Shows Cancelled Before They Are Finished

[SnowdroppersUnite]

I might be feeling a bit ranty but is anyone else sick of starting to watch a show, that has been written as a milti-season story with a long range arc - only to then be cancelled after 1 or 2 seasons and so left open ended? No proper conclusion or closure.

I'm starting to resist starting any new series unless I KNOW there is a proper ending or unless several seasons have already been filmed/it is an old series.

Dangerous Liasons, Becoming Elizabeth, 1899, The Midnight Club, Sense8. It's starting to drive me mad.

I liked the new Swamp Thing show but it was cancelled so early on that they didn't even finish filming season one and hurriedly tried to tie things up three episodes early.

Everyone that's mentioned Buffy and Angel, did you know they continued in comic books? If you want to find out what happened next there are seasons eight and nine of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, season six of Angel, and also a spin-off Spike series. I read them years ago but, if I recall correctly, one of the Trio from season six was the Big Bad of season eight.

@NeedWineNow

Was that the one where the poor man had lost his vital organ in WW1

I thought I had seen a second series for Before We Die when I was searching for something on tv. I couldn’t remember what happened in the first series so didn’t watch it.

Thanks for remembering the series I was talking about upthread was Living and the Dead 😀

I'm hoping for a second series of Vampire Academy as well.

I think Locke & Key was perfect. I would have happily watched more but if they had to end it at least they got 3 decent series out of it and tied it up with a bow.

Also Travellers, Timeless and Colony, all made more than one season and ended on cliffhangers then cancelled. Grrr.

I notice all us 1899 and Dark fans are also pissed about The OA. Loved that and was gutted. I actually liked the second season more!

Was going to say this!

Had this exact rage last night when I went online to see if there was another episode of Dangerous Liaisons next week...apparently they are "shopping it around" so it may come back, but not on current platform.
Agree re Becoming Elizabeth, Versaille, Anne with an E...and I don't know if anyone remembers Carnivale? It went "on hiatus" when the Hollywood writer's strikes happened and just got kicked into the long grass.

Ahhhh you've mentioned Carnivale too! It was amazing!

With Hannibal though...I think it had to end there as then we would go on forever into Silence of the Lambs and beyond...which, although it would have been good, we'd have lost Will Graham by then as he becomes a recluse in the books and Mads Mikkelson would have been tied into a contract for about 5 years. So I think it reached it's logical conclusion. I can't remember if Hannibal gets arrested at the end though, had a newborn at the time of the last season so it's a bit fuzzy!

I loved Timeless, which had already dodged cancellation after the first series to be brought back for a second. They did at least get given the extended finale which sort of rounded things up, but it could have run for much longer and had a more satisfying conclusion.

Omg I really loved Travellers! They could have done so much more with it, but once they were cancelled they rushed to give it 'closure' which was total shit

I loved Carnivale - its largely forgotten now which is criminal.

I don't think I ever recovered from Firefly being canned (albeit the outcry triggered a tidy-up film). I've reached the point that unless something is billed as a "limited series" I usually wait for renewal/cancellation news on Ismyshowcancelled.com before watching. I did make an exception for 1899 - big mistake.

As per OP its the series which have an ongoing arc or leave us with big cliff hangers which are so frustrating.

If its series 569 of something which has become very formulaic its obviously going to be dumped when the ratings go down and whilst I might miss it if it was fun to watch - no big surprise. Occasionally I wish they would just leave the story rather than cobble together a shockingly bad five minute segment tidying up the story as they did with Castle. However most of the long running series know well in advance when they are coming to an end and can conclude properly.

I agree that the individual end was good but I would have liked the darkness in the police station itself to be looked at and I would have liked at least some of the characters to have a bit of resolution. I have to confess that I thought there was a spark between Chandler and Kent and exploring that relationship would have been a bold move.

Ah Carnivale. That’s the one with Orlando Bloom and Cara Delivinge isn’t it?

I loved that. Had a lot of potential and it’s a shame it was cancelled

That was Carnival Row. Carnivale aired in the early 2000s

I didn't realise that Psychoville was cancelled too… I was never in to watch it when it was on, so I've bought the DVDs. Hell's bells. How shortsighted.

mine are old but quantum leap. did he ever get to "jump" home? and the dungeons and dragons cartoon. again did they ever get home?

and footballers wives. trashy but so entertaining!

Course it was Carnival Row!!!

But yeah that seems to be cancelled too

Devious maids. Ended on a cliffhanger with one of the maids about to get married and the others found that she had been kidnapped. Then they cancelled it!

There's a continuation/revival of Quantum Leap started late last year. The original actor, who played Sam, was approached but turned it down.

shroomtoads thanks i didn't know there was a revival will have a look for it!

Back this year for a second but final season

Casualty of COVID that one.

mine are old but quantum leap. did he ever get to "jump" home?

I'm sure at the end of the last episode it says he never gets home.