Entertainment

13.0k voters

The Best Shows Canceled After a Single Season

Originally by Ranker Community

Updated February 3, 2021 99.9k votes 13.0k voters 337.2k views307 items

List RulesVote up your favorite shows you can't believe studios didn't renew for Season 2.

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 cancelled 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. Even beloved stars like Matthew Perry and Jason Alexander couldn't get a second season on their own.

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
Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres
Premiered: 2002
Genres (Tv): Space Western, Space opera, Drama, Comedy-drama, Science Fiction
Firefly is an American space western science fiction drama television series created by writer... more
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2,238
886
Freaks and Geeks
Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley
Premiered: 1999
Genres (Tv): Teen drama, Comedy-drama
Freaks and Geeks (NBC, 1999) is an American teen comedy-drama television series created by... more
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3
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750
Almost Human
Karl Urban, Michael Ealy
Premiered: 2013
Genres (Tv): Crime Fiction, Science Fiction
Almost Human is an American science fiction drama that aired from November 17, 2013, through... more
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1,025
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Forever
Ioan Gruffudd, Alana De La Garza
Premiered: 2014
Genres (Tv): Drama, Crime Fiction, Fantasy
Forever is an American drama television series about Dr. Henry Morgan, an immortal medical... more
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5
1,470
1,041
Terra Nova
Jason O'Mara, Shelley Conn
Premiered: 2011
Genres (Tv): Drama, Mystery, Action, Science Fiction
Terra Nova (Fox, 2011) is an American science fiction drama television series created by Kelly... more
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6
1,260
847
My So-Called Life
Claire Danes, Bess Armstrong
Premiered: 1994
Genres (Tv): Teen drama
My So-Called Life (ABC, 1994) is an American teen drama television series created by Winnie... more
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594
402
Battlestar Galactica
Richard Hatch, Dirk Benedict
Premiered: 1978
Genres (Tv): Science Fiction
Battlestar Galactica is an American science fiction television series, created by Glen A.... more
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8
956
709
The Finder
Geoff Stults, Maddie Hasson
Premiered: 2012
Genres (Tv): Comedy-drama, Police procedural
The Finder (Fox, 2012) is an American procedural drama television series created by Hart... more
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9
858
348
Limitless
Jake McDorman, Jennifer Carpenter
Premiered: 2015
Genres (Tv): Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Limitless (CBS, 2015) is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Craig Sweeny,... more
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10
558
373
Tru Calling
Eliza Dushku, Shawn Reaves
Premiered: 2003
Genres (Tv): Supernatural drama, Drama, Mystery, Fantasy
Tru Calling is an American television supernatural drama series that aired on Fox. Original... more
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646
503
The Adventures of Briscoe County Jr.
Bruce Campbell, Julius Carry
12
1,007
766
The Secret Circle
Britt Robertson, Thomas Dekker
Premiered: 2011
Genres (Tv): Supernatural drama, Teen drama, Drama, Fantasy
The Secret Circle (The CW, 2011) is an American supernatural teen drama developed by Andrew... more
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#33 of 124 TV Shows with the Hottest Casts#25 of 145 The Best Teen Drama TV Shows
13
883
815
Alcatraz
Sarah Jones, Jorge Garcia
Premiered: 2012
Genres (Tv): Action/Adventure, Drama, Thriller, Adventure film, Action
Alcatraz is an American television series created by Elizabeth Sarnoff, Steven Lilien and... more
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Constantine
Matt Ryan, Harold Perrineau
Premiered: 2014
Constantine (NBC, 2014) is an American television series developed by Daniel Cerone and David... more
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740
FlashForward
John Cho, Joseph Fiennes
Premiered: 2009
Genres (Tv): Drama, Thriller, Science Fiction
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The Tomorrow People
Robbie Amell, Peyton List
Premiered: 2013
Genres (Tv): Drama, Science Fiction, Fantasy
The Tomorrow People is an American science fiction television series developed by Greg... more
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351
254
The Muppets
Bill Barretta, Dave Goelz
Premiered: 2015
Genres (Tv): Comedy
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385
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Eerie, Indiana
Omri Katz, Justin Shenkarow
Premiered: 1991
Genres (Tv): Black comedy, Satire, Drama, Mystery, Science Fiction
Eerie, Indiana is an American television series that originally aired on NBC from 1991 to... more
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636
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The Tick
Patrick Warburton, David Burke
Premiered: 2001
Genres (Tv): Sitcom, Satire, Comedy
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728
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The Dresden Files
Paul Blackthorne, Valerie Cruz
Premiered: 2007
Genres (Tv): Crime Fiction, Action/Adventure, Drama, Mystery, Adventure film
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Caprica
Eric Stoltz, Esai Morales
Premiered: 2010
Genres (Tv): Family saga, Drama, Science Fiction, Serial drama
Caprica is an American science fiction drama television series. A spin-off prequel of the... more
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636
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Moonlight
Alex O'Loughlin, Sophia Myles
Premiered: 2007
Genres (Tv): Paranormal romance, Supernatural, Crime Fiction, Drama, Horror Film
Moonlight is an American paranormal romance television drama created by Ron Koslow and Trevor... more
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Dracula
Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Jessica De Gouw
Premiered: 2013
Genres (Tv): Drama
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Kolchak: The Night Stalker
Darren McGavin, Simon Oakland
Premiered: 1974
Genres (Tv): Supernatural, Drama, Horror Film, Thriller, Science Fiction
Kolchak: The Night Stalker is an American television series that aired on ABC during the... more
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#34 of 75 Shows That May Be Just Too Scary For TV#28 of 107 The Best Horror TV Series
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597
641
Alien Nation
Gary Graham, Eric Pierpoint
Premiered: 1989
Genres (Tv): Drama, Science Fiction
Alien Nation is a science fiction television series in the Alien Nation franchise. Adapted... more
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