When it comes to television, cancellations are inevitable, but that doesn’t make them any less painful. This is especially true when they impact fan-favorite shows seemingly out of nowhere, and 2025 has been no exception to this harsh reality.
Whether it was network mainstays or initial streaming hits, there are plenty of titles that have gotten axed prematurely in the eyes of viewers. In 2025, that includes a couple of FBI offshoots, a long-running favorite like The Sex Lives of College Girls, a revival, and even some seasoned network titles.
And as we’re only about halfway through the year, more cancellations and painful losses surely loom on the horizon. As we gear up for the potential losses, we’re rounding up just a few of the most shocking TV cancellations in 2025 so far. But when it comes to viewers, opinions and feelings can definitely differ, so weigh in with your opinions in the comments section below.
The Sex Lives of College Girls
Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble‘s HBO Max comedy was unceremoniously axed following its third season, which continued the stories of Essex students, Kimberly (Pauline Chalamet), Bela (Amrit Kaur), and Whitney (Alyah Chanelle Scott) who bid their roommate Leighton (Reneé Rapp) adieu to welcome some new faces into the mix. While Rapp’s departure certainly shook things up, it was still surprising to see a show that survived the Warner Bros. Discovery merger meet such an unfortunate end in 2025.
FBI: Most Wanted & FBI: International
These offshoots of CBS‘s franchise flagship series FBI, were among a solid three-hour programming block from Dick Wolf, but that wasn’t seemingly enough to save them from blindsiding cancelations. While FBI: Most Wanted debuted back in 2020 as the first spinoff, FBI: International wasn’t far behind, debuting in 2021. Overall, the two shows had been mainstays on CBS for several years, with Most Wanted delivering six seasons overall and International delivering four. To say no one saw these cancellations coming would be an understatement.
The Irrational
Jesse L. Martin solving mysteries on NBC sounds like a surefire win. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to save The Irrational from cancellation at NBC. The show followed Martin’s science professor, Alec Mercer, as he used his expertise to help unravel high-stakes cases involving governments, law enforcement, and corporations. Sadly for fans, NBC closed the door on the idea of a third season.
Found
The riveting drama Found, led by Shanola Hampton and Mark-Paul Gosselaar, followed her character, Gabi Mosley, as she headed up an agency that searched for missing people. A victim of kidnapping herself, Gabi had a vested interest in each case, but had an unusual method to help solve them as she held her former kidnapper, Sir (Gosselaar), captive in her basement when the series originally debuted in 2023. This fascinating premise was strong enough to keep viewers tuning in for two seasons, but apparently not enough for NBC to renew the drama.
The Equalizer
CBS’s Queen Latifah-led drama followed her role as Roby McCall, a woman with a mysterious background who uses her skills to help people who have nowhere else to turn. The series debuted back in 2021 and was relatively popular with viewers, making its recent cancellation quite shocking.
Poppa’s House
A series led by real-life father-son duo Damon Wayans and Daymon Wayans Jr., this CBS comedy was poised for greatness when it debuted in fall 2024. Unfortunately, CBS didn’t seem to believe the show had found a strong enough audience, leading the title to bid viewers adieu after a single season at the network.
S.W\.A.T.
While S.W\.A.T. was canceled twice before, it feels like this third time might stick for good, which is slightly shocking after the series was previously uncanceled twice, first, after Season 6 and again after Season 7. The show followed Shemar Moore‘s Hondo, the lieutenant of the Los Angeles S.W\.A.T. team, as he and his crew worked to help make the public safe in scary situations.
The Recruit
Netflix‘s global dramedy thriller starring Noah Centineo was a massive hit when it debuted on the streamer in 2022, but after three years off air, it seems like the excitement faded to a point that Season 2’s arrival didn’t have nearly the same impact. Hailing from The Rookie showrunner Alexi Hawley, the show maintained its fun tone and overall coolness onscreen, but it feels like time was the ultimate downfall of this former hit, which was shockingly canceled quite quickly after Season 2 dropped.
Based on a True Story
Peacock‘s comedy, Based on a True Story, was a breakout hit for the streamer when Season 1 debuted in 2023, and Season 2 continued to entertain, but not enough for the platform to greenlight a third season despite a major cliffhanger. The show followed Ava (Kaley Cuoco) and Nathan (Chris Messina), a couple whose lives became entangled with a serial killer named Matt (Tom Bateman).
Frasier
While revivals always have hit or miss results, Frasier managed to run for two solid seasons at Paramount+ before the streamer decided to cancel the series. Along with Kelsey Grammer and other legacy performers, the latest iteration of the comedy certainly delivered on nostalgia, making its early 2025 cancellation perplexing.
Mythic Quest
One of Apple TV+‘s flagship series, Mythic Quest, was a relative hit in its first three seasons, so much so that the streamer greenlit a spinoff and a special over the course of the show’s run. Unfortunately, that former popularity wasn’t enough to keep it going for a fifth season as Apple TV+ canceled Mythic Quest shortly after Season 4 concluded. Luckily for fans, Rob McElhenney and his fellow creatives behind this video game workplace comedy previously taped an alternate ending as a means to close out the show, allowing for some sense of closure. Still, it doesn’t make cancellation hurt any less.
Suits LA
Sure, Suits LA may not have the same vibe that the flagship show had when it originally aired on USA Network, but the setting and opportunity for guest appearances made this new series a definite draw. Sadly for diehard fans, the draw wasn’t strong enough to save the Stephen Amell-led series about lawyers operating out of the titular city from a premature cancellation.
