# Old Shows To Watch, Ended Or Just Cancelled?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-shows-to-watch-ended-or-just-cancelled/625764>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [June 20, 2012, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-shows-to-watch-ended-or-just-cancelled/625764 "2012-06-20T17:18:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-shows-to-watch-ended-or-just-cancelled/625764/41 "2013-02-07T14:07:03Z")

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I didn’t see “Jericho” mentioned. This was cancelled and brought back by popular demand for one more season. (I love this kind of stuff, it could have been a lot better, but was pretty good for regular TV). The ending was satisfactory, but it was more like a finale, setting up for “Jericho: Part II - A New Beginning” (which of course never took place).

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**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-shows-to-watch-ended-or-just-cancelled/625764/42 "2013-02-07T14:11:16Z")

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> [@akrako1](#):
>
> Alphas - 2 seasons - cancelled. not wrapped up. sigh…

Damn I didn’t know it was cancelled.

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**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-shows-to-watch-ended-or-just-cancelled/625764/43 "2013-02-07T15:51:27Z")

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> [@Poysyn](#):
>
> Buffy - 7 seasons - wrapped up

Wrapped up better after 5.

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**Author:** ![akrako1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@akrako1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akrako1)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-shows-to-watch-ended-or-just-cancelled/625764/44 "2013-02-07T17:44:59Z")

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> [@salinqmind](#):
>
> I didn’t see “Jericho” mentioned… The ending was satisfactory, but it was more like a finale, setting up for “Jericho: Part II - A New Beginning” (which of course never took place).

_Jericho_ has actually continued on in Comic Book form. Same writers/creators as the TV series. I believe there was a 6-issue “Season 3”, while “Season 4” has just started coming out. I’d actually love if more cancelled series went this way - at least we can find out what the writers had in mind for the future.

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**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-shows-to-watch-ended-or-just-cancelled/625764/45 "2013-02-07T21:42:09Z")

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I didn’t know about the comic book continuation. I heard “Carnivale” might go that way, but there’s some problem with the rights all tied up.

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**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-shows-to-watch-ended-or-just-cancelled/625764/46 "2013-02-07T22:09:27Z")

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Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, brilliant show cancelled at the end of season 2 on an unresolved cliffhanger episode.

Proof there is no god.

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**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-shows-to-watch-ended-or-just-cancelled/625764/47 "2013-02-08T23:48:22Z")

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being human uk is not being renewed. series 5 will end in 5 more episodes.

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**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-shows-to-watch-ended-or-just-cancelled/625764/48 "2013-02-09T00:11:45Z")

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> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#):
>
> Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, brilliant show cancelled at the end of season 2 on an unresolved cliffhanger episode.
> 
> Proof there is no god.

Actually, that was a rushed wrap-up, not a cliffhanger.

My vote is **Daybreak** with Taye Diggs, but I’ve a weakness for time-loop stories.

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**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-shows-to-watch-ended-or-just-cancelled/625764/49 "2013-02-09T00:28:10Z")

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> [@epbrown01](#):
>
> Actually, that was a rushed wrap-up, not a cliffhanger.
> 
> My vote is **Daybreak** with Taye Diggs, but I’ve a weakness for time-loop stories.

You ninja’ed me on this. Really good show, intriguing use of time jumping. IIRC, the show was canceled without any resolution being broadcast, but they did release the final episodes on DVD, and it wrapped up the story. (Of course it didn’t answer every possible question and difficulty, but it was clearly a narrative closure.)

Oh, and we just finished **The IT Crowd** , a sitcom with no appreciable story arcs, but fun pretty much all the way through. However, I’m posting here to recommend watching the last episode in the penultimate position, and saving the episode “Bad Boys” for last, so you go out on a high note. The last episode, “Reynholm v. Reynholm” is hands down my least favorite of the entire series, so it was disappointing to go out on that.

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**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-shows-to-watch-ended-or-just-cancelled/625764/50 "2013-02-09T03:00:43Z")

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> [@Loach](#):
>
> Damn I didn’t know it was cancelled.

In my opinion “Alphas” _did_ wrap up.

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**Author:** ![akrako1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@akrako1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akrako1)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-shows-to-watch-ended-or-just-cancelled/625764/51 "2013-02-09T04:15:57Z")

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> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> In my opinion “Alphas” _did_ wrap up.

