The Top 50 Shows That Were Canceled Way Too Soon

Watching T.V. is one of the greatest pastime activities of all time! From drama to comedy, to horror and satires, television shows are the undisputed champion of leisure activity. This is why it hurts so much when one of our favorite shows is kicked off the air!

Some shows simply needed more development but many of them were hits in the making, so why did they get the boot? Look through our top 50 shows that were canceled way too soon and find out.

After season five it was announced that the comedy satire show Arrested Development (2003) wouldn't be coming back, and the hearts of fans dropped to their stomachs. Watching the level-headed Michael Bluth, played by Jason Bateman, try to keep his dysfunctional family together is too funny to resist once you get into it.

The Tick (2001) is one of those characters that has superpowers but isn't quite the superhero you would expect to save the day. Fortunately, Marvel Studios shows their can-do attitude as they pushed this series as hard as they could. The story of the popular pest was re-developed and aired in 2001, ran for one season, and was finalized in 2002.

When you think about what Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel were expecting when they created The Grinder (2015), cancellation most likely was not on the list. The legal comedy series was picked up in September 2015 and dropped in May 2016 due to not achieving high ratings, according to Fox.

It's hard to believe that the still popular classic comic T.V. series, Dilbert (1999), only lasted for one season. The dull and oblivious look in the eyes of Dilbert as he fades away at Path-E-Tech reached the souls of many through the original comic strips but not so much through T.V.

Deadwood (2004) was a complete surprise to many fans because it was canceled after only two seasons of South Dakota crime and corruption. As the story is reported by Looper, the partnered networks were having a heated discussion about the show's budget and thespian pay, but couldn't come to a decision that made both parties happy; thus, the cancellation.

New York has many areas where you can see prosperity and others where the word "poor" comes to mind. That's what The PJs (1999) showcased as it followed the lives of an African American family living in the inner-city housing projects. Let's thank comedian Eddie Murphy for coming up with such a revolutionary show.

Heroes was an action-packed show where different people discover they have superpowers. What made the 2006 hit series so cool was the powers that each person had and the realistic manners in which the powers could be used. Its drama was subtle enough to not be overwhelming while its fantasy was spot on.

The Finder (2012) makes our list of top shows that were canceled way too soon because although the premise was great, the ratings were not. The plot is loosely based on the book series, The Locator, and explores the life of an Iraq veteran who has a neurological defect that allows him to find missing people through extraordinary spatial reasoning.

Peggy Carter is a Marvel Studios favorite as she struts around the military facility with determination in her spirit to uncover some of Hydra's most disturbing secrets. As intriguing as she appears in cameos of other Marvel movies, her personal story in Agent Carter (2015) wasn't as interesting as they would have thought.

Most T.V. viewers like a good sci-fi series every now and again, and that is where Rosewell (1999) came into play. It served as a medium between normal high school drama and exploring the world of a different species through having supernatural powers. The band of hybrids did their best to survive New Mexico but were shipped off sooner than they thought.

Futuristic shows tend to be a hit or miss based on the plot and Dollhouse (2009) unfortunately missed its mark. As reported, spectators were intrigued by the plot but due to ineffective marketing, the show didn't meet the network's standards. Eliza Dushku played the lead role of young, lost people who lost their identities and were replaced with temporary memories to fulfill assignments for clients.

Morris Chestnut rarely fails at keeping the attention of his audience with his charm, assertion, and range of acting. Portraying a highly-skilled private practice doctor in Miami, Florida, "Rosey" helps his stand-offish partner, Vida, solve cases with a particular set of wit and knowledge in the almost hit show, Rosewood (2015).

The mystery that was Kyle XY (2006) still lives on once people are reminded of the show. The premise was based on a sci-fi drama platform where a family takes in a formerly institutionalized teen boy who is basically a savant. The interesting part is that the boy lacked some standard emotional expression.

The turn of the millennium gave us a lot of coming-of-age shows like Freaks and Geeks (1999). The plot is simple: a young female mathlete realizes that she is an "oddball out" and joins a group of "burnouts" who have lost their chance at popularity. What made the character interesting was how she watched her younger brother navigate his freshman year with ease and style.

College is one of the best - or worst - experiences of one's life. College freshman Steve Karp found this out all too well in the 2001 series Undeclared (2001). He, his girlfriend, and their fellow dormmates engage in some of the most embellished college antics you've ever seen.

