The horror genre may have been most successful in the sphere of movies, but there have been many great horror stories that have unfolded on the small screen, too. While the best horror TV shows are typically given plenty of time to run their course and tell their story over multiple seasons, this isn’t always the case. Even though the nature of TV makes long-form storytelling the ultimate goal, various factors also come into play when it comes to making a show truly successful. When issues arise, whether financially or regarding ratings, TV shows are often axed unceremoniously rather than given time to continue their narrative, no matter how great it might be.
However, this often leads to shows being unfairly overlooked and underrated. Many have huge potential to continue their narrative in a way that makes the experience even more frightening for viewers, but premature cancellation cuts their runs criminally short. When this happens, it’s incredibly frustrating for fans, especially those who have become invested in a show’s wider story ahead of it being canceled..
1) The Midnight Club
Though The Midnight Club might not be the best of Mike Flanagan’s TV shows and movies, it proved unique among his Netflix projects due to the nature of its story. The Midnight Club follows a group of terminally ill young adults living in a hospice who meet late at night to share scary stories. This lent it an air of an anthology series, with each episode offering up smaller stories, many of which were not connected to any other narrative within the show, though The Midnight Club also followed the lives and deaths of its core cast of characters.
The Midnight Club was canceled by Netflix after just one season comprised of 10 episodes. Initially planned as a two-season limited series, the show was never given a chance to resolve the unsolved plot points that were teased in the first season finale. The Midnight Club‘s use of characters engaging in storytelling within its narrative was novel, and gave the show a chance to tap into a wider range of genres. The fact that its story was left unfinished seems especially unfair, particularly as its second season would have had answers to multiple unresolved questions.
2) Archive 81
Netflix’s Archive 81, based on the podcast of the same name, used an innovative approach to the found footage genre that helped it to stand apart from its contemporaries, as well grip audiences around the world. It follows Dan, a man hired by a mysterious corporation to examine and restore a set of mini-cassette tapes damaged in a fire in the 1990s. The tapes were made by Melody, a documentary filmmaker who was investigating the building which she believed was connected to her mother’s death. Archive 81‘s story was told partly through Dan’s present-day experiences and partly through Melody’s footage.
Netflix opted not to make a second season of the show, however, and Archive 81 ended after just eight episodes. In that time, it had earned a considerable audience, hooking them in with a shocking cliffhanger ending that saw Dan transported into the past. Despite the massive potential of the show, Netflix’s decision to cancel it prematurely has seen it become an underrated and tragically unfinished piece of horror TV history.
3) 1899
Classifying 1899 as a simple horror series is unreasonably simplistic, as it combines elements of sci-fi, gothic, paranormal, and psychological horror into its story. Its narrative concerns the missing passengers of the abandoned ship Prometheus, and the passenger ship the Kerberos, which also becomes lost at sea. Its mind-bending narrative conjured many mysterious twists and turns that made it a gripping and complex series packed with elements of existential horror.
The German-language show earned impressive viewership figures and positive reviews, but this wasn’t enough for Netflix, who canceled it after a single eight-episode season. It’s another example of a Netflix series axed on a cliffhanger ending, which teased many interesting developments for the second season’s story. 1899‘s atmospheric horror and mysteriously mind-bending narrative made it a darkly terrifying TV show, though its unfair cancelation has since rendered it little more than an underrated gem.
4) Harper’s Island
Harper’s Island is a show that passed quickly into obscurity after its initial run ended. Set on the island of the same name, the mystery-horror show followed Abby, who returns as an adult to her childhood home following a spate of murders during her childhood, only for the killing to begin again. Its story explored not just the murders occurring on the island, but the historical crimes that shaped Abby’s life, including the murder of her own mother at the hands of the island’s most notorious criminal.
After airing for one season in 2009, Harper’s Island was canceled due to relatively low ratings. However, it has since become something of a cult classic, with many considering it ahead of its time, especially as it was intended to continue as an anthology series, much as American Horror Story later capitalized on. Harper’s Island‘s central mystery and horror themes made it hair-raising viewing, making its premature cancelation seem especially unfair.
5) Hannibal
Based on the iconic horror character Hannibal Lecter, Hannibal is a show that has earned considerable attention since its inception. Starring Mads Mikkelsen as Lecter, Hannibal adapted elements of Thomas Harris’ novels Red Dragon, Hannibal, and Hannibal Rising with a particular focus on the relationship between Lecter and FBI special investigator Will Graham. Airing for 39 episodes over three seasons, Hannibal was a hit with critics and viewers alike.
