Movies - TV
Sci-Fi Shows That Were Canceled For The Strangest Reasons
By HUNTER CATES
The Adventures of Superboy
“Superboy” ran in syndication from ‘88 to ‘92, but despite strong ratings, Warner Brothers canceled the show to focus solely on “Lois & Clark,” which was headed for primetime.
Firefly
Fox constantly nitpicked Joss Whedon’s show “Firefly” and almost refused to air it in an attempt to force Whedon to pair the character Zoe with Malcolm instead of Wash.
Fox made several marketing and distribution mistakes, like airing the episodes out of order, before canceling the show after the 11th episode aired.
The Secret World of Alex Mack
“Alex Mack” ran from 1994 to 1998 and centered around the titular high schooler who had superpowers due to chemical exposure. Alex was played by the talented Larisa Oleynik.
After four years on the air, Oleynik got tired of the stardom and wanted to quit the show and finish high school. Nickelodeon then canceled the show rather than replace Oleynik.
Clone High
“Clone High” centered on teenage clones of historical figures, and though most of these figures were treated disrespectfully, it was Gandhi’s clone that got the show canceled.
Gandhi’s (dubbed G-Man) clone depiction as a glib, flirtatious, snack food enthusiast led to a hunger strike at MTV India’s offices, forcing the show’s cancellation.
Escape From Jurassic Park
Artist William Stout was hired to create an animated “Jurassic Park” show, but the project never made it further than the filming of the trailer.
Steven Spielberg had grown tired of overseeing the merchandising and marketing of “Jurassic Park” and refused to sign off on the project.