Certain TV shows have made such a large impact on the medium and pop culture in general that it’s surprising to learn they ended after one season. Most of the TV series were canceled prematurely for reasons ranging from low ratings to expensive production costs. However,the indelible marks left by the short-lived series would have most people believing they flourished for many years.
The character relationships and themes addressed in influential series likeMy So-Called LifeandThe Honeymoonerscan be seen in many of the shows that came after them. The former helped change the way teen dramas were made, moving away from storylines that felt disconnected from real teenagers watching at home. Many ofthe greatest TV shows ever madecultivated lasting legacies and devoted fan bases after having spent years on air, butthese TV shows prove the same can be done with one season.
10 Classic TV Shows That Were Almost Canceled After 1 Season
TV shows like Seinfeld and Baywatch have become widely influential, so it’s difficult to imagine they were almost canceled after their first season.
Despite being a standout Western TV show from the decade,The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.surprisingly only lasted one season. The Western starred Bruce Campbell as the titular bounty hunter who is tasked with tracking down the gang that murdered his father. Campbell, who had previously been known to most asAsh Williams in Sam Raimi’sEvil Deadfilms, is at ease as the heroic lead inThe Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
ThoughThe Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.’s viewership did decrease near the end of its first season,there was a dedicated following regularly tuning in, and, critically speaking, the Western TV series was a hit. What differentiatedThe Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.from other Western series at the time and made it so beloved by audiences was its seamless mix of genres, including sci-fi and steampunk. The additional genres never took away from the Western elements and the series' comedic tone didn’t diminish the drama and thrills in Brisco’s adventures.
Many of the animated series that were part of the Disney Afternoon block during the ’90s have become a large part of pop culture, earning reboot series and related films likeDuckTalesandChip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers. Another series that holds a similar space in pop culture conversations isTaleSpin. However,despite being positively received by critics and audiences like the previously mentioned series,TaleSpinonly has one season. Running for a generous 65 episodes,TaleSpinfeatures characters fromThe Jungle Bookand follows the adventures of Baloo as a pilot.
TaleSpinhas all the exciting action expected of such an animated series, and there are plenty of compelling relationships and heartfelt moments to tug at the audience’s heartstrings as Disney often does.TaleSpinalso cleverly weaves in references to TV shows and films that came before it.Characters inCheersandCasablancainspiredTaleSpin’s characterization of Louie and Rebecca, whose relationship with Baloo is also said to be inspired by Sam and Rebecca’s inCheers.
The format and relationships inThe Honeymoonershave been replicated in numerous shows, so it’s somewhat of a shock to realize the sitcom ran for just one season. The premise ofThe Honeymooners, which follows the comedic day-to-day scenarios of two couples in New York, comes from a frequent sketch in Jackie Gleason’s variety show. Leading the sitcom,Gleason plays Ralph Kramden, a short-tempered bus driver who has a lot of love for those close to him despite his constant bouts of anger.
The Honeymoonersdidn’t portray the Kramden’s as a perfect, blissful couple. Instead, the series sought to be realistic and had the couples constantly bickering — a factor of the show that many have felt in recent years made domestic violence appear as something trivial, despite Ralph never acting upon his threats of violence.Even after its cancelation,The Honeymooners’ influence on comedy and American culture continued to advance. Many series have a similar setup toThe Honeymooners, most notablyThe Flintstones, and the former’s popularity in the U.S. inspired remakes in other countries, including Indonesia and Poland.
For as much asMr. Beanhas contributed to comedy, there isn’t as much content involving the character as one might expect. Mr. Bean is by farRowan Atkinson’s most iconic character, but the sitcom where the actor plays the title character never made it past 15 episodes. Still, the slapstick humor inMr. Beanhas managed to impact a wide range of audiences. Because dialogue isn’t a crucial part of the viewing experience, audiences all over the world are able to understand the series' jokes.
