Bulgarian actress Nina Dobrev attempted to star in a sitcom after her massive cult following and legendary success from her portrayal of Elena Gilbert, in the popular Vampire Diaries drama show. Many fans of the actress expected a solid performance from her. Unfortunately for Dobrev, her new sitcom Fam failed brutally with both fans and critics.
It was mostly criticized for lacking any originality and attempting to use familiar and often used sitcom jokes and story templates. Dobrev’s acting was also criticized by many fans as being a disappointment after her work in Vampire Diaries. The show was canceled in May 10th, 2019, after just one season.
iZombie
iZombie began as a promising procedural crime drama about a doctor named Olivia "Liv" Moore (Rose McIver), who turned into a zombie and helps the Seattle Police Department solve murders. It was a loose adaptation on a comic book by DC Comics under the same name, and initially opened to strong ratings, with over 2 million viewers. Unfortunately, each season brought with it a severe decrease in interest from fans, as well as falling ratings.
iZombie's fifth season was considered its worst by far, and ended in an unexpected finale that helps tie everything up nicely. The show's star, Rose McIver, confirmed in a tweet that iZombie's fifth season was truly the last: “So the fifth season of #iZombie will be our last. I am therefore committed and excited to make it the best one yet! Really proud to be on a show that celebrates the misfits and I pinch myself every day that I get to be a part of the iZombie world with you guys.”
Chambers
Netflix often uses its large budget and quick production schedules to pilot many shows in short succession and checking which of them grabs audiences the best. Chambers was one of those experiments, and unfortunately, it didn't end up becoming a fan favorite, causing Netflix to cancel it after just one season. The show was released on April 26th, 2019, with all of its ten episodes immediately available for viewing. Many fans were disappointed when Chambers ended, as it starred one of the most iconic actresses in Hollywood: Uma Thurman.
Chambers's plot revolves around a woman who survives a heart transplant and begins to develop supernatural abilities. It received mixed ratings, and was mostly criticized for not being able to deliver the hype that its talented cast created. Netflix ended the show with the following statement: “Chambers will not return for a second season,” the streaming company continued, “We’re grateful to creator and showrunner Leah Rachel for bringing this story to us.”
The First
Sean Penn's space drama, The First was supposed to be a bombshell show after trailers for the series began showing up in mid-2018. The show was met with fairly positive reviews, but didn't manage to pick up ratings or reviews. The First follows the planning of the first human mission to Mars, as a team of astronauts prepare to become the first humans to visit there. Other actors that join the talented Sean Penn are Natascha McElhone, Lisa Gay Hamilton and Hannah Ware.
The First lasted for only one season and eight episodes before Hulu decided to pull the plug due to lack of ratings. Many fans consider the show's potential as wasted, due to a large focus on the family drama and dysfunctional characters as opposed to the actual space mission. Alas folks, The First will not have a second.
Speechless
Another sitcom which was abruptly canceled by ABC is the popular Speechless , which followed both hilarious and very serious challenges that a family faces from having a teenage son who's disabled. The show has received excellent ratings from critics due to its honest and heartfelt performance, as well as the excellent balance it manages of humor and seriousness around some pretty sensitive topics.
Speechless has been cited as a "clear-eyed and empathetic exploration of life in a special-needs family that makes plenty of room for hilarity." Unfortunately, it didn't make it past its third season, although it received quite a respectable ending after running for more than 60 episodes. The show received various awards over the years, including an “Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming” prize at the 2017 Television Critics Association Award.