Television is a tough business. Getting any show to the airwaves is one thing - it's staying on that is a different battle entirely. In an industry predicated on shows getting cut to make way for more, there are inevitably many gems of TV that get axed just a little too soon. But which TV shows actually deserve mention?
From acclaimed gems too quirky to attract a wide enough audience, to expensive productions whose exorbitant price tags couldn't justify continued costs, TV is a proverbial wasteland of unfulfilled potential. Unresolved storylines, cliffhanger endings, and obvious promise to improve with more time all characterize some of the greatest shows that audiences routinely consider gone "too soon." While some shows can garner a big enough fanbase to enjoy some kind of revival, most times, these cult shows suffer an unceremonious end.
These are just 32 TV shows that are often considered "canceled too soon."
32. Terriers
Terriers, a short-lived FX procedural, is about a former cop (Donal Logue) and a reformed criminal (Michael Raymond-James) who start an unlicensed P.I. business in seedy, sunny Ocean Beach, California. The show enjoyed a short but celebrated run in the fall 2010 season on FX, where it racked up acclaim from critics on the strength of its actors, sharp writing, and biting sense of humor. In a 2023 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, producer Shawn Ryan said the show's mishandled marketing and placeholder title all failed to give the show any identity.
31. Raised by Wolves
Created by Aaron Guzikowski and shepherded by Alien director Ridley Scott as executive producer, Raised by Wolves is a philosophical science fiction series that muses on the inevitable, self-destructive nature of man. The show centers on two androids (Amanda Collin and Abubakar Salim) who are tasked with raising human children on a distant planet after the fall of Earth. As their growing human colony tears apart due to religious differences, the androids find that controlling humans is a more complicated order than it seems. In its short lifespan between 2020 and 2022, Raised by Wolves won acclaim for its mature approach to science fiction, being a show that touched the heart as it did the mind. In 2022, Salim said the show was canceled due to its high production costs amid the merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery.
30. Paper Girls
Based on Brian K. Vaughn's acclaimed young adult comic book series, Paper Girls follows four girls from the year 1988 who become involved in a warring conflict between factions of time travelers. Their adventures to save the world brings them face to face with future versions of themselves, forcing them to choose if they accept their fate. Despite the high profile of Vaughn's comic, the success of similarly minded shows like Euphoria, and the strong audience and critical acclaim that greeted the series in its summer 2022 premiere, Amazon mysteriously canceled the show after only eight episodes.
29. Swamp Thing
For a brief time in 2019, TV finally had a fantastically dark (and not goofy) Swamp Thing series. Produced for the now-defunct DC Universe streaming service, Swamp Thing - the second series adaptation of Len Wein's comic book character - followed a CDC doctor (Crystal Reed) who looks into the disappearance of biologist Alec Holland (Andy Bean), who has turned into a mutated eco-avenger. Despite boasting producers in James Wan and Underworld's Len Wiseman, as well as positive reviews for its production design and spooky filmmaking, creative differences and budget shortfalls due to byzantine tax rebates in North Carolina (where production took place) forced Swamp Thing back into murky waters.
28. Girl Meets World
In the sequel to the '90s sitcom Boy Meets World, Corey (Ben Savage) and Topanga (Danielle Fishel) return as a married couple with their own adolescent daughter Riley (Rowan Blanchard). Just like her parents did before her, Riley navigates the challenges of modern adolescence with best friend Maya (played by soon-to-be pop superstar Sabrina Carpenter). Girl Meets World was embraced by professional TV critics and the now-adult fans of its predecessor, praising the series for upholding the spirit of its predecessor and humorously taking on difficult subject matters that young girls actually related to. Mysteriously, Girl Meets World aired on the youth-oriented Disney Channel, which complicated production as the young actors (and their characters) began to grow up themselves. With the show's producers unable to find a new home for the show, Girl Meets World was canceled in 2017, upsetting the show's audience.
27. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
After The West Wing went out on a high note, creator Aaron Sorkin embarked on walking-and-talking his way through entirely different corridors. Set behind the scenes of a Saturday Night Live-style comedy show in Los Angeles, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip told of the lives of its cast and crew whose lives intermingle in amusing ways. While the series was eventually outclassed by another show just like it that premiered at the same time - a generational classic called 30 Rock - Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip has maintained a devoted audience ever since it went off the air.
