You fall in love with a show. You fall in love with the characters. You fall in love with a UNIVERSE. And then, suddenly, without warning, your favorite show is canceled, and you feel a tremendous loss.

Television can be a comfort to many, and when you find that show or that perfect character that you connect with, it downright sucks to know you won't get to see them anymore.

Over the years, many shows have been cut short ahead of their time.

While others may have had a decent run, with years under their belt, the cancellation can still feel abrupt, especially when they don't get to end the series on their own terms.

We've seen fan campaigns change studios' minds (we're looking at you, Jericho) and cancellations reversed at the last minute (S.W.A.T. says hi!), but unfortunately, most shows don't have that same luck.

Their cancellations sometimes led them to a popularity they never achieved while the show aired.

Related: S.W.A.T Rolls Again as CBS Rescinds Cancellation, Orders Eighth Season

Adding every canceled show is impossible, as there are far too many to list. And there are no criteria outside of quality television that deserved better, as we lament what could have been.

After you've checked out our list (in no particular order), let us know which cancellations still haunt you!

Pitch

One thing you'll see repeatedly on this list are shows that came out way ahead of their time. If you put Pitch on today, it would do much better.

Dan Fogelman, of This Is Us fame, created this gem of a series, which followed Ginny Baker as she became the first woman to play in the Major Leagues.

The series was a showcase for Kylie Bunbury, who stepped into Ginny's shoes beautifully, playing the young pitcher as the emotional, confident, and slightly terrified rookie she was.

Fans will never forget the finale, which leaned into the chemistry between Ginny and catcher Mike Lawson, played by TV veteran Mark-Paul Gosselaar. They left us on a cliffhanger as the will-they/won't-they couple got closer than ever.

But outside of the popular ship, there was an earnestness to the series, which was very popular with men and women alike, though that didn't necessarily translate to the viewership numbers.

If the show were on today, with baseball's increased popularity, there would be a lot more eyeballs on the series, and it would have found its niche.

The Big Leap

Sometimes, a show comes along that fills you with joy and is so brilliantly made that you can tell everyone involved truly loved what they were doing.

The Big Leap was that show.

As with most cancellations, the series couldn't find a consistent audience, which was a shame because the aspirational story had a little something for everyone to enjoy.

A diverse cast full of extremely talented actors brought the story of a ragtag group working to put together a remake of Swan Lake to life, and those who fell in love with the series still mourn its early demise to this day.

Related: The Big Leap's Quiet Brilliance and Why It Deserved Your Attention & Viewership

This list is filled with unique series, and in the age of remakes and reboots, they're needed more than ever.

The Big Leap was a series that took a chance, and we're still saddened we didn't get to see this story through.

Roswell, New Mexico

This is a case of a series having a decent run (52 episodes of the sci-fi drama ran during its four seasons), but there was still story to tell about the infamous town home to aliens and the humans that loved them.

Purged during the great CW cancellation season, Roswell, New Mexico didn't necessarily get to end how it wanted to, which meant the series finale was nice but not wholly satisfying.

For starters, so much of the series revolves around Liz Ortecho, a human scientist, and Max Evans, a sheriff/alien, and the series ends with them on two different planets. Literally.

The ending wasn't all bad, with fan-favorites Malex getting married and other pairings setting sail, but the series could have used one final season to wrap everything up in a more fulfilling way.

Splitting that final season between the alien's home planet and Earth would have been monumental and wrapped the end of the series nicely.

Happy Endings

We were AH-MAHZINGLY disappointed when ABC canceled this ambitious and hilarious comedy after only three seasons.

This is another series that had a decent run but deserved better because it was that funny.

The cast was a who's who of young actors with chemistry like nothing we'd seen since Friends. And they deserved that kind of longevity.

We could have watched many more years of Brad and Jane navigating marriage, Max floating through life, and Penny just happy to be there.

This is one best friend group we desperately miss.

Twisted

Can we get some justice for Kylie Bunbury? She's got two shows on this list that deserved so much better by us.

Remember when Freeform was THE place to be for teenage drama?

Once upon a time, Twisted was one of its best, but it never caught on with audiences, perhaps because there were too many similar shows on the same network at that time.

