TV Shows Gone Too Soon Or Overstayed Their Welcome
There are literally hundreds of thousands of television shows currently available for people to explore. Since the advent of episodic TV, there have been diehard fans that love to dissect how long a show will last. When those new episodes stop flowing, people love to clog their Internet with their opinions on WHY it stopped.
Sometimes fans know right away, other times it’s a mystery. Either way, some television shows are definitely taken from us far too soon. Other times they’ve overstayed their welcome for a few episodes or seasons.
Regardless of which it is, talking about a show’s departure is almost as much fun as watching it happen in real-time! Ready to see if your favorite program made it to the list? Scroll down and tune in for some fierce debates and eye-opening revelations!
OVERSTAYED: America’s Next Top Model
America’s Next Top Model went on for twenty-for seasons?! Wow. Even for reality television, that’s a whole lot of drama and scripted moments. Even when the show wasn’t pushing Tyra Banks’ acting career to new noweheres, this show has delivered a lot of iconic moments. However, despite the good it’s done for television, it’s not exactly the healthiest program to watch. The earlier seasons of the show were almost like some weird form of torture.
Tyra Banks would give people extreme makeovers, then put them in a house, film everything, and crush people’s hopes and dreams week after week for the sake of ratings. It’s fantastic reality television. With that said, that also makes horrifying. Are people still willingly signing up for this?
GONE TOO SOON: Santa Clarita Diet
What do you get when you turn Drew Barrymore into a zombie and give her free reign to gore it up with a comedic twist? It’s called Santa Clarita Diet and it’s pretty gruesome (and good). In just three short seasons fans were given a pretty deep and comically ridiculous story. Unfortunately, due to Netflix’s weird investment model, the diet ended too soon.
While the company has tried to defend its actions, fans and even the show’s creator aren’t buying it. Netflix said it was becoming too expensive to invest any more funds in the hit show! However, that hasn’t stopped the creator from already penning the fourth season in case (and hopefully when) the subscription-based streamer decides to turn on the green light again.
OVERSTAYED: M*A*S*H
It’s hard to criticize something as iconic as M*A*S*H. What started as a movie, and quickly become one of the most impressive shows of its time, is a tough show to throw any shade towards. While some people say it’s best without the overly cheery laugh-track, this show is still a classic among new and old fans alike.
However, one thing that didn’t make sense is the length. With a war only lasting three years, how did they find enough material for eleven seasons?! Did things go into overtime and we don’t remember? Even the best stories don’t need to be extended just because they’re good.
GONE TOO SOON: Deception
What do you do when you’re one of Las Vegas’s most talented illusionists? You assist the FBI in a bunch of weird cases to make some side cash. That’s Deception. As shallow as it sounds, it’s a WILD ride that definitely deserved a lot more love from the studio putting it on. Despite a clever idea, the show only lasted a single season.
Critics cited declining viewership for the cancelation. However, fans felt a little bit more bamboozled. Online campaigns and social media outcries arose almost immediately after it disappeared. However, it wasn’t enough to save this show for one more great disappearing act.
OVERSTAYED: Dexter
Dexter had everything going for it. The fans loved every season. The story was deep yet light-hearted enough not to take itself too seriously. It had serial killer that was super hot and killed other serial killers. It was Robin Hood-like. Why are we stating everything in past tense? Probably because the show imploded on itself in the final moments when everything mattered the most.
Nobody could predict how the show was going to end. However. nobody accepted the ending that the show gave its loyal fans after so many years. The reactions to the finale were swift, severe, and almost eradicated all the hard work that they show put in to grow such a feverish and strong following.
GONE TOO SOON: Quarry
What do you do with a multi-generational neo-noir drama set in both America and Vietnam? That’s a tough question to answer, but one that Quarry tried hard to make interesting. While it succeeded in delivering some intriguing moments and nail-biting episodes, this unique show was too weird for Cinemax, or any other company, to take on! Quarry may have only lasted a handful of episodes, but it sure did make an impression. Fans LOVED how dark and twisted it was, they were able to fully immersive themselves in the chilling world that arose from this Memphis-based show.
