In the age television is currently in, there are many different ways that people can consume their favorite shows. There are still the traditional networks and cable, but with all the streaming services bringing in new content to the market, new shows are getting released every year more than ever before.
Even with all of these options available, not as many shows come out where the lead character is a woman. With so few, every time one comes out, fans hope that the show will stick around for a long time. Unfortunately, that is not always the case, as many great shows have been canceled over the years.
Updated on January 13th, 2022 by Danielle Bruncati: While television has become more and more diverse over the years, the fact remains that these shows usually aren't given a chance to find their footing and are canceled fast. This is especially true for female-led shows that premiere on streaming services or less popular cable channels.
Despite their short lifespans, these female-led shows are hilarious, dramatic, and sometimes even empowering which are just some of the reasons they deserved to be watched even though they don't always have a clean ending.
Diary Of A Future President (2020-2021)
Available On Disney+
Diary of a Future President marked Tess Romero's first lead role and she knocked it out of the park. The series centered on Romero's character Elena, an ambitious middle schooler who is trying to figure out who she wants to be when she grows up. Meanwhile, in the future Elena, now played by Gina Rodriguez, is the president of the United States.
Not only was the teen series led by an extremely talented female cast, but it was also created by a female. Unfortunately, Diary of a Future President was canceled by Disney after its second season much to the dismay of fans and the creators.
The Bold Type (2017-2021)
Available On Hulu
When The Bold Type first began airing on Freeform back in 2017, the show was an instant success. The drama series followed three best friends in their twenties who all work for an iconic women's magazine in various departments. Katie Stevens, Meghann Fahy, and Aisha Dee were the heart of the show and their performances helped make Jane, Sutton, and Kat relatable characters who fans couldn't help but root for. The series also featured Melora Hardin as Jacquiline, the no-nonsense yet nurturing boss of the fictional Scarlett Magazine.
Despite running for five seasons, many fans felt like the show was canceled too soon especially since the final season only consisted of 6 episodes. This led to some of the characters not getting the endings they deserved but ignoring that the series is fun, empowering, and worth the binge-watch.
Sweet/Vicious (2016)
Available To Rent On Apple TV
Sweet/Vicious is one of those shows that was far ahead of its time. It's also another show that tragically belongs to the canceled after one season club despite deserving a plethora of seasons. Not to mention the series was led by Eliza Bennett and Taylor Dearden, two kick-ass actresses who brought their characters to life.
The MTV dark comedy series centers on Jules, the perfect sorority sister, and Ophelia, the college stoner, who team up to act as secret campus vigilantes who target sexual assailants due to the school's lack of punishing them.
Teenage Bounty Hunters (2020)
Available On Netflix
One of the biggest cancelation upsets that happened in 2020 was Netflix's decision to cancel Teenage Bounty Hunters. Despite trending on Twitter for days and making several "best shows of 2020" shows lists, nothing could save the series. Not even the flawless performance of co-leads Maddie Phillips and Anjelica Bette Fellini.
The teen comedy-drama series centered on two fraternal twins who find themselves involved in the world of bounty hunting after accidentally denting their father's car and lying about their identity. Together, the girls work with a veteran bounty hunter to track down criminals all while leading normal teenage lives in the day.
Julie And The Phantoms (2020)
Available On Netflix
When Julie and the Phantoms were released on Netflix at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, subscribers of all ages flocked to the female-led musical-comedy-drama series. Led by Madison Reyes in her acting debut, the series centered on Julie, a young teenager who reignites her passion for music after accidentally summoning the ghostly spirits of a '90s teen band.
Despite the series cultivating a devoted fanbase who constantly took to social media to talk about the show, Netflix decided to cancel the series after one season more than a year after Julie and the Phantoms originally dropped. The cancellation was gutting to fans and marked yet another Latina-led show being canceled for no reason.
Good Girls (2018-2021)
Available On Netflix
Led by the well-established trio of Christina Hendricks, Rhetta, and Mae Whitman, Good Girls was a show that started out with a lot of promise in the NBC lineup. The story focuses on three suburban housewives that rob a supermarket to get out from some financial issues but end up way in over their heads when there is more to this heist than they anticipated.
Of the shows appearing on this list, Good Girls is the newest causality of cancelation, with Deadline reporting the show ending with their fourth season. There aren't many crime-based shows with a female-led cast, so Good Girls getting chopped was a sad ending for this strong cast.
Glow (2017-2019)
Available On Netflix
When Glow first premiered, fans of the show automatically fell in love with its extremely unique premise. Glow focuses on a group of struggling actresses who find work in the opportunity of professional wrestlers, even though they have no wrestling training or skills when they start. Led by Alison Brie and Betty Gilpin, the show was an instant hit.
