best TV The Best Single Season Canceled Shows  

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Originally by Ranker Community
99.7k votes 9.9k voters 274.6k views 192 items

List Rules Top TV series canceled after one season

What are the best single season canceled shows in television history? These shows were actually really great, but for whatever reason (usually ratings), they got the ax after just a handful of episodes. Without a doubt, many on this list of series canceled after one season deserved much longer runs and all these TV shows were canceled before their time. Vote for the shows you think didn't deserve just one season on the air and feel free to rerank this list your way, too.

It might surprise you to learn that despite their great successes, entertainment heavyweights like Judd Apatow and Joss Whedon didn't always come out on top. Whedon's Firefly remains one of the most unjust cancellations in TV history, as does Apatow's Freaks and Geeks (both are now among the all-time top cult TV shows). But this list also includes some more obscure shows.

Add any one season TV shows that might be missing because if *you* miss it, it qualifies.What single-season TV shows do you believe are the greatest ever? It's a safe bet that several of the 1 season TV shows listed here are also among the best TV shows in recent memory.

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Firefly is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
Firefly Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk Firefly is an American space western science fiction drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon, under his Mutant Enemy Productions label. Whedon served as an executive ...more

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Freaks and Geeks is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
Freaks and Geeks Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, James Franco Freaks and Geeks is an American teen comedy-drama television series, created by Paul Feig with Judd Apatow as executive producer, that aired on NBC during the 1999–2000 television season. ...more

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Terra Nova is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
Terra Nova Jason O'Mara, Shelley Conn, Christine Adams Terra Nova is an American science fiction drama television series. It premiered on September 26, 2011 with a two-hour premiere, and concluded on December 19, 2011 with a two-hour, two-episode ...more

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Almost Human is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
AvilisSiliva added Almost Human Karl Urban, Michael Ealy, Minka Kelly Almost Human is an American science fiction/crime drama that aired from November 17, 2013, through March 3, 2014, on Fox. The series was created by J. H. Wyman for Frequency Films, Bad Robot ...more

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My So-Called Life is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
My So-Called Life Bess Armstrong, Wilson Cruz, Claire Danes My So-Called Life is an American teen drama television series created by Winnie Holzman and produced by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. It originally aired on ABC from August 25, 1994, to ...more

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The Finder is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
ShaunaTurner added The Finder Geoff Stults, Maddie Hasson, Mercedes Mason The Finder is an American procedural drama television series created by Hart Hanson that ran on Fox from January 12, 2012 to May 11, 2012. The series originally aired on Thursdays at 9:00 pm, ...more

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Kolchak: The Night Stalker is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
bojanthebest added Kolchak: The Night Stalker Darren McGavin, Simon Oakland, Jack Grinnage Kolchak: The Night Stalker is an American television series that aired on ABC during the 1974–1975 season. It featured a fictional Chicago newspaper reporter—Carl Kolchak, played by Darren ...more

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Alcatraz is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
Alcatraz Sarah Jones, Jorge Garcia, Jonny Coyne Alcatraz is an American television series created by Elizabeth Sarnoff, Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt, and produced by J. J. Abrams and Bad Robot Productions. The series premiered on Fox on ...more

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Forever is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
fastnotbulbous added Forever Ioan Gruffudd, Alana De La Garza, Joel David Moore Forever is an American drama television series about Dr. Henry Morgan, an immortal medical examiner in New York City. The series aired on ABC as part of the 2014–15 fall television season. The ...more

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No Ordinary Family is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
KarynLake added No Ordinary Family Michael Chiklis, Julie Benz, Kay Panabaker No Ordinary Family is an American television series that aired on ABC and CTV in Canada. The one-hour science fiction comedy-drama was produced by ABC Studios for the 2010–11 television season. ...more

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The Dresden Files is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
The Dresden Files Paul Blackthorne, Valerie Cruz, Terrence Mann The Dresden Files is a Canadian/American television series based on the fantasy book series of the same name by Jim Butcher. It premiered January 21, 2007 on the Sci Fi Channel in the United ...more

