15 One-Season TV Series That Deserve a Comeback
Christopher Murphy
2022 was a great year for television, with numerous hits sure to become long-running shows for years to come. Unfortunately, it also brought with it some underappreciated (and even renowned) shows that have already been canceled or are limited as a miniseries. These new TV series could have become binge-worthy classics, if only they weren't cut short by networks or creators.
Television shows are a lot like restaurants in that most fail within the first couple of years of their existence. There are many examples of shows that were canceled owing to poor viewership, production problems, or a variety of other factors. Every now and again, a show will get canceled before even getting a second season, even though they have an intriguing premise that screams to be explored more.
Telling the bigwigs they were wrong is part of choosing a show that merits a second chance. After all, executives are only human, and they sometimes make poor decisions, as seen in shows like Family Guy, Arrested Development, and The Expanse. The following are one-season wonders that established fascinating settings that yearn to return, either with their original cast or in a reboot that taps into the best of today’s talent.
Updated on December 22nd, 2022, by Hannah Saab:
2022 was a great year for television, with numerous hits sure to become long-running shows for years to come. Unfortunately, it also brought with it some underappreciated (and even renowned) shows that have already been canceled or are limited as a miniseries. These new TV series could have become binge-worthy classics, if only they weren't cut short by networks or creators.
'Terriers' (2010)
Available to stream on Hulu.
Terriers, a comedy-noir that premiered on FX, is a poster child for shows that quickly build a cult audience before getting canned prematurely. The show follows an ex-cop (Donal Logue) and his ex-criminal best friend (Michael Raymond-James) as they run a not-so-legal private investigation firm. The series was a critical darling, but couldn’t find a wide enough audience and was not renewed for a second season.
Cast of Almost Human
The few people who watched the show were treated to a fantastic blend of comedy and crime drama. Sadly, that passion didn’t translate to high ratings, although there have been rumblings of a revival movie for years. In the streaming era where content is king, a continuation could easily slot in on a service like Hulu.
'Almost Human' (2013)
Available to purchase on Vudu.
Despite a fascinating sci-fi premise and having been created by Hollywood heavyweight J.J. Abrams and Fringe showrunner Joel Wyman, the ratings for Almost Human plummeted after its premiere. Karl Urban starred in the show as a robot-hating detective who, after receiving synthetic body parts following a terrible injury, gets partnered with an android in the near future. There was plenty of potential for intriguing conflicts and an examination of how artificial intelligence functions in our daily lives thanks to the high-concept plot. Instead, Almost Human became yet another sci-fi show canceled after only one season despite being a critical darling.
It's hard to believe Almost Human got canceled, as it had such an original concept for network television, and that is perhaps why the same audiences didn’t latch onto it. Urban’s renewed fame with The Boys could be a big draw if Fox wanted to take another crack at the show. There’s also a huge dearth of hard science fiction that Almost Human could fill with prosthetic organs, memory pills, and human-like robots.
'Police Squad' (1982)
Younger audiences may not be familiar with Police Squad, but the comedy was the forerunner to parodies such as Scary Movie. In fact, Leslie Nielsen, who plays the extremely dry Frank Drebin, would crop up in several Scary Movie films later on. Despite showrunner David Zucker’s breakaway success with Airplane, Police Squad only lasted four episodes before being canceled by ABC. However, executives must have quickly realized their mistake, because the show would spin off into the Naked Gun films in the late '80s and early 1990s.
It’s easy to imagine someone like Nathan Fielder, the master of deadpan humor, in the role of Frank Drebin, playing the straight man to an insane world around him. With the end of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, there’s a perfect opportunity for a reboot to fill the void and bring its own zany flavor with it.
'Garth Marenghi's Darkplace' (2004)
Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Peacock.
Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace was a British horror parody of low-budget dramas from the early '80s. The uproariously funny series featured several future stars, including The IT Crowd’s Richard Ayoade and What We Do In The Shadow's boisterous funnyman Matt Berry. Although there was a bevy of talent on and behind the camera, ratings weren’t high enough for Channel 4 to renew the series.
