Summary
It can sometimes take a while for a TV show to hit its stride, and sadly, this became even more disappointing when, once it did, the show got prematurely canceled. This development was nothing new and has been sadly happening for decades as audiences continually voiced their concern that studios and streaming services don’t give TV shows enough time to develop before deciding to pull the plug entirely. It could be low ratings or a challenging style, but it always felt like a tragic turn of events when beloved shows got canceled right as they became great.
This has happened with comedies, dramas, sci-fi, and supernatural series, as viewers were gifted with a fantastic new show only for it to be taken away from them in the blink of an eye. The sting of aquickly canceled seriescan still be felt years after a show’s been off the air, and it’s a testament to their enduring appeal that viewers still reminisce about their favorite canceled series. It was always hard to acceptwhen flawed TV shows got canceled right on the precipice of becoming great.
10Mindhunter (2017 - 2019)
2 seasons
The psychological crime thrillerMindhunterwas a fascinating series executive produced by David Fincher, whose unique concept could have sustained several more compelling seasons. As a story based on the true-crime bookMindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit,Mindhuntertracked the beginnings of criminal profiling in the FBI during the 1970s. With the appearance of actors playing real-life criminals, such as David Berkowitz and Charles Manson, the series was a thrilling mix of fact and fiction.
Mindhuntercontinued to improve throughout its two-season run and quickly changed from a good show into a truly great one. However, after two seasons,Mindhunterwas put on an indefinite hiatus, and as time went on, a potential third season started to look increasingly unlikely. Eventually,Fincher confirmed thatMindhunterhad been canceledand cited its large budget as the primary reason it did not continue.
Mindhunter
Cast
From executive producers David Fincher and Charlize Theron comes Mindhunter, a series that chronicles the founding of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit used to track and apprehend serial killers. Mindhunter follows Agent Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) as they work to establish a framework for understanding the minds of some of America’s most dangerous serial killers. Mindhunter adapts a number of true crime stories, including the BTK murders and the notorious Co-Ed Killer, Edmund Kemper.
9Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 (2012 - 2014)
AlthoughDon’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23may not have been beloved across the board, it was a cult series with a strong fanbase that was canceled just as it was becoming great. With Krysten Ritter as Chloe and Dawson’s Creek alumni James Van Der Beek playing a fictionalized version of itself, in many ways, the meta-referential style of the series was ahead of its time. The cancelation ofDon’t Trust the B-after just two seasons was disappointing, as crafting a sitcom that viewers actually responded to was no easy feat.
In an interview on theInside of Youwith Michael Rosenbaum podcast,Ritter got candid about the cancelation ofDon’t Trust the B-and explained how its haphazard scheduling contributed to its early cancelation. Ritter described the series as “edgy” and said that it “really pushed the envelope,” while adding that the writing was “way ahead of its time.” Sadly,Don’t Trust the B-never got the chance to reach its full potentialand was canceled just as it was becoming great.
8Angel (1999 - 2004)
5 seasons
TheBuffy the Vampire Slayerspin-offAngeltook a while to find its footing and forge a new identity away from the original series. With a focus on the demon with a soul played by David Boreanaz, Angel had the new setting of Los Angeles as Angel worked as a private investigator to help the helpless and save wayward souls who had lost their way. Over the course of five seasons,Angelbuilt up the lore of the Buffyverse and grew into a worthy companion toBuffy the Vampire Slayer, whose storylines would often overlap with one another.
It was inAngel’sfinal season that the series truly hit its stride and set up agreat storyline that will never be addresseddue to the show’s cancelation. This was in the series finale “Not Fade Away” which saw an army of supernatural creatures about to attack Angel, Spike, Illyria, and Gunn, as they prepared for an epic battle. AlthoughAngeldid continue in comic book form, it was a major disappointment that it did not get another TV season.
