NCIS Hawaii fans take heart: 9 shows that were cancelled but came back

Publish date: 2024-05-29

Despite having a huge fanbase, NCIS Hawaii was cancelled in April 2024 after three seasons. While most of the time when a show is cancelled it means that production is done and dusted despite its fans' protestations, there are plenty of shows that have found a new lease on life, especially when the fans campaign for it to come back. From period dramas to comedies, here are the shows that came back after being cancelled…

Community

Set in a community college full of one absurd situation after another, fans loved the show and the friendships of the study group: Jeff, Annie, Abed, Troy, Britta, Shirley, and Pierce. After some issues with the show, including replacing the showrunner Dan Harmon in season four only to restore him in season five, NBC decided to cancel the comedy ahead of season six. However, the show got a new lease on life when Yahoo! Screen revived it to finish its six-season run.

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Not only did fans get a host of new episodes, but it has also been confirmed that Peacock is bringing out a feature film starring almost all of the original cast, including Joel McHale, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Jim Rash, and Ken Jeong. As Abed Nadir might say, "Six seasons and a movie!"

Brooklyn 99

Following its enduring popularity and the affection that fans have for this ragtag bunch of police officers and their hijinks at the 99 precinct, it is truly surprising that the show was cancelled by Fox after just five seasons. NBC came to the rescue, and the show enjoyed another three seasons until its finale in 2021.

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Sense8

The sci-fi show, following a group who discover that they have become intrinsically linked and able to access each other's emotions and skillsets, had a hugely passionate fanbase and was something of a cult hit. 

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However, largely due to the huge budget required to film across the globe, it was cancelled before its time by Netflix after just two seasons, with fans creating online petitions in attempts to reverse the unpopular decision. While we never did get another season, the show's creator Lana Wachowski confirmed that they had the green light to make a two-hour special tying up all of the loose ends and giving fans a satisfying ending.

Arrested Development

Despite having a cult following, this hit Jason Bateman series, following a once-rich family driven to live in a show home together after their father is accused of "light treason," was cancelled back in 2006 after just three seasons. 

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However, Netflix was the streaming platform to come to the rescue on this occasion and brought it back for another two seasons. There's always money in the banana stand?

Firefly

There were plenty of reasons resulting in untimely ending, including being given a bad time slot for ratings.

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The sci-fi Western show, which was cancelled before its first run had even finished on Fox, grew in popularity thanks to word of mouth and eventually won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2003 for Outstanding Special Visual Effects. Following the show's later success, creator Joss Whedon was able to produce a movie adaptation, , which tied up the show's loose ends.

Sanditon

ITV period drama , based on Jane Austen's unfinished novel, might have been a hit with fans, but the ratings simply weren't high enough for the British network to bring it back for a second series. However, fans of the show rallied to the cause and brought the show back for another two years with assistance from Masterpiece (PBS) in the US.

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It has been confirmed that the show has reached its conclusion, with writer Justin Young telling Digital Spy: "Let me emphasise [season 4 is] never going to happen. Throughout the whole process, there were a lot of notes for a long time about making sure you leave some strands open and make sure you don't close everything off for season 4.

"After we finished writing season 3, we thought actually, 'No, this is it.' We were done. And I'm glad of that."

Manifest

Netflix came to the rescue once again when NBC cancelled this supernatural mystery drama following a group of passengers who go missing for years after boarding a plane and return with no time having passed. 

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The show, which initially ended after three seasons, was instantly a big hit on the streaming platform and returned for a fourth and final season in 2022-2023, which just goes to show that sometimes a show needs to be on the right platform to make a big splash!

Lucifer

Remember when Netflix would just save shows instead of cancelling them? Well, none were quite as celebrated as when the streaming giant picked up the beloved show after Fox cancelled it following season three in 2018. 

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The show follows Lucifer as a fallen angel who leaves Hell for a holiday in Los Angeles, where he solves crimes with a detective. There was a huge campaign with the hashtag '#SaveLucifer' as well as an online petition. In a nod to the campaign that led to Netflix saving the day, an episode of season four was titled "Save Lucifer."

Designated Survivor

Designated SurvivorAfter an explosion kills the President and everyone in the line of succession, the Secretary of Housing Thomas Kirkman must pick up the mantle as the "designated survivor." Finding himself as the leader of the free world, he has to face all of the challenges that come with the unprecedented situation. ABC cancelled the show after two seasons, while Netflix brought it back for a third and final season.

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