The Saddest TV Cancellations of 2023… So Far

We’re only halfway through 2023, but broadcast networks and streaming platforms alike have already announced an overwhelming number of TV cancelations.

From retired shows on major networks like ABC, CBS, The CW, FOX, and NBC, to canned series on AMC, Apple TV+, Prime Video, Disney+, HBO, Max, Hulu, Netflix, Paramount+, Peacock, and Showtime, we’ve had to say farewell to dozens of fan-favorite shows in the first six months of the year. And looking back at the growing list, we’re still not over some of the devastating cuts.

Of this year’s canceled TV shows, 14 casualties in particular shook Team Decider to our cores. But remember, if your favorite canceled series didn’t make our list, that’s not to say it doesn’t deserve another season. Such a specific list is bound to exclude some underrated series.

From new and longtime broadcast series like The Company You Keep and The Resident to streaming gems like Perry Mason and The Other Two, here are Team Decider’s saddest TV cancellations of 2023 (so far).

1. The Company You Keep (ABC)

   The Company You Keep gets my vote for the new 2023 broadcast show that absolutely deserved a renewal. Fresh off his role as the beloved Pearson patriarch on This Is Us, Milo Ventimiglia brought con-man Charlie Nicoletti to life in a sexy heist series based on the 2019 South Korean drama My Fellow Citizens! As Charlie, his sister Birdie (Sarah Wayne Callies), his mom Fran (Polly Draper), and his dad Leo (William Fichtner) attempt to run their illegal family business under the radar, Charlie’s romance with Emma (Catherine Haena Kim), an undercover CIA officer, heavily complicates their unconventional career. With charming leads, palpable chemistry, engaging heists, fun disguises, cameos from celebrities like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel‘s Luke Kirby and Tony Shalhoub, and a perfect Prison Break reunion, The Company You Keep never failed to entertain, and for that, ABC should have greenlit a Season 2. — Nicole Gallucci

   Where to watch the company you keep

2. The Other Two (Max)

   There’s no telling what the future of television has in store, but in this moment I’m deeply doubtful a show will ever be able to make me laugh as hard as The Other Two. The incisive comedy was at the top of its game in Season 3, serving signature showbiz satire, nuanced humor, celebrity cameos, and sharp pop culture references in spades, while exploring deeper storylines that made my heart ache. Heléne Yorke and Drew Tarver will be remembered as one of television’s most iconic duos. Molly Shannon, Case Walker, Ken Marino, Brandon Scott Jones, and Wanda Sykes were pure joy. And Josh Segarra dazzled even when dabbing. The Other Two was a one-of-a-kind series that frequently felt too good to be true, and the other shoe finally dropped when The Hollywood Reporter revealed creators Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider were the subject of staff complaints and an HR investigation for behavior on set. Reports that the two embodied some of the very industry animosity The Other Two satirizes were heartbreaking, undoubtedly alter the viewing experience, and made the final season announcement easier to digest. On one hand, The Other Two went out in a very The Other Two fashion. On the other hand, I wish its legacy was solely good. And though the Season 3 finale was a satisfying stopping point, I still wish we could have seen more of the Dubeks’ journey. — Nicole Gallucci

   Where to watch the other two

3. Perry Mason (HBO)

   HBO’s decision to cancel Perry Mason felt particularly vicious because Season 2 was an indisputable masterpiece. While the first season of the crime drama was a grim slow burn, Season 2 was an electrifying level-up for the series. Perry Mason (Matthew Rhys) was finally, begrudgingly, accepting his role as a defender of the innocent, Della Street (Juliet Rylance) was dominating in the courtroom while enjoying an intoxicating new romance, and Paul Drake (Chris Chalk) got to mix his hard-boiled detective work with bigger debates about the nature of justice in an unjust world. Essentially Perry Mason had finally ascended to the top tier of HBO’s vaunted programming… Just in time for the network to pull the plug. Justice for Perry Mason!!! — Meghan O’Keefe

