TV Shows That Didn’t Have An Actual Ending

Siren

Siren is a fantasy TV series. The show aired on HBO3 and gained considerable popularity due to its at times dark atmosphere and exploration of the theory that mermaids truly exist. The series follows the story of Ryn Fisher, a young mermaid who arrives in a small seaside town and wreaks havoc in search of her older sister, who was abducted by the military for experiments. The task proves to be more challenging than she anticipated, forcing Ryn to stay on land a bit longer. It’s during this time that she meets marine biologists Ben and Maddie, with whom she shares more than just mutual curiosity.

Despite receiving high praise from critics who lauded the show for portraying mermaids in a new, more mystical, yet also more empathetic light, it was suddenly canceled, and work on the fourth season was halted. The actors bid farewell to fans, avoiding answering questions about the reasons for ending the story.

Don’t worry about me (O mnie się nie martw)

Before Joanna Kulig became an international star and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which influences who receives Oscars, she played the lead role in the popular Polish TV series O mnie się nie martw (Don’t Worry About Me). Alongside Paweł Domagała and Stefan Pawlikowski, she formed an incredibly cohesive and entertaining trio. Her character was a single mother of two daughters, each from a different relationship. Polish viewers met the protagonist of O mnie się nie martw at a difficult moment in her life. She was going through a divorce with the father of her second daughter and tried to evict him from the house using the court, but it failed because her lawyer missed the hearing. However, the character played by Kulig was such a strong woman that she took matters into her own hands and decided to confront the lawyer who left her hanging. Little did she know how this one encounter with him would drastically change her life and entwine their fates forever.

The TV series O mnie się nie martw ran for 13 seasons. It aired on TVP from 2014 to 2021. The series propelled Joanna Kulig and Paweł Domagała to a new level in their careers. Even Netflix recognized the value of the series, adding all seasons to its platform in 2023. The production was supposed to have a 14th season, as evidenced by the phrase “To be continued” that appeared in the last scene of the 13th season. Unfortunately, TVP canceled the series without giving any reason for its decision, even to the cast of the production.

ALF

ALF quickly gained cult status and became a hallmark of the late 1980s. Even today, you can come across reruns of all seasons of the show on television. Unfortunately, despite its enormous popularity and iconic status today, the series encountered problems during the airing of its fourth season. The production experienced a significant drop in viewership, prompting NBC to decide to end the show. This happened despite the fact that in the last scene of the fourth season, there is information that the series will continue, and viewers do not find out what happened to ALF. Some of you may be outraged at this point and remind me that there was a production created some time later in which ALF‘s fate was explained. However, I do not consider this work valid because the original cast members did not participate in it. Moreover, the production was criticized by fans of the series.

Wellmania

Wellmania is an Australian comedy series co-created by Brigid Delaney and Benjamin Law for the Netflix platform. It tells the story of a culinary critic who indulges in an unhealthy lifestyle and substances, leading her to health problems. When the critic is presented with a life-changing opportunity to be a judge on a culinary show, her health refuses to cooperate. Doctors forcibly detain her in Australia under the pretext of lacking consent to sign a visa allowing her to return to the USA for work, and her mother takes away her passport. This forces the critic to reconsider her lifestyle and life decisions, as well as mend relationships with her family. The series also prompts viewers to reflect on their health and the pursuit of the modern model of success and beauty. Unfortunately, we will not learn about the critic’s further fate as Netflix canceled the series. Interestingly, the platform decided to do so even though the series ends when the critic’s brother tries to call her to tell her that he is in the hospital because their mother has just been hit by a car.

My Name Is Earl

The show My Name Is Earl was so popular that individual episodes were watched by 10, and sometimes even 15 million Americans. To the surprise of the show’s fans, it was canceled in 2009. The shock was even greater because the fourth season ended with a cliffhanger that was supposed to be resolved in the fifth season.

Interestingly, the story did receive a conclusion, but in a different TV series! The storyline was wrapped up in the pilot episode of another series called Raising Hope, created by Greg Garcia. Everything can be seen on a television set in the background of a scene.

My So-Called Life

Do you remember Jared Leto? He’s the one who sings in the band Thirty Seconds to Mars. He’s also the one who played the Joker in Suicide Squad and Paolo Gucci in House of Gucci. And, of course, he’s the one who won an Oscar for his role in Dallas Buyers Club. However, before Leto became famous for these and other acting and musical achievements, he starred in the TV series My So-Called Life. This production was the beginning of Jared Leto’s great successes. The series was so good that it is still mentioned in publications today, such as in Time, as one of the best shows for teenagers. Unfortunately, ABC overlooked the success of the series and canceled it after only one season. This decision was even more surprising considering that the lead actress won an award for her role at the Golden Globes, and critics praised the series for its realistic portrayal of the 1990s social issues, including child molestation, homophobia, homelessness, school violence, censorship, and drug use.

Pushing Daisies

Pushing Daisies is another ABC series that was canceled. Similar to My So-Called Life, this series was recognized by the Golden Globes and also by the Emmys. Pushing Daisies won an Emmy Award in 7 (nominated for 17) categories in 2008 and 2009 and was nominated for the Golden Globes in 3 categories in 2007. The series had a very interesting premise, as it tells the story of Ned, who, although he is a pastry chef by day, has a great gift – the ability to bring creatures back to life with a single touch, but each subsequent touch results in irreversible death. Ned decides to use his abilities with detective Emerson Cod to solve murder cases. Ned revives victims for a minute to find out who the killer was. One time, the victim is Charlotte – Ned’s childhood love. However, Ned decides not to touch her again to keep her alive.

The series was canceled after airing only six episodes of the second season. Since the final season consisted of a total of 13 episodes, the team supposedly had time to write a good finale, but it still left fans with many unanswered questions – especially since it was revealed that one person was brought back to life. Interestingly, in an interview with Vanity Fair on the 10th anniversary of the series, Bryan Fuller said he would drop everything to revive this story. He said, “Every year I ask Warner Brothers if they would be open to it.”