There is no shortage of television shows out there that were cancelled far, far too soon. These choices usually are for various reasons, whether due to budgetary cuts or limitations, tanking reviews, or a steady plummet in viewership; sometimes, it’s a combination of all three. But cancellations are especially infuriating when the show isn’t even bad… in fact, it might even be pretty good, but for whatever reason, their respective networks just choose not to move forward with them.
On the other hand, a select handful of series get the chance to fully tell the story that they wish to tell, but still leave the fans wishing there could have been more. For whatever reason, and under whatever circumstances, there are a lot of TV shows, especially in the fantasy genre, that really could have done with just one more season, if not to resolve cliffhangers, then to just tell a little bit more story.
10
‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’ (2019)
Developed by Jeffrey Addiss & Will Matthews
There aren’t many people who are ready to forgive Netflix after the stunt they pulled with The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Based on the beloved 1982 Jim Henson film, this single-season series acts as a prequel, exploring the conflicts that led up to the events of the film, coming with the gorgeous yet strange puppets and sets that made the movie so memorable. Age of Resistance pulled in amazing reviews from both critics and audiences, prompting Netflix to cancel it after just one season. Yes, really.
The thing that sucks most about this is that the showrunners have expressed that they had numerous plans for the future, all of which were abruptly quashed when Netflix gave it the axe. Maybe it didn’t attract the viewership they wanted, maybe there was some other reason, but it was a major disappointment, nonetheless. One more season would have made fans happy and given the series a smoother transition to the events of the film, rather than feeling slightly disjointed.
9
‘The Wheel of Time’ (2021-2025)
Created by Rafe Lee Judkins
The Wheel of Time was a very popular Amazon Prime Video original series based on the novels of the same name by Robert Jordan. It initially got off to a rocky start, with a mediocre first season and many fans upset at the deviations from the source material. However, as the show went on, it slowly began to get better and better. Season 1, much like the first book, was designed in such a way that it could work as a self-contained story, in the event that the platform canceled it. Amazon didn’t, and it really should’ve, because if it were just going to cancel the show anyway, it would have been better to do so after an actual ending rather than leading people on for three seasons and canceling it on a cliffhanger.
Look at the critical and audience reviews along with the viewer analytics throughout the season, and you’ll only see that it clearly grew in popularity and quality. Season 1? Not great. Season 2? Better, but still nothing fantastic. Season 3? Actually amazing. Yet that’s when Amazon decided to cancel it? Make it make sense! This cancellation, right when it was finally hitting its stride, is a crushing disappointment for fans, which has sparked an adamant campaign online to save the show by having another network pick it up. The story is too developed now to end on a cliffhanger, and it deserves to be told in full.
8
‘Kingdom’ (2019-2021)
Created by Kim Eun-hee
Netflix’s Kingdomis in kind of a weird spot right now. The incredible South Korean fantasy/horror series produced two seasons, each consisting of six episodes, as well as a feature-length special prequel episode, before suddenly going on hiatus, with no official word as to whether or not the show will be coming back. Considering it’s been four years since the last bit of content was released, it’s safe to assume at this point that it probably won’t be coming back.
Kingdom‘s vague status is a real pain in the neck, too, because the second season ended on a cliffhanger and had a consistent quality throughout. It’s easily one of the greatest shows on the platform. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as popular as it should have been, especially considering how huge most South Korean content is on Netflix.Fans of this zombie period drama with a little bit of fantasy mixed in have stopped holding their breaths as to whether it’ll come back, but it definitely could’ve done with another season.
7
‘The Shannara Chronicles’ (2016-2017)
Created by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar
The Shannara Chroniclesis a high fantasy series that stars Austin Butler, based on a novel series of the same name by Terry Brooks. The books are decently popular in the fantasy community, but not as popular as some bigger names like The Wheel of Time, for example. The inspirations from other works are abundantly clear, but the story itself is rather entertaining.
Unfortunately, this show couldn’t escape the looming shadow of more popular fantasy shows that were booming at the time and was prematurely canceled, on a cliffhanger, no less. Fans of the show were, of course, pretty bitter, but it’s been long enough that the anger seems to have died down. In any case, The Shannara Chronicles could have used one more season just to wrap things up rather than abruptly being axed right before it could get better than it had ever been.
6
‘Shadow and Bone’ (2021-2023)
Developed by Eric Heisserer
Shadow and Boneis another fantasy series based on a book, only this one came with a pretty unique setting and a signature style of visuals that most other fantasy shows lack. Most fantasy stories in general tend to feel very similar, set in Medieval Europe, or some other realm mirroring Medieval Europe, which means they all feel kind of Tolkien-esque. But not Shadow and Bone. This show felt more like it took place in Victorian England, or rather, a parallel to it in a mythical realm.
