We all know as fans of television that a series can end at any moment, and it hurts everyone invested. Whether it's one of the past beloved series that got canceled over the years or any of the current shows ending or axed in 2025, it's always hard to handle a cancellation. And that hurt is felt by both fans and those who made a project. Sitcom veteran Melissa Joan Hart, for example, revealed the emotional rollercoasters she's been on when projects end and the one character she didn't get to properly grieve.
The actress caught up with TV Insider to talk about career highlights, including many iconic series like Clarissa Explains It All and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. While chatting about the handful of shows, she shared some BTS feelings she's had in regard to navigating a job and not being able to predict how long something can last. All the same, the former child star had nothing but love for her projects and was always hopeful they'd last, saying:
The hardest part of doing that sitcom is you never know if the show will be one season like my show No Good Nick on Netflix was or 10 seasons. You don’t know if you’re in this for a year or 10 years. Your personal life suffers a little bit while you navigate how long is this show going to last. You’re hoping it does.
She then went on to explain the emotional rollercoaster that comes with trying to figure out the lifespan of both long-running and short series. Each is difficult in its own right, but there's something extra tragic about unexpected cancellation, as she said:
I’ve never grieved a character like I grieved Mel. Mainly, probably because I didn’t know the shows were definitely ending. Sabrina, we were lucky because we got picked up for three seasons. We knew we were coming back for a few years. Then when we wrapped up the seventh season we were like, 'We might not come back, but we’re supposed to come back in the fall. Who knows?' Clarissa, I always thought we were ending and then came back.
The experience behind the scenes seems more chaotic than anything the fans have to deal with, and the uncertainty is super nerve-wracking. Thinking of performers parting ways with some incredible characters, like Hart did with Mel of Melissa & Joey, highlights how heartbreaking a show getting canceled is because they are unwillingly forced to say goodbye.
As the Holiday in Handcuffs actress went on, she dove into how tough it was to give up Mel and Melissa & Joey (which is available to stream with a Hulu subscription). She stated it was a wonderful and realistic character to play and that the show came at a great time in her personal life. Everything was positive until they found out it wasn’t coming back, and she didn't get the chance to really grieve her character, as she explained:
I never got to grieve for the character. Playing Mel was the greatest Joy. She was such a flawed character in so many great and funny ways. It was kind of the sweet spot of my life. I had my kids, but I’m still feeling good. Waking up without a crick in my neck. Still young enough to not need glasses to read the script on set. All the sweet spot stuff. I had a baby and was able to bounce back. Then I was able to be really hilarious with this character. In the weeks we knew it wasn’t coming back, man, I cried. ‘I’ll never get to play her again!’ With other shows it was more, ‘Okay, time to move on.' This one I was more, 'I never get to be her again. She will go away and never come back.’
Moving on from a character and time of life like that must have been so much to process for Melissa Joan Hart. Between having a four-season run, audiences enjoying it enough and a good home life at the time, I get why it was hard for her to say goodbye. Unfortunately, this cutthroat process of cancellation and renewal is an inevitable part of the TV business.
Thankfully, though, Hart has found plenty of projects to help her move on from one of her favorites. For example, you can likely catch her on the back half of the 2025 Netflix schedule in the holiday rom-com A Merry Little Ex-Mas. So make sure to have an active Netflix subscription ready. In the meantime, you can go back and stream Clarissa Explains It All with a Paramount+ subscription and Hart's beloved Melissa & Joey on Hulu.
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