Summary
The TV industry has been known to cancel shows almost immediately,to the disappointment or relief of audiences. TV shows canceled after one season, or before the first season was even over, get to this point for multiple reasons. In most cases, the show wasn’t that great and the network wasn’t happy with the ratings, so they deemed finishing it wasn’t worthwhile. However, some viewers will still vehemently defendcanceled TV shows that were becoming great, highlighting some subjectivity in critics' opinions vs audiences'.
Additionally,shows may be canceled before the end of season 1 for reasons that don’t have to do with quality.Studios contending with production costs and delays might have been forced to choose one show over another, probably upsetting someone. Despite their untimely cancellations, some of these shows are still enjoyed by viewers — while others' cancellations were well-deserved.
10 TV Shows That Were Canceled Multiple Times & Kept Coming Back
From cult classics to beloved sitcoms, some TV shows that have been canceled multiple times have defied the odds stacked against them and came back.
10Cowboy Bebop (2021)
The Cowboy Bebop remake ended after season 1.
Cowboy Bebopcreator Shinichirō Watanabe favored a shorter story,which is why the originalCowboy Bebopended after just 26 episodes, despite being a very popular and influential anime series. However, many still wondered if it could have been a longer series, which eventually led to a follow-up movie and a live-action remake. As is the case every time a beloved animated property gets this treatment, Netflix was running the risk of how wellCowboy Bebopwould translate into live-action.
It is not an approach doomed to fail, as Netflix has seen relative success withOne PieceandAvatar: The Last Airbender. However,the live-actionCowboy Bebophad a rough reception and was canceled soon after.Watanabe said (viaVariety) he watched just one scene of the remake before giving up on it entirely:
“It was clearly notCowboy Bebopand I realized at that point that if I wasn’t involved, it would not beCowboy Bebop. I felt that maybe I should have done this. Although the value of the original anime is somehow far higher now.”
Cowboy Bebop
Cowboy Bebop is a 1998 animated series set in 2071, where humanity has colonized the Solar System following a catastrophic event. As crime surges, bounty hunters known as “Cowboys” are employed by the Inter Solar System Police to capture criminals in exchange for rewards.
9Do No Harm (2013)
Do No Harm was canceled after two episodes.
Do No Harmis a concept with promise, following a modern-day Jekyll and Hyde scenario. However, it is also one that can be easily bungled if the creators don’t know how to utilize and build upon the themes of the source material.Do No Harm"[earned] the distinction of becoming the lowest-rated scripted premiere in the history of the Big Four networks"and was taken off of NBC’s airing schedule after the first two poorly received episodes (The Hollywood Reporter).
Do No Harmwas immediately replaced by reruns ofLaw & Order: SVU.Reports on its cancellation characterized it as a medical drama as well as sci-fi/fantasy, perhaps demonstrating an interesting problem concerning why it failed. Caught up with the increase in medical dramas amidGrey’s Anatomy’sheyday but coming out before fantasy TV really took off,Do No Harmis a poorly-written blend of these subgenres.
Do No Harm
Cast
Do No Harm is a medical drama series that follows Dr. Jason Cole, a brilliant neurosurgeon with a dangerous alter ego named Ian Price. By day, Jason saves lives, but every night, his vengeful and sociopathic counterpart Ian emerges, forcing him to grapple with maintaining his career and personal life while attempting to keep Ian’s menacing behavior in check.
8Hank (2009)
Kelsey Grammer requested that Hank be canceled.
A new sitcom starring the legendary Kelsey Grammer sounds like something sure to be a hit,or would at least last for a decent amount of time out of respect for the lead actor. This makesHank’sswift cancellation only more shocking. The circumstances ofHank’scancellation suggest that ABC might have even persevered with the first season for this reason, but someone important argued against it. A show with a synopsis that only reads"A man and his family and lose everything"(typo included onIMDB) suggests it doesn’t have a lot to prop it up.
Grammer personally requested that the show be canceled as soon as possible.
According to aContact Musicinterview,Grammer himself knew the show wasn’t funny— and didn’t want to make the long drive every day for a project that he didn’t think was worthwhile. Grammer personally requested that the show be canceled as soon as possible. Warner Bros. agreed, production was halted, and several episodes ofHanknever aired.
7Moonlight (2007-2008)
Moonlight was canceled after the first season, partially due to the Writers' strike.
Moonlightseemed like it could carry on as an okay, enjoyable new vampire romance show connoting an engaging divide between fans and critics. While reviewers critiqued the series' writing and acting,Moonlightwas fairly well received by general audiences and a second season was a real possibility.However, the effects of bad reviews doubled down when the production was halted by the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike.
Only 12 of 13 planned episodes were produced, andCBS canceledMoonlightafter season 1.There were hopes thatMoonlightcould be acanceled TV show savedby another network, with inquiries made to companies interested in reviving it. However, these efforts to saveMoonlighteventually failed (viaThe Hollywood Reporter). Amid the rise ofTwilight, it is possible that this show could have lasted for much longer by virtue of being about vampires, even if the rest of it wasn’t that great.
6Selfie (2014)
Selfie was canceled midway through season 1.
Selfiehad a pretty unremarkable rise and fall: It premiered on ABC with high hopes, got low reviews, and was shut down soon after. Hoping to be a solid addition to the repertoire of an MCU star,Selfiesignaled a sharp genre departure fromKaren Gillan’s best action movies, as well as her fantasy/sci-fi tenure withDoctor Who. In contrast to these properties,Selfiefollows a self-obsessed pharmaceutical sales rep in an exploration of social media’s uses and pitfalls.
Selfiealso has a remarkably impressive supporting cast,including John Cho and the now-Oscar-winning Da’Vine Joy Randolph. However, their and Gillan’s talents combined still did not work forSelfie. The concept of the show has promise but perhaps didn’t work out for similar reasons to the movieMen, Women & Childrenbecause its approach to the social media discourse was too preachy.
