Is there anything more frustrating than having your favorite TV show canceled? Whether it’s due to poor ratings, newer and better shows on the horizon, or just the developers growing tired of the current show, the reality is some TV shows get canceled when we don’t want them to. Unfortunately, when this happens, the only thing we can do is relieve the memories they have left us.
Here are four of my favorites that were canceled way too soon!
The Bridge
The Bridge was one of the better crime dramas in recent years. Two detectives, played by Diane Kruger and Demian Bichir, work to capture a serial killer operating between the United States and Mexico. You might assume that a show was cancelled because it wasn’t well received, but that was not the case for The Bridge. This series actually received excellent reviews from people across the web. It pulled you in and refused to let you go with its incredible mystery and drama.
The Bridge ran for two full seasons but FX ultimately decided to cancel production. Executive Vice President of Communications John Solberg said the decision was made solely based on the ratings the show was receiving. He pointed out that from season one to season two, there was nearly a 42 percent drop off in viewers. From an objective eye, this makes sense because if people aren’t watching it then why make it? However, this doesn’t change the fact that The Bridge was a phenomenal show that deserved more attention than it was getting.
Deadwood
Deadwood is a truly great western that could have been one of the greatest TV shows of all-time. This show had an ensemble cast, and throughout the show we watch each character grow and develop. The most impressive though was Ian McShane’s performance, and the most noteworthy aspect to Deadwood was its heavy use of profanity. If you are not a fan of this kind of dialogue, then you probably loved that it got canceled. With that being said, the profanity fit well with the tone of the show even if it was excessive.
After three full seasons, this critically acclaimed show was shut down. Unlike The Bridge, this show was not shut down because of ratings. Unfortunately, in 2006 HBO officially confirmed that they weren’t going to pick up the options of the actors in the show. Thus, this made another season nearly impossible with the current cast. However, there have been talks for years that there would be a Deadwood film. The problem though is that even a movie will never make up for a fourth season never being made.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Ever since the release of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, the Terminator franchise has been completely awful. The only silver lining has been Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, but it only lasted a mere two seasons. The show follows Sarah, John Connor and Cameron (another terminator programmed to protect John Connor) as they encounter many dangers. What this show combined, which every other installment past Terminator 2: Judgment Day lacked, was the perfect combination of heart and action.
Fox’s President of Entertainment Kevin Reilly explained that with Dollhouse coming into full effect at the time, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles had completed its nice, little run. He mentioned how it was a good show, but that it tailed off a little bit. My question to him is if you thought it was good, then why would you cancel it? It was clear that his team wanted Dollhouse to be the main focus, but did that mean you had to continue the destruction of the Terminator franchise? I don’t know if we will ever see another decent show/film about terminators again, and the cancellation of this show highly attributes to that.
Threshold
There is no in-between when it comes to this show. You either love the one and only season of Threshold or hate it. It centers on a secret government project that investigates extraterrestrial species. If you are an alien fanatic like I am, then you will eat this show up. The problem though is that after only one season it got shut down before it barely even got started.
Right before the last episode was filmed, the developers knew they weren’t making another season. In an interview with the writer (Brannon Braga) on the DVD release of the first season, it was revealed that the series would be terminated. This then led to the ending being changed and apparently it was then thought that a good idea would be to have a massive cliffhanger ending. To be honest, cliffhanger endings are nothing more than pure laziness, especially if you know that you are not going to make another episode. The ending almost makes this show pointless because we know it will never be resolved, and that’s depressing.
It would be nice if great TV shows never got canceled, but the reality is it happens more than we want. What are some of your favorite TV shows that have been canceled? Do you miss any of these specific TV shows? We would love to know your thoughts, so leave a comment below.
Caroline is an entertainment and online blogger who loves TV shows. She hopes that you enjoyed this piece and found a new TV show to enjoy. Check out other articles by Caroline at Culture Coverage and Secure Thoughts.