Avan Jogia (why is he not a bigger star?) was the lead in the somewhat frightening thriller as a teenager recently released from juvenile detention. Said teenager was charged with killing his aunt, but that little factoid was only the tip of the iceberg.

Related: Cruel Summer and Good Trouble Cancellations Signal the End Is Near for Freeform

The series had a lot going on. There was the usual teenage drama that these kinds of shows highlight, but there was also deception, murder, and plot twists galore.

Perhaps because it existed at the same time as Pretty Little Liars, it could never find its audience. The two series were different but also similar in certain aspects.

Either way, the series had a fun cast and a decent premise that should have kept it on the air for many years.

The Secret Circle

In the era of The Vampire Diaries, supernatural series centered around teens were never more popular, and The Secret Circle came along at a time when it should have been a hit.

And it did start strong, though this was another case of a series coming in hot but then cooling off as the season waned on.

Instead of vampires or werewolves, the series revolved around teenage witches and a coven called The Circle.

Of course, there was a lot of danger lurking around the corners in Chance Harbor, Washington, and the young coven of witches found themselves battling dangerous forces while still having to go to high school.

Unfortunately, the series, based on the same name written by L.J. Smith (who also penned The Vampire Diaries novel series), never could gain the sort of widespread support its sister series did.

Still Star-Crossed

Forgive us for not moving on from this Shondaland period drama, which never got the credit it deserved!

Period drams on broadcast television are HARD to pull off, but there was such a lightness and true romantic feel about Still Star-Crossed that it has stayed with us for some ten-plus years since ABC dumped it after a single season.

Following two of the most famous families in literary history, the Capulets and Montagues, the series had a diverse cast. They pushed romance to the forefront while also focusing on the dreams and aspirations of his large cast of colorful characters.

Visually, it was stunning, but unfortunately, critics were never sold on the Shakespearean tale or the drama that came with it.

Vampire Academy

Listen, was Vampire Academy the best fantasy horror show ever? No. But it was a good time and only scratched the surface of what it could have been.

The show's vampire lore, taken from the popular novel series, was engaging and set it apart from many of the vampire shows we're used to seeing.

There was action, romance, and mystery at the heart of things, which revolved around the morois, the dhampirs, and the happenings at St. Vladimir's Academy.

Vampire Academy started great but lost momentum as the first season raged on.

And you have to wonder, if they keep up the pace and excitement of the first few episodes, whether they could have been given a second chance to build their world more.

Good Girls

Good Girls was never the hit it should have been.

The premise was wild: Three moms and their best friends robbed a grocery store to help with their various financial issues.

Related: Good Girls Series Chat: The Good, The Bad, and What Could Have Been

What ensued was four seasons and 50 episodes of plot twists, wacky shenanigans, and one of the weirdest series finales to date.

It wasn't bad, per se, but there was room to continue the story and not end things with everyone so fractured.

This series just needed ONE more season to wrap everything up and give closure to fans who rallied around this series season after season, even when things went off the rail sometimes.

Technically, this show's conclusion worked, but we're haunted by what could have been had they ended the series the way they wanted to.

Station 19

The #SaveStation19 campaign still wages on, as the veteran series was unceremoniously canceled, catching its ardent fans off-guard.

The series will wrap up its run with over 100 episodes, which should be celebrated and appreciated.

But we can't help but wonder what new heights the show could have reached if it continued its trajectory and reached the heights of its predecessor, Grey's Anatomy.

There's still a lot of life left in this series, which leaves its cancelation all the more upsetting and puzzling.

We haven't seen how things will end as of this date, but we feel confident stating that there were still stories to tell with and around the Seattle Fire Department, and we'll never stop wondering where these characters could have gone if they'd gotten more time.

Prodigal Son

As previously mentioned, some canceled shows over the years got a second chance at life due to tremendous campaigns put together by devoted fans.

The fans of Prodigal Son tried their best to save the FOX procedural after it was canceled, but unfortunately, a streamer never picked up the series, and we were all left to wonder what could have been.

The series finale ended on a crazy cliffhanger, with father and son Martin and Malcolm coming to blow, and Malcolm stabbing his father in the stomach. Fate unknown. It was one hell of an ending to one of the more clever television series of the time.

Related: Prodigal Son Four Years Later: Everything We Miss About The Killer Series!

