![10 Amazing TV Shows Where The Worst Season Is Still Good](https://moltenmama.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/bryan-cranston-as-walter-white-from-breaking-bad-jeremy-strong-as-kendall-roy-from-succession.jpg)
10 Amazing TV Shows Where The Worst Season Is Still Good
Summary
- Some TV shows manage to maintain quality across all seasons, balancing audience expectations and studio requests.
- Breaking Bad, Ted Lasso, and Friends are examples of shows that consistently delivered strong seasons without quality dips.
- Ozark and The Sopranos tell gripping stories with strong character arcs in fewer seasons and ending strong.
For most TV shows that last more than a couple of seasons, there are usually some seasons that fail to live up to the rest, but there are some shows where every season was great. TV shows have an enormous challenge: trying to balance what audiences want, a great story, any studio requests, and fitting everything in on time and under budget. With the most successful and popular shows, usually, the turnaround that is expected can be pretty tight, putting the creatives into a tough spot to get the show made, and sometimes the quality lags.
But, some shows manage to successfully juggle all of these requirements and still release great new episodes each and every season. Whether the concept was planned out from the beginning with a framework for the team to follow and still have powerful stories, or whether the talents involved were so efficient and inspired that they could quickly turn around new episodes while maintaining the quality, some shows never hit that low point. These shows managed to keep the story flowing, and the energy high, and everything just clicked into place season after season.
10 Breaking Bad
5 Tense, Action-Packed Seasons
![Breaking Bad TV Poster](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/breaking-bad-tv-poster.jpg)
Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad, created by Vince Gilligan, follows a chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin named Walter White (Bryan Cranston) as he attempts to provide for his family following a fatal diagnosis. With nothing left to fear, White ascends to power in the world of drugs and crime, transforming the simple family man into someone known only as Heisenberg.
- Cast
- Dean Norris , Bob Odenkirk , Aaron Paul , RJ Mitte , Anna Gunn , Giancarlo Esposito , Betsy Brandt , Bryan Cranston , Jonathan Banks
- Release Date
- January 20, 2008
- Seasons
- 5
- Writers
- Peter Gould , Gennifer Hutchison , Vince Gilligan , George Mastras , Moira Walley-Beckett , Sam Catlin , Thomas Schnauz
- Showrunner
- Vince Gilligan
Breaking Bad is one of the best TV shows ever made, thanks to the incredible work of creator Vince Gilligan and everyone else involved. The show starts off at an even pace, as Walter White receives a terminal diagnosis, but the action picks up quickly and tension builds in the following episodes and seasons. As more lives got entangled in the story of Walter White, things got messy, but the show never suffered a dip in quality. Every new season felt like an event, unfolding the story of Heisenberg until the final epic conclusion in season 5.
9 The Wire
5 Seasons Of Baltimore Under Fire
![The Wire TV Series poster](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/the-wire-tv-series-poster.jpg)
The Wire
The Wire is an American crime drama starring Dominic West and Lance Reddick. The show follows Detective James ‘Jimmy’ McNulty as he tackles the drug scene in Baltimore, Maryland. The HBO series was praised throughout its run, even winning two Primetime Emmy Awards. The Wire aired on HBO between 2002 and 2008 for a total of 60 episodes.
- Release Date
- June 2, 2002
- Seasons
- 5
- Writers
- David Simon
- Showrunner
- David Simon
The Wire took a unique approach to telling its story, with the central character being the setting where the action takes place, rather than the people involved. While this was a risk that could have meant viewers didn’t feel any connection to the show, or interest waned, it opened up the story to allow other characters to take the lead and switch between different groups. Viewers had a bird’s eye view of the action, and during each season, with the new events that would besiege the city of Baltimore, interest remained high in seeing what would happen next.
![Idris-Elba,-Lance-Reddick,-and-Michael-B](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/idris-elba-lance-reddick-and-michael-b.jpg)
10 The Wire Actors Who Went On To Have Massive Movie & TV Careers
The Wire, regarded as one of the best TV shows of all time, features early performances from acclaimed actors such as Idris Elba and Lance Reddick.
8 Ted Lasso
3 Perfect Seasons Of Sports Drama
![](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/ted-lasso.jpg)
Ted Lasso
Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) is an American football coach who moves to England when he’s hired to manage a struggling soccer team despite having no experience. With cynical players and a doubtful town, Ted will have to convince them that he’s fit for the job. Ted Lasso has become one of Apple TV Plus’ most successful shows, earning over 10 Primetime Emmys.
- Cast
- Jeremy Swift , Phil Dunster , Hannah Waddingham , Nick Mohammed , Brendan Hunt , Jason Sudeikis , Brett Goldstein , Juno Temple , Toheeb Jimoh , James Lance
- Release Date
- August 14, 2020
- Seasons
- 3
- Streaming Service(s)
- Apple TV+
- Writers
- Brendan Hunt , Joe Kelly , Bill Lawrence
- Showrunner
- Bill Lawrence
Ted Lasso didn’t have a long run, but that was a part of what made it so good. The series had a story to tell, so it set out to do that over a few seasons, and when the story was finished, so was the show. The series never dragged, and every single episode of the 34 released felt important. Audiences got to know Ted intimately, from his happy-go-lucky attitude to the darker sadness and struggles that lay beneath, and the show perfectly created an arc for Ted, with his family, his loved ones, and the Richmond football club.