MAJOR ALPHAS’s SPOILER:

The only thing I felt was wrapped up was “are they going to stop Parish’s plan” - with the answer being “no” - and left open was the possibility of every major character on the show (besides Gary) being either dead (Rosen? Parish?) or having their power overly jacked up to the point where they might not even be able to function. Rachel could barely keep it together after she got hit the 1st time, not sure if she’ll even survive a 2nd. there’s also the 1000’s of either deaths, or possibly new alphas created (my pet theory), in the train station. maybe we could say the _season_ kinda wrapped up (what’s Parish’s plan, how do we stop it), but left a cliffhanger with huge unknowns

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**Author:** ![Renifer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@Renifer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renifer)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-shows-to-watch-ended-or-just-cancelled/625764/52 "2013-02-09T19:22:22Z")

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**Daria** wrapped up really satisfactorily after five seasons and two movies. Funny and poignant throughout.

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**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-shows-to-watch-ended-or-just-cancelled/625764/53 "2013-02-09T22:40:35Z")

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> [@Renifer](#):
>
> **Daria** wrapped up really satisfactorily after five seasons and two movies. Funny and poignant throughout.

It did - I especially like the ep with the teacher’s strike, where she and Quinn make a lot of progress towards growing up as siblings, but the entire last season was geared to wrapping things up nicely, and it did.

I _still_ laugh out loud every time I re-watch “Arts and Crass.”

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**Author:** ![akrako1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@akrako1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akrako1)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-shows-to-watch-ended-or-just-cancelled/625764/54 "2013-02-11T18:46:21Z")

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Eureka - 5 seasons - planned end, wrapped up  
Charmed - 8 seasons - planned end, wrapped up  
ER - 15 season - planned end, wrapped up  
A Gifted Man - 1 season, cancelled  
Farscape - 4 seasons + movie - planned, wrapped  
Torchwood - 2 seasons + 2 mini series (cancelled?)  
Tru Calling - 1 and 1/2 seasons - cancelled, no wrapping  
Sarah Jane Adventures - cancelled after Elisabeth Sladen died during Season 5

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**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-shows-to-watch-ended-or-just-cancelled/625764/55 "2013-02-11T20:17:51Z")

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> [@akrako1](#):
>
> My memory remembers it differently..  
> \*Stargate: Universe \*- 2 seasons - cancelled, not wrapped up  
> _Stargate: SG1_ - 10 seasons + 2 movies - wrapped up  
> _Stargate: Atlantis_ - 5 seasons - wrapped up (albeit maybe a little hastily)

I’ve decided to go back and rewatch the episodes. I kind of remember the ending you describe, but not sure.

I remember a sort of civil war going on and most of the people found a way to get back to Earth. Some of sort of real transport between Earth and the ship had been devised.

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**Author:** ![akrako1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@akrako1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akrako1)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-shows-to-watch-ended-or-just-cancelled/625764/56 "2013-06-27T22:39:24Z")

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some new updates after the 2012-2013 TV season ended…

The Office - 9 seasons - planned end, wrapped up.

90210 - 5 seasons - cancelled, wrapped up in last episode

Touch - 2 seasons - cancelled, some storylines wrapped up, most left open

Animal Practice - 1 season - cancelled

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**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2013, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-shows-to-watch-ended-or-just-cancelled/625764/57 "2013-06-29T00:47:24Z")

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Then there’s “Angel”. Ended on what would be defined by almost anybody as a cliff-hanger. But then you realize that _was_ a wrap-up.

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**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2013, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-shows-to-watch-ended-or-just-cancelled/625764/58 "2013-06-29T01:17:04Z")

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Frasier - eleven seasons - planned end, wrapped up.  
The Wonder Years - six seasons - planned end, wrapped up very satisfactorily.  
Roseanne - nine seasons - planned end, wrapped up very satisfactorily.

(Both Wonder Years and Roseanne had what I thought were excellent, very poignant final episodes.)

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**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2013, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-shows-to-watch-ended-or-just-cancelled/625764/59 "2013-06-29T02:31:14Z")

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> [@E-DUB](#):
>
> Then there’s “Angel”. Ended on what would be defined by almost anybody as a cliff-hanger. But then you realize that _was_ a wrap-up.

I didn’t see it that way. Angel resolved all the ongoing plotlines, but left some of the characters to go on without the audience. I wasn’t expecting him and/or Spike to get cured and go off with Buffy to live in the suburbs.

Sportsnight, mentioned above, did the same thing - they resolved the relationship and work plotlines without ending everything. Cheers did something similar, with Sam realizing he’d never leave the bar

I think people are just more used to a grand resolution where everything about the show is disassembled and closed off, like the Friends starting new chapters and leaving the apartment for good, or the kids finally move out or similar.

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**Author:** ![akrako1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@akrako1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akrako1)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2016, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-shows-to-watch-ended-or-just-cancelled/625764/60 "2016-08-09T18:53:28Z")

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Fringe - 4 & 1/2 seasons - minor wrap-up at end of S4, unexpected 1/2 season 5, similarly wrapped up.

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