10 Cancelled TV Shows That Came Back With A Vengeance

The nature of television can be tragic. No matter how beloved a series might be, if it doesn’t have great ratings, it will possibly get axed. But it isn’t always the end. On rare occasions, cancelled TV shows come back to life bigger and better than ever. What can resurrect a dead show? Sometimes it’s fan pressure, sometimes it’s DVD sales, sometimes it’s the hard work of dedicated producers, but however it happens, it’s always nice to spend a few more seasons with our favorite characters.

Family Guy

Seth MacFarlane’s animated sitcom wasn’t always the smash hit it is today. In fact, FOX didn’t seem to know what to do with the show for the first three years of its run. After a series of disastrous time slot changes, FOX cancelled Family Guy in 2003. That would have been the end for most shows, but Family Guy had a second coming when strong DVD sales and high ratings in syndication convinced FOX to renew the show in 2005. Ever since, its remained a ratings powerhouse and cultural mainstay, even spawning two in-universe spin offs, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show.

Baywatch

Baywatch almost ended after one season, but lead actor David Hasselhoff just couldn’t let the campy TV drama die. He assumed the role of executive producer and revived the series in 1991. This time, the show was a huge hit and ran until 2001 – that’s an additional ten years of glorious slow motion lifeguarding.

Futurama

Like Family Guy, FOX had a difficult time finding a time slot for Matt Groening’s futuristic comedy series. Despite widespread critical acclaim, the show was cancelled in 2003. High ratings in syndication and a successful movie series led to a series revival in 2008. The show officially ended in 2013, but the cast and crew have expressed interest in reviving the series again in the future.

Star Trek

Star Trek is one of the earliest examples of a franchise being revived by strong ratings in syndication. Although The Original Series never returned to television, Star Trek lived on through a number of highly successful movies and spin-off series. It is now regarded as one of the most important cultural icons of the 20th century.

Charles In Charge

The quirky Scott Baio sitcom under-performed in its first year, leading CBS to cancel the program in 1985. However, Charles in Charge was able to find its audience in syndication and is now considered a classic of the era.

Doctor Who

The UK’s longest running science fiction series stalled in the 1980’s. In 1996, the BBC produced a television movie, leading to renewed interest in the series, though it would not return to television until 2005. After its revival, Doctor Who once again became a pop culture phenomenon, and it remains a cornerstone of British television to this day.

Arrested Development

The witty “riches to rags” tale of the Bluth family may have been the critics’ darling, but it failed to find a mainstream audience and was cancelled after just three seasons. The show obtained legendary cult status as one of the funniest and most intricately written comedies of all time, leading to its groundbreaking revival on the online streaming service Netflix.

Beavis and Butt-Head

The 90’s wouldn’t have been the same without Beavis and Butt-Head. But their 2011 revival proved the lovable idiots could crack wise for a whole new generation. Although the revival only lasted one season, series creator Mike Judge has expressed interest in continuing the exploits of America’s favorite slackers.

24

Unlike the other shows on this list, the decision to end 24 was mutual between FOX and the series creators. However, the world just wasn’t ready to say goodbye to agent Jack Bauer. In 2014, the show returned for the critically acclaimed television event 24: Live Another Day.

Community

Community is the little show that could. Despite earning a dedicated cult following, the super-meta comedy series faced an uncertain future during most of its run. NBC finally dropped the hammer and cancelled the series after five seasons, but an unlikely distributor, Yahoo! Screen, picked it up for a sixth season. Creator Dan Harmon hopes Community will live on, stating “We will have six seasons, and we will have a movie, that does not deny us the right from having nine seasons.“