There was no show like it, and no show has replaced it, as it's not easy to create a twisty, creepy broadcast drama that feels like a premium drama without the nudity and swearing.

There was something special about seeing the delectable Martin, a wondrous Martin Sheen, opposite strongwilled Malcolm, played to perfection by Tom Payne. There are a lot of procedurals on the air today, and none are as unique and entertaining as this series was.

Kevin (Probably) Saves the World

Kevin (Probably) Saves the World was kind of a perfect show.

Kevin was a guy who was down on his luck and came to live with his sister and his niece after a suicide attempt.

While trying to get his feet back under him, he was visited by a woman who told him that God needed him to save the world.

From there, Kevin was off on a quest to complete good deeds, and in the process, he learned about himself and became a better person. As the audience, we were better off from having watched such a good-natured series take flight.

Jason Ritter has been and will always be a phenomenal actor, and this was the perfect vehicle for him to show his dramatic chops and comedic timing.

It was a lovely show, with many life lessons learned each week, and more than one season was needed with the quirky cast of characters.

So Help Me Todd

Words can't express how sad it was to hear that So Help Me Todd would be wrapping up at the end of its sophomore season.

The CBS dramedy was actually a hit with viewers, but unfortunately, CBS had many series that were pulling in great numbers, and the delightful Todd drew the short straw.

Skylar Astin and Marcia Gay Harden was a dream duo as the titular Todd, a well-meaning but slightly chaotic private investigator, and his overbearing mother, Margaret, worked together to solve several wacky cases.

Related: Is It A Mistake To Cancel So Help Me Todd?

The series stood out as a true dramedy and could bring a tear to your eye through sheer emotions or laugh-out-loud comedy every week.

We're very disappointed we never got to see Todd get his happily ever after and Margaret settle down with the lovable Gus.

There were so many stories left to tell in Portland, and it's disappointing that we'll never get to see how everything turned out for the beautiful characters created in this universe.

Was the show who's cancellation broke your heart on this list? Let us know in the comments!

The post These Cancellations Still Haunt Us appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Yes, we're totally talking about the wonderful Happy Endings, which was cut short after three seasons.

The creators of the hit series crafted an all-new episode featuring original cast members Elisha Cuthbert, Zachary Knighton, Damon Wayans Jr., Eliza Coupe, Adam Pally, and Casey Wilson.

After it played out, a Q&A arrived, and naturally, the conversation turned to a potential revival of the series in the form of an ongoing series, or as a movie.

Despite there being a desire for another network to pick up the series after its ABC  cancellation, a deal could not be struck that would have been feasible.

“Everybody wants to do it,” David Caspe said.

“Everybody is sort of in a different place as far as getting everybody together, making it work business-wise for all these different companies."

"I know we’re all willing and want to do it. I know it’d be fun. Yeah, we want to do it, man. Anyone out there? I think we all want to do it.”

With a brand new pandemic-proof episode being produced via zoom, Caspe said that other shows that got creative helped pave the way for the Happy Endings reunion.

“A bunch of other people did it first so we thought maybe we could do it too,” he said.

The special episode proved that the characters were still funny, and very relevant today, meaning that a potential revival could blossom into a hit.

The series was a casualty of terrible scheduling during its third and final season, so if it lands at the right home, new and old viewers could find it.

The TV industry has changed in the years since the show aired, with more ways than ever to catch up on TV.

The special served as a benefit to raise money for World Central Kitchen and Color of Change.

It had raised over $11,000 by the end of the episode, and over $14,000 by the end of the Q&A.

What are your thoughts on a revival?

Do you want the show back on the air?

Hit the comments below.

These Shows Should Be Igniting Conversation!

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The cast of the ABC comedy series is set to reunite for a charity reading, according to Casey Wilson. 

“We’re going to do a Happy Endings little reading of something at this time,” the actress, who played Penny Hartz on the series, told Variety.

“We’re gonna get together and do a little new material… the writers, they’re tapping away.”

This will likely be welcome news for fans of the series, which lasted just three seasons from 2011-13, before being canceled by the network amid low ratings. 

Fans took aim at the network for erratic scheduling, which made it difficult for the people watching to keep up with when the episodes would actually be airing. 

Sony TV tried to wheel and deal to get the show back on the air, but they didn't amount to anything, with the production company struggling to find an interested party to keep it on the air before the cast contacts expired. 

