Shows Hulu Canceled in 3 Seasons or Less
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We’re pretty sure that if there were a 10th circle of Hell, it would just be someone telling you your favorite shows got canceled over and over again. While Netflix is known for canceling shows before they’ve even taken off, and breaking our hearts every single time, it kind of hits differently when a streaming platform like Hulu cancels your favorite show.
When Hulu cancels a show, it’s a true moment of betrayal. They’re one of the best platforms, letting shows go on until their natural ending. But sometimes, they axe a show right in the middle of it, and 2023 has been a big year for that.
While we still mourn the unexpected ending of Dollface and PEN15, Hulu just canceled two more shows within the past week. In late Aug 2023, news broke that they canceled the Emmy-winning show The Great after its third season, and days later, announced they canceled How I Met Your Father before fans could find out who the father was.
It’s never fun when a show gets canceled, and in honor of The Great and HIMYF ending unexpectedly, we’re taking a walk down memory lane.
Get your Hulu accounts ready as you dive back into the great shows Hulu canceled in three seasons or less. See our picks below:
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‘Death & Other Details’
After one season, Death & Other Details has been canceled. It was a show that followed a murder that took place on a cruise, and while it had a good fanbase, it was canceled due to “poor reception and moderate ratings,” per EpicDope.
‘The Fool’
The Fool is a comedy about a man working at a gang rehabilitation center, living with his mom and grandma, and working to make his family okay. It was canceled after two seasons because of a company decision to ownsize multiple shows, per HR.
‘Kindred’
Kindred follows a woman trying to start a new life, but is sent back in time to a 19th-century plantation. The series was canceled after one season, and while it’s unclear why, many think it as potentially due to the mixed reviews.
‘The Great’
The Emmy-winning show The Great is one of the latest, unexpected shows to get axed by Hulu in 2023. Starring Nicholas Hoult and Elle Fanning, the cult-favorite comedy follows a woman who has to decide between her joy or all of Russia’s safety. It’s unclear why it got canceled, but fans are not happy.
‘How I Met Your Father’
Just like its predecessor How I Met Your Mother, How I Met Your Father followed a group of twenty-somethings trying to find love, happiness, and their purpose. Sadly, the show has been axed after two seasons, and left fans wondering who the father is.
‘Duncanville’
Duncanville was an animated comedy led by Amy Poehler, which followed a 15-year-old boy’s wacky imagination. The beloved animated show was canceled after three seasons in July of 2022 after “disappointing ratings,” per Variety.
‘Love, Victor’
Despite Love, Victor being an extremely beloved show, Hulu decided to cancel it after three seasons because the writers decided Victor leaving high school was an organic ending (despite many sad fans begging for more seasons). The Love, Simon spinoff focused on Victor’s journey of self-discovery, learning what it’s like to be the new kid and learning about his sexual orientation.
‘Maggie’
Maggie had a lot of potential, with a killer cast and a great premise of a physic knowing everyone else’s future but her own. The show was short-lived, and only went on for one season. Many speculated that it was because of the lack of subscriber interest due to poor advertising.
‘Dollface’
Starring Shay Mitchell, Kat Dennings, Esther Povitsky, and Brenda Song, Dollface became an instant favorite for nearly everyone who watched it. The show followed Dennings’ character, who tried to reconnect with her friends after a messy breakup. It’s unclear why the hit show was canceled after just two seasons.
‘Freakish’
After a chemical plant meltdown, a bunch of high schoolers have to fight the mutants invading their town in the show Freakish. Despite a great cast, the show only lasted two seasons and was later cancelled due to low ratings.
‘PEN15’
PEN15 followed two 7th-grade girls trying to navigate adolescence, puberty, and all the awkwardness middle school brings. So, this show wasn’t technically cancelled, it was just hastened dramatically. As many fans know, the show lasted two seasons. While the writers originally wanted three, the pandemic made them hasten up the ending, leaving fans with a bit of whiplash.
‘Little Fires Everywhere’
Based on the bestselling novel, Little Fires Everywhere had an instant cult-following, along with fans going to view it with Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon as the stars. The show followed a picture-perfect family, and how their lives changed when new people came into the picture. Despite being a hit, the show cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘High Fidelity’
High Fidelity followed Zoe Kravitz’s character as she ran a record shop in her hometown. Despite great reviews, the show was canceled after one season, with many speculating it was due to low views.
‘Helstrom’
Marvel’s show Helstrom followed the children of a serial killer, who use their skills to track down other murderers. Per Looper, the low reviews plus the change in creative control made the show collateral damage, and was axed after one season.
‘Resident Advisors’
Starring Jamie Chung and Daryl Sabara, Resident Advisors followed the wild lives of resident advisors on college dorms. The show only lasted one season and was quickly canceled.
‘M.O.D.O.K.’
Another Marvel show to hit the dust was the animated show M.O.D.O.K. after one season, much like Helstrom. The show followed a supervillain who was struggling to balance his home life and evil duties, all in stop-motion animation.
‘Wu-Tang: An American Saga’
Despite the success from all three seasons of Wu-Tang: An American Saga, Hulu said it would end after the third season no matter what, despite fans pleas for more. The show followed the Wu Tang Clan’s formation, and instantly became a fan-favorite.
‘Runaways’
Yes, another Marvel show got axed, but with the Runaways, it got to last three seasons. Runaways follows a group of teenagers, who discover their parents are supervillains, and try to atone for their parent’s actions. It’s unclear why it got axed, but many speculate it was the same reason as the other axe Marvel shows.
‘Shrill’
Shrill follows Aidy Bryant’s character, who wants to both change her life and embrace her body. While Bryant said three seasons was fine for the show, the restrictions put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic made it almost impossible to keep the hit show going.
