Pick: What was the greatest one-season wonder in TV history?

Did Kato and Kolchak deserve more love?

 

Television is a competitive business. The pressure is on from the first episode. It seems as if half of the shows made last a single season. 

This is not always a knock on their quality. Perhaps a series received a tough time slot. Maybe it was too ahead of its time. In some cases, it might have just been too high quality — too expensive to produce.

There are many single-season shows with rabid fanbases. In fact, we show several such shows on MeTV. We call them one-season wonders.

Below, we gathered some of our favorite one-season wonders from the 1950s through the 2000s. They range from sci-fi to drama to Westerns. Which one is your favorite?

Of course, there are too many to list. Did we not include your favorite? Tell us in the comments!

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  1. Which is your favorite television show that only lasted one season?

Pick: What was the greatest one-season wonder in TV history?

Your Result...

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110 Comments

Fred_Clampett 8 months ago
I picked Briscoe County Jr., but it doesn't surprise me that Kolchak was number one.
JohnnyRingo 8 months ago
I picked “Planet of the Apes”, however the one I would’ve voted for wasn’t on the list which is “American Gothic”.
ScarlettKaiju 8 months ago
So many great shows here - Kolchak, Green Hornet, T.H.E. Cat...But you forgot my very favorite "One Season Wonder," the 1990 version of The Flash!
WGH 11 months ago
Earth 2 (94-95 seadon) was awesome with Tim Curry.

When does the earlier sci-fi attempts on network TV but it never caught on. It was too woke for its time

WGH 11 months ago
What about The Simpsons?

Wait, I think they were on more than one season. My bad.
WGH 11 months ago
My brother wrote The Pilot script for "my so-called life".

It aired on MTV and has a cult following. Can't believe it's only getting 3%. It deserves better.

Also can't believe Matthew Star has no votes (Actually I can! That was garbage)
kito WGH 8 months ago
Your brother is the man then! Still can’t believe that aired on MTV 🤯
ColorTVisapassingfad 14 months ago
Few remember "He & She" with Dick Benjamin and Paula Prentiss. Dry. subtle and a decade ahead of it's time as the original show about "nothing".
kito ColorTVisapassingfad 8 months ago
100% agreed. Allan Burns, one of the creators of Mary Tyler Moore, was a writer on this show!
Karellen 14 months ago
Amazed that Firefly got 5%, and Battlestar Galactica got 19%, thought it would be the other way around. Fox really messed Firefly up ny running the episodes out of order, showing (I think) episode 3 or 4 first, then episode 2, then 5, etc. The last episode aired was the 2 hr pilot. If you watch Firefly in the correct sequence, it's one fantastic show.
It was my choice, but The Magician with Bill Bixby would be my second, and Police Squad my third.
MarshaStapleton 28 months ago
Houston Knights, with Michael Pare and Michael Beck.
rycki1138 29 months ago
It was between Firefly and Battlestar Galactica. I went with Firefly
BrianBrick 29 months ago
Frank’s Place starring Tim Reid, created by Hugh Wilson (of WKRP fame).
ChrisRobinson 29 months ago
I might also suggest Quark
WGH ChrisRobinson 11 months ago
Richard Benjamin. Nice.

I think the Invisible Man but David McCullum was only one season. It was pretty good.
Snickers 30 months ago
100% similar. Loved Kolchak and them goofy monsters.
HarryAlcantara 30 months ago
You left off Patrick McGoohan's "The Prisoner" (1967-1968). It's my favorite one-season wonder, followed by "Kolchak the Night Stalker" at 2nd place. Is it because "The Prisoner" was a British show?
kraftwerk 30 months ago
The Jetsons or Top Cat
WGH kraftwerk 11 months ago
You could never get Top Cat on television today. But I love it. Bought the DVD set to show my kid. He likes Benny and JuJu
JLDel 30 months ago
How about the tv series, The Honeymooners (1955-56)…. one season, 39 episodes, shown over and over and over again to generations of new fans and old. Great comedy. It inspired the Flintstones and the King of Queens.
SandraCraft 31 months ago
You left off my 2nd favorite one-season wonder, American Gothic.
Karen4stars 32 months ago
There are at least 5 I could pick...to hard to pick just one.
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