When discussing dearly missed television series that were axed prematurely, many fans eagerly recall their cherished but short-lived favorites. Networks and streaming platforms often pull the plug on shows for various reasons, sometimes reversing their decisions as in the case of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” Yet, numerous series remain canceled, leaving behind a devoted audience yearning for their return.
Even when a show is discontinued due to declining viewership, it frequently retains a passionate following that continues to long for its revival. We delved into fan discussions on Reddit to identify which canceled series still resonate with audiences. From a bold crime drama directed by David Fincher to an underappreciated comedy and a graphically intense Netflix original, here are five series that fans fervently hope will make a comeback.
Our exploration of Reddit unearthed frequent mentions of “Mindhunter,” the gripping crime series spearheaded by renowned director David Fincher for Netflix. Numerous users highlighted it across several threads, albeit without delving into specific reasons. But what exactly is “Mindhunter,” and why did it meet its end?
Launched in 2017, “Mindhunter” was directed and produced by Fincher, with Joe Penhall serving as creator and showrunner. The series draws inspiration from the nonfiction book “Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit” by John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker. Starring Jonathan Groff as Holden Ford, an FBI agent who transitions to teaching after a fatal incident, the show follows Ford’s growing fascination with the psychology of serial killers. Together with agent Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) and Boston University psychologist Wendy Carr (Anna Torv), they establish the Behavioral Science Unit to delve into the minds of murderers.
Mindhunter
The initial season centers on real-life murderer Ed Kemper (Cameron Britton), while the second season explores the true events surrounding a series of child murders in Atlanta. Throughout, the notorious killer Dennis Rader, known as “BTK” for “Bind, Torture, Kill,” lurks ominously in the background. Unfortunately, after two seasons, “Mindhunter” was discontinued, and in 2023, Fincher confirmed it would not return. Nevertheless, these two stellar seasons remain available on Netflix.
The first season of “Mindhunter” debuted in 2017 — Fincher worked as a director and executive producer, but the creator and showrunner, Joe Penhall, based the show on the nonfiction book “Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit” by John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker — with Jonathan Groff in the lead role as Holden Ford, an FBI agent who starts teaching after an incident in the field that resulted in the death of a suspect. Eventually, he becomes fascinated by how the minds of serial killers function and teams up with fellow agent Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) and Boston University psychology professor Wendy Carr (Anna Torv), and the three establish the Behavioral Science Unit to study how killers think.
In that debut season, there’s a particular focus on real-life killed Ed Kemper (Cameron Britton), and the second season focuses on the real story of a string of child murders in and around Atlanta. Throughout all of this, one of America’s most infamous killers — Dennis Radman, who earned the moniker “BTK,” or “Bind, Torture, Kill” — creeps around quietly on the periphery, with the show giving us small glimpses of his crimes. Sadly, after Season 2 of “Mindhunter,” the show never returned, and in 2023, Fincher himself said it won’t come back. Enjoy those two perfect seasons, though; they’re on Netflix.
Happy Endings
If you love “Friends” but wish it had a sharper edge, you’ll definitely love “Happy Endings,” a sitcom created by David Caspe that only got to air for three short seasons. (On one Reddit thread about shows that people wish would come back, someone brought up “Happy Endings” only for a now-deleted user to respond, “That would be ahhhmaaazing!” in a reference to one of the show’s running gags.)
When “Happy Endings” begins, the central gang, including Penny Hart (Casey Wilson), Max Blum (Adam Pally), Brad Williams (Damon Wayans Jr.), and Jane Kerkovich-Williams (Eliza Coupe) all gather for the nuptials of their best friends Dave Rose Jr. (Zachary Knighton) and Alex Kerkovich (Elisha Cuthbert). Unfortunately, Alex impulsively leaves Dave at the altar for a guy with dreadlocks and rollerblades — and regrets it almost immediately — and Dave is left broken-hearted, kicking the show off in the perfect way. Throughout “Happy Endings,” the characters grow, change, break up and get back together (Dave and Alex attempt to reunite before realizing it’s a terrible idea), and most importantly, get to develop incredible character quirks. What other show has a character (Penny) who realizes she can only speak fluent, perfect Italian when she’s blackout drunk?