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The Secret Circle is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
MelissaKilderry added The Secret Circle Britt Robertson, Thomas Dekker, Phoebe Tonkin The Secret Circle is an American supernatural teen drama that aired on The CW from September 15, 2011, to May 10, 2012. It is based on the book series of the same name written by L. J. Smith. ...more

The Best Shows Currently on the Air

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Awake is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
Awake Jason Isaacs, Laura Allen, Steve Harris Awake is an American television police procedural fantasy drama that originally aired on NBC for one season from March 1 to May 24, 2012. The pilot episode had an early release on Hulu on ...more

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Undeclared is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
Undeclared Jay Baruchel, Carla Gallo, Charlie Hunnam Undeclared is an American sitcom that aired on Fox during the 2001–02 season. The show has developed a cult following. In 2012, Entertainment Weekly listed the show at #16 in the "25 Best ...more

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Flash Forward is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
ChangesDownClub added Flash Forward John Cho, Joseph Fiennes, Jack Davenport Flash Forward is a Disney Channel Original Series produced in Canada for preteens and teenagers which aired on both Disney Channel and ABC from 1995 to 1997. The series first aired as a ...more

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Wonderfalls is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
Wonderfalls Caroline Dhavernas, Katie Finneran, Tyron Leitso Wonderfalls is a comedy-drama television series that was broadcast on the Fox television network in 2004. The show centers on Jaye Tyler, a recent Brown University graduate with a philosophy ...more

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The Adventures of Briscoe Coun... is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
DonLathrop added The Adventures of Briscoe County Jr. Bruce Campbell, Julius Carry, Christian Clemenson

The Best CGI Animated Films Ever Made

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The Tomorrow People is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
MarkandLetyKing added The Tomorrow People Robbie Amell, Peyton List, Luke Mitchell The Tomorrow People is an American science fiction television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Phil Klemmer, and Julie Plec that aired on The CW during the 2013–14 American television season. ...more

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Don't Trust the B---- in Apart... is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
vale.laurito added Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 Krysten Ritter, Dreama Walker, Michael Blaiklock Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 is an American sitcom created by Nahnatchka Khan that aired on ABC in the United States from April 11, 2012, to January 15, 2013. The series originally ...more

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Alien Nation is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
Umberhaven added Alien Nation Gary Graham, Eric Pierpoint, Michele Scarabelli Alien Nation is a science fiction television series in the Alien Nation franchise. Adapted from the 1988 movie of the same name, it stars Gary Graham as Detective Matthew Sikes, a Los Angeles ...more

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Moonlight is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
MelissaKilderry added Moonlight Alex O'Loughlin, Sophia Myles, Jason Dohring Moonlight is an American paranormal romance television drama created by Ron Koslow and Trevor Munson, who was also executive producer for all episodes with Joel Silver, Gerard Bocaccio, ...more

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Tru Calling is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
AnneMorais added Tru Calling Eliza Dushku, Shawn Reaves, Zach Galifianakis Tru Calling is an American television supernatural drama series that aired on Fox. Original episodes aired between October 30, 2003, and March 11, 2005, however the final episode was shown in ...more

Canceled Shows We'd Most Like to See as Movies

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The Tick is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
DonLathrop added The Tick Patrick Warburton, David Burke, Liz Vassey The Tick is an American sitcom based on the character Tick from the comic book of the same name. It aired on Fox in late 2001 and was produced by Columbia TriStar Television. With a pilot airing ...more

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Battlestar Galactica is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
DonLathrop added Battlestar Galactica Richard Hatch, Dirk Benedict, Lorne Greene Battlestar Galactica is an American science fiction television series, created by Glen A. Larson, that began the Battlestar Galactica franchise. Starring Lorne Greene, Richard Hatch and Dirk ...more

