10 TV Shows That Needed 1 More Season To Wrap Everything Up

May 30, 2024, 4:30 p.m.

Movies

10 TV Shows That Needed 1 More Season To Wrap Everything Up

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Summary Several TV shows on this list ended prematurely, leaving fans disappointed with unresolved storylines and potential.

Some TV series, like GLOW and Mindhunter, had plans for subsequent seasons that could have provided closure.

Cancelation decisions can be surprising, with popular shows like Daredevil and Westworld being cut short due to various reasons.

Lots of TV shows are canceled before their time, but these 10 shows specifically needed one more season to wrap everything up. Although some shows will simply keep going until they are canceled, others have very specific plans, with the showrunners, writers, and directors having some sort of end point in sight. This was the case for these 10 TV shows, and while they were canceled before they reached this end point, they could easily wrap things up if they were given one more season.

The world of television has been booming in recent decades, with some audiences considering the period from the 2000s to now to be a golden era of TV. Because of this, TV shows have become more ambitious, and while this has lead to much bigger projects, it has also made studios more likely to cancel a series that isn't pulling in enough viewers. This can be seen occurring throughout the history of the TV shows on this list, with all 10 of these shows meeting the same tragic fate much too early.

Related 8 TV Shows Canceled Right When They Were Becoming Great There are many reasons why a TV show might be canceled before its time, but it's especially disappointing when it ends just when it hits its stride.

10 Ash vs Evil Dead

Canceled After Season 3

Ash vs Evil Dead Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available Set thirty years after Army of Darkness, Ash vs. Evil Dead is a black comedy/horror series that stars Bruce Campbell back in the role of Ash Williams. Ash has spent the last 30 years avoiding responsibility, maturity, and the terrors of the Evil Dead until a Deadite plague threatens to destroy all of mankind. Forced to come out of his combative retirement, Ash partners with two fellow co-workers at the Value Stop store to face off against the Evil Dead. Cast Lucy Lawless , Dana DeLorenzo , Ray Santiago , Bruce Campbell , Jill Marie Jones Release Date October 31, 2015 Seasons 3 Network Starz Streaming Service(s) Netflix , Hulu Writers Sam Raimi Directors Sam Raimi Showrunner Sam Raimi , Ivan Raimi Expand

Ash vs Evil Dead is the TV sequel to Sam Raimi's Evil Dead trilogy, with Bruce Campbell returning to reprise his role as Ash Williams. The TV show was critically acclaimed, with it carrying on the same sense of humor and fantastic gore as the original movies. However, the series was sadly canceled after season 3, with the show ending on a massive cliffhanger.

While the main antagonist of Ash vs Evil Dead was defeated at the end of season 3, season 4 had one more plot line to resolve. In the series finale, Ash is transported to a dystopian future where, with the aid of a new cyborg sidekick, he has to discover a way to return home. Ash vs. Evil Dead season 4 could have wrapped up the overarching narrative by having Ash finally return home, having defeated the Deadites for good.

9 Mindhunter

Canceled After Season 2

Mindhunter Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available From executive producers David Fincher and Charlize Theron comes Mindhunter, a series that chronicles the founding of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit used to track and apprehend serial killers. Mindhunter follows Agent Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) as they work to establish a framework for understanding the minds of some of America's most dangerous serial killers. Mindhunter adapts a number of true crime stories, including the BTK murders and the notorious Co-Ed Killer, Edmund Kemper. Cast Jonathan Groff , Holt McCallany , Hannah Gross , Cotter Smith , Anna Torv , Stacey Roca , Cameron Britton , Michael Cerveris , Joe Tuttle , Lauren Glazier Release Date October 13, 2017 Seasons 2 Streaming Service(s) Netflix Writers Joe Penhall Directors David Fincher Showrunner Joe Penhall Expand

Netflix's Mindhunter is one of the most critically acclaimed series that the streaming service has ever produced, with it following the two FBI agents who first began to study the psychology of serial killers. Despite the show's success, David Fincher, the acclaimed director who created the series, wanted to return to making movies, with him making the tragic decision to not return to make Mindhunter season 3.

While the series set up a lot of exciting storylines for Mindhunter season 3, this very well could have been the last season, with it being plenty of time for the show's main arcs to be wrapped up. Season 2 set up the pursuit of the BTK Killer to be the main story of Mindhunter season 3, something that could have very easily led to the series finale.

