9 Queer Shows That Were Unfairly Cancelled

Out of all the queer shows on this list that were unfairly cancelled, Netflix’s Warrior Nun hurts the most. It tells the story of Ava, an orphaned teen who wakes up in a morgue after becoming the chosen Halo Bearer for a secret sect of demon-hunting nuns. And yes, while the fighting and the demons are fun to watch, it’s the relationship that blossoms between Ava and Sister Beatrice that really stole our hearts.

Ava and Beatrice find family with each other. They also find trust, a space where they can try new things without fear, and the kind of support that moves mountains with each other. And it’s all tied beautifully with a pulp fantasy feel with a bunch of character-driven drama and badass women. What more could you want, honestly?

So why was Warrior Nun cancelled after only two seasons? The same reason that many shows on this list have been cancelled: viewership versus cost. It didn’t matter that Season 2 spent three weeks in Netflix’s Weekly Top 10 for English-language series. It also didn’t matter that it had a passionate fanbase. That wasn’t enough. We had a spark of hope when Executive Producer Dean English said there was going to be a trilogy. But the last real update on that was in 2023.

Since the cancellation, there are no sapphic-led shows on Netflix with more than two seasons.

The Wachowski’s queer-inclusive Netflix series Sense8 deserved more than two seasons and a special two-hour finale send off. The critically-acclaimed show told the story of a group of people around the world that suddenly become linked mentally. And they must find a way to survive being hunted by those who see them as a threat to the world’s order. 

Sense8 felt like a turning point for representation. It had people from all over the world, from different cultures, and different identities and sexual orientations. It was all elevated because they were given agency and depth instead of stereotypes. And somehow the show was able to weave it all together so the looming threat isn’t as important as the intimate relationships these eight people share.

So why did it get cancelled? It was too expensive. In a Polygon report from 2017, they explained that experts estimated that Sense8 cost $9 million to make per episode. In comparison, HBO’s Game of Thrones cost approximately $6 million per episode. And while Sense8 ended up with a dedicated fanbase, Game of Thrones transformed into a cultural phenomenon.

Out of all the show cancellations on this list, Netflix’s Glamorous is a little different. But before we get into that, Glamorous is a workplace comedy about a young gender non-conforming queer person working for makeup mogul Madolyn Addison. It had the same spirit as America Ferrera’s Ugly Betty (2006) and Freeform’s The Bold Type (2017) but queer. 

And sure, it was a bit over-the-top and the lead Marco often annoyed me, but it was fun, had the iconic Kim Cattrall, and showed that there is a spectrum when it comes to the queer community instead of another stereotype. Also, it had Zane Phillips in a dress and heels in one scene that will forever be burned into my brain. Just trust me.

So why was Glamorous cancelled after one season? This show was an unfortunate victim of the aftermath of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes. At the time, the writers of Hollywood were rightfully fighting for their pay and rights. When the strike was over, there was an enormous backlog of shows for studios. And the delay left them trying to find a way to recoup financially what they could. That led to Glamorous being canceled alongside popular shows like Shadow & Bone (2021). 

After Warrior Nun, the cancellation of Our Flag Means Death is the most hard hitting out of this list of queer shows that were unfairly cancelled. It tells the story of land-owner Stede Bonnet and the midlife crisis that leads him to become a pirate. Along the way he meets the dreaded Blackbeard. And guess what? They fall in love!

Not only is this the most uniquely funny and creative show that HBO Max has ever done, but it’s got so many lovable layers. Because yes, we’re here for the feel-good romance between Stede and Edward aka Blackbeard. But I was also here for Jim’s self discovery journey when it came to their identity. And I was also here for Black Pete’s growth, Buttons’ humor, and the discoveries they made along the way.

So why was Our Flag Means Death cancelled after two seasons? Despite the impressive response from critics and fans, and despite it having a Hollywood icon like Taika Waititi attached, it came down to production costs versus return. It’s a tale as old as time, while other less creative shows like Emily in Paris (2020) get six seasons but still can’t give a coherent timeline. 

I Am Not Okay with This felt like the beginning of a new wave of superhero shows. Being on Netflix, it had this Stranger Things feel to it but with a more singular focus, was queer, and was a more grounded drama. It also starred Sophia Lillis, who was gaining momentum in Hollywood thanks to her playing Beverly in It (2017) and then again in It: Chapter Two (2020). Despite this, the show got cancelled. 

