Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the best television programs that deserved at least one more season.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the best television programmes
00:07that deserved at least one more season.
00:22Most TV shows based on beloved films should be approached with caution, and yes, the Sarah
00:27Connor Chronicles was the rare spin-off that didn't just live up to its legacy, it arguably
00:31improved it.
00:32But while the quality was there, the ratings were not.
00:39The first season was cut short by the 2007 writer's strike, and the lengthy hiatus
00:43spelled doom for the show's audience.
00:45The numbers simply didn't justify such an expensive special effects-heavy serial, and
00:50the Sarah Connor Chronicles was quickly cancelled.
00:52And it's a shame, the time-bending premise could have easily gone on for a few more seasons,
00:57but sadly, there's no time-travelling shenanigans capable of saving this show.
01:08After two short, entertaining years, it was time up on Timeless, but you can't say it
01:12didn't go out swinging.
01:14Technically, NBC pulled the plug after one low-rated season.
01:18However, at that point, fans had already fallen in love with the quirky, time-hopping procedural.
01:25Thanks to their unwavering support, the network uncancelled the show for a Hail Mary second
01:30season.
01:31Sadly, Timeless' second lease on life didn't last much longer than the first.
01:34At the very least, it did get a two-hour special to tie up any loose ends.
01:39But, it still feels like a consolation prize compared to what a full third season could
01:43have been.
01:54The scariest part of this monster show is how quickly HBO brought down the axe.
01:58What's so strange is that Lovecraft Country was basically a sensation waiting to happen.
02:03The potent blend of horror, history and racial issues had viewers hooked.
02:07And critics weren't shy either.
02:09The freshman series earned six Emmy nominations, including one for Outstanding Drama.
02:16But, even in the face of all that praise, HBO didn't seem to care.
02:23Of all the television casualties over the years, Lovecraft Country is one of the most
02:27maddening.
02:28With a few more episodes, it could have easily exploded into the mainstream.
02:31But instead, HBO cut their losses and buried Lovecraft Country right before it made it
02:37big.
02:50Given what happened, it's kind of an ironic title.
02:53To be fair, that's exactly the type of humour that made this offbeat sitcom so beloved
02:57in the first place.
02:58Following a newbie Grim Reaper collecting the souls of the departed, Dead Like Me drew
03:02large viewership and near-unanimous praise.
03:06But, despite all that, the show faced a different kind of Grim Reaper at the end of its second
03:13season.
03:14Allegedly, behind-the-scenes turmoil is to blame, as well as a general lack of creative
03:18direction.
03:19The show's consistently gut-busting punchlines beg to differ.
03:22Whatever the reason, it's clear Dead Like Me faced a scythe way before its time.
03:36It's a sad fact of television that sometimes the best, most well-intentioned shows just
03:40don't bring in the audience they deserve.
03:42Case in point, Speechless.
03:44The DiMeo family's daily life with JJ's cerebral palsy was one of the most endearing
03:48and important stories on television, especially in terms of representation.
03:52Not to mention, it's all but guaranteed to leave you on the floor laughing every single
03:56time.
04:00Sadly, its tactful advocacy couldn't keep its third season from becoming ABC's lowest-rated
04:08programme at the time.
04:10You can probably guess what happened after that.
04:12Even though Speechless didn't get the lengthy run it deserved, three years of groundbreaking
04:16representation is plenty to talk about.
04:33What began as a one-off test drive became so popular, ABC had no choice but to bring
04:37it back for another season.
04:39But just one year later, they decided to cancel Agent Carter for good.
04:42Yeah, that's right.
04:43They're the ones who asked for more episodes, and then had the nerve to end the series on
04:48an unresolved cliffhanger.
04:49I mean, what's that about?
04:55It's especially frustrating because Agent Carter remains one of the few MCU shows that
04:59serves a real narrative purpose in the franchise's timeline.
05:02Plus, who doesn't love seeing more Peggy?
05:05Apparently, the answer is ABC.
05:07If they weren't in it for the long haul, they should've just left good enough alone.
05:22By the time 2017 rolled around, we were all well overdue for a Caitlin Olsen-led sitcom.
05:27Thankfully, The Mick came to the rescue, and was more than worth the wait.
05:31The edgy comedy easily stood out amongst its glossy, overproduced competition, though with
05:36Olsen's comedic wit at the centre, what else would you expect?
