History Main / WrapItUp

* ''ComicBook/BuckyOHareAndTheToadWars'' aired on TV in 1991, but was cancelled. In 1992, Konami released an arcade BeatEmUp that served as the GrandFinale, showing Bucky and his allies's final battle with the Toad Empire.
* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'', originally conceived as a three season show, almost got the axe after season one, not because of the network, but because of creator Creator/AlexHirsch being burned out due to his lack of experience as a showrunner. After several colleagues, including fan of the show Creator/JonStewart, freaked out when Hirsch confided his plans to end the series on a cliffhanger, he decided, after taking a year off to recover, to produce one more season for the sake of properly concluding the series' MythArc. (Even then, he tried to argue for a truncated order of 10 to 13 episodes, but Creator/{{Disney}} insisted on a full-length season.)

* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' third season functions as this, as instead of the full 20 half-hour episode order that the creator expected, the executives made a truncated order of 3 44-minute episodes instead.

* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'', originally conceived as a three season show, almost got the axe after season one, not because of the network, but because of creator Creator/AlexHirsch being burned out due to his lack of experience as a showrunner. After several colleagues, including fan of the show Creator/JonStewart, freaked out when Hirsch confided his plans to end the series on a cliffhanger, he decided, after taking a year off to recover, to produce one more season for the sake of properly concluding the series' MythArc. (Even then, he tried to argue for a truncated order of 10 to 13 episodes, but Creator/Disney insisted on a full-length season)

* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' almost got the axe after season one, not because of the network, but because of creator Creator/AlexHirsch being burned out due to his lack of experience as a showrunner. After several colleagues, including fan of the show Creator/JonStewart, freaked out when Hirsch confided his plans to end the series on a cliffhanger, he decided, after taking a year off to recover, to produce one more season for the sake of properly concluding the series' MythArc.

* The creator of ''WesternAnimation/OKKOLetsBeHeroes'' was told the show wouldn't be renewed again early into the production of the third season, which was already a shortened 20-episode (10 half-hours) order. Since the production team had only just finished outlining episodes at that point, he was able to easily convince the executives to let them scrap that work in favor of restructuring the entire season into a more serialized format that would conclude its various plotlines.

* [[WhatCouldHaveBeen This was a backup plan]] for if ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'' wasn't renewed for a fourth season, as the third season's {{cliffhanger}} ending was written prior to knowing whether Disney would order more episodes. Creator Daron Nefcy stated that she would have argued with the network for an least another half-hour episode in order to resolve that plot thread.

* ''WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman'' was supposed to have seven seasons to complete the story, but was unexpectedly cancelled after the 6th season was already written. They were given an additional four episodes, which only gave the writers just enough time to complete the obviously pre-planned final set of three episodes that focus on Bojack with the first of the four served to push Bojack straight into what might otherwise have been another half-dozen episodes before hitting rock bottom. It also means the other main characters & story arcs get very little closure or development and thus it's not a particularly satisfying ending.

* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' almost got the axe after season one, not because of the network, but because of creator Creator/AlexHirsch being burned out due to his lack of experience as a showrunner. After Creator/JonStewart, a big fan of the show, freaked out when Hirsch confided his plans to him, he decided, after taking a year off to recover, to produce one more season for the sake of properly concluding the series' MythArc.

* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' almost got the axe after season one, not because of the network, but because of Creator/AlexHirsch being burned out due to his lack of experience as a showrunner. After Creator/JonStewart, a big fan of the show, freaked out when Hirsch confided his plans to him, he decided, after taking a year off to recover, to produce one more season for the sake of properly concluding the series' MythArc.

* ''WesternAnimation/OKKOLetsBeHeroes'' got cancelled early into the production of the third season, which was already a shortened 20-episode (10 half-hours) order. Since the production team had only just finished outlining episodes at that point, the creator was able to easily convince the executives to let them scrap that work in favor of restructuring the entire season into a more serialized format that would conclude its various plotlines.
* It has been announced that the third and final season of ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' will consist of 3 44-minute episodes (6 half-hours) that will wrap of the series' plot instead of the usual 19-21 half-hour episodes.
* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' was officially canceled after the fifth season on 2013. In 2018, Lucasfilm decided to give it a 12-episode mini-season to wrap up the last arcs and write the GrandFinale they never got to.

* For ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'', creator Rebecca Sugar had to argue for an additional six episodes to quickly wrap up the series, as Cartoon Network had wanted to conclude the show with the episode order that featured the story where Ruby and Sapphire get married, as executives wanted to avoid the issue of revoked funding from overseas countries that had anti-LGBT laws. She also ended up arguing for a finale movie, which ultimately resulted not only in ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverseTheMovie'', but [[{{Uncancelled}} also a sixth season]] (which became ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverseFuture'').

* ''Franchise/{{Saw}}'': ''Film/Saw3D'' was drafted by ExecutiveMeddling to wrap up the series after the previous film, ''Film/SawVI'', underperformed at the box office, namely by condensing two planned films into one.

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* A film series example - ''Film/Saw3D'' was written to wrap up the ''Franchise/{{Saw}}'' series after the [[Film/SawVI sixth movie]] underperformed at the box office.