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Constantine is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
JuanGabrielGomezAlvarado added Constantine Matt Ryan, Harold Perrineau, Charles Halford

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Limitless is listed (or ranked) 26 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
LanaYoshii added Limitless Jake McDorman, Jennifer Carpenter, Hill Harper Limitless (CBS, 2015) is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Craig Sweeny, based on the 2011 film. Brian Finch (Jake McDorman), a 28-year-old burnout and struggling musician, ...more

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The Black Donnellys is listed (or ranked) 27 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
redrunner911 added The Black Donnellys Jonathan Tucker, Tom Guiry, Olivia Wilde The Black Donnellys is an American television drama that debuted on NBC on February 26, 2007, and last aired on April 2, 2007. Thereafter, NBC began releasing new episodes weekly on NBC.com ...more

The Most Annoying TV Hosts

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Police Squad! is listed (or ranked) 28 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
Countermoon added Police Squad! Leslie Nielsen, Alan North, Rex Hamilton Police Squad! is a television comedy series first broadcast in 1982, created by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker, and starring Leslie Nielsen. A spoof of police procedurals, the ...more

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666 Park Avenue is listed (or ranked) 29 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
chantellebelle added 666 Park Avenue Rachael Taylor, Dave Annable, Robert Buckley 666 Park Avenue is an American supernatural drama series that aired on ABC from September 30, 2012 to July 13, 2013. The series was created and produced by David Wilcox, and was loosely based ...more

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Dollhouse is listed (or ranked) 30 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
Cullene Lang added Dollhouse Eliza Dushku, Harry Lennix, Fran Kranz Dollhouse is an American science fiction television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon under Mutant Enemy Productions. It premiered on February 13, 2009, on the Fox network and ...more

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Dracula is listed (or ranked) 31 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
MarkandLetyKing added Dracula Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Jessica De Gouw, Thomas Kretschmann Dracula is a British-American horror drama television series that premiered on NBC on October 25, 2013. It was produced by London-based Carnival Films. The series was created by Cole Haddon, and ...more

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The Good Guys is listed (or ranked) 32 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
DannyPitt added The Good Guys Bradley Whitford, Colin Hanks, Jenny Wade The Good Guys is an American action-comedy series about an old-school cop and a modern-day detective that premiered with a preview episode on Fox on May 19, 2010, and began airing regularly on ...more

Shows with the Best Freakin' Series Finales of All Time

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Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is listed (or ranked) 33 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet, Bradley Whitford Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is an American comedy-drama television series created and primarily written by Aaron Sorkin. The series takes place behind the scenes of a live sketch comedy show ...more

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Life on Mars is listed (or ranked) 34 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
LanaYoshii added Life on Mars John Simm, Philip Glenister, Liz White Life on Mars is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007. The series combines elements of science fiction and police procedural, featuring an officer ...more

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The Flash is listed (or ranked) 35 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
Switchdoctor added The Flash John Wesley Shipp, Amanda Pays, Alex Desert The Flash is a 1990 American television series that starred John Wesley Shipp as the superhero, the Flash, and co-starred Amanda Pays. The series was developed from the DC Comics characters by ...more

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The Crazy Ones is listed (or ranked) 36 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
Mbbk6214 added The Crazy Ones Robin Williams, Sarah Michelle Gellar, James Wolk The Crazy Ones is an American sitcom created by David E. Kelley that starred Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar. The single-camera series aired on CBS from September 26, 2013 to April 17, ...more

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Birds of Prey is listed (or ranked) 37 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
Birds of Prey Ashley Scott, Dina Meyer, Rachel Skarsten Birds of Prey is a television drama series produced in 2002. The series was developed by Laeta Kalogridis for The WB and is loosely based on the Birds of Prey DC Comics series. Despite the ...more

The Biggest Turn Ons in a Person

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Clone High is listed (or ranked) 38 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
DanielGriego added Clone High Will Forte, Phil Lord, Michael McDonald Clone High is an Canadian–American animated television series created by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Bill Lawrence. The comedy centers on a high school populated by clones of famous ...more

