Reasons Why Some Top Shows Got Cancelled or Stopped Airing

We as audiences always fall in love with TV series, characters, storylines and worlds that show writers create for us. We have experienced countless highs and lows, gotten emotionally invested with our favorite on screen couples, heroes, heroines and main characters until we start to feel as though these shows are a part of our lives. But as much as we fall in love with these series, they suddenly just get cancelled or stop being aired, sometimes even at the pinnacle of their popularity. Fans often find themselves wondering why their favorite shows got cancelled, they believe that these shows which hold such a special place in their hearts should remain on screen forever reminding them of their nostalgia and fondness for their favored character arcs.   However, there’s a truth that lies behind the scenes that makes you understand that the television and entertainment industry is a business and businesses work with profits and numbers. TV networks have to constantly churn out ratings, budgets and keep up with audience demands and ever changing demographic of viewers and trends in show business. These factors all work together to determine if and when a show gains continuity or comes to an abrupt end. In this article we’ll look through the main reasons why even the most popularly preferred shows can get cancelled or stop airing and what this means for audiences.  Artfully Planned Endings  Yes you read it right, not all supposed cancellations are actually TV networks pulling the plug on your favorite show. Sometimes, the writers and TV networks work together to bring the series to a planned conclusion for the sake of theatric effect. These endings are then framed as cancellations, but in reality a lot of popular shows prefer to soften the blow for fans so they wrap up character arcs, and fill in plot holes and answer al ending questions in a grand finale so that they leave everything on a high note. Fans of course still feel disappointed by this abrupt endings when they expected the shows to drag out for more years, but writers and show producers know that there’s nothing worse than a popular show losing momentum and becoming sloppy and repetitive and boring. Planned endings preserve the legacy of great shows and rewatch value is always higher because of them. Casting and Contract Problems Actors and actresses usually sign contracts before getting started with any show they appear on. These contracts entail a lot of clauses and nuances to protect the network and also the actor as well. Occasionally, disputes arise due to these contracts during the middle of renewing the show for a season and these lead to cancellations, especially if negotiations lead to a dead end. Production costs may have increased due to salary demands and networks may decide to cut costs by ending the series all together rather than work on a show without the main actors or actresses in it, seeing as they are usually tied to the show’s success. Asides from contract issues, stars may start to demand higher pay, or chose to terminate their contracts to pursue newer prospects, their departure leads to  decline in enthusiasm for the shows which then end up being cancelled.    Competition Hundreds of shows are rolled out every day for the viewers to make a choice and with this oversaturation in cable, streaming platforms and international networks, it is getting difficult for a single show to grab the attention and eventual loyalty of audiences. Even amazing shows with exceptional actors and new faces still get buried under the wave of new releases. This affects the stability and sustainability of these shows which work based on ratings and viewer count. Networks may have to cancel some of these series that do not do well as others since in business it is a game of numbers. Cancellations give way for fresh releases that have more likelihood of capturing audience’s hearts.    Creative Burnout It isn’t always the TV networks that facilitate the cancellation of series and shows. Sometimes it is the writers and creators themselves that chose to bring the shows to an end. This can vary in reasons, from the fact that they notice viewer engagements drop, character arcs that have run their course, or that they simply have run out of ideas and wish to preserve the dignity of their creation rather than letting it run into a boring and unnecessarily drawn out catastrophe that drops n quality with each renewed season. This is a reason why final seasons are announced to fans, even though the show is quite popular.  This is to maintain respect for the show and ensure it has rewatch value. High Production Costs The entire process of making a show presentable for you to watch on your screen is backed by so many other factors, like set design, filming crew, costumes, locations, visual effects, all of these cost money to the network and the more elaborate they are the bigger the budget. Even the actors can become too expensive to maintain at a certain point in the series. Sci-fi and fantasy series face this issues a lot, because they require rather pricey special effects and production design. No matter how popular a series is and even if it is favored by viewers and the ratings are astronomical, if every episode costs more than it is bringing back in returns, networks will have to cut their losses and scrap the entire project. Again this is about networks being a business, your favorite shows might be amazing and thrillingly entertaining, but if they just aren’t profitable to the network then they will not survive and they will stop being aired or be cancelled.  Fan Reactions and Sentiments to Cancellations Fans and viewers of shows that end up being cancelled experience a deep disappointment especially when they have become invested in the show’s plot and characters. This attachment to unresolved mysteries, cliffhangers and lack of closure makes fans feel frustrated. Although there have been occasions where fans made their voices heard concerning their favorite shows being cancelled, shows like this had strong backings by the viewers and therefore were saved from being terminated. The Television series Lucifer and Brooklyn Nine-Nine are good examples of when shows were saved from cancellation by active and vocal fanbases.  Conclusion Quite a number of factors lay into the decision to cancel shows, and they are never really random. They can be financial, creatively inclined or legal, perhaps even a strategic exit. It hurts fans, but in an industry that is constantly evolving, and ever expanding, there are communities, fanbases and platforms that keep the stories of these shows alive and fans can find a certain degree of closure from these platforms. Keep up with lore, unfiltered cuts, bloopers and interviews of the cast of the shows and keep their stories alive. After all, they will always live on in your imagination and no network can take that away from you.