7 Mad Men
7 Seasons Of The Booming Ad Agency In 1960s New York
![Mad Men Series Poster](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Mad-Men-Series-Poster.jpg)
Mad Men
Mad Men is the award-winning show created by Matthew Wiener that stars Jon Hamm as Don Draper, a masterful ad man in the high-speed advertising world. Set between the 1960s and 70s; Mad Men explores this “Golden Age” of advertising, where everyone has something to sell, and those who don’t score a quick win are out of the game. The series also examines the world from a few other character’s perspectives, such as Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss), a young woman who starts as a secretary for Don despite the difficulty for women to be taken seriously in business during this time, rises to the challenge to become an ad woman of her own.
- Cast
- Jon Hamm , Elisabeth Moss , Vincent Kartheiser , January Jones , Christina Hendricks , Bryan Batt , Aaron Staton , Rich Sommer
- Release Date
- July 19, 2007
- Seasons
- 7
- Streaming Service(s)
- AMC Plus
- Writers
- Matthew Weiner , Jonathan Igla
- Showrunner
- Matthew Weiner
Mad Men starring Jon Hamm as Don Draper was a phenomenal series that depicted the rockstar status and lifestyles of those involved in advertising and marketing just as the industry began to explode. The series was an incredible character study on the mysterious Don Draper, as well as an engaging and exciting look at New York’s swinging 60s. As each new season reveals more about Don and the identity he has assumed to create the best life for himself, the show continues to build its scale and feels even more important.
6 Friends
Ensemble Sitcom Done Right In 10 Perfect Seasons
![Friends TV Series Poster](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/friends-tv-series-poster.jpg)
Friends
Friends is the popular sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, released back in 1994 and ran for ten seasons. The show follows a group of six twentysomethings through their lives in New York City and their time spent between their two apartments and their local coffee shop. The show features the group navigating tricky relationships with one another and comical misadventures.
- Release Date
- September 22, 1994
- Seasons
- 10
- Writers
- David Crane , Marta Kauffman
- Showrunner
- Marta Kauffman
- Where To Watch
- Max
Friends remains high on most people’s lists when considering the best sitcom of all time (via Rolling Stone). The show had an incredible run for 10 seasons in total, with every season managing to connect with audiences, tell great stories, and be laugh-out-loud funny. While sitcoms may have an easier time creating new stories as each episode follows a new adventure, Friends managed to make each season feel connected and push the story forward, while still keeping the quality high.
5 Ozark
4 Seasons Of Dark Crime Drama
![Ozark Poster](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Ozark1-Vertical-Main-PRE-US.jpg)
Ozark
Ozark is a drama-thriller that follows the Byrde family’s journey from their everyday, suburban Chicago life to their dangerous criminal enterprise in the Ozarks, Missouri. When financial advisor Marty Byrde sees a money-laundering scheme for a prolific Mexican drug cartel go wrong, he is forced to launder $500 million in five years to keep himself and his family safe. The series explores capitalism, family dynamics, and survival through the eyes of (anything but) ordinary Americans.
- Cast
- Julia Garner , Katrina Lenk , Damian Young , Felix Solis , Joseph Sikora , Sofia Hublitz , John Bedford Lloyd , Charlie Tahan , Jessica Frances Dukes , Ali Stroker , Lisa Emery , Adam Rothenberg , Laura Linney , Skylar Gaertner , CC Castillo , Jason Bateman , Bruno Bichir , Alfonso Herrera
- Release Date
- July 21, 2017
- Seasons
- 4
- Writers
- Bill Dubuque
- Showrunner
- Bill Dubuque
Ozark is another show that didn’t need a ton of seasons to tell a great story, and once the story reached its ending, it wasn’t stretched out further. Jason Bateman plays Marty Byrde, an unassuming accountant who ends up in the middle of huge drug and money-laundering operations. The premise is entertaining and strong enough to carry the narrative forward with high intensity and even higher stakes in each new season. The series was innovative and engaging with characters that had strong character arcs that were genuinely gripping, making the whole show a pleasure to binge.
![Julia Garner as Ruth Langmore, Jason Bateman as Martin 'Marty' Byrde in Netflix original series Ozark.](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ozark-seasons-ranked.jpg)
All 4 Seasons Of Ozark, Ranked
Ozark is an incredibly well-constructed series following the Byrde family, and their dealings with the cartel, but seasons vary in quality throughout.