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Pan Am is listed (or ranked) 39 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
Pan Am Christina Ricci, Margot Robbie, Michael Mosley Pan Am is an American period drama television series created by writer Jack Orman. Named for the iconic Pan American World Airways, the series features the pilots and stewardesses of the airline ...more

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Eerie, Indiana is listed (or ranked) 40 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
CraigAlarm added Eerie, Indiana Omri Katz, Justin Shenkarow, Mary-Margaret Humes Eerie, Indiana is an American television series that originally aired on NBC from 1991 to 1993. The series was created by José Rivera and Karl Schaefer, with Joe Dante serving as creative ...more

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Go On is listed (or ranked) 41 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
Dismalhead added Go On Matthew Perry, Laura Benanti, Julie White Go On is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from August 8, 2012 to April 11, 2013. The series starred Matthew Perry as Ryan King, a sports talk radio host trying to move on from the death of ...more

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The Nine Lives of Chloe King is listed (or ranked) 42 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
ChangesDownClub added The Nine Lives of Chloe King Skyler Samuels, Grace Phipps, Ki Hong Lee The Nine Lives of Chloe King is an American fantasy drama television series which premiered on ABC Family on June 14, 2011, and ended on August 16, 2011. The one-hour drama is based on the book ...more

The Best TV Shows That Never Got a Real Finale

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Hellcats is listed (or ranked) 43 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
jimmieav added Hellcats Aly Michalka, Ashley Tisdale, Robbie Jones Hellcats is an American cheerleading comedy-drama television series that originally aired on The CW in the United States from September 8, 2010 to May 17, 2011. Based on the book Cheer: Inside ...more

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Star-Crossed is listed (or ranked) 44 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
Mads added Star-Crossed Aimee Teegarden, Matt Lanter, Grey Damon Star-Crossed is an American science fiction romantic drama television series created by Meredith Averill. Star-Crossed premiered on The CW on Monday, February 17, 2014, at 8:00 pm Eastern/7:00 ...more

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Enlisted is listed (or ranked) 45 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
Riot18 added Enlisted Geoff Stults, Chris Lowell, Parker Young Enlisted is an American comedy television series that premiered January 10, 2014, on Fox. Fox placed a 13-episode order for the single-camera comedy in May 2013. Despite low ratings, the show ...more

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John Doe is listed (or ranked) 46 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
AndrewWilkerson added John Doe Dominic Purcell, Jayne Brook, John Marshall Jones John Doe is an American science fiction drama television series that aired on Fox during the 2002–2003 TV season.

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Life on Mars is listed (or ranked) 47 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
SpencerVerMeer added Life on Mars Jason O'Mara, Harvey Keitel, Jonathan Murphy Life on Mars is a science fiction crime drama television series which originally aired on ABC from October 9, 2008 to April 1, 2009. It is an adaptation of the BAFTA-winning original UK series ...more

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American Gothic is listed (or ranked) 48 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
dee123 added American Gothic Gary Cole, Lucas Black, Paige Turco American Gothic is an American horror series created by Shaun Cassidy and executive producer Sam Raimi. The show first aired on CBS on September 22, 1995, and was cancelled after a single season ...more

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Outsourced is listed (or ranked) 49 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
JoePonthier added Outsourced Ben Rappaport, Anisha Nagarajan, Diedrich Bader Outsourced is an American television sitcom set in an Indian workplace. It is based on the John Jeffcoat film of the same name and adapted by Robert Borden of George Lopez and Universal Media ...more

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Trophy Wife is listed (or ranked) 50 on the list The Best Single Season Canceled Shows
dinojsilva added Trophy Wife Malin Akerman, Bradley Whitford, Michaela Watkins Trophy Wife is an American television sitcom that aired during the 2013–14 television season on ABC. The series was co-created and executive produced by Emily Halpern and Sarah Haskins for ABC ...more