Sitcoms have been a cornerstone of television throughout the medium's history, and there are countless reasons for their popularity. By putting relatable characters in hilarious situations, sitcoms provide an escape from the dramas in life, typically in short half-hour bursts.

While the desire for high-quality sitcoms has remained strong, streaming platforms have flooded the market, producing new original series on a regular basis. It's virtually impossible to catch up with every new TV series, and this competition can make it hard for sitcoms to compete for audience attention. While there have been many excellent sitcoms, too many get canceled way too soon.

Updated by Jordan Iacobucci on January 28, 2024: Not every sitcom gets the attention it deserves, especially when faced against other more popular series. Unfortunately, there is a long history of terrific comedy series that get canceled far sooner than they deserved but could have been true hits if given another chance.

25 Arrested Development Has A Cult Following

Arrested Development is a hilarious satire on the lives of upper-class families, following the Bluth family after its patriarch is put in prison for embezzlement. Forced to take over his father's business, Jason Bateman's Michael Bluth works to keep his untameable family together as it enters a new era. The series stars many notable actors and comedians, including Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Jessica Walter, Jeffrey Tambor, Tony Hale, David Cross, and more.

Although Arrested Development quickly proved itself to be one of the funniest shows on television, the series simply couldn't muster the ratings necessary to be renewed after its third season. Thankfully, Netflix eventually acquired the series and commissioned two additional seasons. However, audiences and critics agree that the show's revived seasons, which came years after its initial run, were never quite what they hoped.

24 Trial & Error Had Big Shoes To Fill

Trial & Error is a little-known NBC comedy following a New York defense lawyer who moves his practice to rural South Carolina, where he finds himself knee-deep in a complex and zany murder trial. The series is filmed in a mockumentary format and stars Nicholas D'Agost, Jayma Mays, John Lithgow, and Kristin Chenoweth.

Shows like The Office popularized the mockumentary format that Trail & Error followed, but the genre has slowly lost steam over the years. This legal comedy may have struggled from coming at the tail end of the mockumentary craze. Moreover, it was never going to live up to the heights of The Office or Parks and Recreation, drawing unfair comparisons that would eventually lead to its cancelation.

23 Ben And Kate Features Dakota Johnson At Her Finest

Ben and Kate is a little-known and highly underrated series featuring Dakota Johnson before her star-making turn in the infamous 50 Shades of Grey film franchise. The series follows the familial chaos that ensues when Kate Fox's brother Ben, played by Nat Faxon, moves in with her to help with her hectic home life.

Although Ben and Kate features a talented cast and a heartwarming story, the series didn't survive its freshman season and was quickly canceled by 20th Century Fox. Still, the sitcom stands out as a testament to Johnson's comedic chops early in her career.

22 The Grinder Was A Terrific Legal Comedy

The Grinder is a heightened take on workplace sitcoms and courtroom dramas where an out-of-touch actor decides that he wants to actually be a lawyer instead of just playing one on television. He joins his brother – an actual lawyer – at his law firm and there’s such entertaining odd couple energy between Rob Lowe and Fred Savage’s characters.

The Grinder also beautifully engages in self-aware meta-conversations on the nature of television through the use of the fictitious “Grinder” show-within-a-show. Smart storytelling and palpable cast chemistry still weren’t enough to excuse the new sitcom’s insubstantial ratings.

21 Stark Raving Mad Features Two Sitcom Icons

Stark Raving Mad focuses on an unkempt horror novelist who is meant to be a Stephen King surrogate and his tightly wound and timid editor. Tony Shalhoub and Neil Patrick Harris excel in these extreme roles and Stark Raving Mad feels different from other comedies from the early '00s.

NBC was experiencing growing pains during this period with its comedy lineup, so not only did Stark Raving Mad last just a season, but four episodes went unaired. Stark Raving Mad satisfied its small audience, but it's curious to consider if the show's success would have prevented Shalhoub and Harris from doing Monk and How I Met Your Mother, respectively.

20 My Name Is Earl Needed A Fifth Season

My Name is Earl follows Earl Hickey, a generally sour conman and thief who suddenly comes to realize that he is the cause of his life's biggest problems. Endeavoring to make a better life for himself, Earl makes a list of everything he's ever done wrong and vows to make it right. The series ran for four seasons and stars Jason Lee, Ethan Suplee, Jaime Pressly, Nadine Velazquez, and Eddie Steeples.

