Television is one outlet for brilliant storytelling to take shape, but not all series get the chance to flourish. Some innovative, rather interesting television shows get cut down after just one season of release, which disappoints their followers and leaves them pondering over what might have been.
Here's a rundown of amazing TV shows that unfortunately got cancelled after just one season.
Firefly consistently tops the list of most television shows that got axed much too soon. Penned by the great Joss Whedon, this science fiction series combined aspects of the West with space travel in an exciting and original manner. In this distant future, human settlers had taken over other planets, and the storyline followed the crew of the spaceship Serenity as they tried to make a living in this lawless galaxy.
Despite the memorable characters, really witty dialogue, and imaginative worldbuilding, Firefly barely struggled along due to low ratings. It was arguably another genre-bending program that was a bit ahead of its time. It did not help that it was aired out of sequence.
This coming-of-age dramedy was set in the early 1980s and followed high school students who simply didn't fit with the 'in' crowd. The creation of Paul Feig and produced by Judd Apatow, this series struck a balance between humour and heartfelt moments in a way that truly resonated with viewers. Despite the cult following it has since created, Freaks and Geeks was cancelled after just one season because of low ratings.
The Get Down, brought to life by Baz Luhrmann, was one of those shows that were equally visual as they were musical. Based in the Bronx in late 1977, the show focused on the origins of hip-hop and disco while depicting racial and cultural changes happening within New York. The series has an amazing cast, including Justice Smith and Shameik Moore, rounded out by a soundtrack with infectious beats that place you directly in the era.
From the producer himself, Steven Spielberg, the show takes place in the year 2149, where Earth is overpopulated and dying. Humans went further back in time to the prehistoric era in order to start a new colony and give the human race a second chance.
But with a very intriguing concept, combined with stunning special effects, Terra Nova just did not attract enough viewership to justify its expensive budget. After a single season, the show was cancelled, and a lot of plot points were left open without resolution.
Coming from the brainchild of Bryan Fuller, it narrated the story of a pie maker named Ned, who has this supernatural ability to allow the dead to come back to the land of the living with just one touch of his hand. However, once he touches them once again, they again become permanently dead. This supernatural twist is intermingled within a murder mystery format where Ned uses his power in crime-solving while amidst his complicating love life.
Long before Freaks and Geeks hit the air, My So-Called Life also made headlines as it really used the main theme of realistic teenage life in its creation. The show focused on Angela Chase, played by Claire Danes, through ups and downs during her high school life.
Though they lived short lives, these shows made permanent marks in the minds of their viewers. Some of them were before their time; others just didn't get the opportunity to develop!
