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Some TV shows end when their creators decide they told the story they wanted to tell and there's nothing left to say. Others aren't so lucky and are canceled prematurely, often to the fans' dismay. And then there is the middle ground - shows that were canceled but later revived for at least one or even more seasons.
It usually happens when another network or a streaming service sees the show's potential or realizes it has a larger fan base than originally believed and decides to bring it back. The past years have seen several miraculous revivals of previously canceled shows, some of which then went on to become an even bigger hit.
8 Chuck
Sometimes it's the timing that's wrong, not the quality of the show itself. Chuck had been almost canceled partially because of the effect a WGA strike had on it. Another reason for its ending was the lower ratings of Season 2. Luckily, a campaign that fought for the show's renewal led to Peacock changing their minds and ordering another season.
Chuck then went on to have three more seasons and the fifth one ended in 2012. To this day, it remains an enjoyable watch for all fans of comedy-drama, not to mention Zachary Levi, who gives an excellent performance in the titular role.
7 The Expanse
Sci-fi shows don't have it easy since they often cost more money than sitcoms or drama pieces. As such, the required ratings and profit are also higher. The space sci-fi The Expanse did well enough and offered a captivating story, but its original network, SyFy, still decided to cancel it in the third season.
Luckily, only a few weeks later Amazon stepped in and took over the series. It was a step that worked out as the sixth season is about to premiere this December, while the show itself is still going strong.
6 Family Guy
Family Guy is one of the best and most popular animated shows, yet even this didn't protect it from its premature cancellation back in 2002 after just a third season. Fortunately, the voice of the crowd spoke aloud and when the sales of the DVDs hit a huge number, Fox decided to bring the show back in 2005.
Time proved that this was a good choice since Family Guy runs to this day and it already is in its twentieth season! It's full of funny characters, great actors and it also doesn't shy away from making fun of many other TV shows.
5 Futurama
Another highly popular animated show that got a second chance is the space comedy Futurama, created by Matt Groening, the man responsible for The Simpsons. It's true that Futurama at least didn't end on a major cliffhanger when it was originally canceled, but the fans still wanted it back to see more of their favorite characters.
When Comedy Central ran reruns of the show and saw the audience's huge interest, it eventually decided to order an additional 52 new episodes, bringing the total number to seven seasons.
4 The Killing
The crime drama The Killing is one of the few shows that managed to survive multiple cancellations, not just one! First, AMC wanted to cancel the show after its second season but the network executives changed their mind in the end.
The presumably definite ending came after the third season. That's when Netflix saved the day by taking over the show, subsequently renewing it for its fourth and final season so that the story would get a proper ending. Fans, understandably, also got the closure they wanted.
3 Lucifer
The most prominent recent revival of a canceled show is the popular fantasy crime story Lucifer. After Fox canceled it after the third season (and with a major cliffhanger in the final episode), a massive online campaign followed with the hashtag #SaveLucifer.
Fox wasn't the one who saved it, but Netflix did. It ordered an additional three seasons and allowed Lucifer and its heroes to get the closure that the third season wouldn't be able to offer.
2 Prison Break
Sometimes it takes only a few weeks before the revival kicks in. Other times, the waiting period is much longer. In the case of the iconic Prison Break, it took a whole eight years! After its fourth season, Fox revived the show, brought Michael Scofield back from the dead (sort of), and reunited the two brothers.
Those who were missing the duo Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller either had to wait for the renewal or check out Legends of Tomorrow, where Purcell and Miller play partners in crime who travel through time.
1 Timeless
Time travel is a popular topic but even its usage fails to ensure that a show won't get canceled after just one season. When NBC canceled Timeless, the show still had a lot of unanswered questions.
Luckily, mere days later, the network decided to bring the show back after all and renewed it for its second and final season. That gave fans enough time to deal with the show's ending, while also allowing Timeless not to end with a major cliffhanger.