The Bradys are still one of the best families on TV, but behind the scenes, “family” secrets threatened to have the show yanked off-air.

Television history is littered with baffling decisions, but few hurt quite like the moment a truly great show gets cancelled. Sometimes the ratings never matched the ambition. Sometimes the network panicked. Sometimes the audience showed up a little too late. Whatever the reason, these series left behind unfinished arcs, devoted fans, and a lingering sense that something special slipped through the cracks. Below are 21 shows that proved brilliance doesn’t always guarantee survival—and why their cancellations still sting.

Some shows don’t slowly reveal they’re bad—they announce it immediately, loudly, and without hesitation. These pilots waved every possible red flag, and networks somehow took that as encouragement. One episode was already too many. An entire season felt like a dare no one should’ve accepted.