   Where To Watch Perry Mason

4. Reboot (Hulu)

   I don’t understand the lack of love for Hulu’s late, great comedy Reboot. A sophisticated satire of reboot culture, Steven Levitan’s whip-smart series follows the dysfunctional cast of an early 2000s family sitcom as they return to revive their once-popular show. This eight-episode charmer not only featured some of the best joke writing of 2022, but, um, how do you cancel a show that stars Keegan-Michael Key, Judy Greer, Johnny Knoxville, Calum Worthy, Paul Reiser, and Rachel freaking Bloom?! In a perfect world, a forward-thinking network would order a reboot of Reboot. Until that day arrives (it won’t), we can relive the magic on Hulu. — Josh Sorokach

   where to stream Reboot

5. Inside Job (Netflix)

   As a rule, TV shows shouldn’t be allowed to introduce a tragic love story and then disappear forever. Seriously, who will mend our broken hearts now? Shion Takeuchi’s animated Netflix series follows awkward genius Reagan Ridley (Lizzy Caplan) and her colleagues at Cognito Inc. as they work to keep the world’s dark conspiracies under wraps. The first season focused on Reagan’s troublesome relationship with her alcoholic father Randall “Rand” Ridley (Christian Slater) and her budding friendship with her happy-go-lucky colleague Brett Hand (Clark Duke). The second part of the season premiered over a year later and turned everything up a notch, introducing an exciting new love interest for Reagan, Ron Staedtler (Adam Scott). Together, the two went on an unpredictable and heartbreaking ride as they struggled to find love while dealing with the brutality of their jobs. This didn’t result in much good for the couple but did make for solid entertainment. Inside Job was creative and subversive and a had a great set up for many good seasons to come. It’s a shame we had to bid farewell early and were robbed of the closure we deserved after following these lovable characters for 18 too-short episodes. — Raven Brunner

   where to watch Inside job

6. I Love That For You (Showtime)

   I Love That For You starred creator and Saturday Night Live alum Vanessa Bayer as Joanna Gold, a childhood leukemia survivor who lies about having cancer as an adult to land a hosting job on her favorite home shopping channel, the Special Value Network (SVN). Alongside her new boss (Jenifer Lewis), and colleagues played by Molly Shannon and Matt Rogers, Joanna sets out to become a star while protecting her massive secret. As noted in Decider’s Top Hidden Streaming Gems of 2022 list, I Love That For You more than proved itself as a compelling, original gem packed with consistently superb performances and jokes that don’t miss. It’s outrageous that Showtime canceled the underrated comedy, especially after such intriguing finale cliffhangers and an iconic Ryan Phillippe cameo. (Side note: It should also be illegal to cancel two delightful Molly Shannon comedies in one year.) — Nicole Gallucci

   [NOTE: This show is no longer available to stream. We’ve included a link to our show page below in case that status changes.]

   Where to watch I Love THat For You

7. The Resident (FOX)

   I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, Fox’s The Resident was the only medical drama for me. As a fan of Gilmore Girls and Revenge, two of the show’s Season 1 leads — Matt Czuchry (Dr. Conrad Hawkins) and Emily VanCamp (nurse Nic Nevin) — initially lured me in, and throughout six seasons, a stellar cast, including Manish Dayal, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Jane Leeves, and more, kept me hooked. With bold, thoughtfully crafted storylines that were often timely and based in truth, I could have watched the inner workings of Atlanta’s fictional Chastain Memorial Hospital for a lifetime. And though I’m thrilled characters and viewers alike got closure in the Season 6 finale, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the romance, drama, and heart of the series quite yet. And I know there were more stories to tell. — Nicole Gallucci

   where to watch The Resident

8. Gossip Girl (Max)

   I’ll be the first to admit we probably didn’t need another Gossip Girl to begin with, but that won’t stop me from being devastated now that it’s gone. Taking place in the same universe as 2007’s Gossip Girl, Max’s reboot took a bold departure from the original by revealing to the audience in the first episode exactly who the new GG was (for better or for worse, your mileage may vary). Everyone in the new cast of characters can be loosely traced back to someone in the old GG crew personality-wise, but Constance-St. Jude’s finest were a much more diverse group this time around with non-white leads, a trans woman in the show’s core group of friends, and a range of sexual orientations represented. There was even a throuple! All of this made the narrow world of the show feel so much bigger by giving characters experiences that people could actually relate to. Was the writing perfect? No. Was it still entertaining? Hell yeah! Gossip Girl (2021-2023) wasn’t for everyone, but it certainly was for me. — Angela Tricarico

   Where to stream gossip girl

9. American Auto (NBC)

   If American Auto had premiered in 2009, it could have been a smash hit, complete with a loyal fanbase and several dedicated Tumblr blogs. Sadly, the golden age of network workplace sitcoms is long over, and this hilarious half-hour from Superstore creator Justin Spitzer flew too far under the radar for it to warrant a third season from NBC. It’s a real shame, because the show finally gave Saturday Night Live alum Ana Gasteyer her long-deserved moment in the spotlight, as a greedy CEO of a failing auto company in Detroit, and was an excellent showcase for Broadway’s Michael Benjamin Washington, who stole every scene with his dry delivery and unapologetic narcissism. American Auto was the funny, sharp satire of corporate culture we needed right now. RIP to a real one. — Anna Menta

