Bye bye ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’: 2018’s network TV cancellations
Network TV in 2018 delivered a familiar spring ritual of cancellations, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine sat at the center of the conversation when Fox cut the series after five seasons. The news felt abrupt because the show had built a devoted audience and a sharp ensemble that made the precinct feel lived-in. The list that follows tracks the other broadcast casualties from that season, each with its original run length and the basic premise that defined it at the time. A few of these entries have since gained extra chapters through revivals or spin-offs, while others closed their doors for good.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox)
Five seasons on Fox, three more on NBC, finale in 2021
The Fox cancellation in May 2018 looked final until NBC stepped in and ordered additional seasons. The move kept Jake Peralta and the squad intact for three more years, giving the series a total of eight seasons before it wrapped on a note that satisfied most fans. The revival also turned Brooklyn Nine-Nine into a textbook case for how quick fan campaigns and cast loyalty can shift network math.
The Last Man on Earth (Fox)
Four seasons
Fox’s comedy about the last man standing (Will Forte) in a post-apocalyptic world has ironically met its end after a four season run.
Law & Order: True Crime (NBC)
One season
Rene Balcer’s crime drama centers on the Menendez brothers who were tried on national TV for brutally killing their parents in Beverly Hills. The first edition delved into the players, the crime, and the media circus, detailing the day-to-day battles of the trial and unveiling the shocking truth of what really went down when the cameras stopped rolling. No second season for this show, but it’s definitely not the end of the Law & Order franchise.
Life Sentence (The CW)
One season
Looks like it’s the death sentence for Erin Cardillo & Richard Keith’s (Significant Mother) dramedy – the show about a woman named Stella who, after finding out her terminal cancer is cured, must learn to live with all the choices she made when deciding to live like she was dying. Yikes!
Living Biblically (CBS)
One season
We knew things weren’t looking great for the adaptation of A.J. Jacobs’s novel in which a man tries to live in accordance with the Bible’s teachings as closely as possible. Where’s your God now!?
The Mayor (ABC)
One season
It’s a good premise – a struggling hip-hop artist runs for mayor to promote his mixtape and ends up winning the election (which in this day and age, isn’t completely out of the realms of possibility). Unfortunately it failed to win over audiences and the show has been cancelled after just one season.
Me, Myself and I (CBS)
One season
Me, Myself and I (CBS) tracked one man across three eras of his life. The single season never found a large enough audience to justify continuing the time-jump structure, so the project ended where it began.
The Mick (Fox)
Two seasons
The Mick (Fox) followed a broke aunt suddenly responsible for her wealthy sister’s spoiled children. The series was cut after two seasons even though early renewal chatter had suggested a third chapter might happen.
The Middle (ABC)
Nine seasons
We already knew The Middle was coming to its end, but it had a good nine-season run. Say your farewells, folks!
Once Upon a Time (ABC)
Seven seasons
Once Upon a Time (ABC) closed its run with a two-hour finale. No active reboot is in production, though some cast members have voiced mixed openness to revisiting the universe in the future.
The Originals (The CW)
Five seasons
Prepare to say goodbye to the Mikaelson family, because The CW’s fantasy-horror series is flying off into the night after a five season run. Direct spin-off Legacies continued the larger Vampire Diaries world for four additional seasons before ending in 2022.
New Girl (Fox)
Seven seasons
We’re kinda relieved the quirky, ukulele-playing antics of Zooey Deschanel (500 Days of Summer) are coming to an end with the season seven finale hitting next week. We’d had enough of New Girl after the first ever episode. Jake Johnson has since teased possible reunion interest, though nothing is confirmed.
Scandal (ABC)
Seven seasons
We’ve made our peace with it, but it still hurts – ABC’s political drama officially scandaled its last scandal, wrapping up the seven season run with a series finale last month. Shonda Rhimes went on to major success with other series after the show concluded.
Shades of Blue (NBC)
Three seasons
Jennifer Lopez’s cop drama Shades of Blue will return to NBC for its final run of 10 episodes in June.
Ten Days in the Valley (ABC)
One season
Ten Days in the Valley (ABC) centered on an overworked producer whose daughter disappears, blurring the line between her show and her life. The series did not return for a second season.
Valor (The CW)
One season
Creator Kyle Jarrow’s (Lost Generation) military drama revolves around an army base that houses an elite unit of helicopter pilots trained to perform clandestine international and domestic missions. Give your finest salute, because the show has been cut after just one season.
Wayward Pines (Fox)
Two seasons
Wayward Pines (Fox) ended after its second season, closing out the M. Night Shyamalan-created mystery without further episodes.
Wisdom of the Crowd (CBS)
One season
The drama show based on the Israeli series of the same name by Shira Hadad & Dror Mishani has not proved a favorite with audiences and has been cancelled after just one season.
The X-Files (Fox)
Eleven seasons
For the second time, Mulder & Scully’s investigations into the strange and unexplained have come to an end. However, as history shows, another revival a few years down the line isn’t totally beyond the realms of possibility. A new reboot pilot directed by Ryan Coogler is currently in production for Hulu as of May 2026.
Legacy and Cultural Impact
Brooklyn Nine-Nine gained renewed popularity in the streaming era and inspired fan campaigns that influenced network decisions. Several canceled shows like The Originals spawned successful spin-offs that extended their universes well beyond the original cancellation announcements. The 2018 list therefore functions as both a snapshot of that spring and a record of which series later proved more resilient than their network exits suggested.
Where the Casts Are Now
Andy Samberg continued voice work and film roles post-B99 while maintaining steady voice and producing credits. Jake Johnson and other New Girl cast have discussed reunion interest in recent years, though no project has moved past the conversation stage. Many of the other performers from these canceled series moved into new network and streaming projects, some of which echoed the tone or format of the shows they left behind.
Streaming Availability in 2026
Many 2018 cancellations are now widely available on major platforms. Revived seasons of Brooklyn Nine-Nine expanded its catalog presence, allowing new viewers to watch the full eight-season arc without hunting down physical media. Most of the shorter-lived series from the list sit on the same services, giving the original cancellation story a second life through easy access.
2018 Cancellations vs. 2026 Trends
Procedural and comedy cancellations remain common in 2026, yet revival culture has grown since the Brooklyn Nine-Nine fan campaign. Networks now watch social metrics and streaming numbers more closely before pulling the plug, and some titles receive second chances that would have been unlikely eight years ago. The 2018 list still reads as a useful benchmark for how quickly fortunes can shift once a show leaves the schedule.