Image via Facebook Watch
It’s understandable why viewers were originally hesitant to watch the show given how odd and complex Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace was. However, the show is filled to the brim with original concepts, brilliant humor, and fantastic acting to match its odd premise. While a follow-up program centered on Ayoade’s Dean Learner was developed, there is still plenty of reason to revisit the entire comical cast of characters.
'Limetown' (2019)
Available to stream on Peacock.
Limetown, a spin-off of the well-known podcast of the same name, had a great conceit and received favorable reviews when it debuted on Facebook Watch. The show centered on journalist Lia Haddock (Jessica Biel) as she attempts to find answers to why 300 people mysteriously went missing. Unfortunately, relatively few people watched the show or even knew what Facebook Watch was, which led to its cancelation.
Cast of Mission Hill
Just like the eponymous podcast, Limetown was an incredibly tense sci-fi suspense story. Biel was the ideal choice to play the probing Lia Haddock, whose quest for the truth led her into a labyrinth of shady plots and enigmatic characters. The series merits being picked up by a streaming provider that can do it credit because of its highly original premise.
'Mission Hill' (1999)
Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein, hot off their successful stint as co-showrunners for The Simpsons, developed Mission Hill for The WB. The show portrayed twenty-something slacker cartoonist Andy French as he made his way through city life while taking care of his teenage brother Kevin. It had a distinctively vivid neon color scheme reminiscent of Art déco and blended modern animation with styles from the '30s and '50s. Sadly, it aired when The WB was rebranding itself, and the show’s unique look didn’t fit the new style the network desired.
Heat VIsion in Front of Motorcycle (1)
Mission Hill featured yet another innovative premise that paid the price for debuting ahead of its time. The show’s aggressively low-concept plot weaved in and out of the lives of its extremely varied ensemble of characters. The humor came effortlessly through interpersonal interactions, and the protagonists’ existential rut is easily recognizable to aging millennials. Some audiences out there deserve a Mission Hill reboot.
'Heat Vision and Jack' (1999)
Heat Vision and Jack, co-created by Community'sDan Harmon, starred Jack Black as a former astronaut given incredible powers from the sun and who teamed up with a talking motorcycle. The comedy sci-fi show featured Harmon’s signature genre deconstruction and humor but could not impress executives enough to pick it up for a series.
The cast of 'Freaks and Geeks' in front of orange lockers.
Despite never airing, the show became popular in comedy circles and developed a cult following. The pilot is a well-written comedy that quickly establishes its world and cast of characters while leaving you wanting more. Heat Vision and Jack could have been a groundbreaking television success in its own right, based on the subsequent success of all those involved.
'Freaks and Geeks' (1999)
Available to stream on Hulu and Paramount+.
The story of Freaks and Geeks and its cast of future A-list stars has become legendary. Subsequent comedy mega-directors Paul Feig and Judd Apatow created the show, which followed two siblings and their friend groups as they navigated the messy world of high school. A slew of behind-the-scenes issues, including a massive budget, a bad time slot, and executive disinterest, doomed the show in the end.
Even though Freaks and Geeks is set in the 1980s, it provided an ageless depiction of adolescent angst, rebellion, and awkwardness during a vulnerable time in people’s lives. Unlike many other shows, the teenage characters were authentic and well-written. There have been few shows like it since, and with all the remakes coming out, now is the ideal time to revisit the characters and their lives two decades later.
'The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance' (2019)
Available to stream on Netflix.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance was a prequel to Jim Henson’s 1982 film The Dark Crystal, and it expanded on the rich world established in the original. The Netflix fantasy series followed the adventures of three Gelflings (Rian, Deet, and Brea) as they set out on a mission to join forces against the oppressive Skeksis. Regretfully, the show could not justify its large budget considering low viewership numbers and did not get renewed for a second season.
