We're mourning so many great shows that ended this year
Some of the most popular TV shows of the last decade came to an end in 2020, including The CW's Arrow and Supernatural, CBS's Criminal Minds, ABC's Modern Family, Starz's Power, and many more fan favorites that will be mourned long after the year comes to a close.
Click through to find out all the shows that ended this year, whether due to surprise cancellations or carefully planned conclusions.
The Brazilian dystopian series came to an end with Season 4, which premiered on Netflix on Aug. 14.
13 Reasons Why, a dark and twisty teen drama, started off as a show about suicide and bullying and eventually became something more mysterious, with plenty of messages for viewers. The show's fourth and final season debuted on June 5 on Netflix.
After one season, Paramount Network opted not to renew 68 Whiskey. The dramedy followed the lives of U.S. Army medics stationed at a multinational forward operating base in Afghanistan.
After an impressive seven-season run full of spaceships, missiles, and even body-snatchers, The 100 aired its series finale in September.
The adorable YA Netflix series came to a close in 2020 after Alexa (Paris Berelc) and Katie (Isabel May) graduated high school and went on their separate paths to college -- Alexa heading to UNC and Katie taking a chance to go to NYU and pursue her dreams as an actress.
After one season, this controversial ABC drama came to an end. Almost Family starred Timothy Hutton, Brittany Snow, and Emily Osment, and followed the unlikely family that formed after a fertility doctor revealed he secretly used his own sperm to conceive dozens of children with his patients without their consent.
To the surprise of many fans, Netflix decided to cancel this sci-fi series after just two seasons.
The third and final season of the Canadian-made Netflix series based on the classic children's novel Anne of Green Gables dropped on Jan. 3.
Arrow's Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) has not only been the complicated good guy TV needed, but the one we wanted for eight seasons. The superhero series changed the shape of The CW when it first debuted and has left an entire Arrowverse full of favorites in its wake.
Ashley Garcia: Genius in Love, starring Paulina Chávez as "the world's only 15-and-a-half-year-old robotics genius engineer and rocket scientist," was canceled by Netflix after its first season, which was released in two parts in February and July. But there's some good news: The show will get a standalone Christmas special in December, so fans will get one more chance to say goodbye to Ashley Garcia.
ABC decided not to give a second season to this romantic comedy series, which centered on a blue-collar worker striking up a romance with an international superstar.
The Big Show Show, a family sitcom that starred WWE wrestler Big Show as a father outnumbered by his three daughters, was canceled by Netflix after one season, which premiered in April.
After two seasons, ABC decided to say goodbye to this comedy series starring Dax Shepard and Lake Bell.
Blindspot started off as a mystery-drama in the vein of The Bourne Identity, with audiences meeting Jane Doe (Jaimie Alexander) as an inked-up amnesiac who slowly discovers that the clues to her past are tattooed all over her body. Over the next five seasons, things got very dark for the series' leading lady before the show came to a close in July.
BoJack Horseman finished up the second half of its sixth and final season on Jan. 31. This meant everyone's favorite sitcom horse (Will Arnett) had one more shot to better himself before saying goodbye to his adoring audience.
Based on Ross Thomas' novel of the same name, this mystery drama starring Rosario Dawson was canceled after its first season.
Star Hank Azaria delivered a pitch-perfect but underrated performance as a foul-mouthed baseball announcer named Jim Brockmire on IFC's Brockmire for four seasons before the show ended in May 2020.
CBS decided not to go for broke with its new Pauley Perrette series. The show was canceled after a single season.
The Spanish drama series about phone operators in the late '20s and '30s ended in June 2020 after a beautiful four-season run.
Fans of Patricia Heaton were probably pretty disappointed that her latest sitcom wouldn't get a second act. Carol's Second Act was canceled by CBS after a single season.
The Stephen King anthology series went big in Season 2 with Lizzy Caplan playing Annie Wilkes, but in late 2020, Hulu announced it would not continue with Castle Rock.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina won't continue past its fourth season, which arrives on Netflix on the last day of 2020.