Angel
A spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel is a drama series with supernatural elements that stars David Boreanaz, reprising his role as the titular vampire. An immortal cursed with his human soul returning to his body, which makes him susceptible to human emotions such as remorse. Angel lives in Los Angeles as a private detective, seeking redemption for his murderous past as a vicious warlord. Angel will face threats such as humans and demons that rival his own cruel potential as he ventures to help those in need.
7Reaper (2007 - 2009)
Reaperwas a supernatural horror comedy that aired on The CW from 2007 to 2009 that focused on Sam Oliver (Bret Harrison), a 21-year-old college dropout whose parents sold his soul to the Devil. The series followed Sam’s work as a “reaper” who, with the assistance of his friends, was forced to retrieve escaped souls and put them back into hell. As a unique series that built up incredibly interesting lore,Reaperwas sadly canceled after just two seasons, right when things were becoming interesting.
The fascinating thing aboutReaperwas the mystery at the heart of its story, as the truth behind Sam’s duties to the Devil was shrouded in secrecy. Although some information about Sam’s parents' deal with Satan himself was revealed,Reapernever got to fully unveil the truth about why the Devil was so interested in recruiting him as his bounty hunter.Reaperas a series had a huge amount of untapped potential, and its cancelation was disappointing as its unique concept could have thrived for several more seasons.
6The OA (2016 - 2019)
As one of the most unique series ever produced by Netflix, the cancelation ofThe OAright when things were just starting to get really interesting still stings to this day. This idiosyncratic series blended elements of fantasy, sci-fi, and mystery to tell the fascinating story of a young woman named Prairie Johnson, who resurfaced after being missing for seven years. After Prairie reappeared, she referred to herself as The OA and could see clearly despite being blind before her disappearance.
The first two seasons ofThe OAwere extremely riveting, blending philosophical intrigue with an enjoyable ensemble cast. However, it was the final moments of Part II that introduced a meta-storyline that combined the world ofThe OAwith the real world as Prairie entered a new dimension and was seen on a soundstage, even referred to by her actress, Brit Marling. This unique narrative development meant that Part III ofThe OAwas going to delve even further into its unique style, but sadly, the series was canceled before it had the chance to.
The OA
Having gone missing seven years ago, the previously blind Prairie returns home, now in her twenties with her sight restored. While many believe she is a miracle, others worry that she could be dangerous.
5Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008 - 2009)
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicleswas a TV spin-off thatexpanded upon the stories of Sarah Connor and her son John as they tirelessly sought to prevent the creation of Skynetand save humanity from the destruction of Judgment Day. Picking up shortly afterTerminator 2: Judgment Day,The Sarah Connor Chroniclestook a while to find its footing and even suffered from a reduced episode count due to the 2007 Writers Guild of America Strike. However, once things kicked into gear, it was a fascinating addition to theTerminatorfranchise’s lore.
Despite a positive critical reception,The Sarah Connor Chroniclesdid not gain large viewing figures, which sadly led to its cancelation just as things started to get interesting. With many overlapping alternative timelines,The Sarah Connor Chroniclesended with several cliffhangers, including a new timeline where John was no longer the resistance leader. Sadly, viewers never got to see how this all played out and, following the series cancelation, theTerminatorfranchise was given a soft reboot with the release ofTerminator Salvation.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
This spinoff of the Terminator franchise follows Sarah Connor, her son John, and Cameron, a Terminator reprogrammed to protect John. Pursued by time-traveling Terminator assassins, they must cope with life on the run as well as the impending threat of Skynet.
4Sleepy Hollow (2013 - 2017)
4 seasons
Despite the first season ofSleepy Hollowbeing well-received, for many viewers, it felt like the plot was bloated and overloaded. However, things really kicked into gear in the second season as the story, which was loosely based on the 1820 short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving, improved its writing and added depth to its characterization. Sadly,Sleepy Hollowdid not maintain its upward trajectory, and the third felt less substantial and failed to build up on the series' mythology in a compelling way.
