There have been many TV shows which surprised viewers with an incredible first season, only to quickly decline in quality and make them feel like it should have just continued as a big miniseries. This can often be the case when a show was initially planned as a one-off series, but became so popular that it was artificially extended, despite there being no real artistic drive to continue telling the character’s story. This also commonly occurred when a TV show based on a book was forced to drop its source material in later seasons.
While many great shows have been canceled after just one season, many others have continued when they shouldn’t have. There have also been great anthologies that got everything right in their debut season, but when it came time to shake things up with a new cast of characters for season two, the series just didn’t seem as exciting. While not all of these shows were terrible in their later seasons their legacy would have been much stronger if they had called it a day after just one installment.
10
Altered Carbon (2018 – 2020)
2 seasons
The first season of Netflix’s cyberpunk series Altered Carbon was a revolutionary hit based on the original novel by Richard K. Morgan. Set in a world where consciousness can be transferred to different bodies, this unique series explored the relationship between humans and machines, gender identity, artificial intelligence and paranoia. With elements of a murder mystery, the first season of Altered Carbon it felt like it got everything right by combining film noir, thrillers, and sci-fi styles into a cohesive whole.
Sadly, Altered Carbon the second season was so disappointing that it made viewers wish it had just been a one-off miniseries. Because the next season was less intelligent and disappointing, ratings declined and Netflix canceled the show. However, Altered Carbon returned once again for an anime prequel spin-off set 283 years before the original show titled Altered Carbon: Resleevedwhich received praise for its animation style, but was heavily criticized for its lackluster plot and disappointing characterization.
9
Riverdale (2017 – 2023)
7 seasons
When Riverdale premiered in 2017, it appeared to be a genuinely moving teen drama whose self-aware reimagining of Archie Comics made for a compelling, postmodern television-watching experience. With an intriguing premise, Riverdale felt like Twin Peaks for Gen Z, which started with a murder mystery and hinted at the underbelly of a seemingly healthy society. Riverdale it had real potential to create something interesting, and if things had ended after the first season, it would have been considered one of the most fascinating teen dramas ever made.
Unfortunately, Riverdale has been continually renewed with diminishing returns with each subsequent season. The extensive melodrama of Riverdale became increasingly unwieldy as it tackled supernatural, social and political issues, and even time travel. While all of these ideas have merit, the 20-plus bloated episodes of later seasons made the show start to feel like it valued quantity over quality. Although Riverdale’s the ability to continually reinvent oneself was admirableit raised the question of whether it would have been better to leave viewers wanting more.
8
Western World (2016 – 2022)
4 seasons
The first season of Western World was an immensely satisfying dystopian sci-fi series based on Michael Crichton’s 1973 film of the same name. As a smart, satirical HBO drama that explored artificial intelligence, technology, and humanity’s need for increasingly outrageous entertainment, Western World brought all these aspects together into a fascinating mystery, just waiting to be unraveled. With a different ending involving multiple connected timelines, Western World the first season was a complete viewing experience with a satisfying conclusion.
While Western World the first season was such a success that many predicted it would be the next Game of Thronesall the goodwill it accumulated was lost in subsequent seasons. The sad truth was that Western World became too smart for its own good and lost viewers in the process as subsequent seasons became increasingly difficult to follow. Western World it also strayed further from its futuristic Western theme park premise in its later seasons, which did it a disservice.
7
Killing Eve (2018 – 2022)
4 seasons
The first season of Killing Eve It was an incredible mix of strong characterization and sexual tension packed into an exciting spy series. With Flea bag creator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge as showrunner, the debut of Killing Eve left viewers on the edge of their seats while entertaining them with sharp, witty dialogue and powerful feminist themes. Sociopathic assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer) was unlike any other assassin on television, and the cat-and-mouse game between her and MI5 agent Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) was a unique dynamic.
While Killing Eve had the potential to continue on this trajectory for more seasons, as it was based on a series of novels by Luke Jennings, Waller-Bridge exited the series after the first season, and her absence was deeply felt. Killing Eve Later seasons attempted to recreate the magic of its debut but I never managed to reach the same heights. While it was never a bad show by any stretch of the imagination, it’s hard not to wonder if it would have been better as a perfect miniseries.
6
Your Honor (2020 – 2023)
2 seasons
Your Honor is a legal drama series starring Bryan Cranston as a respected judge whose son is involved in a hit-and-run accident. The incident sets off a dangerous chain of events that forces the judge to confront his own principles and navigate the moral complexities of the law. The series explores themes of justice, loyalty and ethics, offering a compelling narrative of a father’s desperate attempts to protect his son.
- Release date
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December 6, 2020
- Seasons
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2
- Creator(s)
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Peter Moffat
In its first season, Your Honor was a fantastic legal thriller that gave Bryan Cranston perhaps his greatest post-Breaking Bad paper and made for truly exciting viewing. Following the story of Judge Michael Desiato’s Misguided Attempt to Protect His Son After he was involved in a hit-and-run, this unfortunate incident saw the pair embroiled in an intense conspiracy involving New Orleans’ most dangerous crime family. With great performances and an intriguing premise, Your Honor It hit all the right notes in powerfully exploring how, given the right circumstances, good people can end up doing bad things.
