Some of television’s most quoted, most rewatched, most syndicated shows almost never made it out of their first year. Low ratings, network doubt, and a handful of executives willing to gamble on a hunch decided the fate of programs that would later define entire eras of TV. Looking back from 2026, with decades of reruns and streaming success to prove these shows right, it is strange to think how close the cancellation call actually was.
Seinfeld
Before it became appointment viewing, Seinfeld nearly died as a pilot. A former NBC executive described how a test screening of the pilot went “unbelievably disastrous,” and the show came very close to being scrapped entirely. Rather than a full season, NBC gave it a tiny, cautious order. Before becoming one of TV’s most watched sitcoms, Seinfeld was limited to a four episode run by NBC.
Even that short run only happened because one executive fought for it. Littlefield tabled a two hour birthday special for Bob Hope to free up funding for four Seinfeld episodes, and NBC reluctantly agreed to rerun the pilot plus the four new episodes, which earned high ratings. The show grew slowly from there, eventually becoming a Thursday night cornerstone and one of the most successful sitcoms in television history.
Cheers
Cheers is now remembered as a Nielsen giant, but its first season was a disaster by the numbers. When Cheers premiered in September 1982, it finished its first season ranked 74th out of 77 network shows, making it one of the lowest rated programs to receive a renewal in television history. Ted Danson has since described just how bad it felt in the room. He revealed that Cheers was almost canceled after its first season due to low ratings.
What kept it alive was not the audience but the people running the network. Cheers had an advocate in then NBC president Brandon Tartikoff, who was bolstered by positive reviews from critics and decided to stick with the show despite its poor performance. That patience eventually paid off, as Cheers spent years anchoring NBC’s Thursday lineup and launched Frasier as a hit spinoff.
The Office (US)
The American adaptation of the British mockumentary almost never got past its first six episodes. NBC did not want to commit to The Office, and the comedy series was nearly canceled after its first season in 2005, as viewers did not seem to connect with the story and ratings continued to decline. Star John Krasinski has said the mood on set reflected that uncertainty. He explained that they were legit canceled every single Friday, not just threatened with cancellation.
Season two arrived with a smaller episode order and a slashed budget, a clear sign of how little faith the network had. The network ordered another six episodes for season two, but the show’s budget was cut in half. A boost in Steve Carell’s profile from a hit summer movie, along with unexpected traction on iTunes, gave NBC a reason to keep going, and the show eventually became one of the most rewatched sitcoms of the streaming era.
Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation launched under the shadow of The Office and struggled to separate itself. The first season received generally mixed reviews, and several commentators found it too similar to The Office. Ratings slid as the short first season went on. The premiere episode was watched by 6.77 million viewers, but viewership declined almost every week, with a season low of 4.25 million viewers watching the final episode.
Cast member Rashida Jones has spoken candidly about how close the show came to ending there. She admitted that the first season was the show’s weakest and that it could have been canceled, adding that it took them a while to prove themselves. Rather than folding, the show retooled its characters and tone for season two, a shift widely credited with turning it into one of the most beloved sitcoms of the following decade.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Shot on a shoestring budget with an almost entirely unknown cast, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia had little going for it in the eyes of its own network. It has become one of the longest running sitcoms on air, but It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia almost did not make it past its first season. The show’s creators later described a blunt warning from FX leadership. McElhenney said the president of FX told them that a big name needed to be added to the cast, otherwise the series would be canceled due to a low marketing budget and mediocre ratings.
That ultimatum led to Danny DeVito joining the cast for season two, a move widely seen as the show’s turning point. Adding a recognizable star gave FX a reason to keep promoting the series instead of quietly dropping it. Nearly two decades later, the show holds the record as the longest running live action sitcom in American television history.
M*A*S*H
M*A*S*H is remembered today as one of the defining dramas and comedies of American television, but its first season struggled to find viewers. Ratings were weak enough that CBS reportedly considered not bringing it back, a detail that still surprises people who only know the show from its record breaking finale. Its early struggles are often mentioned in the same breath as Cheers and Seinfeld, since all three shows almost did not survive their freshman years despite the strength of their writing.
A more favorable timeslot for season two, paired with strong critical reviews, gave the show room to build an audience. Once it found its footing, M*A*S*H became a ratings powerhouse and one of the most acclaimed series of its era. Its eleven season run and record setting finale later proved just how wrong the early skepticism had been.
All in the Family
All in the Family premiered to a lukewarm response, and its blunt handling of social issues left both CBS and early viewers uneasy. Initial ratings were modest enough that the show’s future felt genuinely uncertain heading into its first summer off the air. Few people at the time expected it to become the cultural lightning rod it later did.
Summer reruns changed everything, as word of mouth slowly built an audience that had missed the show the first time around. By its second season, All in the Family had climbed to the top of the ratings and stayed there for years. It went on to reshape what network sitcoms were allowed to talk about, something that would not have happened if CBS had pulled the plug early.
Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide arrived on NBC with strong reviews but an audience that never quite matched the acclaim. Its first season was short and its ratings were unremarkable next to the network’s bigger hits, leaving its future genuinely in doubt. Critics loved its documentary style and unglamorous approach to police work, but that praise did not translate into large viewership numbers.
What kept the show going was a mix of critical support, industry recognition, and a network willing to bet on prestige over ratings in the short term. It eventually ran for seven seasons and is now regarded as a major influence on later prestige crime dramas. Its survival is often cited as an early example of a network valuing acclaim over immediate audience size.
Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond debuted quietly and struggled for attention in its first season on CBS. Ratings were soft enough that renewal was not a given, and the show spent its early episodes still figuring out its voice around Ray Romano’s stand up persona. It lacked the flashy premise of some of its competitors, which made it easy to overlook in a crowded sitcom lineup.
CBS stuck with it, moving it into a more favorable slot and giving it time to build word of mouth among viewers who appreciated its grounded, family focused humor. The show slowly grew into one of the network’s biggest comedies, eventually running for nine seasons and collecting multiple Emmy wins along the way. Its slow build is often used as a reminder that not every hit announces itself in its first year.
Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad’s first season was shortened by the 2007 to 2008 writers strike, and the ratings that came in were modest for a cable drama trying to build a following. Breaking Bad averaged just 1.5 million viewers in its first season, a number that gave AMC little obvious reason to expect the show would become a hit. At that point, AMC was still a relatively new player in original scripted drama, and there was no guarantee the network would keep funding a slow burn character study.
Critical acclaim and a small but devoted audience were enough to convince AMC to continue, a decision that looks obvious only in hindsight. The show’s audience grew steadily with each season, culminating in a finale far larger than its debut. By its finale, the show was pulling in 10.3 million viewers, a dramatic jump from where it started.
What connects all ten of these shows is not luck so much as timing. A supportive executive, a lucky scheduling slot, a shortened order that bought just enough time, each show needed one small intervention to survive its shakiest stretch. Their later success says less about instant chemistry and more about how much room good ideas sometimes need before they click.
