26 TV Shows We Lost in 2018 (And 6 That Were Saved)

This year was absolute carnage when it came to cancellations. While some shows ended on their own terms, many shows were cut short after a few seasons with cliffhanger endings. If fans were really fortunate, their favorite show might have been saved by the network. 

Here’s a recap (and memoriam) of the shows we said goodbye to this year.

1. New Girl 

New Girl got the chance for a proper goodbye with an eight-episode final season. Jumping ahead five years from the Season 6 finale, the last eight episodes showed what Jess, Nick, Cece, Schmidt, and Winston settling into their relationships and a new chapter in their lives.

The final episode gave a fond farewell to the memories these five friends shared of their loft and the many memories that they shared along the way.

2. The Americans 

The FX drama about two Soviet spies posing as a married couple while living with Washington D.C. ended in its sixth season this year.

The Americans followed Philip and Elizabeth Jennings as they attempted to carry out their missions while living next to FBI agent Stan Beeman who was tasked with finding foreign agents and bringing them to justice.

Watching the game of cat and mouse was fun, but there is no question that The Americans came to a soul-shattering conclusion with a heartbreaking ending.

3.Scandal

Olivia Pope broke open a lot of television barriers on Scandal, but the show came to an end after seven seasons in 2018.

The final season explored new dimensions of Olivia Pope’s character briefly turning her into the show’s main villain. It also widened a rift between Olivia and Mellie, and Olivia and Quinn, but eventually ended with the team of OPA donning their white hats once again.

4. Once Upon a Time

In October 2011, ABC introduced fans to a world with no happy endings. Set in Storybrooke, a town full of fairytale characters that couldn’t remember who they are, Once Upon a Time wove an intricate web of fairytale stories interspersed with modern updates.

The story seemed to come to a natural conclusion in Once Upon a Time Season 6 Finale, “The Final Battle.” especially with multiple cast members, including Jennifer Morrison exiting the series. But the show was renewed for a seventh season that sent some of the cast on a different journey.

Season 7 opened in the community of Hyperon Heights, and followed Henry Mills all grown up as he and his family fall under a different curse. The series was canceled prior to the final episodes being aired, but anticipating it may be their last, the creators had two possible endings.

5. Everything Sucks

Everything Sucks, Netflix’s half-hour 90s-set coming of age sitcom, was hastily canceled after just one season. Canceled just two months after its release and barely allowing time for word of mouth to spread, it did help us gain insight into how Netflix determines its renewals and cancellations.

Citing poor completion rates (meaning many people did not finish watching the pilot and those that did finish the first episode did not stick around the for the full season), Netflix opted to pass on a second season order.

It’s a shame too — Everything Sucks was just beginning to find its footing and featured one of the few — and most compelling — well-crafted explorations of a young lesbian coming to terms with her sexuality and exploring a romantic relationship for the first time. Its cancellation…well, it sucks.

6. The Fosters

For five seasons The Fosters followed Steph and Lena and their five children, four of whom were adopted.

But in January of 2018, TV Line reported that The Fosters would end with Season 5B. The three-night event caught up with The Fosters after a five-year time jump and let viewers get a satisfying ending.

And, with a bonus, fans of the show would get to see more of Callie and Mariana Foster in a spinoff series that would follow the sisters when they move to Los Angeles.

The series is called Good Trouble and will premiere January 8th. It’s been given a thirteen-episode order.

7. Luke Cage

Luke Cage followed the title character as he roamed Harlem, using his bulletproof abilities to keep the streets safe.

It was part of the original order of Marvel shows Netflix announced in 2013 but was canceled this year after only two seasons. Netflix doesn’t reveal viewership numbers for its shows, but a source for The Hollywood Reporter said the cancelation was due to “creative differences” and an inability to agree to terms. 

8. Daredevil

Netflix said goodbye to its first Marvel series in 2018. The cancellation of Daredevil, reportedly one of the streaming giant’s most-watched original series, was one that few saw coming—including Charlie Cox.

“It’s weird to think there’s a chance I won’t be playing Matt Murdock ever again. That’s a bizarre feeling because that character has been such a huge part of my life for the last four and a half years,” Cox said in an interview with Vanity Fair.

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