Some big names in comedy, including Aparna Nancherla and Sasheer Zamata, starred in this Comedy Central series. The show's third and final season ended in August.
NBC's family drama tried to replicate the emotional success of This Is Us, but failed to grab an audience, even after taking over the coveted This Is Us time slot.
For 15 fascinating seasons, Criminal Minds unpacked creepy and crazy cases from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit. And even though the long-running show has aired its final episode, it will likely live on in syndication forever.
The third and final season of Netflix's time-bending thriller series Dark was released on June 27.
This police drama was pulled off the road to Season 2 by Fox in April. Deputy starred Stephen Dorff as a loose-cannon officer who, due to antiquated rules of succession, became the county sheriff after his predecessor died.
For three seasons Princess Elena defended her kingdom from evil sorcerers. Her magical journey came to an end with a primetime special in Aug. 23.
Despite an exciting first season, ABC decided not to renew its freshman sci-fi drama Emergence, which starred Allison Tolman and Alexa Swinton.
Empire gave fans a glimpse into the music industry and the insane world within the Lyons' pride. But after the sixth and final season wrapped, we're going to miss Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) the most. (Note: There's a chance that fans might still get one more episode of Empire, since production on the series was impacted by coronavirus, and the intended series finale could not be completed.)
Filthy Rich was originally supposed to premiere in the spring, but the COVID-19 pandemic pushed it to Fox's fall schedule. But the Kim Cattrall soapy comedy was unable to find an audience and said goodbye after one season.
Fresh Off the Boat, the family sitcom based on chef Eddie Huang's best-selling memoir of the same name, delivered six humorous and heartwarming seasons about an immigrant family in the '90s before coming to an end in February.
The Netflix favorite Fuller House — about widow D.J. Tanner-Fuller (Candace Cameron Bure), her sister Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin), and her best friend Kimmy (Andrea Barber) — ended in June with a triple wedding.
Josh Hutcherson and Eliza Coupe starred in this Hulu time-travel series that ended in April.
The God Squad had something to cry about after CBS unexpectedly said goodbye to God Friended Me, a wholesome feel-good series, after just two seasons, meaning that its two-hour Season 2 finale was also its series finale.
After four fabulous seasons, The Good Place came to an end on NBC. The finale was jumbo-sized, much like the shrimp that Eleanor (Kristen Bell) loves.
Netflix canceled the tween drama Greenhouse Academy after three seasons. The series centered on students at an elite boarding school who uncovered an evil plot.
Hawaii Five-0 was another long-lived procedural that came to an end in 2020. After 10 seasons, the CBS favorite ended in April.
One of the last shows to premiere from Jeph Loeb's tenure at Marvel TV, Hulu's dark Marvel series about the Helstrom siblings -- titled Helstrom -- only lasted one season on the streamer before being officially canceled in December 2020.
Despite its critically acclaimed debut, High Fidelity was canceled on Hulu after just one season. Starring Zoe Kravitz as a modern-day Rob, the romantic drama twisted John Cusack's nice guy narrative into a compelling look at a woman who doesn't know if she deserves happiness.
Homeland's Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) was a character fans aren't likely to forget, even after the highly decorated show came to a rather quiet end on Showtime this year.
After six seasons of illegal misdeeds, ABC's How To Get Away with Murder still managed to shock us right until the end, when the series finale aired in May.
The YA superhero series was originally picked up for a second season, but scheduling issues created by the COVID-19 pandemic forced Netflix's hand, and the series was canceled.
NBC pulled the plug on Indebted after one season. The comedy series starred The Nanny favorite Fran Drescher as an overbearing mother who, along with her husband, moves in with their son and his wife due to financial trouble.
The CW decided to cancel its Riverdale spin-off Katy Keene after just one season.
Jim Carrey reunited with his Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind collaborator and directer, Michel Gondry, to bring Dave Holstein's whimsically melancholy grief tale, Kidding, to life. The show, which was canceled after two seasons, was both an absurd comedy and a poignant commentary on loss, forgiveness, and finding hope.
