Internet streaming services have opened up a new world for TV viewers. Shows once buried in late-night slots can and have been discovered by a whole new audience through catch-up or subscription services. However, this hasn't always been the case, particularly in the US, where ratings are king; many a promising show has been cut short, sacrificed at the altar of audience numbers and erratic channel scheduling (see the recent axing of Community, which has since been rescued by Yahoo). But what if Netflix, Amazon Prime and the rest were around when these shows were pulled? Here are six we think may have had a longer life.

Firefly (one season, 2002)

The great 'oh-what-could-have-been' for many sci-fi fans was Joss Whedon's 2002 space western, which, thanks to scattershot scheduling by the Fox network, was killed before it hit its stride. While enormous fan support grew the popularity, and earned the characters a conclusion in a 2005 movie, a streaming site pick-up would have saved a lot of campaigning and given us more misadventures for the good ship Serenity.

Freaks and Geeks (one season, 1999-2000)

Judd Apatow's Freaks and Geeks. Photograph: Nbc/NBC via Getty Images

The trials of a misfit group of high-schoolers could have caught fire with tablet-toting teens across the world. Sadly, turn-of-the-century fans had no such avenue, and a multitude of timeslot changes led to cancellation after one series. Producer Judd Apatow has since remarked that all his success since has been 'revenge' for the show's cancellation, but he shouldn't feel too hard done by. Freaks retained its huge cult following and many of the cast, including Jason Segel, James Franco, and Seth Rogen are now riding high in Hollywood.

Twin Peaks (two seasons, 1990-91)

Michael Ontkean, Kyle MacLauchlan and two reddish-brown dogs in Twin Peaks. Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/ARTISAN ENTERTA

David Lynch's brilliant, bizarre murder investigation series was a huge hit for the majority of its run, until ratings dropped off after a misjudged mid-season reveal (largely prompted by the studio). The series' influence and fandom stretch far beyond the two series and subsequent film – if some of the audience who fell away after season one had the option of a catch-up, would Dale Cooper's investigations have had a more satisfying continuation, and conclusion?

Pushing Daisies (two seasons, 2007-09)

Bryan Fuller's Pushing Daisies.

Dead Like Me creator Bryan Fuller stuck with the Great Beyond in this dark comedy starring Lee Pace as a man with the ability to revive the dead. Though it ended just before streaming took off in the late 2000s, the show had dedicated fans and was popular among critics. Pace is now in demand as a movie actor, but there are still hopes of a movie or mini-series continuation, with Fuller considering the Kickstarter route taken for the recent feature-length return of Veronica Mars.

Deadwood (three seasons, 2004-06)

Brian Cox and the terrifying Ian McShane in Deadwood. Photograph: c.HBO/Everett / Rex Features

It was contract negotiations rather than viewing figures that did for David Milch's masterful western drama about the citizens of an 1800s prospecting town. While there is an ending of sorts in the season three finale, several stories were left loose and everything from a mini-series to TV movies have been rumoured. With a torrent of on-screen profanity and vice, timeslots were restricted to late night (particularly in the UK) and mass syndication seemed unlikely, but there are fewer such limits online.

Star Trek: the Original Series (three seasons, 1966-69)

Star Trek: The Original Series. Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/PARAMOUNT

The USS Enterprise has always been propelled by fan power - a letter-writing campaign (the Twitter storm of its time) prompted Paramount to make a third and final season of the original show, which lasted just over two and a half years. Such Trekkie dedication has led to 12 movies, four spin-off series and a lot of cosplay outfits. It seems logical that the ability to beam up episodes via app would have underlined Kirk and Co's popularity in the first place, and made their 'five-year mission' a reality.

Which other shows might have made it in the streaming age? Let us know below.