Note: This list consists of shows that at were canceled at some point during their run; if a show was canceled but later renewed, it can still qualify for this list.
"Heroes" is a mixed bag if there ever was one, the first season was absolutely fantastic. Praised by both critics and audiences the show was met with stellar ratings and seemed that the show could only go up. Yet somehow, the show just dive bombed. The second season was just terrible, with convoluted plots and losing everything the first season had going for it. The show continued for two more lackluster seasons, but always had a devout following. After ratings plummeted over the course of the series, NBC canceled the show. A fifth season has been announced and is scheduled to air sometime in 2015, but little else is known. Plot, characters, and even actors have been kept in discretion. I loved this show, even the bad seasons, so I want to believe that the new season will capture what made the first season so great. All I know is that we will find out soon.
I'm not afraid to admit it, "Veronica Mars" is my all time favorite show; despite being made for teenage girls, this was some compelling TV. Premiering in 2004, the show follows the daughter of a private detective who starts to follow in her father's footsteps as she starts to take on her own cases as well as survive high school in her upper class area. The show was loved by critics and had a very devout following nicknamed "marshmallows," but low ratings ultimately lead to the show's cancellation. Despite protest from fans, there was no word of future story lines for over five years; but in 2013, the show's creator put up a Kickstarter for a "Veronica Mars" movie which ultimately aired in 2014. Not long after the movie was released a book taking place after the movie came out, and a second book is scheduled to come out sometime in 2015. As a fan of the show, the continuation of the story and characters was all I needed. While I'll always wish "Veronica Mars" would come back in full force to TV, for now I am contempt.
Looking back, it's pretty hard to believe that this show could have been possibly canceled. Created by Seth McFarlane and premiering in 1999, "Family Guy" was essentially a cruder version of the "The Simpsons." The first season was met with outstanding ratings, being one of the most watched shows on TV; but the next two seasons suffered a bit. Even with the dip in the ratings, the show still pulled good numbers; but for some reason, Fox decided to cancel the show after the third season. Outraged, fans protested; yet for two years there was no future in sight. The show gained a strong cult following and had outstanding DVD sales, that plus messages from the fans eventually caused Fox to bring back the show in 2005. Ever since "Family Guy" has stood as one of the network's most popular programs.
"Futurama"
may have been the show with nine lives, unfortunately though it ran out of its
lives eventually. From the creator of "The Simpsons," Matt Groening,
the show took place a thousand years in the future and revolved around the
Planet Express delivery crew. Premiering on Fox in 1999, the show was an
instant success with critics and audiences, and won dozens of awards over the
years. Despite all of this, the show was not renewed by Fox in 2003. After a
few years, it was announced the Comedy Central had acquired the rights to the
show and brought it back in 2008 to the joy of many fans. Comedy Central
continued the show with a fifth, sixth, and seventh seasons, but in 2013 it was
announced that the show would be canceled for a second time. Since the
cancellation, there has been no confirmation of future episodes. Even so,
"Futurama" will live on as one of the best animated shows to ever air
on TV. And if there really are no more seasons in the works, fans can at least
be happy with the last beautiful and heartfelt final episode.
We're really starting to see a trend with great shows getting canceled by the Fox network. "Arrested Development" is a comedic sitcom following the misadventures of a once wealthy and prominent family, who has fallen on hard times after the patriarch of the family is arrested. Featuring an assortment of unique and interesting characters, "Arrested Development" may be the greatest comedy of all time. Praised by critics and winning several awards during its original run, it looked like the show was going to have a long and stoic lifetime; but then again, it was on Fox. After the third season the show was abruptly canceled, dashing the hopes of many fans. But in 2012, it was announced that Netflix had acquired the rights to the show and would be creating new episodes. While the fourth season lost much of the charm the first three had, it was great to see it back. While the future of the series is still in question, with a fifth season or the long anticipated movie still unconfirmed I'm sure we haven't seen the last of "Arrested Development."
Was
there really any other choice for the top spot on this list? Created by Joss
Whedon, Firefly is a western, space opera taking place about five hundred years
in the future. After most of the resources on Earth are used up, humans
terraform another solar system consisting of dozens of inhabitable planets and
hundreds of moons. The story revolves around a crew of smugglers, who unknowingly
take on two wanted criminals but decide to help them out due to their hatred of
the government. "Firefly" was something special; it featured great
characters, smart writing and story lines, and one of the most fantastical
universes ever put into a TV show. Despite acclaim from critics and fans the
show was ultimately canceled after the first season, and all because Fox is run
by a bunch of f*cking morons. For some reason, Fox decided to air the episodes
out of order, including the pilot which set up the entire show. And since the
show's plot can be hard to follow at times, the series was doomed from the
beginning. There is still a little piece of me that wishes the show would be
brought back in some capacity, but I know it's not going to happen. There was a
movie follow up entitled "Serenity," as well as several comics, but
it's not the same. "Firefly" is one of my all time favorite shows,
and it was canceled long before its time.
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