After its third season, Glow began production on what was to be its fourth and final season. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, production shut down, and after several months on standby, Netflix pulled the plug. Glow was one of Netflix's most popular shows, and to see it go out in such a convoluted way was a tough blow.
I Am Not Ok With This (2020)
Available On Netflix
After a standout performance in the two IT films, fans of Sophia Lillis were excited to see what the next chapter of the young actress's career was going to be. That chapter came with I Am Not Okay with This, a show about a teenager who all of the sudden develops telekinetic abilities while also navigating the rigors of being a social outcast.
The critical reception of the show was strong, enough so that it got picked up for a second season quickly. This show was, unfortunately, another victim of Covid-19, which got the show canceled before production could even begin on season two. With the show being a comic book adaptation, fans were looking forward to seeing where the story would go next.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009)
Available On Hulu
The Terminator franchise is immensely popular, and one of its most popular characters is Sarah Connor. So when it was announced that Sarah would be getting her own television show to continue her story, fans were thrilled. Led by Lean Headey, now famous for her role as Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones, the premiere was a huge success.
Over its two-season run, FOX moved the show around to different time slots, with the latter half of season two moving to Friday nights, one of the toughest slots for network television. Shortly after the season concluded, the show was canceled, upsetting Terminator fans who were enjoying a well-told continuation of the story.
Freaks And Geeks (1999)
Available On Hulu
Freaks and Geeks is one of those shows that people look back on the talent involved and are blown away. From behind-the-scenes involvement from Paul Feig and Judd Apatow to the cast of now established Hollywood stars, led by Linda Cardellini, this coming-of-age show had the perfect recipe for success.
The show did not perform well on NBC, as the network seemed to never fully believe in the premise after moving its airtime around on multiple occasions, eventually leading to its cancelation after season one. The show has garnered massive popularity since its cancellation, with everyone involved championing it and never understanding what NBC was thinking in letting it go.
High Fidelity (2020)
Available On Hulu
When a movie comes out and is received well, at some point the option to adapting again for a new audience becomes an option. This is the case with High Fidelity, which was set to put a new spin on the story. With an established star like Zoe Kravitz leading the show, it was set up to have some staying power.
After its first season, Hulu decided to not pick up the show for a second season, to the surprise of star Kravitz and the fans watching at home. Flipping this known story to be centered around a woman this time around was a great idea, and it's still puzzling as to why Hulu ended it so quickly.
Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (2020-2021)
Available On Peacock
There has been a fair share of musical-based shows out in the television world, but Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist took that premise and utilized it in a new fun way. It tells the story of Zoey, played by Jane Levy, who gains the power to hear people's thoughts, but they are all sung to her in the form of popular songs.
The show had a great mix of tackling difficult topics and making the process fun through the use of song, and it showed through its first two seasons. Despite all of that, NBC axed the show, and while there is still hope that it could get picked up, seeing it go was tough for fans of the music genre television show.
Santa Clarita Diet (2017-2019)
Available On Netflix
Many shows have based their plot around the prototypical suburban family lifestyle, and Santa Clarita Diet, led by Drew Barrymore, does that as well, with her working as a real-estate agent with her husband and two children. The biggest difference this show has from others of its type is that Drew's character is undead and eats human flesh.
It was a completely farfetched idea for a show, but it absolutely worked, and it was one of Netflix's biggest successes, leading to three seasons. It wasn't successful enough for them to keep going, as Netflix ended the show due to financial concerns, outraging fans who've enjoyed this wild ride.
Jessica Jones (2015-2019)
Available On Netflix
After the success of Daredevil, Marvel fans were excited to see if the next show on the docket would be as well done. A lot of pressure was on Jessica Jones to deliver, and it did that and then some. Krysten Ritter plays the titular character, a superhero turned private investigator uncovering mysteries around Hell's Kitchen.
The first season was a smashing success, with fans clamoring for more Jessica, leading to two more seasons and her appearance in The Defenders crossover series. However, a restructuring over at Marvel led to all of their Netflix shows getting canceled, with Jessica Jones' third season being the final one of the Marvel Netflix universe.
Agent Carter (2015-2016)
Available On Disney+
When fans first met Agent Peggy Carter in Captain America: The First Avenger, Hayley Atwell captivated fans with her scenes, but they assumed they would not see the character on screen again after the events of the film. To a pleasant surprise, ABC picked up Agent Carter to continue her story.
Agent Carter did a great job of throwing in fun tie-ins to the films to get fans excited throughout their two seasons. Sadly, viewership wasn't where Disney wanted it for the show, and then canceled it after their second season. Female representation at that time was sparse in the MCU, so to see the plug pulled on one of their few female characters was a choice many maligned.