List of television series canceled after one episode

While the cancellation of a television program after only one season, or even during it, is a common occurrence in the business of network television programming, the following is a list of programs of a rare yet similar occurrence. On these occasions, a television series was removed from a broadcast schedule and production canceled after a single episode or single day of broadcasting—owing to a combination of extremely negative reviews, very poor ratings, radical/controversial content, or circumstances beyond the network's control.

Note that this list excludes backdoor pilots (pilots which are shot in such a way that they can be aired either as a TV movie or as a regular episode of another series), or pilots that were aired but not picked up by a network.

This is an international list and should not be exclusive to American series and may contain a few examples of shows that, while successful in one country, were canceled quickly elsewhere.

Canceled before the first episode finished airing

Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos

1992 series spun off from Australia's Funniest Home Video Show, hosted by Doug Mulray. This show was actually canceled during its first episode when then-Nine Network owner Kerry Packer called the station and personally ordered them to "get that shit off the air." After a commercial break, the network cut to a rerun of Cheers citing technical difficulties. It was shown in a repackaged version on August 28, 2008. There is some difference of opinion as to whether this was intended as a special or as an actual series.

Turn-On

1969 variety comedy show on ABC. It's considered one of the most notorious flops in television history; a racier derivative of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, alarmed broadcast officials and sponsors immediately perceived the show as offensive. Some local markets canceled the show midway through the broadcast. After the first episode completed its airing in the eastern U.S., but before its scheduled presentation to audiences in Pacific Coast states, ABC canceled it nationwide.

Canceled after one episode

Co-Ed Fever

1979 sitcom that aired on CBS that attempted to imitate the then successful National Lampoon's Animal House. The pilot was aired as a "special preview" of the upcoming season on February 4, but the series was canceled shortly thereafter. Five completed episodes remain unaired in the United States but were shown in Canada on BCTV in a late afternoon weekend timeslot.

Comedians Unleashed

Animal Planet's attempt in 2002 to mimic Comedy Central's stand up comedy shows but with animal-themed jokes. The episode was rerun a few times before being removed from the programming lineup. This is not to be confused with the 2006 syndicated series Comics Unleashed hosted by Byron Allen.

The Debbie King Show

A 2007 quiz show on ITV Play with Debbie King; it finished at 12:30 a.m., a few hours before the station's suspension, and was never restored during the station's limited service or since the station shut down eight days later.

Dot Comedy

A 2000 American series that appeared on ABC featuring humorous material from the internet.

Emily's Reasons Why Not

A 2006 comedy show on ABC starring Heather Graham as a single career woman, unlucky in love, who employs a list-making system to help her determine when it's time to give up and move on. The series was canceled the day after broadcast by ABC programming chief Steve McPherson when he decided that it was "not going to get better and we needed a quick change." It was reported that ABC executives committed to the show without seeing its pilot.

Heil Honey I'm Home!

A 1990 British comedy that spoofed American sitcoms of the 1950s and ‘60s by featuring caricatures of Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun who live in matrimonial bliss until they become neighbors to a Jewish couple.

Lawless

1997 Fox action series starring former American football star Brian Bosworth as a private investigator.

The Melting Pot

1975 BBC sitcom written by Spike Milligan, who also starred as 'Mr. Van Gogh' a Pakistani illegal immigrant in London. The first episode was shown on BBC1 on June 11, 1975, but the remaining five have never been seen.

Public Morals

1996 Steven Bochco-produced sitcom about a vice squad unit of the New York City Police Department that aired on CBS. The cast included Bill Brochtrup, reprising the role of John Irvin, a recurring character on another Bochco series, NYPD Blue. The show's pilot had been scheduled to air, but several affiliates refused to show it. CBS aired another episode that turned out to be the only one that was aired out of the thirteen episodes that were produced. Brochtrup's character returned to NYPD Blue, becoming a regular.

Quarterlife

Broadcast version of the popular MySpace series that aired on NBC. The series was moved to NBC Universal sibling channel Bravo after the dismal reception of the premiere episode on Tuesday, February 26, 2008, where the remaining episodes were aired.

The Rich List (U.S. version)

2006 game show by the British producers of The Weakest Link and Dog Eat Dog. It was heavily promoted on Fox during the World Series. The Rich List was axed two days after the broadcast of the premiere episode.

Secret Talents of the Stars

2008 reality talent show on CBS where celebrities competed by participating in talents that differed from their profession. CBS pulled the show after extremely low ratings in its first airing.

South of Sunset

1993 private detective show on CBS starring Glenn Frey of rock band The Eagles. The remaining five episodes eventually aired on the VH1 cable network a year later.

