Has your favorite TV show been cancelled or will it be back for the 2012–2013 TV season? If your favorite series is on the list below, you have our condolences.
This list encompasses shows that have ended or have been cancelled and won’t be back for the 2012-13 season. It covers those that have gotten the ax roughly between September 1, 2011 and August 31, 2012. In some cases, the last episodes of shows 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 2010–2011 listings, the 2009–2010 listings, or maybe you’ve gotten lucky!
This list used to include Breaking Bad but, since the last half of season five won’t air until 2012-13 we’re putting it on the 2012-13 list.
Because there have been so many cancellations, we’ve split this list up into three pages. This is the first. You can also check out page two and page three.
Most recent additions: The Buried Life, Dog Whisperer, How to Rock, and Teen Mom.
Now, let’s take a moment to bow our heads and remember these fallen TV series…
3 (CBS)
The network pulled the reality series after just two episodes aired. CBS may get around to releasing the remaining installments.
101 Ways to Leave a Game Show (ABC)
We’ll never find out what the rest of the “ways” were. The last episode of the competition series aired on July 26, 2011.
Against the Wall (Lifetime)
This family cop drama didn’t catch on with a large enough audience so it was canned after one season on the air. The last episode aired in September.
Alcatraz (FOX)
The ratings started off strong but faded over the course of the season. It’s been cancelled and all 13 episodes have aired.
All-American Muslim (TLC)
This docu-series follows the lives of five Lebanese American Muslim families who live in Dearborn, Michigan. The show started off with decent ratings and positive reviews. Viewership had declined significantly by the end of the eight episodes so it wasn’t renewed.
Allen Gregory (FOX)
Co-created by and starring Jonah Hill, this animated series aggravated lots of people but didn’t keep enough of them coming back week after week. FOX aired all seven episodes and there won’t be any more.
Are You There Chelsea? (NBC)
This sitcom started out okay but quickly lost steam over the course of 12 episodes.
The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes (Disney XD)
After two seasons, the animated series is coming to an end. It’ll be replaced by a new show, Avengers Assemble, in 2013.
Awake (NBC)
It started out strong and had good reviews but viewers tuned out over time. It won’t be back.
Bent (NBC)
Execs contended that they weren’t burning through the six episodes when they aired them in three weeks. Regardless, the sitcom won’t be back for a second season.
Best Friends Forever (NBC)
The peacock network pulled the plug on future airings of this sitcom due to low ratings.
Blue Mountain State (Spike TV)
There won’t be a fourth season of the football comedy as the cable channel has decided to focus on reality programming.
Bored to Death (HBO)
Starring Jason Schwartzman, Zach Galifianakis and Ted Danson, this show revolves around a man with writers block. The ratings dropped a lot in season three so HBO opted not to give it a fourth season.
Breaking In (FOX)
The sitcom was saved once from cancellation but won’t be rescued again.
Breakout Kings (A&E)
The show lasted for two seasons. The ratings started out strong enough but declined over the course of the 23 episodes.
Bucket & Skinner’s Epic Adventures (Nickelodeon)
This kids’ sitcom was cancelled after one season. Only 18 of the 26 episodes have aired to date.
Bud United Presents: The Big Time (ABC)
This reality competition ran for seven episodes at 3pm on Saturday afternoons.
The Buried Life (MTV)
The guys’ travels have come to an end — at least in this incarnation.
Buried Treasure (FOX)
Leigh and Leslie Kelso may continue travelling the country in search of rare antiques but they won’t be seen on FOX.
Camelot (Starz)
The ratings weren’t great and there would have been production challenges in making a second season so the cable channel pulled the plug. The drama lasted 10 episodes.
Cash Cab (Discovery)
The game show that gave taxi passengers a chance to win cash prizes has ended after seven years on the air.
CHAOS (CBS)
A comedic action series, this show was delayed until late in the season. When it finally debuted, few noticed. CBS burned off most of the episodes on Saturday nights.
Charlie’s Angels (ABC)
The original series was a big success for ABC but this one flopped. Production was shut down after eight episodes and the show was cancelled.
