Despite high ratings, A Nightmare on Elm Street's anthology TV show, Freddy's Nightmares, was canceled after only a two season syndicated run. It really can't be overstated just how popular the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, and the Freddy Krueger character in particular, was for most of the 1980s. While the franchise and Freddy himself still boast an impressively large fanbase, Freddy was almost the horror equivalent of Mickey Mouse or Batman in the 1980s, a true pop culture giant.
Freddy's burned face and knife glove adorned just about every possible piece of tie-in merchandise, including items that were decidedly inappropriate, such as clothing and accessories targeted at children, and even an NES video game. While the fact that little kids were sporting backpacks and lunchboxes covered with the scarred visage of a fictional child murderer (and occasionally implied molester) still isn't the weirdest thing about the 1980s, it's definitely something that seems extremely odd in hindsight.
Considering that level of fame, it's no surprise that Freddy eventually got his own TV show. Freddy's Nightmares premiered in 1988, at the height of Freddy mania, and featured the Springwood Slasher introducing - and occasionally starring in - weekly tales of dream-based terror. Unfortunately, its run wouldn't last long.
Why A Nightmare on Elm Street's TV Show Was Canceled (Despite High Ratings)
Looking back, many might see that Freddy's Nightmares only produced 44 episodes over 2 seasons as a sign that people didn't like it or didn't watch it, as is so often the case for shows that get canceled early. However, that wasn't the case. During season 1 especially, Freddy's Nightmares was one of the biggest hits in syndication, back when original scripted series actually aired in that format. Freddy mania easily translated over to TV, even if his involvement in each episode was usually minimal. The problem, at least for some, was just how violent the series was, routinely pushing the envelope when it came to gore and adult content on broadcast TV.
However, one reason Freddy's Nightmares' violence irked so many is that lots of TV stations made the choice to broadcast the show at 5pm, when it was designed from the ground up to be a late night series targeted squarely at adults. Its earlier airings attracted a younger audience, which angered America's always present moral guardians enough to lodge complaints against Freddy's Nightmares, even though producers didn't control the scheduling.
While efforts were made in season 2 to lessen the adult content, this didn't sit well with fans of the show, effectively creating a lose-lose situation for its makers. The per-episode budgets were also reduced, lending season 2 a cheaper appearance, and the gore was pulled back on, upsetting hardcore A Nightmare on Elm Street fans. Finally, Warner Bros. just threw up its hands and canceled Freddy's Nightmares, despite ratings still being high enough to justify a season 3. Many involved with the show then migrated over to HBO's Tales from the Crypt.
