Often what sets a great joke apart from a good one is a potent pause. The comedian’s confidence to bask in the silence as the audience’s neurons fire away to make the connection and finally reach the much-deserved laugh. That time given for the joke to marinate is essential. The same can be said for TV shows.

Many titles that have earned cult status today tanked in the beginning, suffering from low viewership and ratings. Parks and Recreation took one season to find its footing before becoming a crowd favourite. Family Guy was cancelled after three seasons only to be resurrected because its reruns were raking in more viewers for the network. The time that was given to these shows was essential to their success. They got the opportunity to flesh out their characters, develop interesting story arcs and connect with the viewers.

Unfortunately, not every project gets this treatment. Sometimes the suits who are in charge are too impatient and end up axing some incredible shows. Shows that have the promise to be the next phenomenon or at least dish out some much-needed laughs every year. Here’s a list of comedy shows whose wings were clipped before they could soar.

Our Flag Means Death (2 Seasons)

Our Flag Means Death wasn’t your traditional workplace comedy. For starters, it was about pirates traversing the high seas looking to plunder some riches. But to be fair, that is their workplace. Using actual historical pirates opposite fictional characters, creator David Jenkins had uncovered a treasure chest of one-liners and high-octane moments in this one-of-a-kind historical fiction. But this series, led by the incredible Rhys Darby—who played a former aristocrat who gave up his fortune to live a life of crime at sea—and Taika Waititi was cancelled before a highly anticipated season 3 could go into production.

Final Space (3 Seasons)

This show was unlike other animated sci-fi shows such as Futurama or Rick and Morty. But it had heart and a lot of it. Following the intergalactic adventures of Gary Godspeed, this space opera had stunning visuals and a story that tugged at your heart strings. Not afraid to dig deep into the emotional beats, Final Space was reaching a full boil by the end of its third season. But even Conan O’Brien, Fred Armisen and David Tennant and Steve Yeun’s star power couldn’t save this show from getting the axe. But there’s a silver lining for the fans in the form of a comic book that will put a neat little bow on this saga.

Kevin Can F**k Himself (2 Seasons)

This was probably one of the most original pieces of content I saw in the last decade. The treatment, which alternates between a feel-good sitcom with a laugh track and a tense and dark crime drama, drew viewers in from the word go. Annie Murphy’s portrayal of Alison, a tired housewife married to a good-for-nothing sexist man, was the highlight of the show. But the show never got renewed for a third season because the higher ups deemed it “too confusing for the casual viewers”. The nerve to not serve up predigested slop.

Garfunkel & Oates (1 Season)

When it comes to musical comedy duos there are two that rank up top on most people’s lists. Flight of the Conchords and Garfunkel and Oates. While the former was put to rest by its creators (it became too taxing to write the show) the latter was cancelled by the network. Fans of the duo, who had seen them grow on YouTube and caught their shows live, were disappointed by the decision and rightfully so. The eponymous series in which the two lead actors bumble their way around the LA to make it big in Hollywood was packed with hilarious and catchy tunes. Too bad we couldn’t get more.

Arrested Development (3 Seasons, Renewed 7 Years Later)

Yes, this show that is widely regarded as the greatest sitcom of all time and has inspired single-camera comedies such as 30 Rock and Community was cancelled due to low viewership. Let that sink in. Across the three seasons it was active, the Bluth family gave us some of the funniest chaotic moments television has ever seen. And the stacked cast of Jason Bateman, Jessica Walter, Will Arnett, David Cross and others did good on that writing. But we live in a world that is ruled by numbers and they had to shut shop despite bagging six Primetime Emmy Awards. The show did make a comeback in 2013 to for two more seasons but by then the fire had fizzled out.