Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to mourn shows that left our airwaves far too soon.
While we have been fortunate to live during what could arguably be called a television renaissance, too many shows have been canceled after one or two seasons just as they began to build some momentum, turned new corners, or clarified their direction.
There are a number of other shows that were canceled after hitting their second season mark when they still had life in them — we see you Happy Endings and Shadowhunters! — but we have opted to focus on shows from the last decade that only got one or two seasons.
For every show that we loved and lost, there are shows that lasted far too long, their luster fading and their quality dwindling. The push and pull of losing great shows brimming with potential while declining shows march on comes with the territory of being an avid TV fan.
Read on for some of the biggest losses over the years as well as our list of some of the shows that should have pulled the plug earlier.
1. About A Boy (2014-2015)
Based on the film and novel of the same name, producer Jason Katim’s About a Boy had a winning cast and was overall light, frothy, family fun. It was the second NBC comedy David Walton helmed in a matter of years, and like Bent and many other comedies on NBC during that period, the charming show struggled to find an audience.
Truly sweet family sitcoms are harder and harder to come by; even Modern Family‘s sensibilities feel more sarcastic and hard-edged. About a Boy was always sweet but never sour, and its focus on intergenerational friendship was a unique focal point for a television comedy.
It would have been interesting to see how the friendship of the two leads would have evolved as they both grew into manhood.
2. Agent Carter (2015-2016)
There are multiple Marvel shows that could land on this list but the cancellation of the Peggy Carter vehicle might be the one that hurts the most. The period superhero drama was never a ratings juggernaut, but it was well-loved and highly regarded amongst the Marvel community.
Agent Carter fleshed out Peggy and showed she was far more than Captain America’s girlfriend; ultimately, so many of her actions have ramifications later on in the Marvel canon.
Plus, her dogged pushback against gender stereotypes was refreshing — she was the heroine we needed, and she undoubtedly paved the way for future Marvel heroines.
3. American Vandal (2017-2018)
Few shows could make a dick or poop joke feel inventive or new but Netflix’s American Vandal found a winning mockumentary formula that kept the laughs coming for two seasons worth of sharp, cutting social commentary.
Jimmy Tatro’s performance as Season 1 suspect, Dylan, was easily one of the best performances of 2017, and while the second season didn’t pop quite as much as the show’s debut, it was still funnier than 90% of comedies currently airing.
4. Better Off Ted (2009-2010)
When you read the premise of eccentric cult-favorite Better Off Ted, it’s easy to mistake it for a normal workplace comedy.
Set in the research and development department at the bizarre and corrupt corporation, Veridian Technologies, the comedy is darker, the situations are more twisted, and the social commentary is more pointed than anything you might find a typical sitcom.
As a plus, it’s also Portia De Rossi’s funniest work to date.
The satirical comedy never quite took off with audiences in the early aughts, but it’s exactly the type of comedy that would probably flourish on a streaming service today.
Too bad Veridian Technologies never nailed an invention for time travel.
5. Bunheads (2012-2013)
In between Gilmore Girls’ Stars Hollow and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel‘s New York, Amy Sherman Palladino made a pitstop in Paradise (Paradise, California, that is), the setting for ABC Family’s one-season wonder, Bunheads.
Bunheads’ connection to the aforementioned shows is apparent; it shares the same spitfire dialogue patterns as the others, Kelly Bishop and Alex Borstein both appear, and Sutton Foster fills this iteration’s plucky heroine role.
Foster’s Michelle was a showgirl-turned ballet teacher-turned reluctant role model for a quartet of dancers coming of age.
Bunheads’ ability to track and develop her emotional journey as well as those of her young protégées (with some fantastic dance sequences to boot) made it not only one of the strongest debut seasons of a show, but one of the best shows on TV period.
If Bunheads hadn’t been canceled, we may not have gotten to see Sutton in Younger, but that’s the only silver lining to Bunheads’ short run. It only got better the longer it was on, so there’s no doubt a second season would have soared.
6. Enlisted (2014)
Critically praised military comedy Enlisted, which followed three brothers assigned to the same military base, only lasted for one tour and was discharged after a 13-episode season.
