Sometimes, life in the world of television just isn't fair. A series will premiere and you'll start watching it, getting hooked in more and more with each passing episode. But not enough people are watching with you and the show suffers from low ratings. Then, it gets unceremoniously canceled.
Whatever the reason behind the low ratings are, some of the shows that end don't deserve it. They're well written, deliver great episodes, and tell a story deserves to be seen by more people. History is filled with cases of high quality shows that ended too soon. We've picked ten of them to highlight.
Life As We Know It
No, we aren't talking about the 2010 movie of the same name starring Josh Duhamel. This Life as We Know It was a series that aired on ABC during the 2004-2005 season. Based on the novel Doing It, the show followed the lives of a group of high school students. Outside of the breaking of the fourth wall at times, the concept doesn't wow you, but it delivered in terms of execution.
For a shining example of what helped this series stand out, just look at the talented cast. Chris Lowell, Jessica Lucas, Missy Peregrym, Kelly Osbourne, D.B. Sweeney, and Marguerite Moreau were all part of the regular cast. Throw in guest stars like Connie Britton, Peter Dinklage, and Busy Phillips and it's a shame we never got to see more of it. The show was pulled after just a few episodes and when the rest of the season aired, some episodes were shown in reverse order and others were moved to a midnight time slot.
Vinyl
When a show airs on HBO and is created by the likes of Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger, it sounds like a recipe for success. That was the case with Vinyl, which premiered in early 2016. The series took place in the 1970s and followed the life of a music producer, played by the versatile Bobby Cannavale, in New York.
Along with Cannavale, the show benefitted from strong performances by Olivia Wilde, Juno Temple, Ray Romano, and many others. HBO renewed the show for a second season right after the premiere but reversed the decision when the viewership numbers didn't catch on. Scorsese called the cancellation tragic and admitted he was heartbroken over it.
Clone High
With MTV not being one of the major networks like CBS or ABC, ratings don't need to be as strong to stick around for a while. Even so, Clone High couldn't amass enough to stick around. Created by Bill Lawrence, who created Scrubs, and the combination of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who co-wrote the Academy Award-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, it had great minds behind it.
Clone High also benefitted from a great premise. The characters were all high school age clones of famous historical figures like Abraham Lincoln, Cleopatra, and John F. Kennedy. It worked as both social satire and a parody on teen dramas. Low ratings were just one problem for the show, as it also came under fire for its depiction of Mahatma Gandhi. The issue prompted hundreds in India to go on a hunger strike. Combine that with the ratings and the show was canned, though it has gained a cult following since.
My So-Called Life
Beginning in 1994, My So-Called Life seemed like the right show at the right time. Soapy teen dramas were popular, led by Beverly Hills 90210. Alas, the show was put in a rough spot. It was put in the same timeslot as hits like Mad About You, Friends, and Living Single. It pretty much had no chance to succeed.
The series centered around high school sophomore Angela Chase as she leaves behind the comfort of her past and falls in with a new crowd while trying to figure out her identity. The show dealt with serious issues not always seen on TV. It also helped launch Claire Danes and Jared Leto as actors. The cancellation sparked the first internet petition to get a show back on the air. Despite that, multiple award victories, and some critics considering it to be one of the best shows of all-time, it never returned.
Flashforward
With everyone knowing that Lost was wrapping up in 2010, everyone was trying to replicate its success with a blockbuster mystery show. ABC thought they had their replacement with 2009's Flashforward. In it, the entire world simultaneously blacked out for two minutes and seventeen seconds, during which they all saw visions of their lives six months into the future.
The idea was wild and 12 million people tuned in for the premiere. By the time they went on winter break, half that audience was gone and the show never recovered. The issue was that the showrunners planned several seasons ahead of time, so early episodes moved slowly and viewers lost interest. Had they stuck around, they would've found out that the show picked up in later episodes and raced to a fantastic finish. Alas, it was too late and Flashforward was canceled.
Party Down
Far too often do we find hilarious comedy series that don't get the recognition they deserve. That was the case with 2009's Party Down. The Starz series followed a group of caterers who don't care much about their jobs as they attempt to make it big in Hollywood.
Party Down featured some of the funniest actors in the world including Adam Scott, Lizzy Caplan, Ken Marino, Martin Starr, Jane Lynch, and Megan Mullally, as well as guest stars like J.K. Simmons and Kristen Bell. The hilarious show made it to a second season, but the ratings were still too low. Add in the loss of Lynch and Scott to other shows and an early end was inevitable.
Firefly
It's almost impossible to craft a list like this and not include Joss Whedon's Firefly. This was a space western that ran for 14 episodes during the 2002-2003 season. Set in 2517, it focused on the renegade crew Serenity as humans arrived on a new star system. Space westerns aren't the most popular genre out there, so finding an audience was going to be tough.
The viewers Firefly found weren't plentiful, but they were loyal. They call themselves Browncoats and they flocked to online forums to try and save their beloved series. Their loyalty has kept the show alive in documentaries, fan events, and even a feature film. It's a pop-culture staple now. The show has also been called one of the best sci-fi series in history.
Freaks And Geeks
One trend you'll find among these entries is that many of them helped catapult the careers of some major stars. There is no better example than Freaks and Geeks. For one, it was created by Paul Feig, who has gone on to direct some blockbuster films. But then you look at the cast and you'll see an impressive lineup of comedic talent.
Linda Cardellini, James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Martin Starr, Busy Phillips, and John Francis Daley are just the tip of the iceberg. It's fun to watch the show back and spot all of the future stars. The show was smart and well-written but didn't catch on with audiences. The loyal ones even had to petition just to see the final six episodes as they never aired once the cancelation was announced.
Terriers
Terriers is widely considered one of the best television shows of the past decade. It premiered in September 2010 on the FX Network. The series followed a recovering alcoholic ex-cop who teams up with a former criminal to start a private investigation business in Ocean Beach, California.
Donal Logue and Michael Raymond-James made for one of the best duos in all of TV, despite only being around for 13 episodes. Terriers only cracked 1 million viewers for its debut episode and never really came close again. That left FX with no real choice but to cancel it despite the show landing on many "Top 10" lists at the end of the year.
Pitch
Since the end of Friday Nights Lights, television hasn't had a great sports drama. That could've changed with 2016's Pitch, which followed Ginny Baker, a pitcher who becomes the first woman to play with men in the MLB. Airing on FOX, the show had the backing of Major League Baseball and used the real team names and stadiums. It was authentic for sports fans.
But the fact that this was a show about a woman of color trying to find her way in a place that is dominated by people who aren't like her was the concept that really hit. It was relatable and touched on serious subjects. Kylie Bunbury shined in the lead role and it marked a return to form for Mark-Paul Gosselaar. Unfortunately, ratings steadily declined until the finale. Pitch didn't get a second season, even though it ended with a pretty big cliffhanger.