15 TV Shows That Were Rescued from Early Cancellation
15 TV series that were rescued from early cancellation, proving that fan campaigns and demand can be quite effective (continued):
9. Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Captain Rex (Dee Bradley Baker) and the 332nd Company in Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7 Episode 1, “The Bad Batch.” (Photo courtesy of Disney+)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars is an animated series that takes place between films in the franchise’s prequel trilogy.
As a result, it follows Anakin Skywalker and his master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, on their missions and adventures during the Clone Wars.
The show received high critical acclaim as it proved the potential of Star Wars animated projects by greatly expanding the franchise’s lore and creating several fan-favorite new characters.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars initially ran on Cartoon Network, but after Disney acquired Lucasfilm, it decided to wind down the animated series. However, it did allow the already-completed season 6 to air on Netflix before canceling the show.
The outcry from fans over the popular series ending was so intense, though, that Disney finally decided to save the show, giving it a final seventh season that aired on Disney+ in 2020, thus allowing it to fully complete its story.
10. The Expanse
The Expanse premiered on Syfy in 2015. Based on the novels of the same name by James S. A. Corey, the show is set in the future where humanity has colonized the solar system and follows a mismatched crew as they begin investigating a mystery that could shatter the new world’s precarious peace.
The sci-fi series received several prestigious accolades, including a Hugo Award and Saturn Award, with high praise for its world-building, clever premise, and political commentary.
Unfortunately, a sci-fi series of The Expanse‘s scale was simply too expensive for Syfy, leading the network to cancel the show after three seasons.
Recognizing the high demand for more of the show, Amazon rescued the series. It ran for three additional seasons before Amazon and the show’s creators mutually agreed to end it.
11. The Killing
The Killing premiered on AMC in 2011 and is a crime drama following homicide detectives Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder, who form an unlikely bond while investigating murder mysteries in Seattle, Washington.
The show garnered positive reviews and a small fanbase with its dark tone and intriguing character-driven plot, but AMC struggled with the show’s costs and falling viewership, thus canceling the show after season 2.
However, Netflix and Fox were interested in saving the show, eventually reaching an agreement allowing AMC to air season 3 while sharing some of the costs with Netflix, where the season would go for streaming after its network run.
The arrangement didn’t prove effective enough for AMC, though, as the network re-canceled the show after season 3. Since Netflix was already involved, it decided to wholly pick up the series for one last shortened fourth season to give viewers a satisfactory conclusion.
12. The Mindy Project
The Mindy Project is a romantic comedy created by Mindy Kaling that came to Fox in 2012. Inspired by Kaling’s mother, the show follows an OB/GYN as she navigates her personal and professional life alongside an eccentric and colorful group of fellow medical practitioners.
The show received stellar reviews from audiences and critics who enjoyed this escapist rom-com that was equal parts hilarious and heartwarming. Unfortunately, its ratings were never huge and declined further each season, leading Fox to axe it after Season 3.
Recognizing the power of the show’s small but devoted fanbase, Hulu decided to give it a second chance.
The Mindy Project ran for an additional three successful seasons before naturally concluding in 2017 as Kaling began exploring new projects.
13. The Tourist
The Tourist is a BBC show that premiered in 2022. The Jamie Dornan-led drama follows the mystery of a man who wakes up in an Australian hospital with no memory of who he is, forcing him to work backward to discover his identity.
It quickly racked up highly positive reviews from critics who praised Dornan’s performance and the meticulously crafted mystery. As a result, BBC renewed the show for a second season.
However, while season 2 was in production, it was nearly canceled for U.S. viewers. Since it was a BBC series, the show was distributed to U.S. viewers by HBO Max.
Max, though, abruptly dropped the series after its season 2 renewal. As a result, viewers were concerned that the United States might not get Season 2.
Fortunately, Netflix picked up the show for U.S. distribution, with Season 2 set to arrive on February 29.
14. Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars is a mystery drama that arrived on UPN (before The CW replaced it) in 2004. Starring Kristen Bell as the titular character, the show follows Mars, a high school student who joins her father’s detective business and sets out to solve mysteries in the fictional town of Neptune, California.
The show proved to be a huge critical success with its noir elements and unique premise of a popular high school girl turning into her hometown’s crime solver. Despite receiving high praise, the show never pulled big ratings, resulting in its cancellation after Season 3.
However, Veronica Mars garnered a diehard fanbase during its run, who even crowdfunded a 2014 film continuation, raising $2 million on Kickstarter in mere hours.
This demonstration of devotion from fans likely aided in Hulu’s decision to pick up the show for a fourth season while also adding the first three seasons to its content library.
Although viewers likely hoped that Hulu had permanently revived the show, the streamer decided to end the series after Veronica Mars Season 4, believing that it had effectively wrapped up the show and provided a cohesive narrative for streamers.
15. Young Justice
Young Justice is an animated superhero series that premiered on Cartoon Network in 2010. The show follows the children and proteges of the Justice League who decide to form their own superhero team, Young Justice.
Its first two seasons garnered high critical acclaim for their stunning animation, surprisingly mature and complex themes, and unique spin on DC characters. Hence, viewers were shocked when Cartoon Network canceled the Emmy Award-winning series after two seasons.
Unfortunately, Cartoon Network didn’t have much choice in this case. It had struck up an agreement with Mattel in which Mattel would fund the show while selling toys inspired by the series.
When toy sales dropped, Mattel pulled its funding, forcing Cartoon Network to abandon it. Fortunately, Warner Bros. saved the show, releasing two more seasons on its streaming platforms.
Though viewers were thrilled to have the beloved animated show back, it went on hiatus after Season 4 in 2022, and insiders suggest that Max has no current plans to continue the show.
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Rachel Ulatowski
Rachel Ulatowski is a freelance writer from Oshkosh with a penchant for TV, film, and celebrity news. Her work can also be found on Screen Rant, The Mary Sue, and Monsters and Critics. When she's not writing professionally, she enjoys blogging, running, watching film and television, and conducting research for her future novel.
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