Every TV Show Canceled in 2021

Some of these really hurt.

Every TV Show Canceled in 2021

Come pay your respects to the canceled TV shows of 2021. With more and more streaming services entering the group chat these days, it can be hard for a series to rise above the noise. That’s not a knock on the quality of writing or the actors’ performances. (Okay, sometimes it is.)

In truth, all shows must come to an end eventually—unless that show is Grey’s Anatomy, of course. And from fan favorites that are simply saying goodbye to bad ideas that didn’t quite pan out, these are all the canceled TV shows in 2021 that won’t be returning next year. And not to make it worse, but you should know: We’ll keep updating this post as more come in.

Netflix

Away: Guess you could say this show starring Hilary Swank as an astronaut is going…away. Canceled after one season.

Castlevania: This fantasy anime series was inspired by a popular video game of the same title. Canceled after four seasons.

Special: Based on creator Ryan O’Connell’s memoir, this series followed a gay man with cerebral palsy who refused to let his challenges define him. Canceled after two seasons.

The Duchess: Comedian Katherine Ryan’s semi-autobiographical series about her life as a fabulous single mom in London was charming and heartfelt but didn’t get the kind of buzz or massive numbers needed to survive at Netflix these days. Canceled after one season.

F Is for Family: And C is for canceled. (Sorry, had to!) The animated comedy was inspired by the life of stand-up comic Bill Burr, who was a cocreator of the series. Canceled after four seasons.

Feel Good: Gender, sexuality, and mental health all overlapped in this underrated series featuring Lisa Kudrow. Canceled after two seasons.

Kim’s Convenience: Sounds like this ending was for the best. As the final season premiered, multiple members of the cast spoke out about the show’s racist storylines and heavily white writers’ room. Canceled after five seasons.

The Last Kingdom: Guess this historical drama wasn’t built to last. Canceled after four seasons.

The Irregulars: The world just didn’t need another Holmes and Watson iteration. Canceled after one season.

The Haunting (Hill House & Bly Manor): Then again, maybe this hit anthology series will come back as a spooky ghost! Canceled after two seasons.

The Order: This magical campus drama was just a little too complicated and weird to catch on. Canceled after two seasons.

White Lines: An intriguing mystery, but Who Killed Sara? it ain’t. Canceled after one season.

Hulu

Shrill: The adventures of Annie, loosely based on author Lindy West, came to a close in this delightful and poignant show about love, self-acceptance, and female friendship. Canceled after three seasons.

FX

Mr. Inbetween: This Australian dramedy was inspired by a cult hit movie, so perhaps it’s fitting that it didn’t become a smash success as a series. Canceled after three seasons.

Amazon Prime Video

Absentia: This show, about an FBI agent who is the prime suspect in a string of murders and disappeared for six years, will be absent from our screens. Canceled after three seasons.

HBO

High Maintenance: After a run on Vimeo before it was bought by HBO, this stoner anthology series can confidently call itself a success. Besides, now that weed is legal in NYC, there’s a bit of tension missing from the exploits of The Guy. Canceled after four seasons.

Run: Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s twisty, high-concept love-on-the-run fable didn’t quite get the attention it needed to make it alongside buzzier HBO projects, but the chemistry of Domhnall Gleeson and Merritt Wever will be with us forever. Canceled after one season.

We Are Who We Are: And now, we aren’t going to get to see more of this coming-of-age drama directed by Call Me By Your Name’s auteur, Luca Guadagnino. Canceled after one season.

The Outsider: Stephen King adaptations probably should be limited series. Canceled after one season.

Lovecraft Country: "We will not be moving forward with a second season of Lovecraft Country," HBO said in a statement on July 2, per People. "We are grateful for the dedication and artistry of the gifted cast and crew, and to Misha Green, who crafted this groundbreaking series. And to the fans, thank you for joining us on this journey." The horror series was canceled after one season.

Showtime

Ray Donovan: Your dad’s favorite bruiser may not have gotten much awards recognition, but the Fanovans (Donofans?) will always have their memories. Canceled after seven seasons.

Starz

American Gods: After a splashy debut and several awards-season nods, American Gods has reached the end of its road. The series was based on Neil Gaiman’s 2001 novel of the same name. Canceled after three seasons.

Peacock

Brave New World: Peacock’s sleek adaptation of Aldous Huxley’s classic novel couldn’t have arrived at a worse time: Viewers were already living in a dystopia; they didn’t want to see another one on TV! Canceled after one season.

