10 Great TV Shows That Got Cancelled After Just 1 Season
5. Awake
Kyle Killen created this police drama with a fantasy twist that features the brilliant Jason Isaacs in the leading role. Even though it received nearly universal critical acclaim, its low ratings meant that NBC pulled the plug after a single 13-episode season.
Awake has a very unique and interesting premise. In the first episode, Michael Britten (Isaacs), a detective, gets into a car accident with his wife and son. After the accident, he keeps jumping between a reality in which his wife died and one in which his son died. Utterly confused by this, he tries to piece it all together and figure out which one of those is the actual reality.
The series is carried by an excellent performance from Isaacs, and if it wasn't for that, it probably wouldn't even make this list. He manages to strike the perfect balance between a heartbroken family man dealing with his pain and a detective who gets lost in his work.
However, the clever writing and great acting were not enough to attract a significant audience, and Awake went off the air in 2012.