“Happy Endings” is unrelentingly clever, quippy, and funny — at one point, Max randomly wonders, “If Mary Tyler Moore married and then divorced Steven Tyler, then married and divorced Michael Moore, then got into a three way lesbian marriage with Demi Moore and Mandy Moore, would she go by the name Mary Tyler Moore Tyler Moore Moore Moore?” — and sadly, it got canceled after three seasons because its parent network, ABC, just didn’t have faith in this show. If any canceled sitcom needs to come back and have a proper finale, it’s “Happy Endings.”
Santa Clarita Diet
If you scan Reddit threads about shows canceled too soon that audiences sorely miss, you’ll see one name presented quite frequently without context — and that name is “Santa Clarita Diet,” a show that ran on Netflix from 2017 to 2019. The series, created by Victor Fresco, stars Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as Santa Clarita couple and real estate agents Joel and Sheila Hammond, who are living a completely normal life with their daughter Abby (future “Yellowjackets” star Liv Hewson) when, out of nowhere, Sheila develops bizarre symptoms … only for the neighbor kid Eric Hammond (Skyler Gisondo, known for “Booksmart” and “The Righteous Gemstones”) to step in and explain. Sheila, Eric tells Joel and Abby, is a zombie now, and she’s going to need to feed on human flesh.
This is an incredible concept, and Barrymore, Olyphant, Hewson, and Gisondo make up an unbelievably strong quartet as the core cast — to say nothing of outstanding supporting turns from Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Andy Richter, Natalie Morales, Thomas Lennon, and, hilariously enough, Zachary Knighton from “Happy Endings.” To make matters worse for fans of “Santa Clarita Diet,” the show ends on a major cliffhanger when, backed into a horrifying corner, Sheila bites Joel to turn him into a zombie. As u/Comfortable-Load-904 wrote in a Reddit thread about shows canceled too soon, “Hands down ‘Santa Clarita Diet!’ I desperately want to know what happened next!” Us too! Even with those three seasons, though, “Santa Clarita Diet” is a must-watch — and one of the best zombie shows on Netflix, by the by.
Pushing Daisies
Few canceled shows are quite as beloved as Bryan Fuller’s “Pushing Daisies,” which ran on ABC from 2007 to 2009 and starred Lee Pace as Ned, a piemaker with a strange power. At a young age, Ned discovers that if something dies, he’s able to revive it with the touch of a finger; the issue is that if he ever touches the revived party again, it’ll die permanently. There’s a second catch, too, and it’s nasty; if Ned revives one living creature, another dies in its place.
This premise sounds intensely dark, and while that’s true, “Pushing Daisies” is also a bright Technicolor dream with a cast that includes Broadway legends like Kristen Chenoweth (who won an Emmy for her role as Ned’s loyal assistant Olive), Ellen Greene, and Swoosie Kurtz. The real conflict of the show begins when Ned revives his childhood sweetheart Charlotte, who goes by Chuck (Anna Friel), but knows perfectly well that he can never lay a finger on her again lest she die permanently. Together, Ned and Chuck find creative ways to hang out (a lot of plastic wrap is involved), and she also assists Ned and his private detective buddy Emerson Cod (Chi McBride) as they solve crimes. (As you might imagine, Ned’s fanciful talent is sort of a cheat code for solving crimes; he can just poke a victim with his finger and ask who killed them before touching them again.)
“Pushing Daisies” is unabashedly earnest, heartfelt, funny, and sweet, and it felt devastating to lose this show in 2009 so quickly; it’s almost like Ned patted the show on the shoulder by accident. While people have been hoping for a “Pushing Daisies” revival for years, there’s sadly no news as of this writing … but its fans can keep dreaming.
1899
Netflix
After co-showrunners and real life couple Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar created the popular series “Dark” for Netflix, they likely thought they had another hit on their hands with “1899,” a twisted time-travel experience set on a boat traveling from Great Britain to New York City. “1899” stars Emily Beecham as Maura Henriette, an early pioneer in her home country of England (because she’s a female doctor) who boards a ship called the Kerberos to travel the Atlantic. While on board, Maura attends to some medical emergencies and also experiences bizarre visions; this might, incidentally, all be related to the fact that the Kerberos’ sister ship, the Prometheus, disappeared without explanation during its maiden voyage only months prior.
Because “1899” only ran for one season and ended on a major cliffhanger regarding the truth about the Kerberos, fans are clamoring for it to return someday; even though some Reddit users have argued about whether or not the Season 1 conclusion is a cliffhanger or wraps up that initial story, people would still love to see this series continue. In the meantime, you can watch it on Netflix.