At the heart of I Am Not Okay with This was Sydney. She’s just a teenage girl in high school dealing with the complexities of growing up, her family, and her budding sexuality. As if things couldn’t get any more complicated, she also starts displaying strange superpowers just as she’s figuring things out with her mega crush on her best friend Dina.

So why was I Am Not Okay with This cancelled after one season? This one was a victim to Covid-19. At a time where there were tons of delays and ballooning budgets because of Covid-19 preventative measures, showrunner Jonathan Entwistle believed it to be a financial decision even though the show was to run for two seasons from the start and they were already in preproduction with a shooting date in mind.  

Netflix’s First Kill felt like the modern day sapphic answer to Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997). Except this time around it’s a campy story about vampire Juliette falling in love with vampire hunter Calliope. Both are from vastly different families and they’re tasked with getting ready for their first kill. But then their love royally messes up that plan. 

Despite critics trashing it, the general audience loved it. It reminded them of the Golden Era of The CW where you could forgive how low-budget it was because of how entertaining it was. Also, the sapphic love between these two wasn’t gentle like Heartstopper (2022). It was steamy yet intimate, something the LGBTQ+ community has wanted more of when it comes to sapphic relationships. 

So why was First Kill cancelled after one season? According to Deadline in 2022, sources said that the show didn’t have “the staying power of most Netflix hits” and that it “did not meet thresholds for viewing and completion of episodes.” Basically not enough people watched it or finished it. Considering that other shows on this list are even more popular and still got cancelled, every network has a different metric that’s hard to understand.

In a Hollywood that loves a reboot or a remake, you would think that the TV show Willow would be a surefire thing. The high-fantasy series aired on Disney+ and continued the story of the 1988 film of the same name, Willow. Most notably it saw the return of the beloved Warwick Davis as Willow Ufgood. 

The continuation is set 20 years after the original movie and follows a group of heroes that set off on a dangerous journey where they must face their inner demons and save the world. And it was championed by the queer community because of Kit and Jade. One was a princess and the other an aspiring knight. Truly something out of a fairytale. Together they are one of the first explicitly queer romances on Disney+, who continue to toe around actually including visibly queer characters in their films and TV shows.

So why was Willow cancelled after one season? Basically the same thing that happened to other shows on this list like Sense8 or First Kill. It cost too much and wasn’t profitable. Which begs the question, if reboots/remakes are the Hollywood gold standard, and aren’t themselves enough to keep a show’s lights on, then what is?  

Not even being part of a mega-beloved franchise could save this queer show from cancellation.

Chucky was a continuation of the world created by Don Mancini. And as of 2026, there are 8 movies about the killer “Good Guy” doll possessed by Charles Lee Ray. Chucky acted as a continuation on the Syfy channel that focused on the infamous doll and the teenager Jake who found him at a yard sale. 

At its heart, Chucky is a dark comedy. But it’s also a story about self discovery. Because when you’re a teenager, things are scary and new. Throw in a sexuality crisis and a killer doll and you’re not having a good time. But somehow it worked, with the show’s most iconic moment being Jake asking Chucky if he’s ok with having a queer kid and Chucky replying with a deadpan, “I’m not a monster, Jake.”

So why was Chucky cancelled after three seasons despite having a huge following and multiple movies as part of the franchise? Unfortunately, Syfy was moving away from original programming as a cost saving measurement. And Chucky suffered the same fate that The Shannara Chronicles (2016) did when MTV decided they were going to pull the same move. 

Vagrant Queen is a Syfy Channel gem that deserved more love. It tells the story of a former queen named Elida and her dangerous space adventure through the galaxy alongside companions Isaac and Amae. And it felt very much in the line of Firefly (2002) with a dash of Andromeda (2000). Unfortunately, it only got one season before being cancelled. 

When it comes to the romance, it feels like we were especially robbed of something epic happening between Elida and Amae. Elida was the hardened lone wolf, while Amae was the warm and compassionate one. And it could’ve been something so beautiful and flirty if it wasn’t cancelled. 

So why was Vagrant Queen cancelled? This one is two fold. Despite it being a Syfy original, it suffered from low viewership around a time when even Wynonna Earp (2016) was struggling on the channel. And then there was the Covid-19 pandemic, which tightened restrictions for all studios and took away any chance of this show surviving.