16 One-Season TV Shows That Should Have Been Renewed

Not every TV show gets a fair chance.

Some of the best, most memorable, and most beloved shows wind up getting canceled too soon for one reason or another. And for these shows, that happened after only one season.

Here are a few of the best TV shows that should have been renewed for a second season.

1. Forever

Forever may have received mixed reviews, but the show’s fan base was enough to warrant a second season. The show stars Ioan Gruffudd as Doctor Henry Morgan, a medical examiner who returns to life each time he dies.

Weird, right? Of course, but it still made for a an entertaining series. Unfortunately, the writers even had a plan for the show’s second season, but ABC decided to cancel.

2. Bunheads

Bunheads is a quirky gem of a show that we deserved to see continue. The series, which aired on ABC Family, came from Gilmore Girls creator Amy-Sherman Palladino.

It starred Sutton Foster, who now stars on TV Land’s Younger, and Gilmore Girls‘ Kelly Bishop. If you’re dying to see the show, you can watch it for free on Freeform’s website.

3. Firefly

This one is obvious. Joss Whedon’s Firefly might actually be THE one-season show that should have been renewed. The good news is that the cult classic starring Nathan Fillion got some closure with a film — Serenity.

4. The Finder

The Bones spin-off is one we should have enjoyed for at least a few seasons. The Finder follows Walter Sherman (Geoff Stultz), who is known for his ability to find anything thanks to a traumatic brain injury.

The series was created by Hart Hanson, who admitted in an interview that he was bitter Fox didn’t renew the show. “Geoff Stults deserved that show,” Hanson said.

5. Enlisted

Speaking of Geoff Stultz, and Fox, for that matter, here’s another show that definitely deserved more episodes. Enlisted follows three soldiers, all brothers, who are assigned to a rear detachment unit in Florida.

The show managed to be as funny as it was endearing, and though it was praised among critics, it just wasn’t given a fair shot.

6. Freaks and Geeks

This one rivals Firefly in being known as the perfect example of a show that should have gotten more than one season, but didn’t. Freaks and Geeks is darkly funny as it presents something we can all identify with — the awkwardness of high school.

The series was a nice starting place for several well-known actors, including James Franco, Seth Rogan, Jason Segal, Linda Cardellini, and John Francis Daley.

7. The Grinder

I don’t think anyone expected how great Rob Lowe and Fred Savage could be together on screen. The Grinder was original, smart, and funny, and I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that it was canceled by Fox after just one season.

It was canceled alongside another new Fox comedy, Grandfathered.

8. My So Called Life

My So Called Life still feels like a staple. The MTV series starring Claire Danes and Jared Leto shows high school life at its most honest, and it quickly became a cult classic.

It’s actually hard to believe there were only nineteen episodes considering how large a part of 90s culture this show became.

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Ashley Bissette Sumerel

Ashley Bissette Sumerel is a television and film critic living in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is editor-in-chief of Tell-Tale TV as well as Eulalie Magazine. Ashley has also written for outlets such as Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, and Insider. Ashley has been a member of the Critics Choice Association since 2017 and is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. In addition to her work as an editor and critic, Ashley teaches Entertainment Journalism, Composition, and Literature at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

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