Featuring steampunk elements mixed with magic, Shadow and Bone provided an exciting and engaging story in an urban fantasy-type environment, letting the city serve as the interesting backdrop rather than the wilderness of some fictional planet. It was definitely singular, but it just didn’t attract the numbers it needed to keep on trucking. After just two seasons, Netflix pulled the plug, ending it on a cliffhanger. Truly, is there anything in this world more infuriating? One more season would have resolved the cliffhanger, but it also would have been fun to return to the immersive world created by the original author and by the showrunners.
5
‘Kaos’ (2024)
Created by Charlie Covell
Kaoshad a lot of buzz surrounding it when it first came out. The show is set in modern times but revolves around the affairs of various gods from Greek mythology, who arrogantly begin to make lives difficult for a group of three humans with a strange connection to each other. It’s a dark comedy series that widely explores the selfishness of the Greek gods and how they made things intentionally difficult for mortals, sometimes for no real rhyme or reason.
Its raunchy comedy and unique concept earned it stellar reviews, which made Netflix’s decision to cancel it after only one season that much more infuriating. For crying out loud, Netflix, this is why people don’t like you as much as they used to! The reason surrounding Kaos‘ cancellation hasn’t really been revealed, but fans are still unhappy with it. TV shows sometimes need a little bit of time to find their rhythm and identity, so another season of this show likely would have made it even better.
4
‘The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself’ (2022)
Created by Joe Barton
The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself is another TV show that earned brilliant reviews but was canceled after just one season, ending on a massive cliffhanger that will never get resolved. In this case, the cancellation is understandable because the main premise of the show, and the book upon which it was based, just isn’t trending anymore. The whole YA fantasy genre was huge in the 2000s and 2010s, but has really tapered off since, making this a serious case of “wrong place, wrong time.”
Still, the plotline about a secret war fought behind the scenes of human society between opposing witch factions, and an adolescent who becomes the subject of a literal witch hunt as the factions seek to control him, was definitely interesting. A second season would have been great, as it would have allowed the show to explore the rest of the novel series, but it would appear that this just wasn’t meant to be. While the cancellation is justifiable, it doesn’t mean people have to like it.
3
‘Game of Thrones’ (2011-2019)
Created by David Benioff & D. B. Weiss
Unlike many of the other shows on this list, Game of Thronesactually ended. It was a major TV phenomenon, which allowed it to secure the funding for an actual finale that concluded the story. The difference is in how it played out. Indeed, many fans were extremely unhappy with the finale, especially in its mile-a-minute pacing, where significant events happen far more rapidly than they did previously, allowing little time for development.
The final season was also the shortest, at only six episodes rather than the usual ten, which left a lot of people feeling disappointed. Look around online, and you’ll likely find no shortage of people who feel that the show deserved one more season, at least to give things more time to flesh out and feel less rushed. Whether you hate or like the Game of Thrones finale, it’s impossible to deny the fact that one more season, even a short one, probably would have served it well.
2
‘Arcane’ (2021-2024)
Created by Christian Linke & Alex Yee
Like Game of Thrones, Arcaneactually wasn’t prematurely cancelled. It was a pretty big entry into the fantasy genre, and its story had an actual, proper conclusion, where all questions were answered and things came together nicely. But for how well-made and passionate it was, it really deserved more than just two seasons. It’s pretty clear that the showrunners already told the story that they wanted to tell, and that’s all there is to it, but devoted fans of the show and the video game upon which it was based are still thirsty for more.
Arcane had everything from fantastical magic to romance to steampunk and even some sci-fi elements, and there truly never was a dull moment. The animation style was also really unique, unlike anything anyone had seen before, making it a feast for the eyes on top of a masterful bit of storytelling.The showrunners want and deserve to move on to other things, but that can’t stop some fans from wishing the show’s run had been just a little bit longer than a mere two seasons.
1
‘Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities’ (2022)
Created by Guillermo del Toro
Film director Guillermo del Toro is known for his dark fantasy flicks likePan’s Labyrinthand The Shape of Water. Thus, fans were eager when it was revealed that Netflix would be producing an original television anthology series created by del Toro himself, which would consist of self-contained, shorter stories, all told with his signature flair. It was a great show, and perfectly embodied the things that fans of del Toro’s love so much.
But let’s be honest, everyone knew that this was only ever planned to be a miniseries. There were zero plans to ever produce a second season, zero prospects for the future, and a general understanding that it would be a short, one-time thing. But that doesn’t mean fans didn’t want to see more. Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities didn’t leave any open loose ends since each episode is a self-contained story, but still, another season really would have been nice, if only to see what else was in store for this haunting nightmare.
