TV Shows That Should Have Ended After One Season

Many television shows take at least one season — in some cases, a few seasons — to truly hit their stride. It takes time to figure out what works, and what doesn’t. That first season is so crucial in establishing the series’ tone, pacing, and character relationships. As the show progresses, the hope is that each season will top the last. Every now and then, a series debuts with a phenomenal first season that gains attention right out of the gate. But that doesn’t mean it’s built to last — knowing when to end a series is an art within itself.

While there are some amazing TV shows that ended much too soon, there are others that overstayed their welcome on our screens. What’s more, there are even some series that would have probably been better off ending after Season 1. The past few years have shown us that an expertly crafted limited series can dominate the TV conversation just as much as an ongoing one. From Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit to Disney+’s WandaVision, there’s something powerful about a show that leaves its audience wanting more. But, there’s often pressure from studios to churn out more of a hit title, even if it wasn’t intended to be an ongoing series in the first place.

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That’s how we end up with once brilliant shows that run past their expiration dates, with later seasons merely reminding viewers how good they used to be. While some stories are too complex to be reduced to a single season of television, others actually might have benefitted from a more concise structure. Here are ten TV shows that probably should have wrapped things up after their first season.