8 Our Flag Means Death

Canceled After Season 2

Our Flag Means Death Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available Created by David Jenkins and starring Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi, Our Flag Means Death blends romantic comedy with period drama on the high seas. Loosely based on real historical figures, the series chronicles the adventures of Stede Bonnet and the crew of the pirate ship Revenge, detailing their often hilarious exploits and encounters, including crossing paths with the infamous Blackbeard. The series received praise for its extensive and positive LGBTQ+ representation upon the first season's release. Cast Rhys Darby , Con O'Neill , Rory Kinnear , Matthew Maher , Samson Kayo , Ewen Bremner , David Fane , Nathan Foad , Taika Waititi , Guz Khan , Vico Ortiz , Joel Fry , Kristian Nairn Release Date March 3, 2022 Seasons 2 Streaming Service(s) HBO Max Writers Eliza Jiménez Cossio , Zayre Ferrer , David Jenkins Directors Taika Waititi , Fernando Frias Showrunner David Jenkins Expand

Our Flag Means Death is another TV series that was sadly put to rest before its time, with it being canceled by Max after only two seasons. While a massive fan campaign to get Our Flag Means Death is still in progress, no news regarding the series' future has been given, with it seeming as if the story of the Gentleman Pirate Stede Bonnet may truly be over.

Our Flag Means Death ends with the two main characters, Stede and Ed, retiring from their life of piracy and becoming innkeepers. However, this clearly wasn't the end of the show, as there were already plans for a third season. Our Flag Means Death season 3 was supposed to feature the end of the romance between Ed and Stede, and with it, the end of the show would most likely occur.

7 Mork & Mindy

Canceled After Season 4

Mork & Mindy is the classic Robin Williams sitcom that follows an alien who is sent to Earth to study humanity, with it being one of the most popular spinoffs of Happy Days. Sadly, ABC forced a lot of changes to be implemented into the fourth season of Mork & Mindy, and while these changes were put into the show, it was still canceled before season 5.

Due to the news of the show's cancelation, the order of Mork & Mindy season 4 was altered, with preexisting episodes being shuffled around to hastily cut together some kind of ending. However, this wasn't the show's true ending, with it only hinting at Mork being able to find love. Mork & Mindy season 5 really could have honed in on this storyline, giving the beloved sitcom a proper finale.

Related 10 TV Shows Canceled Before They Answered Their Biggest Question While some ambiguity can make TV finales more impactful, shows that ended without ever resolving their biggest mystery are ultimately disappointing.

6 Westworld

Canceled After Season 4

Westworld Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available HBO’s Westworld is a dystopian science fiction western that is based on the Michael Crichton-directed film, Westworld. The series centers on high-paying guests who visit a western theme park full of human-like androids to live out wild fantasies. Westworld would later introduce a futuristic mid-21st century where the world is run by an artificial intelligence called Rehoboam. The series was incredibly popular during its four-season run but was canceled by HBO in November 2022. Cast Anthony Hopkins , Evan Rachel Wood , Shannon Woodward , Ed Harris , James Marsden , Jimmi Simpson , Jeffrey Wright , Tessa Thompson , Thandie Newton , Rodrigo Santoro Release Date October 2, 2016 Seasons 4 Network HBO Max Streaming Service(s) Max Writers Jonathan Nolan , Lisa Joy Showrunner Jonathan Nolan , Lisa Joy Expand

At one point, Westworld was one of HBO's most popular and beloved TV shows, with it being the critically acclaimed remake of the classic movie of the same name. However, Westworld was sadly canceled after season 4, with this most likely being due to low viewership numbers. This isn't where the show's creators wanted to end the series, however, as there were still plans for more stories in the Westworld universe.

According to the creators of the series, Westworld season 5 was supposed to be the show's final season, meaning that the series' life was cut short just before it could reach the finish line. Sadly, the true ending of Westworld will most likely never be known, with many of Westworld season 4's storylines being left unresolved upon the show's tragic cancelation.

5 Daredevil

Canceled After Season 3

Daredevil Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available Daredevil is a Netflix original series starring Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock. The TV show ran for three seasons before being canceled by Netflix, despite being critically praised. Kingpin was the main antagonist in seasons 1 and 3 and also introduced Jon Benrthal's Punisher in season 2. Daredevil was followed by Disney+'s Daredevil: Born Again. Cast Charlie Cox , Rosario Dawson , Elden Henson , Vincent D'Onofrio , Deborah Ann Woll , Jon Bernthal Release Date April 10, 2015 Seasons 3 Streaming Service(s) Netflix , Disney+ Franchise(s) Marvel Writers Drew Goddard Directors Phil Abraham , Stephen Surjik , Peter Hoar Showrunner Steven S. DeKnight Expand

While the MCU has been massive ever since the release of the first Iron Man, one often forgotten corner of the universe is the Netflix Marvel shows. However, Daredevil stood out among these series, with all three of the seasons getting praised. Sadly, Daredevil was canceled after season 3 due to Marvel wanting to make MCU shows on Disney+, leaving the series and the rest of the Defenders universe unfinished.

Netflix's Daredevil show already had a season 4 planned, with it seeming as if it could have been the conclusion of the series. Luckily, Disney+ is reviving Daredevil with the series Daredevil: Born Again. It doesn't seem like this new show is sticking to the original season 4 plans, but it could work to wrap up many of the storylines from Daredevil season 3, including the cliffhanger ending.

