While we see great shows like Game of Thrones and Yellowstone get multiple spinoffs, there are several spinoffs from well-known shows that never made it to air. Some of these shows already had the characters signed on, the story set, and even made it to a pilot but were axed by the network for whatever reason.
Sometimes it was bad test screenings, while sometimes it was a pandemic. Sometimes it was just the network not believing in the project that led to their cancellations. From superhero shows to sitcoms, here are 10 canceled spinoffs from famous TV shows that never got a chance in the sun.
1. Aquaman – Smallville
Smallville gave a compelling teen-drama-esque origin story for Superman. The show was quite popular and was one of the best-performing ones for The CW. So it was only a matter of time before another superhero got the same treatment. Alan Ritchson had already established Arthur Curry’s character in the show, but he was replaced by Justin Hartley in the spinoff.
Initially titled Mercy Reef, the show’s pilot was developed with Aquaman in the lead. Before it could be picked up, The WB and UPN merged into The CW, and the new network passed on the project entirely. Hartley didn’t go to waste. He was folded into Smallville itself as Oliver Queen, a.k.a. Green Arrow. The Aquaman pilot eventually leaked online and found a small cult following among curious fans.
2. The Farm – The Office
Dwight Schrute is one of the best characters in The Office, and his beet farm/bed and breakfast had plenty of characters to make its own show. The episode, ‘The Farm’ was supposed to serve as a backdoor pilot for the spinoff show centered on Dwight and his family’s farmhouse.
The show, however, was never picked up, despite things actually moving forward quite a bit. Actress Majandra Delfino was roped in to play Dwight’s sister while Thomas Middleditch was cast as his brother. Sadly, Schrute Farms was reduced to just one weird episode.
3. Bloodmoon – Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones is one world that has the potential to have so many spinoffs. We have already seen two shows in House of the Dragon and Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. However, there were several more in development, including Bloodmoon, a prequel series set 5000 years before the flagship show, and followed the White Walkers.
The cast included Naomi Watts, Naomi Ackie, and Jamie Campbell Bower, and the pilot was filmed on location with a reported budget north of $30 million. HBO ultimately scrapped the project after viewing the finished cut, choosing instead to move forward with House of the Dragon.
4. Pearson – Suits
Pearson is one of the few shows on this list that actually made it to the air. Centered on Jessica Pearson, the Managing Partner of the Pearson Hardman firm in Suits, the show saw her experiences in Chicago. Gina Torres reprised the role and gave her all for the performance. However, it was canceled after only one season.
5. Madison High – High School Musical
Disney Channel began production on Madison High, a live-action spinoff of the High School Musical franchise built around a musical-comedy format rather than a standard sitcom. Alyson Reed was set to reprise her role as Ms. Darbus, this time launching an ambitious new theater program at a different school with an entirely fresh cast of students.
Filming on the pilot began in March 2011, but the show never aired, and Disney never publicly explained why it was scrapped.
6. Sue Heck’s Spinoff – The Middle
Despite all the fanfare, The Middle remains one of the most underrated sitcoms and coming-of-age shows. It was a hit, and plans were on for a show centered on Sue Heck, played by Eden Sher. Tentatively titled Sue Sue in the City, the show followed Sue’s life in Chicago and her job at a hotel. A pilot was ordered by ABC, but then they passed.
Warner Bros. Television tried shopping the finished pilot to other networks, hoping another home might pick it up, but no one bit. The project quietly died, leaving one of The Middle‘s most beloved characters without the send-off fans had been promised.
7. Green Arrow and the Canaries – Arrow
The Arrowverse has had so many spinoffs, it is a miracle something even slipped past the greenlight. But a spinoff show titled Green Arrow and the Canaries was actually developed. The penultimate episode of Arrow was supposed to be a backdoor pilot to the show. However, the COVID-19 pandemic put a delay on the show, and it was never aired.
8. Valley Girls – Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl filmed a 1980s-set backdoor flashback pilot centered on a teenage Lily van der Woodsen, played by Brittany Snow, rebelling against her wealthy family to run with a gritty Los Angeles (San Fernando Valley) punk-rock crowd.
The network had lined up a full promotional push, complete with period-appropriate music acts and retro costuming, treating it as a serious contender for a full series order. The network ultimately chose not to pick it up to series, instead giving the green light to other projects like the Melrose Place reboot and The Beautiful Life.
9. K-9 and Company – Doctor Who
Multiple spinoffs were made from the most popular British TV show, Doctor Who. Before Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures were greenlit, the makers tried to do a spinoff on the flagship show, featuring Sarah Jane and the robot dog K-9.
A single pilot episode, “A Girl’s Best Friend,” aired as a Christmas special in December 1981 and actually pulled in a strong 8.4 million viewers, outperforming many contemporary episodes of Doctor Who itself. Despite the ratings, a change in BBC channel controllers killed the project before a series could be ordered.
10. Wayward Sisters – Supernatural
During Supernatural‘s thirteenth season, a backdoor pilot introduced Wayward Sisters, a female-led spinoff following Sheriff Jody Mills as she mentored a group of young monster hunters. The episode was met with real enthusiasm from the fandom, including an organized write-in campaign urging The CW to pick up the series.
Despite the strong response, network executives passed, citing a mismatch with the creative direction they wanted for the coming season. It remains a frequently cited example of a fan-backed spinoff that had the numbers but not the network’s confidence.
| Spinoff Show | Flagship Show |
| Aquaman | Smallville |
| The Farm | The Office |
| Bloodmoon | Game of Thrones |
| Pearson | Suits |
| Madison High | High School Musical |
| Sue Sue in the City | The Middle |
| Green Arrow and the Canaries | Arrow |
| Valley Girls | Gossip Girl |
| K-9 and Company | Doctor Who |
| Wayward Sisters | Supernatural |
Which is the most exciting spinoff in this list? Comment below.