Chuck (NBC)
Has there ever been a time when this TV show wasn’t in danger of being cancelled? NBC decided to renew it for a fifth and final season of 13 episodes, giving the cast and crew ample time to craft a series finale.
The Closer (TNT)
Kyra Sedgwick supposedly made the decision to end this top-rated series after seven seasons on the air. Though Brenda Leigh Johnson will depart, some of the characters will continue in a spin-off called Major Crimes.
Combat Hospital (ABC)
This series was a disappointment for the network and they only aired 12 of the 13 episodes. They cancelled the show and Shaw Media, who produces the show, couldn’t find another American outlet to help pay for a second season.
Countdown with Keith Olbermann (Current TV)
Using the same name from his long-running MSNBC show, Olbermann lasted less than a year before parting ways with Current TV.
CSI: Miami (CBS)
After 10 seasons, David Caruso can give back the sunglasses. The show ended with 232 episodes total.
Damages (DirecTV)
The show was picked up for two seasons when FX dropped it. It turns out that season five, airing Summer 2012, will be the show’s last.
Desperate Housewives (ABC)
Rather than wait until the ratings dropped any further, the network agreed to close down Wisteria Lane after eight seasons on the air.
Dog Whisperer (A&E)
After more than 150 episodes and nine seasons, the Cesar Millan program is coming to a close. The series finale will air on September 15th.
Dog the Bounty Hunter (Nat Geo Wild)
A show that helped to put the cable channel on the map is ending after eight seasons.
Dragon Ball Z Kai (Nick)
This animated series ended after one season and 97 episodes. It’s being replaced Dragon Ball GT.
Ebert Presents: At the Movies (PBS)
Continuing the format of film criticism that was made popular by Ebert and Gene Siskel, this weekly program reviews a number of new and classic films. It didn’t find enough financial support and ended up being put on hiatus.
Escape Routes (NBC)
Sponsored by Ford, this competition series didn’t garner much interest on Saturday nights.
Eureka (Syfy)
Based on the ratings, this show was apparently too expensive to continue producing. The fifth and final season will air in mid-2012. After the cancellation announcement came down, the cable channel ordered an additional episode to allow Eureka some sort of proper finale.
Ev and Ocho (VH1)
Envisioned as a follow-up to Basketball Wives, this series follows Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson and Evelyn Lozada’s relationship. It was cancelled before any of the 11 episodes had aired.
Expedition Impossible (ABC)
This summer reality competition lasted 10 episodes and one season but the network apparently felt that a second season was, well, impossible.
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC)
Ty Pennington and his crew are getting a little rest. The network has cancelled the reality show but will still air it as occasional specials.
Fear Factor (NBC)
Joe Rogan won’t have to witness any more disgusting stunts. NBC has dropped the series again.
The Finder (FOX)
This Bones spin-off stumbled out of the gate and just never caught on. It’s been cancelled after 13 episodes.
The Firm (NBC)
This highly-promoted legal series was a ratings disappointment and NBC burned off the remaining episodes on Saturday nights.
Want more? Check out page two and page three.
Lists of cancelled or renewed TV shows by network: ABC | CBS | The CW | FOX | NBC
What do you think? Are you surprised that any of these shows have been cancelled? Which one(s) will you miss the most?
i hate to see Chloe gone but why is hart of dixie stiil standing.I just dont buy into the girl that played summer from the OC is a doctor.
Ick, exactly! R.I.P. Chloe King, nine lives cut tragically short.
All negative, no warm and family themes, like Meet the Browns or House of Payne
Rj berger shhocks me, I loved that show!
THE PLAYBOY CLUB has now been cancelled, for those who maybe haven’t checked it again.
I am already mourning the loss of In Plain Sight. The writing was way above the usual level for a weekly crime drama and the performances were stellar.
I agree. This and The Closer were both fantastic shows. In Plain Site was totally different than anything on TV and the writing as well as the acting were top notch. I will miss Mary’s sarcasm for sure.
