Whether it was an unanswered cliffhanger or a character who wasn’t given enough time to shine, there are many shows that didn’t deserve to end as early as they did. Sure, the networks can blame low ratings, small budget and packed lineups, but we will never forgive these cancellations!
In 2017, Fox refused to give Pitch, a drama about the first female pitcher in the MLB, a second season, despite critics’ rave reviews. Star Mark-Paul Gosselaar admitted in multiple interviews that the cast was “blindsided” by the news and remains hopeful that one day, it will come back.
The show was so beloved by fans that when it was released on Hulu in May 2020, the streaming giant even put out a new promo in which Gosselaar and Kylie Bunbury (who played star athlete Ginny Baker) joke around about “itchin’ to get back in there.”
When Julie and the Phantoms debuted in 2020 amidst the height of the coronavirus pandemic, it was an instant hit among fans. The series follows Julie (Madison Reyes) as she rediscovers her love for music with the help of three ghost boys — played by Charlie Gillespie, Owen Joyner and Jeremy Shada — from the 1990s who are on a mission to figure out their unfinished business.
While JATP went on to score three Daytime Emmy Awards in 2021, Netflix canceled the show after just one season, sparking a fan frenzy and inspiring viewers to launch a global marquee campaign in hopes of persuading the streaming service to renew the project. The effort helped the show reach No. 1 on Netflix across multiple countries.
“I wish that I could tell the fans that all of [their efforts] will get them Julie back,” executive producer Kenny Ortega told Deadline in March 2022. “All I can really say is how much all of this has mattered to all of us who made the show and that we love them and are so grateful for the passion they’ve shown to the project.”
Scroll through the gallery below for more shows gone too soon:
