There’s nothing worse than a show getting canceled too soon, at least in the world of T.V. Anyone who’s spent time watching the best that the medium has to offer would’ve likely felt the sting of anticipating a final season, only to learn of a premature cancellation.
It’s also easy to imagine how hard a cancellation would be on the show’s writers and cast, especially if they were part of something great and had been looking forward to ending things on their own terms.
Sometimes, writers make the best out of a bad situation and – whether by luck or some hasty yet skilled writing – manage to fashion a fitting conclusion despite an early cancellation.
The following shows were all canceled before their time, and though some got revived years later, they’re here being judged by their “final” episodes at the time of cancellation. In various ways, all achieved some finality despite being cut short.
10Snowpiercer
Based on Bong Joon-Ho’s movie (based on a comic book), Snowpiercer, the T.V. show, premiered on T.N.T. in 2020.
Set during the end times, Snowpiercer is the name of a giant train perpetually circling the frozen Earth. The show follows the lives of those on board as they attempt to deal with all the usual human pitfalls in this barren tundra.
The show ran on the network for three seasons, with a fourth expected to land in 2023. Then, its plug was pulled via the higher-ups at Warner Bros. Discovery.
The show’s axing wasn’t a massive surprise, as T.N.T. had already been purged of its original content under orders from new management. What is strange is that the fourth and final season of the show had been filmed and is, presumably, ready to go.
The train has not come off the tracks just yet, as the producers have announced that they will shop the product around in hopes of finding a new home. Fingers crossed that they do find one because leaving this post-dystopian adventure without a fulfilling conclusion would feel like the end of the world.
9Big Sky
Big Sky has been canceled at A.B.C. after three seasons. Its first season premiered in 2020 to impressive ratings but didn’t return to those heights during its second and third seasons. Big Sky could find a home on another network because of David E. Kelley’s involvement as creator and showrunner. T
The mystery-crime series starred Katheryn Winnick and Kylie Bunbury and featured season 3 appearances from Jensen Ackles and Reba McEntire. However, more was needed to inspire Big Sky season 4. It is one of the multiple shows A.B.C. canceled in May 2023.
8Alaska Daily
Alaska Daily has been canceled at A.B.C. after only one season. Hilary Swank starred as a journalist looking for a fresh start in life who moves to Alaska to work for an Anchorage-based newspaper.
The show was generally well-liked, but Alaska Daily needed help finding an established following to justify a second season. As a result, the show will only be returning on any platform if a new home is located in the coming weeks.
7One of Us is Lying
In 2017, author Karen M. McManus released One of Us Is Lying, a young adult murder mystery novel set in a high school.
During a detention session with four other students, local gossip-lover Simon suffers an allergic reaction to some peanuts and dies. After initially writing the whole thing off as a nasty accident, police find that the deceased had potentially life-changing dirt on his four detainees.
His demise wasn’t so accidental after all.
The book did well enough to become a series, which Peacock put out for two seasons between 2021 and 2022. Sadly, like Simon, the show was killed off in early 2023.
This announcement came around the same time when another Peacock show, Vampire Academy, also got read its last rites. If you’re waiting for us to explain what Vampire Academy is, then stop because it’s exactly what it says it is.
Thankfully, the cast members for One of Us Is Lying took this decision well, with star Annalisa Cochrane posting an article about it on Instagram, followed by the caption “Ouch.”
6True Lies
C.B.S. canceled True Lies before the conclusion of its first season. The T.V. reboot of the famous Arnold Schwarzenegger film was meant to be one of the network’s top shows but failed to achieve the desired ratings.
C.B.S. canceled True Lies after the network reversed the cancelation of S.W.A.T. season 7. Reportedly, the issue has to do with negotiations over the budget. The True Lies series finale will air on Wednesday, May 17th.
5The Mosquito Coast
Basing something on a Harrison Ford property is always a good idea. That’s precisely what Apple TV+’s The Mosquito Coast did when it found itself in Ford’s 1986 movie. Before you say anything, yes, we know that the film is also based on a book, and yes, we know Louis Theroux’s dad wrote that book.
The series stars Justin Theroux as Allie Fox, an inventor who flees to South America after becoming tired of the over-commercialization of the United States. He takes his wife and their kids with him as he is relentlessly pursued by various forces, including one played by Professor Quirrell from Harry Potter.
Damn, the tangled web this story weaves.
That web has now been cut, as Apple has scrapped any plans for a third season of the show.
This news comes just days after the second season finale aired on January 6th. It was also revealed by Paul Theroux (author/Louis’ dad) that the next set of episodes would have linked directly with the book and the movie.
461st Street
61st Street was canceled at A.M.C. but has since been saved by the C.W., which will revive it for a second season. The serious A.M.C. drama found an unlikely home at The C.W. after A.M.C. but decided not to renew the project due to financial restraints. The eighth and final episode of 61st Street season 1 aired in May 2020, with season 2 set to premiere sometime in 2023.
31899
From the German creators of Netflix’s Dark came 1899, a historical science fiction mystery set in 1899.
The series follows a group of people from all different nations as they migrate across the sea from the U.K. to New York City. Things soon get spooky, when their vessel’s sister ship turns up after it was previously thought to be lost.
We get weird ghost children, strange symbols, and MacGuffin to boot. What does any of this mean? Who knows! Because Netflix went and canceled it less than two months after it first dropped.
The outrage surrounding 1899’s cancellation was enormous, as thousands expressed how stupid they thought this call was. There’s even a petition to bring it back from its watery grave.
Creators Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar have expressed their displeasure at the loss of the show and claimed that they had ideas for a second and even third season.
While it might be the case that this popular I.P. gets picked up somewhere else, one sure thing is that Netflix messed up with this one.
2Kung Fu
Kung Fu has been canceled at the C.W. after three seasons. Kung Fu was a reboot of an original series aired in the 1970s on A.B.C. starring David Carradine.
Similar to the situation with Walker: Independence, the cancelation of Kung Fu also results from large-scale programming changes at the C.W.
Kung Fu starred Olivia Lang and was developed by Christina M. Kim, who served as a writer on N.C.I.S.: Los Angeles, Blindspot, and Lost.
1The Winchesters
Supernatural ended in 2020 after 15 seasons. However, The C.W. still had some confidence in the franchise when it greenlit The Winchesters, a prequel series about the main character’s parents.
But The C.W. has decided to cancel the spinoff after just one season. There’s a strong push from the fanbase for The Winchesters season 2 to happen, but it’s still being determined if any network or streaming service would be interested.
Even Jensen Ackles has expressed disapproval online regarding decision to cancel the show. After the C.W. canceled the show to gain momentum for season 2, Ackles teased a five-season story plan for The Winchesters.
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