28 TV shows that were canceled and never got the closure they deserved

Gabbi ShawJan 24, 2024, 05:57 IST

"GLOW" was renewed, only for Netflix to reverse its decision and cancel the show.Netflix

Not all shows can be hits — those that aren't usually end up canceled.
As a result, some shows end on brutal cliffhangers, such as "No Tomorrow" and "My Name Is Earl."

Now shows like "Ted Lasso" and "Succession" have come to an end, it's worth it to take a look at some of the all-time most unsatisfying conclusions on TV.

Some shows like "The Society" and "Pitch" were only given one season to find their audiences, and, when they didn't, were canceled on huge cliffhangers.

Keep scrolling to read about some TV shows we still think deserve better than what they got.

We'll never know if Ruth rejoins the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling in "GLOW," which aired on Netflix from 2017 to 2019.

Alison Brie as Ruth.Netflix

Katy Keene confronted the man who might be her father in the series finale of "Katy Keene."

Lucy Hale as Katy Keene.The CW

The 2019 series "The Society" was canceled after just one season by Netflix, failing to answer the big question: What happened to the residents of West Ham?

Kathryn Newton as Allie.Netflix

"Prodigal Son" ended with Bright stabbing his father, but it's unclear whether he survived.

Tom Payne and Michael Sheen as Malcolm Bright and Martin.Fox

At the end of "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist," it seemed Zoey's musical gift had transferred to Max, but we may never know why.

Jane Levy as Zoey.Sergei Bachlakov/NBC

"Pitch" was canceled after a critically acclaimed (but low-rated) first season that aired in 2016, leaving viewers to wonder what happened to Ginny, her relationship with Mike, and her potential injury.

Mark Paul Gosselaar and Kylie Bunbury as Mike and Ginny.Fox Network

"Pitch" was canceled after a critically acclaimed (but low-rated) first season that aired in 2016, leaving viewers to wonder what happened to Ginny, her relationship with Mike, and her potential injury.

"No Tomorrow" ended with Xavier, an apocalypse truther, finally being taken seriously and announcing to the world that an asteroid was on course to collide with Earth ... and then it was canceled.

Joshua Sasse and Tori Anderson as Xavier and Evie.The CW Network

"No Tomorrow" ended with Xavier, an apocalypse truther, finally being taken seriously and announcing to the world that an asteroid was on course to collide with Earth ... and then it was canceled.

"The Family" had more than a few twists and turns in its 12 episodes across March, April, and May 2016 — and the finale was no different.

The titular Warren family.ABC Studios

"Finding Carter" ended with a beloved character confessing to murder, while another was left badly beaten on the side of a road.

Kathryn Prescott and Alex Saxon as Carter and Max.MTV

"The Whispers" ended with the show's main character sacrificing herself to aliens to save her son (yes, really).

Lily Rabe and Milo Ventimiglia as Claire and Sean Bennigan.American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

"Chasing Life" ended with its main character traveling to Italy ... to die.

Italia Ricci as April.ABC Family

"Southland" faded to black and left its main character's fate in question after a fellow police officer mistakenly shot him.

Michael Cudlitz as Officer John Cooper.TNT

"Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" (1993 to 1997), ended with Lois and Clark receiving a mysterious Kryptonian baby from a time traveler.

Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher as Clark and Lois.Warner Bros. Television

"Bored to Death" had one big twist in its finale: The main character's girlfriend, Rose, turned out to be his half-sister.

Zach Galifianakis and Jason Schwartzman as Jonathan and Ray.HBO

"Flashforward's" inventive premise of characters seeing six months into the future wasn't sustainable in the long run. It was canceled after one season airing in 2009 and 2010, but not before blowing up a building with a main character inside.

Joseph Fiennes as Mark.American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

"Flashforward's" inventive premise of characters seeing six months into the future wasn't sustainable in the long run. It was canceled after one season airing in 2009 and 2010, but not before blowing up a building with a main character inside.

"Joan of Arcadia" was canceled right as it was implied that Joan's journey was just beginning and that the first two seasons had only been preparing her for the real fight.

Amber Tamblyn and Hilary Duff as Joan and Dylan.CBS

"Joan of Arcadia" was canceled right as it was implied that Joan's journey was just beginning and that the first two seasons had only been preparing her for the real fight.

"Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" took place four years after the events of "Terminator 2: Judgment Day." It followed Sarah and John Connor attempting to stop the creation of the destructive SkyNet, and aired from January 2008 to April 2009.

Lena Headey and Thomas Dekker as Sarah and John Connor.20th Century Fox Television

"Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" took place four years after the events of "Terminator 2: Judgment Day." It followed Sarah and John Connor attempting to stop the creation of the destructive SkyNet, and aired from January 2008 to April 2009.

"Sliders" ended with the show's last remaining character injecting himself with a virus and "sliding" into a parallel universe.

Cleavant Derricks and Kari Wuhrer as Rembrandt and Maggie.Fox Network

"Kyle XY" is best remembered as the show about the guy with no belly button, but it ended abruptly with an attempted murder, a surprising revelation, and no closure for the show's love triangle.

Matt Dallas as Kyle.ABC Family

"Kyle XY" is best remembered as the show about the guy with no belly button, but it ended abruptly with an attempted murder, a surprising revelation, and no closure for the show's love triangle.

"Las Vegas" ended with a main character walking into his own funeral with no explanation.

Molly Sims and Josh Duhamel as Delinda and Danny.NBC

"My Name Is Earl" ended with the dreaded "To be continued..." and then never was.

Ethan Suplee and Jason Lee as Randy and Earl Hickey.NBC

"The Dead Zone's" series finale left viewers with a jaw-dropping revelation: The apocalyptic future Johnny had been trying to prevent might be his fault.