26. Fastlane
In what was basically a TV-sized version of Fast & Furious, Fastlane told of two mismatched cops who work undercover in a secret division of the LAPD. Peter Facinelli and Bill Bellamy play the two cops, while Saved by the Bell's Tiffani Thiessen co-stars as their lieutenant who gave them their daily cases. Though lauded for its action movie vibes and entertaining chemistry among its stars, Fastlane was too expensive for Fox to keep on the air. Weird observation: When Fox canceled the now-beloved cult series Firefly, it used Fastlane to take up Firefly's Friday night timeslot. The change also doomed Fastlane as ratings dropped considerably afterward.
25. Reboot
In a time when Hollywood can't get enough of recycling old ideas, the Hulu comedy Reboot grilled the industry to a crisp. In Reboot, the cast of a 2000s sitcom happily reunite for a streaming revival. But behind the scenes, the cast and crew still have unresolved personal problems, not to mention finding themselves in a wildly different Hollywood environment than what they knew. With a cast that included Keegan-Michael Key, Johnny Knoxville, Rachel Bloom, Calum Worthy, Judy Greer, and even Paul Reiser, Reboot was a mirror to Hollywood and its bad habits of redoing everything. Ironically, Reboot's originality may have been its death sentence, with only eight episodes made before it was canceled.
24. Constantine
While everyone loves Keanu Reeve in the 2005 movie, a more faithful version to the DC Comics series Hellblazer heated up NBC in 2014. In Constantine, British actor Matt Ryan dons the trenchcoat of occult detective John Constantine, a private investigator who takes on cases that are demonic in nature. Although Constantine summoned a loyal audience, it failed to draw high enough ratings to save it from eternal damnation. Impossibly, Matt Ryan's version of Constantine found second life in the Arrowverse franchise, DC's shared universe of TV shows. After Constnatine was canceled, Ryan returned to the role and made multiple appearances in the shows Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow, the latter of which saw him in a recurring role.
23. Quantum Leap
The 2022 reboot of the beloved 1980s classic TV hit Quantum Leap had a lot going for it at the jump. Korean-American actor Raymond Lee was positioned in the lead role - a monumental moment, being the first American science fiction television series starring an Asian American actor. Billed as a continuation of the original, Quantum Leap '22 followed Dr. Ben Song (Lee), a physicist who gains the power to travel back in time and inhabit the lives of different people. Despite strong ratings, the series' high production costs ran into complications with the 2023 labor strikes that disrupted all of Hollywood. In the end, Quantum Leap's writers ended its second and last season on a final note, being fully aware that an end was in store for them. The show was officially canceled in April 2024.
22. Rome
Before Game of Thrones, HBO's biggest costume epic was Rome. Set in the first century BC, Rome - a co-production between HBO and BBC - takes the viewpoint of two common soldiers, played by Kevin McKidd and Ray Stevenson, who bear witness to history and the origins of western civilization. In stark contrast to the Biblical epics of Hollywood's past, Rome is dirty and grimy, an urban sprawl full of vice and disease. One of the most expensive TV shows of its time, Rome was celebrated for its lavish production value, epic scope, and abundant sex and violence, all of which delivered high ratings in its first season. But after two seasons, HBO and the BBC canceled the series due to its eye-watering price tag. For years after its cancellation, a script for a feature film revival was written and talks were held for it to enter production, but in 2011, co-creator Bruno Heller said the project was on indefinite hold.
21. Birds of Prey
Not long after Smallville premiered on the then-named WB network, a new DC Comics TV show tried to bring a similar take to Gotham City. That show was Birds of Prey, a dark action-oriented drama loosely based on the Birds of Prey comics. The series follows Helena Kyle (Ashley Scott), the daughter of Batman and Catwoman who fights crime under her own superhero alias Huntress. She teams up with tech sage Oracle (Dina Meyer), a paralyzed Barbara Gordon who used to go by Batgirl, and Dinah (Rachel Skarsten), a young runaway who was meant to grow into her comic book role of Black Canary. The show premiered to tremendous ratings, but the ratings fell shortly thereafter and Birds of Prey was swiftly canceled with just 13 episodes in its first season. The show nevertheless maintained a small but loyal fanbase. The fans were finally given a proper farewell when Ashley Scott briefly reprised her role of Helena/The Huntress in the 2019-2020 TV crossover special "Crisis on Infinite Earths."
20. Made for Love
Based on Alissa Nutting's 2017 sci-fi novel and the first original show made for HBO Max, Made for Love was embraced by critics when it debuted in April 2021. Cristin Milioti stars as Hazel, a woman who escapes a suffocating marriage to a tech billionaire (Billy Magnussen) only to find a cutting-edge tracking device that lets him track her every move and emotion; the show is all about Hazel regaining her independence while still being "followed" by her abusive husband. Despite its timely (and often hilarious) story about technology, privacy, and intimacy, not to mention a strong leading performance from Milioti, Made for Love was among the many shows that fell victim to the ruthless 2022 merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery.