Unfortunately, while many are unsure of the true reason, most people can agree on one reason it was canceled: nobody knew what to do with it. Changes in management seemed to disrupt the trajectory for future seasons! While it bummed out fans, it seems there wasn’t enough of an outcry to bring this weird and much-needed noir classic back to the screen.
OVERSTAYED: How I Met Your Mother
Ted Mosby is a jerk. He’s also a terrible storyteller who really fudged the big reveal. The entire premise of How I Met Your Mother getting to the end and finding out who the mother really was. These two kids are supposedly sitting down to hear how Ted Mosby managed to find someone to tolerate him long enough to have children. For a while there, things were GREAT. There were iconic jokes, great arcs, and evening surprising twists.
Then, we finally learned who the mother was. Spoiler alert: you don’t find out until the last few episodes. Plus, she’s not even in the show…aside from the last few episodes. Despite being a lovely woman (we think, we’re not sure, she wasn’t around enough), the introduction of this brand new character at the end was a weird deus ex machina with absolutely no rhyme or reason
GONE TOO SOON: Terra Nova
Steven Spielberg’s name carries so much weight and power that just about anything he’s involved in has the potential to become an astronomical success. FOX’s 2011 fan-favorite show, Terra Nova, is no different. This dystopian future-meets-past show was pretty cool! It followed settlers from an overpopulated planet looking for solace by living in the past. In just 13 episodes, fans were transported across the galaxy and became immersed in this wild tale.
Despite it only lasting a season, there was a LOT of room for more adventures. Fans and critics claim it was canceled, and then failed, to be picked up by Netflix. However, the true reason seems to be that it became way too expensive to keep building the world for episodes on end.
OVERSTAYED: Grey’s Anatomy
Even though it can be difficult, one of the best things you can do in a tough situation is pull the plug. Nobody wants it to happen, but when faced with an uncertain timeline of pain and misery or a quick end, wouldn’t you want the shorter option? Now apply that same thought process to Grey’s Anatomy. Even though the world of medicine is vast, it can’t be nearly complicated enough to warrant eighteen seasons of this show.
Just think of all the trauma the characters have to endure every single season! Plus, when your lead openly states they’re possibly ready for the show to end, shouldn’t that be a hint that it’s time to move on? Thankfully, Ellen Pompeo (Grey) said when she’s ready to go the show will end (and on her terms)!
GONE TOO SOON: Freaks and Geeks
Freaks and Geeks isn’t just a cult hit that has been able to withstand the test of time. It’s also not that old. Premiering in 1999, this dramedy has been likened, in weird ways, to other successful school-themed shows such as Kids in the Hall (despite the drastic genre shift). The following of this show is INTENSE. Fans, whenever pressed about it, seem passionate that the show had too short of a run.
While the cancellation seemed to come out of the blue, there was a sad reason for it. Despite coming down to budget, the show’s episodes weren’t helping the production company meet their bottom line. As it turns out, a lot of the music was just way too expensive to keep in the show. That, coupled with a shrinking overall budget, proved too much for the show to survive.
OVERSTAYED: That 70’s Show
That 70’s Show is one of the greatest sitcoms to come out of the 90s (and hit its stride in the early 00s). This show is a wild trip through a decade of even wilder true events. Thankfully, the ridiculous cast that made up some of our favorite families helped lead us through to a satisfying (and often smokey) conclusion. Those characters are the core of the show.
When one of the mains left for a season (Eric) the show took a nose-dive that it couldn’t really recover from. Even though the other characters are fantastic in their own right, removing the staple of the show just caused everything to unravel in the worst way possible.
GONE TOO SOON: Happy Endings
Could you stay friends with someone who leaves you at the altar? If so, you have what it takes to join the Happy Endings gang! The three-season series showcases what it’s like to be a horrifically dysfunctional adult in a world that really doesn’t care. Plus, it’s funny, so there’s that. While the situations in Happy Endings left fans wanting more, the network had other plans.
