10 Comic Book TV Shows Cancelled Before Their Time
7. The Tick (2001)
Fans of The Tick comic and animated series from the nineties were ecstatic when Fox announced the production of a new live-action series for the network's 2001 fall lineup. The show hit the network with a strong pilot starring Patrick Warburton as the big blue guy, but died in the ratings almost immediately.
Various changes were made to the characters and situations in the show, but that only added to its appeal among fans. The series was well-received, but suffered due to Fox's choice for its time slot. It was aired opposite ratings juggernauts including Survivor: Africa and NBS's "Must See TV" lineup of shows.
The competition and Fox's refusal to promote the show led to the series' downfall and only nine episodes were ever produced. In the early 2000s, Fox had a nasty habit of placing shows it didn't outright own into poor timeslots without promotion, which led to the cancellation of Firefly, Family Guy, Futurama, The Tick, and many others.
Fortunately, The Tick didn't remain dead for too long. Amazon picked up the property and created a rebooted live-action series. That series premiered in 2018 with 12 episodes and will drop another 10 episodes for its second season in 2019.