4 The Sopranos
Gripping Character Study Of Tony Soprano From Start To Season 6’s Finish
![The Sopranos Poster](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/the-sopranos-poster.jpg)
The Sopranos
Considered to be a quintessential drama series to watch, The Sopranos is a crime-drama series that follows Tony Soprano, who tries to manage the expectations of an Italian-American patriarch while acting as the head of a prolific New Jersey crime family. Burdened by the stress of the expectations thrust upon him, Tony regularly visits a therapist throughout the series run. This helps give context to Tony’s actions as a ruthless boss with violent tendencies.
- Cast
- James Gandolfini , Lorraine Bracco , Edie Falco , Michael Imperioli , Dominic Chianese , Steven Van Zandt , Tony Sirico , Robert Iler , Jamie-Lynn Sigler
- Release Date
- January 10, 1999
- Seasons
- 6
- Network
- HBO Max
- Streaming Service(s)
- Max
- Writers
- David Chase
- Showrunner
- David Chase
The Sopranos created a unique and deeply emotional story around the mafia boss Tony Soprano, revealing the harsh and gruesome details of his life alongside his struggles and nightmares. The series is dark and visceral at points, but it’s also an incredible psychological study of the crime boss as he seeks to balance his criminal activity and his family life. The entire series was full of clever twists, incredibly innovative and intelligent framing devices, camera work, and more to make the show something special that continues to stand out.
3 The Office
9 Seasons Of Comedy Masterclass
![The Office Poster Michael Scott](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/the-office-poster-michael-scott.jpg)
The Office
The Office is the U.S. remake of the British comedy mockumentary series of the same name. The show follows the misadventures of a Dunder Mifflin Paper Company branch in Scranton, Pennsylvania, led by their unconventional and clueless boss, Michael Scott. The series covers nine years of footage as they find themselves recorded through their work days and off times.
- Cast
- Mindy Kaling , Jenna Fischer , Kate Flannery , Ed Helms , Craig Robinson , Paul Lieberstein , Ellie Kemper , B.J. Novak , Angela Kinsey , Oscar Nunez , Rainn Wilson , Brian Baumgartner , Phyllis Smith , Leslie David Baker , Creed Bratton , Steve Carell , John Krasinski
- Release Date
- March 24, 2005
- Seasons
- 9
- Writers
- Mindy Kaling , Paul Lieberstein , Michael Schur , Ricky Gervais , Greg Daniels , B.J. Novak
- Showrunner
- Greg Daniels
While the last two seasons of The Office certainly felt the absence of Steve Carell’s Michael Scott, the show continued to have great comedy with the rest of the incredible cast. The Office was inspired by the UK show of the same name, but it exceeded the original in both longevity and popularity. The show was aided by an outstanding cast of actors who perfectly slotted into their roles and non-stop comedic moments that made the series iconic and enduring.
2 Daredevil
Cut Too Soon At 3 Seasons
![Daredevil Season 2 Poster](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/daredevil-season-2-poster.jpg)
Daredevil
Daredevil is a Netflix original series starring Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock. The TV show ran for three seasons before being canceled by Netflix, despite being critically praised. Kingpin was the main antagonist in seasons 1 and 3 and also introduced Jon Benrthal’s Punisher in season 2. Daredevil was followed by Disney+’s Daredevil: Born Again.
- Release Date
- April 10, 2015
- Seasons
- 3
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix , Disney+
- Writers
- Drew Goddard
- Showrunner
- Steven S. DeKnight
The Netflix Marvel shows ranged in their success, but without a doubt, Daredevil was the best show to come out of that era. The series was prematurely canceled due to Disney and Marvel Studios choosing to focus on their serialized TV properties and move everything to Disney+. Now, with a new show focused on the character appearing to follow up on many of the previously established elements of the Netflix show, Daredevil has a future, but in the three seasons produced by Netflix, the series got better and better with each new season.
1 Succession
4 Seasons Rising To The Top
![Succession TV Series Poster](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/succession-tv-series-poster.jpg)
Succession
Succession is a Black Comedy and Satire television show created by Jesse Armstrong. It stars Hiam Abbass, Nicholas Braun, Brian Cox, and Kieran Culkin and follows the story of an aging conglomerate owner as he deals with his declining health and the sudden realization that one of his children will soon inherit his position and run his company.
- Cast
- Hiam Abbass , Alan Ruck , Sarah Snook , Kieran Culkin , Natalie Gold , Nicholas Braun , J. Smith-Cameron , Matthew Macfadyen , Peter Friedman , Brian Cox , Arian Moayed , Jeremy Strong , Rob Yang , Dagmara Dominczyk
- Release Date
- June 3, 2018
- Seasons
- 4
- Network
- HBO Max
- Writers
- Jesse Armstrong
- Showrunner
- Jesse Armstrong
Succession is an outstanding series that relays the story of the Roy family as the patriarch and founder of their global media empire approaches the end of his life. The series saw the siblings battle it out to be chosen as their father’s successor and inherit the controlling share of the company, and every episode was captivating. Succession did not try to drag out Logan Roy’s death beyond what was necessary, and after four incredibly well-crafted seasons, the show ended with the only outcome that made sense after the Roy siblings put their true colors on full display.