NOTE: Additional TV shows have been cancelled since this posting. For the most recent list, go here.
Has your favorite TV show been cancelled? Here’s a list of television series that won’t be back for the 2011–2012 TV season. If your favorite is on the list, you have our condolences.
This list encompasses shows that have been cancelled so far, covering those that get the ax between June 1, 2010 and May 31, 2011. In some cases, the last episode of a show aired months earlier but the network didn’t get around to canceling the series until later. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, try the 2008–2009 page, the 2009–2010 listings, or maybe you’ve gotten lucky!
Now, let’s bow our heads and remember these fallen series…
18 to Life (The CW)
A comedic series, about a pair of teens who get married on a dare, didn’t register with US viewers. It’s already been renewed in Canada for a second season. Though the series was confirmed as cancelled in the US, producers have been told that the remaining season one episodes will be run in December and the network might be interested in season two.
100 Questions (NBC)
This sitcom went through a lot of changes before it got to the small screen and was postponed until after the regular season. The ratings were terrible so it was cancelled after six episodes. The last one aired on July 1, 2010. We never saw Charlotte Payne find her match.
As the World Turns (CBS)
This venerable soap opera was incredibly popular in its day but has been struggling for years now. After 54 years on the air, viewers have had to say goodbye to the residents of Oakdale. The last episode aired on September 17, 2010.
At the Movies (syndicated)
Movie critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert began this TV show in 1986 under the title Siskel & Ebert & the Movies. The title changed several times over the years. Siskel died in 1999 and Ebert had to step away during his battle with throat cancer in 2006. Other hosts replaced them but couldn’t recapture the magic of the original sparring critics. It was cancelled and the last episode aired on August 14, 2010. Ebert later announced that he and his wife had plans for their own version of the series.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold (Cartoon Network)
This animated series teams the caped crusader with lesser-known heroes and often pays homage to the Adam West TV show from the 1960s. It lasted for two seasons before being cancelled.
Big Love (HBO)
The series about a Utah man and his wives comes to a close after five seasons on the air. The last season of episodes will begin airing on Sunday, January 16, 2011.
Breakthrough with Tony Robbins (NBC)
A feel-good show in which motivational speaker Tony Robbins works with troubled families on a personal level didn’t connect with viewers. NBC cancelled the summer series after two episodes. The remaining four installments were released online.
The Bridge (CBS)
This is a Canadian TV show that follows a cop who’s elected to head the police union. While it’s popular enough in Canada to be renewed for a second season, CBS buried it on Saturday nights and, not surprisingly, it didn’t find an audience in the US. CBS cancelled it after three episodes but CTV will air season two.
Caprica (Syfy)
The Battlestar Galactica prequel didn’t bring many viewers so it was cancelled after one season. The final five episodes will air in a marathon on January 4, 2011. On the positive side, another prequel is in the works and will be more similar in tone to BSG.
Dark Blue (TNT)
A cop drama, which stars Dylan McDermott as the leader of an undercover unit, wasn’t much of a success in season one but the cable channel still renewed it. The ratings got lower in season two so TNT cancelled it. The last two episodes aired on September 15, 2010.
Entourage (HBO)
A comedy-drama that follows the acting career of Vincent Chase and his boyhood friends from Queens, NY. The pay-for-view cable channel has announced that season eight will be the TV show’s last. The final batch of episodes are expected to air in Summer 2011.
Friday Night Lights (DirecTV’s Channel 101, NBC)
Centered around high school football in Dillon, Texas, it’s been announced that the critically-acclaimed (but ratings-challenged) television series is ending after five seasons on the air.
The Gates (ABC)
The summer serial revolves around a gated community that’s populated by people with supernatural secrets. Though vampires and magic are very popular with viewers, this one didn’t catch on. It won’t be back for a second season.
Gravity (Starz)
A comedic and dramatic look at an out-patient program for suicide survivors, this television program never found a large audience. It was cancelled after 10 episodes with the last one airing on June 25, 2010.
Hannah Montana (Disney Channel)
Miley Cyrus has decided to call it quits and move on after four seasons. The final episodes are expected to air by Spring 2011.
Huge (ABC Family)
Nikki Blonsky stars in this drama about a summer weight-loss camp called Camp Victory. The series didn’t get enough viewers for the cable channel so it was dropped after just 10 episodes. The “series finale” ran on August 30, 2010.
