With the sheer amount of TV shows that are produced every year, executives are forced to decide which programs to renew and which just aren’t good enough to make the cut. However, certain cancellations create conflict with vehement fans. This results in the formation of cult classics like Freaks and Geeks or, in the case of Netflix’s Julie and the Phantoms, brings more attention to the show than it ever had while on the air. But what about the shows that merely fade into obscurity? Was there potential there too? For the sake of brevity, I am not including TV shows that were intended to only run for one season (i.e. The Queen’s Gambit, Looking For Alaska, or The Haunting of Bly Manor). So, without further ado, let’s dive into the list:
- Swamp Thing (2019)
Canceled almost immediately after its premiere, Swamp Thing wasn’t even given a chance for audiences to like it before being shut down. The show ran into trouble during production, with creative differences with WarnerMedia resulting in the episode count being lowered from 13 to 10. Its run of bad luck continued after tax rebate errors, significantly increasing the budget beyond any reasonable chance at making a profit. Fans started the hashtag #SaveSwampThing in an attempt to revive the show. Despite moving from video-on-demand streaming service DC Universe to the CW, a possible cameo in the CW’s other superhero program, Legends of Tomorrow, is the closest the show will ever get to a sequel.
It’s a shame that production errors and the use of a lesser-known streaming service led to the show’s demise.
The show followed Abby Arcane, played by Crystal Reed (Teen Wolf, Gotham), a CDC doctor who returns to her hometown to investigate a mysterious virus. She meets Alec Holland, played by Andy Bean (It Chapter Two, Malignant), a disgraced biologist who ends up becoming the titular creature. Swamp Thing had a lot of potential, leaning into its horror elements and containing some of the best visual effects I’ve seen to date. The cast thrived in the narrative’s darker tone, with many stars like Virginia Madsen (Candyman (1992)) and Derek Mears (Friday the 13th (2009)) being horror movie staples. It was praised by critics and fans alike, earning a 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. While some plotlines felt like they lagged a bit, the chemistry between Reed and Bean was enough to leave me craving a second season.
- The Secret Circle (2011-2012)
The Secret Circle suffered from being a bit too ahead of its time, with supernatural teen dramas only just beginning to enter the mainstream. At the time of the show’s premiere, both Teen Wolf and My Babysitter’s a Vampire had begun airing earlier the same year and The Vampire Diaries was debuting its third season. The CW axed the show the day after its final episode aired, claiming declining viewership, expensive CGi, and expensive location shooting as contributing factors to the show’s cancellation. Multiple fan campaigns were launched to revive the show, from launching a website titled “Save the Circle” to sending 325,000 gold plastic coins to ABC Family. Between three different petition campaigns, over 85,500 signatures were amassed. Alas, the show was still not picked up by other networks, leaving fans feeling slighted.
The show follows recently orphaned high-schooler Cassie Blake, portrayed by Britt Robertson (Tomorrowland, I Still Believe) as she moves to Washington to live with her grandmother. She discovers that she descends from a long line of witches and must adjust to both life in Washington and the hazards that come with being a powerful coven member. As the summary would suggest, the show is pretty standard as teen TV programs go. But the chemistry between cast members is what really carried the narrative, and there was plenty of potential for character development had it been greenlit for a second season. Ironically, 4 of the 6 main leads would later go on to star in some of the most popular supernatural shows— Thomas Dekker in Heroes, Shelley Hennig in Teen Wolf, Jessica Parker Kennedy in The Flash, and Phoebe Tonkin in both The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. Had The Secret Circle been released a few years later, it definitely would have been as well known.
- Red Band Society (2014-2015)
Red Band Society was canceled before its last three episodes had even aired, likely due a lack of leading names amongst its teenage stars, a decrease in viewership, and the show’s premise itself. The show’s decision to conclude the season with its patients leaving the hospital created the issue of having to continue its storylines outside of its original setting. Having to rebrand itself in a potential second season was too much work for executives to invest in.
