Prodigal Son and 12 TV show cancellations of 2021 that still sting

10. For Life

How many seasons: 2

Network it aired on: ABC

How it ended: Aaron Wallace had the fight of his career throughout the final episode of For Life. It looked dicey at times, but it did all work out in the end. We were able to celebrate with him for a little while.

However, not everything had worked out. The show was canceled at short notice, meaning a good series finale couldn’t be written. We were left with Jamal still behind bars and ringing Cassius claiming they had “unfinished business.” What was going to be next?

Why it still stings: This is one of those shows that was topical but also entertaining. This is the sort of show we need on TV right now, so it certainly makes it one of the TV show cancellations that stings. We were pulled into the lives of the various characters on the show, rooting for them to succeed when it looked like the cards were stacked against them.

The cancellation wasn’t all too surprising, though. The live ratings were low. There were attempts to revive it, but there wasn’t a good enough uptake on IMDb TV to get a third season. It is all part of the business of television. That doesn’t stop these sorts of stories being needed, though.