13 Reasons Why, the controversial high-school mystery drama based on Jay Asher's 2007 novel, generated enormous attention with its first season. Sadly, like other shows on this list, the seasons that came after took the captivating story downhill by introducing additional murders, cover-ups, and other over-the-top events that took the show in a direction that was far removed from what initially made the show a success. | © Netflix
It's a shame that Glee is making an appearance on this list. The musical comedy-drama was a ball of energy and included an extremely talented cast. The result was a show filled with both memorable acting and musical performances. Its early seasons balanced comedy with genuine emotional moments quite well. But as the original characters graduated, the show struggled to replace the chemistry of its initial group of high schoolers. From that point onward, the storyline became overly dramatic, and the character development became inconsistent. | © 20th Century Fox Television
Heroes exploded onto television upon its release, with the story focusing on ordinary people who discover they have superhuman abilities. The show did a phenomenal job of developing its characters, and the escalating mystery made people return for more. Unfortunately, the second season was affected by the 2007–08 writers' strike, which resulted in a shorter season. The following seasons struggled with creative missteps, complicated plots, and somewhat inconsistent writing. Although the series came out of the gate strong, it never managed to reach the heights of its first season. | © NBC
How I Met Your Mother remained popular for most of its nine-season run, but it was clear to many that the quality had gradually declined over the years. The early seasons were, for lack of better words, fun and simple. It benefited from its strong cast, inventive storytelling, and central mystery surrounding the "mother". In the later seasons, the episodes felt too generic, as it recycled conflicts and romantic hurdles. The final season was also a letdown because of its poor structure, and it seemingly undid years of character development. | © 20th Century Fox Television
Westworld was an incredible success when it debuted on TV screens. It had all the hallmarks of a great dystopian drama. There was mystery, philosophical questions, and a deeply interesting storyline. Unfortunately, the series became too complicated as it went on. The reliance on confusing, twist-heavy elements made the story hard to follow, especially for casual watchers. Don't get us wrong, the show still had plenty of impressive ideas and visuals, But, it struggled to capture the same atmosphere that made the opening episodes so special. | © Warner Bros. Television / HBO
American Horror Story is an anthology series, so each season essentially starts over with a new story and cast of characters. Even so, the quality of the horror show's seasons has varied dramatically over the years. Early installments such as Murder House, Asylum, and Coven were phenomenal. Then, the show began faltering after season six. The seasons that came after, especially seasons eleven and twelve, were criticized for uneven pacing and excessive twists. A new season is on the way, which we hope changes things for the better. | © FX
True Blood began as a stylish supernatural drama with vampires at the heart of the story. It did a good job of mixing horror, romance, mystery, and dark comedy into one package. Its early seasons were praised for their compelling characters and imaginative take on a world where vampires had come out of hiding. However, the show gradually became more convoluted as it introduced increasingly bizarre supernatural creatures, unnecessary subplots, and repetitive conflicts. Towards the end of the show's run, many viewers felt that the writing had become inconsistent and that the series had lost much of the edge they fell in love with at the start. | © HBO
Arrested Development is a sitcom that was praised for its rapid-fire jokes, smooth storytelling, and amazing cast. Its first three seasons became instant classics. However, when the show was picked up again by Netflix, the seasons that came after struggled to recreate the rhythm of the series' earlier episodes. The fourth season experimented with an unusual structure that separated the characters, while the fifth season had too much going on story-wise, so it received mixed reactions. | © Fox / Netflix
With its quirky premise and dysfunctional cast of superheroes, The Umbrella Academy had a whole lot of promise when it debuted in 2019. Its first season had the right pacing and balance between humor, action, and mystery. Unfortunately, later seasons increasingly struggled to give its large ensemble meaningful material, while the time-travel story became more complicated with each passing episode. The show ended poorly in its final season. Its unsatisfying conclusion, combined with the shortened episode count, left little room to properly resolve years of story buildup. | © Netflix
Killing Eve grabbed the attention of many in its first season thanks to the fascinating relationship between Eve Polastri and Villanelle. It had everything, including espionage, dark comedy, and psychological elements. As the series went on, it struggled to preserve a lot of the thrilling aspects that made the show exciting in the first place. The final season was a bit of a train wreck, with the storytelling and, particularly, the ending being extremely underwhelming across the board. | © BBC America
Empire became a major television phenomenon after its debut in 2015. That was largely due to its combination of family drama, music-industry chaos, and a bunch of memorable performances. Its first season delivered a really focused story about the Lyon family fighting over control of their record label. As the show continued, however, the plot lost its spark, as it traded meaningful sequences for often predictable dramatic twists. In particular, season five was a huge miss for many, who believed that it was so rushed that it ruined the show for them. | © Fox / 20th Television
Stranger Things is one of the most popular shows in recent times, but its evolution has divided a lot of viewers. The first season worked because its relatively contained mystery combined supernatural horror with a fantastic coming-of-age story. The later seasons expanded the story's scale and introduced more characters, which made the show more bloated and complicated than it needed to be. It was the show's fifth and final season that disappointed many longtime fans, as they considered the dialogue and plot weak. | © Netflix
Riverdale really hit the ground running, as its first season was compelling and grounded. So, it was a real shame that, as time went on, the show that started as a surprisingly dark and stylish teen mystery turned into a mess. Each passing episode and season made the show more outrageous. There was the introduction of cults, serial killers, superpowers, alternate realities, and eventually time travel. It was simply absurd. On top of the incoherent storylines, this bizarre shift in the show's direction was one of the reasons why the show deteriorated into something almost unrecognizable. | © Warner Bros. Television / CBS Studios
The Flash began as one of the more popular shows from DC's Arrowverse. Grant Gustin stars as an extremely likable Barry Allen who, especially during the earlier seasons, delivered incredible performances as the titular character. Unfortunately, the series eventually became increasingly repetitive as time went on. The enormous supporting cast also became increasingly difficult to balance, with The Flash himself even taking a backseat in many episodes. While there were still memorable episodes and characters, many felt the show had lost the charm and momentum that made its early seasons so enjoyable. | © DC Entertainment / Warner Bros. Television
The Walking Dead started as an unbelievably gripping survival drama with zombies and deep character development at the heart of it all. Its early seasons delivered memorable conflicts and consistently high stakes, but the series gradually became more repetitive as it went on. Some viewers felt that storylines were stretched across too many episodes, while certain conflicts felt predictable. | © AMC
Some shows manage to maintain their quality from beginning to end, but others slowly lose what made them special. That is what we'll be focusing on as we take you through 15 TV shows that got progressively worse with each new season. Fair warning: this list could spoil a show you've been meaning to watch.
