10 Great TV Shows That Got Cancelled After Just 1 Season
1. Firefly
Not sure what you expected, but number one was always going to be reserved for Firefly. Joss Whedon's cult classic premiered on Fox in September 2002, and despite only lasting for 14 episodes, it fostered a devoted audience that would help it expand its legacy beyond television.
For those who are unfamiliar with the plot, Firefly follows a renegade crew aboard a small spacecraft 500 years in the future, travelling the unknown parts of the galaxy, trying their hardest to avoid different warring factions, as well as the authorities. The crew is played by a hugely talented ensemble cast that includes Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, and Alan Tudyk.
Whedon originally intended the show to have a seven-season run, but Fox executives were not happy with the low ratings and binned it after only eleven of the fourteen episodes had aired. Despite this, Firefly went on to enjoy a second life post-cancellation, first developing a fandom after being released on DVD.
An entire Firefly media franchise would later be developed by Whedon and co. Its highlight was the 2005 feature film Serenity, but beyond that numerous comic books, video games, and novels were produced. There probably isn't a better example in history of a show being able to create an entire universe based solely on the support of its fans, with no help from the network that first aired it.