Part of loving TV means having to say goodbye to shows. Whether it be because they reach their logical conclusions or the exact opposite, that time comes for every show. Unfortunately, there have been several cancellations this year. There have been so many that it’s a challenge to even narrow it down to 10 shows. Some are more expected than others, given the context in which they exist. Others are massively frustrating and entirely surprising. All of them happen to be shows that we’ll definitely miss.
The Wheel of Time (Prime Video)
The Wheel of Time’s cancellation, like many on this list, was confounding. Deadline reported that the decision came down to finances, an all-too-familiar reason. The third season took the show to new heights in its narrative. Some were heartbreaking and surprising, like Siuan Sanche dying during a coup at the White Tower. The Wheel of Time needed more time to explore the fallout of that loss and everything else in its season – now series – finale. The characters and their world were expanding, so it was unfortunate that all that progress and momentum were ripped out from under them. Robert Jordan’s books left plenty more to adapt. Unfortunately, the show’s journey ends with Season 3.
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Doctor Odyssey (ABC)
SEAN TEALE, JOSHUA JACKSON, PHILLIPA SOO
After the success of Ryan Murphy’s 9-1-1 on ABC, it was odd that Doctor Odyssey didn’t make it to the network’s schedule in May. The next month led to more nebulous conversations around the show’s fate and the cast’s contracts. By July, there were still no solid updates about the show’s status. The only clarity came from star Joshua Jackson, who said, “I am not holding my breath that it’s coming back.” He added, “It’s a bummer we don’t get to do it again, but I’m happy for the time we got.” If only there were even one more season of cruise ship antics and jaw-dropping guest stars. We’ll (and John Oliver, who spoke about the show on Last Week Tonight in May) never know what could’ve been! Maybe Max, Tristan, and Avery should have been a throuple all along.
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Yellowjackets (Showtime)
In fairness, Yellowjackets stands out on this list because it wasn’t canceled. Its ending is a creative choice by creators and executive producers Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson. The surprise came after Lyle said in 2023 that Yellowjackets was on track to be a five-season show. However, the change in the show’s longevity also comes in a larger context – Showtime renewed Dexter: Original Sin for a second season and then rolled back that decision. Therefore, Yellowjackets‘ ending with Season 4 (The writers’ room is underway, and production will begin in 2026!) means that the show can end on its own terms. That’s not something many of the shows on this list have the opportunity to do.
MORE: Yellowjackets Season 2 Finale: On Natalie, Convenient Lies & Closed Loops
Most of the FBI Franchise (CBS)
Strangely, CBS unraveled one of its franchises by canceling FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International in March. The news came after the flagship FBI series received a renewal through the 2026/2027 season, taking it through Season 10. By May, Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, revealed the decision resulted from a financial perspective. These two shows aren’t the first or the last on this list to end for that reason. It’s only that the cancellation of FBI’s long-running spinoffs (Most Wanted will end with Season 6 and International with Season 4) sours that CBS is spawning a new spinoff with the Tom Ellis-led CIA.
MORE: FBI: International & FBI: Most Wanted Cancelled By CBS (We’re Not Happy)
Mythic Quest (Apple TV)
Like others on this list, Mythic Quest’s cancellation was strange and sudden. Mythic Quest Season 4 ends with Jo becoming the most powerful person at the company, and Poppy and Ian taking a leap of faith – into each other’s arms. They finally kissed! That may be a surprise to some because it has been edited out of the final cut. Despite the streamer launching an anthology spinoff series, Side Quest, the same day as the flagship show’s season finale, Apple TV canceled Mythic Quest in April. In part, creators and executive producers Megan Ganz, David Hornsby, and Rob Mac said, “Because endings are hard, with Apple’s blessing, we made one final update to our last episode — so we could say goodbye, instead of just game over.” That final update removed said kiss, which, unfortunately, compounds with the odd way that Mythic Quest went out.
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The Sex Lives of College Girls (HBO Max)
The Sex Lives of College Girls had a ton of pressure on its third season. Ahead of its premiere, it was announced that Reneé Rapp would be exiting the series as Leighton Murray. Leighton transferred to MIT in the second episode, entirely changing the show’s core dynamic. The third season ended in January, with Kimberly being arrested during a protest, Whitney rejoining Essex’s soccer team with the goal of making players safer, and Bela coming out as bisexual to her mom. It took nearly two months for HBO Max to announce the cancellation. Co-creator Justin Noble wrote about the team’s intentions to find a new home (Sadly, that did not pan out), adding, “But regardless of what happens, I’m proud of this show and the work that so many incredibly talented people put into it.”
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Found (NBC)
It’s objectively frustrating for this TV fan that Found Season 2 ends with something as seismic as Gabi Moseley (Shanola Hampton) telling the press that she held Sir (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) captive. The NBC drama was leading up to a twist like that, and it was bound to have massive fallout. Now, it lives in the world of what-ifs with all the other shows on this list because the network canceled Found after two seasons. NBC credited the cancellation to declining viewership. While WBTV shared plans to shop the series to new homes, there has been no public movement on that front. So, maybe, just maybe, there’s some sliver of hope that we’ll see the Mosely & Associates team again.
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Étoile (Prime Video)
Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino’s latest Prime Video series, Étoile, ended after just one season, even though the streamer initially ordered it for two. That pick-up came in 2023, two years before the ballet-centric series premiered and the same year that The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel wrapped up its decorated run with its fifth season. All of which assumed confidence in Étoile. The opposite occurred when Prime Video canceled the series in June, citing the show’s cost outweighing its performance. It’s a shame that we’ll never know what comes after those kisses between Cheyenne & Jack and Tobias & Gabin.
MORE: Étoile: 4 Things We Learned About the Ballet Comedy
Laid (Peacock)
We shouldn’t be shocked that a romantic comedy series has met the chopping block, placing it on this list. They’ve become as rare as teen dramas on TV lately. Starring the amazing Stephanie Hsu, Laid follows Ruby Yao, a young woman whose exes start dying. The eight-episode season dropped in December 2024. It wasn’t until May that Peacock axed the series on the grounds that it didn’t pull enough viewers. It is strange to expect a freshman series with minimal promotion to generate a massive audience in such a short amount of time. What happened to letting shows find their audience? Now we’ll never know what Ruby will do with the information that the curse is generational.
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The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)
Shockingly, comedian and late-night host Stephen Colbert announced in July that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert had been canceled by CBS. Therefore, the long-running late-night series would end in May 2026 with the expiration of Colbert’s contract. The network called the move “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.” However, the timing of the cancellation suggests otherwise. Not to mention, it came mere months before the suspension and reinstatement of Jimmy Kimmel Live! in September or the calls for Seth Meyers to be fired from Late Night with Seth Meyers in November. So, even with the decision being reportedly financial, the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert exists in a broader context that is concerning for the future of late-night TV. Colbert’s presence in that space with certainly be missed.
MORE: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Canceled: Grief & Gratitude
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What canceled shows from 2025 will you miss? Let us know in the comments below!
