Summary
Some of the best action TV shows don’t get the opportunity to act on their full potential due to unfortunate network cancelations. What makes a truly compelling action series is the balance between high-stakes and believable action with a substantial narrative. Though many shows achieve this with a first season, carrying it into following seasons isn’t always easy, andbefore the series can re-route and come back with stronger seasons, they get canceled. The reasons for cancelations vary from show to show, but many are due to low ratings.
It’s not uncommon for TV shows with low ratings to get canceled, but what makes it seem unnecessary is the promising premise within the series that would’ve allowed it to grow into something better in the future. On the other hand,other action TV shows were famously canceled too soon because of budget costs. Cutting down on such costs would’ve diluted the high quality found within the limited number of episodes and a cancelation made the most sense in the end.
The 10 Best Lead Characters From Action Thriller Shows, Ranked
Action thriller TV shows captivate audiences with their compelling lead characters, however, some stand out as being the absolute best in the genre.
Dark Angel
Cast
Dark Angel is a science fiction television series set in a dystopian future, centered on genetically enhanced super-soldier Max Guevara, played by Jessica Alba. Created by James Cameron and Charles H. Eglee, the show follows Max’s quest to find her fellow escaped comrades while evading capture by government forces.
Throughout his career,James Cameron has worked with plenty of iconic actors, including Jessica Alba. Beginning in 2000, Cameron acted as an executive producer and creator, alongside Charles H. Eglee, of the Fox sci-fi show,Dark Angel, starring Alba as the lead character.Dark Angelseason 1 was a success, drawing a lot of attention and receiving praise from critics and audiences. Unfortunately, despite the promising content within the series,it was canceled after two seasons largely due to low ratings.
Dark Angelfollows Alba as Max, a genetically enhanced superhuman who is on the run from the government after escaping from a military training facility where she learned her fighting skills. Alba fully embodies the part, gaining attention in what is often referred to as her breakout role. As one would expect from such a character, there are plenty of combat scenes between Max and others.
Before filming began, Alba trained for the role and performed a majority of her stunt scenes. Overall,Dark Angel’s action sequences are well-choreographed and full of suspense, though some of the editing is dated. The sort of unapologetic physical strength Max exhibits in these scenes helped land the character among other notable strong female TV characters during the time, such as Buffy and Xena. Years later, the characterization of Max remains the largest takeaway from the series.
Wayne
Wayne is an action comedy television series that initially aired on YouTube Premium and stars Mark McKenna as Wayne, a teenager who heads out on an action-fueled quest to get back his late father’s stolen car. With nothing more than a dirtbike and his friend Del, the two hit the road from Massachusetts to Florida to find his father’s Pontiac.
In 2019,Waynewas released as a YouTube Original series, but a few months later it was announced the series was canceled after one season. Luckily, for audiences who missedWaynewhen it was streaming on YouTube, Amazon Prime earned the streaming rights to the series in 2020, but since then, no news has been announced aboutWayne’s fate. The action comedy series hasn’t been officially axed, butWayneis no longer a part of the streaming service and is now only available to purchase.
Wayne, starring Mark McKenna as the titular character, and Ciara Bravo as his road trip buddy, Del, is created by Shawn Simmons and executive produced by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. Reese and Wernick are best known for their collaborative writing efforts on theDeadpoolmovies. Pieces of what pulled audiences into the superhero movies are found inWayne, including shocking violence and humor. As Wayne and Del travel to Florida to retrieve the car of the former’s deceased father, they come across a variety of characters and find themselves in brutal confrontations.
Throughout the series' 10 episodes, the characters are fleshed out and full, making it easy for audiences to root for them
However, balancing the abundance of action inWayneis a dark, and oddly endearing, sense of humor and heartwarming scenes between the main characters. Sometimes, characters in an action series can be written as caricatures of the genre, coming off as empty characters audiences can’t connect with. That’s not the case withWayne. Throughout the series' 10 episodes, the characters are fleshed out and full, making it easy for audiences to root for them.
Human Target
Human Target, based on the DC Comics title, stars Mark Valley as Christopher Chance, a private contractor who assumes clients' identities to protect them. The series follows Chance’s dangerous assignments aided by his business partner Winston (Chi McBride) and tech expert Guerrero (Jackie Earle Haley).
The DC comic book character of the same name, also known as Christopher Chance, acts as the inspiration for the 2010 Fox series,Human Target. Christopher is played by Mark Valley in the second TV show adaptation following the 1992 series in which Rick Springfield played the character.Human Targetfollows Christopher as a private investigator who helps out others targeted by dangerous criminals.Human Targetlasted for two seasons before ultimately getting canceled.
As the name would imply, there is no shortage of action inHuman Target. Whether it’s using gunfire or hand-to-hand combat, Christopher is frequently seen fighting off various characters throughout the series' two seasons.These action sequences are quickly paced, leaving audiences on the edge of their seats as they are unsure of what will happen next. The action is also supported by a memorable set of scored music by composer Bear McCreary. As the composer for the first season, McCreary utilized a live orchestra to play the character’s theme. For many audiences, the music was one of the best parts of the series.
