10 NBC Shows That Were Cancelled Too Soon

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NBC

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The American broadcast television network NBC is not only world-renowned but is responsible for introducing some of the most celebrated television of the last eight decades to audiences. From long-running dramas such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and ER to comedies like Friends and Saturday Night Live, NBC has always been at the forefront of great programming.

However, like most networks, NBC has seen many of its anticipated shows fail to succeed with mainstream audiences and critics. Though many shows have faded into the background or been forgotten, a lot of series, especially those to debut in recent years, have retained passionate fanbases beyond their original audiences. Whether they faced poor ratings, financial struggles, or low viewership, many NBC shows deserved life beyond what they were offered on television.

10 'Powerless' (2017)

Developed by Ben Queen

In the eyes of many, Powerless had the potential to provide something new, fresh, and sort after when it came to the superhero/comic book adaptation genre, which has long become the victim of accusations of formulaic, repetitive, and stale narratives. Powerless was a sitcom, set within the DC Universe, which followed a subsidiary of Wayne Enterprises that focused on ways to assist normal people in dealing with the fallout of life amongst those with superpowers.

Many audiences loved the premise and jumped at the idea of exploring how the average human is affected by collateral damage in the world of superheroes. However, it quickly became clear that Powerless was not achieving all it could with such a rich idea behind it. While some episodes were praised for being funny and endearing, others were deemed poorly written and formulaic. Despite this, fans and critics still held out hope that Powerless could find its footing and become an enjoyable, easy-going addition to DC screen adaptations. This was never able to happen, unfortunately, as the show was pulled from NBC's schedule midway through the first and only season.

Powerless

Release Date 2016-00-00

Main Genre Comedy

Seasons 1

Studio NBC

9 'American Auto' (2021-2023)

Created by Justin Spitzer

NBC has had great success with workplace comedies in the 21st century, including the likes of The Office and Parks and Recreation. However, that trend unfortunately didn't continue with American Auto. Following a car company in Detroit, navigating an evolving industry, and a CEO with no experience in the automotive industry, American Auto aired for just two seasons between 2021 and 2023 before getting canceled.

While some argued that the show struggled to find its footing, American Auto still received mostly positive critical and audience reviews and was said to offer great potential to become a long-running and beloved series. Equipped with successfully funny jokes and endearing characters, American Auto should have found more attention than it was given.

American Auto

Release Date December 13, 2021

Creator Justin Spitzer

Cast Ana Gasteyer , Harriet Dyer , Jon Barinholtz , Tye White , Michael Benjamin Washington , Ted Humphrey , X Mayo

Main Genre Sitcom

Number of Episodes 23

Network NBC

8 'Young Rock' (2021-2023)

Created by Dwayne Johnson, Jeff Chiang, and Nahnatchka Khan

Uli Latukefu lifts weights in Young Rock

It is not often that audiences get to explore the backstory and also the potential future of one of the most influential people in Hollywood, but that is exactly what Young Rock showcased. Set across multiple timelines, Young Rock depicts the early life of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, as well as his running for President during the 2032 election.

Funny, heartwarming, and endearing, Young Rock was well received by audiences, who welcomed the chance to explore who Dwayne Johnson was before he was such a big name in Hollywood cinema. The casting of his younger counterparts was also praised, alongside the writing and depiction of the wrestling world, making saying goodbye to the series incredibly difficult for fans.

Young Rock

Release Date 2021-00-00

Main Genre Biography

Seasons 0

7 'Chicago Justice' (2017)

Created by Dick Wolf

Characters in a prison cell in Chicago Justice

Dick Wolf is maybe the most famous name of all time when it comes to producing American procedural television, with the likes of the Law and Order and FBI franchises under his belt. He is also responsible for the hugely successful Chicago P.D., Chicago Fire, and Chicago Med, but unfortunately, this success didn't translate to the 2017 series Chicago Justice.

Chicago Justice followed prosecutors and investigators at Cook County State's Attorney's Office, and provided a less full-on and more internal look at the city's law enforcement, compared with other properties in the franchise. Despite performing better than other network programming, NBC decided to cancel it to make room for other new shows. Despite some characters finding homes on other NBC shows, the cancellation of Chicago Justice was still a loss to the Chicago franchise.

Chicago Justice

Release Date March 1, 2017

Main Genre Crime

Seasons 1

Creator(s) Dick Wolf

Watch On Apple TV

6 'Timeless' (2016-2018)

Created by Eric Kripke and Shawn Ryan

Abigail Spencer as Lucy Preston, Malcolm Barrett as Rufus Carlin, and Matt Lanter as Wyatt Logan in Timeless

While it's true that it can become a tired and overplayed genre, time travel television is still incredibly watchable if done well, and NBC's Timeless was arguably done brilliantly. For two seasons, Timeless followed Lucy (Abigail Spencer), Wyatt (Matt Lanter), and Rufus (Malcolm Barrett), a history teacher, an ex-Army officer, and a programmer, who formed a team that was sent to various events in the past to stop an opposing organization from changing the course of time.