The show’s weirdly scheduled third season made it a nightmare for the ratings. Despite fans clamoring for more, the numbers weren’t there. In the end, the production company decided that the loyal fanbase wasn’t big enough to give the show a happy ending of its own.
GONE TOO SOON: The Black Donnellys
Ready to combine the fun of modern drama with the horrifying reality of how dangerous the mob was during the turn of the century? The Black Donnellys is probably going to be your next go-to program. Don’t worry, there’s not a lot to catch up on. It’s only 13 episodes (7 of which didn’t even make it to air).
The show’s abysmally low ratings didn’t help propel it to new heights. However, if fans wanted to see more, they had to search online to find the remaining 8 episodes of the first season! Unfortunately, after splitting the season so abruptly, it doesn’t seem like a revival is in the cards for this show.
GONE TOO SOON: The Lying Game
Don’t you love it when a heavily complex and awesome show ends a season on an explosive cliffhanger? Surely that means the season premiere will be even ten times better! Right? RIGHT?! If you’re asking The Lying Game that question it can only tell the truth: we don’t know. Despite having everything set up for an incredible finale in the third season, The Lying Game was canceled after a HUGE cliffhanger in its second season.
Fans will never know if the main character found their birth parents or anything else! Apparently, ABC Family was tired of waiting for a more engaging season to bring up ratings. Instead of seeing the story to the end, they decided to put the show out of its misery. That’s better than letting it limp along with the group that devoted their time to it for two amazing seasons.
OVERSTAYED: The Big Bang Theory
There’s a fine line to walk when you’re making a show about geniuses living in a world of non-geniuses. You want to make sure everyone is realistic, but at the same time, you have to play up some tropes to keep things predictable, interesting, and profitable. Unfortunately, nobody told that to The Big Bang Theory. This Emmy juggernaut plowed through 279 episodes before ending at a packed twelve seasons. While it had two more seasons planned, Jim Parsons didn’t renew his contract, and the series couldn’t have gone on without him.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing, either. With a tightly-knit group like the Big Bang actors, it can get hard to think up new storylines after so many seasons. After a while, things began to feel VERY predictable and just a bit patronizing. There are only so many physics jokes you can make before you’re practically mocking people without a Ph.D.
GONE TOO SOON: The Knick
Everyone has their favorite medical drama. Whether it’s ER, Grey’s Anatomy, or even Doogie Howser M.D., who doesn’t love a good medical mystery s? One of the most exciting medical dramas ever didn’t get to last its full run. The Knick may only have two seasons, but it left a scar on people’s hearts.
Despite knocking ratings out of the park, and developing a core and dedicated fan community, the show wasn’t deemed a success. Why? According to the director, Steven Soderbergh, it didn’t meet the “network’s expectations”. What does that mean? We have no clue. However, it seems that the show may be revived someday with a new direction, and possibly a new director.
OVERSTAYED: House of Cards
It’s hard to talk about this show and NOT mention the fact that Kevin Spacey is probably one of the biggest reasons that this empire eventually fell in on itself. However, prior to Spacy showing his creepy hand to the world, this show was not nearly as perfect as people claim it is. How can such a complex show build to something huge, and then jump the shark during the second season?!
Once the Presidency is secured, other plot points seem to become extra topping on a cake. Even without Spacey in the later episode, it still feels as though most things after the first couple of seasons were VERY forced. Perhaps the bad press was just too much for it to stand.
GONE TOO SOON: Deadwood
You’d think a show that won eight Emmys and a Golden Globe would have lasted longer than three seasons. Most of the time you’d be right. However, in the case of Deadwood, yer’ dead wrong. This drama captured everyone’s attention in the early 00s. Along with Carnivale (another show tragically cut short), fans saw a side of America few even got the chance to read about.
