TV series come and go. Networks are often forced to make tough decisions based on ratings and production costs, and the least-popular TV shows usually pay the price. In the ruthless world of entertainment broadcasting, not even a good script, fine cast and cult following are enough to ensure your favorite show will be coming back for a follow-up season.
In this list, we will be visiting the best TV shows that got canceled and exploring the reason why. Since not every comedy can be Friends and not every drama can be Game of Thrones, you can expect some hick-ups and less-familiar series in the progress.
House, 8 Seasons - Closed in 2012 Due to High Production Costs
Just like 24, House was another TV series that was getting way too expensive despite its popularity. With over 9 million viewers and solid rating numbers, the show got canceled after its 8th season for reportedly costing an average of $5 million per episode.
At the time, Hugh Laurie was one of the highest-paid actors on television, but he was ready to lower his $700K per episode salary to push for the show's continuation. Unfortunately for the fans, House was no longer cost-effective in 2012 and the network's decision was irrevocable.
No Tomorrow, 1 Season - Closed in 2017 Due to Poor Ratings
No Tomorrow focuses on the story of a man who believes the world is about to end. He ends up meeting a woman and changing her life forever by inspiring her to live her life to the fullest. Ironically, the "world" did end for the No Tomorrow cast and crew, back when the show was canceled by the CW network in 2017.
To tie some loose ends and provide a satisfactory resolution, a 3-minute epilogue was produced and released after the show's finale. The reason for the cancellation? No Tomorrow did extremely poor with the TV fans, averaging a 0.26 rating and less than 800K viewers.
The Family, 1 Season - Closed in 2016 Due to Low Ratings
The Family seemed like an exciting and compelling thriller. The story of a politically-driven family who welcomed home a mysterious boy who could (or could not) be their long-missing son, much to the press's enthusiasm. Drawing inspiration for the contemporary movie Gone Girl, The Family was going to be ABC's new hit drama, until it wasn't...
In 2016, the network canceled The Family after a 1.3 rating. Over 4 million viewers were not enough to convince ABC to give the show another chance, and this possibly terrific thriller ended up being cut short. The Family's only-season is still a great watch, especially if you love surprising twists and turn-overs.
Finding Carter, 2 Seasons - Closed in 2016 Due to Unsuccessful Second Season
Finding Carter premiered in 2014 and explored the story of a young woman who finds out that she was kidnapped by her family when she was a toddler. While Finding Carter's first season was not a gigantic hit, its second season flopped terribly and resulted in its cancellation.
At the time, MTV was desperately trying to promote one of the network's most risky and expensive shows yet - The Shannara Chronicles. While this particular fantasy-driven series wasn't exactly a hit as well, it contributed to Finding Carter's cancellation. Finding Carter's final episode gathered less than 350K viewers and very disappointing rating numbers.
The Whispers, 1 Season - Closed in 2015 Due to Poor Ratings
The Whispers had it all. It was supposed to be a compelling thriller about a mysterious imaginary friend whispering bad thoughts to children, and it was even produced by the hit-expert director Steven Spielberg. Its intricated plot featured aliens, conspiracy theories, and lots of untied ends, but the fans hated it.
Well, not everyone. Some people were disappointed after the show's cancellation in 2015. But The Whispers did so poorly amongst viewers that even its admirers have to admit ABC did the right thing by "pulling the plug". Reportedly, The Whispers registered a dreadful 0.7 rating and less than 3 million viewers overall.
Chasing Life, 2 Seasons - Closed in 2015 Due to ABC Family's Rebrand
Adapted from a Mexican production, Chasing Life was never an ABC Family's hit show, gathering less than 800K viewers during its second season. But when the network decided to rebrand its fictional content with shows like Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments, Chasing Life's cancellation was inevitable.
Besides not fitting ABC Family's new content guidelines, Chasing Life was also very poor amongst viewers, with just 486K people sitting down to watch the show's season finale. Chasing Life focuses on the day-to-day life of Italia Ricci (April Carver), a woman who is suddenly diagnosed with leukemia.
Southland, 5 Seasons - Closed in 2013 Due to Unsatisfactory Cost-Effectiveness
Arguably one of the best shows on our list, the critically acclaimed cop drama Southland was canceled by TNT in 2013 after 5 seasons. With a small legion of cult followers and lots of admiration from the press, Southland was surprisingly cut short due to unsatisfactory cost-effectiveness.
Despite being a great cop show, Southland proved to be too expensive and too niche-oriented to be profitable. While TNT recognized the indisputable value of the show, the ratings were always disappointing; for indecipherable reasons, Southland was never capable of reaching the wider audience that's accustomed to watching similar less-acclaimed cop dramas such as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Hawaii Five-0.