Although it enjoyed a respectable run over four years, My Name Is Earl was infamously canceled after leaving audiences on a major cliffhanger regarding Earl's family life. While this cliffhanger would have been resolved in the planned fifth season, NBC elected not to move forward with the series, leaving audiences to hope for a My Name Is Earl revival someday.

19 Sports Night Paled In Comparison To The West Wing

Aaron Sorkin is a prolific writer who’s created some formative television. Sports Night is Sorkin’s first series and, like many of his shows, applies a behind-the-scenes approach to a scrappy organization, which in this case is a cable sports show.

Sports Night was ahead of its time and probably shouldn’t have been on network television. ABC even added an awkward laugh track, which is extremely cumbersome with Sorkin’s flowing dialogue. Sorkin worked on season two of Sports Night in tandem with The West Wing’s first season and, when the former faltered, he was able to fully focus on his Presidential drama.

18 Action Deserved Better Than Its Swift Cancelation

Action is a dark satire of Hollywood and the film industry that aired on Fox for a season and became the network's first TV-MA-rated series. Action's "inside look" into Hollywood follows a failing producer who's eager for his next big shot and features many celebrity cameos and parodies of real-life industry figures.

Action’s smart satire gets in on this trend before Entourage and it debuted to rave critical reviews. Action’s status on Fox became the sitcom’s biggest hurdle and five of its 13 episodes didn't even air before its cancelation.

17 Great News Gained Popularity After Its Cancelation

Created by Tracey Wigfield and executive produced by the team behind the satirical comedy 30 Rock, Great News is a hilarious backstage look into a daily news program, "The Breakdown." Rising producer Katie Wendelson finally feels like she has a grasp on her job when she learns that their latest intern is her attention-stealing mother.

Briga Heelan and Andrea Martin are so believable as this agitated mother-and-daughter duo, but Great News does strong work with its whole cast of unconventional characters. Great News found a larger audience once episodes were made available to stream on Netflix, but brief discussions over a third Netflix-produced season never materialized to anything deeper.

16 Santa Clarita Diet Was Purged By Netflix

Santa Clarita Diet was a Netflix original series starring Timothy Olyphant and Drew Barrymore. The horror comedy follows Joel and Sheila Hammond, a couple who lead a regular life in California until Sheila suddenly begins showing signs of turning into a zombie. Forced to feed her growing appetite for human flesh, Joel and Sheila desperately try to keep her transformation a secret from their friends and neighbors.

Despite the show's favorable reviews, Netflix canceled Santa Clarita Diet after three seasons. A perfect blend of horror and comedy, Santa Clarita Diet had something for every viewer to enjoy, making it an utter travesty that the series was cut so short. It has become one of many series that Netflix has canceled, to the chagrin of its subscriber base, who object heavily to the show's abrupt ending.

15 Don't Trust the B---- In Apt. 23 Had Strong Comedic Leads

Don't Trust the B was an acerbic comedy starring pre-Jessica Jones Krysten Ritter as well as Dreama Walker. These two are complete opposites, but end up living together and forming an unlikely friendship. Dawson's Creek star James Van Der Beek is a delightful addition to this sitcom, playing an absurdly eccentric version of himself

Don't Trust the B took the odd couple roommate formula and twisted it into something fresh and clever. Unfortunately, the network aired some episodes of Season 1 of Don't Trust the B as part of season two without any thoughts toward continuity. This confusion contributed to ABC canceling the show following its second season, despite fan petitions.

14 Happy Endings Needs To Come Back

Happy Endings follows six dysfunctional best friends, making it a more diverse and zanier version of Friends. Despite this solid setup, ABC canceled Happy Endings after three seasons, much to the fandom's chagrin.

Since then, there have been multiple rumored revival attempts, but all have fallen short. In 2020, Happy Endings aired a special charity-event episode via YouTube titled "And the Pandemmy Goes To..." This episode even renewed the fervor around a reboot. Fans continue to rewatch Happy Endings via streaming networks for the comfort offered by these kooky characters and their easily digestible hijinks.

13 Single Parents Was A Great Family-Based Sitcom

Single Parents gave a fun and goofy insight into the world of single parenting, offering a fresh take on situational comedy. This is a radical accomplishment, especially considering how long the sitcom genre has been around. The series also tackled real-life hardships faced by single parents with sweet humor.

