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Some television series are canceled after one episode, quickly removed from a broadcast schedule, or had production halted after their
premiere A première, also spelled premiere, is the debut (first public presentation) of a play, film, dance, or musical composition. A work will often have many premières: a world première (the first time it is shown anywhere in the world), its first ...
s. Such immediate cancellations are extremely rare cases and are usually attributed to a combination of very negative reviews, very poor ratings, radical or controversial content, or circumstances beyond the network's control. Purposely excluded from this list are
pilots An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
, premiere episodes produced primarily to be reviewed by network executives as proposed series; "
backdoor pilot A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...
s", pilot episodes shot in such a way that they can be aired as a regular episode of another series; and
feature-length A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...
television movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
s produced to be broadcast as either an extended premiere episode, if picked up as a series, or as a distinct television movie. In any of those cases, the pilot was aired but its proposed series was not subsequently added to the programming, or the pilot was aired as a television movie after a decision not to produce a series. Shows are listed in chronological order with the date the episode aired, any backlash from it, and what happened to the series after cancellation.


Canceled after one episode

;''The Dennis James Carnival'' (October 31, 1948): A
variety show Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical theatre, musical performances, sketch comedy, magic (illusion), magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is ...
presented by the
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
(Columbia Broadcasting System) television network. ''The Dennis James Carnival'' showcased various
vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
-style acts under the premise that host
Dennis James Dennis James (born Demie James Sposa, August 24, 1917 – June 3, 1997) was an American television personality, philanthropist, and commercial spokesman. Until 1976, he had appeared on TV more times and for a longer period than any other telev ...
was trying to keep afloat a carnival that he had inherited from his uncle. The reaction to the program was mostly negative, and its sponsor,
General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...
, was dissatisfied with the carnival setting. A ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' article at the time noted that "this marked the quickest on-and-off commercial fade in young tele's history." ; ''
Who's Whose ''Who's Whose'' was a panel quiz television game show that ran on the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) television network. It premiered as a TV series on June 25, 1951, and is noted for being one of the first television series to be droppe ...
'' (June 25, 1951): A panel quiz show hosted by Phil Baker that aired on CBS in which four celebrity panelists ( Robin Chandler,
Basil Davenport Basil Davenport (1905-1966) was an American literary critic, academic, anthologist, and writer of science fiction novels and other genres. He was a member of the Baker Street Irregulars literary society. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky on March ...
, Art Ford, and
Emily Kimbrough Emily Kimbrough (October 23, 1899 – February 10, 1989) was an American author and journalist. Biography Emily Kimbrough was born in Muncie, Indiana. In 1921 she graduated from Bryn Mawr College and went on a trip to Europe with her friend Co ...
) tried to determine which of three male contestants was married to which of three female contestants. This show replaced '' The Goldbergs'', which was dropped when its creator
Gertrude Berg Gertrude Berg (Born Tillie Edelstein; October 3, 1899 – September 14, 1966) was an American actress, screenwriter, and producer. A pioneer of classic radio, she was one of the first women to create, write, produce, and star in a long-running h ...
refused to fire the blacklisted actor
Philip Loeb Philip Loeb (March 28, 1891 – September 1, 1955), was an American stage, film, and television actor, director and author. He was blacklisted under McCarthyism and committed suicide in response. Early life Philip Loeb was born March 28, 1891, ...
. While one source has classified this show as a
television pilot A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...
, contemporary news accounts confirm that this was a series that was dropped by its sponsor (
General Foods General Foods Corporation was a company whose direct predecessor was established in the United States by Charles William Post as the Postum Cereal Company in 1895. The company changed its name to "General Foods" in 1929, after several corporate ...
) after one airing. ; ''
Turn-On ''Turn-On'' is an American sketch comedy series that aired on ABC in February 1969. Only one episode was shown, leaving one episode unaired, and the show is considered one of the most infamous flops in TV history. ''Turn-Ons sole broadcast ...
'' (February 5, 1969):
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
variety comedy series; a racier derivative of ''
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (often simply referred to as ''Laugh-In'') is an American sketch comedy television program that ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to March 12, 1973, on the NBC television network, hosted by comedians Da ...
'', the show alarmed broadcast officials and sponsors who immediately perceived it as offensive because of its strong sexual and political humor. At least one station (
WEWS WEWS-TV (channel 5) is a television station in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, affiliated with ABC. It has been owned by the E. W. Scripps Company since its inception in 1946, making it one of two stations that have been built and signed on by ...
in
Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
) did not return to ''Turn-On'' after the first commercial break, and others on west coast delay refused to air it at all. ABC canceled the show before airing another episode. ; '' The Melting Pot'' (June 11, 1975):
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...
written by
Spike Milligan Terence Alan "Spike" Milligan (16 April 1918 – 27 February 2002) was an Irish actor, comedian, writer, musician, poet, and playwright. The son of an English mother and Irish father, he was born in British Raj, British Colonial India, where h ...
, who also starred as "Mr. Van Gogh", a Pakistani illegal immigrant in London who Milligan portrayed in
brownface Brownface is a social phenomenon in which a white or light-skinned person attempts to portray themselves as a "brown" person of color, but less overtly and with a lighter complexion than traditional blackface. This may include mimicry of Midd ...
. Aired as a one-off pilot on BBC1, a further series of five episodes was commissioned and produced in 1976, but these remaining five episodes have never been seen. ; ''
Heil Honey I'm Home! ''Heil Honey I'm Home!'' is a British sitcom, written by Geoff Atkinson and produced in 1990, which was cancelled after one episode. It centres on Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun, who live next door to a Jewish couple, Arny and Rosa Goldenstein. Th ...
'' (September 30, 1990): Comedy on British satellite channel
Galaxy A galaxy is a system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, dark matter, bound together by gravity. The word is derived from the Greek ' (), literally 'milky', a reference to the Milky Way galaxy that contains the Solar System. ...
that spoofed American sitcoms of the 1950s and 1960s by featuring caricatures of
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
and
Eva Braun Eva Anna Paula Hitler (; 6 February 1912 – 30 April 1945) was a German photographer who was the longtime companion and briefly the wife of Adolf Hitler. Braun met Hitler in Munich when she was a 17-year-old assistant and model for his ...
who live in matrimonial bliss until they become neighbours to a Jewish couple. The series was cancelled not only due to controversy but also due to
British Satellite Broadcasting British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB) was a television company, headquartered in London, that provided direct broadcast satellite television services to the United Kingdom. They started broadcasting on 25 March 1990. The company was merged with ...
's merger with
Sky The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from outer space. In the field of astronomy, ...
; seven other episodes were filmed but not aired. ; ''
Public Morals Public morality refers to moral and ethical standards enforced in a society, by law or police work or social pressure, and applied to public life, to the content of the media, and to conduct in public places. A famous remark of Mrs Patrick C ...
