9 TV Series Everyone Hates But Shouldn’t
Some TV shows get cancelled before they even get a fair shot, and it’s a crime against good storytelling. Critics may have panned them, ratings could have tanked, or audiences simply didn’t show up in time, yet these series deserved so much better.
Space cowboys, teen outcasts, and quirky underdogs brought heart, brains, and style in spades. Add these hidden gems to your watchlist and dive into worlds that should have had a chance to shine, full of unforgettable characters and stories that still resonate today.
1. Firefly (2002)
What happens when a space western crashes the sci-fi party? Pure magic, that’s what.
Joss Whedon’s Firefly gave us a ragtag crew aboard the Serenity, flying through a galaxy that felt lived-in and real. The show blended cowboy grit with futuristic flair in a way no other series had dared before.
Fox aired episodes out of order, which confused audiences and tanked ratings fast. Fans still call it one of the greatest one-season wonders ever made.
The 2005 film Serenity was literally funded by fan passion alone!
2. Freaks and Geeks (1999)
If high school ever felt like a survival game, this show gets it. Freaks and Geeks followed two sibling groups navigating the brutal social jungle of a 1980 Michigan high school.
Creator Paul Feig and producer Judd Apatow packed every episode with painfully honest, laugh-out-loud moments.
NBC cancelled it after just one season. However, the cast went on to include James Franco, Seth Rogen, and Linda Cardellini, basically a Hollywood hall of fame.
Talk about a show ahead of its time!
3. Pushing Daisies (2007)
Bright colors, talking dead people, and a pie maker who can bring them back to life for exactly one minute? Yes, please!
Pushing Daisies was unlike anything on network television, wrapping murder mysteries inside a candy-colored fairy tale every single week.
Creator Bryan Fuller built a visual world so stunning it looked like a Tim Burton fever dream in the best possible way. ABC cancelled it mid-season during the 2007 writers’ strike.
Fans still mourn it like a beloved character who touched something and didn’t come back.
4. Arrested Development (2003)
Three Emmy wins and a Peabody Award weren’t enough to save Arrested Development from Fox’s cancellation axe after just three seasons. The show followed the hilariously dysfunctional Bluth family with a layered, rapid-fire humor style that rewarded attentive viewers with hidden jokes and callbacks.
Narrator Ron Howard tied everything together with perfectly dry commentary. Netflix later revived it, proving audiences had finally caught up.
If you enjoy comedy that respects your intelligence, this show is basically homework you’ll actually enjoy doing.
5. My So-Called Life (1994)
Angela Chase was the most relatable teenager ever put on television, full stop. My So-Called Life tackled identity, first love, and family tension with a raw honesty that felt revolutionary for 1994.
Claire Danes delivered a career-defining performance at just fifteen years old.
ABC cancelled it after one season despite a passionate fan campaign to save it. Jared Leto also appeared as Jordan Catalano, making it basically a pop culture treasure chest.
How this show didn’t run for five seasons is genuinely baffling to anyone who watches it today.
6. Mindhunter (2017)
Based on true events, Mindhunter followed FBI agents developing criminal profiling by interviewing real serial killers in the late 1970s. David Fincher directed multiple episodes, giving the show a cold, precise visual style that felt almost documentary-like in its intensity.
Netflix quietly shelved it after two brilliant seasons, citing production costs. Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany gave two of the most underappreciated performances in streaming history.
Where else can you learn about criminal psychology while also being completely terrified? Exactly nowhere else.
7. Hannibal (2013)
Before the FBI catches a cannibal, the cannibal becomes your favorite character. That’s the genius trap of Hannibal.
NBC’s prestige drama reimagined Thomas Harris’s iconic villain with stunning visual artistry, turning every episode into something closer to a dark painting than a TV show.
Mads Mikkelsen redefined Hannibal Lecter completely, making Anthony Hopkins’ version feel almost cheerful by comparison. Cancelled after three seasons due to low ratings, this show found its massive audience entirely after the fact.
Better late than never, right?
8. Sense8 (2015)
Eight strangers across eight different countries suddenly share each other’s thoughts, skills, and emotions. That’s Sense8 in one wild, beautiful sentence.
The Wachowskis created a globe-trotting sci-fi series that celebrated human connection and diversity in ways most shows wouldn’t even attempt.
Netflix cancelled it after two seasons, triggering one of the most organized fan campaigns in streaming history. The outcry was so massive that Netflix funded a two-hour finale film to wrap the story.
Fans literally made that happen through sheer collective willpower. Amazing!
9. Flash Forward (2009)
Every person on Earth blacks out for exactly two minutes and seventeen seconds and sees a vision of their future. What would you do with that information?
FlashForward asked exactly that question across a gripping first season packed with mystery, moral dilemmas, and solid performances.
ABC cancelled it before the story could reach its full potential, leaving fans stranded mid-mystery. Though the pacing frustrated some viewers early on, the payoff was building beautifully.
Think of it as a puzzle box someone threw away right before you found the last piece.
