Just to recap, 2020 will go down in history as the year that brought us massive wildfires, civil unrest, the deaths of beloved celebrities, and a global pandemic to name a few. This year couldn’t be over soon enough but unfortunately, with its passing, 2020 will also take with it some of our favorite shows. Here’s a list of ten shows that didn’t make it through the year from hell.
1. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - 7 seasons
After a close call with cancellation after Season 5, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fought valiantly against the forces of network bureaucracy to come back for another two seasons. This victory was short lived, however, and it was announced that Season 7 (aptly titled The End) will be the last iteration of this show.
2. Criminal Minds - 15 seasons
With 322 episodes under its belt, Criminal Minds is one of the longest running and most successful shows on TV. It spent many seasons in the top ten rated shows but since the advent of streaming services, its viewership has dropped dramatically. C.B.S made the hard decision to drop the show this year but rumor is a movie may be in the works.
3. Drunk History - 6 seasons
This one can be blamed directly on covid-19. Comedy Central was hit extremely hard by the onslaught of the pandemic with many productions (including Drunk History) being shut down, which cost the studio massive sums. They’ve since switched their strategy to focus on developing new animated shows and revitalizing some old ones, like Beavis and Butthead and Ren and Stimpy. Drunk History will be missed but since it started as a web-series it may find a second life returning to its roots online.
4. Tosh.0 - 12 seasons
Another casualty of Comedy Central’s strategic shift, this Web Junk 20 rip off will have to find a home somewhere else. Despite the aforementioned issues I have with this show, I do have to give respect where it's due: with 250 episodes, Tosh.0 is the longest-running weekly live-action show in Comedy Central's history. Daniel Tosh is currently shopping the show to other networks and as he put it: “...they get the cartoons, and i'm heading to any network with stronger wifi."
5. Keeping Up With the Kardashians - 20 seasons
Good riddance. This show and its subjects are the 2020 of television. It’s only fitting that they get taken out by the very year they summoned in their lavish satanic dungeons built with money earned off the blood of famous black men and the insecurities of teenage girls.
6. Bojack Horseman - 6 seasons
Reportedly, Netflix is not interested in maintaining long running shows. Unless a show is super successful (i.e Stranger Things) the streaming service sees more benefit in giving screen time to new hot shows. Unfortunately, Bojack Horseman, though beloved by audiences and Netflix board members alike, simply wasn’t profitable enough to justify a 7th season. The showrunners were given fair warning, however, and this gave them enough time to craft their final seasons which received 100% on Rotten Tomatoes
7. Arrow - 8 seasons
This show has had a healthy run as far as comic book adaptations go. With 7 seasons in his quiver, actor Stephen Amell approached Arrow showrunners and informed them he was planning on leaving the show, citing family responsibilities and a desire to not overstay their welcome on network TV. The 8th and final season will conclude with 10 episodes.
8. Vikings - 6 seasons
Vikings was History's bid to ride the long furry coattails of Game of Thrones. The violent and detailed look into the history of the Scandanavian people was a huge success until they took their mimicry too far and killed off their main character. The show never fully recovered and it was announced this year it would be concluding after its 6th season. Reportedly, the show’s creator is in talks to produce a spin-off series which should satiate Viking’s rabid fanbase.
9. Schitt’s Creek - 6 seasons
To be clear, Schitt’s Creek creators insist this is not a cancellation but a well planned end to the beloved show. Written by and starring father/son duo Eugene and Daniel Levy, Schitt’s Creek was something special. After signing a streaming deal with Netflix, the show rose to massive popularity and became the second most streamed show behind The Office. Despite being the underdog of the Emmys last year it took home 4 awards guaranteeing that Schitt’s Creek would be leaving television on the high note it deserves.
10. The Venture Bros. - 7 seasons
This cancellation has confused and shocked not only show fans, but also its creators and the very network that cancelled it. As show co-creator Doc Hammer said in a tweet “The hows, whys, and what-nows are still shrouded in secret codes passed in clandestine meetings.” Adult Swim is apparently second guessing their decision and is reportedly working with the creators to continue the show in some capacity. Whatever happens, The Venture Bros. will always be heralded as one of the most inventive and funny animated shows to ever air.
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