From must-watch to mess: TV shows that fell apart after season one

We take a look at five TV shows that started out strong with a beloved and critically acclaimed first season, only to fumble things up in their subsequent seasons. Some of these shows slowly dropped in quality, while others plunged immediately.

While the reasons may vary, from a change in writers, creative differences, or studio interference, these shows will make you wonder what could have been.

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Heroes

No show fits this list better than NBC's 2006 superhero thriller Heroes. Created by Tim Kring, the show focused on everyday individuals across the globe discovering that they have superpowers, leading to massive government cover-ups, secret organisations, and a super-powered serial killer that needed to be stopped.

Years before the superhero genre became a global phenomenon, the first season of Heroes became a true worldwide sensation, something at the time was mostly reserved for shows that gained popularity years after their release through reruns. But here was this superhero show achieving it in real-time.

So the hype for the second season was massive. But then the show faced significant disruption due to the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike. Rather than supporting the writers and putting the second season on hold, the studio decided to proceed without them. This led to cut characters, changed storylines, weaker character arcs, and a slower pace.

This drop in quality was noticeable and turned off a lot of the show's growing audience. While the series did manage to run for four seasons, it never truly regained its momentum.

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True Detective

The first season of the crime drama True Detective, created by Nic Pizzolatto, is arguably one of the best first seasons of a TV series ever made. The story, told in flashbacks, centred around Detective Rustin "Rust" Cohle and his partner Detective Martin "Marty" Hart as they investigated a series of child abductions. It was dark and gripping.

The first season received glowing reviews and, in many ways, was one of the first shows to narrow the gap between TV and film quality, proving that television could be just as good, if not better than movies.

But the second season, set in LA, fumbled. The narrative lacked depth, weak dialogue and bad casting led to the season being panned by critics and audiences. A major reason behind this was the departure of director Cary Joji Fukunaga, who directed the first season.

Pizzolatto had teamed up with Fukunaga in the first season, sharing creative control, and the director helped refine many of the writing issues. However, Fukunaga left the show in season two after allegedly being sidelined by Pizzolatto, and the series suffered as a result.

While True Detective would go on to get two more seasons that redeemed it to some extent, the show has never regained the love and acclaim of its first season.

Westworld

The series, created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, was set in Westworld, a fictional, technologically advanced Wild-West-themed amusement park populated by androids. The park catered to high-paying guests who could indulge in their wildest fantasies without consequences.

The show's blend of sci-fi and Western elements, its exploration of AI, and its social commentary on human nature made it a must-watch. The mystery surrounding the park, combined with Anthony Hopkins' incredible performance as its creator, fueled excitement for a second season.

Unfortunately, the second season did not hold up. A convoluted plot, clunky and exposition-heavy dialogue, and a lack of the first season's intrigue made it one of the show's weakest seasons. While Westworld managed to regain some footing in its third and fourth seasons, it never fully recovered its audience and was ultimately cancelled.

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Altered Carbon

Based on the books by Richard K. Morgan, Altered Carbon was created by Laeta Kalogridis and set in a far-future world where human consciousness could be transferred between physical bodies. The story follows Takeshi Kovacs, a former soldier turned investigator, who is released from prison to solve the murder of a wealthy oligarch.

The series combined cyberpunk and noir elements, making it feel like an old-fashioned detective story set in a futuristic world. With an excellent performance by Joel Kinnaman, the show became a fan favourite.

But the second season stumbled before it even premiered when it was announced that Anthony Mackie would be replacing Kinnaman as Kovacs. While this made sense from a lore perspective, since, in the books, Kovacs frequently changes bodies, audiences were still divided on the casting change and ultimately alienated them.

On top of this, the series toned down its noir and cyberpunk elements in favour of a more generic good vs. evil storyline, which failed to resonate with viewers. The show was ultimately cancelled after season two.

The Walking Dead

There is no denying that The Walking Dead was a global phenomenon throughout its 11-season run, not to mention the numerous spin-off TV shows that followed. However, longtime fans agree that the series declined in quality with each new season, and none ever lived up to the potential of the first.

This is largely because of the show's creator, Frank Darabont, the acclaimed director behind The Mist, The Green Mile, and The Shawshank Redemption.

Darabont was a fan of The Walking Dead comics by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. He developed the TV series, wrote the first season, and had a clear vision for a second season. He also cast actors he had worked with before and was well-loved by the cast and crew.

But AMC did not like the fact that Darabont had so much creative control over the series. When he requested a bigger budget for season two, despite the show’s success, AMC refused. Darabont still made the season within budget, but tensions escalated, and he was ultimately fired from the show in 2011.

This decision upset some actors, whose characters were quickly killed off in the following seasons. While The Walking Dead remained a ratings success, there is no denying the drop in quality from season one to season two.

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