Yahoo News 11 axed TV shows you didn't know came back
You might be surprised to learn that many programmes have made a multimedia return after getting the chop.
Here are just some of the more memorable shows to come back from the dead – just not on television.
1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Joss Whedon's show, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, ran for seven seasons and left millions heartbroken when it ended in 2003.
Thankfully, fans were rewarded when Whedon himself produced a comic-book series continuing the adventures in Sunnydale with four more seasons published by Dark Horse Comics from 2007 until 2016.
A number of novels in the "BuffyVerse" have also been published since the show's televisual demise. And of course, the TV Buffyverse will rise again.
2. Torchwood
The Doctor Who spin-off with John Barrowman's omnisexual Captain Jack at the helm ran for four seasons from 2006 until 2011. Although never officially axed, it's been pretty much accepted by the Torchwood fandom that, sadly, its televised days are well and truly over.
The final series, 'Miracle Day', was quickly followed by a collection of audio books and a novel from John Barrowman with his sister Carole E Barrowman. They also wrote a Titan Comics series, published over 2016/7.
Currently, audio producers Big Finish – known for their prolific Doctor Who range – have released dozens of Torchwood adventures, with former showrunner Russell T Davies assisting in what is ostensibly a fifth series titled 'Aliens Among Us'.
3. Firefly
Another beloved creation from Joss Whedon.
Despite a movie (2005's Serenity), the science-fiction television show didn't manage to make a return (we live in hope) but the adventures of Mal Reynolds and his crew live on in the world of comics.
Post-Firefly, Whedon explored plot strands he intended to explore on screen in a series of comics which are set both pre- and post-Serenity.
4. Happy Days
What, you've never seen Happy Days: A New Musical?
The retro American sitcom may have come to an end in 1984 but it hasn't stopped the love for the Fonz and his chums. The musical version has been on stage since 2008 whilst Happy Days: The Arena Spectacular toured Australia in the '90s (featuring Neighbours star Craig McLachlan as Fonzie).
5. Quantum Leap
A series of books followed the demise of the much-loved time/person-hopping show in 1993. It continued in print until 2000. Ripping yarns included Knights of the Morningstar (above), Loch Ness Leap and Angels Unaware.
6. Seinfeld
Well, not quite.
A slight cheat here as US stand-up Jerry Seinfeld used his Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee web series (now on Netflix) to reunite with co-star Jason Alexander (George Costanza) and fan-fave Wayne Knight (Newman). It was only a few mins but it was gold Jerry, gold.
7. Smallville
The Superman show came to end with its 10th season in 2011, but just three years later an 11th outing was released through a comic series with the finale to Clark Kent's younger adventures hitting shelves in 2015.
8. Dark Angel
The short-lived early '00s show from James Cameron, and starring Jessica Alba, lived on in a video game (though we don't recommend seeking it out) and in novels which picked up on the storylines after the series was axed, written by Max Allen Collins, the pulp-fiction juggernaut who also created Road to Perdition.
9. Farscape
Since its end in 2002, there's been much talk of the Jim Henson sci-fi show making a comeback, either through webisodes, TV or even a film. So far that hasn't happened but there is a series of comics, set after the show's finale, 'The Peacekeeper Wars'.
10. The Prisoner
Back in '67, Patrick McGoohan caused quite the sensation with his one series of madness and mayhem in the Village. In fairness to The Prisoner's creator, it wasn't actually axed but it did come to an explosive and definite end.
Since then, there has been a novel, a comic and even another television show (but let's forget about that). The aforementioned Big Finish have picked up No. 6's reins with their own series of audio adventures (with a new cast) and this year saw the release of a never-before-published comic from the mid-'70s and a new original series from Titan Comics.
It's also worth noting that Big Finish has also resurrected "axed" TV shows such as Blake's Seven, Terrahawks, Callan, The Avengers, Dark Shadows, Survivors, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, and Star Cops on audio.
11. Babylon 5
The J Michael Straczynski space opera has had an interesting legacy after the regular television series finished in '98. TV movies and a short-lived spin-off (Crusade) followed. Fans could also enjoy a series of trilogies of new novels and a straight-to-DVD collection, Babylon 5: The Lost Tales. Talks still continues of a feature-length movie hitting cinemas. But we're not holding our breath.
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