Over the years, sci-fi shows have regularly ranked among the most acclaimed and popular productions on television, and with good reason. Exploring complex concepts through the perspectives of endearing characters is a proven recipe for small-screen success, as evidenced by the many, many shows in the genre that have become international favorites. But not every great sci-fi show gets to reach the heights it aims for before being cut down.
Sure, shows like Stranger Things and Doctor Who may have become global franchises that run through multiple seasons, sometimes even overstaying their welcome, but there are far too many sci-fi series that were canceled before they could truly achieve their full potential. But even if networks and executives may have seen fit to end these stories prematurely, that doesn’t mean we fans can’t revisit them and dream of what could have been. Read on to discover our handpicked selection of some of the best sci-fi TV shows that were canceled before they could achieve true greatness.
8
‘Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency’ (2016–2017)
Created by Max Landis and inspired by the novel series by Douglas Adams, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency is a sci-fi fantasy dark comedy show that works as a soft sequel to the books, following the misadventures of the titular “holistic detective.” Samuel Barnett and Elijah Wood star as Dirk Gently and his hapless assistant Todd, whose mundane life is upended when Dirk pulls him into a mindbending mystery involving a missing girl, a dead millionaire, and an eccentric cult. Hannah Marks, Jade Eshete, Fiona Dourif, Mpho Koaho, and more star in key roles.
Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency aired two well-received seasons on BBC America but was unfortunately canceled after its second season. While the show never gained a broad audience, its quirky narrative and solid sci-fi worldbuilding did earn it the support of a dedicated fanbase, who were understandably disappointed at its ending. However, the series does end on a pretty good note, and while it sucks that we couldn’t get more of its idiosyncratic mysteries, it’s still a great watch for fans of well-crafted sci-fi comedies with endearing characters and intricate world-building.
7
‘Firefly’ (2002)
Created by Joss Whedon, Firefly is a space Western series set in the year 2517, after a devastating civil war has divided humanity into the authoritarian Alliance and the defeated Independents, who now live on the wild fringe worlds of humanity’s new star system. The show centers on the spaceship Serenity and her crew, led by the dashing Captain Malcolm “Mal” Reynolds (Nathan Fillion), following their many adventures. The series’ ensemble cast also includes Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Adam Baldwin, Jewel Staite, Sean Maher, Summer Glau, and Ron Glass.
Though commissioned for 14 episodes, only 11 episodes of Firefly were released during its original run on Fox, and the series was canceled even though it was hugely popular with genre fans and critics. Despite its troubled time on the network, the series has been widely hailed as one of the greatest sci-fi shows of all time, a fun adventure series with memorable characters and surprising depth. Thankfully, the show did get to wrap up its storylines through the 2005 movie Serenity, and the series has since expanded into a successful franchise that includes comics, video games, and novels.
6
‘Almost Human’ (2013–2014)
Created by J. H. Wyman (Fringe), who also executive-produced the series with Bryan Burk and J. J. Abrams, Almost Human is a futuristic sci-fi crime drama that follows a pair of police detectives in the year 2048 — one human, the other an android. Karl Urban stars as John Kennex, a police officer with a deep distrust of androids who is partnered with Dorian (Michael Ealy), an outdated android that was designed to be as human as possible. The show also features Minka Kelly, Mackenzie Crook, Michael Irby, and Lili Taylor in main cast roles.
When Almost Human first premiered on Fox, its critical reception was mostly mixed but still generally positive, and the debut season earned an Emmy Award for Outstanding Special and Visual Effects. Sadly, that wasn’t enough to save it from cancellation, which is a shame because the series presents a fascinating vision of the future, exploring concepts like genetic engineering and AI through a fun, action-packed story. The series also has some great performances, especially by Michael Ealy, and it was shaping up to be a fascinating if underrated sci-fi procedural before its time was cut short.
5
‘Dark Matter’ (2015–2017)
Created by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie, Dark Matter is a sci-fi series developed by Prodigy Pictures, the Space Channel, and the Syfy Channel, and originally published as a comic book series. Set aboard the starship Raza, the series follows a group of people who awaken from stasis with no memory of their past and set about trying to find out who they were and what happened to them, eventually discovering that they were a notorious band of mercenaries who must now choose between their original paths and redemption. The show stars Marc Bendavid, Melissa O’Neil, Anthony Lemke, Alex Mallari Jr., Jodelle Ferland, Roger Cross, Zoie Palmer, Melanie Liburd, Shaun Sipos, and Ellen Wong.