05:41It's just a shame Fox didn't feel the same way.
05:45The screwball comedy was never a ratings juggernaut, and eventually it dropped too low to warrant
05:50more episodes.
05:51The one silver lining is that The Mick went out exactly as it lived.
05:54Unflinchingly honest, uproariously funny, and just weird enough to keep you guessing.
06:04These days, a post-apocalyptic serial is a great hook for a breakout hit.
06:13In 2006, though, it was a different story.
06:16Jericho's intricate narrative wasn't a good fit for traditional network programming,
06:20and that spelled doom for its viewership from the very beginning.
06:23It's always sad when a show's only flaw is that it was ahead of its time.
06:26Still, the people who did watch Jericho were passionate.
06:34In fact, their online fervour is the only reason it got a second season at all.
06:38While the same trick didn't work for its next cancellation, the show did get closure
06:42in the form of an official comic book series.
06:51On the outside, this sitcom had all the makings of a long-running classic.
06:55Good ratings, good reviews, and a crazy invested fanbase.
06:58But after nearly a hundred episodes and a literal to-be-continued end screen, NBC cancelled
07:03Earl on a huge question mark.
07:05Who is Earl Jr.'s dad?
07:07And axing the show there just feels mean.
07:16On the bright side, this cancellation did get some justice.
07:18Earl's creator later went on to make Raising Hope for Fox, and he couldn't go by without
07:23making a few cheeky jabs at NBC's treatment of his show.
07:27A swift kick to the nads is just the kind of eulogy Earl would've wanted.
07:42Not even Veronica herself could tell you why this classic detective show only got three
07:47seasons.
07:48While its ratings weren't stellar, they weren't bad either, and it had plenty of
07:51critical acclaim to back it up.
07:52And yet, that didn't stop Veronica from being forced into retirement after just a
07:56few painfully short years.
08:02Naturally, she left behind a slew of unresolved storylines too.
08:07Following a successful fan-funded film in 2014, executives finally came to their senses
08:12and gave Veronica Mars the final season it always deserved.
08:15If anything, its continued recognition just proves that this show should've never been
08:20cancelled to begin with.
08:28There's always something cosy about a family sitcom.
08:34Preheat your oven, add in an undead mum, and you have Santa Clarita Diet, a full-course
08:39laugh-fest that everyone can enjoy.
08:41At least, anyone who can stomach the blood.
08:43Although, quality wasn't enough for Netflix, who buried, or should we say re-buried, the
08:48Hammond family after only three seasons?
08:50And of course, there's no closure to be found either.
09:01Unresolved endings always sting, but this one in particular hurts more than a zombie
09:05bite.
09:06After all, you won't find Santa Clarita Diet's unique blend of campy horror and
09:10quirky humour anywhere else.
09:11Definitely not on Netflix, that's for sure.
09:26There's a first for everything, and when it comes to teen dramas that authentically
09:33portrayed the struggles of youth, that was My So-Called Life.
09:37The groundbreaking honesty took critics by storm, and that's putting it lightly.
09:45Sadly, being the first of its kind also meant My So-Called Life struggled attracting viewers
09:50away from already established formulas.
09:52All the acclaim in the world couldn't keep it from a brief 19-episode life.
09:56Either way, My So-Called Life is often regarded as one of, if not the best teen drama of all
10:01time.
10:02would've been nice, but a legacy like that is a pretty good runner-up prize.
10:20They may play down on their luck actors here, but this ensemble has already found their
10:24hit show, and it's called Party Down.
10:26The series tackles the realities of making it in Hollywood with wit, humour and refreshing
10:30new perspective.
10:31By putting the focus on the character's day job at a catering service, Party Down
10:35opens the door to all kinds of clever commentary and hilarious guest stars.
10:41Unfortunately, these highly-rated events had low audience turnout, leading to a full-staff
10:52lay-off at the end of season two.
10:54But, this dish was just as good reheated, and the continued audience support led to
10:59a well-deserved revival season in 2023.
11:02And you know what that means, drinks all around.
11:16Ned may be able to bring people back to life, but not even he can resurrect Pushing Daisies.
11:21Part crime drama, part off-the-wall comedy and part zombie film, this show stood out
11:25on its creative merits alone, though the seven Emmy wins couldn't have hurt either.
11:30Regrettably, these Daisies wilted to the plague that infects most great shows, low viewership.
