There is nothing more disappointing when you realize that your favorite TV shows should have ended a couple or more seasons earlier. It is so disconcerting that once realized, the memory of your once beloved show might be tarnished forever. It is almost the same feeling you get when you saw a sequel is set to be released for “Weekend at Bernie’s” or “Terminator 2”….you get the idea! Needless to say we can list more than the below mentioned shows that should have received the chop sooner, but these ones are at the top of our list from recent memory.

Also check out 8 Great TV Shows That Were Cancelled Too Early

Check out our list of 7 Great TV Shows That Should Have Been Cancelled Sooner

1. Supernatural

I am sure some of you are gathering the village folks to start a small witch hunt, however if you are a true fan of Supernatural you will agree why we decided to list one of my all-time favorite TV shows. The final episode of season 5 featuring the final battle between Michael and Lucifer at Stull Cemetery should have been the end of the series. Don’t get me wrong, I still watch the Winchester brothers “saving people and hunting things” because the show is so damn addictive. But in all honesty, “Supernatural” really ended for true fans when show creater Eric Kripke quit as the show’s primary showrunner. Kripke was the mastermind behind the detailed five-year plan for the first five seasons.

Supernatural

Supernatural

Plot Summary 

“This haunting series follows the thrilling yet terrifying journeys of Sam and Dean Winchester, two brothers who face an increasingly sinister landscape as they hunt monsters. After losing their mother to a supernatural force, the brothers were raised by their father as soldiers who track mysterious and demonic creatures. Violent memories and relationship-threatening secrets add additional burdens on Sam and Dean as they investigate all things that go bump in the night. As old tricks and tools are rendered useless and friends betray them, the brothers must rely on each other as they encounter new enemies. – source

2. How I Met Your Mother

I recently made a half-assed attempt to restart watching HIMYM from season 1, but dismally failed. There is a point when scripts are rehashed and characters become so predictable that after a while every episode seems more or less the same with most characters doing the same thing you will expect. HIMYM was basically the much cooler modern-day version of “Friends”, sharp witted and really funny. There comes a point when too much of a good thing becomes a reality. I just couldn’t continue watching Ted fail at meeting the person he said he would as mention it the title of the series. Marshall and Lilly was the married couple with married people stuff, Robyn the Canadian and the endless Canadian jokes and Barney, the womaniser bachelor with the endless suits and suit references. The once Legen…wait for it….dary show ended up a couple of season too long.

"HIMYM" Cast

“HIMYM” Cast

Plot Summary 

“Ted has fallen in love. It all started when his best friend, Marshall, drops the bombshell that he plans to propose to longtime girlfriend Lily, a kindergarten teacher. Suddenly, Ted realizes that he had better get a move on if he hopes to find true love. Helping him in the quest is Barney, a friend with endless — often outrageous — opinions, a penchant for suits and a foolproof way to meet women. When Ted meets Robin, he is sure it’s love at first sight, but the affair fizzles into friendship. Voice-over by Bob Saget (“Full House”) tells the story through flashbacks. – Source

3. Heroes

“Heroes” was possibly one of the most exciting shows to be released in geek TV history. It was the most talked about show in 2006 and people had plenty reasons to make a big fuss. In a time when the DC and Marvel small screen takeover was still in development, “Heroes” reigned supreme as the go to series to get your superhero fix on. Unique, fresh and exciting, while bringing to life a group of super humans, “Heroes” captured the minds and hearts of geeks all over the world. Unfortunately as with most TV shows and movies, time travel is a fickle thing if not introduced with caution and with a solid plan. It became a mixed bag of events all glued together by some alternate timeline interfering with another.

Heroes: "Save the Cheerleader, Save the World"

Heroes: “Save the Cheerleader, Save the World”

Plot Summary 

“After battling the Company to keep an explosion from destroying New York, and averting a global pandemic, the heroes adjust to new stages in their lives. Former cheerleader Claire takes on college life, Hiro and Ando continue to try to help people by utilizing their abilities and Peter is called upon to help an old friend. Meanwhile the arrival of the mysterious carnival clan keeps people guessing. But the heroes will once again be called upon to save the world. – source

4. Lost

The show created by Jeffrey Lieber, J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof, who share story-writing credits for the pilot episode, which Abrams directed is one of ABC Studios’ biggest success stories. Still standing as one of the best and most celebrated character-driven dramas in its genre, “Lost” quite frankly just got lost in its ever growing mythology, especially in Season 6. We were relieved when most of the answers made sense as the skeleton started revealing some flesh during the Season 5 run. But most fans will agree that Season 6 was a mistake!

