10 Great TV Shows With Bad First Seasons

A surprising amount of critically acclaimed hit TV shows have churned out disappointing first seasons. If some of the most iconic TV series have taught audiences anything, it’s to never judge a show based on its first season alone. Whether it’s that the series didn’t manage to find its footing, went through casting changes, or just hadn’t hit its stride, there are a variety of reasons that some of the most well-known TV shows experienced sub-par — or even flat-out bad — first seasons. A bad first season can sometimes be a death knell for a fledgling series, as evidenced by a number of TV shows that didn’t deserve cancelation.