11:38The same storybook aesthetic and fast-paced dialogue that turned Pushing Daisies into
11:41a critical darling also made it difficult to attract casual viewers.
11:50Awards don't keep the lights on, and disappointingly, the numbers didn't add up to a season three
11:55renewal.
11:5622 episodes is nothing to scoff at, but Pushing Daisies could have bloomed for so much longer.
12:13After three seasons of bloody good storytelling, Hannibal Lecter learned first-hand how it
12:18felt to be cut.
12:23To be fair, it felt like his namesake show was set up to fail.
12:27Despite its gory subject matter being much better suited for streaming, Hannibal was
12:30instead exiled to the low-traffic Friday night timeslot on NBC.
12:35There, it earned consistently high marks, but paltry viewership.
12:39It's a definition of unfair.
12:41Hannibal had world-class performances, incredible writing and a brilliant six-season plan that
12:45would adapt Silence of the Lambs.
12:50But, at the end of its three-season run, all we have to show for it is a fantastic pitch
12:56and half of what could have been an all-timer.
12:58So, who killed Laura Palmer?
13:15If you owned a TV in 1990, that was the question on your mind.
13:19Everyone was enamoured with Twin Peaks' unorthodox mysteries, and it had gargantuan
13:23ratings to back it up.
13:28However, network meddling and a lack of satisfying answers quickly turned the water-cooler phenomenon
13:36into a cancelled has-been.
13:37But fans weren't content leaving Twin Peaks unfinished.
13:40Their support led to the production of a theatrically released prequel film, Firewalk With Me.
13:45Twenty-five years after that, they got an entire third season greenlit.
13:49It's a good thing this cancellation didn't stick, there's clearly a lot more stories
13:51to tell in Twin Peaks.
14:08Just like there's always money in the banana stand, there's always fun to be had with
14:11Arrested Development.
14:12There's no way to accurately describe how bizarre, funny and unhinged the show gets,
14:16so we'll let this Emmy-win-for-outstanding-comedy-series-speak-for-itself.
14:17However, that same off-the-wall humour made it a tough sell for general audiences.
14:31After three acclaimed but low-rated seasons, the Blutes finally reached the end of the
14:35line.
14:36At least, for a few years.
14:37In 2013, Netflix brought Arrested Development back for a few more rounds of hilarious family
14:42hijinks.
14:43We can only write that this comedy went out with laughter, not tragedy.
15:02A streaming show overseen by legendary film director David Fincher, practically markets
15:07itself.
15:08But, in a devastating turn of events, Fincher's involvement ended up being both Mindhunter's
15:12claim to fame and its fall from glory.
15:15Despite overwhelmingly positive reactions, Netflix put the series on indefinite hold
15:19following season two, citing high costs and Fincher's busy schedule.
15:27All at once, the planned five-season arc and bevy of untapped cases became nothing more
15:31than dropped plotlines.
15:33For what it's worth, viewers tried their best to reverse the decision.
15:36But in 2023, Fincher himself announced Mindhunter was over, leaving the drama as a hollow shell
15:42of what it could have been.
15:57Against all odds, this coming-of-age tale connected with audiences in a way few shows
16:02ever have.
16:03As if to prove it, almost every member of its main cast has become a household name.
16:10It's really no wonder, Freaks and Geeks is still adored to this day.
16:17Unfortunately, poor scheduling and behind-the-scenes frustrations kept it from achieving the same
16:21success at its release, but a third of the episodes almost never aired at all.
16:26No matter what, though, Freaks and Geeks can rest easy knowing it's still hailed as one
16:30of the greats.
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16:55Here it is, perhaps the most famous one-season wonder in television history.
17:06Rest assured, Firefly deserves every bit of its reputation, which is why it's so disheartening
17:10to learn that it never really had a chance.
17:13Bad time slots and out-of-order airings meant audiences had an uphill battle just to watch
17:17the show, let alone follow its story.
17:20And Fox wonders why it had low ratings.
17:25Luckily, the few who did watch Firefly fell head over heels with it, and they spread the
17:30word until it became an underground triumph.
17:33The series didn't last long, but at this point that's kind of part of its charm.
17:37Plus, there's always the sequel film, Serenity, if you did need a bit more closure.
17:45So what's a show you'd pay to get another season of?
17:48Let us know in the comments below!