We lost a lot of good TV this year and these are the shows I will mourn most.
If you’d like, feel free to listen to Boyz II Men’s “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” as you scroll:
Sudden Deaths
The cancellations we never saw coming! Why would you be so cruel, TV Gods??
Flatbush Misdemeanors, Showtime
This is the loss that makes me angriest this year! Flatbush Misdemeanors was one of the best written new shows when it debuted and the second season only got better. It was probably the show I wanted to watch most each week. The second season finale mostly works as a series finale, but this show had more in it!
Made for Love, HBO Max
While the second season lost itself after losing its big villain, this show had a stellar cast that seemed guaranteed for renewal. Luckily, the finale does work as a series ending!
Paper Girls, Prime Video
HOW DARE you cancel a show with Jason Mantzoukas that’s based on a great comic book?! Sadly, Prime Video put all their money on hobbits and giant black holes, leaving Paper Girls like dust in the wind.
Close Enough, HBO Max
Close Enough was an enjoyable enough adult animated sitcom! It also starred Jason Mantzoukas! Stop taking that man’s jobs! Warner Bros. Discovery is to blame for this one.
Tuca and Bertie, Adult Swim
Saved from Netflix cancellation so many years ago, I think we all started to take this one for granted. Sadly, the mess at HBO Max/Warner Bros. Discovery led another great adult animated show to slaughter. At least it got to go out on a great season, but this one could pull another miracle and come back!
Why Women Kill, Paramount+
Renewed for a third season, Paramount+ decided to reverse course and cancel this anthology series. I absolutely loved season one and thought it was overlooked, but season two ended on a disappointing note and is mostly okay to skip.Love Life, HBO Max
This show finally gets good and black and they cancel it! HBO Max’s FIRST original series, it was surprising they cancelled an anthology show that could work around any star. At least the last season was the best season!
Gordita Chronicles, HBO Max
If this show had debuted on ABC with Abbott Elementary, it would’ve been an instant hit. It had the lived-in comedic quality and timing of Modern Family. It didn’t help that HBO Max released it all at once, which didn’t help conversation build. To make matters worse, HBO Max recently removed the show from its platform entirely. Hopefully this will allow the show to move platforms and thrive where it can be appreciated.
Los Espookys, HBO Max
This show getting cancelled is my 13th reason. I am going to storm HBO Max and get justice for this show. It was one of the most creative and unique comedies released in years. It will absolutely become a cult classic!
Rutherford Falls, Peacock
Another cancellation that didn’t make sense to me! The second season was stronger than the first. The cast had incredible ensemble energy and this was the Peacock comedy that got the most attention. Sadly, we were all left on a cliffhanger unless another platform decides to save this one. I could see it happening! The cast and writers behind the show are too genius for Rutherford Falls not to get another chance.
As We See It, Prime Video
I loved this show and felt it was overlooked. It has stunning performances, but failed to get much attention from Prime Video’s PR team. Luckily, the first season works as a full story.
Pivoting. FOX
This one hurt because they took The Big Leap away from us so Pivoting could be its midseason replacement. If we had to lose The Big Leap, I was at least happy to gain Eliza Coupe in a comedy again. But no, FOX took both shows from us instead. This show was funny, charming and the ensemble worked from the jump.
Queens, ABC
Queens had a promising start, but cast changes and scheduling conflicts caused the show to lose momentum by the end of its first season. Still, it gave me everything I wanted from Empire that Empire never gave me.Chad, Honestly Who Knows?
Chad was bounced around from platform to platform. They even made an entire new season that was postponed on the day it was meant to air! It’s sad because if the show was nurtured and given the attention it deserves, it would’ve been a cult hit. I still hope we get to see that free that new season some day.Mr. Mayor, NBC
I actually started to enjoy this little sitcom in its second season! Sadly, no one else did and it got cancelled. At least go watch the episode where Maria Bamford plays a landlord!Maggie, Hulu
This show was adorable and romantic! Hulu gave Dollface multiple seasons so I thought for sure Maggie would get another season to find itself. Instead, Hulu cancelled both. I can’t believe we had Kerri Kenney back in our TV lives and we squandered it.Blockbuster, Netflix
I never really understood how this premise would work, but this workplace ensemble comedy definitely needed time to find itself. Still, Netflix usually gives their smaller comedies at least a few seasons, so I thought we’d get more of this. I do not want to hear one more person make the “LOL Netflix brought Blockbuster back just to end it again” joke.Minx, HBO Max
I’m not quite mourning this one because I absolutely believe it’ll move somewhere else! But how dumb is HBO Max that they made an entire second season and then cancelled it just as it was wrapping production? I know Minx will see justice, but I need Jake Johnson’s chest hair back ASAP.
Duncanville, Fox
A charming little part of the Fox Animation Domination block, Duncanville never found an audience like The Great North or Bob’s Burgers. After an extended hiatus, we at least got a final season for one of my favorite shows to watch stoned this year.
