Some TV shows last for almost a lifetime while others get canned after merely one episode. More than often, shows get canceled mid-production due to low viewership. In other cases, bizarre logistical reasons might explain the cancellation. What’s interesting is that in some cases, these series are backed by popular stars and studios and yet fail to make a mark.
For instance, The Will was created by The Bachelor team and yet failed to gain the same audience base. Similarly, DC’s Arrowverse shows have gone on for multiple seasons, and yet Swamp Thing and Powerless couldn’t prove their worth. Several such cases go down in the pantheon of ill-fated shows across different generations.
Swamp Thing (2019)
When it comes to the original DC comics, Swamp Thing was quite unique for its horror overtones that transcended the comic book company’s usual superhero themes. So, it is natural that a live-action adaptation would create quite some hype, especially with horror stalwart James Wan serving as the executive producer.
The premiere was followed by the unfortunate news of its cancellation. Creative differences with DC Universe’s parent company Warner Media were cited as one of the reasons behind this news, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The remaining nine episodes of the first season were later made available on DC Universe. Despite garnering overwhelmingly positive reviews, it is unknown whether Swamp Thing would get a revival or not.
Arrested Development (2003-2006)
With a talented ensemble including Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, and Jessica Walters, Arrested Development‘s original run made for some of the best sitcoms of the 2000s despite its short-lived run. The misadventures of the once-rich Bluth family and their encounters with normal life included the usage of unconventional zoom-ins, random time jumps, and a meta-narration by director Ron Howard.
Despite its subversion of the sitcom genre, Arrested Development ended in the middle of the third season due to a decrease in viewership. Later, Arrested Development still managed to get two Netflix revival seasons.
Viva Laughlin (2007)
Hugh Jackman has had some successful musical ventures with movies like Les Miserables and The Greatest Showman. However, Viva Laughlin wasn’t one of them.
The show dealt with a mystery around a Nevada casino with players occasionally breaking into musical numbers. Jackman not only had a supporting role on Viva Laughlin but he also served as an executive producer. After merely two episodes, the show stopped airing and faded away from popular memory. A Daily Telegraph article reporting on the cancellation added that Viva Laughlin was already being hailed as “the worst program ever” by American critics.
Secret Talents Of The Stars (2008)
Secret Talents of the Stars featured popular icons such as Star Trek actor George Takei and Olympic figure skater Sasha Cohen. The task of the reality series was to make them unleash their hidden talents. So, Takei crooned like a country singer while Cohen performed with a Chinese acrobat troupe.
Viewers decided which contestant would make it in the end through online voting that was possible only during live broadcasts in America’s Eastern and Central time zones. Because of this limited voting reach, the show never took off and was canceled soon due to low ratings.
The Will (2005)
Following the same approach as The Bachelor, The Will was a competitive reality show by its showrunner Mike Fleiss. However, Fleiss couldn’t replicate the same magic as The Will had to bid adieu with just one episode.
The premise however made for interesting reality TV. Centering around a wealthy benefactor, The Will involved his close friends and family in engaging in several challenges to inherit his property. Even though only six episodes were planned for the first season, most of the broadcasting zones ended up showing only the pilot. The Bachelor and its spin-off The Bachelorette, on the other hand, have continued to enjoy a successful future.
Heil Honey, I’m Home! (1990)
Irrespective of the intention, a sitcom on Adolf Hitler is bound to create controversy and hurt sentiments. So, it is not surprising to see why Heil Honey, I’m Home was canned right after the pilot even though ten more episodes were planned.
Judging from the infamous first episode, the show served as a parody of 1950s sitcoms with Hitler and Eva Braun playing a happily-married couple who lived next door to a Jewish couple. Apart from the shock value, most of the reviews found the sitcom’s humor to be tasteless.
Powerless (2017)
Starring Vanessa Hudgens in the lead role, Powerless was quite an unconventional superhero show. Even though it was set within the DC Universe, no Batman or Wonder Woman make a surprise appearance. Instead, Powerless dealt with the everyday people who exist in this turbulent world of heroes and villains from DC comics. Hudgens and the rest of the ensemble starred as members of a security agency in Gotham.
With its light-hearted approach and unique premise, Powerless had a lot of potential for the comic geek audience. But before it could gain some footing, the show was canceled after just nine episodes. Three more unaired ones were later available only in New Zealand. Despite earning positive reviews, Powerless couldn’t fare well with the viewer ratings.
The Hasselhoffs (2010)
David Hasselhoff is quite the marketable star with credits like Knight Rider and Baywatch to his name. Even then, not many cared about his real life as the reality series The Hasselhoffs just sank without any buzz at all.
Intended to be an insider’s look at The Hoff’s family life, the show dealt with how he juggles between being an entertainer and a dad to his two daughters. It also covered Hasselhoff’s attempts at restarting his career and launching his daughters in Hollywood. With merely two episodes, viewers decided that The Hasselhoffs was no Kardashian-level reality TV and A&E took no time to ax it down.
Breaking Boston (2014)
Mark Wahlberg and some of his movies emulate his Boston heritage. Still, only his diehard fans would know that Wahlberg once produced a reality series documenting the lives of Boston women with blue-collar jobs. The show attempted to explore their everyday lives along with personal and professional struggles.
While the premise seems interesting, the show turned into a failed experiment and failed to draw any significant viewership. Still, the only aired episode of Breaking Boston would nevertheless pique the interest of the city’s natives.
Osbournes Reloaded (2009)
In the same line as other celebrity family shows, The Osbournes became quite popular as it dealt with the behind-the-scenes life of rocker Ozzy Osbourne, his manager-wife Sharon Osbourne, and their children. After its four-season run, another spin-off title Osbournes Reloaded was planned.
But there was hardly anything to “reload” anymore as the show pretty much dealt with the same old shenanigans of the Osbourne family. Such was the variety show’s fate that its hour-long pilot episode was cut down to 35 minutes and that is the last anyone ever heard of it.
