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Cliffhangers on TV shows are all fun and games until the network abandons ship and the plot ends for good, mid-story. Time and time again, loyal viewers get invested in a series, only to be left hanging with a jaw-dropping finale that feels more like a semicolon than a period. Twin Peaks introduced a paranormal dimension before it got scrapped; The Wilds stranded its coed castaways together just as the experiment was beginning; and…
Cancellations have always been a part of TV, but in today’s era of streaming churn, they’ve become more ruthless (and more common). We’ve rounded up 34 shows that were cut short before they had the chance to finish what they started.
ALF (1986–1990)
NBC
You can’t exactly end your show with ALF (a.k.a. Alien Life Force) getting captured by an Alien Task Force. To be fair, they didn’t plan to end it that way — obviously, it was canceled — but still, what are fans supposed to do with that? —Samantha Highfill
Angel (1999–2004)
The WB
The ending of Angel was no joke: Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) was dead; Fred (Amy Acker) was overtaken by Illyria (Acker again); Wesley (Alexis Denisof) was dead; and Lorne (Andy Hallett) went his own way after killing Lindsey (Christian Kane).
Then, just as Angel (David Boreanaz), Illyria, Gunn (J. August Richards), and Spike (James Marsters) were overrun by demons and dragons in an alley, all fans saw was Angel swinging his sword toward the screen as it faded to black. So we’ll assume he won? —S.H.
Archive 81 (2022)
Netflix
From start to finish, Archive 81 never pretended to stay on the rails, and that’s exactly what made it great. Video archivist Dan Turner (Mamoudou Athie) accepts a shady freelance gig restoring fire-damaged tapes found in a now-destroyed building. With the 1994 footage belonging to Melody (Dina Shihabi) — a now-missing grad student who believed the residents were part of a dangerous cult — Dan is finding himself in the mix, decades later.
The show that takes this many risks is bound to divide viewers, but its bold, genre-bending first season made it a cult fave. And because the show doesn’t stop messing with your head, the finale offers a fever-dream of a cliffhanger, with Dan waking up in 1994, after the fires. Guess we’ll never find out how far down the rabbit hole Archive 81 could’ve gone. —James Mercadante
The Arrangement (2017–2018)
Eric Milner/E! Entertainment
The Arrangement was a love story. Sure, it was a very complicated love story filled with Hollywood politics and one very powerful cult, but it was still a love story. That’s why its season 2 finale felt like such a cliffhanger.
After Kyle (Josh Henderson) found out that Megan (Christine Evangelista) had cheated on him, the newlyweds declared war on each other. And thanks to E!‘s decision to cancel the series, that’s the moment that will serve as the end of their love story. Oof. —S.H.
Bored to Death (2009–2011)
HBO
You have to care a lot about a show to stick with it through an incest storyline. And for three seasons, a small number of fans cared a whole lot about Bored to Death, a quirky comedy about Jonathan (Jason Schwartzman), a struggling writer who attempts to become a crime-solving detective but really spends most of his time smoking weed with his best friend (Zach Galifianakis) and best boss (Ted Danson).
Jonathan’s biggest mystery was the identity of his biological father, and, to his sleuthing credit, he solved the case — but immediately realized it meant he had been sleeping with his half-sister (Isla Fisher). And then the season ended. And then the show was canceled. And now? We’re still waiting on that Bored to Death movie. Take note, HBO. —Stephanie Schomer
Chasing Life (2014–2015)
ABC Family/Valerio Ziccanu Chessa
With a pretty self-explanatory title, Chasing Life told the story of April Carver (Italia Ricci), a young woman just getting started on her dream career when she was unexpectedly diagnosed with leukemia. And after years of fighting every battle cancer threw at her, April ended the second season by saying goodbye to her family, heading to Rome, and — heartbreakingly — contemplating accepting her fate.
For the first time, she pondered ending the chase and letting herself die in Italy. And then the show was canceled. BUT IT’S CALLED CHASING LIFE! —S.H.
The Event (2010–2011)
NBC
During the sci-fi drama’s series finale, aliens (yup, that was the show’s main twist) called Sleepers attempt to infect the world. And in the final minutes, their alien planet enters Earth’s orbit, threatening the humans who just barely managed to stop the spread of the virus.
The arrival promised a less frustrating, absolutely bonkers storyline, but for those who stuck with the series until then, it was disappointing to be denied an all-out, chaotic human-alien confrontation — in other words, to be denied, well, the Event itself. —Shirley Li
The Family (2016)
ABC/Giovanni Rufino
Airing its series finale just days after the news of its cancellation, The Family ended with a bang. Well, multiple, actually. First, there was the very, um, targeted shooting of Doug (Michael Esper), followed by the mysterious death of Bridey (Floriana Lima). (Did Alison Pill‘s Willa kill her?!)
But the real kicker was the identity of Doug’s shooter: Adam (Luke Slattery)! He was alive after all. And in the episode’s last moments, he called home to tell Ben (Liam James) he was coming back for his family. —S.H.
Finding Carter (2014–2015)
MTV/Courtesy: Everett
After Max (Alex Saxon) witnessed Jared (Jackson Rathbone) shoving Carter (Kathryn Prescott), Finding Carter‘s sweetheart lost control. In a rare moment of anger, Max hit Jared over the head with a bottle. Sadly for both of them, it resulted in Jared’s death.
Even worse? Season 2 ended with Max turning himself in for the crime, and now that MTV has canceled the show, fans will never know whether Max is spending his life behind bars. Another cliffhanger: Ben (Benjamin Wallace), who ended the season lying on the road after having been beaten up by a drug dealer. —S.H.
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