Prodigal Son, Pitch and 17 shows canceled too soon at FOX
By Mads Lennon
16. Lucifer
Based on the DC Comics character created by Neil Gaiman, Mike Dringenberg and Sam Kieth, Lucifer revolves around Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis), the Devil himself, who abandons Hell for Los Angeles and becomes a consultant to the LAPD. What started as a middling crime procedural later transformed into something far more interesting, anchored by Ellis’s excellent and charismatic performance.
Sadly, Fox canceled Lucifer after only three seasons. But this is a case of one of the few canceled Fox shows with a happy ending, as Netflix swooped in to save the day. They revived Lucifer for an additional three seasons, and it has become one of the streaming service’s most successful shows.
15. Red Band Society
In a television landscape bloated with medial dramas, it was refreshing to see a new take in Red Band Society, which largely focused on a group of teenagers living together as patients in a hospital pediatric ward. The series was based on a Spanish series and quickly amassed a devoted younger audience.
It even starred A-list actress Octavia Spencer! But it wasn’t meant to be. Fox canceled Red Band Society after only one season. On the plus side, it was probably a good move for Spencer, who has starred in a number of prestigious films since.