19. Wayward Pines
In 2015, M. Night Shyamalan entered the realm of TV as the executive producer (and first episode director) of the creepy sci-fi drama Wayward Pines. Based on the novels by Blake Crouch, the story follows a government agent (Matt Dillon) who ventures to a small town in Idaho to investigate the disappearance of two agents - including his lover (Carla Gugino), whom he finds has fully settled into the idyllic but eerie town. A hybrid of The X-Files and Twin Peaks, Wayward Pines was conceived as a one-and-done miniseries before strong ratings compelled Fox to renew the show. The second season featured a mostly new cast and creative team, which led to dwindling ratings. After the second season was completed, Fox canceled the show for good.
18. The OA
A Netflix original with a fervent fan following, The OA captivated audiences across its short two seasons (out of an intended five-season run). The show follows a blind woman named Prairie (Brit Marling) who returns home after being missing for seven years, only now with the ability to see. Calling herself "The OA," Prairie seeks five locals from her hometown to help her rescue other missing people from another dimension. The OA was canceled by Netflix in 2019, its unresolved cliffhanger angering fans to the point they carried out numerous social media campaigns, purchased billboards in Times Square - and in the case of one really dedicated fan, going on a hunger strike in front of Netflix's offices in Los Angeles. Renowned for its surreal story, complicated mythology, and emotional depth, The OA still enjoys recognition as one of the greatest TV shows of all time by outlets like Empire, BBC, Wired, NME, and Collider.
17. Kevin Can F**k Himself
Marvel's WandaVision infamously played with the classic sitcom format to explore a woman's grief, but AMC's criminally short-lived Kevin Can F**k Himself took that same experimentation one step further. Schitt's Creek's Annie Murphy stars as an unhappy woman named Allison who finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage to an immature man (Eric Petersen). The show's narrative thrust is when Allison comes to the realization that she wants to kill her husband. Flip-flopping between the husband's point of view on their marriage, shown in a multi-cam sitcom format (including a studio audience laugh track) versus Allison's darker, more sinister perspective - a dimly-lit single-camera format evocative of the modern prestige drama - Kevin Can F**k Himself cleverly weaponized our familiarity of television to satirize the misogyny of television and the man-child endemic plaguing modern American marriages. While the show wasn't classically "canceled," its second season renewal in 2021 was simply made as its last.
16. GLOW
What's most frustrating about the end of GLOW, Netflix's period dramedy about the sisterhood of a women's wrestling promotion, is that a fourth and final season was already underway. A fictionalized account of the real-life Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, GLOW told a locker room of gals who navigate the ups and downs and body slams of life together, anchored by leads Alison Brie and Betty Gilpin. Cameras had just started rolling on the fourth season when the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 compelled Netflix to reverse its decision to renew and cancel it anyway. That's upsetting, because as it stands the story of GLOW is still up in the air, like a top rope elbow drop frozen in time.
15. Hannibal
Three seasons seems like a long time to digest Hannibal, but fans couldn't get their fill of Mads Mikkelsen's cannibalistic killer. A psychological horror-thriller that captivated audiences on NBC in the mid-2010s, Hannibal adapted Thomas Harris' numerous books centered on the serial killer Hannibal Lecter (played in the series by Mads Mikkelsen) who forges an uneasy partnership with an FBI investigator (Hugh Dancy). Renowned for its atmosphere and delectable cinematography, Hannibal was always on the chopping block at NBC due to its low ratings; the show eventually succumbed to its woes when it was canceled by the network in 2015. But its cult status gave the show enduring recognition as one of the greatest TV horror shows of all time.
14. Santa Clarita Diet
Hannibal wasn't the only cult TV show whose audience had a ravenous appetite. Santa Clarita Diet starred Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as married real estate agents whose pleasant, happy lives take a dark turn when Sheila (Barrymore) is turned into a zombie and begins to crave raw human flesh. A delightful satire that finds a fresh take on the zombie genre to lampoon the veneer of upper middle class suburbia, Santa Clarita Diet delighted fans who streamed it on Netflix for three seasons. In 2019, the show was canceled, leaving fans dissatisfied by its unresolved cliffhanger.
13. Deadwood
The Western genre found glorious new life on HBO in 2004, when David Milch's acclaimed epic Deadwood hit the airwaves. For three impeccable seasons, Deadwood explored the beginnings of America in its setting of late 1800s South Dakota, when the frontier was still expanding and the promise of instant riches wrote the first draft of the American dream. The show's magnificent writing and direction gave the show acclaim, which only befuddled legions of viewers when HBO canceled the show after its third season. It took years for a proper finale to wrap up the story - in 2019's Deadwood: The Movie - but that doesn't give back all that lost time.