Chris Bruno, Anthony Michael Hall, and John L. Adams as Walt, Johnny, and Bruce.USA Network

"Hannibal" ends with the two main characters flinging themselves off a cliff.

Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy as Hannibal and Will.NBC

Arguably one of Marvel's best TV shows to date, "Agent Carter," suffered from low ratings and was canceled after season two — it ended with a main character bleeding on the floor due to a gunshot wound.

Hayley Atwell as Agent Peggy Carter.ABC

Arguably one of Marvel's best TV shows to date, "Agent Carter," suffered from low ratings and was canceled after season two — it ended with a main character bleeding on the floor due to a gunshot wound.

"Popular," a perfect satire on the ridiculous plot twists of teen dramas, got to end on an absurd cliffhanger of its own: Queen Bee Brooke getting run over by drunk and jealous Nicole.

Leslie Bibb and Carly Pope as Brooke and Sam.The WB

"Popular," a perfect satire on the ridiculous plot twists of teen dramas, got to end on an absurd cliffhanger of its own: Queen Bee Brooke getting run over by drunk and jealous Nicole.

No one expected "Moesha," a sitcom, to end the way it did, with one of the girls in Moesha's dorm pregnant, Myles abducted, and Moesha deciding whether to move in with her boyfriend.

Countess Vaughn and Brandy as Kim and Moesha.UPN

No one expected "Moesha," a sitcom, to end the way it did, with one of the girls in Moesha's dorm pregnant, Myles abducted, and Moesha deciding whether to move in with her boyfriend.

"Mork and Mindy" was canceled after a steady decline in ratings, leaving the fate of its two main characters up in the air.

Robin Williams and Pam Dawber as Mork and Mindy.ABC

"Terra Nova," a time-traveling epic about what would happen to Earth if it becomes too populated, was canceled after just one season, leaving viewers to wonder what became of the citizens of Terra Nova.

Jason O'Mara as Jim.Fox

"Terra Nova," a time-traveling epic about what would happen to Earth if it becomes too populated, was canceled after just one season, leaving viewers to wonder what became of the citizens of Terra Nova.

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28 TV shows that were canceled and never got the closure they deserved

We'll never know if Ruth rejoins the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling in "GLOW," which aired on Netflix from 2017 to 2019.

Katy Keene confronted the man who might be her father in the series finale of "Katy Keene."

The 2019 series "The Society" was canceled after just one season by Netflix, failing to answer the big question: What happened to the residents of West Ham?

"Prodigal Son" ended with Bright stabbing his father, but it's unclear whether he survived.

At the end of "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist," it seemed Zoey's musical gift had transferred to Max, but we may never know why.

"Pitch" was canceled after a critically acclaimed (but low-rated) first season that aired in 2016, leaving viewers to wonder what happened to Ginny, her relationship with Mike, and her potential injury.

"No Tomorrow" ended with Xavier, an apocalypse truther, finally being taken seriously and announcing to the world that an asteroid was on course to collide with Earth ... and then it was canceled.

"The Family" had more than a few twists and turns in its 12 episodes across March, April, and May 2016 — and the finale was no different.

"Finding Carter" ended with a beloved character confessing to murder, while another was left badly beaten on the side of a road.

"The Whispers" ended with the show's main character sacrificing herself to aliens to save her son (yes, really).

"Chasing Life" ended with its main character traveling to Italy ... to die.

"Southland" faded to black and left its main character's fate in question after a fellow police officer mistakenly shot him.

"Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" (1993 to 1997), ended with Lois and Clark receiving a mysterious Kryptonian baby from a time traveler.

"Bored to Death" had one big twist in its finale: The main character's girlfriend, Rose, turned out to be his half-sister.

"Flashforward's" inventive premise of characters seeing six months into the future wasn't sustainable in the long run. It was canceled after one season airing in 2009 and 2010, but not before blowing up a building with a main character inside.

"Joan of Arcadia" was canceled right as it was implied that Joan's journey was just beginning and that the first two seasons had only been preparing her for the real fight.

"Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" took place four years after the events of "Terminator 2: Judgment Day." It followed Sarah and John Connor attempting to stop the creation of the destructive SkyNet, and aired from January 2008 to April 2009.

"Sliders" ended with the show's last remaining character injecting himself with a virus and "sliding" into a parallel universe.

"Kyle XY" is best remembered as the show about the guy with no belly button, but it ended abruptly with an attempted murder, a surprising revelation, and no closure for the show's love triangle.

"Las Vegas" ended with a main character walking into his own funeral with no explanation.

"My Name Is Earl" ended with the dreaded "To be continued..." and then never was.

"The Dead Zone's" series finale left viewers with a jaw-dropping revelation: The apocalyptic future Johnny had been trying to prevent might be his fault.

"Hannibal" ends with the two main characters flinging themselves off a cliff.

Arguably one of Marvel's best TV shows to date, "Agent Carter," suffered from low ratings and was canceled after season two — it ended with a main character bleeding on the floor due to a gunshot wound.

"Popular," a perfect satire on the ridiculous plot twists of teen dramas, got to end on an absurd cliffhanger of its own: Queen Bee Brooke getting run over by drunk and jealous Nicole.

No one expected "Moesha," a sitcom, to end the way it did, with one of the girls in Moesha's dorm pregnant, Myles abducted, and Moesha deciding whether to move in with her boyfriend.

"Mork and Mindy" was canceled after a steady decline in ratings, leaving the fate of its two main characters up in the air.

"Terra Nova," a time-traveling epic about what would happen to Earth if it becomes too populated, was canceled after just one season, leaving viewers to wonder what became of the citizens of Terra Nova.