Everything’s Trash, Freeform
This show got my Most Improved Player award! It really found itself by the end of the season and, most importantly, it represented a shift in Freeform’s programming. It was nice to see the channel go from Grown-ish to shows with a more adult tone. They still have Single Drunk Female, but the messy women genre needs more to thrive.Ordinary Joe, NBC
I never watched this show, I only saw the commercials. The name was so silly to me, I refused to even look into the premise. I liked to make up my own idea of what the show was about. Maybe Joe has the power to jump into different timelines? Maybe there are three different Joes? Maybe Joe has all these jobs and is actually extraordinary? Turns out I will never know because it got cancelled!
This is kind of long, here’s another Boyz II Men song:
My Favorite Shows That Died Peacefully In Old Age
Some shows are blessed to go out on their terms. They get to ride out into the sun in a blaze of glory. These are the shows that did it best in 2022.
Atlanta, FX/Hulu
This show faced the biggest challenge with its final season. People either loved or hated season three. Luckily, season four was filmed at the same time as three, so it wasn’t concerned with anyone’s reaction. That allowed for some of my favorite episodes and the finale alone is worth remembering forever. Thank you for changing TV, Atlanta. We wouldn’t have so many shows we love today without you. May you get the full series boxset release you deserve.Search Party, HBO Max
Search Party ended early in the year and I don’t think people appreciated how clever it was until the end. It’s the rare underground cult classic that survives a platform change and a long hiatus to tell its entire story, but they did it!
Grace and Frankie, Netflix
MY GIRLS! MY GIRLS! WE LOST MY GALS THIS YEAR! My favorite ice cream-couch show, these gals were my pals until the end. I hope my future looks just like theirs. Everything about the ending was perfect and I can’t wait to binge it again in the future when I’m bored over a long weekend.
black-ish, ABC
Black-ish ended back in April after 8 seasons. It deserves to be remembered for Tracee Ellis Ross and her fine ass comedic timing. It was one of the first shows I used to recap for the A.V. Club, so there’s plenty I wrote there in its honor. May you reunite with Mixed-ish in heaven.Kevin Can F*** Himself, AMC
I really had NO idea how they would end this one in a way that makes sense and they did it! It was such a perfect ending, even if they did make it pretty obvious by the finale. I’d say this show is a mandatory watch for anyone interested in shows that really challenge and experiment with various tv formats. Everything about it is worth discussion.
Dead to Me, Netflix
Damn, these two white ladies really did it, didn’t they? I love a Netflix dramedy about female friendship and this gave me everything I could want from a show I watch while drinking red wine. Thank you for your service, ladies.
Ozark, Netflix
I guess this final season was okay, I don’t know, the lighting they used was too dark and blue for me to really tell what was happening on screen. Sounded great, though!Better Things, FX
I have always loved Better Things and I’ll be honest with you: I can’t handle that it’s over! I still haven’t watched the last season because I want to save it for a special moment. This is one of the best looks at motherhood on television. I saw myself and my mom in it. It also doesn’t get enough credit for how experimental it is in voice, story and format. It should’ve won awards. In a perfect world we’d talk about Pamela Adlon’s TV contributions more than Louis CK.
Better Call Saul, AMC
I’m actually only on season two of this show, but I knew people would get mad if I didn’t put it on here.
Derry Girls, Netflix (or Illegal Sites if you are cool)
MY OTHER GALS! WE LOST MY OTHER GIRLS! Ugh, I’m gonna miss these ladies, but that final season was perfect to me. It’s always just been a great world to watch and live in, the rewatch potential is endless.
On Life Support
Some of the shows above ended how they wanted. Some of them were cruelly ripped from our figurative arms. But, there are rare moments when a show is on the brink. Things go quiet and you’ve waited just a little tooooo long for renewal news. When you google information about it, you just get bot SEO sites that say “Prime Video still has not made a decision on blah blah blah…”
Together, we can tweet, tag, and hashtag whatever we need to if we want them to survive. These are the shows you can help bring back to life:
A League of Their Own, Prime Video
I already told you this show is great! I can’t believe Prime Video still hasn’t said anything about renewal or cancellation. It got great reviews and a wave of trolling negative reviews from homophobes wasn’t enough to keep people away. Fans are fighting hard to get that new season!I Love That For You, Showtime
I brought Matt Rogers on the podcast just so we could beg you all to help save I Love That For You. A second season has been written, but there’s no word on whether or not it will air. It’s not like Showtime has anything else to put on TV! This is a great cast, stop playing with us!
Grey’s Anatomy, ABC
Ok, Grey’s Anatomy isn’t anywhere near being cancelled, but Ellen Pompeo did finally leave the show. Will it ever be the same? Who knows. After the Grey’s Anatomy Scammer and this failure of a new intern class, I don’t see how Grey Sloane keeps the lights on much longer.
Bad Crimes, ????
Netflix had this show written, animated and produced before pulling the plug on it. Starring Nicole Byer and Lauren Lapkus, everyone was shocked by the choice. Mike Judge was behind this show, are you crazy! Anyway, it’s likely Bad Crimes will get a chance on another platform with that kind of talent.Mo, Netflix
I can’t believe we’re still waiting on news for season two after the amazing reviews this show got. Netflix buried it when it came out, but it found an audience purely on conversation and buzz. It was just that good! It also left us with a miserable cliffhanger that I need finished! Do what is right, Netflix!
have you seen i hate suzie too yet?