The cast of Single Parents was charming, and the child actors were hidden gems who meshed brilliantly with their adult counterparts, often stealing the show. This setup made the show fun for the whole family to tune into. Unfortunately, this charm and heart weren't enough to save Single Parents, and it ended after only two seasons.

12 Bad Judge Never Really Got A Chance

Bad Judge follows a complicated woman, Rebecca Wright, a tough judge by day and a reckless partier at night. The brilliant Kate Walsh brought this character to life in possibly her best role since starring as Addison Montgomery on Grey's Anatomy.

Bad Judge gave Walsh a chance to let her comedic side shine. The show's brilliant brand of humor often unfolded within the courthouse, a setting that sitcoms hadn't used since the classic Night Court. Even with its unique setup and stellar leading performance, NBC canceled Bad Judge only a month into its run, although it did air the entire 13-episode season.

11 The Unicorn Is Heartfelt And Hilarious

The most heart-wrenching experiences can make for the most heartfelt comedy, as evidenced by The Unicorn. This series features a recently widowed father navigating life a year after his wife's death. The story tracks both his life and friend group, including his late wife's best friend.

While The Unicorn focuses on his dating adventures, the show also finds a sweet spot in the often-overlooked humor that comes with life's most challenging moments. The Unicorn excels in its ability to tell a tragic, lovely story where people find beauty and comfort in each other. Despite this mix of heart and humor, CBS didn't renew the series after its second season.

10 Better Off Ted Was A Nearly Perfect Series

Much like other popular workplace sitcoms like The Office and Parks and Rec, Better Off Ted was a satirical sitcom surrounding a wild but lovable group of characters who regularly broke the fourth wall. With a great cast and witty humor, it's hard to imagine why this series didn't last.

Better Off Ted's creator, Victor Fresco, claims the show's failure came from a lack of name recognition. Like other creative and talent-rich TV programs, a series can be close to perfect and still get lost in the overwhelming amount of available content.

9 The Class Gave Way To One Of The Most Popular Sitcoms Ever

The premise for The Class was immensely creative. Eight people from the same 3rd-grade class come together 20 years later for their classmate Ethan's proposal to Joanne. However, Joanne dumps Ethan at the proposal party and sets the show's real story in motion.

The Class was chock-full of incredible talents such as Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Lizzy Caplan, Jon Bernthal, and Jason Ritter. Every episode featured clever humor, and the series looked ripe for success out of the gate, but CBS abruptly canceled the series after one season and slated a new title, a little sitcom called The Big Bang Theory, to replace it.

8 Bless This Mess Is Heightened HGTV

Bless This Mess told the story of a couple, played by Dax Shepard and Lake Bell, who moved from their NYC home to a farm in Nebraska. This fish-out-of-water comedy was light-hearted and well-written. Bless This Mess showed a consistent ability to make audiences laugh at the eccentric habits displayed by the supporting small-town characters.

Bless This Mess' take on the house-flipping trend showed that it was far more challenging than how HGTV makes the job look. Although the series started strong, it struggled due to production complications from the COVID-19 pandemic, and ABC canceled it in 2020 after two seasons.

7 The Mick Showcases Its Lead's Talent

The Mick finds Kaitlin Olson's titular character becoming the parental guardian for her wealthy niece and two nephews when the government arrests her sister and brother-in-law for fraud and tax evasion. Not only is Mick an unsuitable guardian, she's a complete disaster.

Like most sitcoms with a similar premise, Mick and the kids manage to survive together and learn some life lessons along the way. Fans of It's Always Sunny will find The Mick to be much tamer than Olson's other work, but seeing her flex her comedic and dramatic muscles as a character other than Sweet Dee was refreshing. As fun as the show was, Fox canceled it after two seasons.

6 GLOW Was Abruptly Canceled By Netflix

When GLOW premiered in 2017, Netflix was still on its way to becoming the streaming giant it is today. The show follows a group of women wrestlers in the 1980s and was one of the streamer's first big original hits. With sharp scripts and a stellar cast led by Alison Brie, Betty Gilpin, and Marc Maron, the series was quality from top to bottom.

GLOW — the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling — illustrates the struggles of '80s women, many of which are still relevant today. Like Orange Is the New Black, the series provided a memorable and emotionally poignant backstory for everyone involved, including background characters. COVID-related production complications led to Netflix canceling GLOW shortly after "renewing" it for a fourth season.