Despite performing stupidly well, the show was canceled for a very irritating reason: companies couldn’t agree on who owned the material. Despite HBO putting on the show, part of the rights was also owned by Paramount! When the two companies couldn’t reach some contractual agreements on the future of the show, the whole thing got canned!
OVERSTAYED: Supernatural
Take The Big Bang Theory, remove all the science and quirkiness, and then replace it with DEMONS. Welcome to Supernatural. Kind of. Despite the two being wildly successful they’re pretty different. However, much like Big Bang, Supernatural overstayed its welcome by a few seasons. The Winchester family is always fun to watch in action.
However, there are only so many different spooky things waiting to destroy humanity that we can bear to watch. After a few seasons, it felt like random enemies were being created to give the characters something to do. Even though it’s an amazing show, it could be a bit better with the last couple of seasons removed from the canon.
OVERSTAYED: Scrubs
The Writer’s Strike in the early 00s screwed up a LOT of incredible programming and movies for Hollywood (and by extension, the rest of the world). The shows that somehow survived didn’t escape the ordeal unscathed. Scrubs, considered one of the more accurate medical shows on television, is one such show. The humor and dynamic storytelling that it delivered for multiple seasons abruptly changed after the Writer’s Strike.
Not only did new characters keep getting introduced, but the pacing and plots just didn’t feel the same as the pre-strike episodes. After that, it only made sense that any sort of ending would be putting this titan of television out of its misery (instead of giving it the send-off it deserved).
GONE TOO SOON: Better Off Ted
Workplace comedies are a dime-a-dozen. That doesn’t mean there aren’t still some great nuggets to find in the pile. Better Off Ted is one such nugget. This overtly-satirical workplace sitcom is all about a researcher named Ted and his adventures in a fictitious and dead-behind-the-eyes company. While it has some fantastic funny moments, fans weren’t too pleased when the show was canceled after two short seasons.
However, as it turns out, the first one barely generated enough ratings to return. During its second go-around, the viewership dropped even further! Even though it’s still extremely funny, the fanbase just wasn’t large enough for this show to make it to season three.
OVERSTAYED: 2 Broke Girls
The premise behind 2 Broke Girls is very simple: Two people from wildly different backgrounds are both put on the equal footing of poverty. Through this bond, they have to survive or else find themselves living on the street. Easy, right? Just because the story is easy to tell doesn’t mean it’s engaging enough to watch for six seasons. While some episodes are absolute laugh riots, many of the punchlines are unoriginal.
Plus, with the repetitive sets and lack of exploration into the city that they’re living in, this series didn’t set itself up for success. The slog to get to the end was a slog for involved. If they had capped the show at four seasons it could have packed an extra punch to drive it over the top.
GONE TOO SOON: Teen Titans
Okay, this one’s a bit of a cheap shot (since it’s still on-air). However, since we’re talking about the original Teen Titans (instead of GO!) it counts. Teen Titans is a fantastic animated take on the famous comic series. However, while it handled some adult issues in a family-friendly way, someone thought it would be a great idea to cancel it in the middle of an important plot point.
Fans weren’t happy when we didn’t get a resolution to Robin’s quest for answers. Instead of listening to the backlash, the show’s host, Cartoon Network, had a different idea. They released a parody of the show with the same characters in a completely different format! It almost felt like a slap in the face. Why couldn’t they just pick up where they left off?
OVERSTAYED: Pretty Little Liars
Intrigue, beautiful people, a mysterious disappearance, and tons of texting, all of that combined created one of the most popular shows of the early 00s. Pretty Little Liars was a cultural milestone that didn’t know when to give up and reveal what was behind the curtain. After seven grueling seasons and a nearly uneventful finale, this show was primed to retire in style (kind of). Then the spin-offs came and ruined most of what was left.
Not only was the anticlimactic ending not what fans wanted, but the numerous spin-offs just kept leaving a bad taste in their mouths. You can’t beat a dead horse enough when it used to bring in high ratings. At least that’s what the studios seem to think.
