The 11 show cancellations that hurt the most in 2022 (original) (raw)

Nicole Kidman is nowhere in sight, and heartbreak does not feel good in a place like this. If there's one word every television tries to avoid, it's "canceled," but every year, there are more than a few gems that fail at that task. As we look back at 2022, we've rounded up the cancellations that sent us straight to the corner store for a box of tissues, a bottle of cheap wine, and a tub of ice cream. (We're sad okay?!)

Amazon / Paramount / HBO

The Wilds (Amazon Prime Video)

The new group of guys on 'The Wilds' season 2. Kane Skennar/Prime Video

Has Amazon Prime Video made any fandom suffer the way it made The Wilds' fandom suffer? First, we had to wait two whole years between seasons. The second season of the YA survival drama — about a group of teen girls stranded on a tropical island by a potentially insane feminist academic — didn't premiere until May of 2022, even though it wrapped in August of 2021! And then, two months after The Wilds ended on a bonkers Depeche Mode cliffhanger, Amazon unceremoniously announced they were casting the show adrift. What about Phase 3, Jeff Bezos? WHAT ABOUT PHASE 3??? —Kristen Baldwin

Legends of Tomorrow (The CW)

The cast of Legends of Tomorrow. Bettina Strauss/The CW

Pour one out for the entire Arrowverse, really, which has rapidly receded from six ongoing series to just one soon-to-conclude Flash. It's daunting to consider the legacy of producer's Greg Berlanti's series of spin-offs, which popularized the multiverse concept years before the MCU and brought low-budget whimsy to a decadent era of comic book storytelling. But I'll always consider the forever offbeat Legends to be the CW's super-standout. At best, it was a rip-roaring adventure across time and genre space, freely mixing science fiction and supernatural tales with a cheerful who-cares sensibility. I'll miss the show's knack for promoting minor DC-listers into major spotlight characters, and the general anything-can-happen willfulness of a show that could spoof reality shows, visit Hell, and turn fuzzy little Beebo into a god of war. Inevitably, Legends ended on a cliffhanger — an invitation for a revival, but also a reminder that this goofy delight's seven-season life was always a miracle of persistence. —Darren Franich

The Baby-Sitters Club (Netflix)

The cast of 'The Baby-Sitters' club, which will not be returning for a season 3. KAILEY SCHWERMAN/NETFLIX

Say hello goodbye to your friends — the world got a bit darker when Netflix decided that the heartwarming, nostalgic, and feel-good The Baby-Sitters Club adaptation didn't deserve another season. The live-action, modern reboot of the franchise based on Ann M. Martin's iconic novels ran for two seasons and introduced a new generation to beloved characters Kristy, Claudia, Stacey, Mary Anne, Dawn, Jessi, and Mallory, brought to life by a dynamic and talented group of young teen actresses destined for big careers, like Xochitl Gomez who has already made her MCU debut. But for now, we'll mourn the lost potential of 20 more wholesome and meaningful seasons with these BFFs that would have counteracted all the edgy shows about young kids on air these days. —Sydney Bucksbaum

Desus and Mero (Showtime)

'Desus and Mero'. Greg Endries/Showtime

In the period of late night's rapid expansion, Showtime's gabfest stood out for pure personality and low-key conversational charm. Daniel "Desus Nice" Baker and Joel "The Kid Mero" Martinez spent years perfecting their riff-y back-and-forth in podcasts and on a Viceland series. On premium cable, they were the same only more so, unleashing their banter on the surrealities of late Trump America even as their guest list expanded to include late-night legends and a couple of Presidents. Everyone has the show that got them through lockdown, and Desus & Mero was that in my household: The twice-weekly check-ins with Desus' sneakers and Mero's child-packed house were pure comedic oxygen, and the nature of their hilarious chats made the show uniquely built for the Era of Zoom Everything. It remains frustratingly unclear just what precisely led the duo to part ways, but they leave behind a void as big as the Bronx. —D.F.

As We See It (Amazon Prime Video)

Harrison (Albert Rutecki), Jack (Rick Glassman), and Violet (Sue Ann Pien) in 'As We See It' on Amazon. Ali Goldstein / Amazon Studios

Someone, please make it make sense. Amazon is happy to spend eleventy kabillion dollars on a Lord of the Rings prequel whose main contribution to society seems to be giving racist trolls something else to yell about. And yet, they can't find enough money in their petty cash fund to keep this charming and quirky comedy — about and starring young adults on the autism spectrum — going for another season? All nine episodes of As We See It probably cost less than Gil-galad's wig maintenance. And TROP doesn't even have Joe Mantegna! As we see it, this decision stinks. —KB

Minx (HBO Max)

Jake Johnson and Ophelia Lovibond in 'Minx'. Katrina Marcinowski/Lionsgate Television