Bored to Death, 3 Seasons - Closed in 2011 Due to Terrible Ratings
In 2009, Bored to Death premiered quite successfully; it was a dramedy show following the adventures of Jonathan Ames (Jason Schwartzmann), a struggling writer turned private investigator. Besides Schwartzmann, Bored to Death's remarkable cast also featured Zach Galifianakis, Ted Danson, and Heather Burns.
Bored to Death could have been a hit, but viewers never did follow on the series. The critically-acclaimed show got less and less popular until its cancellation in 2011. HBO was forced to quit after a 3rd season finale that was historically low in the ratings, gathering an embarrassing 0.1 points and less than 250K viewers.
24, 8 Seasons - Closed in 2010 Due to High Production Costs
24 was a big, big hit. But after 8 successful seasons, it was just becoming way too expensive to remain viable. FOX decided to "pull the plug" in 2010, but the legacy of 24 continued with a 2013 series with the same name. Additionally, a 24 TV movie was released in 2008.
24 explored the adventures of federal agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) and introduced a refreshing twist to the viewers by presenting the storyline in real-time. 24's ratings were never bad but got worse by the time the last season was released: it registered less than 10 million viewers and a modest 3.1 rating.
How I Met Your Mother, 9 Seasons - Closed in 2014 Due to Disinterest From the Fans
How I Met Your Mother was the first sitcom to connect directly with a younger meme-addicted generation, and it remains one of the most popular comedy series of the last 20 years! But after 9 seasons, the fans of the show were growing both older and impatient and the network ended up pushing for resolution in its 9th and final season.
To be honest, How I Met Your Mother's jokes, acting, and overall quality was rapidly going down during the show's last years, with the writers and cast seemingly showing a lack of interest and ideas. How I Met Your Mother's series finale was generally poorly received by the fans.
The Big Bang Theory, 12 Seasons - Closed in 2018 Due to Jim Parsons' Wanting to Leave
Few people expected a sitcom about a group of nerds and their cute new neighbor would last for 12 seasons and become one of the most-watched TV series of the millennium. But The Big Bang Theory's popularity wouldn't just be the same if it wasn't for the hilarious character of Sheldon, played by Jim Parsons.
In 2018, when Parsons refused to sign a new contract with CBS, the show's creators knew it was time to wrap things up and put an end to one of the most lucrative productions in the network's history. Parsons' character Sheldon Cooper is now being revived in the still-active 2017 spin-off series Young Sheldon.
Flashforward, 1 Season - Closed in 2010 Due to Its Inability to Grab the Viewers
The ABC show Flashforward was about a moment in time in which the entire population of Earth saw their future lives. Ironically, the cast and writers of Flashforward were not able to predict the future of their show, which got canceled in 2010 after only one season.
Flashforward's first episode got an impressive 4.0 rating and was seen by almost 13 million viewers! So, why was it canceled? Sadly, the following episodes were less and less popular and have hit ratings as low as 2.1. Realizing their show wasn't grabbing the viewers, but instead pushing them away, ABC decided to cancel the expensive Sci-fi production after only 20 episodes.
Joan of Arcadia, 2 Seasons - Closed in 2005 Due to Low Ratings
Telling the story of a young girl who is often visited by God (disguised as regular everyday people), Joan of Arcadia was never the hit its creators expected it to be and ended up being canceled after two seasons of falling short in the ratings.
According to a 2006 review by blogger Stefan Hayden, Joan of Arcadia's cancellation was motivated by its over-ambitious plot. By focusing both on an adult-oriented storyline and multiple teen-oriented dramas, the show ended up splitting the viewers and wasn't able to fully convince neither the adult audiences nor the younger fans.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, 2 Seasons - Closed in 2009 Due to Low 2nd Season Ratings
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles' first episode aired right before a play-off NFL game and gathered a whopping rating of 7.6 and close to 19 million viewers! It was a bright start for what seemed like a hit-show, but unfortunately for FOX, the series' ratings were disappointingly shorter week after week.
The announcement of a second season was already surprising; but as the second-coming of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles turned out being even less popular amongst TV fans, FOX was forced to quit the production. The series was not able to compete with Chuck, a way more popular show that aired at the same time on a rival network.