Who's Whose?

Game show hosted by Phil Baker that aired on CBS on June 25, 1951. Three celebrity panelists (Robin Chandler, Basil Davenport, and Art Ford) tried to determine which of three male contestants was married to which of three female contestants. This show was brought to the air on short notice to replace The Goldbergs, which was dropped when its creator Gertrude Berg refused to fire the blacklisted actor Philip Loeb. There is some difference of opinion among published sources as to whether this show should be classified as a series or a pilot. (TV historian Vincent Terrace does list it in his book, Experimental Television, Test Films, Pilots and Trial Series.)

The Will

2005 reality TV show on CBS in which family members and friends competed to be named the beneficiary of a will. The series eventually aired in its entirety on Fox Reality Channel.

Canceled after two episodes, seen back-to-back on premiere night

While the following broadcast series do not technically belong in the above list because they were canceled after the airing of their second episode, they are noted because the two episodes were aired in back-to-back fashion, without repeats, on the same evening and before cancellation.

Anchorwoman

2007 comedy/reality series about Lauren Jones, a model who became a television news anchor. The show was canceled by FOX on August 23, 2007, just one day following its August 22 premiere, due to a disappointing 2.0 Fast National rating. However, its premiere was one-hour, consisting of two 30-minute episodes.

Beware of Dog

2002 sitcom on Animal Planet; two episodes presented back-to-back on August 13, 2002 for the only appearance of the series on U.S. television. The show featured Look Who's Talking-style observations (voiced by Park Bench) by a stray dog named Jack who was adopted by a suburban family.

The Bussey Bunch

2008 reality show on TLC about the Busseys, a family that promotes a local professional wrestling federation in Texas. This series was pulled following its premiere showing.

Special cases

Due to more complex situations, such as shows canceled independently in separate countries, the following programs can be said to have been canceled after one episode under a special set of circumstances only.

Rosie Live

November 2008 variety show hosted and produced by Rosie O'Donnell that had been tentatively cleared for a January 2009 time slot on NBC. Poor ratings and universally negative reviews led to its cancellation; it is sometimes not considered an episode, but rather a special.

Viva Laughlin

2007 musical comedy-drama that takes place at a casino in Laughlin, Nevada based on the BBC series Blackpool. While originating network CBS canceled the Hugh Jackman-produced series after two episodes had aired, Australia's Nine Network canceled Viva Laughlin just one day after its first episode aired on Nine. Though CBS's airing of a second episode makes the show's status as one canceled after a single episode disputed, it is worth noting that the second episode was shown in a special airing just three days after the first, with its cancellation coming the next day.

Who's Your Daddy?

A 2005 reality series on Fox that involved an adopted woman trying to pick her biological father out of a group of impostors. The show attracted protest from adoptive families and adoption-rights groups before airing. This episode aired as a "special", not a "series premiere". As a result, the series can be said to have been canceled before airing an episode .

You're in the Picture

1961 game show that aired on CBS starring Jackie Gleason; it is notable in part for Gleason going on the air the next week and saying of the show: "this would make the H-Bomb look like a two-inch salute." Technically the series wasn't canceled, but rather Gleason renamed it The Jackie Gleason Show and it became a talk show for the remainder of its limited run. Since the series substantially changed format as well as its title after one episode, it is usually referenced as having lasted a single episode, with the later talk show being considered a separate series.

Placed on hiatus after one episode

The following series are sometimes included on lists of shows canceled after one episode, but strictly speaking do not belong there. The following series were placed on hiatus after a single episode aired, but were later brought back by the originating networks, and aired their remaining episodes on the originating networks some months later (usually during a non-ratings period).

The Great Defender

A 1995 legal drama on Fox starring Michael Rispoli as a My Cousin Vinny type lawyer; the premiere aired opposite 60 Minutes and received dismal ratings, so the series was promptly placed on hiatus. Fox aired the remaining episodes in the summer.

The Master

2006 Australian quiz show hosted by Mark Beretta on the Seven Network that was axed after the premiere received low ratings. Remaining episodes which had already been filmed were aired during non-ratings later in the year.

Melba

A 1986 CBS sitcom starring Melba Moore as a single mother who runs a New York information bureau; the series premiered on January 28, the day the space shuttle Challenger exploded. CBS aired the remaining episodes in the summer before canceling it.

See also

• Mass media
• Television program
• List of television series canceled before airing an episode
• List of longest running U.S. television series
• List of longest running U.S. cable television series
• List of longest running U.K. television series