TV Shows Cancelled in 2023
Every TV show whose run ended in 2023 and now carries a cancelled verdict — across every network and streamer in the catalogue. The biggest names are explained below, followed by the full list.
146 shows cancelled in 2023
The biggest cancellations of 2023
1. The Resident
FOX's medical drama The Resident had a reasonably good run by the standards of network television, reaching six seasons and over a hundred episodes, which is more than most shows ever see. But longevity on a broadcast network doesn't guarantee survival, and by its sixth season the show was showing the classic signs of a series that had aged out of the network's priorities. Ratings had softened considerably from its earlier years, and FOX has been steadily trimming its scripted drama slate as the economics of broadcast television have grown harder to justify.
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2. Sex/Life
Sex/Life had the makings of a prestige drama when it arrived on Netflix in 2021, built on the appeal of a woman caught between suburban domesticity and her wilder past. What it turned into, however, was a show that couldn't decide what it wanted to be, pivoting wildly between steamy melodrama and soap opera nonsense while failing to develop its central characters in any meaningful way. The first season drew viewers on novelty alone, but by the time the second season aired in early 2023, the audience had moved on.
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3. Warrior
Warrior arrived on Cinemax in 2019 as a prestige martial arts drama developed by Jonathan Tropper and based on Bruce Lee's original concept, and it built a devoted following over three seasons. The show earned genuine critical acclaim, holding a strong 8.4 rating on IMDb, and delivered exactly the kind of gritty, character-driven storytelling that appealed to serious drama viewers. Yet none of that was enough to save it from cancellation after the August 2023 finale.
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4. The Great
The Great fell victim to a familiar pattern in streaming television: a critically acclaimed show with a devoted audience that simply couldn't justify its production costs in Hulu's eyes. The series earned an 8.1 rating on IMDb and built a genuine following over its three seasons, but viewership numbers in the streaming space tell a different story than they do on traditional television. Hulu's parent company Disney has become increasingly focused on profitability and subscriber retention rather than prestige projects that draw smaller, if passionate, audiences. Even well-reviewed shows need to demonstrate the kind of broad appeal or subscriber growth that justifies a budget reportedly in the tens of millions per season.
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5. Big Sky
Big Sky fell victim to the ratings decline that plagued many network dramas during the early 2020s. The show arrived in November 2020 with strong initial viewership, riding on the appeal of a David E. Kelley-created mystery series with a solid cast, but ABC's audience eroded steadily through its three seasons. By the time it reached its final episodes in January 2023, the show was drawing a fraction of its premiere numbers. Network television had already begun its structural shift toward streaming, and ABC in particular was struggling to maintain the audience loyalty that once sustained hour-long dramas.
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6. Miracle Workers
Miracle Workers never quite found the audience that TBS needed to justify keeping it on the air. The show was clever and inventive, moving through different genres and settings each season, but that format—while appealing to critics—made it hard for viewers to know what they were tuning into. A comedy about angels in heaven one year becomes a medieval fantasy the next, then a Wild West tale, then a period romance. That kind of structural restlessness can work for a passionate cult following, but it's a harder sell for a cable network that needs consistent viewership to offset production costs.
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7. Marvel Studios Legends
Marvel Studios Legends was a straightforward cost-benefit calculation that stopped making sense for Disney+. The show compiled archival footage from Marvel's films and television series, repackaged as clip-heavy documentaries about individual characters and storylines. It required minimal production investment since nearly all the material already existed, but it also offered little that audiences couldn't get by rewatching the source material itself. After two seasons and forty-six episodes, the show had exhausted the most obvious characters and narrative angles worth revisiting.
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8. Perry Mason
HBO's Perry Mason reboot arrived with considerable fanfare in 2020, a prestige drama featuring Matthew Rhys in the title role and backed by the network's reputation for quality crime storytelling. The show found an audience and earned solid reviews, but it never developed the kind of cultural footprint that justifies the expense of a period drama series. After two seasons and sixteen episodes, HBO decided to move on, leaving viewers with an unresolved case and no third season to wrap it up.
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9. Truth Be Told
Truth Be Told arrived at Apple TV+ as a prestige project anchored by Octavia Spencer's charismatic performance and a compelling premise built around a true crime podcast. For the first couple of seasons, the show worked well enough within Apple's ecosystem, earning solid reviews and finding an audience among the streamer's subscribers. But Apple's approach to its scripted slate has shifted considerably over the past few years, with the company becoming far more ruthless about shows that don't generate the kind of sustained cultural moment or viewership that justifies their cost.
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10. Obliterated
Obliterated arrived on Netflix in late November 2023 with a premise built on broad appeal: a comedy-action show about a special forces unit trying to prevent a nuclear catastrophe. The show had energy and a cast that included Will Forte and Craig Robinson, names with real comedic pedigree. But all eight episodes landed at once on Thanksgiving week, a traditionally weak period for streaming consumption, and the show failed to gain traction. A 6.8 rating on IMDb suggests it landed somewhere between watchable and forgettable for most of the people who tried it.
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All shows cancelled in 2023
Frequently asked
- How many TV shows were cancelled in 2023?
- IsItRenewed tracks 146 TV shows with a cancelled verdict whose run ended in 2023.
- What was the biggest show cancelled in 2023?
- By audience popularity, The Resident is the most popular 2023 cancelled show on this list.
- How does IsItRenewed decide a show was cancelled in 2023?
- A show is grouped under 2023 when its last episode aired that year and its current verdict is cancelled. The news archive does not reach that far back, so the last-aired year is used.