25 best one season shows: Greatest series cancelled too soon, ranked [PHOTOS]

One of the most aggravating aspects of becoming invested in a TV show is when networks cancel it too soon. There are many shows that haven’t made it past one season, as they struggle to establish a strong fanbase. For the most part, these cancelled series plummet into the TV wasteland of forgotten shows. But a few live on as cult series, or in the memory of fans still bitter over an early cancellation.

There are several reasons a network cancels a show, but the main one is ratings – especially in the days when the Neilsen ratings determined the fate of a series. Before cable and streaming, the “Big Three” networks of ABC, CBS and NBC fought for viewership, and wouldn’t hesitate to axe a show that didn’t perform well. Unfortunately, some shows like “The Tick” didn’t receive the support they deserved from network executives, either by lack of advertising or by placing the new program on the schedule opposite establish hits on competing networks. Another strong factor is cost of production, with head honchos quick to cut a show like “Tales of the Gold Monkey” that has decent ratings but not decent enough to justify a high cost.

We’ve uncovered 30 shows over the past six decades that didn’t make it past one season but are remembered fondly. For some of these, fans and even “TV Guide” magazine led efforts to keep them on the air, with “Battlestar Galactica” being one of the first shows to spark a campaign effort to save it. There are times, though, when the series ends because the people involved in production have made that choice, as when Claire Danes found it difficult to balance her schoolwork and her work on “My So-Called Life.”

Although many of these programs failed to garner adequate viewership, many were loved by critics, and even received Emmy nominations despite being cancelled. There were even some wins, such as Richard Kiley for Best Actor for “A Year in the Life” and “The Ben Stiller Show” for Best Variety Writing.

Many of these shows have gone on to become cult classics, developing loyal followings. We all have one or two shows that we remember was taken away from us way too soon. Did yours make the list? Tour our photo gallery featuring the titles listed above, plus “Freaks and Geeks,” “Firefly,” “Police Squad!” and more.

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