13 Incredible Shows With Only One Season

There are some shows, like Law & Order, that become television juggernauts spanning decades and several spin-offs, and then there are some shows that only last one season.

Whether the short-lived shows are canceled because they were too far ahead of their time, suffered creative differences with the cast and crew, or just didn’t land with the audience, these one season shows left an impact in their short run on the air.

Have a look at the 13 best shows that didn’t make it past the first 13 episodes.

1. True Blue (1989)

The Emergency Services Unit (ESU) division of the NYPD is a specialized division of the force so skilled in what they do, that they are known as the ones who the NYPD calls when they need cops. 1989’s True Blue attempted to depict the nitty-gritty, and sometimes scary, world of these brave men and women in blue. Unfortunately, it was a one season shows whose premise was memorable, but whose execution stunk.

Future television stars Nestor Serrano, Grant Show, and Darnell Williams should have given True Blue a Law & Order-like status. Unfortunately, though, the network canceled it before all of the episodes made it to air.

2. My So-Called Life (1990)

When it comes to one season shows, few have had the cultural impact of My So-Called Life. No show more effectively captured the ennui, the fashion, and the caring antipathy of Generation X quite like this juggernaut. It also single-handedly launched the careers of some of the best actors of the Gen X generation, including Claire Danes (who won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Angela Chase), Jared Leto, and Wilson Cruz.

Similar in style to Daria, My So-Called Life focused on how Angela navigated life as an angsty, confused teenager in the fictional Pittsburgh suburb of Three Rivers, and dealt with issues like homophobia, drug use, and adultery through the eyes of Angela and her friends. An online campaign to save My So-Called Life was the first in Internet history, but Danes did not want to continue with the show, citing difficulties with balancing her studies with the show’s grueling filming schedule for her reasoning.

3. Police Squad! (1982)

In the 1980s, police procedurals ranked as the most popular shows on television — so much so that the creators of Airplane! decided to launch the Police Squad! television show that was a parody of the likes of Hill Street Blues. Unfortunately, the slapstick comedy starring Leslie Nielsen as Lt. Frank Drebin became one of those one season shows that was off the air in the blink of an eye.

But, as fans know, that wasn’t the end of the story. Police Squad! was retooled as The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! comedy film series starring Neilsen, Priscilla Presley, and O.J. Simpson (before the infamy, of course), and it became a box-office smash. And in 2024, it was announced that the film series would be rebooted, featuring an all-star cast that includes the likes of Liam Neeson (who will be playing Lt. Frank Drebin), Pamela Anderson, WWE superstar Cody Rhodes, and Hip Hop star Busta Rhymes.

4. Almost Human (2013)

Almost Human starred Karl Urban as a police officer and Michael Ealy as his android counterpart. The show had a simple premise: in the year 2048, science and technology has gotten out of control, and crime rates have exploded. To keep up with the exploding crime rates, each police officer has been assigned an android counterpart specifically designed for violent combat.

The series featured a larger commentary of police overreach, preventing recidivism, and the anthropomorphic nature of machines. Almost Human couldn’t explore those issues effectively, as it quickly became one of those one season shows which have been all but almost forgotten to the annals of time.

5. Rubicon (2010)

Rubicon focused on an intelligence analyst working for the fictional American Policy Institute (API) in New York City who is investigating the mysterious death of his mentor, which turns out to be part of a larger conspiracy involving secret societies and war profiteers. Featuring an ensemble, rather than an all-star, cast, the show debuted as one of the most watched shows in AMC network history in 2010, clocking 2 million viewers with its premiere episode.

Despite the auspicious start, Rubicon couldn’t quite get off the ground, and it was plagued with “creative differences” from the start. So, it was no surprise when Rubicon joined the list of one season shows that couldn’t quite make it for a second season and beyond.

6. Clone High (2002)

Clone High aired for three seasons on Teletoon, but whose episodes were combined into one season on American television, on MTV. And though the show enjoyed a revival as of May 2023 ordered by streaming network Max, the original Clone High became one of those one season shows that couldn’t quite launch off the ground thanks to its confusing scheduling.