'' (October 30, 1996):
Steven Bochco Steven Ronald Bochco Masterson (December 16, 1943 – April 1, 2018) was an American television writer and producer. He developed a number of television series, including ''Hill Street Blues'', ''L.A. Law'', ''Doogie Howser, M.D.'', ''Cop Rock'' ...
-produced CBS sitcom about a
vice squad A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character tr ...
unit of the
New York City Police Department The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...
. The cast included
Bill Brochtrup William Brochtrup Jr. (born March 7, 1963) is an American actor. He is known for his role playing PAA John Irvin, a gay police public assistant, on the ABC television drama '' NYPD Blue''. Early life and education Born William Brochtrup Jr. in ...
, reprising the role of John Irvin, a recurring character on another Bochco series, ''
NYPD Blue ''NYPD Blue'' is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensemble c ...
''. Thirteen episodes were produced, and the pilot was originally scheduled to air first, but several affiliates refused to show it. CBS then decided to air a different episode from the thirteen produced, which was only one aired. Brochtrup and his character returned to ''NYPD Blue'', becoming a regular. ; '' Lawless'' (March 22, 1997):
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
action series starring former
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
star
Brian Bosworth Brian Keith Bosworth (born March 9, 1965), nicknamed "The Boz," is an American former football linebacker and actor who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. A two-time Dick Butkus Award winne ...
as a
private investigator A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...
. ; ''
Dot Comedy ''Dot Comedy'' is an American television series that aired on American Broadcasting Company (ABC). It is notable for being a series that was canceled after only one episode. Premise ''Dot Comedy'' was an early attempt at bringing Internet humor to ...
'' (December 8, 2000): ABC series featuring an early attempt to translate humorous material from the Internet to a mass television audience. ; ''Comedians Unleashed'' (October 8, 2002): An attempt by
Animal Planet Animal Planet (stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American multinational pay television channel owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. First established on June 1, 1996, the network is primarily dev ...
to mimic
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programming ...
's
stand-up comedy Stand-up comedy is a comedy, comedic performance to a live audience in which the performer addresses the audience directly from the stage. The performer is known as a comedian, a comic or a stand-up. Stand-up comedy consists of One-line joke ...
shows, but with animal-themed jokes. The episode was rerun a few times before being removed from the programming lineup. This is not to be confused with the 2006 syndicated series ''
Comics Unleashed ''Comics Unleashed'' is a half-hour comedic talk show produced by the Entertainment Studios production company (formerly CF Entertainment) and hosted by Byron Allen, with John Cramer as announcer and DJ Cobra or sometimes DJ A1 providing music ...
'', hosted by
Byron Allen Byron Allen Folks (born April 22, 1961) is the founder of the U.S. entertainment company Entertainment Studios which includes The Weather Channel. He is also a television producer, philanthropist, and comedian in his younger years. Notable s ...
. ; '' The Will'' (January 8, 2005): CBS reality show in which family members and friends competed to be named the beneficiary of a
will Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...
. The series eventually aired in its entirety on
Fox Reality Channel Fox Reality Channel was an American pay television channel. It was launched on May 24, 2005, and was owned by the Fox Entertainment Group. It featured many shows that were originally on the Fox network (or produced by Fox). The channel also fea ...
, and aired in New Zealand as well. ; ''
Emily's Reasons Why Not ''Emily's Reasons Why Not'' is a television series starring Heather Graham. The show, which was based on the novel of the same name by Carrie Gerlach, published in August 2004, was canceled by its broadcaster, ABC, after a single airing on Januar ...
'' (January 9, 2006): ABC sitcom starring
Heather Graham Heather Joan Graham (born January 29, 1970) is an American actress. After appearing in television commercials, her first starring role in a feature film came with the teen comedy '' License to Drive'' (1988), followed by the critically acclaime ...
as a single career woman, unlucky in love, who employs a list-making system to help her determine when it is time to give up and move on. The series was canceled on January 10 by ABC programming chief Steve McPherson when he decided that it was "not going to get better and we needed a quick change". It was reported that ABC executives had committed to the show without seeing its pilot. ; '' The Rich List'' (November 1, 2006): Game show by the British producers of ''
The Weakest Link ''Weakest Link'' (also known as ''The Weakest Link'') is a television game show which The Weakest Link (British game show), first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and originally ended on 31 March 2012 when its host ...
'' and '' Dog Eat Dog'', adapted for the U.S. from an ITV pilot that was not picked up. Despite being heavily promoted on Fox during the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
, the show was axed on November 3 following low ratings. GSN revived the show in 2009 as ''The Money List'', hosted by
Fred Roggin Frederick Jay Roggin (born May 6, 1957) is the American sports anchor at KNBC, KNBC-TV in Los Angeles, California, and afternoon show co-host at KLAC. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Roggin was also a sports talk radio host at KSPN (AM), KMPC in Los ...
; this iteration, the first GSN original to employ a returning-champion aspect, lasted nine episodes. The remaining episodes from the original series remain unaired. After the US version's failure, the format was produced for broadcast in the UK, where it aired as ''
Who Dares Wins ''Who Dares Wins'' (Latin: ''Qui audet adipiscitur''; el, Ο Τολμών Νικά, ''O tolmón niká''; french: Qui ose gagne; it, Chi osa vince; Portuguese: ''Quem ousa vence''; German: ''Wer wagt, gewinnt'') is a motto made popular in the ...
'' for 12 years, from 2007 to 2019. ; '' The Debbie King Show'' (March 5–6, 2007): Aired in the UK on the controversial channel
ITV Play ITV Play was a short-lived 24/7 participation television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV plc. The ITV Play name continued as a strand on the main ITV Network until December 2007. It was launched as a standalone channel on Freeview ...
with no publicity, the show (like all the others on the channel) was a live premium rate phone-in quiz presented by Debbie King who had previously hosted the popular ''
Quizmania ''Quizmania'' is a British interactive game show. The show was devised by Chuck Thomas, Debbie King, and Simone Thorogood and produced by Fremantle Media for Information TV (between August 2005 and March 2006) and ITV (between December 2005 ...
''. As well as being a quiz, viewers were invited to phone/text in views towards current events. However, earlier the same day ITV announced that transmission of the ITV Play channel was being suspended after that evening's programmes as a result of an investigation into its premium-rate phone services. Despite this, ITV still decided to push ahead with the launch of the series. The following week, it was decided that the ITV Play channel would permanently cease transmission due to the numerous irregularities involving call-in/SMS quiz shows in the UK. Although ITV Play did continue as a limited service on
ITV1 ITV1 (formerly known as ITV) is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the British media company ITV plc. It provides the Channel 3 public broadcast service across all of the United Kingdom except for t ...