Selfie
Selfie is a comedy series starring Karen Gillan as Eliza Dooley, a social media-obsessed saleswoman who seeks help from marketing expert Henry Higgs, played by John Cho, to rebrand her image. Inspired by the classic play Pygmalion, the show explores themes of modern-day relationships and social media’s impact on personal connections.
10 Movies & TV Shows About Social Media Influencers
Whether documentaries about real figures or fictional characters, these movies and TV shows tell the stories of social media influencers.
5Freaks And Geeks (1999-2000)
Freaks and Geeks was canceled before the end of season 1.
Many now-famous actors appeared inFreaks and Geeks, which has attained the status of a cult classic since its cancellation. The comedy-drama showcasing the daily struggles of a group of teenagers did remarkably well, featuring the talents of early-career Linda Cardellini, James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and more. The consensus is thatFreaks and Geeksis an excellent show that did not deserve to be canceled,which was announced 12 episodes into its 18-episode first season.
What’s even more shocking is that creator Judd Apatow turned down the chance to produceFreaks and Geeksseason 2for MTV; however, this choice was made because of the lower budget MTV was offering.Freaks and Geeksultimately just had bad luckwhen it came to the shows it was competing with, budgetary concerns, and struggles with ratings. However, it can be agreed upon that the first season is still a valuable depiction of teenage life.
Freaks and Geeks
Judd Apatow’s Freaks and Geeks is a comedy-drama series centered around several now-popular stars in their first-ever appearances as outcast teenagers dealing with the “hilarious unfairness of teen life.” The friend groups are split into “freaks” and “geeks,” each with their own quirks that resonate with teens today as they attempt to find their place in the socially complex world of high school.
4My So-Called Life (1994-1995)
My So-Called Life was canceled after season 1.
My So-Called Lifeis another coming-of-age drama starring some would-be famous actors, namely Claire Danes and Jared Leto, that met its end early. Focusing on Danes' character, a 15-year-old girl managing school as well as social and familial relationships,My So-Called Lifeis another interesting case of a failed teen drama.In this case, the show came only a few years after the Brat Pack fell out of fashion, and possibly struggled with the genre losing popularity.
Yet, likeFreaks and Geeks, My So-Called Lifeis also praised for its realistic depiction of teenage woes, again suggesting that the genre was facing some biases in the 1990s.
However,My So-Called Lifewas ultimately canceled for the simple reasons of low ratingsand marketing issues. This evidently was not the end of Danes' career, who starred inLittle Womenthe same year. Yet, likeFreaks and Geeks, My So-Called Lifeis also praised for its realistic depiction of teenage woes, again suggesting that the genre was facing some biases in the 1990s.
My So-Called Life
My So-Called Life is a TV drama series that aired in 1994-1995, centered on teenager Angela Chase, played by Claire Danes, as she navigates the complexities of high school life, friendships, and family relationships. The show explores themes of identity, peer pressure, and adolescence, featuring a strong ensemble cast including Jared Leto as Jordan Catalano and Bess Armstrong as Angela’s mother, Patty Chase.
3Forever (2014-2015)
Forever was canceled after season 1.
Similar toMoonlight,Foreveris a fantasy series that could have been carried by its fanbase despite troubling reviews.The popular first season received middling ratings, leading to its cancellation. Lead actor Ioan Gruffudd was especially disappointed by this turn of events, calling the immortal New York City medical examiner Dr. Henry Morgan“the role of [his] dreams”(viaDeadline).
Foreverfans were briefly given false hope for a second seasonwith positive updates from the creator Matt Miller.Foreverwas the only new drama not owned by ABC to debut on the network this year, and other series were possibly given preference. Also, before epic fantasy had been cemented as the dominant genre of TV,Foreverwas not the priority, but was viewed as a strange show that wasn’t worth another season to further develop the story. Any hopes of another network picking it up did not come to fruition.
2Connecting… (2020)
Connecting… was canceled after four episodes.
Connectingattempts to show a fun story about a group of friends dealing with the modern monster of lockdown,and remaining in touch over Zoom, with video chat grids being the format of the series. Assuming that people would want to watch this was a leap, especially because it aired during 2020. After a few episodes, NBC took the show off the air and the rest of the season was released on Peacock before it ended.
The intention ofConnectingmay have been to create a story relating to what everyone was going throughat that moment in time. However, the effect was just a dull reminder of it all, when other fictional TV shows were available for a better escape. The way the series was filmed also provided the technical challenge of a non-traditional format, which was never guaranteed to land well with audiences.
8 TV Shows That Got Canceled By Two Different Networks
Popular shows including Uncoupled, Designated Survivor, and Arrested Development were canceled by more than one network or streaming service.
1Firefly (2002-2003)
Firefly famously got only one season.
Fireflyis still one of the most famous post-season 1 cancellations in TV history.At the time, Joss Wheedon was the most popular director of sci-fi and fantasy in the industry, and fans were sure that his new brainchild would be a long-running hit. Initially, the announcement that it was ending, later to be followed by a movie, provoked shock and outrage.
As far aswhyFireflywas canceled, it looks to have been caught up in Fox’s approach of immediately canceling shows that did not meet their expected ratings. However,Fireflyin particular was a very expensive show to produce and risky to continue.The effects ofFireflybeing canceled vs. what they would have been if the show carried on constitute one of the most interesting debatesover a show being almost immediately canceled.
Firefly
Firefly is a science fiction television series set in the year 2517, focusing on the crew of the spaceship Serenity. As humans inhabit a new star system, the renegade crew, led by Captain Malcolm Reynolds, navigates conflicts and alliances while pursuing their own interests across lawless territories.
