8 TV Shows That Just Wouldn't Die

Live Another Day. And another. And another.

Family Guy Death
Fox

When it comes to TV, there's not much worse than one of your favourite shows being cancelled. It might be in a single, incredible season (RIP Firefly, Freaks and Geeks) or over the course of a few years (see: Angel), but when you've built an attachment it's hard to see goodbye, and even harder when you don't get a proper farewell.

In recent years, however, there's been a rise in TV revivals, with Netflix and other streaming services stepping in to breathe new life into shows everyone thought were gone for good, such as Arrested Development. Others, meanwhile, just keep on going, surviving cancellations, departures, poor reviews, declining ratings, and more.

Whether they have plenty more stories to tell, or are well past their prime but simply refuse to go gently into that good night, these are the TV shows that defied all the odds and kept on kicking long past their expected death day.

8. Community

Community Remedial Chaos Theory
NBC

Community was, for much of its run, the little sitcom that could, overcoming a number of hurdles to fulfil the first half of its 'six seasons and a movie' mantra.

Never a ratings hit, the problems for Community started halfway through its third season, when NBC pulled the show from its midseason schedule and offered no return date. The move led to a huge backlash and a number of campaigns, including a flash mob outside of the network's Rockefeller Center headquarters, and the show eventually completed its third season.

It then had to suffer creator and showrunner Dan Harmon leaving for its fourth season, with the quality dropping dramatically, and star Chevy Chase left halfway through the year. Harmon did return for its fifth season, but Donald Glover quit the show, and NBC didn't renew it for a sixth season. A continuation was turned down by the likes of Netflix and Hulu, but then, on the day the cast's contracts were set to expire, Yahoo! Screen stepped in to save it for a sixth season.

Six seasons, so now just for the movie, which the cast and crew are still hopeful will happen.

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NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.