ABC has long been one of the most popular networks thanks to its staple Shondaland television shows like the long-running medical drama Grey's Anatomy. The network has only increased in popularity because it's also now the home of 9-1-1.
But there have been some misses when it comes to ABC. The network has a habit of giving us really likable characters and exciting television show premises, only to then cancel the series before they're given a chance to get off the ground. The following list highlights some of ABC's biggest cult hits that they canceled way too early.
Stumptown
Stumptown was a charming little crime drama series anchored by the always charismatic Cobie Smulders and Jake Johnson. Based on a comic book series, Stumptown follows sharp-witted vet Dex Parios (Smulders) burdened with significant gambling debts that make it hard for her to care for her younger brother.
To help pay off some of the debt, she gets a job working as a private investigator for cases overlooked by the cops. Stumptown is one of many shows that fell victim to the pandemic. ABC had actually renewed it for a second season but filming delays caused the network to reverse course. A shame, because it had a lot of potential. If only ABC had been willing to delay the show, I think the audience would have returned.
Pushing Daisies
Nowadays when a show gets canceled and has even a semi-devoted fanbase, it's common to see "save the show" campaigns pop up all over social media. But in the early 2000s, it was significantly rarer for fans to lobby to save series since back then streaming wasn't a thing and the odds of a show finding a new home were almost zero.
Pushing Daisies, like Firefly before it, was one of a few 2000s shows that formed a dedicated cult following, but it wasn't enough to save them. The case of Pushing Daisies was particularly sad because it was such an endearing and quirky comedy drama from series creator Bryan Fuller, a talented writer known for his other shows like Star Trek and Hannibal.
For the People
Even this legal drama being a Shondaland creation couldn't save it and after just two seasons, ABC let it go. The series followed a group of lawyers working on high-stakes cases in New York and it featured a pre-Bridgerton Regé-Jean Page along with other familiar faces like Britt Robertson and Jasmin Savoy Brown.
There aren't that many great legal dramas out there aside from the long-running Law & Order franchise and The Good Wife. This one felt fresh and modern at the time and it had a cast of likable characters. Sadly, the viewership kept dwindling and instead of attempting to bolster views with stronger marketing, ABC canceled it.
Single Parents
An adorable sitcom focused on single parents and their kids, Single Parents really took off in the beginning because it marked the return of Leighton Meester to our television screens. The first season was particularly hilarious and all of the child actors were amazing.
Unfortunately, season 2 started to flanderize the characters and left the storylines people most wanted behind. Ratings dwindled and down came ABC's ax. Still, I think ABC gave up on this sitcom too early, it should have gotten a chance to bounce back in season 3.
Don't Trust the B**** in Apartment 23
Before becoming Jessica Jones in the Marvel Universe, Krysten Ritter was delighting us all as the leading "b****" in apartment 23. ABC did some weird manuevering with this series as it was initially a mid-season replacement and then the network split its first season and shoved six episodes into season 2, leaving the timeline and continuity of the series wonky.
The characters were incredibly well done, especially for a sitcom, and the series felt like it was ahead of its time. I think that if it aired a few years later it would have lasted much longer, but it's still a nice comfort sitcom to revisit from time to time.