One of the upsides to having a TV show is that if you�re lucky enough, you�ll have
multiple seasons to iron out any kinks and develop your project into something special.
Without that time, who knows what would have become of some of the medium�s most famous
programs.
Here are Screen Rant�s 10 Great TV Shows That Struggled in Their First Season.
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Two decades after The Original Series went off the air, this classic sci-fi franchise
returned to the small screen with a new cast of characters including now fan-favorites
like Captain Picard and Worf.
Though the first season scored high ratings, time has illustrated it�s somewhat problematic
with clich�d storylines, bizarre tonal shifts, and questionable casting choices.
Starting as lackluster when compared to its predecessor, The Next Generation began to
gel once a clear direction was established and its ensemble developed better chemistry.
Later seasons showcase an immediate improvement and the TNG crew is now as beloved as Kirk
and Spock.
Parks and Recreation
Originally pitched as a spin-off of NBC�s hit show The Office � though that angle
was trashed in development - the first season of Parks and Rec tried to replicate the harsh
and dry tone of that show and was a far cry from the charming series audiences came to
love.
One particular problem was the characterization, as even Amy Poehler�s Leslie Knope was written
very one-note and came across as unlikable.
Fortunately, the show runners spent the next years treating the characters in a much more
sympathetic manner, which made the show a good-natured piece of satire that viewers
enjoyed seeing over and over again.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
One of Joss Whedon�s most famous creations, Buffy had rough sledding during her initial
year on TV.
A follow-up to a mostly forgotten movie of the same name, Whedon struggled to even get
it on the air, and when he finally did, many wondered why he wanted to.
The first season is seen by some as being cheesy, and
the poor fight choreography combined with questionable camerawork didn�t do it any
favors either.
There�s nothing wrong with a little narrative cheddar, but the tone and pacing of that first
season was so displaced compared to what came after it, the episodes are jarring to watch
today.
Babylon 5
Coming out around the same time as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Babylon 5 was tasked with
distinguishing itself from the more established brand � something it struggled with amidst
accusations of being a knockoff.
The Star Trek comparisons were hard for it to overcome, and it didn�t help that the
cast was a long ways away from settling into their roles during that first year.
In order to amend that issue, the cast was retooled for the second season, with Bruce
Boxleitner replacing Michael O�Hare.
Fortunately, things picked up after that, and Babylon 5 became one of the sci-fi greats
that stood on its own.
Doctor Who
The 2005 revival of the classic property brought back the Doctor after a 16 year absence from
the airwaves, but couldn�t really live up to the hype.
Show runner Russell T. Davies used his inaugural year as more of an experimental run, dipping
his toes in the water to see what worked.
The episodes he crafted proved to be divisive amongst longtime fans, and the balancing of
multiple tones didn�t do the show any favors.
Star Christopher Eccleston was always up for the challenge, but the constant changing between
wacky and maudlin didn�t exactly fit his typically stoic persona and acting abilities.
The X-Files
One of the defining series of the 1990s, The X-Files wasn�t always appointment television.
In the early going, Mulder and Scully had numerous problems they needed to sort out.
Though not as scattershot as the final seasons, the first year was plagued by a rough dynamic
between its leads, as the writers were loose with the characterization.
Some traits introduced in season one ended up being abandoned down the road.
Also, the episodes featured very little of the program�s trademark wit and sense of
dread, which makes it difficult for fans to include any of them in a �best of� list.
The Walking Dead
AMC�s zombie hit has always been a ratings juggernaut, but the six-episode first season
will make newcomers question what the big deal is.
The season plays out more like an experiment than a fully realized show, with incredibly
slow pacing, meandering digressions, shallow characterizations, and heavy-handed foreshadowing
of things to come.
Not to mention, the finale was more head scratching than anything, failing to live up to the open-ended
premise of the show.
The run may not be horrible per say but it certainly lacks the focus that ended up making
The Walking Dead one of TV�s elite dramas of the modern age.
American Dad
A creation of Seth MacFarlane, American Dad had troubles escaping the shadow of MacFarlane�s
Family Guy.
Its early episodes borrow so heavily from that more successful companion series, that
it didn�t offer viewers much of anything unique and made those tired of MacFarlane�s
brand of humor even more jaded.
In later years, American Dad fully embraced more outlandish elements like alien empires
and CIA shenanigans � which had only been hinted at in season one � to create something
a little more fantastical with its own storytelling conventions that stood on its own merits and
elevated the show into one of Fox�s premiere animated programs.
Supernatural
Known for sprawling narrative arcs and terrifying recurring villains, Supernatural had some
growing pains before it could click with viewers.
The first season is mostly a collection of disconnected �monster of the week� cases
that lacked the heft of later years.
The winning chemistry between stars Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki was also in its
earliest stages during this rough stretch, meaning the initial year didn�t offer much
of its trademark humor that audiences enjoyed.
Over time, the writers and actors hit their stride to make a fan-favorite show, but the
groundwork was there for Supernatural to be a short-lived disaster.
Seinfeld
�The show about nothing� is hailed today as one of TV�s most influential works, but
even Larry David couldn�t spin the first season into comedic gold.
With only five episodes to work with, the writers didn�t have much time to dive into
the existentialist humor and absurd sight gags that would become series trademarks.
Not only were the actors still feeling out their now-iconic characters, Seinfeld was
slow to fully embrace its premise of the misadventures of four New Yorkers who are truly miserable
people to the world around them.
Without that, the show didn�t have the same bite that later seasons would showcase to
Emmy-winning results.
Those are our picks for 10 great TV shows that struggled in their first season.
Are there any we missed?
Which memorable TV series did you think got off to a bad start?
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