What bad shows got better?

[Benji]

Any time someone mentions attempting to get into Parks and Rec or The US Office, people innevitably say to push through the first season because it gets much better. So it got me thinking, what other shows are like this? Where they have a bad start but manage to pick up.

For me, Arrow was a big one. The first season is largely absolutely awful, and honestly I am amazed I got through it, but for a couple of seasons after it became one of the best superhero TV shows around (and then fell off a cliff and became even worse than before, but that's a whole other thing).

Similarly, Gotham starts off quite badly, and it's not until season two that it really starts growing into a really fun show that has some really interesting Batman universe portrayals. Riddler and Penguin in particular and their relationship remains one of my very favourites.

[Colly]

I keep meaning to go back to Gotham, think I was up to season 3 then stopped when it moved channel?

Mine was Falling Skies. The first season felt very Walking Dead lite, literally substituting aliens for zombies while they wandered the wasteland and hid a bit. It grew into a pretty good Sci fi eventually, and survived long enough to have an actual ending.

[JasonM]

I am very much a complete opposite on Falling Skies. Started as a somewhat generic but enjoyable Freedom Fighters Vs. Alien invaders concept. But later seasons became increasingly erratic, especially with the lead family drama being more and more the constant plot factor.

When the final (?) season had the magical alien/human hybrid who also happens to be related to the lead characters, I fully tuned out and gave up. It just became too much of a schlocky mess, even by sci fi standards.

Fwiw, I also saw it before I picked up The Walking Dead, so I never dealt with those comparisons.

[Dang117]

Legends of Tomorrow, the first season could have easily killed the show, season 2 was a mixed bag but by season 3 it became the best of the CW hero shows and just worked in its own little silly way and got better than it had any right too

[Your Mom]

Parks and Rec is the big one for me. I'm so glad there were people out there saying to stick with it because it's one of my all time favorite shows but based on the first season alone I wouldn't have kept going without the recommendation to do so

[gunnar hendershow]

Star Trek: The Next Generation is probably a good example. Largely, everything I remember from the show is in seasons 3 and beyond. Most people agree the first 2 are generally rough and it took the show a lot of time to find its footing.

Seinfeld seasons 1 & 2 aren't bad but they were figuring out the formula in real time in those seasons.

More recently, and not as big a show as others, but Superstore had a rough start. Bit of a trend with ensemble cast sitcoms.

[C-MIL]

I didn't like episodes 1 & 2 of Fisk, but I'm glad I gave until episode 3 because it won me over.

[K]

7 hours ago, gunnar hendershow said:

Star Trek: The Next Generation is probably a good example. Largely, everything I remember from the show is in seasons 3 and beyond. Most people agree the first 2 are generally rough and it took the show a lot of time to find its footing.

 

Definitely, and this is a time when seasons were 24 episodes long! Obviously not all 48 of the first two seasons were bad, but man, it was pretty bottom heavy for a while.

DS9 suffered from this as well, but I think it shows less somehow. 

[Mick]

Seinfeld. I'd rather get a root canal than watch the first season of Seinfeld. 

[Dan B.]

I'd agree with Seinfeld - I don't dislike the first season but it definitely started to hit its stride by the end of season 2 (there are some s2 episodes I like a lot, like "The Statue," but "The Chinese Restaurant" was the first real classic).

I'll throw in The Simpsons - the first season and most of the second definitely had some memorable stuff, but it wasn't quite cooked yet - the animation style was pretty rough (of course, IMO the current style since it went HD is *too* clean, but...) and a lot of the characters were still being worked out.  Recentering the series with Homer as the overall main character instead of Bart around season 3 was the right call.  But, then, I mostly fell off the show after season 10 or so.

[GhostMachine]

From the shows mentioned, I agree with Arrow, Falling Skies and Legends of Tomorrow. But, at the same time, I also agree with JasonM about the final season of Falling Skies. It was stupid.

Personally, I don't think DS9 really hit its stride until about halfway through season 2, but it went downhill quick once the Dominion War started. Of all the Star Trek shows, I think Voyager had the worst finale, though. Picard should have been the Borg's worst nightmare, not Janeway, and the ending makes the entire episode before that completely moot.

 

 

 

 

[Szumi]

Agents of Shield is a big one for me. I liked the pilot episode, but the show is pretty boring and pointless watching until John Garrett's character is introduced and we get all of the Winter Soldier tie in to elevate the show.

[K]

On 13/01/2024 at 00:22, GhostMachine said:

From the shows mentioned, I agree with Arrow, Falling Skies and Legends of Tomorrow. But, at the same time, I also agree with JasonM about the final season of Falling Skies. It was stupid.

Personally, I don't think DS9 really hit its stride until about halfway through season 2, but it went downhill quick once the Dominion War started. Of all the Star Trek shows, I think Voyager had the worst finale, though. Picard should have been the Borg's worst nightmare, not Janeway, and the ending makes the entire episode before that completely moot.

 

 

 

 

Ds9 went downhill with the war???

[Hobo]

DS9 gets going when Avery Brooks is allowed to shave his head and grow a goatee.

I think Mystery Science Theatre 3000 might count here. The first  season or two aren't great. The original public access season is a slog.

It takes until about season 3 to really get into a stride.