Television shows come and go. Each of them serves a different purpose. Drama shows are there to glue us to the screen, always waiting for the next episode, game shows allow us to brainstorm with the contestants, and, should we happen to get in, win lots of prizes, documentaries educate us, while comedy shows fill us with laughter, just because life can never be that serious. A world without visual entertainment would be incredibly sad and boring.
While some of these shows last for decades, there always comes a time when we need to say goodbye. The saddest bit comes when the good shows, whose next season we were anticipating, don’t get renewed. It’s devastating and heartbreaking for an avid fan. This has happened a couple of times in the past, and we’re here to highlight some of those shows that were entertaining, but not enough to earn a second season, according to network executives.
10 'The Ellen Show'
Way before Ellen DeGeneres had a talk show, there was The Ellen Show, a sitcom in which she was a star. Ellen’s co-stars were Jim Gaffigan, Emily Rutherfurd, Martin Mull, Kerri Kenney, Cloris Leachman, and Diana Delano, who played the role of Bunny Hoppstetter. The show debuted on CBS in September 2001, and ended in January of 2002, with five of its episodes remaining unaired.
9 '24: Legacy'
24: Legacy was a spin-off of FOX’s hit series, 24, that has been on for nine seasons and counting. Unlike its parent show, 24: Legacy only aired for a single season from February to April 2017. The show had twelve episodes, was centered around the life of Eric Carter (played by Corey Hawkins), and was narrated in real-time. Its one-season stint had 12 episodes in total.
8 'Selfie'
Selfie was a romcom on ABC that first aired in September 2014. The show was themed around the life of Eliza Dooley (Karen Gillan), a young pharmaceutical company employee, whose aim was to achieve social media fame by any means necessary. The names of the characters of the show were pulled from a 1912 play by George Bernard Shaw. Selfie was canceled after 13 episodes were aired. Its remaining episodes were released on Hulu.
7 'Pitch'
Created by Dan Fogelman and Rick Singer, Pitch was a FOX television series whose main theme was Major League Baseball. The storyline focused on Genevieve ‘Ginny’ Baker (Kylie Bunbury), an up-and-coming pitcher, who defied odds to become the first woman to play in the Major Leagues. The show aired from September to December of 2016 and had a total of 10 episodes.
6 'Pearson'
Built off of the leading drama series Suits, Pearson, starring Gina Torres as Jessica Pearson, aired on USA Network from July to October of 2019. While the show involved a recurrent all-new cast, occasionally, it would have some of the Suits cast members, mainly Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) and Louis Litt (Rick Hoffman.) It also had D.B. Woodside (Jeff Malone), Jessica’s love interest from Suits, as a recurring cast member.
5 'Trophy Wife'
Trophy Wife first aired on ABC in 2013. The show told the story of Kate (Malin Akerman), a blonde party animal, who married Pete, an attorney. Pete came with baggage in the form of his former wives Diane (Marcia Harden), a strict medical doctor, and Jackie (Michaela Watkins), a spiritual mom of one. While the show received good reviews, it was canceled after a single season on the air.
4 'Bad Teacher'
Bad Teacher was a comedy series that first aired on CBS in April 2014. It was based on a 2011 film that bore the same name, with Cameroon Diaz as the star. While the film was successful and brought in profits that were 10 times more than its initial budget, the series wasn’t as successful. After only three episodes were aired, CBS decided to call it a day. The rest of the episodes were aired in July 2014.
3 '666 Park Avenue'
Based on the novel by Gabriel Pierce, 666 Park Avenue debuted on ABC in September 2012. The show’s supernatural theme was focused on a building on the Upper East Side. It had Rachael Taylor star as Jane Van Veen, the building’s co-manager, and featured Dave Annable, Mercedes Mahson, and Vanessa Williams. It was pulled off-air after the ninth episode.
2 'Star-Crossed'
Star-Crossed first aired on The CW in February 2014. The story was set in 2024 and highlighted the love between 16-year-old Emery Whitehill (Aimee Teegarden) and Roman ( Matt Lanter), a 16-year-old alien boy. The story, set in a non-existent town in Louisiana, was canceled after the first season because of low ratings. Its last episode aired in May 2014.
1 'Rebel'
Written and directed by the legendary late producer John Singleton, the television drama series Rebel premiered on BET in 2016. The show told the story of Rebecca ‘Rebel’ Knight, a private investigator, whose move into the profession was propelled by her brother's death. Danielle Mone’ was cast as the lead. The show also featured Clifford Smith Jr. (Method Man), as Terrance ‘TJ’ Jenkins. It was canceled after the first season, with 9 episodes aired.