''The Debbie King Show'' ended after only 2½ hours on the air. ; ''
Quarterlife ''Quarterlife'' (stylized as ''quarterlife'') is an American web series, also briefly an NBC television series in 2008, created by Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick, the creators of '' Thirtysomething'' and ''Once and Again'', and producers of ...
'' (February 26, 2008):
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
broadcast version of the popular MySpace series, with an intent to air on Sunday nights following its debut as a stopgap solution to present some 'new' form of programming during that season's writers‘ strike. Following the dismal reception of the premiere episode, the other five episodes were aired in a marathon on
NBC Universal The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
sibling channel
Bravo Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels *Bravo (band), a Russian rock band * Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984 *Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing company ...
on March 9. ; '' Secret Talents of the Stars'' (April 8, 2008): CBS reality talent show where celebrities competed by participating in talents that differed from their profession. Although the show was to follow a seven-week tournament-style structure with home-viewer voting (which would have taken the show through May 13 with a May 22 "grand finale"), the series was pulled after its debut because of extremely low ratings. ; ''
Osbournes Reloaded ''Osbournes Reloaded'' is a 2009 variety show that aired its only episode on Fox. The show was hosted by The Osbournes — Ozzy, Sharon, Jack and Kelly — and premiered Tuesday March 31 on Fox following ''American Idol''. FremantleMedia, ...
'' (March 31, 2009): Fox variety show hosted by The Osbournes – Ozzy,
Sharon Sharon ( he, שָׁרוֹן ''Šārôn'' "plain") is a given name as well as an Israeli surname. In English-speaking areas, Sharon is now predominantly a feminine given name. However, historically it was also used as a masculine given name. In I ...
,
Jack Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name, ...
, and
Kelly Kelly may refer to: Art and entertainment * Kelly (Kelly Price album) * Kelly (Andrea Faustini album) * ''Kelly'' (musical), a 1965 musical by Mark Charlap * "Kelly" (song), a 2018 single by Kelly Rowland * ''Kelly'' (film), a 1981 Canadi ...
. The remaining five episodes were immediately shelved because of a combination of bad reviews and several Fox affiliates (including the entire Raycom and
Local TV LLC Local TV LLC was a television broadcasting company owned by Oak Hill Capital Partners which operated 20 television stations in the United States. The group was formed in 2006 by the acquisition of nine television stations owned by The New York T ...
station chains) either airing the program in an early-morning timeslot or not at all because of content concerns. ; ''Kookyville'' (November 25, 2012): An unscripted comedy
sketch show Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. The form developed and became popular in vaudeville, and is ...
that aired on
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
in the UK. The tag line for the show was "These people are not actors or comedians, and there's no script...they're just real funny people." The show received bad criticism from TV critics and was cancelled after one episode. ; '' Ford Nation'' (November 18, 2013): A
talk show A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show ...
hosted by
Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
Rob Ford Robert Bruce Ford (May 28, 1969 – March 22, 2016) was a Canadian politician and businessman who served as the 64th mayor of Toronto from 2010 to 2014. Before and after his term as mayor, Ford was a city councillor representing Ward 2 Etobi ...
of
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
and his brother, city councillor and future
Premier of Ontario The premier of Ontario (french: premier ministre de l'Ontario) is the head of government of Ontario. Under the Westminster system, the premier governs with the Confidence and supply, confidence of a majority the elected Legislative Assembly of On ...
Doug Ford Douglas Robert Ford Jr. (born November 20, 1964) is a Canadian politician and businessman who has served as the 26th and current premier of Ontario since June 2018 and leader of the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party since March 2018. He ...
, on
Sun News Network Sun News Network (commonly shortened to Sun News) was a Canadian English language Category C news channel owned by Québecor Média through a partnership between two of its subsidiaries, TVA Group (which maintained 51% majority ownership of the ...
in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, initially indicated as being a weekly program airing Monday nights. The Ford brothers had been in the news because of an ongoing scandal involving a video showing the mayor smoking
crack cocaine Crack cocaine, commonly known simply as crack, and also known as rock, is a free base form of the stimulant cocaine that can be smoked. Crack offers a short, intense high to smokers. The ''Manual of Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment'' calls ...
. Despite garnering record ratings for the fledgling news/opinion channel, the show was nonetheless cancelled after a single episode, reportedly because of unexpectedly high production costs (the one-hour program was reported to have taken five hours to record and an additional eight hours to edit) and advertiser concerns about being associated with the controversial politicians. Network executives, as well as Doug Ford, would later claim that the program only had a one-episode commitment and was not necessarily intended as a long-term series."Ford brothers planning web series after turning down reality show offers from ‘Oprah and Dr. Phil,’ Doug says"
, ''
National Post The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with ...
'', 11/28/2013 ; ''Breaking Boston'' (March 13, 2014): A reality show produced by
Mark Wahlberg Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971), former stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, businessman, and former rapper. He has received multiple accolades, including a BAFTA Award, and nominations for two Academy Awards, three ...
for A&E about four young women working to change their lives in the titular city. Seven episodes were subsequently made available on the
hulu.com Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television seri ...
website. Then, by June 1, 2015, the seven episodes were switched to the A&E website, and later on became available for purchase on other commercial websites. ; '' Mesmerised'' (October 15, 2015): An
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
n hypnosis show helmed by British hypnotist
Peter Powers Peter Powers is a British television personality and hypnotist. He is well known in Australia for his appearances on the '' Footy Show''. Career Powers has made several TV shows; '' The Power of One'', which is filmed in Australia, and ''Street ...
broadcast on the
Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...
. It was dropped after one episode, which featured a man marrying an alpaca as its centrepiece, following dismal ratings. Five produced episodes remain unaired. ; ''Host the Week'' (June 22, 2017):
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
in the UK commissioned a topical unscripted comedy series in which a different
guest host {{Unreferenced, date=January 2009 A guest host (or guest presenter in the United Kingdom) is a host, usually of a talk show, that hosts the program in lieu of the regular host if they fall ill, have another project or commitment, or are unable to h ...
each week, joined by a troupe of
improvisational comedy Improvisational theatre, often called improvisation or improv, is the form of theatre, often comedy, in which most or all of what is performed is unplanned or unscripted: created spontaneously by the performers. In its purest form, the dialogue, a ...
performers, would introduce comedy and entertainment features, without having had access to a script or rehearsals. Episodes were produced in the week of transmission to remain topical.
Scarlett Moffatt Scarlett Sigourney Leigh Moffatt (born 17 October 1990) is a British television personality, presenter, and former ballroom dancer from County Durham County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1 ...
was the host of the first edition of three billed; the underperformance of this programme, down more than 60% on the average audience of the slot, saw production of the billed second edition – to be hosted by
Jack Whitehall Jack Peter Benedict Whitehall (born 7 July 1988) is an English comedian, actor, presenter and writer. He is known for starring as JP in the series ''Fresh Meat (TV series), Fresh Meat'' (2011–2016) and Alfie Wickers in the series ''Bad Educat ...
