6 great TV shows cancelled too soon (and 5 that ran too long)

Riverdale

Seasons: 7

Have you ever seen one of those viral social media posts where someone tries to explain Riverdale and it just makes absolutely no sense out of context? Trust me, you’re not alone, because Riverdale rarely made sense in context either. But that its charm.

This show ran for seven seasons on The CW, recently concluding with a perfect series finale, and it had the time of its life confounding viewers with its bonkers storylines, unearthly plot developments, and utterly hilarious lines of dialogue. It was a vibe, a movement, and an oddly exhilarating watch.

However, while there’s strength in evolving (and believe me, Riverdale evolved), this is a show that evolved too many times. What started as a murder mystery about teenagers eventually became a supernatural drama about parallel dimensions, multiverses, and super powers. In the span of its life, it also orchestrated a time jump into the future and a supernatural trip back to the 1950s, all while maturing its characters and then sending them back to high school for the fun of it.

The irony is that its final season is a work of art; a standalone island of nostalgia that actually felt like a true successor to the first season. The two don’t go together because, well, time travel wasn’t real in season 1, but it was the sequel that it deserved. It’s just a shame that it took multiple seasons of senselessness to get there.

The show didn’t need seven seasons, but hey it had fun with its time on the air and you can’t fault it for that. If we’re being honest though, it probably should have ended after the kids graduated high school (the first time). Either that, or jumped straight to season 7. Season 6 was when the show stopped being fun, so we’re just happy it rectified that with its final season.

Verdict: Ran too long