12. Powerless
When the might of superhero franchises was everywhere, one sitcom dared to have some fun. In the lively series Powerless - set in the DC Universe - Vanessa Hudgens plays Emily Locke, the Director of R&D at Wayne Security whose goal is to help ordinary people survive the collateral damage of superhero battles. (The show's original pilot, which screened at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con, had a much different premise with Emily employed at an insurance firm that tries to avoid paying out damages caused by superheroes.) While it was hailed for its fresh take on the superhero genre, pleasing rom-com sensibilities, and a dynamite cast - including Danny Pudi, Ron Funches, and Alan Tudyk - Powerless struggled in the ratings. It was canceled by NBC after its first season. Fun fact: Batman actor Adam West made one of his final live-action performances in Powerless' final episode.
11. Galavant
A musical comedy that turned fairy tales into fairy tunes, Galavant lampoons storybook tropes in its tale of a dashing-but-drunk hero Galavant (Joshua Sasse) who tries to rescue his true love Madalena (Mallory Jansen) from the evil King Richard (Timothy Omundson). Boasting plenty of catchy original songs by Disney composer Alan Menken and an adult sense of humor that blew up the skirts of its fairy tale settings, Galavant won over legions of TV viewers when it premiered as a mid-season replacement for the more serious fantasy drama Once Upon a Time. Due to low ratings and high production costs, ABC shut the book on Galavant in May 2016, ensuring that the show's fans don't get happy ever after.
10. Jericho
Even a successful fan campaign that brought it back for a second season wasn't enough to keep Jericho on the air for long. Premiering in 2006 on CBS, Jericho followed the residents of a small Kansas town who've survived in the aftermath of nuclear attacks that devastated the United States. Skeet Ulrich stars as Jake Green, a former Jericho resident who returns to his hometown and works to uncover the truth behind the attacks. Remembered for its sense of mystery and juicy character drama, Jericho was binge-worthy before binge-watching was a common habit. Low ratings compelled CBS to decimate Jericho not once but twice; talks of a feature film revival were announced in 2009 but ultimately did not come to fruition. By 2012, Jericho fans got to experience the third and fourth "seasons" in the form of comic books published by IDW.
9. Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23
Before Krysten Ritter was Marvel's Jessica Jones, she was a total "B" in one of the most beloved oddball television comedies of the 2010s. Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23 follows June (Dreama Walker), a young woman who moves to New York City and finds herself living with an unpredictable firecracker named Chloe (Ritter), a bon vivant whose M.O. is to extort new roommates until they leave. However, June and Chloe end up forming an unlikely friendship. The series was lauded for its breakout star in Ritter, whose performance as an acerbic she-devil gave fans reasons to tune in. Despite acclaim and a cult following, ABC aired episodes out of order, confusing most TV viewers which contributed to low ratings. The show was officially canceled in January 2013, leaving the ongoing misadventures of June and Chloe unresolved.
8. Selfie
It's easily the worst title for any TV show. But anyone who saw Selfie couldn't get enough of it. Broadcast on ABC for one season in 2014, Selfie was the product of creator Emily Kapnek, and was essentially a millennial-age retelling of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion with its budding romance between social media influencer Eliza (Karen Gillan) and buttoned-up executive Henry (John Cho). Despite the gaudy title, Selfie drew praise for the palpable chemistry between its leads and insightful satire about the real meaning of "followers." Despite "likes" by critics audiences - who supported it with a grassroots campaign for renewal - Selfie was canceled by ABC when it was still airing its first season.
7. Party Down
In one of the sharpest comedies to satirize modern L.A. living, Party Down - co-created by Rob Thomas, John Enbom, Dan Etheridge, and Paul Rudd - puts the spotlight on the usually invisible caterers of Hollywood events, almost all of them struggling actors and dysfunctional dreamers who await their big break while serving up bites. Adam Scott, Jane Lynch, Ken Marino, Martin Starr, Ryan Hansen, and Lizzy Caplan all star in a cult classic that struggled to stand out against a competitive crop of likeminded documentary-style sitcoms. Though it aired on the premium cable channel Starz, Party Down still struggled to get enough viewers chomping off its plates. That series stars Jane Lynch and Adam Scott committed to other major network shows also played a factor in Starz officially calling it quits on Party Down in 2010. A limited series revival gave the show brief additional life, in the form of six episodes released in 2023.