There was even a hoax that the show was being revived in 2016, with a countdown timer being tweeted from the show's official Twitter account. 

Unfortunately, it was revealed to be a hoax, and the show remained dead. 

No details on where the special will air at this moment in time. 

The news comes just one day after Parks and Recreation returned for a reunion that earned almost $3 million for Feeding America's Covid-19 Response Fund. 

Happy Endings followed the dysfunctional adventures of six best friends living in Chicago.

There's the "crazy-in-love" married couple, businessman overachiever Brad (Damon Wayans, Jr.) and his neurotic perfectionist wife Jane (Eliza Coupe), as well as ditzy Alex (Elisha Cuthbert), a happy-go-lucky boutique owner and Jane's younger sister.

Outside of the family is daydreamer Dave (Zachary Knighton), an aspiring restaurateur and food truck owner; slacker manchild Max (Adam Pally), who struggles to hold a job and maintain a consistent relationship; and outgoing party girl Penny (Casey Wilson), a serial dater on an eternal search for Mr. Right.

Okay, what do you think of this news?

Are you still clamoring for a revival after all these years?

Hit the comments below. 

21 Most Secure Relationships on Television

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Some of the shows that have been canceled stick with us. Their loss causes us pain. We miss them. We hope for reunion movies and to find other people who might share our feelings.

The most recent case in point: Witches of East End, whose axing after two seasons had the Internet buzzing and complaining last week.

Below, we've assembled a list of programs that can still bring a tear to the eye at the thought we'll never see the characters we fell in love with and the stories they shared ever again.

22 Cancellations That Cut Deep

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Whether it was one season and done or 72 years long, when a series disappears, it takes characters who have come to life with it and it proves one sad fact about television:

There aren't always Happy Endings.

We've shown you ours, now you show us yours! Hit the comments with some of canceled series that left you scarred, bitter and maybe a touch weepy.

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Via Entertainment Weekly, the network announced today that it has acquired all 57 episodes of the beloved sitcom and will actually air a marathon of them starting at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, December 31.

The marathon will conclude on New Year's Day.

But this is merely the hilarious appetizer.

Happy Endings will subsequently land in its new time slot on Wednesday nights from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. beginning on January 8.

Of course, if you cannot wait that long, you can always watch Happy Endings online at TV Fanatic.

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Now I know what you’re all thinking…there’s a third Kerkovich sister?!? I was pretty darn surprised myself. All you really need to know about her is that she out-Jane’s Jane. But we’ll get to that in a minute.

It’s no secret that Happy Endings has suffered at the hands of ABC scheduling, first getting knocked out for a month and a half for Celebrity Wife Swap with Coolio and Kate Gosselin. Really America? That’s sad. Then it was bumped to Fridays which everyone knows is kind of a death sentence in the TV world. If in fact, these were the finale two episodes of the series and it’s not rescued by USA Networks, then at least Happy Endings had some consistency and went out the way it came in: wedding chaos!

Double points for consistency because it was another Kerkovich sister wedding: the one sister nobody knew existed, big sis Brooke. Apparently Jane and Alex have an older sister and she is more neurotic, organized, and uptight than Jane but not even remotely as fun. When Brooke is around Jane loses it and kind of regresses into Alex. Alex just stays Alex and enjoys her role as the baby. If an unraveling Jane isn’t bad enough, Brad was shaken up when he found out Brooke’s fiance Elliot is black and wouldn’t have to endure the same ordeal he did with the racist Kerkovich relatives.

With Brad proclaiming himself the “Jackie Robinson of the Kerkovich family” and Jane repeating the mantra “strength, courage, composure, no carbs” it’s no wonder everything else almost fell to pieces. The world is off its axis when our main couple are not themselves. I’m not going to lie, watching Jane meltdown and get weird Brooke-induced sweats was pretty funny. Brad’s meltdown led to a lot of incoherent babbling and bug-outs, but Damon Wayans Jr. always excels in his comic delivery. Max had it pretty on the money when he told Jane:

Jane you’re actin extra nuts, and I’m not talking about mistaking the teaspoon with tablespoon kinda nuts, I’m talking about Mel Gibson downing a 5-hour-energy and showing up at a Bar Mitzvah kinda nuts. | permalink

I think the second episode was probably my favorite of the two because I love when the gang is all together. However, Penny and Dave freaking out about their parents adopting and regressing into total children was also a riot. I especially love Megan Mullally and Michael McKeon as guest stars. I loved Penny and Dave’s reaction when they thought the announcement was an engagement and Dave quietly dropped a Rachel Zoe “I die.”

