Over the last 15 years, there have been a lot of amazing shows to enter our lives… and there have been just as many that have abruptly ended with cancellations that rocked our worlds.
While in today’s day and age many shows get the chance to sign off with farewell seasons; however, not every show has the opportunity to go out on its own terms and give closure to the fans who followed the show from the day it first began.
Call us bitter, but we still haven’t forgiven the networks behind the cancellations of these 15 amazing shows and we can’t think of any better way to celebrate FanSided’s 15-Year anniversary than by celebrating these shows canceled too soon!
TV cancellations that still make no sense to this day
Hannibal
Throughout its all-to-short run, Hannibal managed to cultivate a passionate fandom while becoming a critical darling. While there’s no denying the controversy the series drew among more conservative viewers definitely did not do the show any favors, the series’ ultimate downfall came from NBC’s decision to shuffle the series to Saturday nights leading to even smaller ratings.
Looking back, it’s clear Hannibal would have likely enjoyed a much longer run had it aired on a non-broadcast network, such as a streaming service. It’s just a shame no service stepped up to order additional servings of a series that never had the chance to fulfill its bountiful potential.
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty might have received a planned series finale, but that didn’t lessen the blow of its cancellation after just four seasons on ABC. The groundbreaking dramedy was unafraid in its tackling of social issues like immigration, LGBTQ rights, body shaming, sexual harassment, and political turmoil as a series far ahead of its time.
In pulling the plug after only four seasons, ABC canceled the series just as Betty was coming into her own and rising through the ranks in the industry and finally considering acting upon the feelings she had long possessed for Daniel. Who knows where the series could have gone if ABC hadn’t pulled the plug so swiftly.
Agent Carter
Airing between Agents of SHIELD as a gap-type series, Agent Carter managed to cultivate a strong following while earning acclaim from critics who adored the period drama just as much as fans.
Despite the series’ popularity among fans, ABC pulled the plug after just two seasons – bringing an untimely end to Agent Carter’s time on ABC. It’s a shame ABC never quite gave Agent Carter a chance to thrive and missed its opportunity to continue her journey. At least we can find some comfort in those touching Avengers: Endgame moments.
Timeless
Led by Abigail Spencer, Matt Lanter, Malcolm Barrett and Goran Višnjić, Timeless featured a diverse, dynamic cast and phenomenal writing which brought with it a level of historical accuracy many genre programs fail to achieve. Not only was each episode action-packed and had a movie-like quality, but it also managed to teach viewers a bit about history along the way in a fun, entertaining way.
While the passion and vocalness of Clockbusters helped Timeless to secure its second season and a two-hour series finale movie event (giving fans a rare sense of closure), the series and its fans deserved so much more and it’s a true shame the series time was cut short not once, but twice and we’re still not over its cancellation.
Witches of East End
In looking back at Witches of East End‘s shortened run, what makes us so salty about its cancellation all these years later is a combination of the incredible cliffhangers left unresolved and the potential the show had.
Who was the father of Ingrid’s baby? What happened after that Dash and Killian body swap? Who is this mysterious sister Wendy greats upon arriving in the underworld?! There were so many wonderful storylines set up in the closing moments of the series finale and, given the chance, Witches of East End could have gone on to tell many more amazing stories. It’s a shame Lifetime threw the towel prematurely and robbed fans of the chance to see what the future held for its incredible ensemble.
Swamp Thing
Not only did Swamp Thing fail to secure a second season, but the DC Universe drama was dead in the water — pun intended — before it ever had a chance to win audiences over. Despite receiving its walking papers after just one episode, Swamp Thing managed to carve out a strong following and wowed fans across its 10-episode run.
There’s no telling how many more viewers would have fallen in love with the series or where the writers may have been able to take the storylines had DC Universe not pulled the plug prematurely. It’s just a shame the series never had a fair shake all because of a shortfall in tax incentives.
Julie and the Phantoms
In the months that followed the show’s release, Julie and the Phantoms seemed to enjoy a wave of success building both a passionate following in the Fantoms and picking up a variety of awards including three Daytime Emmy Awards including the Emmy for Outstanding Original Song with its moving ballad “Unsaid Emily.”
Between the acclaim the series received and the passionate fan base it developed, one would have thought Julie and the Phantoms would have been an easy renewal for Netflix. Instead, the streamer pulled the plug on the show after one incredible season in a cancellation we’re not sure we’ll ever understand.