Admittedly, the characters aren’t as well-written as others have been within the action genre. Therefore, Christopher’s fighting skills and signature theme music were what stuck in the audience’s minds. That’s whythe replacement of McCreary in season 2 left many disappointed. The absence of McCreary’s score and the unwelcomed addition of new characters left only the action withinHuman Target. It wasn’t enough to make audiences care about the characters or keep the show growing into what could have been a successfulcomic book TV show.
Rome
Rome is a historical drama television series that aired from 2005 to 2007. The show is set in the 1st century BC and follows the lives of two Roman soldiers, Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo, as they navigate the complexities of ancient Roman politics and warfare.
Unlike some TV shows that were canceled due to a less-than-spectacular sophomore season and a decline in ratings, the plans for HBO’sRomewere cut short due to budget costs.Romeis set in Ancient Rome and primarily follows the lives of two Roman soldiers, Lucius Vorenus, played by Kevin McKidd, andRay Stevenson’s Titus Pullo. ThoughRome’s ending came sooner than many would have preferred, the drama’s two seasons earned much critical acclaim.
The large budget ofRomeallowed for grand battle sequences. While these battles had the suspense and intense physical action expected in such a show, the scale of these scenes was what truly impressed. The large number of actors as soldiers placed within impressive set pieces helps fully immerse audiences in the ancient setting. In addition to the series' set design, the plot and character details were written with higher levels of authenticity than other historical dramas have been. These factors led to both audiences and critics applaudingRomeas a standout series.
The unfortunate part ofRome’s cancelation is the plans for future seasons that had to be abandoned.Rome’s co-creator Bruno Heller has mentioned that his plans for the series included the death of Brutus by the end of season 2 and the following seasons taking place in Egypt and Palestine (viaReuters). Seeing how well doneRomemanaged to be in a short amount of time, there’s no doubt that had the show been able to continue, it would’ve remained on its path of greatness.
25 Best Movies Set In Ancient Rome Ranked
Ancient Rome has been one of the best historic settings used by Hollywood since the beginning of cinema - here are the best Ancient Rome movies ranked
The Punisher
The Punisher stars Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/The Punisher, who first appeared on Netflix’sDaredevil. Frank is a United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper veteran who is highly skilled in martial arts, stealth tactics, guerrilla warfare, and knows how to use a variety of weapons. The death of his wife and two children led him to take matters into his own hands, and he has been killing criminals indiscriminately ever since. Despite being beloved by fans,The Punisherwas canceled in early 2019. Thankfully for fans of Bernthal’s character, it was announced in 2023 that he would be joining the MCU by appearing inDaredevil: Born Again, starring Charlie Cox.
Jon Bernthal is the latest and most fittingactor who played the Punisher. Unlike the actors before him,Bernthal has been given more room to explore the character’s backgrounddue to his appearance inDaredeviland getting to lead a series based on the character,The Punisher. After streaming on Netflix for two seasons,The Punisherwas canceled, enacting a momentary pause in the antiheroes' plans for revenge.
As mentioned, Bernthal’s portrayal of Frank Castle is widely considered to be the most authentic to what’s depicted in the comics. Part of this is attributed to the levels of violence on screen.Bernthal holds his own as the hardened characterand convincingly takes on the Punisher’s various enemies. However, there is purpose and emotional hurt that leads to his path of violence and, because of the TV show structure, Bernthal can explore the emotional motives of the character.
ThoughThe Punisherisn’t the bestMarvel TV show from Netflix, its action and characterization of Frank were compelling enough for fans to wish for more seasons. The cancelation ofThe Punisherleft a few unanswered questions that, until recently, fans were left to wonder if they’d ever get the answer. Luckily,Bernthal is reprising his famous rolein the upcoming seriesDaredevil: Born Againand audiences will be brought up to date about where Frank has been since the end of season 2.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
This spinoff of the Terminator franchise follows Sarah Connor, her son John, and Cameron, a Terminator reprogrammed to protect John. Pursued by time-traveling Terminator assassins, they must cope with life on the run as well as the impending threat of Skynet.
The fanfare surrounding theTerminatormovieswas starting to die down
Taking place after the events ofTerminator 2: Judgment Day,Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chroniclesfollows the titular character (Lena Headey) and her son John (Thomas Dekker) as they attempt to stop the creation of Skynet. Unfortunately for the show, the fanfare surrounding theTerminatormovieswas starting to die down. During its two-season run,Terminator: TSCCreceived its fair share of mixed reviewsdue to its inability to live up to the spectacle of the franchise’s early films.
Just as the movies do,Terminator: TSCChas plenty of compelling action scenes. The action scenes, especially combined with the series' overall quick pace, were engaging enough for casual viewers who weren’t completely caught up in the backstory provided by theTerminatormovies. However, that’s not to sayTerminator: TSCCis without a substantial narrative. The episodic storytelling allowed the series' writers to explore the characters more than any of the films were able to.
Considering the events ofTerminator: TSCCdoesn’t align with the following moviesin the franchise, the series had the potential to carry on as a separate thing. Unfortunately, low ratings and the show’s growing budget prevented this from happening. Still,Terminator: TSCCis remembered best for Headey’s performance as Sarah Connor and as an ambitious spin-off series that just might’ve worked better a few years later.
