Turner, a trailer trash she-devil with a heart of coal. But, after 96 episodes and innumerable El Camino, DNA test, and STD jokes, NBC decided to dump the show in favor of hanging onto Amy Poehler's questionable new program, "Parks and Recreation" … which should really be a "Saturday Night Live" sketch, not a sitcom. Excuse the sidebar. In any case, Earl and his trailer park crew have already bid adieu, and there's nothing we can do but to borrow one of Joy's signature phrases, "What the Hell?"


THE ONES THAT RAN THEIR COURSE:

"ER" (NBC)

For the fans who stuck with this medical drama for the full 15 seasons, one thing became pretty clear toward the end of its run: There were a lot less of us watching. The cast looked a lot different on the 331st episode than it did on the first, but the show will still go down in history as the longest-running -- and one of the best -- medical dramas in television history. While it may have run past its prime, "ER" took advantage of knowing which season was its last and treated fans to a trip down memory lane with appearances by favorite former cast members (George Clooney, anyone?) throughout Season 15, injecting enough excitement to bring former viewers back to the "ER" during those last few episodes.

"Boston Legal" (ABC)

Back in 2003, fans of the legal drama "The Practice" were devastated when creator David E. Kelley suddenly fired most of the show's main cast members, including Dylan McDermott and Lara Flynn Boyle, and brought on '80s film star James Spader to head up a new cast. Turns out the move was the beginning of a quirky-but-brilliant new spin-off called "Boston Legal," which eventually boasted a cast of stalwart actors like William Shatner, Candace Bergen and John Larroquette. But after five seasons, plenty of Emmy nods and wins, and wild and wacky cases dealing with everything from homeland security to white supremacist musical acts to paparazzi murders, court finally adjourned for good.

"Without a Trace" (CBS)

Riding the coattails of CBS's massively popular Jerry Bruckheimer-produced procedurals, "Without a Trace" captivated viewers with its focus on an FBI missing persons unit headed up by Special Agent Jack Malone, played by Anthony LaPaglia. In addition to following one intense case per episode, the show gave viewers a look at the team members' complicated personal lives and emotional reactions to cases. Though the series managed to crack the Top 20 in the ratings during all seven of its seasons, "Without a Trace" is about to disappear for good.

"Prison Break" (FOX)

When "Prison Break" first burst onto the scene in 2005, the show quickly gained a solid fan base and whipped them into quite a frenzy. The show, about a man who purposely lands himself in jail to help his innocent brother break out, had the edge-of-your-seat excitement of "24" and the you-better-pay-attention mystery of "Lost." Unfortunately, the series began mixing things up a little too much, moving the setting to Central America, and losing its viewer interest along the way. Its new Friday timeslot this year didn't help matters and after four seasons, "Prison Break" will be taking a permanent one.

Talk About It: If you could only save one show, which show would it be?

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