How are network executives not being fired for all these shows that were cancelled. Chuck and No Ordinary Family I enjoyed, for awhile ABC had some decent shows but now its not worth watching except for Castle. CBS has to many NCSI and CSI’s and the comedy is subpar at best. NBC hasn’t been able to get back on track since the late 90s. Unless your into 14 versions of Law & Order and CWTV aside from Supernatural the rest of the programming is lacking decent quality and the problem is the ridiculous expectations these networks put on shows to… Read more »
chaos, chuck and no ordinary family. three good, funny, and clean shows, i could watch with my mom, my childern and grandchildren. now i guess the networks wants us to watch yet another csi (csi des moines?) or some fake phony “reallity” show. oh well, guess we can dust off the monopoly game and turn the darn tv off.
we to chase off your viewers net works.
Any news on The Playboy Club? A lot of bad reviews due to the Mad Men mimicry, but not being a Mad Men fan, I find this show quite entertaining. I think it has the potential to be a great show..I just hope it doesn’t get cancelled!
Anan » You can track it here: http://tvseriesfinale.com/?p=20818
Why is it that all the good shows get cancelled and replaced with mindless drift called Reality TV? I am definitely sad to see In Plain Sight on this list, however, I can understand how Mary’s pregnancy would change the whole dynamics of the characters. I guess the public is not crazy about US Marshalls…I see Chase also hit the dust!
Well as far as HawthoRNe goes – The writing was on the wall, once the sex scene between Jada Smith and Mark Anthony became soft-porn. My friends and I discuss it and we all agreed that there was no acting between those two, they were serious about it. Now combine that with them having an affair, I knew the show was toast.
I am really disappointed that EUREKA and CHUCK are cancelled. Both shows had wonderful characters and writing, and I looked forward to them each week. If I couldn’t be home, I always made sure to tape them. I’m getting to where I am pretty disgusted with the “powers that be”. Each year they put out new shows to entice us to watch, and bestow our time and loyalty, but where is the loyalty to the shows and to the viewers from the networks. I find myself watching more and more cable these days, they do seem to stay with a… Read more »
Whats up with Chaos why the cancellation?
Savvy » Not enough people watched. The usual reason.
I am VERY disappointed about EUREKA. Its a show i look forward to each week . I have to spend alot of time at home because we have a special needs son and this is one show that is very well scripted, for the most part CLEAN, which is hard to come by these days. I love Collin Ferral. I hope he does something else soon. I hope they change thier mind and DON’T CANCEL EUREKA.
I just saw that the 9 Lives of Chloe King has now been added, and I see that the only other comment is that someone else who is a smart viewer who is not aware yet. 🙁 I think SyFi needs to pick this show up. It was fun, and entertaining, and simply stuck with a tv audience that was overwhelmed with new shows to watch this summer. I am willing to bet if SyFi added it to say their Friday lineup, they would get viewers, as the only thing left to watch on Fridays anymore (once Haven goes on… Read more »
Yeah, I posted my comment in the vain hopes of the power of wishful thinking (it hadn’t been cancelled yet at that point) would keep it on the air. Because it’s not like there was anything else someone like me could do to convince the network to keep it on the air, heh. I’ll miss Chloe. :/
Glad to see The Nine Lives of Chloe King isn’t on this list. Still holding out hope that it will make it! It’s the only teen show not on the CW that I find remotely interesting. Still sad to see Eureka go, though; it’s the best show currently airing new episodes on Syfy by far.
Guess you didn’t read enough of the list… about 3/4 down… 9 Lives of Chloe King only got half a life…
I tried watching it, but halfway through first episode and it revealed itself to be the TV equivalent of Rebecca Black’s Friday song… couldn’t watch anymore.
You might try watching Awkward on MTV… that one’s actually pretty good!
Tom K. » The show was cancelled and added to the list after Kat posted.
The pilot was pretty weak, as pilots tend to be; I found myself making fun of it more than anything (it seemed to me the show was trying too hard to be Buffy and the supporting characters were bleh). But I stuck with it; I wasn’t sold myself until the second or third episode, but then it revealed itself to be a pretty amazing show! Even the most annoying characters on the show became bearable and the awesomeness that was Chloe King herself more than made up for other characters’ shortcomings. Genuine, heartfelt girl power in this day and age… Read more »