– scrapped, and a third show – the host of which was not confirmed ahead of time – will also now not go ahead. ; ''Barstool Van Talk'' (October 17, 2017):
ESPN2 ESPN2 is an American multinational pay television network owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (which owns the remaining 20%). ESPN2 was initially fo ...
cancelled the sports humor and commentary show, a collaboration with the sports website
Barstool Sports Barstool Sports is an American blog website and digital media company headquartered in New York City that produces content on sports and pop culture. Founded by David Portnoy in 2003 in Milton, Massachusetts, the company's two primary owners are ...
, after one episode had aired, following internal and social media protests from
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
employees over the perceived misogynistic nature of Barstool's content. ; ''Back with the Ex'' (April 18, 2018): Australian
reality series Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
in which four sets of ex-partners attempted to give their broken relationships a second chance. The underperformance of this episode resulted in the remaining episodes being moved to Channel Seven's streaming service. ; ''Ahora, la Mundial'' (June 20, 2018): Football talk show that
Telecinco Telecinco is a Spanish free-to-air television channel operated by Mediaset España. The channel was previously known as Tele 5, because it had first begun its experimental transmissions on 10 March 1989, and a year later, it was officially launc ...
planned to air after
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
's matches in the
2018 FIFA World Cup The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national Association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awa ...
. It was heavily criticized for relying on panelists not linked to sports journalism but to the network's gossip shows such as Kiko Matamoros or Alessandro Lecquio. Telecinco commentator and former Spain coach
José Antonio Camacho José Antonio Camacho Alfaro (; born 8 June 1955) is a Spanish former football left-back and manager. He spent 15 professional years at Real Madrid, appearing in more than 500 official matches with the team and helping win 19 major titles, inc ...
refused to appear on the show via satellite from Russia after hearing about the program's format. After the criticism and the poor ratings of its premiere, Telecinco scrapped the show altogether. ; ''The
Herman Cain Herman Cain (December 13, 1945July 30, 2020) was an American businessman and Tea Party movement activist within the Republican Party. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Cain grew up in Georgia and graduated from Morehouse College with a bachelor's d ...
Show'' (June 2020): A conservative talk show hosted by businessman, media personality and presidential candidate Herman Cain on
Newsmax TV Newsmax TV is an American conservative television channel owned by Newsmax. The network primarily focuses on opinion-based talk shows. It carries a news/talk format throughout the day and night, with documentaries and films on weekends. During ...
. One episode was produced before Cain fell ill with
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
; he died on July 30, 2020. ; ''The Chop'' (October 15, 2020):
Sky History History (known as Sky History in the UK and Ireland) is a European documentary television channel which broadcasts programs related to reality programming, historical events and persons. It is a joint venture between A&E Networks UK and Sky ...
reality Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, r ...
series in which
woodworkers Woodworking is the skill of making items from wood, and includes cabinet making (cabinetry and furniture), wood carving, joinery, carpentry, and woodturning. History Along with stone, clay and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials ...
were to participate in competitions to determine the best woodworker in the United Kingdom. The series was put on hiatus on October 20, 2020, as one of the contestants had an "88" face tattoo that was questioned by viewers for having neo-Nazi and white supremacist symbolism, though the contestant claimed it was an innocent tribute to his father's 1988 death. The entire series was canceled 10 days later on October 30, 2020, after it was found out the contestant's father (who was estranged from him) was alive and well, and his other head tattoos suggested further white supremacist symbols and numbers. ; ''Let's Make a Love Scene'' (May 13, 2022): Reality dating show for
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
, hosted by
Ellie Taylor Eleanor Jane Taylor is an English comedian, television personality, actress, and writer. After appearing on ''Show Me the Funny'' in 2011, Taylor has appeared on numerous television shows, including ''8 Out of 10 Cats'' (2011–2017), '' Fake Re ...
, in which single contestants are paired up and tasked with recreating sensual scenes from popular films, with the assistance of an
intimacy coordinator An intimacy coordinator, sometimes called an intimacy director, is a member of a film or television crew who ensures the well-being of actors and actresses who participate in sex scenes or other intimate scenes in theater, film and television pro ...
. Two episodes were ordered, and billed for broadcast on May 13 and 20 in a 10pm slot; after the first edition was negatively received, the second programme was pulled from the May 20 schedule, replaced with an episode of ''
8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown ''8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown'' is a British comedy panel show on Channel 4. The show follows the game of ''Countdown'', but presented in a comedic panel show format seen on ''8 Out of 10 Cats'', with the show being a crossover of the two. ...
''.


Canceled after a two-episode premiere night

The following series were canceled after their first two episodes had aired back-to-back on one evening: ; '' Beware of Dog'' (August 13, 2002):
Animal Planet Animal Planet (stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American multinational pay television channel owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. First established on June 1, 1996, the network is primarily dev ...
sitcom; two episodes presented back-to-back for the only appearance of the series on U.S. television. The show featured ''
Look Who's Talking ''Look Who's Talking'' is a 1989 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Amy Heckerling, and starring John Travolta and Kirstie Alley. Bruce Willis plays the voice of Mollie's son, Mikey. The film features George Segal as Albert ...
''-style observations (voiced by Park Bench) by a stray dog named Jack who was adopted by a suburban family. ; ''
Anchorwoman A news presenter – also known as a newsreader, newscaster (short for "news broadcaster"), anchorman or anchorwoman, news anchor or simply an anchor – is a person who presents news during a news program on TV, radio or the Internet. ...
'' (August 22, 2007):
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
comedy/reality series about Lauren Jones, a model who became a television news anchor. The show was canceled on August 23 because of a disappointing 2.0 Fast National
rating A rating is an evaluation or assessment of something, in terms of quality, quantity, or some combination of both. Rating or ratings may also refer to: Business and economics * Credit rating, estimating the credit worthiness of an individual, c ...
; however, its premiere was one hour, consisting of two 30-minute episodes. ; ''The Bussey Bunch'' (January 22, 2008):
TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an A ...
reality show about the Busseys, a family that promotes a local
professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
federation in
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
. The series was pulled following its premiere showing, with a scheduled showing on January 29 also pulled. ; '' The Xtacles'' (November 9, 2008):
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as
dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
spin-off of ''
Frisky Dingo ''Frisky Dingo'' is an American adult animated cartoon series created by Adam Reed and Matt Thompson for Adult Swim. The series revolves around the conflict between a supervillain named Killface and a superhero named Awesome X, alias billionair ...
''. The only two episodes aired back-to-back on November 9, 2008. In early 2009, Adult Swim declined to fund the production of any episodes beyond the first two. Around the same time,
70/30 Productions 70/30 Productions was an animation production house located in Atlanta, Georgia. They are the creators of ''Sealab 2021'', ''Frisky Dingo'', and the latter's spin-off series '' The Xtacles'' for Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. 70/30 was founded by ...