JONAS LA (Disney Channel)
The trio of Jonas brothers may still be popular with the pre-teens but their TV show never caught on. It began as JONAS with the boys attending school on the East coast. The moved west and the show’s title changed but the ratings didn’t get better. No season three.
Larry King Live (CNN)
In June 2010, venerable interviewer Larry King announced that he would be leaving the grind of hosting his own nightly show after more than 25 years. His program will be replaced by one hosted by British television personality and journalist Piers Morgan.
Law & Order: Criminal Intent (USA)
Vincent D’Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe return for this venerable crime drama’s final season of eight episodes. They will air in 2011.
Lone Star (FOX)
The critics and some viewers loved it but Lone Star never found an audience. Revolving around a con man who has a conscience, FOX pulled it after two nights of disastrously bad ratings. There are four episodes left unaired.
Medium (CBS)
The network saved the show when NBC cancelled it after five seasons. It performed decently on Friday nights last season but, this year, the ratings have taken a serious hit. CBS cut the season order to 13 installments and that will be the end of it.
My Boys (TBS)
Revolving around a female sports writer in Chicago, this sitcom ran for 49 episodes and four seasons. TBS cancelled it so we’ll likely never find out how the story of PJ and her friends comes to a close.
My Generation (ABC)
A new drama that follows a group of high school students some 10 years after they graduated. The series stumbled out of the gate and ABC pulled it after two episodes had aired. The remaining six have been released online.
No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (HBO)
Produced in conjunction with the BBC, this series follows a small detective agency in Botswana, run by Mma Ramotswe. The show is finished as a TV series after seven installments but may return as a pair of movies.
Outlaw (NBC)
Jimmy Smits has had some good luck and some bad luck on TV. Unfortunately, this drama about a former Supreme Court Justice was ignored by most viewers. NBC cancelled it after four episodes had aired. The remaining four installments were shifted to Saturday nights.
The Oprah Winfrey Show (syndicated)
The queen of daytime talk is stepping down and will launch new programming on the new OWN cable channel in Fall 2011. The final episode of Winfrey’s syndicated show will air on September 9, 2011
Party Down (Starz)
Following a group of aspiring writers, actors and misfits as they work as a catering team, this series ran for two seasons and 20 episodes. The last episode, which was hardly watched, ran on June 25, 2010.
Persons Unknown (NBC)
A group of strangers find themselves trapped in small town and are under constant scrutiny of security cameras. The show tanked in the ratings on Monday nights and was shuffled off to Saturdays, the TV graveyard. NBC promoted it as a self-contained series but plenty of things were left unresolved by the end. The finale aired on August 28, 2010.
Rubicon (AMC)
A conspiracy thriller that takes place in a government intelligence agency was highly praised but not highly watched. The 13th and final episode aired on October 17th.
Secret Diary of a Call Girl (Showtime)
Star and executive producer Billie Piper signed a deal for the fourth and final season of this UK series. They’ll begin airing on ITV2 in late January 2011. There’s no word yet on when they’ll run in the US.
Smallville (The CW)
After 10 seasons, it looks like Clark Kent will finally become Superman. Will we get to see the man of steel slip on the familiar blue and red tights before the end? We’ll have to wait and see.
Undercovers (NBC)
An action-comedy series that revolves around a husband and wife spy duo never really got off the ground. The peacock network has decided against ordering anymore episodes, effectively cancelling the TV show.
The Whole Truth (ABC)
This legal series starring Rob Morrow and Maura Tierney had lousy premiere numbers and the ratings seemed to sink lower every week. It’s not known if the network will get around to airing all of the episodes.
What do you think? Are there any shows on this list that you’ll particularly miss?
I’ll miss Ghost Whisperer & Medium. Even though I had trouble adjusting to the 5- year-old that Melinda gave birth to, I could suspend my disbelief while trying to figure out at what point Melinda would wake up and the whole year would be a dream (anyone remember Dallas?). Bummer!
Is there anyway that the networks can re-lease the remaining shows that they didn’t air on line? There are people out there who did like some of these shows and actully invested time in the the storyline. I loved this show ABC did last summer about space travel and and they just stopped it in the middle for no reason. Just let us see what happens , I bet folks would appreciate it. Don’t just yank it off and we never know what happen. I think the system they have in place now sends the message don’t get invested because… Read more »
i can’t belive medium was cancelled!!!! i love tht show! the whole truth was also pretty good
It might have been fun to have some more Lone Star, but I don’t really miss the rest going away.
