10 Shows that Were Cancelled Far Too Soon

There are few feelings as gutting as TV watcher than realizing the awesome new show you just discovered only has a few seasons—or, worse, just one season. Here are ten shows that were cancelled way too soon and deserved more seasons!

Firefly

This is the one people bring up when they mention shows that didn’t get the lifespan they deserved. Firefly is a one-of-a-kind space western, and while fans got to see a conclusion to the series with the film Serenity, it still stings that the show didn’t get to run for four or five seasons like it should have.

Santa Clarita Diet

The horror-tinged Santa Clarita Diet stars Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant and was beloved by fans for its three seasons. However, Netflix canned it due to its perceived low audience reception. While it might have not had many fans, those who loved the show wish it could have gotten at least one more season!

Freaks and Geeks

Many critics credit Freaks and Geeks with launching the careers of a whole slew of 00s stars, from Jason Segel and James Franco to Busy Phillipps and Linda Cardellini. The beloved 1999 high school drama tragically only ran for a single season, but it’s become a cult classic in the intervening years.

Mindhunter

When you see “Netflix Exclusive” and “fan-favorite show” in the same sentence, chances are good that it ran for only a few seasons before getting cancelled. That’s the case with Mindhunter, a thrilling psychological crime thriller show that was based on the true-crime book of the same name.

Sarah Connor Chronicles

While Terminator might be best known as a film franchise, there was a genuinely excellent TV continuation of the franchise called The Sarah Connor Chronicles that ran for two seasons in 2008 on Fox. It was critically well-received and had very vocal fans, but achieved low ratings, which, when combined with its hefty budget, led to it being cancelled.

Deadwood

HBO’s western series, Deadwood, introduced many TV watchers to Timothy Olyphant. He’s had bad luck with his great shows getting cancelled too early—see Santa Clarita Diet. Deadwood is a gripping, well-written drama that ran for only three seasons starting in 2006. Once again, a large budget and a lack of viewership doomed this critical darling. Luckily HBO did eventually grace us with a movie.

Better off Ted

The 2009 sitcom Better off Ted didn’t get the audience numbers it needed to run for more than two seasons. However, fans say it was way ahead of its time, using its deadpan, fourth wall-breaking sense of humor to punctuate life working for an amoral science conglomerate.

Travelers

Here we go again with a beloved Netflix sci-fi series. Travelers ended after only three seasons of time-traveling espionage, but it at least went out on a definitive note that gave fans some closure. Still, a fourth season to really unpack what the ending all meant would be amazing.

Altered Carbon

Netflix, sci-fi show, two seasons, you know where this is going. Altered Carbon, based on the book series of the same name, has the most flexible premise imaginable. Characters in its far-future world can have their consciousness uploaded into any physical body, allowing Netflix to recast lead Takeshi Kovacs ad infinitum a la Doctor Who. Sadly, they didn’t see the point and canned the show after its Anthony Mackie-led second season flopped with audiences.

Sense8

Sense8 might be the poster child for the adage “Netflix doesn’t give sci-fi shows a chance.” This excellent show from the Wachowskis (yes, the sisters who directed the freaking Matrix) is beloved by fans, and its criminally-short two-season run will remain the bane of fans until the end of time.