Lost

Lost

Plot Summary 

“The survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 were 1,000 miles off course when they crashed on a lush, mysterious island. Each person possesses a shocking secret, but they’ve got nothing on the island itself, which harbors a monstrous security system, a series of underground bunkers and a group of violent survivalists hidden in the shadows. – Source

5. Prison Break

Everyone loved “Prison Break” until they had to break out of a new prison in almost every season. It was impressive to see the boys do it the first time, but there came a point when it was just ridiculous no matter how plausible the circumstances were. Season 1 was one of the most watched shows in television history at one point, so we can’t really blame the production team for milking the money cow for as long as they did. Unfortunately there are casualties, most fans of the show checked out when they moved from the original storyline to government conspiracy and whatnot.

Prison Break's Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell

Prison Break’s Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell

Plot Summary 

“Michael Scofield is a desperate man in a desperate situation. His brother, Lincoln Burrows, was convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and put on Death Row. Michael holds up a bank to get himself incarcerated alongside his brother in Fox River State Penitentiary, then sets in motion a series of elaborate plans to break Lincoln out and prove his innocence. Once out of jail, their perils aren’t over — the brothers must flee to escape recapture and battle an intricate political conspiracy that puts everyone’s life at risk. – Source

6. Californication

New Yorker writer Hank Moody’s journey filled with sex, drugs, and rock and roll made for some very entertaining viewing while he tried to patch up his relationships with long-time lover Karen, and their daughter Becca. David Duchovny was simply brilliant in one of the best roles he has ever played. The first four seasons managed to showcase the bitter sweet lifestyle California has to offer while a father tries to bring his family together in the golden state filled with temptations. “Californication” was crass and to the point while delivering a story of heartbreak, love and friendship. Unfortunately the show became all about the crude stuff while steering away from what made it so enduring at times.

Californication “A morning or awkwardness is far better then a night of loneliness” ― Hank Moody

Californication “A morning or awkwardness is far better then a night of loneliness”
― Hank Moody

Plot Summary

“David Duchovny returns to series television in this adult sitcom as Hank Moody, an alcoholic, womanizing novelist struggling to help raise his precocious daughter, Becca, while still yearning for his sophisticated ex, Karen. Also featured in the show are Hank’s agent, Charlie, and his one-time wife, Marcy. – Source

7. True Blood

During a time when “Twilight” was launching their sparkly vampire campaign, HBO released a blood thirsty but very quirky fantasy horror series called “True Blood”. Filled with demons, vampires, shapeshifters, fairies and every other kind of vile creature, TB was extremely entertaining during its first four seasons. The ninth episode of the fourth season set a new record with 5.53 million viewers, making it the most viewed episode to date on HBO. It became silly once they introduced the Vampire religion which started focusing on the mythology of vampire origins and such in Season 5. It also marked the final season with Alan Ball as showrunner, after which he was replaced by Brian Buckner.

Rolling Stones 2010 September magazine cover image courtesy of Rolling Stone

Rolling Stones 2010 September magazine cover image courtesy of Rolling Stone

Plot Summary 

“Small-town Louisiana waitress Sookie Stackhouse already is viewed as an oddball by her friends and neighbors, since she can read the minds of those around her. She doesn’t exactly help her reputation, though, when she falls for Bill Compton, a 173-year-old vampire who has “come out of the coffin” along with many of his undead comrades now that a new synthetic blood has made it possible for vampires to survive without preying on humans. Still, the conservative locals aren’t wild about mortal-vampire liaisons, especially Sookie’s boss, Sam Merlotte, who carries a torch for her. “Six Feet Under” creator Alan Ball is behind this series adaptation of best-selling novels by Charlaine Harris. – Source