6. Mindhunter
Created by Joe Penhall with heavy involvement from director David Fincher, the acclaimed Netflix thriller Mindhunter loosely adapts the 1995 nonfiction book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit. The series follows the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit at the FBI Academy, who in the early days of formalized criminal psychology at the agency undertake a research project to interview serial killers in the hopes of better understanding their thinking. Spiritually reminiscent of Silence of the Lambs with dashes of David Fincher's own singular artistry on display, Mindhunter won over Netflix subscribers with its intense atmosphere, uncompromising portrayal of the criminal mind, and strong performances from actors like Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, and Anna Torv. After two seasons, production went on indefinite hiatus as Fincher pursued other projects. In February 2023 Fincher confirmed the show was officially done, a revelation that upset the show's numerous fans.
5. Happy Endings
Every generation needs a comedy where friends get together with friends and just… hang out. In the spirit of Friends, there was Happy Endings, an acclaimed TV comedy about six adults in their twenties and early thirties in Chicago who together navigate the ups and downs of modern love. With a cast that included Damon Wayans Jr., Eliza Coupe, Elisha Cuthbert, Casey Wilson, Zachary Knighton, and Adam Pally, Happy Endings breathed new life in a stale TV genre. While the show saw stiff competition in other very similar shows, including Perfect Couples, Mad Love, and Friends with Benefits (the latter also set in Chicago), Happy Endings eventually won acclaim from critics; Rolling Stone deemed it "the most underrated, under-watched series on TV." While three seasons made of 57 episodes is an impressive run for any TV show, those who've experienced Happy Endings still yearn for more.
4. Pushing Daisies
When Pushing Daisies hit the airwaves in 2007, it was truly unlike anything viewers were used to. With bright, bold colors and an arresting bucolic atmosphere, Pushing Daisies - notably the work of TV auteur Bryan Fuller, whose name is typically associated with TV classics - delighted anyone who dared to stop and smell its roses. The series, billed as a "forensic fairy tale," follows Ned Lee Pace), a pie chef with the ability to bring the dead back to life with a single touch - and brings death upon them once more with a second touch. As Ned teams up with a P.I. (Chi McBride) to solve murder cases, he ends up falling in love with a deceased childhood crush, Chuck (Anna Friel), the tension being he can never touch her again. Noted for its whimsical storytelling and charming characters, Pushing Daisies won a devoted following throughout its two seasons and even racked up plenty of Emmy nominations. Despite its buzzy popularity, Pushing Daisies was canceled by ABC in 2009. To this day, it earns frequent recognition as a show that didn't deserve its cancellation.
3. My So-Called Life
An authentic portrayal of young adulthood in the '90s, My So-Called Life stood out from so many other plastic portrayals of teenage lives with fully-realized characters who felt like real, living people. Claire Danes starred in the show as Angela, a 15-year-old girl in suburban Pittsburgh who navigates the highs and lows of high school. In contrast to so many other YA shows of its era, My So-Called Life felt authentic, and smart enough to not talk down to its audience - especially over serious topics, like abuse, homophobia, school violence, drug use, and censorship. Despite critical acclaim, the series ended after only 19 episodes; rumors state that Danes' parents protested the show's hectic shooting schedule, while Danes herself told Entertainment Weekly in 2004 that her show was canceled because of low ratings. Whatever killed it, My So-Called Life is still loved today, its existence as fleeting as all our teenage years.
2. Freaks and Geeks
Has there ever been another show with a legacy like Freaks and Geeks? From creators Paul Feig and Judd Apatow, Freaks and Geeks aired for only one season on NBC during the 1999-2000 season. Set in the 1980s, the show follows the sad but hilarious lives of teens living in suburban Michigan. Among its star-studded cast is Linda Cardellini as Lindsay, a gifted mathlete who reinvents herself into a rebel by adopting a new circle of slacker friends. Many shows strive to explore the complex lives of teenagers and the currency of their identities, but few ever do it like Freaks and Geeks did. Alongside Cardellini, the show also starred James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and Busy Phillips, as well as John Francis Daley who went on to co-direct movies like Game Night and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
1. Firefly
From Buffy creator and The Avengers director Joss Whedon comes the ultimate "canceled too soon" classic: Firefly, a sci-fi Western remembered for its speculative future, inventive sense of genre, and lovely ensemble of characters. In its 14 episodes, the scrappy crew of the ship Serenity navigate the dangers of space - from big, powerful empires to cannibalistic raiders - all while trying to get paid and keep flying. After the show came to an unceremonious end in 2002 on the Fox network, it enjoyed a big screen victory lap in the 2005 film Serenity, a movie that has also become a classic in its own right. Even if the chances for a second Firefly revival are long gone, its enduring magic proves you can't stop the signal.