Enlisted was a good comedy that could have truly been great, but its success was impeded by numerous programming errors: FOX gave it a kiss-of-death time slot on Friday evenings, took away its strong Bones lead-in, and aired its episodes out of order, causing confusion around continuity and storyline development.
It’s a shame. The trio of brothers, played by George Stults, Chris Lowell, and Parker Young, emerged as engaging and distinct characters, and the comedy subverted normal tropes.
7. Everything Sucks! (2018)
The cancellation of Everything Sucks!…well, sucked.
The 90’s coming of age comedy was a slow burn. While the show took several episodes to establish an identity beyond nostalgia-fare, it got better as the season progressed.
The series’ treatment of Kate (Peyton Kennedy)’s coming out journey as well as her burgeoning relationship with queen bee Emaline (Sydney Sweeney) was sensitive and significant. We see young lesbian love stories portrayed in the media much less, and its inclusion here, especially given the time period, is important.
Peyton Kennedy’s vulnerable, awkward performance felt painfully real, and the premature cancellation of Everything Sucks! robbed us not only of seeing a fascinating relationship develop but also of having the opportunity to see her evolve in her craft.
8. The Get Down (2016-2017)
Baz Luhrmann’s hip hop drama was ambitious and like other Luhrmann projects, visually stunning and extravagant.
The show had a pedigreed team behind it. The pilot was penned by a Pulitzer winning playwright; Tony nominee and Hamilton wunderkind Daveed Diggs had a starring role, and multiple rappers and hip hop artists either consulted or starred.
However, The Get Down had so much more to offer than its flashy production values or its creative team. Its cast, most of whom were television newcomers, was effervescent and chockful of on-the-rise multitalented stars.
The biggest highlight of The Get Down was the show’s soundtrack.
Featuring classic throwbacks and original songs, every musical performance was a surprising delight for both the eyes and ears. It’s a challenge to watch an episode without dancing in your seat a little bit.
9. Good Girls Revolt (2015-2016)
Inspired by a true story, Good Girls Revolt followed three news magazine staffers battling against gender discrimination during the sexual revolution of the 1960s. Underpaid and underestimated, they decide to sue the magazine.
The leads, played by Anna Camp, Erin Dark, and Genevieve Angelson, were distinctly different with varying interests and values.
In many ways, the show echoed themes of current shows like The Bold Type, tackling journalism, feminism, and what it means to be a woman in the world.
However, the show had the potential for wider appeal beyond those interested in female-driven shows. While it was about gender, it was also about the challenging task of building a movement and the up-and-down nature of the march towards progress.
Good Girls Revolt was on the airwaves ahead of the rise of the #MeToo movement.
Though it felt relevant at the time it originally aired on the heels of the 2016 election, it’s interesting to speculate how its destiny might have been different if it had premiered later. Its themes feel even more timely and necessary now.
10. The Grinder (2015-2016)
Exploring the world of a TV show within a TV show, The Grinder was full of meta TV references situated around an Odd Couple type premise. Dean, an actor known for playing a lawyer on TV, assumed he could be a lawyer in real life much to the chagrin of his real-life lawyer brother, Stewart.
Led by TV royalty, Rob Lowe and Fred Savage, the show benefitted from its stars’ considerable chemistry. The yin and yang of Lowe and Savage, fueled the show from the beginning. It was simply perfect casting.
Besides the delight of getting to see Lowe and Savage play off one another, what made The Grinder‘s cancellation feel so premature was its masterful blend of high and low brow comedy and its strong ensemble.
The show wasn’t afraid to make fun of television tropes or itself. While it took half of its first season to master its meta-tone and build out a compelling cast of supporting characters, it ultimately was able to develop into something brilliant.
Some shows take a while to gestate and figure out what they want to be (take early Parks and Recreation for example). The Grinder was canceled just as it had turned a corner.
The post 20 TV Shows Canceled Too Soon and 10 That Overstayed Their Welcome (2009-2019 Edition) first appeared on Tell-Tale TV.