ABC

Rebel: This drama from Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Krista Vernoff was canceled before it got much of a chance to find its audience. Canceled after one season.

https://twitter.com/KristaVernoff/status/1394438854342373381

Call Your Mother: A rocky pandemic rollout may have contributed to the less-than-great performance of this sitcom from The New Adventures of Old Christine creator Kari Lizer. Series star Kyra Sedgwick mourned the missed opportunity on Twitter, thanking fans for tuning in when they could. Canceled after one season.

https://twitter.com/kyrasedgwick/status/1393253023384838147

American Housewife: After one-hundred-and-change episodes, this network sitcom takes a bow. Canceled after five seasons.

Mixed-ish: The second spin-off from Kenya Barris’s Black-ish (after Grown-ish) didn’t take off the way fans might have wanted, but they’ll be getting more -ish soon: Brown-ish with Eva Longoria is in the works. Canceled after two seasons.

For Life: This legal drama was sentenced to cancellation without the possibility of parole. Canceled after two seasons.

NBC

Good Girls: The crime dramedy led by Christina Hendricks, Mae Whitman, and Retta will finish its fourth and final season without a proper sendoff, according to The Hollywood Reporter. With the last few episodes yet to air, all hopes of a fifth season have reportedly imploded after a failed bid to move the beloved series to Netflix. Fans and the cast are in mourning.

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Ellen: Ellen Degeneres says her hit talk show was no longer a challenge, but months of allegations about a toxic and hostile work environment couldn’t have helped matters, either. Whatever the reason, the long-running program will come to an end after its 19th season, and its time slot will go to Kelly Clarkson. Canceled after 19 seasons.

Connecting: This video-chat-based series took the pandemic as its premise, so it was no real shocker that the vaccine put it to bed. Canceled after one season.

Debris: And all that was left behind of this sci-fi drama was…debris. Canceled after one season.

Superstore: One of the best workplace sitcoms on television, Superstore took a final bow with a pandemic-centric last season that gave its characters believable happy endings. Canceled after six seasons.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (kind of): The pandemic and the summer of protests put a long pause on this beloved sitcom's shooting schedule, but it will finally air new episodes this year and then be wrapped, as planned. Canceled after eight seasons.

World of Dance: They danced like nobody was watching. Only problem? Nobody was watching. Canceled after four seasons.

A Little Late With Lilly Singh: Singh is still signed with Universal to develop other unscripted programming, hopefully at a more reasonable hour. Canceled after two seasons.

Manifest: The supernatural series was number one on Netflix when it was released to the streaming service, so there’s a chance this could be picked up and given a new life…just not on NBC. Canceled after three seasons.

TV Land

Younger: The ride had to end sometime, and the final, Paramount Plus–only season of this romantic, glittery show did it in style. Canceled after seven seasons.

CBS

All Rise: Case dismissed! This series about a newly appointed judge will not be returning. Canceled after two seasons.

MacGyver: “Was nervous to take up the mantle of an icon and you guys allowed me into your homes and accepted me,” writes star Lucas Till on Instagram of the series’ end. “I’m like the Roger Moore of MacGyvers now thanks to your support.” Canceled after five seasons.

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Mom: After losing lead Anna Faris last season, it was time for the sitcom to say goodbye. Canceled after eight seasons.

https://twitter.com/MomCBS/status/1392902639717920772

NCIS: New Orleans: Almost a decade of crime-solving can hardly be considered a failure. Canceled after seven seasons.

The Unicorn: The dating woes of a widowed father might not have found a massive fanbase, but for those who turned in, it was a great mix of fun and feeling. Canceled after two seasons.

Fox

Bless the Harts: This animated comedy was perhaps a little too crass for viewers used to the poignancy of Bojack Horseman and Tuca & Bertie. Canceled after two seasons.

Last Man Standing: Guess this won’t be the last show standing? Perhaps not surprising considering that the Tim Allen series, which centered the story of a man in a family of all women, failed to find footing with critics. Canceled after nine seasons.

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Prodigal Son: And like the prodigal son, this procedural drama, about the son of a serial killer, returned…and then didn’t. Canceled after two seasons.

Filthy Rich: If you’re sad to see this one go, we suggest checking out The Righteous Gemstones instead. Canceled after one season.

NeXt: The premiere for this drama about a cybersecurity team was shuffled around due to the pandemic, likely a factor in its cancellation. Canceled after one season.

The CW

Black Lightning: They say lightning never strikes the same place twice—but in this case, it never strikes the same place five times. Many will be sad to see the superhero drama go—it even holds a coveted 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Canceled after four seasons.

Bulletproof: Safe from bullets? Yes. Safe from cancellation? No. The cop drama was pulled from the CW’s streaming service after misconduct allegations against actor Noel Clarke. Canceled after three seasons.

Trickster: The supernatural coming-of-age drama might be gone, but The CW still has plenty more available for your entertainment. Canceled after one season.