– which produced the show – closed down. ; '' The Hasselhoffs'' (December 5, 2010): A&E reality series starring
David Hasselhoff David Michael Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952), nicknamed "The Hoff", is an American actor, singer, and television personality. He has set a Guinness World Record as the most watched man on TV. Hasselhoff first gained recognition on ''The You ...
and his two daughters was canceled after only two episodes aired. The first two episodes aired back-to-back on the same night leaving eight episodes unaired. A&E stated that they planned on airing the other eight completed half-hour episodes at a later date; however, that never took place. The full series aired in the United Kingdom on May 30, 2011, on
The Biography Channel FYI (stylized as fyi,) is an American basic cable channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between the Disney Media Networks subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Communications (each owns 50%). The network features lifestyle pr ...
. ; ''
Videos After Dark ''Videos After Dark'' is an American video clip television special created by Vin Di Bona, and hosted by Bob Saget on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The show, which aired on March 12, 2019, was billed as "a special first-look episode" of a ...
'' (March 12, 2019): American video clip television series based on ''
America's Funniest Home Videos ''America's Funniest Home Videos'', also called ''America's Funniest Videos'' (abbreviated as ''AFV''), is an American video clip television series on American Broadcasting Company, ABC, based on the Japanese variety show ''Kato-chan Ken-chan Gok ...
'' with more adult tones. The series premiered on March 12, 2019, as a one-hour special, with the remaining episodes set to premiere later in the year, but never came. ABC never made any mention of the show after its premiere and shortly after, removed the two aired episodes from its website and Hulu. Fourteen episodes of the series were filmed with only two episodes aired. (Coincidentally, a previous Australian version of the same concept, ''
Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos ''Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos'' is an Australian television comedy programme that was broadcast on Nine Network on 3 September 1992. It was a one-off special spin-off of '' Australia's Funniest Home Video Show'', depicting videos of se ...
'', had also been cancelled abruptly during its first and only airing – in 1992, the one-off special was still in progress when
Nine Network The Nine Network (stylised 9Network, commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of five main free-to-air television netw ...
owner
Kerry Packer Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer (17 December 1937 – 26 December 2005) was an Australian media tycoon, and was considered one of Australia's most powerful media proprietors of the twentieth century. The Packer family company owned a controlling ...
brusquely ordered the show off the air immediately.)


Special cases

Because of more complex situations, such as shows canceled independently in separate countries, the following programs can be said to have been canceled after one episode under a special set of circumstances only. ; ''
You're in the Picture ''You're in the Picture'' is an American television game show that aired on CBS for only one episode on Friday, January 20, 1961 at 9:30pm, the evening of the Inauguration of John F. Kennedy. The show, created by Don Lipp and Bob Synes, was a ...
'' (January 20, 1961): CBS
panel show A panel show or panel game is a radio or television game show in which a panel of celebrities participates. Celebrity panelists may compete with each other, such as on ''The News Quiz''; facilitate play by non-celebrity contestants, such as on ' ...
starring
Jackie Gleason John Herbert Gleason (February 26, 1916June 24, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, writer, composer, and conductor known affectionately as "The Great One." Developing a style and characters from growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he was know ...
, where celebrities placed their faces into photo stand-ins and attempted to guess the scene they were in. The premiere received such negative reviews that Gleason used the same timeslot on January 27 to apologize. In an act of
self-deprecation Self-deprecation is the act of reprimanding oneself by belittling, undervaluing, disparaging oneself, or being excessively modest. It can be used as a way to make complaints, express modesty, invoke optimal reactions or add humour. It may also be u ...
, Gleason agreed that the previous week's show was "without a doubt, the biggest bomb in history", and "would make the
H-bomb A thermonuclear weapon, fusion weapon or hydrogen bomb (H bomb) is a second-generation nuclear weapon design. Its greater sophistication affords it vastly greater destructive power than first-generation nuclear bombs, a more compact size, a lowe ...
look like a two-inch salute". Gleason used the timeslot to revive ''
The Jackie Gleason Show ''The Jackie Gleason Show'' is the name of a series of American network television shows that starred Jackie Gleason, which ran from 1952 to 1970, in various forms. ''Cavalcade of Stars'' Gleason's first variety series, which aired on the DuMon ...
'' as a talk show to fulfill the remainder of his contract. ; ''
Hardwicke House ''Hardwicke House'' is a seven-episode sitcom produced by Central Independent Television for the ITV network. It was originally produced in the beginning of 1987. It was so negatively received that only the first two episodes were transmitted. ...
'' (February 24/25, 1987):
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...
set in an anarchic school. Cancelled after a double-length pilot and one regular episode of a completed six-part series had aired on consecutive nights, with the five untransmitted editions remaining unbroadcast and unreleased in the UK – the series is available for overseas syndication but as far as is known has never been purchased, and attempts to release the series on
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
in more recent times have stalled. ; ''
Who's Your Daddy? Who's Your Daddy? is an alternate capitalization of "Who's your daddy?", a phrase expressing dominance, especially of a sexual nature. Who's Your Daddy? may also refer to: Music * "Who's Your Daddy?" (Daddy Yankee song) * "Who's Your Daddy? ...
'' (January 3, 2005): Fox reality series that involved an adopted woman trying to identify her biological father amongst a group of impostors. The show attracted protest from adoptive families and adoption-rights groups before airing. This episode aired as a "special", not a "series premiere", and as such the series can be said to have been canceled before airing an episode. ; ''
Korgoth of Barbaria ''Korgoth of Barbaria'' is a pilot episode for what was originally planned as an American adult animated television series created by Aaron Springer, a storyboard artist, writer and director for ''Dexter's Laboratory'', '' The Grim Adventures of ...
'' (June 3, 2006): An
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as
dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
animated show parodying the post-apocalyptic and sword and sorcery genres, focusing on the titular barbarian hero Korgoth. Aired as an uncommitted pilot, the show was announced as having been picked up as a series on June 18 of the same year. However, no further episodes were actually produced, and a 2010 "
bump Bump or Bumps may refer to: * A collision or impact * A raised protrusion on the skin such as a pimple, goose bump, prayer bump, lie bumps, etc. Infrastructure and industry * Coal mine bump, a seismic jolt occurring within a mine * Bump (u ...
" on the network listed ''Korgoth'' in its list of cancelled programming (for being "too expensive"). Though only one episode was ever produced, the show was formally picked up and later formally cancelled, making its distinction between pilot episode and cancelled series unclear. ; ''
Viva Laughlin ''Viva Laughlin'' is an American musical dramedy television series adapted by Bob Lowry and Peter Bowker (creator of the original series) from the popular BBC British serial, ''Blackpool'', and taking its name from the latter program's sequel, '' ...
