While there are a lot of great television shows, not all of them get the runs they deserve. It happens frustratingly often and across both network and cable: a good series fails to take off in one way or another and ends up being cancelled way too soon. Sometimes, that means a series ends abruptly while other times it means there’s just a too-short run with a lot of wasted potential. And every so often, a show gets a decent number of seasons but is still cut down before its time.
For many television fans, the idea of a show being cancelled too soon has become something of a punchline when it comes to Netflix, but the truth is that no network is immune — including HBO. Over the years, HBO has dropped the axe on plenty of solid shows before their time. Here are five great HBO shows that were cancelled way too soon and one of them was one of their best shows of all time so it hurts just a little extra, even all these years later.
2016’s Vinyl is a case of an HBO series that was not only cancelled too soon, but it never really had a chance to take off at all. Cancelled after just one season, Vinyl was set in the 1970s and starred Bobby Cannavale as a struggling record executive named Richie Finestra. Desperate to save his record label in a shifting business landscape, Richie makes a big push to save things but it comes at personal cost.
Vinyl should have been a slam dunk. The series boasted Mick Jagger, Martin Scorsese, Rich Cohen, and Terence Winter as creators and had a solid cast that included not only Cannavale but Jack Quaid, Ray Romano, Juno Temple, and Olivia Wilde just to name a few. However, the ratings just weren’t there and after 10 episodes, HBO called it done.
Carnivale was a fascinating series with a good versus evil premise. Set in the 1930s Dust Bowl, following the death of his mother, teen fugitive Ben Hawkins is picked up by a travelling carnival run by the mysterious, unseen Management. Soon, Ben finds himself tapping into long-dormant supernatural powers while, at the same time hundreds of miles away, an evangelical minister is tormented by visions of the apocalypse. The two men are on different paths but destined to collide.
Carnivale had a big concept and was originally planned for six seasons but got cut after just two. The series simply didn’t bring in the audience HBO was looking for when compared to the show’s production cost. It was a great loss for television fans, however, and the impact of Carnivale continues to be felt. There are many who feel that with its complex world building, overlapping narratives, and rich mythology, Carnivale is a precursor to every major genre series that came after it — and we tend to agree.
When it came out in 2020, Lovecraft Country was a highly talked about television series. The 1950s set series followed Atticus (Jonathan Majors) who goes searching for his missing father. He’s joined on his journey by his friend Leticia (Jurnee Smollett) and his Uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) but this isn’t merely a road trip story. Atticus, Leticia, and George find themselves dealing with not only racist white America but horrifying monsters straight from a Lovecraft story.
Lovecraft Country was incredible. Not only was it a very inventive horror series, but it also took on social issues in a complex and layered way. There was nothing quite like it on television and it had a ton of potential. However, the series was cancelled after just one season, something that was particularly difficult for fans as a second season was in development.
Perry Mason deserved so much more than two seasons. Debuting in 2020, HBO’s take on the iconic character best known to most audiences from Raymond Burr’s series from the 1960s as well as various television films spanning the 80s and 90s, the new Perry Mason starred Matthew Rhys and took a more noir approach, focusing on an origin story for Mason and following him as a low-rent private investigator long before he became a legendary lawyer.
The series had initially been conceived as a miniseries but performed so well in its first season that it got a second but while the series was critically acclaimed, HBO killed it after that second season. This is disappointing because the series’ second season was actually stronger than the first with a much more engaging story and it was very clear that there was so much more story to tell.
This one might be a little bit of a deep cut but not only was Mr. Show with Bob and David cancelled way before its time, it remains one of the best comedies that HBO has ever put out. The four-season sketch comedy series ran from 1995 to 1995 and was hosted by Bob Odenkirk and David Cross. Episodes featured a wide range of comedians and others as not only members of the cast but writers as well, including Sarah Silverman, Jack Black, and more. The show was surreal and weird, and hilarious in a way we haven’t really seen since.
While Mr. Show with Bob and David got more seasons than most, its cancellation was still too soon. The end came when HBO changed the show’s slot to a Mondays at midnight. The result was poor ratings which in turn led to the show’s end. If you have the chance to check this one out, you absolutely should. It’s classic ‘90s humor and one of the greatest cult comedy series ever.
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