TV trends come and go, and many series are cancelled just as quickly as they appear. It seems like every single day, a new TV show debuts, and another is promptly cancelled, many of them after only one or two seasons. In many cases, it makes perfect sense. Usually the show is just awful or drags on for way too long, so while fans of the shows might be bummed out that it gets cancelled, they don’t need to dwell on the finality of it.
On the other hand, some cancellations don’t seem to make a lot of sense. Maybe the series was actually popular, and was earning great reviews, but for some reason known only to the network, corporate decided not to proceed any further. This commonly infuriates fans, and is something that isn’t exclusive to one particular genre, either. These are the best horror shows that got cancelled way too soon, but that still hold up as quality television.
10
‘Kingdom’ (2019–2021)
Created by Kim Eun-hee
South Korean fantasy-horror series Kingdom was a bit of an underground phenomenon, with a small yet dedicated fanbase that endlessly praised its inherent quality. The story takes place in the Kingdom of Joseon, a realm that once encompassed the Korean Peninsula, at the turn of the 17th Century. The King of Joseon has recently married into the tyrannical Haewon Cho clan, but has died of smallpox, leaving his pregnant wife and his adult son (from a previous marriage) behind. In an effort to preserve their claim to the throne, the Haewon Cho family decides to use a mythical resurrection plant to bring the King back until his heir is born, accidentally unleashing a zombie horde in the process.
Netflix’s Kingdom was a huge hit with critics, who commended it for its political intrigue, unique and original take on zombies, and historical setting, as well as its fantastic action and genuinely creepy visuals. Unfortunately, the show got “soft-cancelled.” Netflix has yet to make an official statement on its status, but considering the fact that there has been no new content in four years, it’s safe to say that it’s probably not coming back. This is in spite of getting two seasons and a feature-length special prequel episode. This kind of sucks because it ended on a cliffhanger, and fans are dying to see how the story evolves.
9
‘Twin Peaks’ (1990–2017)
Created by Mark Frost and David Lynch
The original run of Twin Peaks only lasted from 1990 to 1991, with its premature cancellation seen as one of the most unforgivable in the history of television. The show was co-created by David Lynch, who was known for his amazing psychological thriller and surrealist films, so this foray into the world of television was expected to be very good. And very good it was, which is why it made little sense to cancel it after such a short time.
Luckily, the series was revived in the 21st Century, providing some much-needed answers and raising even more questions as a simple murder mystery evolved into something much more complex and confusing. At least this one had the courtesy to come back for a little bit after a while, but for over 20 years, angry fans were up in arms, directing their vitriol towards ABC, but the network didn’t budge on their decision. Sure, Twin Peaks wasn’t as huge when it came out, and it only got bigger later on, but it’s still ridiculous that it got cancelled so early in the first place.
8
‘Archive 81’ (2022)
Developed by Rebecca Sonnenshine
Archive 81 is actually based on a horror podcast of the same name, which might be a bit of an odd prospect, but it worked surprisingly well. The series follows Dan (Mamoudou Athie), a student in the present who is hired by a private company to restore a collection of old videotapes left behind by Melody (Dina Shihabi), in 1994. Melody made the tapes for documentary purposes, diving into the mystery of an apartment complex that burned down, only to stumble upon deadly secrets best left uncovered, which Dan soon finds himself caught in the middle of.
The series clocked in some really impressive stats and reviews, with loads of people tuning in to watch it, and with critics and audiences alike commending it for its premise and atmosphere. So, what should Netflix logically do considering the positive reception? Why, cancel it after one season, of course! Seriously, this decision made zero sense, and fans of the podcast and show were far from happy at this seemingly random cancellation after only one season.
7
‘1899’ (2022)
Created by Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese
1899 is a period drama/horror series created by the same creative minds behind Netflix’s German mystery series Dark, which ran from 2017 until 2020. Dark was a truly mystifying show, and quickly developed a cult following, so fans were excited to see what the creators had in store for their next prospect on Netflix. And they certainly delivered, as 1899 became a huge hit among horror fans, offering the same signature touch and flair that Dark had.
1899 bears a deceptively simple premise as British immigrants board a steamship to cross the Atlantic and start new lives in New York City, but things quickly unravel and conspiracies are revealed, turning a routine voyage into a nightmare. Despite rave reviews and a demand for more, Netflix cancelled the show after just one season, on a cliffhanger no less. It’s one of the most infuriating cancellations on the network, and didn’t deserve the treatment it ultimately got.
6
‘Marianne’ (2019)
Created by Samuel Bodin
French TV series Marianne is easily among the greatest horror TV shows of all time, which is why it’s puzzling that it was cancelled after just one season. The show boasts an incredible 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, so it was undeniably a hit with critics. The series takes place in the French countryside, where a woman named Emma (Victoire du Bois) witnesses the death of her childhood friend. She leaves her tiny village for a few years to recover from the trauma, only to return later on, seeking answers about what happened.