4 Deadwood

Canceled After Season 3

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buy Not available Not available Not available Deadwood is a western drama series created for HBO by David Milch. The series takes place in Deadwood, South Dakota, where corruption runs rampant in the gold-mining era as the settlement existed outside the U.S. territory expansion following the Civil War. As the town was the site of a major gold find, it continues to attract people from all walks of life - especially opportunistic criminals. Cast Timothy Olyphant , Ian McShane , Molly Parker , Jim Beaver , Brad Dourif , John Hawkes , Paula Malcomson , Leon Rippy , William Sanderson , Robin Weigert Release Date March 21, 2004 Seasons 3 Network HBO Max Streaming Service(s) HBO Max Writers David Milch Showrunner David Milch Expand

HBO's Deadwood is an immensely popular Western series that garnered critical acclaim throughout its run, with it focusing on a lawless mining town in the years after the Civil War. Despite its success, HBO canceled Deadwood after season 3, leaving the series unfinished. Deadwood is one of the shows that is most notorious for being canceled too soon, with fans being upset about it for over a decade.

Unlike many of the other shows on this list, Deadwood was eventually able to get some closure, with a film continuation titled Deadwood: The Movie releasing in 2019. Although the Deadwood film was obviously more condensed than the fourth season was undoubtedly supposed to be, this at least allowed the show to wrap up some of its storylines. However, this only proves that Deadwood could have wrapped up if it were given just one more season.

3 Teen Titans

Canceled After Season 5

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buy Not available Not available Not available Cast Greg Cipes , Tara Strong , Khary Payton , Scott Menville , Hynden Walch

Cartoon Network's Teen Titans series is considered to be one of the best animated superhero shows of all time, with it characterizing Robin, Cyborg, Raven, Starfire, Beast Boy, and a plethora of other characters in a fashion that is still used to this day. This is why it is so sad that the original plans for Teen Titans were never able to be finished, with the show being canceled after season 5.

It seems as if some creative differences when it comes to plans for the sixth season's story were to blame for the cancelation of Teen Titans, with the show ending on a cliffhanger. Due to each season being 13 episodes, Teen Titans easily could have wrapped up if it were given one more season, which is why so many fans were upset when it was replaced with a more comedic series in the form of Teen Titans Go!.

2 Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Canceled After Season 2

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available This spinoff of the Terminator franchise follows Sarah Connor, her son John, and Cameron, a Terminator reprogrammed to protect John. Pursued by time-traveling Terminator assassins, they must cope with life on the run as well as the impending threat of Skynet. Cast Lena Headey , Thomas Dekker , Summer Glau , Brian Austin Green , Garret Dillahunt , Richard T. Jones , Leven Rambin , Stephanie Jacobsen Release Date January 13, 2008 Seasons 2 Network FOX Streaming Service(s) Hulu , Prime Video , Apple TV+ Franchise(s) Terminator Writers David Nutter , Josh Friedman Directors David Nutter Showrunner Josh Friedman Expand

Throughout its run, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles was a mixed bag, it finally started to find its footing in season 2. Terminator: The Sarah Chronicles ended with an exciting season, setting up an epic storyline for season 3 that could have perfectly concluded the series. However, this never ended up happening, with the show getting canceled due to low viewership ratings.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles ends with John Connor discovering that the timeline has changed, with him no longer being the resistance leader in the future. Season 3 was set to chronicle John Connor as he rises up to become the resistance leader in this alternate timeline, with this storyline being the perfect way to end the show in its final season. Sadly, this never ended up happening, robbing Terminator fans of an incredibly cool alternate timeline narrative.

Related 7 TV Shows Canceled Before They Could Conclude Their Original Plan Some TV shows are canceled ahead of their time, but this can be made even worse when the creatives have a solid plan for the future of the series.

1 GLOW

Canceled After Season 3

GLOW Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available Based on the 1980s wrestling phenomenon of the same name, GLOW (aka Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling) is a comedy-drama series created by Netflix. It focuses on the women and people behind the unconventional new wrestling federation. The show follows three main characters, struggling actress Ruth Wilder, retried soap star Debbie Eagen, and director Sam Sylvia as they battle each other over how they wish to elevate their new project, all while dealing with the struggles of discrimination in entertainment during the 80s. Cast Alison Brie , Betty Gilpin , Marc Maron Release Date June 23, 2017 Seasons 3 Streaming Service(s) Netflix Writers Liz Flahive Directors Liz Flahive Showrunner Liz Flahive Expand

The Netflix series GLOW is one of the most notorious canceled series of all time, with fans still being upset about the show's cancelation years later. Despite the show's popularity, GLOW was canceled after season 3, with this being a surprise to everyone. In fact, production had already started on GLOW season 4 before it was canceled, making the show's early end even more tragic. Although GLOW season 4, episode 1 was filmed, production was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Netflix declining to restart production later.

Since GLOW season 4 was meant to be the show's final season, it only needed the last batch of episodes in order to conclude its storyline. This is why GLOW's cancelation is especially tragic, with the unfinished TV show being cut short so close to the finish line.