Pushing Daisies
The Writers Guild of America strike caused a lot of chaos during the 2007-2008 season, leading to the cancellations of many amazing shows including Pushing Daisies. This quirky dramedy about a pastry chef with the power to bring dead people back to life who used his gift to help solve murders. However, the true heart of the series comes when Ned uses his abilities to bring back his childhood sweetheart, Chuck, who can never touch Ned again or else she’ll die again… this time for good.
Due to the writers’ strike, Pushing Daisies never had the chance to flesh out the incredible narrative planned for the show and ended without ever getting the chance to tell a completed story.
Body of Proof
It’s not every day a network opts to cancel a show which manages to average 7.6 million viewers weekly (before delayed viewing), but that was precisely what ABC did when pulling the plug on Body of Proof. Despite continued interest and support from viewers, ABC ultimately decided the series skewed too old in the demo and canceled the drama after its third season.
Just as star Dana Delany predicted, ABC most definitely has lived to regret the decision, for ABC has not found success in its 10 p.m. time slot on Tuesday night since Body of Proof wrapped its run. It’s just a shame the ABC brass didn’t realize the gem they had in Body of Proof as the series could have easily gone on for many more years.
Enlisted
Oh Enlisted, how we love thee! Parker Young, Chris Lowell and Geoff Stults led this quirky military comedy which focused on the Hill brothers, a trio of brothers stationed together at a small Florida base. Despite focusing on a tough subject matter, Enlisted managed to find the light in its storylines, a feat achieved thanks to its talented cast who never failed to bring the laughs.
Unfortunately, FOX never truly gave Enlisted a chance and instead stacked the odds against the series from the get-go. Not only did FOX schedule the series on Friday night, but it only further hurt the series with sporadic scheduling and a lack of overall promotion. Had FOX given the series a fair shake, there’s no denying Enlisted could have wowed fans and critics alike for years.
Grand Hotel
After a delayed premiere, Grand Hotel finally opened its doors as part of ABC’s 2019 summer line-up and proved to be well worth the wait. The series was packed with drama, twists and romance. Each episode of the series managed to build upon the previous episode, delivering new twists and pushing viewers further and further toward the edge of their seats.
Unfortunately, ABC decided to close Grand Hotel‘s doors after just one season despite giving it the chance to flourish into would have been a truly amazing summer staple.
Rizzoli and Isles
Throughout its run, the strength of the show’s writing never wavered nor did the chemistry of its leads Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander, who helped to make the show beloved by millions of loyal followers.
Despite strong ratings, TNT cut ties with its scripted procedural much to fans’ dismay in a puzzling move that we’ve yet to sort out. Rizzoli and Isles is a series that had the potential to run for far more seasons than TNT allowed and it’s a shame the show ended so prematurely.
One Life to Live
Look, we get that One Life to Live had quite an illustrious run but that doesn’t mean the show’s cancellation after 44 years didn’t sting. In fact, that’s what made it sting so much and is why we still haven’t forgiven ABC for pulling the plug on its veteran soap just to turn to daytime reality fluff.
We understand that soap operas started to fall off in ratings, but there’s no reason ABC couldn’t have given OLTL the chance to continue in a reduced format by transitioning the show to a 30-minute format. The show had such a rich legacy and beautifully addressed so many amazing and impactful storylines over its 44 years on ABC. 10 years later, we still miss the citizens of Llanview, Pennsylvania and haven’t yet been able to forgive ABC for bringing an end to the beloved daytime drama.
Santa Clarita Diet
Starring Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant, Santa Clarita Diet was the zombie comedy we never knew we needed and was one of the smartest comedies of the past decade –with equally spectacular writing and performances.
The series held so much potential and was such a unique offering among Netflix’s crowded catalog. But the reason we still haven’t gotten over its cancellation is due to the fact that we never got closure in getting the chance to see how things would have turned out for our favorite undead realtor and her dedicated partner-in-crime.
Daredevil
2018 was a particularly difficult year for fans of Marvel’s Netflix universe which was snapped out of existence due to changes in the dynamic of Marvel and Netflix’s partnership.
While the cancellations of the likes of Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage hit us hard due to the sudden ways in which the shows were picked off, no cancellation hurt more than Netflix’s decision not to greenlight a fourth season of Daredevil. With each passing season, Daredevil never missed a beat thanks to its consistently compelling writing and the unmatched performances from its talented cast.
This is a series that helped to change the superhero television landscape and will go down as one of the greatest of the decade. It’s just a shame sour grapes led to the show’s demise.
15 cancellations we still haven’t gotten over (from the past 15 years)
Source: Pinoy White Knights
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