Usually I can find several cancellations that I am upset with, but the only one on the list that I will really miss is “Dark Blue” on TNT. Law & Order CI was a show that I enjoyed, but like Medium–had run its course. I tried to like the Whole Truth, but after just two shows, I couldn’t handle it anymore. I believe that Cold Case, Without a Trace, or even Ghost Whisperer were better keepers than Medium. I think NBC would have been better of keeping the original Law & Order, than the new Law & Order LA–better shows,… Read more »
Medium was good but stall in midair from lack of character development and failure to learn from their experiences. Allison never seemed to learn that she couldn’t take her dreams at face value and every episode she was making the same mistak over and over of jumpting to conclusions based on partial information being revealed. Joe never seemed to learn that telling Allison “the dream was just a dream” was never true. I kepot waiting for the script writers to wise up and make Allison and Joe into a crime dectecting duo with Alison providing the psychic clues and Joe… Read more »
Undercovers should not be cancelled. It’s a great show. The 1st episode was slow…but since then each week the storyline has been captivating. NBC should give it a chance. There are a lot of fans that would hate to see this show cancelled. The dynamics of the show is very addictive, leaving the viewer wanting more. African-American husband and wife spy duo is unheard of which makes this show all the more interesting. IT’S A KEEPER.
I loved the whole truth! but i knew that with continuously low ratings it would eventually get canceled. The on screen chemistry between Rob Morrow and Maura Tierney was very genuine and I would have liked to have seen if a budding romance would have taken off between those two before the season one finale but now we’ll never know! an amazing concept to the show, it was! im also very disappointed to now find out there wont be a gates season 2 also, that was my favorite summer show and very original with a great cast! oh well at… Read more »
UnBELIEVABLE. Dark Blue? Outlaw, I knew about but DARK BLUE was a fantastic show with brilliant plot lines and a new story line that was going places. I liked Lone Star, too, and The Whole Truth. I’m frankly so sick of TV now – every time I turn around, a new show I start to like gets cancelled. The networks make me sick. Medium? Seriously?
(1) I can’t even begin to express my disappointment that Lone Star was cancelled…and after only one episode? Who made that bonehead decision? The show wasn’t even ALLOWED enough time to find an audience. Anyone and everyone who missed the first episode don’t know what they missed… Too bad. (2) I can’t even begin to express my JOY that Oprah’s show is ending, and it can’t happen soon enough! I might be the only woman on the face of the earth who HATES Empress Oprah — who became super-popular only after she started giving away expensive material goods — but… Read more »
REALLY????
You seem to be one sided in your opinion……… What about all the good she has done? Literacy? charity? kindness? Acceptance? I could go on but it would be pointless…
Ghost whisperer saved Medium. CBS canceled GW and saved Medium. Medium canceled. Obviously they saved the wrong show.
So……. Bring back Ghost Whisperer!
I loved Undercovers! It was a welcome change to usual TV and the stars had honest chemistry. I do not know why it got canceled and it is a real shame. Yes there have been a lot of new shows on this year, but I know I have had to use DVR every day because I want to see more than one show on at the same time. Folk that do not have that option are probably still shopping shows and don’t know what they missed.
I can’t beleive that the Whole Truth didn’t get a better veiwership, it was a Amazing show and I really wish that it hadn’t been canceld. Also surprised about Law and Order Criminal Intent I loved it. I wish I was surprised about Caprica but sadly I’m not.
The Whole Truth and Medium were two of the better shows to air.
Wow 14? 14 first first season shows axed? Thats rediculous. NBC didn’t give 100 questions, Outlaw or Undercovers enough time honestly. TNT stupid move canceling Dark blue and with ABC canceling The whole truth, also stupid deceison, I’m more convinced then ever that Jerry Bruckhiemer is cursed after the CSI success. Honestly, TBS should have marketed My boys as a drama not a comedy. I thought honestly thought Entourage was unstoppable, too bad there. Wasn’t Persons unknown supposed to be a miniseries? I’m glad they canceled it anyway. Stupid show. A smart choice for once. About time The CW finally… Read more »