You would think a show by the name of Selfie (2014) would survive in the modern world, but low and behold, it did not. The series followed a self-involved 20-something year old after she suffers the hardship of being the core focus of an embarrassing video that went viral.

With 5 seasons and 109 episodes, yes, Brothers & Sisters (2006) was canceled too soon! The series had a long stretch following the adult siblings of the Walker family as they dealt with their social and familial trials and triumphs. From old flames to new loves, to deception and cunning schemes, Brothers & Sisters created juicy gossip without trying.

Most of us love a good apocalypse story and that was almost given to us via You, Me, and the Apocalypse (2015). A group of eclectic associates bands together to prepare for the inevitable doomsday. The show was developed by American and British producers and aired in the United Kingdom before the United States.

V (2009) is one of those shows that continues to make us think that if aliens came from another planet, would we be safe and simply learn their advanced ways of living? It also went to show us that aliens can be completely deceptive and have ulterior motives as to why they have come to our planet!

DC Comics has a knack for turning some of their heroes into live-action phenoms. The NBC network paired with DC to bring Constantine (2014) to life. Matt Ryan received only one season to show us what he could do to make John Constantine a household name. With magical powers and a cynical attitude, things were going well until the ratings came out.

Numbers (2005) - stylized as Numb3rs - had a curiosity-peeking storyline connected to using a savant-type mathematician that uses known - and unknown - equations to solve particular cases for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Even with a solid premise related to crime and superpowers, the series caught fire and then burned out.

Good Girls Revolt (2016) makes our top 50 shows that were canceled too soon list for a few reasons. First, the American drama series was inspired by the book, The Good Girls, by Lynn Povich. Let's add that the book and the show are based on the late 1960s women's revolution towards work and education equality.

If you're a true T.V. geek, you've probably heard of Whodunnit? (2013), the mind-boggling show that featured a detective who presents various crimes for viewers to figure out. The plot of the show was meant to be interactive, however, it did not go as planned and did not catch the attention of many eyes.

The Unit (2006) was popular because it was based on the real-life experiences of top-secret military units. The cool part is that the units are modeled after the United States Army Special Operations Unit; you may know them better as Delta Force.

T.V. buffs may know about Chicago Justice (2017). It's the fourth installment of the Chicago franchise - created by Dick Wolf - and featured your typical law drama. The prosecutors and investigators at the Cook County State's Attorney's Office maneuver through the red tape of the legal arena and social media while keeping their ethics intact.

Drama and mystery go together like peanut butter and jelly, and that's what Jericho (2006) tried to prove after two seasons on the air. The premise? A giant, dark mushroom cloud towers over a small town near Denver, Colorado, and no one seems to know what's going on.

The Oblongs (2001) were a good way of learning why you should keep a clean body. The misadventures of a goofy family brought laughter to millions of viewers for only one season. WB reported lower than average ratings and pulled the plug with approximately five episodes in the season remaining.

Jennifer Love Hewitt was a popular actress in the early 2000s for many of her dramatic roles, including her appearance in the 2005 series Ghost Whisperer. She portrayed a young woman trapped in the astral realm of the dead and the living. Her ultimate goal was to help the deceased resolve their unfinished business with the living.

In September 2016, history was made when Pitch was introduced to our T.V. screens thanks to the Fox Network. The American drama series was created by Dan Fogleman and Rick Singer and featured Kylie Bunbury as Ginny Baker, the fictional first woman to pitch in Major League Baseball.

Shows like The O.C. (2003) show us how affluence and a support system can help even the most challenging cases. In Newport Beach, Orange County, California, a troubled youth becomes entangled in the lives of a group of friends living within their lave and luxury.

For all the viewers that like to play therapist, Lie to me (2009) was the perfect show because it featured the fictional character Cal Lightman who had the ability to determine if someone was lying based on proven psychological behaviors and body language. Sounds like a cool premise and many viewers were hooked within the first season.

Russell Hornsby and Nicki Micheaux did a wonderful job portraying family members that move into a Los Angeles crime-infested neighborhood in the series Lincoln Heights (2006). The goal of the family was to help the community and serve the people within it - including the convicts.

Wanting to do good for the sake of altruism was the plot of Eli Stone (2008). The fictional lawyer had the means to accept cases with little monetary gains because he had a superpower... a brain aneurysm that gave him visions of his clients and the truth within their legal narratives.