Despite being great,Sleepy Hollowfell at the last hurdle as its rating continually declined, and it was eventually canceled after just four seasons. This supernatural drama was plenty of fun but, unfortunately, low on scares and was unable to sustain itself throughout its run. While Season 2 was the point whereSleepy Hollowcould have been considered truly great, this was an anomaly when it came to the overall quality of the series.
Sleepy Hollow
Sleepy Hollow is a supernatural drama series that centers around the tale of the same name. Bound by blood to a man only known as the Headless Horseman, Ichabod Crane, an American Revolutionary War soldier who has been dead for two and a half centuries, is pulled from the grave by an unknown force and finds himself in modern times, alone and alive, and must team with the local deputy, Abbie Mills, to track down who - or what - is behind the supernatural events that threaten to destroy the world.
3Samantha Who? (2007 - 2009)
The short-lived sitcomSamantha Who?had its fair share of issues, but when the series was at its best, it was truly great. With Christina Applegate in the starring role as Sam Newly,Samantha Who?told the story of a selfish and unlikable woman with amnesia who tried to make amends for her previous wrongdoings. While the quality was often a mixed bag, Applegate excelled in the main role, and the show was consistently funny throughout its two-season run.
However, despite strong viewership in its first season,the second season ofSamantha Who?had an issue with declining viewershipthat led to the show being canceled entirely. In fact, this sitcom lost so much momentum that ABC canceledSamantha Who?while it was still airing and the remaining seven episodes were burned off their schedule (viaEW.) A sad ending for a series full of potential as whenSamantha Who?truly hit, it was a great show.
2Veronica Mars (2004 - 2007, 2019)
The mystery seriesVeronica Marswas an incredible mixture of teen drama and neo-noir themes that placed it among the most interesting television shows of the mid-2000s. With Kristen Bell as the title character,Veronica Marswas of varying quality throughout its run, but when it was great, it was truly great. With series-long mystery arcs,Veronica Marswas a thrilling viewing that sadly got canceled in 2007 after just three seasons, leaving viewers eager for more adventures following the teenage detective.
Luckily,the original cancelation ofVeronica Marswas not where this story ended, as the series was revived in 2014 for a movie partly produced using funds from a Kickstarter campaign that gained $2 million in less than 12 hours (viaNBC.) The success of this film led toVeronica Marsonce again returning for a long-awaited fourth season on Hulu in 2019. AlthoughVeronica Marshad an unusual production history, it was a testament to the greatness of its concept and characters that it returned so many times.
Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars is a drama mystery series that stars Kristen Bell as the titular teen detective who learns the ropes from her father, a California police sheriff. Following a “crime-of-the-week” episode format, each episode sees Veronica tackling new cases while carrying on her High School life, with a more significant, overarching plot carrying between episodes. Veronica’s side career begins following the death of her best friend, which sets off a chain of events leading to several smaller cases.
1GLOW (2017 - 2019)
3 seasons
The Netflix comedy-dramaGLOWwas inspired by the true story of the 1980s TV professional wrestling circuit Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling and told a fictionalized account of their history. With a fantastic ensemble cast led by Alison Brie,GLOWwas a deeply nuanced story of female friendship, perseverance, and the importance of individualism and acceptance. Over the course of four seasons, this story grew in complexity and built up a deeply compelling narrative that was about to enter its final stage when it was abruptly canceled after the final season had already started production.
Sadly, this cancelation had less to do with the quality of the show and more to do with the global pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus. As a series about female wrestling,GLOWwas practically impossible to film while adhering to social distancing legislation, and rather than wait until production could resume, Netflix reversed its renewal. This means that footage of the final season ofGLOWexisted somewhere out there, but the world never got to see it.
GLOW
Based on the 1980s wrestling phenomenon of the same name, GLOW (aka Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling) is a comedy-drama series created by Netflix. It focuses on the women and people behind the unconventional new wrestling federation. The show follows three main characters, struggling actress Ruth Wilder, retried soap star Debbie Eagen, and director Sam Sylvia as they battle each other over how they wish to elevate their new project, all while dealing with the struggles of discrimination in entertainment during the 80s.
