With shows like Only Murders in the Building back for its anticipated second season, fans eagerly await to see if their favorite series get better in their sophomore outings. The history of TV is littered with programs that grew from rocky first seasons into some of the best shows of all time.
Whether it was sitcom classics like The Office, or sci-fi standards like Star Trek: The Next Generation, fans often find that their favorite shows didn't have the best beginnings. Though many shows have improved in subsequent seasons, users on Reddit took to the site to mention the ones they thought made the biggest jump on their second go-around.
Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988-1999)
While cult classic series rarely get a chance to improve because they are usually cut short, Mystery Science Theater 3000 was given enough breathing room to become a comedic powerhouse. A deleted user marked the show's improvement, writing "The first season it was on The Comedy Channel was pretty weak...Kevin Murphy took over Servo in S2...That was when the show started to improve."
Known for its witty humor and absurd premise, MST3K needed time to find its footing after jumping to a legitimate TV network. Fortunately for fans of the little comedy gem, the fledgling Comedy Channel took a chance on the series and allowed it to become what it was meant to be.
Blackadder (1983-1989)
With the exception of Doctor Who, British series rarely have the epic runs that some American series have, but they can nevertheless improve after their first installment. User Ofabulous crossed the pond with their pick, saying "Blackadder. First season...wasn't very well received...The next three seasons are absolutely classic U.K. sitcoms".
Generally considered one of the best British sitcoms of all time, Blackadder introduced the world to comedy powerhouse Rowan Atkinson and spanned multiple centuries in its story. Ironically, the limitations imposed on the series by producers actually helped it become much funnier. In lieu of amazing locations, the show had to then rely on the comedic genius of its star.
Justified (2010-2015)
Sometimes a structural story change is all it takes to spice up a lagging series, and shifting the focus to an ongoing story can help the audience become more engaged. A deleted user noticed a big change in a series when they wrote "Justified for sure. Procedural format and kind of cheesy at first. Gets so much better each season."
As with any show, fans of Justified found themselves getting more and more invested as the plot thickened. That investment was only possible because the show shifted from an episodic format to a serialized story. The pseudo-western style of the first season was appealing enough, but the addition of an ongoing plotline gave viewers a reason to tune in each week.
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
Science fiction series often suffer from some of the rockiest starts in TV history, and even sainted shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation had trouble in its early days. User sev1nk was succinct when asked which show improved after its first season, writing "Star Trek TNG."
With almost no budget to speak of, and feeding off of leftovers from other canceled Trek projects, TNG took quite a while to find its place in the galaxy. The subsequent seasons gradually improved, but some of the best episodes of Star Trek TNG began appearing in season 2. Though some fans have found merit in the series' first season, many prefer to ignore it in favor of later installments.
Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013-2020)
Though it's hard to believe that anything in the MCU wasn't an instant success, one of Marvel's earliest forays into the TV world almost failed to launch. User SidMajoo recommended viewers persevere when they wrote "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. There are people who probably stopped watching after the first few episodes...The second part of season 4 is one of my favorite storylines ever".
Even though it had the Marvel name behind it, the early days of Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D were slow-going. Fans were intrigued by the premise enough to keep watching, but it wasn't until the show slid into its second and third seasons that it truly discovered what it was meant to be. The rocky early days of the show eventually paid off in later seasons, and they were a far cry from the stuff fans got in the premiere episodes.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
Occasionally, shows deliver the goods in the first season enough to keep themselves around, but eventually delve deeper into their own premise to further improve the product. User Huskergod named one such show when they wrote "Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was a little too episodic at first but gained traction in season two and became one of the greatest shows ever."
There are plenty of elements from Buffy's first season that improved with time, but some fans grew tired of the monster-of-the-week format that the show relied on. The series was a success from the jump, but in retrospect, it has become obvious that it improved after shifting towards a more character-centric narrative that carried over from episode to episode.
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (2005-Present)
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has always had a positive reputation with fans and critics alike, but that doesn't mean it didn't improve after its first season. User Ueberu-san summed the series up perfectly when they wrote "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The first season was already funny...but adding Danny DeVito to the main cast as all they needed to turn IASIP into the show we all know and love."
It's Always Sunny is an interesting case because it has remained consistently funny over its amazingly long run, and even the first season fits right in with the later humor. Nevertheless, the show did improve because of an addition to the cast. Frank's unbelievable antics from It's Always Sunny helped to elevate the series into the pop culture touchstone that most fans see it as today.
That '70s Show (1998-2006)
Just because a show improves after its first season doesn't necessarily mean the premiere episodes were bad. User Mig1997 got specific when talking about a series, saying "That '70s Show - in my honest opinion, changing the music to Cheap Trick changed the whole vibe, plus the humor wasn't as cheesy as it was in season 1.".
The first season of That '70s Show isn't far off from what came later, but the minor tweaks made to the show ultimately became fan favorites. The humor of the early episodes was more superficial, but as the audience came to know the characters, the writing became deeper.
The Office (2005-2013)
Despite the fact that The Office is one of the most beloved TV shows of all time, some fans have come to regard the first season as a humble beginning for the binge-watching juggernaut. User offspring515 had a lot to say about the first season, saying "The Office starts shaky...in the first run. Then seasons 2 and 3 are fantastic, all time great levels of American sitcoms".
In retrospect, the first season of the show seems weaker than the ones that followed. It is far from a bad season of TV, but it pales in comparison to the classic episodes presented in later seasons. It speaks to the quality of the show as a whole that it could continue to get better year after year.
Parks And Recreation (2009-2015)
Of all the shows to noticeably improve after its first season, Parks and Recreation is perhaps the most visible. User santichrist characterized the show well when they said "Parks and Rec is a show I've always used as an example of shows that need more than one season to show what they can be."
The first season of the workplace sitcom is usually lambasted for its lackluster performance, and fortunately for fans, the series quickly found its footing afterward. The stark contrasts are evident by its sophomore outing, and the season 2 is the jumping-on point for most fans of the series.