Is being canceled after six seasons considered "too soon"? Yes! Especially when it comes to Third Watch (1999). What made Third Watch bearable to watch amongst its other professional drama show cohorts is that it didn't solely focus on one profession. The series showcased the exploits of men and women who served as police officers, paramedics, and firefighters!

Politicians seem to be getting younger and younger in reality, so why not create a show about it. Meet The Mayor (2017), the sitcom featuring a young rapper who decides to run for mayor to create buzz for his up-and-coming music career.

Common Law (2012) starred Michael Ealy (right) and Warren Kole (left) as two cop buddies who have to endure their toughest mission yet within their professional relationship... couples counseling! The premise is a bit ridiculous but the cast was stacked with well-known thespians like Sonya Walger and Jack McGee. It had laughter to keep you engaged and action to excite you.

The main character, April, had a rough time during the two seasons of Chasing Life (2014). The young woman was diagnosed with cancer and the show exhibits how she was able to reframe thoughts, experience the ups and downs of having cancer, and create a support system that proved they were there for her every step of the way.

Joan of Arcadia (2003) is a hard show to forget. It circled around the life of Joan, a teenage girl who receives an astonishing - and quite random - visit by God. She is blessed with extraordinary insight and is tasked with completing assignments that eventually benefit the people that she helped.

Oh yeah, the funky grooves of the brothers from the Bronx were blared on the T.V. screens when The Get Down (2016) was released on Netflix. The American musical had many background surprises that viewers didn't know about like iconic rapper Nas playing the older rap voice of "Zeke", as well as being one of the head producers of the show.

The Nine (2006) had its time on air but lost much of it because of the trajectory of the plot. Nine surviving hostages from a bank hold-up meet on a regular basis to rehash the memories of their traumatic experience. The survivors also have inter-connected storylines with their family and friends, and how they were affected too.

Sci-fi is one of the largest genres of T.V. and film for a good reason: aliens! That's where Threshold (2005) joined the mix and provided viewers with a healthy dose of extraterrestrial magic. The team of experts that came together gave keen insight into how - and why - the galactic foreigners are approaching Earth.

A to Z (2014) was a great romantic comedy because of the storyline of the relationship between Andrew and Zelda that was chronicled as the theme of the show. We saw the ups and downs that they faced as a couple, which so happened to be quite fluctuating as the viewer ratings.

Awake (2012) had a serious plot that either caught your attention or confused you, which is part of the reason the show was canceled: a small amount of viewership. As the plot goes, a detective gets into a big car accident and wakes up in two worlds: one where his wife is alive but his son is dead, and the other where the son is alive but the wife is dead.

MTV had a show that could've been a hit with a second season and a chance for people to watch it. Clone High (2002) was an animated series with the awesome premise of a bunch of famous people like Joan of Arc, Abraham Lincoln, and Cleopatra attending high school together. The antics were funny for each character and the lessons were relatable to real-life situations.

Carnivale (2003) was praised for its creative direction and awkward characters with sinister or holistic messages. The series received nominations for a few awards and was even listed as one of HBO's top shows to watch. What brought about the decline of views was the confusion of the plot, according to reviews.

The Secret Circle (2011-2012) can be described as a mix between Harry Potter and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. The metaphysical powers that those in the secret circle possessed are what made the show intriguing enough to give it a chance. Unfortunately, by a viewer report, "the show tried way too hard."

The gloriously strange fairy tale of a young pastry chef who has the power to bring the dead back to life is told in the 2007 show Pushing Daisies. He solves the murders of the deceased with the help of his trusty and recently resurrected childhood sweetheart, and waitress that always has love on the brain, and a private investigator who questions even her own truth.

Still Star-Crossed (2017) is on the list of shows canceled way too soon because of the plot. It takes place following the aftermath of the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. The sets were authentic based on the times, the wardrobe was stunning and befitting of the creative cast members.

A true American sitcom, Grounded for Life (2001) gave us the inner workings of a mid-thirty Irish Catholic couple named Sean and Claudia. They share three children together and watch over them like hawks, despite the kid's ability to slip away from them with ease and entertainment.

Just the mention of American Gods (2017) brings gleam and tears to the eyes of all of its fans. The show follows Shadow Moon, a man serving a prison sentence and given early release. He finds Mr. Wednesday and enters a world of war between the Old Gods and the New Gods.