This delightful Netflix animated series made TV Guide's Best 100 Shows on TV Right Now list for its optimism and incredible animation, right up until the final credits rolled. It's hard to believe that all three seasons were released in 2020: in January, June, and October.
After making the jump from Spectrum to Fox, the Bad Boys spin-off never gained the traction it needed to become a prime-time success. The show aired its final episode in September 2020.
The crime procedural, based on the Jeffrey Deaver novel series and adapted from The Bone Collector film starring Denzel Washington, was a one-and-done series at NBC after it was canceled in June 2020.
Even the star power of Friends alum Matt LeBlanc couldn't save this show from the chopping block. The comedy was canceled by CBS after four seasons.
Kudos to Clark Gregg and the cast of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. for taking a sort-of movie spin-off and turning it into seven seasons of superhero fun. The series finale aired in August.
For 11 seasons, the Pritchett family, in its various incarnations and branches, entertained us and made us appreciate our own familial dysfunction. Modern Family officially bowed out in May, but not before making us laugh -- and cry -- a few more times.
Like Filthy Rich, Next was originally slated for a spring premiere but was moved to the fall in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even a cushy fall premiere slot couldn't save this artificial intelligence drama from an early demise.
Horror series NOS4A2 was canceled by AMC after two seasons. The show, based on Joe Hill's novel of the same name, followed young artist Victoria "Vic" McQueen (Ashleigh Cummings), who had the supernatural ability to track the seemingly immortal Charlie Manx (Zachary Quinto).
One Day at a Time was miraculously saved from its Netflix cancellation by Pop TV in 2019, but in late 2020, Pop's parent company, ViacomCBS, pulled the plug on the Latinx family comedy after an incomplete fourth season. The show was one of many that had to shut down production in the middle of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sony Studios, which makes the show, is reportedly shopping the show elsewhere in hopes of finding the delightful comedy a third home.
Fox decided not to renew its freshman family comedy series Outmatched, which centered on a pair of ordinary parents trying to raise certified geniuses.
The critically acclaimed HBO series didn't grab enough viewers to warrant exploring a second season creepy case. The show is reportedly being shopped elsewhere.
Party of Five, based on the original 1994 series of the same name, was given a modern twist in 2020, telling the story of a family of kids who have to navigate life alone after their parents were deported to Mexico. Freeform opted to cancel it after one season.
One of late night's most underrated gems, Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj took viewers on deep dives on everything from the clout factory of Supreme to the totalitarian Saudi Arabian regime to the American housing crisis during the pandemic. The eclectic and informative series was canceled after six seasons on Netflix.
Showtime's Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, described as a "spiritual descendent" of the original Penny Dreadful, told an all-new supernatural story set in 1930s Los Angeles. The series starred Daniel Zovatto and Nathan Lane as a pair of detectives trying to keep the peace in their volatile community, where tensions were inflamed by a shape-shifting demon played by Natalie Dormer. Showtime canceled the series in August after one season.
The NBC comedy about a down-and-out church choir that gets a Sister Act-style glow-up from a grumpy choral director didn't seem to make audiences sing. The network canceled the series after one season.
The sixth season, which was Power's last, was a wild experience. Even though the show has ended, there are many, many spin-offs in the works to carry on its legacy.
After three seasons, this Netflix (by way of Scandinavia) sci-fi thriller is came to a close in August. Alba August and Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen played young people looking for signs of life after a virus wipes out their country.
The Ranch came to a close in January, with Netflix allowing the show to finish out its fourth and final season, also known as Part 8.
After seven seasons of fixing grisly situations for the Hollywood elite, while also combatting some serious daddy issues, Ray Donovan hung up his gun and suit jacket in early 2020.
After one season, HBO opted not to renew Run, the dark comedy thriller that was executive-produced by Vicky Jones and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Merritt Wever and Domhnall Gleeson starred as college sweethearts who drop everything to fulfill a pact they made when they were younger.
