Top 10 Most Popular LGBTQ+ TV Shows That Got Canceled
Despite the growing representation of LGBTQ characters and storylines on TV, many shows featuring queer themes and characters have been canceled over the years. However, some of these shows have gained a loyal following and continue to be beloved by fans. In this list, we'll take a look at the top 10 most popular LGBTQ TV shows that were canceled too soon.
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- No. 10 -
Bonding (2019)
USER SCORE: 7.1
#Drama #Comedy
Scripted
English
Canceled
A New York City grad student moonlighting as a dominatrix enlists her gay BFF from high school to be her assistant.
Bonding is a dark comedy TV series on Netflix that premiered in 2019, loosely based on the personal experience of creator Rightor Doyle, following the lives of a dominatrix and her gay best friend.
Starring Zoe Levin, Brendan Scannell, Micah Stock, Theo Stockman, and Nana Mensah, the show explores themes of friendship, sexuality, and power dynamics.
Despite being renewed for a second season in 2020, the show was cancelled by Netflix after two seasons in July 2021.
- No. 9 -
Faking It (2014)
USER SCORE: 6.9
#Comedy
Scripted
English
Canceled
A romantic comedy about two best friends who love each other -- in slightly different ways. After numerous failed attempts to become popular, the girl ...More >>
Faking It is a romantic comedy TV series that premiered on MTV in 2014, exploring the lives of high school students and featuring the first intersex main character on a television show.
Created by Dana Min Goodman and Julia Wolov, the show was developed by Carter Covington and received critical acclaim, with a third season premiering in 2016.
Despite its popularity, MTV cancelled the show after three seasons, with showrunner Carter Covington expressing regret at not being able to explore certain storylines, and the show's ownership by MTV preventing it from being picked up by other networks.
- No. 8 -
Gentleman Jack (2019)
USER SCORE: 8.0
#Drama
Scripted
English
Canceled
Halifax, West Yorkshire, England, 1832. Anne Lister attempts to revitalize her inherited home, Shibden Hall. Most notably for the time period, a part ...More >>
Gentleman Jack is a historical drama TV series based on the diaries of Anne Lister, a landowner and industrialist in 1830s Yorkshire known for her lesbian relationships.
Co-produced by BBC One and HBO, the series premiered in 2019 and was renewed for a second season, which aired in 2022.
Despite the BBC's interest in continuing the show, HBO announced its cancellation in July 2022, with the BBC seeking a new production partner to continue the series.
- No. 7 -
First Kill (2022)
USER SCORE: 8.0
#Drama #Mystery
Scripted
English
Canceled
Falling in love is tricky for teens Juliette and Calliope: One's a vampire, the other's a vampire hunter — and both are ready to make their first kill.
First Kill is a supernatural teen drama series based on Victoria Schwab's short story, following teenage vampire Juliette Fairmont's struggle to make her first kill and her growing relationship with monster-hunter Calliope Burns.
Premiering on Netflix in June 2022, the series explores themes of blood lust, family, and forbidden love.
Despite a dedicated fan base campaigning for renewal or a new streaming service, the series was canceled by Netflix after one season in August 2022, though its popularity has sparked discussions around the need for more LGBTQ+ representation in TV shows.
- No. 6 -
The L Word: Generation Q (2019)
USER SCORE: 7.9
#Drama
Scripted
English
Canceled
In this sequel to The L Word, we continue to follow the intermingled lives of Bette Porter, Alice Pieszecki and Shane McCutcheon, along with a new gen ...More >>
The L Word: Generation Q is an American drama series about the lives of a group of queer friends in Los Angeles.
It is a sequel to the original series The L Word, set over ten years later in Silver Lake, Los Angeles.
The series was canceled after three seasons and removed from Showtime platforms in April 2023, amid a reevaluation of Showtime's programming slate.
- No. 5 -
Happy Endings (2011)
USER SCORE: 7.0
#Comedy
Scripted
English
Canceled
A fresh and funny take on modern friendship and what one urban family will do to stay friends after the perfect couple who brought them all together b ...More >>
Happy Endings is an American television sitcom following the dysfunctional adventures of six best friends living in Chicago, dealing with relationships and changes in their group dynamic.
Created by David Caspe, the show aired on ABC from 2011 to 2013, with a focus on ensemble comedy and two plot lines per episode.
Despite positive reviews from critics, Happy Endings was canceled by ABC after three seasons, with erratic scheduling of the third season and lower ratings cited as factors leading to its cancellation.
- No. 4 -
Queer as Folk is a drama TV series created as a re-imagining of the 1999 British series of the same name, following a group of friends in New Orleans dealing with the aftermath of a shooting at a queer nightclub called the Babylon.
Premiering on Peacock in June 2022, the series explores themes of vulnerability, addiction, grief, and relationships.
Despite generally positive reviews from critics, the show was canceled after one season in September 2022 due to low public reception, with some criticizing the show's portrayal of marginalized communities as potentially exploitative and lacking the dangerous and interesting edge of the original series.
- No. 3 -
One of Us Is Lying (2021)
USER SCORE: 7.3
#Drama #Mystery
Scripted
English
Canceled
The story of what happens when five high schoolers walk into detention and only four make it out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has someth ...More >>
One of Us Is Lying is an American teen drama mystery TV series based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Karen M. McManus, following five high school students in an investigation after one of them dies under suspicious circumstances during detention.
Starring Mark McKenna and Annalisa Cochrane, among others, the series premiered on Peacock in October 2021 and was renewed for a second season in January 2022.
Despite generally positive reviews, the series was canceled by Peacock in January 2023 after two seasons, as the network moves into its next phase of development with other upcoming shows.
- No. 2 -
Rebelde (2022)
USER SCORE: 7.5
#Drama #Comedy
Scripted
Spanish, Dzongkha
Canceled
Head back to Elite Way School as a new generation of students hope to win the Battle of the Bands.
Rebelde is a Mexican teen drama television series and a sequel to the 2004 telenovela Rebelde, which focuses on students from different socio-economic backgrounds at an elite private school.
Directed by Santiago Limón, the series premiered on Netflix in January 2022 and ran for two seasons.
Despite being renewed for a second season, Rebelde was canceled by Netflix in May 2023 due to decreasing popularity, disappointing fans who had hoped for a longer run
- No. 1 -
Sense8 (2015)
USER SCORE: 7.8
#Sci-Fi & Fantasy #Drama
Scripted
English
Canceled
One gunshot, one death, one moment out of time that irrevocably links eight minds in disparate parts of the world, putting them in each other's lives, ...More >>
Sense8 is a science fiction drama series created by the Wachowskis and Straczynski for Netflix, exploring themes related to identity, sexuality, gender, and politics.
The show follows eight strangers from different parts of the world who suddenly discover that they are mentally and emotionally linked sensates, filmed on location in multiple cities around the world.
Despite generally favorable critical reception, Sense8 was cancelled by Netflix after two seasons due to insufficient audience support to cover high production costs. A two-and-a-half-hour series finale was released in response to fan outcry.