Some historical figures were once more famous than kings and presidents. They filled headlines, shaped culture, and drew massive crowds. Today, most of their names are barely mentioned or completely forgotten.

Few figures altered comedy as profoundly as Mel Brooks, with a career that spanned television writing and acting in iconic films and on Broadway. His quotes reflect a philosophy that left an imprint on American entertainment.

Fleetwood Mac didn’t start as a pop band. It started with Peter Green—a blues guitarist who terrified Eric Clapton. He built the band, led it, and shaped everything it was meant to be. Then he disappeared. What followed wasn’t reinvention—it was a quiet collapse into schizophrenia that erased one of rock’s most gifted minds.

For years, the popular story was simple: Hervé Villechaize wanted to be paid the same as Ricardo Montalbán, the star of Fantasy Island, and the studio showed him the door. It’s a neat, dramatic explanation—but it skips over a much uglier reality that people were uncomfortable talking about at the time.

Not every hero starts their journey with a tragic backstory, a billion-dollar suit, or a mysterious glowing object falling from the sky. Some are people who absolutely should not be trusted with the fate of reality—but somehow end up holding it anyway. These movies thrive on the idea that heroism isn’t about perfection, power, or even competence. It’s about stepping up when everyone expects you to sit down.

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.