   Where to watch American auto

10. Willow (Disney+)

    Unabashedly queer, quirky, funny, adventurous, and very, very kind, Willow wasn’t just unfairly soft-canceled by Disney+, it was also horrifically ripped off the service in the streamer’s recent content purge. Meaning if you happen to watch the movie on Disney+, and think “Say, wasn’t there a sequel series?” Well, there isn’t anymore. Starring Warwick Davis as the titular character on a new adventure, while it helps to know the ’80s fantasy classic, the series was very much its own thing — down to introducing a canonical romance between lead female characters Kit (Ruby Cruz) and Jade (Erin Kellyman) in the first episode. Does removing a positive lesbian relationship where neither character dies and they clearly kiss and love each other at the start from Disney+ count as a hate crime? I won’t say it, but you can. Regardless, despite a massive cliffhanger that promised two more volumes, we’ll most likely never see Willow again. And that stinks. — Alex Zalben

    [NOTE: This show is no longer available to stream. We’ve included a link to our show page below in case that status changes.]

    Where to stream willow

11. Queen of the Universe (Paramount+)

    After a perfectly fine debut season, Paramount+’s Queen of the Universe leveled up something fierce for Season 2. The drag queen singing competition series upped the production value, and finessed the format to include more time backstage with the queens as well as a final sing-off between the bottom queens. Hosted by Graham Norton with a superstar lineup of judges (Michelle Visage, Vanessa Williams, Trixie Mattel, and new addition Mel B), the new season was filled with gaggy moments — like Mel B’s one-sided feud with contestant Jazell Royale or Taiga Brava’s backstory or Trevor Ashley’s version of “The Rose.” Queen of the Universe hitting its stride in Season 2 — so of course Paramount+ canceled it and erased it from existence for tax reasons. The show’s resurfaced internationally on WOW Presents Plus, but Americans are still out of luck.— Brett White

    where to watch Queen of the universe

12. Doom Patrol (Max)

    Given all the changes at Warner Bros. Discovery and in the DC Comics-generated universe (now led by James Gunn), it was only a matter of time before Doom Patrol got canceled. But it still hurt when it did. The weirdest DC show on TV was less about superheroics and more about delving deep into the main characters’ psyches as they slowly moved towards — and away — from embracing a healthy mental state. Featuring stand-out performances from Matt Bomer as a hideously scarred man wrestling with his sexuality, Brendan Fraser as the most profane robot-man in entertainment history, as well as April Bowlby, Diane Guerrero and Jovian Wade — and late addition Michelle Gomez — Doom Patrol boasted one of the best casts on TV. It was a dead man walking heading into the fourth season (six episodes are still ostensibly supposed to stream on Max at some point, but I guess we’ll see), but hey, being the underdog is the Doom Patrol‘s sweet spot. — Alex Zalben

    Where to stream doom patrol

13. Lockwood & Co. (Netflix)

    I’ve sat through a lot of subpar YA genre shows. I’m familiar with the tropes of snarky dialogue, antiquated magical weapons, and a forced flirtation between the two main leads for shipping purposes. That’s why Netflix’s underappreciated Lockwood & Co. blew me away. Within the first five minutes of the show, Lockwood & Co. undermines your own cynical expectations by revealing that this fantasy world — where teenagers put their lives on the line to hunt deadly ghosts — is actually the setting of a traumatic horror story. The teen characters’ snappy banter is merely a flimsy mask to hide true terror. The stakes, the world-building, and the acting in Lockwood & Co. are unlike anything I’d seen in ages. It was a fun, dark, thrilling adventure anchored by star-making turns from series stars Ruby Stokes and Cameron Chapman. And Netflix canceled the show…Netflix canceled Lockwood & Co. before we could ever find out what was behind the locked door!!!! — Meghan O’Keefe

    WHERE TO Watch lockwood & co.

14. Avenue 5 (Max)

    I’m going to take a controversial stance for a saddest TV cancellations list and say I’m actually 100% okay with Avenue 5 getting canceled. Would I have watched Armando Iannucci’s satire about a space cruise gone horrifically wrong for one thousand more seasons? Absolutely. But as is, ending with the cruise ship split in half, the Earth doomed, and things potentially worse than ever is exactly the sort of cliffhanger Avenue 5 should be left on. These characters don’t deserve better than that, and if there was a third season, things would have only gotten exponentially worse. There’s no resolution in a planned finale that would have been more satisfying than leaving these a-holes floating in space forever. — Alex Zalben

    where to watch avenue 5