Listen, a heartbreak hurts, but your favorite show getting canceled hurts worse. And it always seems to happen like that. You get invested in a show, binge watch it for days straight, and then get to the last episode only to realize there’s no more. I have felt this heart break more than once, as many of my favorite shows have been abruptly canceled and I was left to wonder what was going to happen next. Sometimes shows get canceled because of low ratings or viewing, and other times the network just cannot support the production anymore. So in commemoration, here are some of my favorite shows that were unexpectedly canceled. Watch them at your own risk.
- The Carrie Diaries
I can’t be the only one who LOVED this show. As someone who’s watched Sex and the City all the way through multiple times, it was so exciting to have a prequel. While it obviously was much more tailored to a younger audience, it still had the sex, style and drama that we all adored from SATC. And most importantly, it was fun. One of the reasons I love The Carrie Diaries so much was because it wasn’t always as intense as SATC was, and dealt with more relatable young issues that some of us may have even faced. Also, I have to admit, I lived for the drama. Maybe I’m addicted to teeny-bop drama shows, but who isn’t? I binge watched The Carrie Diaries only to realize there wouldn’t be anymore. The entire point of the show was to give the backstory to Carrie’s life, and how she became who she was in SATC. This included her work as a writer and how she met the rest of the main characters. While her writing work was highlighted, the show was canceled right after she met Samantha and before she could even meet Miranda and Charlotte. The show was canceled due to low viewership, although I think if it was released now, that wouldn’t be a problem. With shows like Riverdale and Ginny & Georgia on Netflix now, I think it would be a hit. I think the main problem was that the show was released in 2013, when social media wasn’t as prevalent. If it had been released now, I’m sure every platform would be talking about it (whether it’s good or bad), which would lead everyone to watch the show and have great viewership statistics. So, yeah, as a lover of SATC, the cancellation of this one hurt me deep inside.
- Jane by Design
This one is on the same wavelength as The Carrie Diaries, but was probably a lot less known. It was canceled after one season, and was basically never talked about again. I loved the concept for this show, and was eagerly awaiting a second season for nothing to come. It left off on probably the biggest cliffhanger they could have created in the show, and I will forever be sad about it. The network said it had decent ratings for the first season, but it just couldn’t keep up with the renewal and ratings of popular shows Pretty Little Liars and The Sweet Life of The American Teenager, which were released around the same time. Again, I believe if it was released today as a Netflix Original show, it would probably do great and receive amazing reviews. The premise of the show was much like The Carrie Diaries, where it was focused on a high school girl trying to figure out high school boys as well as her fashion career. As someone who is very interested in fashion (and loves drama shows), this was a show I could binge for days on end. But unfortunately, only one season consisting of 10 episodes was released, so we weren’t able to enjoy much of it. I hope a concept like The Carrie Diaries or Jane By Design can be released again (maybe as a Netflix Original), and we’ll finally get to learn about all the cliffhangers and see a show all the way through.
- Anne With an E
SPOILERS AHEAD. Now…the last two hurt me, but this was gut-wrenching. The build-up this show provided before being abruptly canceled made it so much more upsetting. I’m not sure if you’ve seen this show, but I recommend watching it even with the cancellation (trust me, it’s worth the heartbreak). While this show still had drama, it was much less like the two previously mentioned. It followed a young girl adopted by two siblings, and it took place in the late 1890s. It had a comfortable historical spin, and it transported you to a different time period. You got to follow a young girl named Anne as she figured out life, and you built a sort of connection to her. But the real tea? Gilbert Blythe. Don’t even get me started. The build up of their relationship is, in my humble opinion, the greatest build-up in television history. They started as friends when they were young, and (SPOILER) finally in the last episode we get to see them finally kiss. But then that’s it. The show was canceled. I distinctly remember lying on the couch with no words when I found out it was canceled. At least we were able to see them finally fall in love, but we all wanted them happily ever after. Not to mention the show left off on Anne finally going off on her own as a grown woman, and we wanted to see where she went in life. But, we did not get that and never will. Also, it was canceled for seemingly no reason, as it was very unexpected. I would love if Netflix picked the show back up and gave us at least one more season, but I’m not holding out hope.
There are many more shows I could talk about that were abruptly canceled, and left us all constantly rewatching old seasons, just hoping that maybe they’ll change their minds. I wouldn’t wish it upon my worst enemy. So here’s to hoping no more of our favorite shows get canceled, and we can get at least half decent endings…for our own sanity.