With themes of witchcraft, loss, trauma, and isolation, it’s a thrilling homage to some of the most classic Gothic horror tales, utilizing many of its typical conventions. As much as fans wanted more out of this exciting and dark series, Marianne was inexplicably cancelled after just one season. This is just one of many great series that have been cancelled by Netflix without any real rhyme or reason, and fans are not happy about it.
Marianne
- Release Date
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September 13, 2019
- Network
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Netflix
5
‘Lovecraft Country’ (2020)
Developed by Misha Green
Lovecraft Country was an HBO series that takes place in the 1950s during the era of segregation in America. The story begins in the New England town that horror author and notorious racist H. P. Lovecraft based many of his short stories. Following a young man who travels across the United States in search of his missing father, many secrets are revealed, and monsters come to the surface that are based on many of the beings that Lovecraft wrote about.
Its emphasis on the racial tension during the 1950s, combined with the blatant racism in many of Lovecraft’s works, paints not only a bleak picture of what America used to be, but also provides the audience with some truly disturbing creatures straight out of Lovecraft’s twisted mind. Unfortunately, the series was cancelled after just one season, while the second season was actively being developed. It was fun while it lasted, though, because there really wasn’t anything else like it.
- Release Date
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2020 – 2020-00-00
- Network
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HBO
- Directors
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Daniel Sackheim, Cheryl Dunye
4
‘Blood Drive’ (2017)
Created by James Roland
Blood Drive is a sci-fi splatter series that takes place in a dystopian future, which is really just an alternate version of 1999. A catastrophic earthquake has split the United States in two, causing environmental decline, and simple resources like water and gasoline to become scarce. Exploiting secrets found at the bottom of the ravine that literally divides the nation, a megacorporation takes over the country and forces individuals to compete in the Blood Drive, a cross-country race using vehicles powered by human blood.
Obviously, there’s a lot of guts and gore, which is primarily where the horror aspect comes from; otherwise, it’s mostly an action series. Still, the premise was very interesting, if not exactly Shakespeare, but it was great for fans of Mad Max and Twisted Metal. Unfortunately, Blood Drive was axed after just one season, consisting of 13 episodes, leaving a devout following severely disappointed.
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Christina Ochoa
Grace d’Argento
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Thomas Dominique
Christopher Carson
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Colin Cunningham
Christopher Carpenter
3
‘The River’ (2012)
Created by Oren Peli and Ryan R. Perry
Found-footage horror is a neat little subgenre wherein all the takes look like they are candid camera footage from a situation that actually happened. The camera is often shaky, and the cast sometimes speaks directly into it, usually with the story involving some sort of documentary crew. It’s a difficult genre to pull off that has made for some unique and terrifying horror films, as the genre is normally explored in cinema rather than television.
The River was a TV show that decided to change all that, utilizing the found footage format for a series rather than a film. This show is about the host of a nature TV show who ventures deep into the Amazon rainforest, only to go missing. Six months later, a documentary crew goes to find him, filming the experience and encountering buried secrets beyond their understanding. This unique premise makes for a very interesting watch, yet the show was sadly cancelled after just one season. It wasn’t exactly high art, but it was perfectly enjoyable, and left a lot of unanswered questions in its wake.
2
‘Harper’s Island’ (2009)
Created by Ari Schlossberg
Harper’s Island went through a bit of a turbulent production process as it seemed like the showrunners couldn’t really decide what they wanted. It was first planned as a miniseries, then as an anthology series, before finally settling on a fixed narrative that would take place over numerous seasons. They should’ve taken the miniseries route, though, because CBS cancelled the show after just one season. At the time, this made sense, because it wasn’t really raking in millions of viewers, and has only seen commendation in retrospect, with viewers only appreciating it decades later.
It starts off with a murder mystery, with numerous killings matching a serial killer that was supposed to have died many years ago. Suspicious, the locals begin to unlock the secrets of the eponymous island and discover what really happened to this killer, as well as the driving force behind the killings. In the years since its cancellation, it has developed a small but dedicated following, with critics and fans deeming the show to be way ahead of its time. Unfortunately, it didn’t work for the late 2000s, and it never saw a second season.
1
‘The Midnight Club’ (2022)
Created by Mike Flanagan and Leah Fong
Mike Flanagan is sort of known for being a modern master of horror, from films like Hush to miniseries like The Haunting of Hill House, he seems to have no problem racking up awards and critical acclaim. While most of his efforts are stand-alone, The Midnight Club wasn’t actually planned to be a miniseries, and had multiple seasons scheduled. But perhaps it should’ve been just a miniseries, because it was cancelled after only one season anyway.
It’s strange for Netflix to cancel an effort from one of their biggest moneymakers in the horror department, but in fairness, the series wasn’t quite up to the same quality as some of his others, though it was still very good. The Midnight Club had an interesting premise about eight dying individuals in a hospice facility who tell scary stories at midnight, agreeing that the first to die amongst them has to communicate with the rest of them from beyond the grave. Each character had a story to tell and a unique personality, but the planned second season, which would have provided more scares, sadly never came to be.