In many cases, a television series’ longevity in the popular imagination is directly related to how many seasons it manages to stay on the air. As a rule of thumb, the longer a show runs, the more likely it is to enter the canon of classic TV.
Every so often, however, a show emerges that, despite lasting only one season, still manages to leave an impression with viewers, maintaining or even growing a devoted audience even after being dumped by its network. In fact, the history of the medium is full of such series, and the users of the website Ranker have helpfully crowd-sourced a ranking of the one-season wonders they regard as the best of them all.
Constantine (2014)
Streaming On Hulu
It’s easy to see why Constantine would earn its place as among the best series canceled after one season, given that Matt Ryan delivers a dynamic performance as the title character, a cynical exorcist. What’s more, the series also managed to have surprisingly good special effects for a network television series, and it came very close to capturing the creepy ethos of the original comics.
Though it was canceled, Ryan would go on to reprise the character in other media, including the series in the CW's Arrowverse.
The Adventures Of Brisco County, Jr. (1993)
Streaming On Tubi
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. is one of the most unusual TV series to have emerged during the early 1990s. Though it is at first glance a Western, focusing on a Harvard-educated man who becomes a bounty hunter, it also managed to bring in a number of other genre elements, including steampunk and science fiction, as well as a dash of comedy.
However, despite its strong critical reception and initially strong ratings, it failed to keep up its momentum, so it was canceled. Despite this, it has continued to enjoy a positive reputation among its fans and generations who continue to rediscover it.
My So-Called Life (1994)
Streaming On Hulu
Claire Danes is one of the finest actresses of her generation, and she has been in many great roles (including, most recently, The Essex Serpent). One of these is My So-Called Life, which has been seen as a fundamental entry in the teen drama genre. Her character, Angela, is the person around whom much of the series’ actions revolves, and she also provides the commentary for many of the episodes.
What really sets this show apart is its realistic portrayal of teenage life, with a depth of understanding that was groundbreaking for its era and that's still not always found with shows of this type even nearly 30 years later.
Battlestar Galactica (1978)
Streaming On Tubi
Though it has been somewhat overshadowed by the 2004 reboot, the 1978 iteration of Battlestar Galactica still deserves a great deal of credit for its contributions to the science fiction genre. Though it lasted only one season and clearly owed its existence to the popularity of Star Wars, it deserves credit for the complexity of its storylines and the underlying darkness of its narrative.
And, of course, there are also the Cylons, iconic baddies that remain some of the most terrifying beings to have emerged from any era of science fiction.
The Finder (2012)
Streaming On Disney +
Given the success of the series Bones, it’s not entirely surprising that it would also have a spinoff of its own. In this case, that series is The Finder, which focuses on the character of Walter Sherman, whose brain injury allows him to see patterns that others cannot.
With the quirky performance of Geoff Stults in the role, as well as a strong supporting cast, it seemed to have the makings of a success. Unfortunately, it never quite managed to pick up steam, so it lasted a mere 13 episodes.
Terra Nova (2011)
Streaming On Apple TV+
The series Terra Nova deserves a great deal of credit for the risks it was willing to take. Though it aired on a traditional network, it was still audacious in its storytelling, focusing as it does on a group of humans who go back in time to the age of the dinosaurs in order to try to make a new life for themselves away from the polluted present.
Particularly notable are the CGI dinosaurs, who manage to be far more realistic, and thus terrifying, than is usual for network television.
Almost Human (2013)
Streaming On Tubi
There have been many excellent crime dramas, and the mark of a successful one is usually some element that sets it apart from more generic fare. Almost Human seemed to offer just this, focusing as it does on the strange and complex relationship that emerges between a human police officer and an android assigned to be his partner.
It’s the type of series that uses its generic conventions to explore the bigger questions typical in science fiction, including the vexed question of just what is the difference between human and machine.
Forever (2014)
Streaming On Prime Video
Like other procedurals of the 2010s, Forever sought to inject something new into one of television’s most reliable (and, at times, boring) genres. In this case, the series’ main character is a medical examiner blessed (or cursed) with immortality, who sets out to investigate various deaths as well as the source of his inability to fully die.
Though it garnered a great deal of love from its fanbase, it wasn’t picked up for a second season, and even attempts to revive it were ultimately unsuccessful.
Freaks And Geeks (1999)
Streaming On Hulu
Freaks and Geeks is an excellent example of a cult phenomenon. While it struggled to gain an audience during its run, it would go on to become quite popular with subsequent viewers, and it remains one of Judd Appatow’s most notable and celebrated productions.
Many things help to explain its unique appeal, but there’s no question that its refreshingly honest look at the difficulties (and the hilarity) of adolescent life are a key reason it remains so popular.
Firefly (2002)
Streaming On Hulu
Joss Whedon has long had a vibrant imagination, one which he has brought to life in a number of notable projects. Firefly is an extraordinary offering for many reasons, not the least of which is because it manages to combine several genres, including the western and the space opera.
It showcases many of Whedon’s strengths as a writer, with very sharp dialogue and a sophisticated and complex mythology of its own. For this reason, it’s all the more remarkable that it was canceled before it fully had a chance to explore its fictional world.