The sixth and final season of Schitt's Creek was the perfect send-off for the Rose family, as we saw Johnny (Eugene Levy), Moira (Catherine O'Hara), and Alexis Rose (Annie Murphy) embrace their new ambitions, while David (Dan Levy) and Patrick (Noah Reid) prepared to tie the knot.
After two seasons, ABC decided not to continue with its family-friendly comedy Schooled.
ABC unceremoniously canceled Single Parents after Season 2.
Siren came to end in May after three wild seasons on Freeform. The mermaid drama explored the lore of a small town called Bristol Cove and what happened when a mythical creature of the deep walked among humans.
The Spanish chapter of Starz's princess anthology series concluded with a second batch of episodes chronicling Catherine of Aragon's (Charlotte Hope) journey to the throne.
This Netflix competitive figure skating drama ended after just one season. Kaya Scodelario starred as a lauded skater who restarts her career after being injured in a disastrous fall.
Disney+ hosted the long-awaited series finale of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which was the perfect end to Ahsoka Tano's story, on May 4, also known as Star Wars Day.
After the rebooted action series Strike Back returned with a new cast in 2017, the Cinemax show bowed out in April 2020 with its third season (Season 8 overall).
Despite previously renewing Stumptown for a Season 2, ABC canceled the drama in September due to the impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The show starred Cobie Smulders, Jake Johnson, Tantoo Cardinal, Cole Sibus, Adrian Martinez, Camryn Manhein, and Michael Ealy.
Television won't be the same without the Winchester brothers (Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles) fighting demons, monsters, and whatnot. But after 15 wild seasons, the WB-turned-CW show came to a controversial end this fall — but not without fanfare.
Netflix opted to cancel Teenage Bounty Hunters, which followed a pair of Christian Academy high schoolers who accidentally land a gig cuffing fugitives to earn some extra cash, after just one season. The show starred Maddie Phillips, Anjelica Bette Fellini, and Kadeem Hardison.
After the release of its hotly anticipated third season, we're saying goodbye to this Amazon series starring Christina Hendricks, Tim Roth, and Genevieve O'Reilly. Tin Star follows an ex-undercover cop (played by Roth) who tries to protect his family from oil workers and gangsters in a Canadian Rockies town. The final season debuts on Dec. 10.
Edie Falco may have enjoyed extended runs on her cable series The Sopranos and Nurse Jackie, but her broadcast police drama Tommy only made it to one season before CBS decided to say goodbye to it.
Comedy Central canceled the long-running Tosh.0 after 12 seasons in the summer of 2020, marking the end of an era.
This Netflix original series about teen shoplifters ended with its second season in August. Brianna Hildebrand, Kiana Madeira, and Quintessa Swindell played three girls who meet in a support group for people who want to end their thieving ways.
Summer comedy United We Fall, which starred Will Sasso and Christina Vidal Mitchell as the parents of two young children, lasted just one season before being canned by ABC.
The sensual Starz drama about two sisters reconnecting after the death of of their mother as they try to salvage the family bar came to an emotional but heartwarming close in the spring of 2020.
The sixth and final season of History's action-packed drama Vikings was split in two parts, with all 10 episodes of the second half arriving on Dec. 30, 2020. During the show's virtual panel at 2020's Comic-Con@Home, creator Michael Hirst promised a "deeply satisfying" ending. ""The characters who we all — including me — have grown to love will all have their fates decided. Whether they live or die is of course in the hands of the gods — although I had a hand in it, too." He went on to add, "I think the conclusion of the saga is deeply satisfying, a proper and meaningful ending." The world of Vikings will live on in a Netflix spin-off Vikings: Valhalla, set 100 years after the original. While they wait for the spin-off, fans can check out these shows like Vikings to sate their hunger for more action.
After 11 seasons total and three seasons of the series revival, Will & Grace came to an end in April. What a blast it's been for fans of Will (Eric McCormack), Grace (Debra Messing), Karen (Megan Mullally), and Jack (Sean Hayes) to see these characters make up for the much-maligned previous series finale with this update.