It’s safe to say that “Happy Endings” did not — much to my outrageous disdain — get its happy ending.

When the show was canceled in May, I went through the typical five stages of grief that everyone goes through after one of their beloved television shows is canceled (okay, maybe just me).

Stage one: Denial. Sure, it’s “canceled.” Very funny, ABC! It’s fine though, just because you won’t air it, that doesn’t mean TBS won’t. If they picked up “Cougar Town” from you guys, then they’ll definitely pick up “Happy Endings,” right? (They did not.)

Stage two: Anger. I’m never watching ABC again! Sorry “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Modern Family,” but you just lost a dedicated viewer. (This did not actually happen, of course.)

Stage three: Bargaining. I’ll do anything for a few more episodes! I can become one of those obsessive grandstanders and start a petition or something. (I did not.)

Stage four: Depression. This is the worst. Why should I keep watching TV when I know that my favorite shows are just going to be canceled? What’s the point? (I got over that ridiculous thought process rather quickly.)

Stage five: Acceptance. It’s going to be okay. I can still watch those great three seasons whenever I want.

I’ve had a substantial amount of time to overcome my grief for the show’s cancellation, and for a while I was in good spirits. “Happy Endings” was just a fond memory, like a good friend that had moved away indefinitely.

But then some of the show’s major characters began to pop up in other TV series I watch. Adam Pally, who played lazy slacker Max, is now a series regular on “The Mindy Project.” Damon Wayans Jr., who played trophy husband Brad, is currently guest-starring on “New Girl.”

It’s worth noting that both of those new gigs are thanks to Fox. Maybe that’s the network that won’t let me down.

Now that I regularly get to see some alumni from “Happy Endings,” it’s hard to stifle those resurfacing feelings of nostalgia.

At first, the diverse characters, a close group of six friends living in Chicago, seemed to be a modern reincarnation of the “Friends” bunch.

There was a Ross-and-Rachel-type couple. Dave and Alex, longtime loves, often had trouble redefining their relationship and strictly remaining platonic friends. Alex was even a runaway bride in the pilot episode. That is _so_ Rachel.

Penny, the eccentric eternal bachelorette, was obviously a Phoebe. She may not have sang about smelly cats, but Penny always had the most quotable one-liners and catchphrases (i.e. “ah-mah-zing”).

Brad and Jane were the Monica and Chandler. Both Jane and Monica were type-A perfectionists with a need to control under good intentions. Brad was definitely more high-maintenance than Chandler, but both played off their female counterparts hilariously.

But “Happy Endings” was much more outlandish than “Friends” ever was. Obviously, this is because they were created in different times in the television industry.

“Happy Endings,” like “Arrested Development,” was simply aired before its time. “Happy Endings” was made for the contemporary 20-something. Each member of the gang constantly made hip pop culture references, and the characters were widely diverse. One-third of the major cast was in a minority: Brad was black, and Max was gay.

The punchlines were often blink-and-you-miss-it within the fast-paced dialogue, but they rarely missed the mark. I especially liked how each character was adamantly fleshed out. No one was straight-faced, and they each had their own well-developed, quirky personality traits.

And the running gags were undeniably laugh-out-loud worthy: Penny spoke fluent Italian when intoxicated. Dave was addicted to V-neck shirts. Max was once in an all-male Madonna cover band.

It was literally a show about anything. And I’ll miss it dearly. But despite my overwhelming grief, at least I get to see some of the gang elsewhere. That’s a good enough happy ending for me.