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.
Fam
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.
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.
Lethal Weapon
Fox's buddy cop action comedy show, Lethal Weapon , was originally based on the 1987 film of the same name and its three sequels. The show follows the same formula as the film, portraying the adventures of two highly mismatched detective partners. Lethal Weapon ran on Fox from 2016 until 2019, and was canceled after three seasons due to insane on-set issues.
Apparently, there was a lot of conflict and hostility between cast members, especially from Clayne Crawford, who played Martin Riggs. The actor was promptly fired despite being a leading actor, and was killed in the show and replaced by Sean William Scott. The show was well received in its first season, but lost about half of its viewers in the subsequent two seasons. It received mixed reviews and was officially canceled on May 10th, 2019.
The Man in the High Castle
Amazon Studios' The Man in the High Castle is a Ridley Scott production, based on Philip K. Dick's novel of the same name. The show poses the question of what would happen if the Nazis and the Japanese had won World War II. It's a brilliant historical take that starts in 1962 and follows various characters who live in that era.
Various controversies rose during the advertising of the show, which included an entire New York City Subway car being covered in Nazi and Imperial Japanese imagery. The advertisement was pulled by Amazon after much pressure from the New York State Governor, Andrew Cuomo. The show's debut pilot was considered to be Amazon's most watched pilot since its line of shows began, with the show receiving subsequent critical acclaim throughout its first three seasons. Season four was released in November 2019, and was the last season of the show.