'' (October 22, 2007): CBS musical comedy-drama that takes place at a casino in
Laughlin, Nevada Laughlin is an unincorporated resort town and census-designated place in Clark County, Nevada, United States. It is located on the Colorado River, directly across from the much larger Bullhead City, Arizona. Laughlin lies south of Las Vegas, i ...
, based on the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
series ''
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
''. While CBS canceled the
Hugh Jackman Hugh Michael Jackman (born 12 October 1968) is an Australian actor. Beginning in theatre and television, he landed his breakthrough role as James "Logan" Howlett / Wolverine in the 20th Century Fox ''X-Men'' film series (2000–2017), a role ...
-produced series after two episodes had aired, Australia's
Nine Network The Nine Network (stylised 9Network, commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of five main free-to-air television netw ...
aired the first episode on October 22 and then canceled it the following day. ; ''
Soul Quest Overdrive ''Soul Quest Overdrive'' is an American adult animated television series that aired on Cartoon Network's late night programming block, Adult Swim. ''Soul Quest Overdrive'' is a spin-off of the Adult Swim series ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force''. It w ...
'' (May 24, 2011):
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as
dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
spin-off of ''
Aqua Teen Hunger Force ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' (also known by various alternative titles), sometimes abbreviated as ''ATHF'' or ''Aqua Teen'', is an American adult animated television series created by Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro for Cartoon Network's late ni ...
'', featuring the voices of
David Cross David Cross (born April 4, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, and writer known for his stand-up performances, the HBO sketch comedy series ''Mr. Show'' (1995–1998), and his role as Tobias Fünke in the Fox/Netflix sitcom ...
,
Kristen Schaal Kristen Joy Schaal (; born January 24, 1978) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She is best known for her voice roles as Louise Belcher on ''Bob's Burgers'' and Mabel Pines on ''Gravity Falls''. She's also known for playing Mel on '' ...
, H. Jon Benjamin, and
Gavin McInnes Gavin Miles McInnes (; born 17 July 1970) is a Canadian writer, podcaster and far-right commentator and founder of the Proud Boys. He is the host of '' Get Off My Lawn with Gavin McInnes'', on the subscription-based streaming media platform C ...
. After losing a 2010 online pilot contest to '' Cheyenne Cinnamon and the Fantabulous Unicorn of Sugar Town Candy Fudge'', six episodes of the show were ordered by the network regardless. Four of them aired back-to-back at 4 AM on May 24, 2011, during Adult Swim's "DVR Theater" block, leaving at least one unaired. No further episodes of the show were made. Cast member Gavin McInnes confirmed that ''Soul Quest Overdrive'' was cancelled, and incorrectly blamed its cancellation on the other cast members not being "as funny" as he. ; '' Taskmaster'' (August 2, 2020) :A British comedy game show, which had been imported by
The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
to air over the summer in the United States. After underperforming in comparison to other series it had imported (to cover for delayed programs due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
), The CW pulled the series on August 5 and replaced it with reruns of ''
Supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...
''. The series has been a critical success in its home country of the United Kingdom, where it has run for over twelve seasons and has won the British Academy Television Award for Best Comedy. As of 2019, it has been acquired by
Channel 4 television Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service i ...
from UKTV's
Dave Dave may refer to: Film, television, and theater * ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver * ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film * Dave (TV channel), a digital television channel in the ...
channel, becoming the third highest rating show on the network by October 18, 2020. The CW later placed the episodes it had acquired on its video on demand platform. ; '' Queen: A Rock History '' (April 30, 2022) :This two-part Viacom biography of the band Queen was supposed to be broadcast on Channel 5 over two Saturdays (April 30 and May 7), but the second part was broadcast on April 30 in the place of the first. Even though both episodes were uploaded to streaming service My5 on May 5, the first part was not seen on British television until 5Select showed both parts back-to-back on August 14, 2022 (with the gap in the Channel 5 schedule on May 7 filled by a comedy compilation).


Placed on hiatus after one episode

The following series are sometimes included on lists of shows canceled after one episode, but strictly speaking do not belong there. The following series were stopped after a single episode aired, but were later brought back by the originating networks, and aired their remaining episodes on the originating networks some months later (usually during a non-ratings period). ; ''
Co-Ed Fever ''Co-Ed Fever'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS in 1979. The series attempted to capitalize on the success of the motion picture ''National Lampoon's Animal House''. It was the third of three "frat house" comedy series to air in early 1 ...
'' (February 4, 1979):
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
sitcom that attempted to imitate the then-successful ''
National Lampoon's Animal House ''National Lampoon's Animal House'' is a 1978 American comedy film directed by John Landis and written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney and Chris Miller. It stars John Belushi, Peter Riegert, Tim Matheson, John Vernon, Verna Bloom, Thomas Hu ...
''. The pilot was aired as a "special preview" of the upcoming season, but the series was canceled shortly thereafter. The other five completed episodes remain unaired in the United States, but were shown in
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
,
British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
on BCTV in a late-afternoon weekend timeslot. ; '' Melba'' (January 28, 1986):
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
sitcom starring
Melba Moore Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba Smith (sources differ) (born October 29, 1945), known by her stage name Melba Moore, is an American singer and actress. Biography Early life and education Moore was born Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba ...
as a single mother who runs a New York information bureau; the series premiered on the day of the Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' disaster. The five remaining episodes aired during the summer. ; ''
South of Sunset ''South of Sunset'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on CBS in 1993. The program starred Glenn Frey, Aries Spears, and Maria Pitillo and premiered on October 27, 1993. The premiere episode performed poorly in the ratings, ...
'' (October 27, 1993): CBS private-detective show starring
Glenn Frey Glenn Lewis Frey (; November 6, 1948 – January 18, 2016) was an American singer, guitarist and a founding member of the rock band Eagles. Frey was the co-lead singer and frontman for the Eagles, roles he came to share with fellow member Don ...
of rock band
The Eagles The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971. With five number-one singles and six number-one albums, six Grammy Awards and five American Music Awards, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s ...
. Despite being heavily promoted during the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
, the show was canned not only because of bad ratings but because news coverage of
wildfires A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identif ...
in Malibu had pre-empted it on much of the West Coast (although KCBS in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
showed the pilot on October 30 at 11:30 PM). The remaining five episodes aired on VH1 a year later. ; ''The Great Defender'' (March 5, 1995):
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
legal drama starring
Michael Rispoli Michael Rispoli is an American character actor. He was a contender for the role of Tony Soprano in the HBO television series ''The Sopranos,'' but was ultimately cast as Jackie Aprile, a recurring character in the show’s first season. Ris ...
as a ''
My Cousin Vinny ''My Cousin Vinny'' is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Jonathan Lynn, and written by Dale Launer, who also produced with Paul Schiff. The film stars Joe Pesci, Ralph Macchio, Marisa Tomei, Mitchell Whitfield, Lane Smith, Bruce McGill, a ...
