5 canceled ABC shows we wish were coming back this fall (2021)
There have been some great ABC shows canceled over recent years. While some good shows are returning, these are five we wish were on the fall 2021 schedule.
The last couple of years haven’t been fair to any of us. We’ve been hit with a pandemic that has led to a number of TV shows being canceled unfairly. They may have been too expensive to produce or delays have caused problems elsewhere.
Over the last two years, there are a number of ABC shows that we’d love to see more of. Of course, we’d love for every single show to get a fair chance and not just one or two seasons. However, the five shows on this list had the most potential or offered something that so few other shows do right now.
We’re looking at five ABC shows that we wish were on the fall 2021 schedule. They’re from the 2019–2020 and the 2020–2021 TV schedules.
5 ABC shows we’d love to see in fall 2021
The list is in alphabetical order. It helps to avoid favoritism considering there is a mixture of genres on this list. You simply can’t compare genres!
American Housewife
We start with a comedy canceled in 2021. American Housewife had been on the bubble for some time, but we’d hoped it would get a little longer to entertain us. While the ratings dipped, it was the third most popular sitcom on the network in terms of demo. This should have helped save it.
The show was funny. It also offered comedy that we don’t often see on network TV—it was female-led. Yes, this area of comedy is now finally growing, but in 2016 when the comedy first arrived, it was one of the breakouts.
At least the series got to more than 100 episodes. It would have been nice to have a real series finale, though!
The Baker and the Beauty
When it comes to shows treated unfairly, The Baker and the Beauty will top a lot of lists. This is one of those ABC shows that didn’t get enough promotion, thrown into the midseason and not given a chance to find its audience. It was canceled after just nine episodes.
The series offered inclusivity and diversity. It was more than just about a beautiful woman and a baker. It was about two people not necessarily wanting to follow family expectations, which isn’t always easy, especially in some cultures.
Emergence
Mystery shows are one of those genres that’s difficult to find an audience for. People want to follow storylines, but they want answers in a reasonable amount of time. And they don’t want to see a backtrack when it comes to getting some answers—the odd red herring is fine, but this is over-used in some mystery shows.
Emergence didn’t quite get the time to find its audience. It certainly offered something different with the use of AI and advanced technology, but it didn’t keep its initial audience right away. And it’s a shame because there were some excellent actors. Some actors moved from comedy to drama and certainly proved they could act.
It would have been good to see where this series could have gone.
For Life
There are a lot of shows now focusing on systemic racism and problems within the justice system. For Life was important. It wasn’t just a story, but it was based on truth. While names were changed, people had really lived this tale and it brought more of a gravity to the situation.
We need more stories like this. It’s easy to bury our heads in the sand, but we shouldn’t. TV shows like For Life bring problems to the surface, and they deserve more of a chance even if they don’t quite find their audience.
Rebel
Like The Baker and the Beauty, Rebel is one of those ABC shows not given a good chance. Sure, it had the post-Grey’s Anatomy timeslot, but that’s not enough without good promotion. Rebel didn’t get the promotion.
Katey Sagal was amazing in the Erin Brockovich-style role. She commanded the screen and she made us root for her from the very beginning. There were so many more exciting stories to tell, and we wish there was more.
Which ABC shows would you like to see in the fall 2021 schedule? Which canceled shows deserved better? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Most of these shows are available to stream on Hulu. For Life and Rebel are on IMDb TV.