GONE TOO SOON: Soap
Who remembers Soap? No, not the bathroom essential. Soap was one of the neatest and most original soap opera parodies of all time. It’s even in the title! No matter how much fun, or how weird, this show seemed to be, there was a solid storyline and some really interesting characters. The show has entered cult status due to its level of ridiculousness. A huge part of that was due to its seemingly random cancellation in 1981.
Instead of giving the standard “ratings” excuse, a more sinister reason was behind the show’s demise. Critics claimed the show was canceled because it was too far ahead for its time. It famously had an openly gay character and tackled serious and often “taboo” topics on television (for the time) like organized crime and cults!
OVERSTAYED: Gilmore Girls
The difficulty with making a successful “slice of life” show is that you can’t make it too realistic. Whenever we come home and whine to our parent/partner/whoever about our day, we feel better. Then we grab some food and watch our favorite show to escape whatever happened to us earlier. Even if a show is basically about two people doing just that, it still needs that little something extra to keep us entertained.
Gilmore Girls has that for the first few seasons. However, as things kept going on, the tone and style just felt…way too familiar. Looking back on the show, we’re kind of surprised so many people tuned in to the finale. Gilmore Girls is basically our lives but with a better soundtrack and studio lighting.
GONE TOO SOON: The Riches
The writer’s strike from the early 00s claimed a lot of well-received TV casualties. It wasn’t just professionals who lost their jobs and careers. Entire line-ups of shows changed seemingly overnight! One of the casualties of the epic feud was The Riches. This intense drama featured Minnie Driver and Eddie Izzard and had everyone RAVING. It was a wild plot about con artists adopting the identities of deceased people to blend into an affluence gated community.
Despite chugging along at full speed, the writer’s strike resulted in it being canceled far too soon. Fans weren’t pleased. Since the decision came not from the show, but from the company producing it, everything felt quite rushed. Even in the worst-case scenario, people were expecting some sort of wrap-up. Instead, they were given a cliffhanger and no apology (or hope).
OVERSTAYED: True Blood
At the height of the new-generatin vampire craze (early 00s to right before the non-vampiric Fifty Shades came out) quite a few contenders appeared on television to grab the most of an audience’s attention. While many shows came and went, True Blood had the staying power to become television history. Seeing a gritty drama is always fun. Toss in vampires on top of it and you have the recipe for a hit show!
While fans loved the quirky and campy attitude it had in the beginning, that feeling didn’t last long. Things seemed to change after the first season. Soon, new episodes were leaving a bad taste in everyone’s mouths. Blood was thicker than water, but it came at a slow pace that became monotonous and a bit tone-deaf to the first season.
GONE TOO SOON: The OA
For a highly anticipated show, The OA went from a planned five-season run to a mere two. In those sixteen episodes, fans were introduced to the trials and tribulations of mysteriously missing (and subsequently found) Prairie Johnson. Dubbing herself an angel, the show was supposed to focus on her adventure and fleshing out her story. Fans were engrossed to the deepest level. When the show was canceled the response was immediate! Petitions and hunger strikes were carried out.
Why were fans so worked up? Not only did they think it “ended” on a cliffhanger, but some think it was a stunt. A core group of followers are still convinced the “cancelation” is all a massive PR stunt to promote a mysterious third season that’s supposed to premiere sometime in the future.
OVERSTAYED: Riverdale
When we heard that the Archie comics were being made into a live-action show we were pretty excited. Then we saw Riverdale. It’s a fantastic show for what it is, however, every season seems to take fans into a bizarre direction that seems to further loosen reality of the show’s universe. From a DnD inspired murdererous cult to teenagers fighting in juvenile detention fight clubs, this show does a LOT.
It also has very little to do with the source material. While it makes sense to try something new and reinvent a classic series, was this the direction people wanted Archie to head in? What’s worse is that with every new season, the convoluted plot just gets murkier and murkier!