''-type lawyer. The premiere aired opposite ''
60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who chose to set it apart from other news programs by using a unique styl ...
'' and received dismal ratings. Fox removed the series from the air after its first episode, later airing the remaining episodes during the summer. ; ''Antique Inspectors'' (April 25, 1999): The BBC filmed a series of the antiques programme hosted by
Jill Dando Jill Wendy Dando (9 November 1961 – 26 April 1999) was an English journalist, television presenter and newsreader. She spent most of her career at the BBC and was the corporation's Personality of the Year in 1997. At the time of her death, her ...
, who was killed the day after the first episode was broadcast. The BBC halted the broadcast of further episodes until later on in the year. ; '' Family Forensics UK'' (2005):
LivingTV Sky Witness is a British pay television channel owned and operated by Sky, a division of Comcast. The channel primarily broadcasts drama shows from the United States, aimed at the 18–45 age group. An Italian version of Sky Witness, named S ...
reality show, it was canceled in November 2005 after one episode had been broadcast when the producers discovered that their private investigator, Michael Brown, had been convicted that October of six child sex offences. Brown was in breach of his contract for not telling the producers about this, and Living TV apologized for broadcasting the one episode. Pulling the show cost Living £600,000. ; '' It's Now or Never'' (July 22, 2006): British
light entertainment Light entertainment encompasses a broad range of television and radio programming that includes comedies, variety shows, game shows, quiz shows and the like. In Great Britain In the early days of the BBC virtually all broadcast entertainment wou ...
ITV1 ITV1 (formerly known as ITV) is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the British media company ITV plc. It provides the Channel 3 public broadcast service across all of the United Kingdom except for t ...
program presented by
Phillip Schofield Phillip Bryan Schofield (born 1 April 1962) is an English television presenter who works for ITV. He is currently the co-presenter of ITV's '' This Morning'' (2002–present) and ''Dancing on Ice'' (2006–2014, 2018–present) alongside Holl ...
; two episodes were produced to be aired in a Saturday night timeslot during the summer of 2006, but only the first was aired owing to ratings of 1.7 million viewers, or 10% of the available audience. The second episode was eventually aired later in the year, on December 30, 2006. ; '' The Master'' (August 16, 2006): Australian quiz show hosted by
Mark Beretta Mark Beretta (born 16 June 1966) is an Australian journalist, best known as a sports reporter on Seven Network program ''Sunrise''. In July 2008, Beretta began presenting ''Seven Early News'' sport alongside Natalie Barr at 5.30 am, which le ...
on the
Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...
, which was axed after the premiere received low ratings (744,000 viewers). The following six episodes were eventually broadcast on the network, albeit in non-ratings periods. Ironically, the second and third episodes (December 12 and 19) showed an ''increase'' in ratings by approximately 95,000 viewers. ; ''
Proving Ground A proving ground (US) is an installation or reservation in which technology such as weapons, military tactics and automobile prototypes are experimented with or tested. Proving grounds can be operated by government bodies or civilian industries. ...
'' (June 14, 2011): G4
popular science ''Popular Science'' (also known as ''PopSci'') is an American digital magazine carrying popular science content, which refers to articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. ''Popular Science'' has won over 58 awards, incl ...
reality show hosted by
Ryan Dunn Ryan Matthew Dunn (June 11, 1977 – June 20, 2011) was an American stunt performer, television personality, actor and comedian. He was best known as one of the stars of the MTV reality stunt show '' Jackass'' and its film franchise. Born ...
and
Jessica Chobot Jessica Chobot (born Jessica Lynn Horn; July 7, 1977) is an American on-camera host and writer. She has hosted the IGN shows ''IGN Strategize'' and ''Weekly Wood'', which also runs on Xbox Live; she previously worked as presenter of the ''IGN D ...
in which stunts from video games, films and comic books are tested in the real world. The series was pulled from G4's schedule after Dunn was killed in an unrelated car accident shortly after the airing of the first episode. G4 began airing the remaining eight episodes in July 2011 and it was discontinued after, with Chobot instead becoming a correspondent with ''
X-Play ''Xplay'' (previously ''GameSpot TV'' and ''Extended Play'') is a TV program about video games. The program, known for its reviews and comedy skits, airs on '' G4'' in the United States and had aired on ''G4 Canada'' in Canada (and briefly on YT ...
'' to fulfill her contract with G4 for its last year of existence with original programming. ; ''Aquí mando yo'' (April 15, 2016): Spanish adaptation of ''
Gogglebox ''Gogglebox'' is a British reality television series created by Stephen Lambert, Tania Alexander and Tim Harcourt, and broadcast on Channel 4. The series documents families and groups of friends around the United Kingdom who are filmed for thei ...
'' for Antena 3 hosted by
Miki Nadal Miguel Nadal Furriel, better known as Miki Nadal (born 29 September 1967 in Zaragoza, Aragón, Spain), is a Spanish comedian and actor known for his work on television and theatre. He studied law but abandoned his studies for the stage. He start ...
in voiceover form. This program filmed different groups of friends or families watching and critiquing television shows aired during the week. Antena 3 announced the series would go on hiatus three days after the premiere episode underperformed in ratings. ; ''The Week We Went Wild'' (January 9, 2017):
Channel 5 (UK) Channel 5 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel launched in 1997. It is the fifth national terrestrial channel in the United Kingdom and is owned by Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of American ...
reality documentary series in which members of troubled and dysfunctional families were sent out to the jungles of
Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
in order to work through their grievances in the context of a survival scenario. Four editions were commissioned and produced, but after the first underperformed in ratings, the remaining editions were abruptly withdrawn from the intended 9pm Monday timeslot and replaced by other content: the unshown episodes did ultimately appear before the month was out, however, airing in a 3am slot on January 17, 24 and 31, 2017. ; ''Dale Winton's Florida Fly-Drive'' (February 8, 2018): Channel 5
travelogue Travelogue may refer to: Genres * Travel literature, a record of the experiences of an author travelling * Travel documentary A travel documentary is a documentary film, television program, or online series that describes travel in general or ...
series featuring presenter
Dale Winton Dale Jonathan Winton (22 May 1955 – 18 April 2018) was an English radio DJ and television presenter. He presented the shows ''Dale's Supermarket Sweep'' from 1993 until 2001 and again in 2007, the National Lottery game show ''In It to Wi ...
touring
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
. The first episode aired as planned, with further editions scheduled to follow on subsequent Thursdays, but the series was pulled from the 15th February schedule following the
Stoneman Douglas High School shooting On February 14, 2018, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire on students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in the Miami suburban town of Parkland, Florida, murdering 17 people and injuring 17 others. Cruz, a former student at t ...
the previous day. Following Winton's death in April 2018, Channel 5 confirmed that it would air the remaining episodes at "an appropriate time". The unaired editions ultimately appeared on Channel 5 and 5Select in June 2018. ; ''
Maxxx Maxxx was a general entertainment channel for men owned by Creative Programs, Inc., an ABS-CBN subsidiary. Channel Information Maxxx had a test broadcast together with Velvet and Balls (both defunct) since September 2007. Maxxx had an official ...
