I have tried that, but it can be difficult when series last over years.
The USA isn't the only offender. Canada has some previous here. I remember watching the first season of Odyssey 5 back around 2002. A team of astronauts in high earth orbit witness the destruction of earth. Some alien intelligence thing sends them back five years to see if they can prevent it happening. Nineteen episodes and a cliffhanger is all we got. Then there was the series Intelligence (2006-2008). This was a crime series set in the world of Canadian drug dealing. It had themes of international political corruption and it was rumoured that having commissioned it, CBC got cold feet. They failed to promote it, and when it became successful and popular never even mentioned the raft of awards it was listed for. Finally, they cancelled it, again on a cliffhanger ending, for fear of upsetting the Conservative Harper government, that was already hinting at splitting up CBC and selling it.
Ah, dude - Odyssey - had totally forgotten the name of that, but yes, got stung there!
I find the other thing that happens is that series start out strong and just go beyond pear shaped - Hero's was one. First series was great, then it just went to shit
It's not just that they might get cancelled either, it's the way they all end up being written often without knowing they'll be extended to another series. The result is storylines that lead up to dramatic conclusions and then suddenly they're finding excuses to drag out previously unimportant elements or crowbar in new characters and it goes to shit and then they get cancelled.
Still, it's worth watching some so long as you can not care too much, or it might be that you're talking about Better Call Saul or The Expanse or something and it'd be a shame to miss out on those.
