One of my favorite things about fall is the reemergence of my treasured television shows. Since the summer is filled with great weather and plenty of outdoor activities, you tend to forget about your routine TV-watching schedule.
But when the weather cools down and your vacation days are used up, nothing makes the evening more enjoyable than watching your favorite show after a long day of work.
However, there's nothing more cruel than when your beloved series gets canceled - especially when the last season was left on a cliffhanger!
While some fans may chose to simply wallow in despair, others decide to protest the decision. Even though networks often ignore these pleas, there are some instances when the channel either decide to grant their wishes or another network comes to the rescue and picks the series up.
These kinds of situations happen more often than you think, and to prove it, here are 11 canceled shows that have miraculously risen from the dead.
1. Arrested Development
In 2003, Fox graced us with the TV series, Arrested Development. The comedy centered around the Bluth family and their wild misadventures. Sadly the critically acclaimed series was cancelled after three seasons.
But after seven years of losing hope, the online-streaming service Netflix came to the rescue and produced a 15-episode fourth season, with the fifth one set to air May 29.
2. Gilmore Girls
For seven years we were invited into the home of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore from the zany little town of Stars Hallow. We laughed and cried throughout their journey of life's trials and tribulations, which concluded after Rory's graduation ceremony.
While the finale gave us closure, fans were still aching for more. So after nine-and-a-half years, Netflix decided to produce Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. Although the four movie-long episodes seemed to give us more questions than answers, it gave us hope the series would eventually be revisited yet again.
3. Will and Grace
For eight years Will and Grace was one of the most successful TV shows on NBC. Centering around two best friends living in New York City. Since the sitcom won an astounding 51 Emmy Awards, it was obvious the show's audience had a hard time of letting go.
In 2016, the cast reunited for a 10 minute commercial, urging Americans to go out and vote in the presidential election. This inspired NBC to relaunch the hit series more than a decade later.
The only problem was the original conclusion of Will and Grace had a very different ending to the revival's premise. They decided to fix this by simply making the finale just a dream.
4. JAG
While everyone knows JAG, the widely popular, military-focused, legal show lasted a whopping 10 seasons, very few are aware it nearly kicked the bucket in the midst of its first season.
Even though NBC washed their hands of the show, CBS knew a hit when they saw one. During the 10 years it was on air, the program grew a dedicated fanbase, which even led to the equally as popular spinoff, NCIS.
5. Family Guy
Now known as one of the most raunchy cartoons in TV history, Family Guy almost bit the dust when Fox cancelled the show in 2002 to make room for new programming. Devastated fans took refuge in buying all three seasons on DVD, making the interest in the series soar.
Fox realized it made a serious mistake and brought it back in 2005 for its fourth season. Family Guy is still going strong after 15 seasons with its popularity as high as ever.
6. Star Trek
No one knew the original Star Trek would develop into the massive franchise we know today, but here we are, still lusting over the beloved Captain Kirk.
While it created several spinoffs and even a successful film series, the popular show was actually cancelled by NBC after its first season, only to be brought back when dedicated fans, otherwise known as "Trekkies" began to protest.
They wrote hundreds of letters lamenting this anger and even held a 200-person protest outside the network's studio in 1968. Their hard work paid off and Star Trek continued for two more seasons.
7. Roseanne
For nine years Roseanne entertained millions of families with their comedic antics before it bid farewell to its audience.
After 20 years the series finale aired, fans were shocked when they learned ABC would be reviving the series in 2018. All of the original cast members came back (including dead Dan) for the reboot. With millions of viewers tuning in for the return of the Conner family, the network made the decision to renew the series for an 11th season. It looks like this All-American family won't be leaving us anytime soon.
8. Firefly
While Firefly only aired for a single season, fans were in mourning over its cancellation. They attempted to raise funds to get the show back on the air by selling Firefly-themed cookbooks, auctions, and making their own conventions.
Although the series's devotees would never get its wish granted, the cast of the western sci-fi would reunite for a full-length movie, Serenity, which gave the audience a final adventure, which they rightly deserved.
9. Passions
In 1999, NBC came up with one of the most eccentric soap operas when they came up with Passions. The series revolved around the paranormal adventures of the residents of Harmony, which included some very questionable plot lines.
While the soap opera was bought by DirecTV after NBC aired it for eight years, it only lasted one season on its new network.
10. Baywatch
Although we all still associate red swimsuits with the iconic TV series, Baywatch, many of us wouldn't give it a second thought if the show was cancelled like originally planned. While the first season had poor ratings, David Hasselhoff believed the show still had potential and decided to team up with its creator and executive producer to make it fit for syndication.
It continued on for a total of 11 seasons, which led to the short-lived spinoffs, Baywatch Nights, Baywatch Hawaii, and Baywatch Down Under, along with a feature film starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
11. ALF
In 1986, America fell in love with ALF, an alien who comes to live with the Tanner family after his aircraft crashes on earth.
ALF entertained families across the nation until NBC canceled the series after four seasons. Six years later the network decided to give the program a proper ending with the made-for-TV movie, Project: ALF, but since it excluded the Tanner family, it failed to become a hit.
The series also had a spinoff titled, ALF: The Animated Series, was a prequel to the live-action show, but only lasted for two seasons.
Want to catch up on more hijinks on TV? Check out these articles with behind the scene gossip:
- Biggest TLC Scandals The Network Has Somehow Survived
- Main Characters Who Probably Regret Leaving So Soon
- 10 Shows That Weren't Afraid To Get Real With Their Audiences, Even When It Broke Our Hearts
[H/T: Cheat Sheet, TVLine, Screen Rant]