'' (April 2, 2020):
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
sitcom/boyband satire with O. T. Fagbenle. The series was launched on E4 in April 2020, after being heavily advertised on the youth TV channel, but was pulled from the schedule after one episode had been shown (with the slot used for re-runs of
Brooklyn Nine-Nine ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' is an American police procedural comedy television series that aired on Fox, and later on NBC. The show aired from September 17, 2013, to September 16, 2021, for a total of eight seasons and 153 episodes. Created by Dan G ...
). The series, which could be found as a box-set on All4, was re-launched on Channel 4 during Black History Month, with the first episode being repeated on 29 October 2020 and the missing second episode due a week later. ; ''La Campos móvil'' (March 10, 2021):
Telecinco Telecinco is a Spanish free-to-air television channel operated by Mediaset España. The channel was previously known as Tele 5, because it had first begun its experimental transmissions on 10 March 1989, and a year later, it was officially launc ...
talk show hosted by
María Teresa Campos María Teresa Campos Luque (born 18 June 1941) is a Spanish journalist and television presenter. She was born in Tétouan, then Spanish protectorate in Morocco, the third of the six children of an upper-middle-class family. She moved to Má ...
, which was filmed inside a transparent box in the back of a moving truck, where Campos would interview her guests. The pilot episode was aired as part of Telecinco's daily afternoon show ''Sálvame'', featuring
President of the Community of Madrid The president of the Community of Madrid is the highest-ranking officer of the Autonomous Community of Madrid and the head of the Government of the Community of Madrid, executive branch. The office is currently held by Isabel Díaz Ayuso of the P ...
Isabel Díaz Ayuso Isabel Natividad Díaz Ayuso (; born 17 October 1978) is a Spanish politician and journalist serving as the president of the Community of Madrid since 2019. She is the president of the People's Party (Spain), People's Party of Madrid. A member ...
as guest, and had a poor ratings performance in its allocated timeslot. Days after the premiere, it was reported that Telecinco had put the show on hiatus while they considered possible tweaks to the format or outright cancellation. ; ''Sex & Power'' (August 31, 2021): This was a three-part documentary series about celebrity and newspaper tabloid culture made for Channel 5 and due to be shown over three nights. The first episode was called ''Celebrity Wars'' and featured interviews with Kerry Katona, Ulrika Johnson and Daniella Westbrook. It was listed in the schedules with back-to-back repeats of 1990s series ''
Red Shoe Diaries ''Red Shoe Diaries'' is an American anthology erotic drama series that aired on Showtime cable network from 1992 to 1997 and distributed by Playboy Entertainment overseas. It is a spinoff of an earlier film by the same name, also directed by Zal ...
'', with both timeslots replaced by shows about emergency services on September 1, 2021, though the three episodes of ''Sex & Power'' were put on streaming service My5 with the episodes available until June 2026. ''Sex & Power'' was scheduled against Channel 4's fly-on-the-wall school documentary ''Sixteen: Class of 2021'', another show which lost its 9pm slot after one episode, though Channel 4 moved the next episode to a late night slot a week later and continued to broadcast the remainder of the four-part series at this time. ; ''Wonderous Wales'' (February 12, 2022): This is a Channel 4 series produced in the style of their More4 documentaries ''The Pennines: Backbone of Britain'', ''The Yorkshire Dales and The Lakes'' and ''Devon and Cornwall''. After moving the ''Devon and Cornwall'' series to their main channel with a new voiceover from John Nettles, the channel decided to commission a series about Wales under the title ''Epic Wales: Valleys, Mountains and Coast''. This series was initially broadcast in a prime Friday night slot at 8pm, in the hour before their comedy shows, but was dumped by the channel before the series was completed and replaced by repeats. In February 2022, the channel scheduled a new version of the show under the title ''Wonderous Wales'' with a Saturday night slot at 8pm. After one episode, they decided to take this series about Wales out of their schedule, moving up a repeat of ''Matt Baker: Our Farm in the Dales'' to 8pm and putting an episode of ''Escape to the Chateau'' in Baker's slot at 7pm. ; ''
Halo Halo, halos or haloes usually refer to: * Halo (optical phenomenon) * Halo (religious iconography), a ring of light around the image of a head HALO, halo, halos or haloes may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Video games * ''Halo'' (franch ...
'' (June 22, 2022): This Paramount+ streaming series was launched as a new series on Channel 5 on June 22, with no intention of the channel broadcasting the subsequent episodes. This kind of marketing (where a series looks like a new free-to-air series, but really is a one-off teaser for a subscription service) was the subject of a Feedback letter in the ''Radio Times'' of 9–15 July 2022 with an unnamed viewer complaining that this was just a 'puff piece' to get people to subscribe to a paid service, an act which could be against the channel's PSB commitments. In addition to Channel 5, this broadcasting arrangement has also been used by Channel 4, in the past with some foreign-language series from
Walter Presents Walter Presents is a video-on-demand service of the UK's Channel 4, part of its All 4 online platform. Launched on 3 January 2016, it specialises in foreign-language drama and comedy with English subtitles. It is named after Walter Iuzzolino, ...
getting a one-off premiere on the channel and then the rest of the episodes appearing on the
All 4 All 4 is a video on demand service from the Channel Four Television Corporation, free of charge for most content and funded by advertising. The service is available in the UK and Ireland; viewers are not required to have a TV licence—required ...
platform (though unlike Paramount+, this is an ad-funded free streaming service).


See also

*
List of television series canceled before airing an episode This is a list of television series cancelled before airing an episode. While many television shows are produced as pilots that never air on television or in any medium, the scope of this article is to list shows that were officially announced ...
*
List of television shows considered the worst This list includes a number of television shows which have received negative reception from both critics and audiences alike, some of which are considered the worst of all time. Criteria Factors that can reflect poorly on a television series inc ...
*
List of longest-running United States television series This is a list of the longest-running United States television series, ordered by number of years the show has been aired. This list includes only first-run series originating in North America and available throughout the United States via natio ...
*
List of longest-running UK television series This is a list of the longest-running television programmes in the United Kingdom. Running Ended See also * List of longest-running United States television series * List of longest-running U.S. cable television series * List of longest-runn ...
*
List of longest-running Indian television series This is a list of the longest-running Indian television programs, ordered by number of years the show has been aired. This list includes only series broadcast in India with 1000 episodes either a three-year run completed series. Hindi Non ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Television shows canceled after one episode Cancelled after one episode List of television series canceled after one episode