There's nothing better than watching a TV show and knowing that there are several seasons ahead, ready to binge, thanks to recommendations from friends and family. On the flip side, there's nothing as disappointing as becoming invested in a sitcom and then learning that it has been canceled after one season, or watching it on a streaming service and realizing there are only 13-22 episodes.
Sometimes sitcoms will write a character off the show, which can be confusing for viewers. And other times, a sitcom will barely get the chance to tell its full story and let its characters experience failure and success, as it gets canceled after a single season.
The Grinder
It was exciting to see Rob Lowe on the sitcom The Grinder, and he and Fred Savage played brothers who got involved in the law. Lowe's character Dean is a former TV lawyer who becomes a real one, which is a hilarious premise since many people wonder if they should pursue law or medicine after watching TV shows. Meanwhile, Savage plays Stewart, an actual lawyer forever living in his brother's shadow.
Dean and Stewart's brotherly tension, along with the unique premise, make this a great sitcom to watch. It's a shame that it was only given one 22-episode season.
Champions
Champions only got one season and many plotlines were left hanging, which was sad for fans of Mindy Kaling, who were excited to see what she was working on after the beloved comedy The Mindy Project.
The show follows Vince, whose ex-girlfriend Priya wants their son Michael to live with him. Suddenly his life changes and he has to take care of someone else. Champions is a funny and sweet show and definitely deserved more episodes. Fans became quickly invested in the characters and it would have been great to see where their lives took them in at least a second season.
Selfie
With the many selfies on social media and how easy it is to get caught up in this online world, it makes sense that a TV show decided to explore this. Selfie aired as part of the 2014 fall TV season and told the story of Eliza who was too involved with her online life. The show was inspired by My Fair Lady as the main character is named Eliza Dooley instead of Eliza Doolittle.
Some critics really loved this show and it was definitely great to have a TV show that explored the good and bad parts of social media. The message was that Eliza should live IRL instead of being so concerned with likes and followers, and that's one that is still relevant today.
No Good Nick
Fans who have followed Melissa Joan Hart's career from Clarissa Explains It All to Sabrina the Teenage Witch to Melissa and Joey were most likely curious to check out her Netflix comedy No Good Nick.
Sadly, the show was gone after one season. It told the story of Nick, a 13-year-old girl who was pretending to be down on her luck but secretly conning and manipulating the family.
You Wish
A sitcom about a single mom who is visited by a genie and can suddenly make wishes sounds like the perfect cheesy '90s show that everyone feels nostalgic about. The show only got 13 episodes, which is too bad as it was a great premise.
Michael Jacobs is best known for creating Boy Meets World and he also worked on You Wish. This show was tragically canceled and if it was given more seasons, it seems like it would be talked about more.
Kitchen Confidential
Known for his incredible work in the food industry, including his many memoirs and beloved TV shows such as No Reservations, the late Anthony Bourdain also inspired a sitcom.
Starring Bradley Cooper as a chef named Jack Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential was a show based on Anthony Bourdain's beloved book, and it sadly only got a 13-episode single season. It aired in the fall of 2015 and focused on Jack, who was trying to resurrect his culinary career. With Bourdain's incredible legacy in the food world, it's too bad that this show didn't get more of a chance.
Clone High
Clone High was a funny and weird show that was a parody of teen shows, and it has a large fanbase. The characters are clones of famous people from history, most notably Gandhi, Joan of Arc, and Abe Lincoln, which is a fascinating and unique premise for a series
A reboot of Clone High is coming soon and HBO Max has ordered two seasons, so while it's tragic that it only got one season, thankfully fans will be able to see more episodes.
Trophy Wife
Starring Malin Ackerman as Kate, a woman who marries Pete and becomes known as "a trophy wife" as the title suggests, this show was canceled too soon.
Not everyone loved the title of this show, but many critics were big fans, especially because of one major storyline: the way that Kate interacted with Pete's two exes, who were portrayed by Marcia Gay Harden and Michaela Watkins. That's not something that is often shown on sitcoms.
Outmatched
Outmatched isn't a totally unique and hilarious sitcom, as the jokes weren't as good as they could have been, but the premise is interesting. If the show was given a second season, maybe it could have turned into a much better show.
It tells the story of married couple Mike and Kay whose children are gifted. It's always fun and entertaining to see smart kids on a sitcom, especially when they're given lots of precocious things to say, and it's too bad that this show got canceled after only a single season.
The Great Indoors
The Great Indoors is another sitcom that sadly only got one season. It was fun to follow along with Jack's journey, as he began working in the office of the outdoor adventure magazine that he had always written for. Instead of being out in nature and writing about it, he was sitting at a desk all day, trying to figure out how to make the website successful.
The show had a unique premise and can be considered a smart and funny workplace sitcom as Jack bonded with the other characters. The Great Indoors also tackled the age gap between Jack and his millennial co-workers perfectly.