The number of shows that get canceled every year seems to have only increased in the age of streaming. There are more platforms in the mix now than ever before, and they're throwing anything they can at the wall to see what sticks. Inevitably, there are casualties.
But some shows deserve the axe much less than others. There are those that fail because of scheduling miscalculations, or due to circumstances beyond anybody's control, or even thanks to executive meddling. Some shows get cut short way before their time--or, even worse, just before they've reached their planned conclusion, leaving fans hanging forever.
A second chance isn't unheard of these days. Sure, it the way fans wanted. But let's choose to be optimistic! These are the shows we wish would get another chance to wrap everything up--the ones that deserve to make a comeback and get one final season.
NBC's Hannibal was a revelation in horror TV that, admittedly, lasted a lot longer than most of its critics (and even some of its fans) expected with a three season run. Still, with its pitch perfect reimagining of the Hannibal mythology, incredible cast anchored by Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelson, and impeccable surrealist styling, we can't help but wish this one would make a comeback.
Aaron Sorkin's half-hour comedy about the behind-the-scenes goings on at a sports news TV show is one of the writer's best creations. It's funny, it's heartfelt, it can be angry, and it can be inspiring. It also ended far too soon. Much of Season 2 revolved around the sale of the network that owned the Sports Night program, with the Season 2 finale resolving that plot and laying the foundation for a rejuvenated team of creators. Unfortunately, Season 3 never happened.
Netflix's mystery thriller about teens who discover that all of the adults in their town have disappeared ended on a massive cliffhanger--the introduction of what seemed like an alternate reality full of adults where the teens were missing. And while the series was initially renewed to provide some answers about what was happening, the show was "unrenewed" due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, unfortunately, that cliffhanger is the last impression anyone will have of the show.
Another Bryan Fuller creation, Pushing Daisies was a quirky dark romantic comedy about a baker who could reanimate the dead with a touch. The only caveat to this power was that one more touch would kill the reanimated thing immediately--which made things tricky when he fell in love with a dead girl he resurrected. The show only lasted for 2 seasons, and we'd love a third.
Over-the-top animated black comedy Metalocalypse had everything you could want from an Adult Swim show. It was violent and raunchy, completely hilarious, and jam packed with some of the goofiest (and catchiest) original songs--pretty appropriate for a show about a cartoon metal band. It had a sizable 61-episode run (and even got an hour long special) but the overarching story never reached its ultimate conclusion, and we're dying (like fans at a Dethklok show) to see how it ends.
Way back in the early 2000s, Loren Bouchard of Bob's Burgers fame and Brendon Small (who later created Metalocalypse) had a show together called Home Movies. It earned cult status, especially among early Adult Swim watchers--but it only lasted for four seasons. This is one show that absolutely deserves a reunion.
This criminally underrated comedy-drama about coming of age in the '80s starred Linda Cardellini, James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Martin Starr, and Busy Philips. It also only lasted for a single 18-episode season. It's high time for a revival.
Some of the shows on this list were able to wrap up most of, if not all of, their biggest plot threads before they were taken off the air--but this isn't the case for Netflix's mystery-drama The OA. Its second season cancelation came on the heels of a major cliffhanger and the story was left unfinished. A third season for this one is an absolute must.
Frankly, it's kind of a miracle that we even got one season of Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, given its massive scale and cast of intricate puppets. The prequel to the cult classic Jim Henson movie tee'd up some incredible characters and concepts that deserve to be explored in more depth, but Netflix sadly canceled the show--at least, for now. We're going to live in the dream of a Season 2 for as long as we can.
The CW's Constantine show only had one season, though star Matt Ryan would go on to reprise the role in a number of other shows in the Arrow-verse, and even voice the character for animated movies. Ryan's Constantine deserves more than just the 13-episode run he originally got and it's high time for a new solo show.
Animated shows from the late '90s and early '00s have earned themselves a special place in current pop culture nostalgia, and the weirdly terrifying Courage the Cowardly Dog is no different. Its four season run was full of traumatic monsters and deeply unsettling stories, all told from the point of view of an adorable purple dog who couldn't even talk. There has been talk of , but it never seems to go anywhere, but now in an age where streaming services are doing the best to introduce new versions of old classics, we have to believe there's hope for more Courage.
NBC's Powerless was an odd duck for the DC TV universe. It wasn't part of the Arrow-verse and it wasn't part of the DCEU, but it was a particularly hilarious concept that was never given a chance to really find its voice. The story of a tech startup meant to protect civilians from the ongoing battles between superheroes and villains, Powerless could have become a breath of fresh air for the crowded cape-and-cowl genre had it been given more than 12 episodes.
Before they crashed hot dog cars into suit stores and judged which baby is the best baby of the year on Netflix, I Think You Should Leave's Tim Robinson and Sam Richardson were bargain bin Michigan ad guys on Comedy Central's Detroiters. ITYSL fans will recognize many of their co-stars and much of the sense of humor, although Detroiters' two seasons had much more of a traditional episodic structure. Still, now that we're in love with Robinson's bonkers, often surreal comedy, we feel Detroiters deserves another chance.
MTV's spin on the superhero genre, Sweet/Vicious was about college vigilanties taking on sexual assailants and predators--but despite the wildly engaging premise, it was only given a single season. With only ten episodes, Sweet/Vicious managed to find a dedicated and passionate fanbase who would no doubt rally behind the show if it were to get another shot.
Who doesn't love a good sports drama? Fox's Pitch was the story of Ginny Baker, a rookie player who went on to become the first woman to play Major League Baseball, and the show itself was primed and ready to become baseball's answer to a classic like Friday Night Lights. But it was canceled after just one season.
In a world full of zombie stories, In The Flesh actually did something that was both subversive and unique. A queer romance about sentient zombies trying to reintegrate back into living society, this show amassed a cult following with only six hour-long episodes back in 2014. Now, seven years later, and with pop culture's interest in zombie's no less intense than it was back then, we're sure a revival (no pun intended) would become a smash hit.