Despite positive reviews from audiences and critics, with an appreciation for the premise, performances, and overall design, Timeless found itself up against many obstacles. From lawsuits and declining viewership to multiple cancellations and reprieves, it was only a matter before Timeless was forced to say goodbye. Luckily, NBC allowed the series a two-part finale, after the second season, to leave the story and characters in a somewhat satisfying place.

Timeless

Release Date October 3, 2016

Main Genre Drama

Seasons 3

5 'Smash' (2012-2013)

Created by Theresa Rebeck

NBC's musical drama Smash has become essential viewing for the niche audience of theater kids across the world, which is arguably what led to its downfall in the first place. The series depicts a fictionalized version of the New York theater community and a team of creatives who are working on a new musical, based on the life and career of Marilyn Monroe.

Despite receiving mostly positive critical reviews, Smash , unfortunately, didn't make waves with a mainstream audience.

Whilst the series features great performances from well-known actors such as Anjelica Huston and Uma Thurman, cameos and starring roles from accomplished Broadway stars, and catchy original music, it has a pretty clear yet narrow audience. Its unmovable focus on the Broadway community relies on either prior knowledge or a deep interest in theater, which meant that despite receiving mostly positive critical reviews, Smash , unfortunately, didn't make waves with a mainstream audience.

Watch On Peacock

Created by Austin Winsberg

Jane Levy in Zoe's Extraordinary Playlist

Musical comedy-drama Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist was a truly unique addition to NBC's roster, and yet it still didn't hit with mainstream audiences, possibly due to the wackiness of its premise or the sadly niche audience for musical dramas. The show followed Zoey Clarke (Jane Levy), a software developer who developed the ability to experience the thoughts of others through pop music after an earthquake during an MRI transferred a playlist of songs into her brain.

The series was fresh, charming, and uplifting, whilst also tackling deeply emotional storylines, and the cast, which featured celebrated musical performers such as Skylar Astin and Alex Newell, all excelled in their roles. Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist was canceled after two seasons, with The Roku Channel saving it for a holiday movie, and yet for many audiences, it still wasn't enough.

3 'Rise' (2018)

Created by Jason Katims

Starring How I Met Your Mother's Josh Radnor and a talented crop of teens, including Disney Princess Auli'i Cravalho, NBC's musical drama Rise had so much potential beyond the one season it was afforded.

Rise was unafraid to tackle difficult but extremely necessary topics.

Rise depicts a passionate teacher who attempts to revitalize a working-class highschool drama club and provide a space for kids to free themselves from the troubles of their home lives and work to understand each other. Pushing to perform the controversial yet beloved musical Spring Awakening, the drama club suffers pushback from those who want to shelter their children from the harsh realities that many of them are already experiencing in their lives. Rise was unafraid to tackle difficult but extremely necessary topics, while also showcasing some excellent musical talent among the cast, and should have been allowed to continue to explore this.

Rise is currently not available for streaming or purchase.

2 'Freaks and Geeks' (1999-2000)

Created by Paul Feig

The Freaks and Lindsay from Freaks & Geeks standing together walking down the hallway in school.

When talking about horrifically unjust television cancellations, there is one TV series that almost always surfaces in conversation. That show is the 1999 comedy Freaks and Geeks. Set in a high school in the early 1980s, Freaks and Geeks depicts the trials and tribulations of school life for different cliques and groups of teens.

Despite now appearing on many lists of the 'Greatest shows of all time', Freaks and Geeks was canceled mid-way through the airing of its only season, for a variety of different reasons. Luckily, a lot of good still came from the show's creation, with main cast members Seth Rogen, James Franco, Busy Phillips, Linda Cardellini, and Jason Segel all finding their start in the industry and launching highly successful careers.

1 'Hannibal' (2013-2015)

Developed by Bryan Fuller

Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) embraces Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) in 'Hannibal' (2013-2015)

Almost any TV and film fanatic with social media accounts will understand what a phenomenon the now iconic NBC psychological thriller series Hannibal has become almost a decade after its initial release. With its passionate and ever-growing fanbase, it is safe to say that NBC could have had a huge hit on its hands if the show achieved better-viewing figures during its time on air.

Hannibal focuses on the relationship between one of the most iconic fictional characters of all time, serial killer Hannibal Lecter, and the FBI agent Will Graham, who find themselves inexplicably connected despite being natural opposites. It is safe to say that the series has achieved cult status, developing huge popularity within fandom which has resulted in fans screaming for a continuation of the series.