Top 10 Cancelled TV Shows

Curated from 21 contributors

  • Caroline Westbrook
  • Daniel Knell
  • Kimberley Howson
  • Dom Goodrum
  • Vincent Bradley
  • han jiyun
  • Ben Smith
  • Daniel Bell
  • ronen baran
  • Robert Daly
  • Tom Martin
  • Melanie Colman
+9 more
  1. Friends

    Friends

    We had a whole decade of Friends before it finally went off the air in 2004 and it has earned its place as one of the biggest sitcoms of all time - everything from the haircuts to the theme tune is instantly recognisable. And to this day there is still talk of a movie version. But of course the fact it still shows up on TV almost every night of the week could lead you to believe it was never cancelled in the first place.

    From Caroline Westbrook’s version

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  2. Seinfeld

    Seinfeld

    Quite possibly one of the most successful TV shows ever, Seinfeld is smart, witty, has some of the funniest characters in small screen history and really does stand the test of time. It's a pity it had to go but all the best things come to an end at some point and Jerry Seinfeld and the gang did it in style when the show bowed out in 1998. But it left us a legacy in the shape of Curb Your Enthusiasm, possibly the best spin off series ever created.

    From Caroline Westbrook’s version

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  3. Firefly

    Firefly

    A Western, in Space. Need I say more? Thought not..

    From Kimberley Howson’s version

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  4. Arrested Development

    Arrested Development

    Great show with great characters, it's coming back for a single 4th season prior to the feature film.

    From Paul Martin’s version

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  5. The X-Files

    The X-Files

    90s telly wouldn't have been the same without Agents Mulder and Scully, whose adventures expertly tapped into the public fascination with extra-terrestrial life and the 'we're all going to die' mentality of the approaching new millennium. It was cancelled in 2002 but has spawned spin-off films (and one of the best episodes of The Simpsons ever) and is still compulsive viewing. Even if the big twist always seemed to be something to do with aliens.

    From Caroline Westbrook’s version

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  6. Futurama

    Futurama

    Thankfully it was brought back, but hasn't been able to live up to the promise of the original series.

    From Ben Smith’s version

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  7. Sex and the City

    Sex and the City

    Sex And The City was of course brilliant because it featured women doing all those things that you only ever thought you'd see men doing on screen - namely drinking, talking about sex and having sex - and lots of it - with unsuitable partners. The fact it was clever and funny and had characters you cared about helped too. It was consigned to TV history in 2004 but lives on in film form.

    From Caroline Westbrook’s version

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  8. Cheers

    Cheers

    This classic comedy ran for a whopping 11 years and as was much a part of the 1980s as Duran Duran and legwarmers. While it's starting to look a bit dated now it still has its fair share of classic episodes - and of course if you're ever in Boston you can visit the bar itself.L

    From Caroline Westbrook’s version

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  9. Stargate Atlantis

    Stargate Atlantis

    Ended after five seasons that just kept getting better. Wanted season 6.

    From Paul Martin’s version

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  10. Freaks and Geeks

    Freaks and Geeks

    Aired on Saturday evening, and was cancelled in the middle of the first season - which gave the writers time to write a proper finale for the series. One that was so good that people thought the show was planned out only as a single season from the start.

    From Paul Martin’s version

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