When a series gets cancelled after just one season and you hadn't watched it yet

DevilRedeemed

teh
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It kind of makes said show redundant right? Any examples when this is not the case? Watching Utopia right now but maybe I shouldn't even brother.
The one that major pissed me off was Wayne, which was excellently cast and mostly well written and was just killed off after one season.
 

joe8

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It kind of makes said show redundant right? Any examples when this is not the case? Watching Utopia right now but maybe I shouldn't even brother.
The one that major pissed me off was Wayne, which was excellently cast and mostly well written and was just killed off after one season.
Freaks and Geeks
 

SouthtownKid

There are four lights
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Watching Utopia right now
Which one? I've only seen the US version on amazon, but I've heard some say the original UK version is better.

It's funny that the US version was stillborn, thanks to covid. No one wanted to watch a story about a worldwide pandemic wiping out the human race in the middle of 2020. And amazon, understanding that, canceled the show before the first episode even aired.

The ironic thing is that if they had just held it back a year to 18 months or so, people would have been perfectly fine with a virus story again and it would have done well.

Anyway, I enjoyed it. It's not the greatest thing ever, but it was entertaining enough for what it was. It's left open ended -- they clearly had been planning on a second season -- but it's not like the Twin Peaks season 2 cliffhanger where you're tearing your hair out or something. You can kind of see where it would have gone, and that's good enough.
 

100proof

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I mean I guess Firefly?

But yeah, these days, a show is cancelled after one season for a reason so it can be summarily ignored. They let all kinds of trash stick around forever even if it gets dick for ratings.
 

LoneSage

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I don't watch TV anymore. I am not joking when I say the failure of the last season of Game of Thrones was such a slap to the face, a wake-up call that in the end these fictional stories are just not real and have no bearing on my life.

I can't afford to get emotionally invested in these shows. And when the stories aren't even finished, what's the point?

It's like seeing Star Wars fans whine about not going through the 25,000 years of in-universe history. I totally get what Alec Guinness was on about. I refuse to let these shows control my life. I must sound like a madman.
 

norton9478

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Lots of great series were canceled after one season. I would still recommend:

Freaks and Geeks/Undeclared
Jpod
Everything Sucks
Utopia.


A "Canceled after first season" has its benefits as it can be watched in a shorter time span and doesn't sufferer from late gimmicks.

The worst are cultish shows that were retooled in season 2 to stay on the air. Such shows that come to mind John Laraquette Show, Get a Life and War of the Worlds (early 90's TV sequel to the book/film).
 

StevenK

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Why can't they just make a show with the intention of it starting and finishing in one season? Nowadays it's either movie - 2 hours, or tv show - 200 hours. Middle ground would be nice.
 

joe8

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I'd rather a show get cancelled after one season over going on forever and getting shitty.
Yes, but it usually takes quite a few seasons before a good show gets tired. For example, Seinfeld and Star Trek TNG only slowed down (somewhat) in their last season before cancellation.
 

lithy

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Not bothering with short lived shows only matters with those stupid 'lets throw in a million setups for future reveals like Lost' shows that were spawned by its success. Since, well, the setups are a little pointless if you don't have episodes to pay them off.

I know I enjoyed Better Off Ted and Party Down which were both two seasons. Clerks the Animated Series was just one season.

Edit to add, the live action The Tick.
 
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Ralfakick

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Not bothering with short lived shows only matters with those stupid 'lets throw in a million setups for future reveals like Lost' shows that were spawned by its success. Since, well, the setups are a little pointless if you don't have episodes to pay them off.

I know I enjoyed Better Off Ted and Party Down which were both two seasons. Clerks the Animated Series was just one season.

Edit to add, the live action The Tick.
Better off Ted was great.
 

terry.330

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My main problem is when you know halfway through the first season it's not going to get renewed. I knew like 2 episodes into Archive 81 it wasn't going to get another season. If you're not sure if you're getting renewed it's not too difficult to wrap things up in a satisfactory way but still leave it open enough for the potential of more. Archive 81 could have done this but ended up leaning hard into direct setup for another season.

I do think there should be more focused single season shows though. Look at Midnight Mass, while not perfect Flanagan nailed the single season format.
 

LoneSage

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I don't watch TV anymore. I am not joking when I say the failure of the last season of Game of Thrones was such a slap to the face, a wake-up call that in the end these fictional stories are just not real and have no bearing on my life.

I can't afford to get emotionally invested in these shows. And when the stories aren't even finished, what's the point?

It's like seeing Star Wars fans whine about not going through the 25,000 years of in-universe history. I totally get what Alec Guinness was on about. I refuse to let these shows control my life. I must sound like a madman.
Reading this over has me questioning my mental health and sanity.
 

Neo Alec

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Russian Doll has a second season, but the first season is self-contained and has an ending with no loose ends. If only more shows could do that.

Maybe I should still check out Utopia.
 

fake

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Oh, I forgot about Maniac. One of my favorite shows of the last 10 years.
 

roker

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Get a Life

Loved that show. But I think it was 2 seasons.

They tried to make it less depressing after the first season and have him move out of his parents house but I don't get why that even mattered. The show was all about absurdity and surrealism.
 
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