Pushing Daisies: Why these cancelled TV shows should replace ‘Roseanne’
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock or enjoying a much-needed technology break during the past 24 hours, you will be aware that comedian Roseanne Barr has been lambasted after posting a sickening racist Tweet in which she likened former Barack Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett to an ape. She tweeted, “muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.” Amid the backlash, Roseanne apologized, claimed she was “leaving Twitter’, and has now bizarrely attempted to blame the whole thing on “Ambien Tweeting”. That excuse is just not going to cut it and it would appear ABC – the network airing the Roseanne reboot – agrees. According to Deadline, after a delay of a few hours following the online rant, the network’s Entertainment President Channing Dungey announced that the comedian’s statements were “abhorrent, repugnant, and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show.” We can only wonder why it’s only now ABC has hit the bottom-line bullet and cut the show from its slate – this isn’t the first time Barr’s posted abborrent messages on her feed. Regardless, the decision has been made, which now means the network has a gigantic hole in its 2018-2019 season Tuesday schedule. Amid the chaos, TV show veteran Bryan Fuller has piped up with a suggestion to ABC – replace the now-cancelled Roseanne with a resurrection of his much-loved yet short-lived quirky comedy Pushing Daisies. About a pie-maker (Lee Pace) who could resurrect the dead while solving murder mysteries with his childhood sweetheart (Anna Friel) and a dispirited private investigator (Chi McBride), the show was cut after just two seasons and has been called upon for a return ever since. While the suggestion was somewhat tongue-in-cheek, it got us thinking about all the other great shows that were cut too soon (ones that definitely did not involve actors spewing filth on their Twitter feeds) that ABC could perhaps consider bringing back from a dormant rest to fill that Tuesday night slot. So ABC, if you’re reading this – here are some of the best short-lived shows that were cut too soon, all of which we think would make great replacements for Roseanne.
The Conners: What Actually Replaced Roseanne
ABC moved quickly after the May 2018 cancellation. The network developed The Conners as a spinoff that kept the rest of the family intact and premiered it that fall in the Tuesday slot. Roseanne Barr stayed off the series, and the new show carried on without her. It gave ABC an immediate on-air solution while the original revival ideas floated elsewhere.
Pushing Daisies Revival Update
Bryan Fuller’s 2018 suggestion has stayed alive in the years since. In December 2025 interviews he confirmed a Season 3 pitch exists and the full cast remains interested in returning. The team is still shopping the project to find a network or streamer willing to bring the pie-maker, the dead, and the mysteries back to life.
Why Short-Lived Comedies Still Resonate in 2026
Happy Endings sits on every 2026 list of 2000s sitcoms that feel overdue for another round. Viewers keep rediscovering the Chicago-set ensemble on streaming, and the rapid-fire banter and tangled relationships still land. In a landscape heavy with reboots, the show’s short run makes it an obvious candidate for another look.
Fan and Cast Advocacy for Happy Endings
Casey Wilson and Adam Pally launched a rewatch podcast in May 2024 that keeps the series in circulation. A virtual cast reunion with new scripted material happened in 2020 for charity, and Sony has held ongoing revival talks. Wilson said in a May 2024 interview that plans are in the works even as contract details across studios remain the main hurdle.
Happy Endings (2011-2013)
Sadly it was not a happy ending for this Chicago-set sitcom that followed the intertwined lives of six young urbanites trying to learn the ropes of adulthood. Despite a ferociously funny cast featuring Eliza Coupe (Future Man), Elisha Cuthbert (House of Wax), Damon Wayans Jr. (Let’s Be Cops), Casey Wilson (Gone Girl), Zachary Knighton (The Hitcher), and Adam Pally (Dirty Grandpa) and some original, sweet, and witty writing behind it, ABC cut Happy Endings after three glorious seasons – leaving us with little to no closure – and we’re still pretty butthurt about it. Perhaps it’s time for a revisit, ABC? Revival discussions with Sony continue, and the May 2024 podcast from Wilson and Pally adds fresh momentum to the long-running fan campaign.