* Due to poor toyline sales, network executives called a halt to the production of ''Anime/NurseAngelRirikaSOS'', forcing the series to come to a conclusion at 35 episodes.

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* ''Series/RayDonovan'' was cancelled after its seventh season despite a cliffhanger ending. A year later, Showtime commissioned a wrap-up film after receiving vehement backlash from fans and critics—[[https://www.vulture.com/2021/02/ray-donovan-movie-showrunner-cancellation.html even from those who didn't really like the show.]]

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* ''Roleplay/TheMassiveMultiFandomRPG'' had a "season 3.5", created in an effort to wrap up the storyline of the [[CutShort never-completed]] Season 3. For that purpose it discarded the complicated setup of the previous season—with travelling all over the world, etc.—in favor of a straightforward series of missions, interspersed with socializing at a safe home base. Unfortunately, [[SeriesHiatus this season ended up dying as well.]]

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* ''WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman'' was supposed to have seven seasons to complete the story, but was unexpectedly cancelled while its sixth season was in production. However, the sixth season was given four more episodes than prior seasons to help finish most of the dangling plot threads.

* Although ''Series/StargateSG1'' made it through 10 seasons before being cancelled, it still needed two TV movies to complete the story threads left over. To be fair, much of what had to be wrapped up was from after the show's {{Retool}} at the beginning of season 9, making them relatively new arcs.

* Due to poor toyline sales, network executives called a halt to the production of ''Anime/NurseAngelRirikaSOS'', forcing the series to come to a conclusion at 36 episodes.

* Due to how dark the show was getting, network executives called a halt to the production of ''Anime/NurseAngelRirikaSOS'', forcing the series to come to a conclusion at 36 episodes.

Some shows get chopped down in their prime, leaving their fans champing at the bit for more. Sometimes these shows -- like ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' or ''Series/{{Jericho}}'', for example -- are UnCanceled due to massive DVD sales or fan campaigns (and, in the case of ''Jericho'', re-cancelled afterwards). Many more, of course, just disappear, having not built up enough support to be worth renewing.

Compare PostScriptSeason, CosmicDeadline. Also compare MakeRoomForTheNewPlot; although that trope is about stories that are guaranteed to be continued, the effects the on-going plot threads tends to be the same. An intentionally short-term version of UnCanceled.

* For ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'', creator Rebecca Sugar had to argue for an additional six episodes to wrap up the series, as Cartoon Network had wanted to conclude the show with the episode order that featured the story where Ruby and Sapphire get married, as executives wanted to avoid the issue of retracted funding from overseas countries that had anti-LGBT laws

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Motorcity}}'' got the ax in mid-production, leading to a two-part series finale to close things off.

* "Phantom Planet" was a special the ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' team had to make when the show didn't get picked up for a fourth season.

* ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan'' deserves a mention. It has a finale that wraps up every storyline very quickly and leaves a ton of unanswered questions in the process.

* [[WhatCouldHaveBeen This was]] [[TheProducerThinksOfEverything a backup plan]] for if ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'' wasn't renewed for a fourth season, as the third season's {{cliffhanger}} ending was written prior to knowing whether Disney would order more episodes. Creator Daron Nefcy stated that she would have argued with the network for an least another half-hour episode in order to resolve that plot thread.

* ''Series/{{Dallas}}'' and ''Series/{{Dynasty}}'' got wrap-up movies.

* When ''ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog'' underwent a CosmicRetcon (brought about by the [[ScrewedByTheLawyers lawsuit]] over the continued use of Ken Penders' characters, necessitating them all being written out), many long-running storylines either [[AbortedArc got the ax]] or were quietly retooled to fit in the new reality. But the [[TyrantTakesTheHelm King Naugus]] story doesn't even get that dignity -- the first issue post-retcon has Naugus being traumatized by [[RippleEffectProofMemory memories of the old world]], to the point that he abandons the throne without a fight and literally runs away, never to be seen again. The series itself was [[CutShort canceled]] shortly after.

* [[WhatCouldHaveBeen This was the plan]] if ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'' wasn't renewed for a fourth season, as the third season's {{cliffhanger}} ending was written prior to knowing whether Disney would order more episodes. Creator Daron Nefcy stated that she would have argued with the network for an least another half-hour episode in order to resolve that plot thread.

* When ''ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog'' underwent a CosmicRetcon (brought about by the [[ScrewedByTheLawyers lawsuit]] over continuing to use Ken Penders' characters necessitating them all being written out), many long-running storylines either [[AbortedArc got the ax]] or were quietly retooled to fit in the new reality. But the [[TyrantTakesTheHelm King Naugus]] story doesn't even get that dignity -- the first issue post-retcon has Naugus be traumatized by [[RippleEffectProofMemory memories of the old world]], to the point that he abandons the throne without a fight and literally runs away, never to be seen again. The series itself was [[CutShort canceled]] shortly after.

* ''Series/Sense8'' was one of Netflix's most expensive original programming. The company never disclouses ratings of their own shows, but it was known that the audience never reached the expected levels. The second season was released a year and a half after the first, and just weeks later it was announced that it had been cancelled. There was ''massive'' uproar in social media (considering the second season ended on a cliffhanger) and even Creator/TheWachowskis said that there was nothing they could do. Until it wasn't, and the company comissioned a final two-hour special to send off the show.