A large part ofMr. Bean’s lasting appeal has to do with the series' emphasis on physical comedy, which can be understood by everyone. In recent years, the legacy ofMr. Beancan be found online through memes and clips from old episodes of the sitcom. Additionally, following the success ofMr. Bean, two feature films and an animated series were created. Together, they have helped carry on Mr. Bean’s image for younger audiences unfamiliar with the original series.
Too often, TV shows revolving around high school students poorly reflect the actual day-to-day lives of growing teens.One series that stayed true to the experiences of real teenagers wasMy So-Called Life.The teen drama followed the lives of Angela Chase, played by a young Claire Danes early on in her career, and those close to her. Unlike many teen characters on air at the time, the characterization of Angela didn’t rely on clichés. Instead, she and the rest ofMy So-Called Life’s characters were fully realized and relevant to the experiences of similarly-aged audiences.
There are a few different explanations as to why the plans for season 2 fell through, but after 19 episodes,My So-Called Lifewas canceled. Still,My So-Called Lifehas had a major cultural impact, particularly on the teen drama seriesthat came after it. Moving away from the dramatized depictions of adolescent life, teen dramas gradually became more grounded in reality.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Cast
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the workings of a fictional sketch-comedy television show. Premiering in 2006, the series presents the challenges faced by its cast and crew as they navigate the intricacies of production and network politics.
Famed screenwriter Aaron Sorkin has created a few memorable TV shows throughout the years, but the shortest-lived of them all isStudio 60 on the Sunset Strip.The series premiered in 2006 and looked at the behind-the-scenes making of a live sketch comedy show. Sorkin was influenced by real-life figures and scenarios in the media, including some of his experiences onThe West Wing, which had ended the same year.Studio 60has an impressive cast which includes Bradley Whitford, Sarah Paulson, and Matthew Perry in one of hisbest roles that isn’t Chandler Bing.
The series' actors prove they are more than capable of taking on Sorkin’s witty dialogue and balancingStudio 60’s comedy and drama genres. The premise ofStudio 60was similar to30 Rock, which premiered just a few weeks later, and though each show approached the concept with a different tone,Studio 60was canceled by NBC after one season.Studio 60was too expensive to make and, unfortunately,its popularity with audiences, one that remains strong to this day, wasn’t enough to save the series.
To this day,Fireflyis a highly talked about space Western. Due to its enduring presence in pop culture,those unfamiliar with the show might not be aware it only aired for 11 of its planned 14 episodes— which did eventually air the year afterFireflywas canceled.Fireflywas set in the future and starred Nathan Fillion as Malcolm Reynolds, the captain ofSerenity, a spaceship that took a crew into a new star system.Fireflywasn’t widely popular during its initial release, but it did earn a passionate fan base that has only grown over the years.
Aside from the performances ofFirefly’s ensemble cast, fans and critics have praised the TV show for its skillful blend of the sci-fi and Western genres.Despite being made up of two adventurous genres,Fireflystill managed to be grounded.The imaginative worldbuilding was ambitious but still plausible and the well-written characters brought a lot of heart toFirefly, allowing it to impact a large group of people decades later.
It’s impossible to list short-lived impactful TV shows without mentioning Paul Feig and Judd Apatow’sFreaks and Geeks.The teen series was canceled after its first season, but it became a cult classic. LikeMy So-Called Life,Freaks and Geeksdidn’t shy away from the bleak parts of growing up. A majority of theFreaks and Geeks' casthave gone on to have big careers, making the length of the series' time on air seem longer than it was. Actors like Seth Rogen, Linda Cardellini, and Martin Starr act as a few members of the series' titular social groups.
Unfortunately, the visionFreaks and Geeks' writers had for the series' characters didn’t align with what the network thought would make for a successful teen series. The character’s lack of “wins” and relatable awkwardness helped audiences connect withFreaks and Geeks, but the differing ideas for the series' direction, on top of inconsistent scheduling, resulted in its cancelation. Still,Freaks and Geeksis remembered fondly for its humorously honest depiction of adolescenceand for launching the careers of its young cast.