Kyle XY, 3 Seasons - Closed in 2009 Due to Disappointing 3rd Season
Considered by an IMDb top reviewer to be an allegory for foster care, TV show Kyle XY reflected on the adventures of an alien-like adopted teenager. After two relatively successful seasons, Kyle XY's third coming proved to be way too much for the bored viewers. The show's third season presented disappointing rating numbers and Kyle XY was for that reason canceled by ABC Family in 2009.
According to the critics, the show's 3rd season failed after focusing more on the emotional aspects of the characters and less on its sci-fi components.
Las Vegas, 5 Seasons - Closed in 2008 Due to the Writer's Strike
After 5 seasons, the Las Vegas TV series was canceled. Directly affected by the 2008 Writer's Strike, which caused a commotion in Hollywood, Las Vegas' ratings proved insufficient to convince the network to renew the show for a 6th season, especially given the unique circumstances.
Las Vegas cast included actors such as Josh Duhamel, James Lesure, Vanessa Marcil, and James Caan. It focused on the day-to-day of a team of casino-owners responsible for ensuring the safety of the Montecito Casino and Resort while using the charismatic city of Las Vegas as a background.
My Name Is Earl, 4 Seasons - Closed in 2009 Due to Risky Plot Moves
Comedy series My Name Is Earl reflected on the day-to-day of a man trying to improve his karma by doing right by everyone he had impacted negatively throughout his once-selfless life. The show's two first seasons were a hit, but the 3rd and 4th season proved disappointing in the ratings.
According to fans, two risky plot moves were in the origin of the show's fallout. The first was the decision of starting season 3 with Earl in jail, and the second the decision to put Earl in a coma shortly after his release from prison. Maybe the show's creators were running out of ideas after the two first seasons.
Hannibal, 3 Seasons - Closed in 2015 Due to Low Ratings
Starring a talented duo of actors (Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen), extremely well-crafted cinematography, and some of the most violent deaths in TV history, Hannibal is still remembered as a remarkable and paradigm-shifting show. And yet, it wasn't able to resist the not-good-enough ratings following its 3rd season.
In 2015, the show was canceled by NBC for not being economically viable, but the network praised its significance and overall quality. Bryan Fuller, the show's creator, has later worked in challenging and demanding TV series such as Star Trek: Discovery and American Gods.
Agent Carter, 2 Seasons - Closed in 2016 Due to Hayley Atwell's Popularity
Here's a strange one: the Marvel-produced TV series Agent Carter was a hit amongst fans before its cancellation in 2016. Why was it canceled? As it seems, the network was looking to cash in on the popularity of Hayley Atwell (the show's star) and use her for less niche-oriented roles.
As a result, Hayley Atwell's career did turn out for the best, with the beautiful actress granting appearances in major productions such as Avengers: Endgame and Disney's Christopher Robin. The same cannot be said about the poor fans of Agent Carter, who have even started an online petition to bring the beloved cult show back.
Popular, 2 Seasons - Closed in 2001 Due to Low Ratings
Teen drama Popular was canceled in 2001 after only 2 seasons due to low ratings, but the show's creator, Ryan Murphy, believes it could've been much better if it wasn't for The WB's constant interference. After Popular, Ryan Murphy went on to work in the highly-regarded TV series American Horror Story and American Crime Story.
Reportedly, The WB presented constant demands to Popular's plot, including requests to make characters "less gay". In a recent interview, Ryan Murphy talked about how his vision for the show was affected by the network's lack of sensibility, which he pointed out as one of the main reasons for Popular's lack of... well, popularity.
Moesha, 6 Seasons - Closed in 2001 Due to a Surprising Plot Twist
Moesha was one of UPN's most popular shows throughout the '90s, but one particular writing decision may have been in the origin of its cancellation in 2001. The show tackled African-American issues while validating the image of an exemplary Black family, but it all went away after a surprising plot twist.
Turns out Frank, the father, had a hidden son from a previous relationship and lied about it for years... This event ruined the once-pristine ethical image of Moesha's happy family, and the show's star, Brandy Norwood, has confessed in a recent interview that she knew the show was over by that point.
Terra Nova, 1 Season - Closed in 2002 Due to a Lack of Identity
With Steven Spielberg's name on the producers' list and a solid base of fans, sci-fi adventure drama Terra Nova seemed destined for greatness. But Fox wasn't so sure about its potential. The show was very expensive, demanded a lot from the network, and was, according to Fox officials, creatively stale.
Terra Nova focuses on a community of people who time-travels from the dying Earth of the year 2149 to a prehistoric nature-filled Earth. After its first season, Fox's entertainment president Kevin Reilly thought the show had a lack of identity.
