We are almost at the end of the year, so now is a good time to look back at the sci fi and fantasy shows that were cancelled or ended 2017. Twenty three shows that aired episodes through 2017 were cancelled or ended in the year. This is a quick rundown on what happened with each series and you can click through to the show page to read more.
Note: The last day to vote is January 7th.
Blood Drive (Syfy) Cancelled after 1 Season
Syfy’s grindhouse series developed a small but loyal following, but that was not enough to keep it alive after one low-rated season. Expect this one to become a cult favorite among its niche audience in the coming years, though.
Class (BBC America) Cancelled after 1 Season
This Doctor Who spin-off did not attract too many viewers in the States or across the ocean in Britain. But it’s possible that the parent show could make a few stops at Coal Hill Academy in the coming years.
Dark Matter (Syfy) Cancelled after 3 Seasons
This cancellation was one of the big surprises of 2017 and fans are still lobbying hard for a continuation (it is currently one of the top voted shows in our Save My Show poll). Co-creator Joseph Mallozi blamed the cancellation on low ratings and the fact that Syfy did not have an ownership stake in the series. He tried shopping it around, but could not work out a deal. This one has an engaged fanbase, though, and perhaps they can stir up some interest in another season or at least a final movie.
Dirk Gentlys Holistic Detective Agency (BBC America) Cancelled after 2 Seasons
The cancellation of this show did not come as a big surprise after two low-rated season, but fans have definitely came out of the woodwork and are lobbying for another season (it is currently in the Top 5 of our Save My Show poll). Netflix was the international partnership on this one, so perhaps they can be convinced to keep it around for another year or more.
Emerald City (NBC) Cancelled after 1 Season
NBC tried to do Game of Thrones meets The Wizard of Oz with this show, but it did not register too well with viewers or critics. Of course scheduling it on Fridays didn’t help, but this one never seemed to develop much of a fanbase and there was not too much effort to save it from cancellation.
Frequency (CW) Cancelled after 1 Season
This movie to TV series adaptation seemed like it was good enough for a one season run and they did wrap up most of the storylines with an epilogue that was released after the cancellation. It was one of several time-travel related shows that ended up getting cancelled in 2017.
Grimm (NBC) Ended after 6 Seasons
This supernatural procedural actually did quite well for NBC on Friday nights over its six-year run and it developed a pretty loyal following during the time. Its sixth season was announced in advance as its last giving it the chance to wrap up its storylines, and it has a syndication-friendly count of episodes that will let it live on for years in an encore run.
Incorporated (Syfy) Cancelled after 1 Season
This ambitious series may have suffered from the fact that it airs on Syfy, and that network continues to have trouble re-establishing its audience the last few years. Incorporated started to develop a following over its short run, but its ratings were not strong enough for the network to keep it going. This one will likely develop a cult reputation and be looked back on as one that had plenty of potential if given a few more seasons.
The Leftovers (HBO) Ended after 3 Seasons
This show was preemptively cancelled by HBO after its low-rated second season when they announced its third year as its last. The Leftovers got off to a shaky start quality-wise in its first year, but by its second season it was getting recognition for its story direction and it went out on a strong note in its third year. It may not have lasted long, but it could be recognized as a genre sleeper in the years to come.
Making History (FOX) Cancelled after 1 Season
Yet another time travel series that got cancelled in 2017, this sci fi comedy never quite registered, and it does not appear that many are missing it now that it is gone.
The Mist (Spike) Cancelled after 1 Season
This adaptation of the Stephen King book was not received warmly by critics in its first season, and the audience dropped off pretty quickly after the show’s debut. Spike changes to the Paramount Network in 2018, and apparently they decided not to take this baggage with them.
Orphan Black (BBC America) Ended after 5 Seasons
This show never attracted a large audience, but it had enough viewers and good buzz to get it through five seasons. It explored many themes relevant to our times and will be looked back upon as a solid sci fi entry from the Peak TV era. BBC America announced Orphan Black‘s fifth season as its last in advance, giving the writers the opportunity to wrap up most of the show’s major storylines.
