The world of TV moves incredibly quickly. Between traditional networks and streaming services, dozens upon dozens of new series are released every year. And only a select group of them make it past their first seasons. But why some get canceled rarely makes sense, if a reason is ever given.
Everyone has their own list of favorite shows they’d love to see come back for at least one more round. While there’s no guarantee that any of them will get a second chance, shows like Lucifer and Brooklyn Nine-Nine found new lives on other networks and streaming services.
10 Happy Endings Had More Stories To Tell
Despite having a strong fan base, some sitcoms just don’t quite seem to click with their network. Happy Endings certainly had that problem as it was canceled after three seasons on ABC.
While it didn’t have the ratings at the time, this show has become a cult classic since it came to an end. Fans are continually hoping for more seasons as it would be a natural fit on several different streaming services.
9 Almost Human Was Filled With Potential
There are a few names who are considered to be royalty among genre fiction enthusiasts. Karl Urban is certainly one of them. He played Judge Dredd, Doctor Leonard “Bones” McCoy, Billy Butcher, Skurge, and Eomer. That doesn’t even include roles in Hercules, Xena, Doom, and RED.
He also played Detective John Kennex in the 2013 science fiction series Almost Human. The show had huge potential but Fox showed the episodes out of order and bounced it around the schedule until fans gave up, much like what the network did to Firefly. There is still potential for gold in this show.
8 My Name Is Earl Was Making A Comeback
The Jason Lee-led series about a degenerate criminal turning his life around was an instant hit. My Name is Earl had a simplistic view of the concept of karma, but it worked. The show was insightful, heart-warming, and funny, all at the same time.
A disastrous departure in Season 3 from what made the series work drove off a lot of viewers. The return to form in Season 4 was too little, too late. Regardless, Earl’s list of tasks remains undone and worth going back to someday.
7 The Punisher Was In The Wrong Place At The Wrong Time
Marvel’s collaboration with Netflix produced several incredible series such as Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage. It also produced series like Iron Fist and The Defenders which were not received anywhere as favorably, and for good reason.
Possibly the best of them all was The Punisher. After two solid seasons, it was canceled along with the rest of Marvel’s Netflix series when the partnership came to an end. There have been rumors that Jon Bernthal will join the MCU to reprise his role as Frank Castle. Hopefully, that is true.
6 Agent Carter Should Return
In the early days of the MCU, one of the biggest breakout characters was Peggy Carter. She helped turn Steve Rogers into Captain America with a level of integrity, wit, and charm that could not be ignored. As such, Peggy even got her own series on ABC, though it only lasted for a brief time.
Agent Carter was a period piece set just after World War II in the earliest days of S.H.I.E.L.D. The show had a sizable number of fans, just not enough for more than two seasons. With the Endgame revelation that Steve Rogers stayed back in time with her, there is definitely more story to tell on Disney+.
5 The Grinder Was Quite Funny
Rob Lowe had recently found success in a comedy turn as Chris Traeger on the fan-favorite series Parks and Recreation. After he and Rashida Jones left the series during Season 6, Lowe would go on to star alongside Ben Savage in a legal comedy called The Grinder.
Despite getting solid reviews from fans and critics alike, the show was canceled after only one season. There continues to be a lot of people pushing for more seasons to be made, which is always a possibility. It might do better on a different network or streamer.
4 Jericho Was Just Getting Warmed Up
It can be incredibly difficult for science fiction series to gain a foothold with wider audiences. A lot of people write off genre fiction series without ever watching them. A story about the United States after a mysterious nuclear attack, Jericho still managed to get two seasons on the air before its cancellation.
The story actually continued in comic book form for two more seasons, a strategy that has worked with other shows like Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Still, Jericho was a rare post-apocalyptic story that was actually worth telling and has more to offer.
3 The Muppets Had Huge Potential
As an overall franchise, the Muppets are one of those properties that endure. For decades, they have made TV shows, movies, animated series, and more, all of it for a loyal and ever-growing fan base. Unfortunately, a lot of those same loyalists didn’t get behind 2015’s The Muppets.
The series focused on the behind-the-scenes workings of Miss Piggy’s fictional late-night talk show. Only one season got made as fans did not get it. But time has been kind to the series as many of those same fans have come around and started seeing the missed potential.
2 Timeless Was Fun & Engaging
Against all odds, the NBC series Timeless managed to carve out two seasons of time-traveling shenanigans. The problem wasn’t that the show was bad. In fact, it was actually really good and a lot of fun to watch. It just came down to the issue science fiction tends to have on major networks.
It wasn’t a major hit right off the bat so NBC didn’t give it more than two seasons. Again, the fact that it got two was surprising. But maybe NBC might be willing to rethink that decision now that their streaming service Peacock is up and running. Timeless might work better there.
1 Party Down Ended Way Too Soon
Two seasons equalling 20 episodes of Party Down hardly seems like enough. While it was short-lived, many people believe that it might be the funniest series ever. That’s no surprise considering the cast included Lizzy Caplan, Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Megan Mullally, J.K. Simmons, Ken Jeong, and Kristen Bell.
The series followed a group of caterers who all wanted to make it big in Hollywood. Low ratings combined with the departures of Adam Scott for Parks and Recreation and Jane Lynch for Glee caused its cancellation. A revival always seems to be a possibility. Hopefully, it will come to fruition someday.
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