The world of Thra is rich and complex, and the puppetry is technically stunning. It’s unusual for a show to appeal to both children and adults, but The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance did just that. There’s a lot more story to be told, and hopefully, Henson can tell it in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance 2.
'The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.' (1993)
Available to stream on Tubi TV.
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. starring the effortlessly charismatic Bruce Campbell, successfully combined elements of westerns, science fiction and steampunk. Campbell played the titular character, a Harvard-educated bounty hunter with a lively crew chasing down various lawbreakers. The show seamlessly balanced humor with whip-smart action sequences, and it even debuted to high ratings but quickly lost most of its audience.
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. gained a feverishly fanatic following enamored by the unique setting and Campbell's comedic charm. There’s no doubt the Burn Notice and Evil Dead star would be ready to saddle up once again if given the opportunity.
'Inventing Anna' (2022)
Available to stream on Netflix.
Although it was a divisive show upon release, Shonda Rhimes' Inventing Anna has been working its way into articles about the best miniseries of the 2020s, and for a good reason. The creative miniseries is inspired by the true story of Anna Sorokin, who conned her way into New York's most elite circles by pretending to be a German heiress.
the pentaverate mike myers
The miniseries manages to include a ton of information about Anna (masterfully played by Julia Garner), as well as those around her who have watched or been part of her rise and fall. The storylines are screaming for closure, though, for both Anna and other characters like the journalist and her friends, which a second season – or at least one or two more episodes – could provide.
'The Pentaverate' (2022)
Available to stream on Netflix.
Mike Myers uses his comedic talent to play eight characters in the hilarious Netflix miniseries, The Pentaverate. The plot follows an unassuming Canadian journalist who uncovers the activities of the titular cult, which has been in operation since 1347 and continues to influence important events around the world.
Its slapstick humor, self-deprecating jokes and surreal comedy may not be for everyone, but those who enjoy Myers' work would have undoubtedly had a gut-busting viewing experience with his limited series. It's a shame there's no word about The Pentaverate season 2, especially considering the last episode had a somewhat unsatisfying ending.
'The Last Days of Ptolemy Gray' (2022)
Available to stream on Apple TV+.
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey is a criminally-underrated miniseries based on the eponymous 2010 novel by Walter Mosley. Starring Samuel L. Jackson as the titular protagonist who is living with dementia, it tells the intense story of his nephew's murder and his subsequent efforts to find the killer. Along the way, Ptolemy must confront his own past as it comes creeping back thanks to a new kind of treatment.
With an arresting performance from Jackson and a wholly original and powerful story, it's unfortunate that the show didn't receive as much attention as it should have. It's definitely an excellent candidate for a spin-off series focusing on characters like Robyn or even Sensia.
'Archive 81' (2022)
Available to stream on Netflix.
Based on the podcast of the same name, Archive 81 is a spooky supernatural thriller that follows Dan Turner. Dan is hired by en enigmatic employer to work in a bizarre place and restore grad student Melody Pendras' documentary project about an old apartment building. He soon experiences strange events as he processes more of the footage.
To say that Archive 81's cancelation is frustrating would be an understatement. Thanks to the way the first season is set up, there are so many questions fans never got an answer to. With 128.47 million watch hours globally, it's safe to say there are a lot of viewers hoping another network will pick it up and finish the story.
'Trese' (2021)
Available to stream on Netflix.
Trese is a wildly entertaining and unique anime Netflix series based on the eponymous Filipino comic series by Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo. It's centered on Alexandra Trese's experiences as the current Babaylan-Mandirigma (Healer-Warrior) who is responsible for maintaining the balance between the inhabitants of the physical plane and the Underworld.
Its action-packed and surprisingly emotional first season has left fans around the globe wanting more, and those who have read the comics know there is a lot more to the protagonist's story. This is why the long wait for a potential renewal from Netflix has been grueling, as the TV series is clearly one that deserves more than just one season.
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Posted Feb 19, 2025
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