Much like Joyce (Ophelia Lovibond) and her connection to Minx itself, it seems this smart, subversive comedy is no more. It was renewed for a second season in May, and was on the verge of wrapping production on season 2. But in yet another move from Warner Bros. Discovery and new CEO David Zaslav that doesn't make sense this year, the show was abruptly canceled in December. Reports suggest season 1 will also be removed from HBO Max. Losing a show that offered a unique perspective and feminist voice is always a blow, but it's particularly infuriating when so much of the work has already been done. Minx turned questions of female desire and pornography on their head, all while delivering fascinating characters you couldn't help but root for. I'm tempted to call its cancelation misogynistic, or at the very least, prudish. At any rate, it's a choice that's not just gutless, it's downright flaccid. —Maureen Lee Lenker

Rutherford Falls (Peacock)

Jesse Leigh and Ed Helms on 'Rutherford Falls'. Elizabeth Morris/Peacock

It's almost as if the execs at Peacock didn't even watch Rutherford Falls. The smart and sweet comedy about Regan Wells (Jana Schmieding) and Nathan Rutherford (Ed Helms) — two best friends living in a quaint colonial town built on Native land — found its footing in season 2, expanding its focus to the superb ensemble (shout-out to Jesse Leigh and Michael Greyeyes!) and delivering one of the funniest episodes of the year. But Peacock pulled the plug on Rutherford (created by Sierra Teller Ornelas, Michael Schur, and Helms) in September. Welp, it looks like Reservation Dogs will have to carry the "Native representation on TV" mantle on its own — unless the suits at Netflix want to step in? Girls5Eva and Rutherford Falls would look great together on your homepage. —K.B.

Legacies (The CW)

'Legacies'. Matt Miller/The CW

The CW really broke our hearts this year with its many, many cancellations. But of all the shows to have to wrap up its story quickly, it was devastating to see Legacies come to an end. After 13 years of delivering great stories and even better characters, the Vampire Diaries universe was forced to come to a quick end, and just when Hope (Danielle Rose Russell) had finally become a tribrid! (Although the final season deserves all the credit for getting so many familiar faces involved, including Candice King and Joseph Morgan.) As the third show in this universe, Legacies managed to deliver something familiar yet unique. It didn't have to live forever, but it deserved to decide when its forever should end. —Samantha Highfill

Love, Victor (Hulu)

Michael Cimino and George Sear on 'Love, Victor'. Greg Gayne/Hulu

If one of your favorite shows gets canceled, the best way for it to go out is on its own terms like Love, Victor. The endlessly charming LGBTQ rom-com spin-off from the 2018 film Love, Simon knew in advance that season 3 was going to be its last, so at least it was able to end with a beautiful series finale that wrapped up every character's arc and came full circle, as the first season was about exploration, the second season was about acceptance, and the final season focused on self-discovery. Victor (Michael Cimino) got his happily ever after with his first love Benji (George Sear) on the iconic ferris wheel, but we could have spent another three seasons watching Victor navigate his post-coming-out life and heading off to college now that he finally accepted his true identity. There were still so many stories left to be told, not only with these characters but also for queer teens in general, and losing Love, Victor means there's one less series in a tragically under-represented genre. Here's hoping that idea for a Love, Rahim spin-off isn't off the table just yet! —S.B.

Saved by the Bell (Peacock)

Lark Voorhies as Lisa Turtle, Elizabeth Berkley Lauren as Jessie Spano, Mario Lopez as A.C. Slater, Tiffani Thiessen as Kelly Morris, Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Zack Morris on Peacock's 'Saved by the Bell'. Trae Patton/Peacock

When I wake up in the morning and the alarm gives out a warning, I don't think I'm gonna make it on time. Why? Because there's no more Saved by the Bell. I was truly shocked that I liked the reboot as much as I did when it premiered on the then-fledgling Peacock in the dark days of November 2020. Call me Hot Sundae if it wasn't surprisingly fun and funny — get Josie Totah and Mitchell Hoog in a Moonlighting reboot immediately 'cuz those kids can banter — and in on the joke. The new Saved by the Bell lovingly, but openly, mocked the original for its complete lack of connection to the real world and it brought along several of the OG stars to scratch that sweet nostalgic itch. But now it's not aaaaaaaaaallllll right … 'cause we won't be saved by the bell. —Lester Brathwaite

Gordita Chronicles (HBO Max)

'The Gordita Chronicles'. Laura Magruder/HBO Max

Another victim of HBO Max, the charming Gordita Chronicles only lasted one season. Based on creator Claudia Forestieri's real-life childhood experience, the series followed Cucu "Gordita" Castelli (Olivia Goncalves), as she said goodbye to her friends in Santo Domingo and moved to Miami with her family. The result was a funny, moving story about love, opportunity, and the "American Dream." And it was only just getting started. —S.H.