10 TV Shows That Have Already Been Cancelled In 2021
Will this year be the end for your favourite show?
Almost two months into 2021 and already there has been a slew of names for the televisual undertaker. Beloved shows like The Walking Dead and Ozark are coming to a close, shows that once seemed immortal have finally run out of air, and even the eternal Kardashians are calling it a day.
Some of the shows getting the chop are doing so voluntarily. Shorter runs are important for keeping a punchy pace, so shows like Wynonna Earp and His Dark Materials both benefit from fewer episodes to stretch their stories over.
Ratings and finance are almost always the cause for every non-creative decision to quit. Netflix has been notorious for giving shows the chop if they aren't attracting the viewers, as one of the names on this list has found. Yet it is not all bad news.
Several of the shows here are finishing up to make way for new content, with their creative teams moving wholesale to the next project. The CW has shown its faith in Painkiller, while AMC has a seemingly endless number of zombie spin-offs planned.
10. I May Destroy You
Michaela Cole's I May Destroy You was made in partnership with HBO and was one of the breakout shows of 2020. News that it would not be returning for a second season is bad news to fans, especially as the show was infamously snubbed at the Golden Globes.
The failure to nominate this show for even a single award may have played into the decision not to produce a new series. HBO Chief Casey Bloys, when interviewed by the Hollywood Reporter, stated:
On I May Destroy You, Michaela Coel is thinking about what she wants to do next. I don't think there's going to be another I May Destroy You, there's no season two coming. But she's thinking about what she wants to do next and hopefully we'll be lucky enough to be partner with her again.
The show dealt with the aftermath of Cole's Arabella being raped. It depicted the fallout and trauma in a stark light, calling both the actions and responses of the character into question. An examination of self in the age of social media, the show seemed to leave the door open for a second season but for now, it is limited to 12 episodes.