1. Gilligan's Island

 

Despite a legacy that's lasted more than half a century, the quirky sitcom about seven castaways only lasted three seasons. The show was quietly canceled to make room for Gunsmoke, which was suffering in the ratings after more than a decade on air. 

2. Batman

 

Batman was an expensive show to produce, with elaborate sets and two episodes airing weekly. When the Caped Crusader wasn't delivering the ratings ABC wanted, the network cancelled the show a little more than two years after it premiered. NBC offered to pick up the show for a fourth season, but when the network found out the sets had already been destroyed, they backed out. 

3. Wonder Woman

 

Lynda Carter's version of Wonder Woman has become synonymous with the superhero, but the show itself lasted only three seasons. ABC passed on the opportunity to pick up the show after its first season, meaning the show was always on the bubble of being canceled. 

4. F Troop

 

F Troop stands as one of the most enduring Western comedies of the 1960s, but its original run was a paltry two seasons. Luckily, the Civil War–era series enjoyed a second life in syndication, despite producing less than the ideal number of episodes. 

5. Star Trek

 

Who would have guessed a show that lasted three season and 79 episodes would spawned four other live-action series, several movies, an animated show, novels and a plethora of fan fiction?

6. The Addams Family

 

Even though The Addams Family was a comic strip before it became a television show in the 1960s, its most enduring image is the cast that starred in the gothic sitcom. Morticia, Gomez, Uncle Fester and Wednesday were only on television for two seasons. Two seasons, two theatrical Hollywood films. Even the reboot TV series The New Addams Family lasted two seasons in the late 1990s.

Image: MGM Television

7. The Munsters

 

A week after The Addams Family made its debut, so did The Munsters. Perhaps Americans weren't too keen on watching ghosts and monsters in primetime, as this show also lasted only two seasons. 

Image: NBCUniversal

8. H.R. Pufnstuf

 

It's a show that any kid growing up in the late '60s and early '70s remembers. Shockingly, only 17 episodes of H.R. Pufnstuf were produced. The reruns were so successful, the children's show remained in syndication on Saturday mornings until 1985. 

9. Lost in Space

 

It's no secret people love Irwin Allen's space Western, but it didn't get enough love during its original run. Lost in Space lasted three seasons, and its abrupt cancelation meant the Robinson's never found their way back to Earth.