It also didn’t help that the show criticized Ghandi, which prompted over 100 people in India to go on hunger strike in response to the depiction. To avoid further imbroglio, MTV canceled the series shortly thereafter.

7. Trophy Wife (2013)

Trophy Wife had all the right ingredients for a successful show. Airing on ABC in the 2013-2014 television season, Trophy Wife starred Malin Akerman as the younger third wife of middle-aged lawyer Bradley Whitford, who has to combat his first two wives (Michaela Watkins, Marcia Gay Harden) and their assorted children.

The premise of a blended family worked for countless films (Yours, Mine, & Ours) and TV shows (The Brady Bunch). But for some reason, it didn’t work for Trophy Wife, which became one of those one season shows that is now all but forgotten.

8. Bunheads (2012)

Before Amy Sherman-Palladino found success with The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and after she found success with Gilmore Girls, she had a TV flop on her hands with Bunheads. The show, which got its name from a slang term for ballerinas, had a silly premise from the get-go: a professional ballerina became a Las Vegas showgirl, then impulsively married one of her longtime admirers and moved to his sleepy California hometown, where she started teaching ballet to young children alongside her fussy mother-in-law.

The premise could have worked as a Hallmark movie, but not for a full series. So, unsurprisingly, Bunheads became one of those flash-in-the-pan one season shows.

9.  Whiskey Cavalier (2019)

Whiskey Cavalier, starring Scott Foley and Lauren Cohan, became a victim of the Powers That Be’s bad choices. It wasn’t a bad show at all.

On the contrary, Whiskey Cavalier, which focused on the exploits of an FBI agent (Foley) paired up with a CIA operative (Cohan) after a particularly nasty breakup, was actually quite good, and quickly became a fan favorite.

Even a strong debut after the Oscars telecast couldn’t keep the show afloat because it wasn’t available for rebroadcast on a streaming network like Netflix or Hulu. Whiskey Cavalier joined the pile of one season shows canceled after just thirteen episodes.

10. The Adventures of Briscoe County, Jr. (1993)

Was The Adventures of Briscoe County, Jr. a Western, or a comedy, or both? Or something else completely different? To this day, even fans of the show can’t figure out where to classify this 1993 Fox show, which starred Bruce Campbell as the titular character, who was a Harvard-educated lawyer-turned-Old West bounty hunter.

Fox commissioned The Adventures of Briscoe County Jr., impressed by creators Jeffrey Boam and Carlton Cuse’s work on Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. But the show was just too weird for its own good, combining elements of steampunk, sci-fi, spaghetti westerns, and police procedurals to make any kind of sense. As a result, The Adventures of Briscoe County Jr. became one of those one season shows tossed into the garbage bin.

11. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006)

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, featuring the late Matthew Perry in a star-making role that quickly and easily helped him break out of the mold cast by Friends, also became a victim of bad accounting. It arrived at the same time as its sister show, 30 Rock, and actually performed well in the ratings. At one point, Studio 60 — which also starred Bradley Whitford, Amanda Peet, Sarah Paulson, and Steven Weber — even out-performed 30 Rock in the ratings.

Unfortunately, Studio 60 became one of those one season shows because it cost too much to produce.

12. Undeclared (2001)

A TV show starring Seth Rogen and Charlie Hunnam? What better formula could exist for Undeclared to become a rousing success?

On paper, the show sounded like a great idea: the Judd Apatow creation, which was named one of the best shows with a cult following of all time by Entertainment Weekly, was a follow-up to Freaks & Geeks…and both shows were one season shows that deserved a lot better than their dustbin fate. Undeclared followed a series of “undeclared” (that is, without a declared major) college freshmen at the fictional University of Northeastern California.

13. Alcatraz (2012)

Alcatraz was a JJ Abrams-produced show with a promising premise. The show, which jumps around in time, centers on the closure of Alcatraz prison in 1963 because of dangerous conditions for both inmates and staff. The guards and the prisoners vanished in 1963 and then all of a sudden surfaced in present-day San Francisco. There, a government agency races to stop them from committing new crimes and to find out why they returned.

Unfortunately, a lack of proper development meant that the show couldn’t build or keep a loyal following. It hit the chopping block after just one season.