List of television series canceled before airing an episode

Many times a television series will only run for a single season or, in rarer cases, just one episode. An even rarer occurrence is a series that is cancelled before a single episode has aired. While many pilot episodes for series are made each television season and only a select few get picked up, there have been occasions in which a network has announced the debut of a new series only to cancel the series before broadcast. These shows are the subject of this list.

Series cancelled before airing a single episode

Cheetah Girls

Walt Disney Studios produced four episodes of this television series for the Disney Channel, but cancelled it before airing a single episode.

What's Stevie Thinking?

Disney studios once again cancelled a show before it aired an episode. Spin - off from Lizzie Mcguire, it told the story of Miranda's little Sister, Stevie.

The Dictator

In spring 1988 this CBS sitcom, which starred Christopher Lloyd as a former dictator of a foreign country now living in a laundromat, was ready to air as a spring replacement show, and ads ran in TV Guide announcing its debut. The Dictator was pulled before a single episode aired.

Fearless

The WB announced production of this show for the 2003-2004 TV season which was based on the young adult series of novels by Francine Pascal for its Tuesday nights. The show starred Rachael Leigh Cook, Bianca Lawson, Ian Somerhalder, and Eric Balfour. The network decided to put One Tree Hill in its place and move Fearless to midseason after hearing of issues producers were having with the lead character's emotions and later issues of casting. After many delays, the show was cancelled. The pilot was the only episode shot and never aired, but was leaked to the Internet after the show was put onto the schedule.

Garbage Pail Kids

An animated series that was cancelled at the last minute was an animated version of Garbage Pail Kids which was based on Topps' bubble gum parody of the "Cabbage Patch Kids". Originally scheduled to debut in the fall of 1987 on CBS's Saturday morning schedule, it was cancelled before its debut, after complaints from parental groups. Reportedly in its place on the schedule was an extra half hour of Muppet Babies. The Garbage Pail Kids series remained unseen in the U.S. until 2006, when the series was released on DVD.

The Grubbs

This situation comedy with Randy Quaid was the very first show of the 2001-02 season canceled (by Fox), before airing a single episode.

Hotel Story

An Australian series made by Crawford Productions that was cancelled by Network Ten before a single episode had been aired and only seven episodes shot. After Network Ten cancelled the series, Crawford found that the contract had never been signed, so they had no legal redress. The first four episodes later went to air as a "miniseries" screened over two nights.

In The Dark (US Version)

In 1997, The WB slated to air an American version of a British game show of the same name on its prime time Sunday schedule, but was yanked before its premiere.

Man vs. Beast (UK Version)

In 2003, ITV in the UK commissioned a six-part series based on the controversial US Fox TV special of the same name. It was withdrawn two days before its scheduled debut after protests from animal rights groups.[1]

Manchester Prep

A series based upon the film Cruel Intentions that was commissioned by the Fox and advertised as a new series, but, perhaps due to its controversial subject matter involving teen sexuality, was cancelled before broadcast. The pilot episode of Manchester Prep was later partially refilmed to add nudity and adult subject matter, and released as the R-rated direct-to-video film, Cruel Intentions 2. Likewise, in 1998, Fox heavily advertised a series called Rewind that would have followed two advertising executives (Scott Baio and Mystro Clark) in the current day and in flashbacks to their experiences in the 1970s but eventually cancelled the series before any showings.

Misconceptions

This show was to be a mid-season replacement during The WB's 2005-2006 season. Six episodes were produced, but not of them were televised before the network shut down later that year.

Mr. Dugan

A three-week trial of this series set to be aired on CBS from March 11 through March 25, 1979, but never made it to the air due to political pressure. Starring Cleavon Little as a fledging black congressman, Mr. Dugan was yanked from CBS' schedule after several real black congressmen took umbrage after a special screening.

On The Ropes

This teen aimed sitcom was slated to air on the Fall 1999 Kids WB lineup but was withdrawn due to the popularity of Pokemon.

Press Ganged

a reality television series made by Granada Productions for ITV1 in the UK. Filmed in the summer of 2004, it appeared on lists of forthcoming series several times over the next year, but was never broadcast. No reason has ever been given for the show's non-appearance.

Popetown

A cartoon series commissioned by the BBC in 2002 which consisted of comical misrepresentations of the Roman Catholic church. After a sustained campaign from senior Catholic theologians, the series was never broadcast on the grounds that it was not of sufficient quality. However, Popetown made its debut on New Zealand music television network C4, and was released on DVD in September 2005.

Raising Caines

Judge Reinhold was set to star in this 1995 family sitcom alongside Mel Harris on NBC.

Secret Service Guy

Judge Reinhold was also slated to star in this 1997 sitcom which Fox decided not to air.

Snip

1976, comedian David Brenner was slated to star in this sitcom where he would portray a hairdresser dealing with his ex-wife (portrayed by Lesley Ann Warren) moving back in with him. Created by James Komack, who had earlier created hits like Chico and the Man and Welcome Back Kotter, Snip seemed to have great potential, and was heavily promoted by NBC. However, the network decided to pull the show at the last minute after seven episodes were filmed (it was so abrupt even TV Guide was caught off guard, and still listed the show in its schedule guide). Brenner thinks this was due to fears of controversy, as one of the supporting characters was openly gay. Brenner quipped that, apparently, "In 1976, there were no gay people in America."

Star Trek: Phase II

A planned revival of Star Trek that was to air on a proposed Paramount Pictures television network in the fall of 1977. When plans for the network fell through, the first episode of Phase II was given an expanded budget and became Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

Thick and Thin

Six episodes of this show were produced as a mid-season replacement for NBC's 2005-2006 season, but none were ever aired

Waterfront

In 2006, CBS ordered this show as a midseason replacement series that was scheduled to be aired in 2007. The drama dealt with the political and personal lives centered around the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island. But after completing production on five unaired shows, the network decided to cancel the series altogether, citing creative and financial issues. There is no word on whether Warner Bros. Television will find a new home for the project, but chances are that it will not do so.

Welcome to the Neighborhood

This 2005 ABC reality show was cancelled before it aired because of its subject matter that "risked fostering prejudice." A conservative white neighborhood has to choose their new neighbors from a group of families that are black, Hispanic and Asian; two gay white men who've adopted a black child; a couple covered in tattoos and piercings; a couple who met at the woman’s initiation as a witch; and a poor white family.

Where's the Fire

Scenes that slated to premiere in this sitcom were shown in ABC's 1974-1975 season promo reel, but the show was withdrawn before its Fall 1974 launch.

The Young Astronauts

This animated series about a family in space was slated to be a 1986 Saturday Morning midseason replacement on CBS but was withdrawn following the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. A Star Comics comic book series from Marvel Comics was even planned to tie in to the cartoon series but was also withdrawn following the cartoon series withdrawal.

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