Some fell without discourage . The others … they had it coming .
There’s nothing quite like the sting of seeing your favorite show get axedout of nowhere. One minute, you’re hooked, and the next, it’s canceled without warning. This seems especially common with cult-favorite shows, which often don’t last more thana few seasonsbut leave a legacy that lasts for decades.
However, not every cancellation is a shock. Betweenbehind-the-scenes drama, plummeting ratings, and scandals, some shows practically sealed their own fate.
From fan favorites that ended way too soon to series that, frankly, had it coming, here are 10 cancellations that blindsided fans and nine that made perfect sense.
The shows that were cancelled out of the blue:
1.FX’sTerrierswas released in 2010, lasting a single season, despite incredibly favorable reviews. This detective drama followed ex-cop and recovering alcoholic Hank and hisbest friend, Britt, as private detectives in California. Then-FX president John Landgrafexplainedthat it was because of low ratings and an ineffective marketing campaign.
2.From the mind of the problematicJoss Whedon,Fireflydeveloped a dedicated fanbase quite rapidly. However, it wasn’t enough for the network, as it failed to pull in ratings. It onlyaired11 out of its 14 scheduled episodes.
3.Pushing Daisiessimilarly gained a solid following. Unfortunately, a fewdifferent factorsplayed into its ending. For one, the 2007-2008 Hollywood Writers Strike. Secondly, ratings weren’t high. The show ended after two seasons.
4.For as short-lived as it was,Freaks and Geeksbuilt a cult-like following. Even though the show is responsible for launching the careers ofJames Franco, Seth Rogen,Jason Segel, andLinda Cardellini, to name a few, it only lasted a single season. According toNME,its cancellation after one season (NBC never aired six episodes in its original run) was the result of an erratic schedule, poor marketing, and creative differences.
5.NCIS: Hawai’ihadalready developed a pretty strong base. However, CBS felt like it wasn’t enough. The companysaidcost and ratings, along with trying to keep their schedule fresh, led them to nix the show.
6.Netflix’sThe Get Downbrought a refreshing take on musical dramas and earned great praise. However, the streamerdecidedto nix the show after the first season due to a reported high production cost, behind-the-scenes issues, and other factors that led the show to end.
7.Another Netflix series gone too soon,Mindhunter,followed FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench, with psychologist Wendy Carr, as they interviewed serial killers to gain an understanding of their psyche and use that information to solve similar cases. However, the show’s creatorexplainedthat the show had begun getting too expensive, and Netflix wanted to appeal to a broader audience, so they pulled the plug after two seasons.
8.There are a few reasons whyDon’t Trust The B**h in Apartment 23,unfortunately, didn’t make it past two seasons. According toKrysten Ritter, who starred as Chloe, ABC nixed the show after poor scheduling and being “dragged around by a sht-smeared dog.”
9.Lovecraft Countrystarted bubbling up as a promising series on HBO. However, in the middle of the production for its second season, it was abruptly canceled. Without an official cause by the network, rumors began swirling about its cancellation, especially since Season 1 ended on a cliffhanger. Some believed it could’ve been due to the high cost of production; others said that it was because there wasn’t a solid vision for the next season. According toTinderbox: HBO’s Ruthless Pursuit of New FrontiersbyJames Andrew Miller, several sources from HBO alleged that showrunner Misha Green created a “toxic” and “hostile” work environment.
10.My So-Called Lifewas another fan favorite that developed a cult-like following after its conclusion. However, low ratings and uncertainty about its target audience caused ABC tocancel the showafter two seasons.
The shows that were cancelled for valid reasons:
11.House of Cardsbecame a Netflix mainstay in the 2010s, but once sexual misconduct allegations against its star Kevin Spacey emerged, they decided topull the plug. Its sixth and final season focused on Claire Underwood after rewrites and reshoots.
12.TLC’s reality show,19 Kids And Counting,ran for 10 seasons, following Jim Bob Duggar and his wife, Michelle, and their 19 children. In 2015, the show wascanceledafter Josh Duggar, their eldest son, faced allegations of child molestation.
13.After ABC ordered a reboot ofRoseannefor a 10th season, the show’s star fumbled the bag completely. Roseanne Barr went off on aracist Twitter ranttargeting former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. ABC swiftly took action,announcingthat the show would be canceled. However, they later reworked the series intoThe Conners.
14.In addition to poor ratings,Clone High’s initial cancellation was due to the backlash it faced for its offensive portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi, which led to hunger strikes in India, according toreports. The show later received a reboot without Gandhi’s inclusion.
15.A television adaptation of the 1988 movieHeatherswas set to debut on the Paramount Network. However, it faced several delays initially and raised concerns surrounding its subject matter, particularly school shootings. It was ultimatelycanceled, but the show eventually aired.
16.HBO nearly had a hit on its hands withLuck.According toCBC,the death of three racehorses on set and some major pushback from PETA led the network to cancel the show after its first season. What’s worse is thatLuckwas already working on its second season by the time network executives called it off.
17.Louis C.K.’s downfall included the cancellation of the FX showLouie. The show went on an “extended hiatus,” but once the comedian confirmed that the allegations ofsexual misconductagainst him were true, the networkcut ties, and it never returned.
18.Megyn Kelly made her switch from Fox to NBC, and the transition was hardly smooth.Megyn Kelly Todaywascanceledafter she said that it was okay for people to wear blackface as a Halloween costume.
19.Finally, there’sThe Briefcase. This show followed two financially struggling families, each given $100,000 — but with a catch. Over 72 hours, they had to decide whether to keep the money or share some (or all) of it with the other family in need, whom they learned more about along the way. The show faced heavybacklash, with critics arguing it exploited the less fortunate. Ultimately, it suffered dismal ratings and was canceled after just one season.
