Like all good things in life, every television show must come to an end at some point. Some go out with dignity, giving audiences a satisfying ending and a sense of closure while others go on for years until every possible scenario is milked and audiences rejoice when it finally ends. As a friend of mine once said, "You either die a Futurama or you live long enough to see yourself become The Simpsons". However, there are some unfortunate shows that are taken from us before their time, the dreaded cancellation. This tragic fate is usually down to lack of interest or low ratings and a lot of the time leaves the fan base of the show enraged. There have been many shows in the past that were cancelled before there time so here are five that I have chosen.
5. Samurai Jack
Long before Adventure Time or (shudders) Teen Titans Go! were around, there were a whole other bunch of cartoons of Cartoon Network. One of the most iconic of these was Samurai Jack, a series which followed a skilled samurai who gets trapped in the future by the evil demon Aku and must find his way back to the past. Unfortunately the eponymous swordsman never got back to the past as the show was cancelled after 4 seasons. This show was really cool and I have fond childhood memories of it, the animation style was unique and the creatures and characters in it really stood out. It took obvious influence from old samurai flicks, the works of Frank Miller and ancient mythology but the show was certainly packed with originality and had many memorable episodes. Thankfully the show has been picked up for a revival set to air later this year so that should be exciting, but I decided to put it on the list anyway due to the frustration of my eight year old self.
4. Hannibal
Back in 2013, fans of Thomas Harris' Hannibal novels and their film adaptations were treated to a rebooted series focusing on the early days of the titular cannibal and his rivalry with FBI agent Will Graham. The show was an instant hit praised for its dark tone and its talented cast including Mads Mikkelsen as Hannibal Lecter and Hugh Dancy as Will Graham. It was full of bizzare and grotesque murders with surreal elements and was one of the best crime thrillers of the decade, however last year in its third season Hannibal was cancelled. This was upsetting for many of the 'fannibals' (including myself) especially after how brilliant season 3 was and although we initially hoped it would be revived, the season finale killed our hopes. However there is still a chance that Hannibal could return, with developer Bryan Fuller expressing his interest in reviving the series along with Dancy and Mikkelsen. However, for now it looks as though we have seen the end of Hannibal.
3. Twin Peaks
This psychological mystery series from the mind of David Lynch followed FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper arriving in the small town of Twin Peaks after a young girl named Laura Palmer was murdered. This is one of my favourite shows of all time and has become a cult classic since it first aired in 1990, known for its memorable characters and elements of surrealism. Frequent Lynch collaborators also starred in the extensive cast including the likes of Kyle MacLachlan and Jack Nance and Twin Peaks became extremely popular during its run. However after Laura Palmer's killer was revealed halfway through the second season, people began to lose interest and ratings severely dropped. This led to the cancellation of Twin Peaks which was shit because it ended so ambiguously. Lucky for us, a revival is currently in the works and due for next year (I wrote a post about it which you can read here) but I put it on the list due to how long it took for it to come back, that being almost 26 years.
2. Freaks and Geeks
The show that launched the careers of the likes of James Franco and Linda Cardellini with Judd Apatow as an executive producer has gained a cult status since it originally aired in 1999. Set in 1980, it followed former mathelete Lindsay Weir who gets mixed up with a group of underachievers in high school and their exploits that follow. The show found the perfect balance of comedy and drama and was extremely well-written, it was full of likeable characters and plenty of memorable moments. It also had an excellent soundtrack. Unfortunately after only eighteen episodes, Freaks and Geeks was cancelled which was a real shame as it leaves you wanting more from these characters. It left certain things ambiguous despite its lighthearted ending and it is hard not to speculate what could have happened if it was picked up for another season. However, Freaks and Geeks gave us the likes of the previously mentioned Franco and Cardellini along with the likes of Seth Rogen and Jason Segel so we have that to thank it for. Maybe a revival could happen someday if we're lucky.
1. Utopia
Now this one was frustrating. Utopia was a British thriller series that aired on Channel 4 in 2013 and 2014 that followed a group of individuals who find a mysterious manuscript for a graphic novel which prompts them to be followed by an evil organisation called The Network. The show was brilliantly written full of memorable characters and shocking sequences along with its clever dialogue. Not only that, but it was visually stunning due to its colour schemes and beautiful cinematography. It was a pleasure to watch and the score from Cristobal Tapia de Veer is one of the most memorable scores from any television show. The second season of Utopia ended on an intense cliffhanger which made it all the more frustrating when the show was later cancelled. It was a real shame seeing such an original show being taken off the air while shows like Geordie Shore still plague our screens but unfortunately that's life. HBO had developed plans for an American version of the show directed by David Fincher and written by Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn, Rooney Mara was even in negotiations for the role of Jessica Hyde. However the plans were scrapped last year and for now, it looks as if we have seen the end of Utopia.
So those are just 5 of the many shows that have faced the cruel fate of cancellation, those are my picks but if you have any I'd love to hear about them in the comments. I'll have some Oscar predictions up soon once I watch more of the entries so stay tuned for that soon, until next time!
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