Even better than Dave putting on his best Zoe face was the fact that he dropped a line from on-screen girlfriend Elisha Cuthbert’s starring role in The Girl Next Door. The juice was worth the squeeze. I’m not sure if that was intentionally done by the writers, but if it was I want them to know that this reviewer noticed it and appreciated it!! Also the two of their dumbasses trying to make the baby cry was so stupidly funny. 

When all else fails, there’s nothing like some good old-fashioned physical comedy and competition between Brad, Jane, Max, and Alex. The fact that they noted that nobody solves problems by tennis matches past the 80s was amazing. It brought on images of movies like Trading Places and the tennis montage was well done. Happy Endings knows all of the obvious assumptions people make and beat them to the punchline by cracking the joke themselves.

Max: I wouldn’t say we spend that much time together, I mean just breakfast 4 or 5 times a week before work.

Dave:  And drinks during the day most days, not everyday but definitely every evening.

Penny: And sure we always deliver news in person. | permalink

A great hour of television and what I truly hope isn’t the last we’ll see of Happy Endings. Were you surprised Dave and Alex broke up? What did you think of Brooke Kerkovich? Who had the best lines? What did you think of the season 3 finale episodes? Hit the comments! 

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– Brad feels competitive with Brooke’s fiancee Elliot.

– Alex and Dave try to hide their break up.

– Penny and Max start a lot of rumors to hide the break up news.

– Jane loses it when Brooke “out Janes” her. 

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– Penny’s mom Dana and Dave’s dad Big Dave are in town.

– Max and Alex try to sabotage Brad and Jane’s tennis club visit.

– Dana and Big Dave want to adopt a baby.

– Penny and Dave try to convince their parents against adoption.

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The czar is just about the last man on Earth anyone would want to have sex with, and so naturally poor choices Penny ends up unable to quit him; much like Brad can’t stop inviting people over when he’s in an awkward or uncomfortable situation.

Penny’s desire to find a hookup to get Pete out of her system is perfectly fine, but it become old pretty quickly as I watched Penny continually jump into bed with the Czar. If Jane hadn’t done some smoothing over he may have never left her. Which is the biggest gripe I had: Penny makes a big decision to break of the engagement with Pete – showing a lot of courage and backbone on her part – and then she winds up stuck in another relationship with very little courage or backbone.

Max’s decision to enter the best gay man pageant isn’t the first one Max has entered, but the tricks and antics between Max, Alex, and Dave make it enjoyable. Dave’s impersonation of Sonny and Cher is both genius and slightly creepy, and Alex attempting to school Max in throwing just the right amount of shade also got me.

“Un-sabotagable” is the stronger comedy of the hour, however, with Mark Paul Gosselaar making a quick cameo as one of Max’s very upset ex-boyfriends.

Eliza Coupe has proven to be versatile with Jane’s neuroses, and is able to keep them fresh and interesting even when they’re bordering on overused. Jane’s attempts to make over Max, her pull down diagrams for areas of improvement, and learning that Max’s life is so terrible that not even his ex wants to attempt to sabotage are hilarious.

Jane using her powers for good and making over Max is a great start to sabotage-ability, and I really enjoy seeing put together Max once in a while, but we all knew it was never going to last. Max is the type of guy who is going to use his front door for a headboard and find gum in his hair.

Dave’s attempts at sabotaging Alex’s groupons are mostly a reflection of him being just as crazy and impulsive as Alex, but in different areas. Dave talks a big game, but he’s sometimes just a carbon copy of Alex with a better vocabulary.  Chase’s subsequent monologue of doom for Max at the closing of the episode is rather amazing – no, not the monologue itself – but the reaction it brings out in the rest of everyone else. They couldn’t care less about what Chase said only his perfect timing.

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Jane agrees to help makeover Max and his life, but Max soon has wonders if Chase is behind all the series of coincidences he was going through.

Alex, Dave, Penny, and Brad try to help Alex finish all her groupons.

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