Powerless (NBC) Cancelled after 1 Season
This superhero comedy misfire faced problems early on as its basic premise was changed throughout the development process. When it finally arrived on television, it failed to generate many laughs nor attract much in the way of viewership. NBC yanked it from the schedule before it completed its run, and there was not too much of an outcry from the fans.
Sense8 (Netflix) Cancelled after 2 Seasons
This rather divisive show from the Wachowskis and J. Michael Straczynski developed a loyal following, but not large enough for Netflix to justify the production costs (it was filmed in multiple countries around the world). After a raucous fan campaign, the streaming service agreed to film a two-hour series finale, but fans still want more. This one is currently one of the leaders of our Save My Show poll.
Sleepy Hollow (FOX) Cancelled after 4 Seasons
This show was an unexpected hit in its first season, but saw it ratings drop notably each year after that. It barely survived into a fourth season and went through a bit of a reboot (including killing off a lead character) that proved unpopular with its core fans. Apparently FOX had enough by that point and decided to let the show fade away after its four year run.
Son of Zorn (FOX) Cancelled after 1 Season
The premise for this animation-meets-live-action comedy seemed like enough to sustain a fifteen minute short, but not an ongoing series. And that is likely why it never developed much of a following. Its ratings were actually not that bad for its first season run, but they were inflated by a strong lead-in from football. When it aired its last few episodes in January 2017 without the kicker from the NFL, its numbers fell notably and FOX gave the ax to the cartoon barbarian.
Stitchers (Freeform) Cancelled after 3 Seasons
This series was never a ratings hit, but it developed a loyal fanbase and it trended very well on the social networks during its first two seasons. By its third year, though, it was barely registering with the Nielsens and its social net activity had tapered off. Freeform is in the process of overhauling its schedule and this show was left out of its direction shift. Fans definitely made an effort to save the show, though, and continue to lobby for a fourth season.
The Strain (FX) Ended after 4 Seasons
Allegedly, this series was only intended to run three seasons, roughly one for each of the books from the trilogy. FX asked for a fourth season, though, and that one wrapped up all of the major storylines from the series.
Teen Wolf (MTV) Ended after 6 Seasons
This show had a successful six year run on MTV, even if viewership did decline notably in its final season. There are talks of a spin-off series, though nothing is currently in the works. But it seems like a good bet that the network will revisit the Teen Wolf universe at some point.
Time After Time (ABC) Cancelled after 1 Season
This was the shortest-lived of the time travel shows that were cancelled in 2017, only airing five episodes before getting yanked from the schedule. There was not too much uproar, though, so apparently this one never developed much of a fanbase.
Twin Peaks (Showtime) Ended after 1 Revival Season
Showtime’s return to Twin Peaks was mostly well received by fans of the original series, at least those that tuned in. It barely registered in the ratings, though it did do much better with online viewing and generated some buzz across the social nets. It was allegedly intended for a “limited run” but we know that is only as limited as the ratings results. Since this one did not score too high, Showtime decided to leave it as limited-run-and-done.
Vampire Diaries (CW) Ended after 8 Seasons
Once the flagship series on The CW (in the days before the Arrow-verse), Vampire Diaries saw its viewership fade notably in its final few years. But the fifth place network gave it a final season to wrap up its storylines before heading off to its encore run in syndication.
Zoo (CBS) Cancelled after 3 Seasons
Never a huge hit for CBS, this show had dropped off notably in the ratings by its third season. It is likely expensive to produce, and the network apparently decided not to keep the show around for another year. It did develop a small but loyal following who lobbied to save the show, but it appears at this point that the Zoo will remain closed.
Among the shows currently On the Bubble or almost certainly headed to Cancellation are Agents of SHIELD (ABC, On the Bubble), The Exorcist (FOX, On the Bubble), Ghost Wars (Syfy, Cancellation Likely), The Inhumans (ABC, Cancellation Likely), Kevin (Probably) Saves the World (ABC, Cancellation Likely), Midnight Texas (NBC, On the Bubble), Once Upon A Time (ABC, On the Bubble), The Shannara Chronicles (Spike, Cancellation Likely), and Superstition (Syfy, Cancellation Likely). Be sure to follow this site and the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for updates on these in the coming months.