It focuses on a group of teenage patients at Ocean Park Hospital, overseen by head nurse Dena Jackson, portrayed by Academy Award-winning actress Octavia Spencer (The Help, Hidden Figures). The show did a really good job of tackling difficult subjects like eating disorders and filing for emancipation. Every storyline is treated with care, and the characters’ chemistry makes it extremely enjoyable to watch.
- Wolf Lake (2001)
If The Secret Circle was a little before its time, Wolf Lake was basically prehistoric. Debuting four years before Supernatural, the show just didn’t have a place in the market at the time. Premiering shortly after 9/11 did the show’s viewership no favors, leading to only 5 of its 9 episodes making it on air at CBS. I’m still amazed that I found the show by pure accident on YouTube, as I’d never heard of it before, despite deep-diving into the history of supernatural dramas.
The show follows Seattle policeman John Kanin, played by Academy Award-nominated actor Lou Diamond Phillips (Stand and Deliver, Prodigal Son), as he investigates the titular town in search of his kidnapped fiancee. It turns out Ruby Wilder/Cates/Creed, the aforementioned fiancee portrayed by Mia Kirshner (The Vampire Diaries, Not Another Teen Movie), is hiding a potentially deadly secret. Wolf Lake is separated into werewolves and humans, with the former living luxuriously on the “Hill.” Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Birds of Prey) also stars in a leading role as Sophia Donner, the sheriff’s daughter who is going through some changes of her own. Every episode is compelling, delving into the grittier areas of the town and its residents in a way modern supernatural dramas don’t necessarily do. Instead of new villains cropping up, we as the audience are the intruders. The most frustrating part of the show is its finale cliffhanger, leaving me longing for an epic second season that never came to fruition.
- Deadly Class (2019)
Deadly Class had so much potential, and it actually makes my blood boil thinking about how this amazing show only got one season to flourish. Unfortunately, its top episode only gained 1.13 million viewers between both live and DVR views. Along with the fact that most of the actors weren’t famous— Lana Condor (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before) and Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange, Avengers: Endgame) arguably became well-recognized after the show had already been canceled.
Based on the comic book series of the same name, the show follows homeless teenager Marcus Arguello as he is recruited by King’s Dominion, an elite private school training its students to become top assassins. The cinematography in Deadly Class is absolutely gorgeous, with the lighting and coloring perfectly capturing the atmosphere of 1980s counterculture. While the pacing can get a bit testy, the cast more than makes up for any questions surrounding the plot. Motion comics voiced by the cast were released on YouTube during the show’s run, providing another interesting avenue to explore. Deadly Class could’ve been so much more if it was given a bit more time to grow into itself. Alas, we’re left with a mere 10 episodes.
- Spinning Out (2020)
A show that deals with a lot of taboo subjects in television, Spinning Out was canceled only one month after its premiere. Following Kat Baker, played by Kaya Scodelario (Skins, The Maze Runner), an ice skater who reenters the competition circuit after a disastrous fall, the show’s premise initially seems like any other formulaic sports vehicle. What the audience doesn’t realize at first is that both Kat and her mother Carol, played by January Jones (Mad Men, X-Men: First Class), suffer from bipolar disorder. Kat struggles to maintain her relationships, especially with her skating partner Justin Davis, played by Evan Roderick (Arrow), and her younger sister Serena, portrayed by Willow Shields (The Hunger Games).
Spinning Out is one of the only shows I’ve ever seen that handles bipolar disorder in a realistic way— the other being Skam France— making sure the audience receives equal parts optimistic mania and spiraling depressive episodes. While some criticized the show’s dueling tones, it made for an accurate representation of the sudden mood swings that those who suffer from bipolar disorder suffer through constantly. It also tackles issues regarding PTSD and sexual assault allegations against sports doctors, topics that have been steadily brought into the culture conversation but not yet approached in media representation. I was severely disappointed when the show was canceled, but I’m happy that its 10 episodes served as an opportunity to bring information about bipolar disorders into the culture’s consciousness.