2024 had a lot of TV shows ending, which included plenty of sci-fi and fantasy shows. And some of those endings left fans hungry for more!
It's no surprise that TV networks and streamers have a bad habit of canceling some shows too early. That's more true for sci-fi and fantasy shows that have a harder time capturing a large audience to justify their large budgets. It's jarring that some shows barely seemed to get out of the gate before being cut short. From famous shows to more overlooked ones, here's a look at the sci-fi/fantasy show cancellations that really angered folks in 2024!
Star Wars: The Acolyte
Some may argue that this Star Wars show about a pair of Force-sensitive sisters was bad. Yet the potential was there for it to become something good. It had a compelling cast and an intriguing take on an earlier era in Star Wars lore. It had its flaws, but lots of shows had rough first seasons and became much better afterward, and this could have been one of them. A second year could have corrected the mistakes, give us Darth Sidious, and maybe the show fans were promised. That was all lost by Disney listening to the haters more than having faith in the producers.
American Born Chinese
This fun Disney+ series is about a young teen who is pulled into a conflict involving the gods of Chinese mythology. It also boasted a big name in Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh, who was a great presence. It also starred fellow Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan as an actor struggling with his role as a stereotypical bumbling neighbor in a 1990s sitcom. The finale was good and promised more fun to come, so it's a shame it was cut too short, given how much story it had left to tell and how many more fantasy and cultural elements to explore.
Renegade Nell
Another Disney+ casualty was this delightfully wild British series. Louisa Harland was a blast in the title role of an 18th-century highwaywoman granted super strength by a fairy to fight bad guys. Her fight scenes were terrific and matched by Harland's wonderful humor.
The fantasy elements in Renegade Nell were terrific and the characters and performances just so enthralling to watch. It thankfully didn't end with a cliffhanger, but the producers clearly had more story to tell, and it's a shame Disney couldn't let this show continue its run. Also, my compliments to the composers for a terrific score.
My Lady Jane
This show and Renegade Nell had a lot in common: both were historical dramas with a fantasy edge, both boasted great female leads and fun humor, and both were axed after just one season. It was worse for this Prime Video show, which gave us an alternate history take on Queen Jane surviving in a world where humans turn into animals. The chemistry between Emily Bader's Jane and Edward Bluemel as her love interest was off the charts, and the show featured a great supporting cast. Sadly, it ended after this one year when it should have made history in its own right.
Chucky
Amassing a cult following, this Syfy series brought the murderous doll from the Child's Play movies to life in a fun TV show. It never took itself too seriously yet provided some fantastic thrills, twisted kills, and the last season added the madness of Chucky in the White House. They clearly wanted a fourth season which would perhaps connect it more to the films, only for it to be canceled.
It'd be nice if someone could bring Chucky back. It would be a lot of fun to see Chucky add to his huge body count with another season of TV.
Evil
Evil was never the easiest show to get into, but for its devoted fans, it was (literally) a hell of a ride. The tale of a psychologist, a priest and a scientist investigating strange phenomena mixed horror and comedy better than any show on TV, matching the scares with laughs. The characters were fun, especially Andrea Martin's nun, and there was a lot more of the world to explore.
To their credit, Paramount+ gave the produceres of Evil a few more episodes to wrap it all up, yet it was an evil act to cut this gloriously insane show short before its time.
Dead Boy Detectives
What is it with Netflix giving fans these fantastic new fantasy/sci-fi shows and then canceling them after one season? Their latest victim was this comic book adaptation about a pair of ghost detectives aiding an amnesiac psychic. It had some great supernatural elements and the bond between the three leads was really endearing. The finale had some truly shocking twists, plus a cliffhanger promising a better second year. But like so many other Netflix shows, we'll never know what would have happened next.
KAOS
Speaking of Netflix canceling shows, there's KAOS, which was canceled barely a month after its first season aired. One would think that the star power of Jeff Goldblum playing Zeus would be more than enough for Netflix to keep this modern myth around, but no.
The first season had some great bits and an intriguing take on the Greek gods in today's world. It was Goldblum who made it work with a performance only he could deliver. To cancel the show before it even began to build buzz was bad, even by Netflix standards, and another reason that it's hard to trust this streamer.
Quantum Leap
The NBC reboot of the beloved 1990s sci-fi series had some good storylines, and season 2 freshened it up with more time travel twists, new locations and even better character arcs. The season finale not only solved some problems with the storyline but included a major turn that would have pushed season 3 into some interesting new places. Sadly, it wasn't enough to overcome the bad ratings, and, like the original show, Quantum Leap ended sooner than it should have, robbing fans of a sense of closure.
Halo
Ironically, if Halo had been canceled at the end of its first season, many wouldn't have minded. The adaptation of the hit video game series was slammed for its poor writing; fans didn't like that Master Chief appeared so often without his helmet, and the finale was ludicrous.
Season 2 was a different story that corrected many of those mistakes. It had a better storyline, more exciting action, more engaging characters, some terrific performances and an improved take on Master Chief. It was the show fans wanted all along, and it's a shame the shadow of that first year was too much to overcome. Halo could have become bigger in another year rather than ending just as it was getting good.
Superman & Lois
Superman & Lois was another victim of The CW culling its original shows. At least it went out in style with a fantastic final year capped off by what may be the best finale of any Arrowverse show. But the series still had so much life in it. The cast was great, it had a beautiful take on the Superman-Lois dynamic, and future season could have brought in more enemies like Brainiac. The finale was a wonderful episode that suggested the show should have continued to fly for a few more years.
Star Trek: Lower Decks
After a rough start, this animated series became one of the best Star Trek shows around. It also became one of the best animated comedies, not parodying the franchise but rather honoring it and providing some wonderful character beats along with the laughs. The final season kept that up, and it's good to see that the show seems to be ending on its own terms. Yet given the wide universe of Star Trek, the show easily could have run longer. At least fans have gotten a gem of a show bringing the laughs together with the classic Star Trek spirit.
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