Hannibal‘s cancelation was incredibly contentious, as it is considered one of the greatest horror TV shows of the genre. What’s worse, it ended on an incredibly frustrating cliffhanger – quite literally – leaving a major plot point entirely unresolved. Despite being hugely popular both at the time of its airing and in the years since, Hannibal remains one of the most notable examples of a horror TV show that was unfairly canceled ahead of its time.
6) Kingdom
South Korean horror TV series Kingdom made use of a fascinating premise: set in 17th century Asia, it follows the mystical resurrection of a recently deceased king which has the unfortunate side effect of unleashing a zombie horde. Kingdom‘s historical setting, zombie focus, and political undertones all combined to earn it massive praise from critics. Though it can hardly be considered Netflix’s most successful show, it does boast a loyal following who were hooked by its high-concept zombie horror.
Kingdom‘s cancelation was not as painful as many others, simply because Netflix have never officially announced its end. However, after two seasons and a feature-length special, there has been no news on a continuation of Kingdom for four years since its last release. This has caused many to lose hope that the underrated horror gem will continue, with the general assumption being that Netflix opted for a soft cancelation.
7) Chucky
Chucky may not be the most iconic villain in the horror genre, but he’s certainly up there with the best. After having appeared in multiple movies, the Child’s Play franchise branched out, with the TV show Chucky first airing in 2021. Conceived as a sequel to Cult of Chucky, the seventh movie in the franchise, Chucky run for three seasons and a total of 24 episodes before being canceled in 2024.
Considering the consistent popularity of both the franchise and the character, Chucky‘s cancelation seems unfair. Furthermore, the show had earned generally positive reviews throughout its run, earning a loyal viewership in the process. Its cancelation left many plot threads unresolved, with many bemoaning the loss of the best entry into the franchise for years. Chucky‘s treatment by the network has undoubtedly earned it the status of an underrated horror TV show, and its cancelation is still a sore subject for many fans.
8) Angel
As a spin-off to one of the most beloved horror TV shows in modern history, Angel was always in a difficult position. On the one hand, it would always exist in the shadow of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, while also being held to a higher standard than many of its contemporaries. Regardless, Angel was able to hold its own, running for five seasons before being unceremoniously and controversially axed.
As it is commonly considered one of the greatest TV spin-offs of all time, there’s hardly an argument that Angel is an underrated horror TV show. However, the unfair nature of its cancelation, which reportedly stemmed from miscommunication and behind-the-scenes dramas, leaves a decidedly sour taste for many. The nature of its ending, as well as its unresolved cliffhanger, have certainly established it as a show canceled before its time.
9) Lovecraft Country
Lovecraft Country is undoubtedly an underrated horror TV show, if only because it was never given the chance to gain any real momentum. Following a young Black man named Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors) as he travels across 1950s America in search of his father, Lovecraft Country explored both the racial tensions of the era alongside various elements of supernatural horror. The show ran for just one 10-episode season in 2020 before being canceled by HBO.
The show’s premise, which involved its characters uncovering the secrets of the town upon which H.P. Lovecraft supposedly based his stories, allowed for some excellent and memorable horror. However, just as the show was beginning to hit its stride, it was axed, leaving it largely unable to live up to its potential. With a great cast and an a fascinating supernatural premise, Lovecraft Country has become an incredibly underrated piece of horror TV history.
10) Ash Vs Evil Dead
Despite being an iconic part of the horror genre’s history, the Evil Dead franchise has struggled in comparison to many other successful horror franchises. Conceived by Sam Raimi, Evil Dead‘s lasting popularity stems in part from the charismatic performance of Bruce Campbell, who returned to the role for the TV show, Ash vs Evil Dead. The show ran for three seasons before being canceled.
Ash vs Evil Dead was able to recapture the spirit of the franchise, injecting a healthy dose of comedy into its horror-focused premise. Its cancelation was incredibly upsetting to fans, who campaigned for its continutation. Though this later bore fruit in the form of an announced animated revival, the show itself remains one of the most massively underrated horror shows in the genre’s history.
The post 10 Underrated Horror TV Shows That Should Never Have Been Canceled appeared first on ComicBook.com.