Desperate Housewives, 8 Seasons - Closed in 2012 Due to Artistic Reasons
Desperate Housewives' creator Marc Cherry is a very proud man! He was able to make a very popular show for close to 1 decade, work with a very talented female cast, and end his show exactly when he wanted to. According to Cherry, Desperate Housewives got closed in 2012 for one simple reason: it was about time!
While some fans have plotted that the show's ratings were shaken by The Real Housewives' franchise, that's not by any means true. Desperate Housewives was a successful show until its very end and it was wrapped up by its creators right before even having a chance to disappoint the viewers.
The Bob Newhart Show, 6 Seasons - Closed in 1978 Due to a Lost-Like Final Episode
The decision to close The Bob Newhart Show in 1978 was made before the show's last episode was written. Still, there's no way we cannot mention the visionary and unexpected finale to the 6th and last season...
Young audiences are probably familiar with Lost's controversial series finale, but it turns out Lost's final plot twist wasn't very original at all! In the late '70s, The Bob Newhart Show introduced the "it was all a dream" twist to TV viewers and caused shock amongst its fans. In 2005, TV Guide magazine named The Bob Newhart Show's final episode as one of the most unexpected moments in television history.
Scrubs, 9 Seasons - Closed in 2010 Due to Low Ratings
A comedy show featuring doctors and nurses, Scrubs was like a breath of fresh air when it first appeared in 2001. With the very funny Zach Braff in the main character's role, Scrubs seduced the viewers with its satirical approach to the usual plotlines found in serious hospital dramas.
But after close to a decade, Scrubs was missing out both in viewers and ideas. The series' quality was going down alongside its ratings, and ABC decided to cancel it after 9 seasons. Scrubs' final season registered a 2.0 rating and less than 5 million viewers.
True Blood, 7 Seasons - Closed in 2014 Due to a Lack of New Ideas
True Blood was a show about a girl with telepathic superpowers who fell in love with a vampire. Benefiting from Twilight's whopping success in the last decade, True Blood was one of HBO's most-watched shows until its last season. So, why was it canceled in 2014?
According to HBO's programming director Michael Lombardo, True Blood was experiencing a lack of new ideas. The writers, director, and actors all believed there was no room left to explore in the already overly chewed plot. When a TV series has nowhere else to go, it's better to put an end to it while it still has viewers.
Alias, 5 Seasons - Closed in 2006 Due to Low Ratings and A Couple of Other Reasons
Remember Alias? The action-drama TV series ran for 5 seasons before being canceled by ABC in 2006. With a loyal fanbase of over 10 million fans, Alias' final season was starting to lose steam as well as viewers. The ratings for Alias were not so bad when compared to other less-popular shows, but showed a clear tendency to get worse and worse.
Besides, Alias' star Jennifer Garner and show creator J.J. Abrams were both looking out for a future away from the series. While Abrams landed a Mission Impossible movie, Garner had just been a mother and was trying to make it into the big screen.
Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, 4 Seasons - Closed in 1997 Due to a Very Bad 4th Season
Feeling nostalgic? Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman got canceled by ABC in 1997 after a disappointing 4th season. While the show gathered a good legion of fans and counted with the talented Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher playing the main roles, the 4th season's ratings were very bad. Additionally, the show never did well with the critics.
The series ended up in a cliffhanger, with Clark Kent and Lois Lane finding a mysterious baby at their doorstep. After Roseanne's comeback in 2018, nostalgic fans went on social media and asked for Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman to come back for a 5th season.
Pitch, 1 Season - Closed in 2017 Due to Low Ratings
Pitch seemed to have it all. The script was based on the fictional story of the first-ever MLB (Major League Baseball) female player and counted with a fine cast and talented writers' team. While the show was popular amongst some viewers, it wasn't able to gather the necessary ratings and was canceled by FOX after its first season.
Pitch and This is Us premiered simultaneously on the same network, so it ended up being a matter of which of the two shows connected better with the audiences. In the end, Pitch lost that battle; This is Us is still a popular show today and it's heading for its fourth season.
Breaking Bad, 5 Seasons - Closed in 2013 Due to Artistic Reasons
Now considered to be one of the best TV shows of all-time, the inspiring and emotional drama/thriller Breaking Bad was cut short in 2013 after only 5 seasons. Since ratings were through the roof and the show was watched by faithful fans all over the world, what could be the reason behind such a surprising decision?
Well, it turns out money isn't everything in the world of entertainment television... To preserve the show's flawless artistic status, creator Vince Gilligan decided to put an end to it before audiences got a chance to get bored. The Breaking Bad-inspired prequel Better Call Saul premiered shortly after.