Dark Matter premiered on Space and Syfy in 2015 and aired three seasons in total before it was canceled, earning generally positive reviews from critics during that time. While the first season is a bit of a mixed bag, the series shows significant improvement in its later seasons, and by its third season, it had really found its stride as a pulpy, entertaining space show. Sadly, it never got the mainstream attention it deserved, and we’ll never get to see the complete vision realized on screen, but at least the comics allow fans an opportunity to see what could have been.
4
‘The OA’ (2016–2019)
Created by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, The OA is a genre-bending thriller series that combines sci-fi, fantasy, and drama elements to create an intriguing mystery story. Marling stars in the show as Prairie Johnson, a blind woman who resurfaces after a seven-year disappearance with her vision restored, now calling herself “the OA,” and recruits five people for an enigmatic mission. The series also features Emory Cohen, Scott Wilson, Phyllis Smith, Alice Krige, Patrick Gibson, Brendan Meyer, Brandon Perea, Ian Alexander, and Jason Isaacs in key roles.
Planned to be a five-season story, The OA premiered on Netflix in 2016 to a polarized but mostly positive response from critics and audiences, developing a dedicated fanbase who were understandably devastated when the show was canceled after its second season. Arguably one of Netflix’s most original programs, the series is a near-perfect watch, especially in its second outing, packing tons of meaning and depth into every scene. Though Netflix may not have agreed, many critics have hailed the show as one of the best sci-fi series of the 2010s, and there’s still talk of continuing the series in some shape or form.
3
‘1899’ (2022)
Created by Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar of Dark fame, 1899 is a multilingual German science fiction mystery series set on a steamship traveling from Southampton, UK, to New York City. The show follows a group of European emigrants on a voyage in the year 1899 who encounter an adrift vessel on the open sea and stumble into a mysterious puzzle. The ensemble cast includes Emily Beecham, Aneurin Barnard, Andreas Pietschmann, Miguel Bernardeau, Alexandre Willaume, and more.
Anticipation was high ahead of 1899’s premiere in 2022, largely due to the global success of Friese and Odar’s Dark, and the show earned high viewership and a positive critical reception at the time of its release on Netflix. Despite this, the series was canceled by Netflix after just one season, a decision that was met with outcry from both critics and fans. The one season it did get to tell is an impressive, atmospheric mystery with interesting characters and fascinating concepts, and the show was hailed by many as one of the best of the year, which makes its abrupt end all the more frustrating.
2
‘Raised by Wolves’ (2020–2022)
Created by Aaron Guzikowski, Raised by Wolves is a science fiction drama series executive-produced by Ridley Scott, who also directed the show’s first two episodes. Set after the destruction of Earth, the series stars Amanda Collin and Abubakar Salim as two androids tasked with raising a group of human children on the planet Kepler-22b with atheistic values, but the arrival of a religious faction threatens to tear the fledgling colony apart before it can take shape. Besides Collin and Salim, the show also stars Winta McGrath, Travis Fimmel, Niamh Algar, Jordan Loughran, Felix Jamieson, Ethan Hazzard, Aasiya Shah, Ivy Wong, and Matias Varela.
Raised by Wolves premiered to a positive reception in September 2020 and was followed by an even more acclaimed second season in 2022. A thematically and philosophically complex series that paints a fascinating picture of humanity’s future, the series showed all the potential of a genre highlight. However, it was canceled after just two seasons and completely removed from HBO Max in the aftermath of the Warner Bros. Discovery merger, along with several other titles.
1
‘Altered Carbon’ (2018–2020)
Based on the books by Richard K. Morgan, Altered Carbon is a cyberpunk noir series created by Laeta Kalogridis that explores a far future where humanity has spread to the stars thanks to technology that allows consciousness to be digitally stored, so you can change bodies as easily as swapping clothes — if you can pay for it. The series primarily follows Takeshi Kovacs, a freedom fighter-turned-mercenary, who is revived after 250 years in a digital prison to investigate an inexplicable death. The show’s imaginative premise allows for multiple actors to play the same role, with Takeshi played by Joel Kinnaman in Season 1 and Anthony Mackie in Season 2.
Gritty, dark, and excitingly original, Altered Carbon was well-received by critics (and even better received by sci-fi fans) at the time of its release, earning praise for its world-building, characterization, visuals, and storyline and receiving two Emmy nominations. The series was also widely praised for the performances of its ensemble, which includes Renée Elise Goldsberry, James Purefoy, Dichen Lachman, and more, but none of that was enough to save the show from cancellation after its second season. Though the series had an unfortunately short life, its story was at least partially expanded through an anime prequel movie, Altered Carbon: Resleeved, which was released in 2020.
- Release Date
-
2018 – 2020-00-00
- Network
-
Netflix