The problem with the second season of Your Honor was that it felt unnecessary and like a misguided attempt to unnecessarily extend the series. Despite Cranston’s fantastic performance, there was no need to go back to Judge Desiato’s story, as the show began with him bearded and disheveled in his prison cell. With a much less convincing story to tell this time, Your Honor Season 2 simply didn’t have the same impact as the first.
5
True Detective (2014 – Present)
4 seasons
When True Detective premiered in 2014, it felt like a total revelation as Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey drew viewers in with an intriguing mystery taking place across multiple timelines. The sheer star power on display was a stunning example of movie stars’ willingness to flock to television for the right project during the 2010s. It also felt like an exciting continuation of the media-dubbed McConaissance, as McConaughey had a one of the most surprising performances of his entire career as the troubled detective Rust Cohle.
Having laid the foundations of a potentially masterful TV show, That was exciting to hear. True Detective was renewed for a second season. However, the show returned with an entirely new set of characters and continued as an anthology series focused on a new mystery each episode. Unfortunately, the second season starring Colin Farrell, Vince Vaughn and Rachel McAdams just wasn’t as strong and left many wondering if it would have been better if True Detective continued with Harrelson and McConaughey at the helm.
4
Euphoria (2019 – Present)
2 seasons
HBO’s teen drama Euphoria seemed a million miles away from the happy stories of Gilmore Girls or Hill of a tree from so many years ago. Instead, this was a gritty story of addiction, depression, and loneliness that struck a chord with modern audiences as young people related to the dark topics surrounding hookup culture, codependency, and toxic masculinity. While Euphoria solidified the star status of actors like Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney, the second season didn’t have as much cultural relevance as the first.
With a long-gestating third season Euphoria ongoing, the lackluster response to Season 2 makes it seem like it would be better to let the cast move on to other projects. Both Zendaya and Sweeney became much more famous and acclaimed in the following years Euphoria premiered for the first timeand as two of the biggest movie stars on the planet, it looks like they’ve outgrown the show. Perhaps Euphoria will recapture the dark appeal of its season 3 debut, but would have become a modern classic if things had ended after just one season.
3
Joy (2009 – 2015)
6 seasons
The opening episodes of Glee The first season was truly captivating television, as its cast of theatrical high school students and their unique renditions of popular songs made it stand out. As a playful satire of the high school experience that addressed social issues surrounding sexuality, gender, race, and family, Happiness It was smart and fun to watch.. This jukebox musical maintained its quality throughout the first season, as adult characters such as the teacher, Mr. Schuester, or the cheerleading coach, Sue Sylvester, added to the show’s humorous appeal.
However, the premise had already run its course by the end of Season 1, and as the show continued through the subsequent five seasons, it seemed like it became increasingly convoluted and ridiculous. What initially seemed creative and innovative soon became formulaic and obsolete as Happiness moved away from its main cast and focused more on celebrity guests and enigmatic episodes. While Glee the debut season essentially felt like an exhibition, most viewers having already moved on by the time it finally concluded.
2
13 Reasons Why (2017 – 2020)
4 seasons
13 reasons why was a show whose premise was incorporated into the title, and as an adaptation of a Jay Asher novel, it really only should have had one season. Like the story of the aftermath of a teenager’s suicide and the deceased student who left behind a cassette tape detailing those she held responsible, 13 reasons why addressed many important issues affecting young people today. With themes about bullying, depression and self-harm, the first season of 13 reasons why was a well-written and highly accomplished examination of adolescent pain and suffering.
I had 13 reasons why completed after just one season, it would have been one of Netflix’s most impressive shows, rather than a prime example of how things go wrong when TV series needlessly continue. As Season 2 moved beyond its source material, 13 reasons why lost sight of what made him attractive in the first place and evolved into increasingly complicated plots. When the show ended after season 4, it was receiving overwhelmingly negative reviews, and its triggering topics had lost the nuance and poignant relevance of its first season.
1
Heroes (2006 – 2010)
4 seasons
Set in a world where ordinary people discover they have superpowers, Heroes premiered two years before the start of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and was truly one of the most exciting shows on television at the time. With an incredible first season arc based on the catchphrase “Save the cheerleader, save the world”, Heroes boasted an incredible cast complete with characters of different abilities, such as bending space and time, healing, or even reading minds. Heroes had the potential to be really big in its later seasons, but behind-the-scenes circumstances meant it should have ended in just one.
Heroes was a victim of the WGA writers’ strike from 2007 to 2008meaning that only 11 of the 24 episodes planned for the second season were made. These changes forced the writers and producers to restructure the season, and as a result, the show saw a major decline in quality. Despite being one of the most creative TV shows of the 2000s, Heroes was a victim of bad timing, and while there have been attempts to revive it, such as the sequel to the short-lived series Heroes: Rebornit never again reached the astonishing heights of the first season.