Image this: a present wraps up an unbelievable first season. Followers and critics agree it was wonderful. The present is nominated for awards. Individuals are speaking about it. The ending was satisfying. Individuals are happy. Then, the studio determined that, as a result of it is so standard, they could as effectively make extra seasons. Followers watch the second season. It does not stay as much as the hype of the primary season. Audiences and critics are let down.
This state of affairs has performed out all too typically, particularly in recent times. Exhibits that should have a shelf life are prolonged solely to maintain potential earnings up. Individuals recognize story, and infrequently does an extra season that wasn’t deliberate prove nice. The rationale that the primary season is so a lot better is usually as a result of the collection was tailored from some type of supply materials. It covers that within the preliminary slate of episodes, and the story has finality.
It is onerous to argue towards a studio eager to throw a bunch of cash at you to proceed making your present in case you’re a creator. It is also flattering that folks love the present. However typically, for the integrity of the content material, it is higher to let it relaxation. Listed below are 10 exhibits that had no enterprise churning out extra episodes after a superb debut season.
10
‘Squid Sport’ (2021 – Current)
Squid Sport
2.5
/5
- Launch Date
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2021 – 2024
- Community
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Netflix
- Showrunner
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Hwang Dong-hyuk
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Lee Jung-jae
Seong Gi-hun / ‘No. 456’
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Jeon Younger-soo
Sport Information
It might have been troublesome for Netflix not to have tried to make one other season of Squid Sport after the primary one debuted. That is as a result of it grew to become the most-watched present within the streamer’s historical past. The primary season of the South Korean drama tells the story of Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), a down-on-his-luck father who owes a big amount of cash to a mortgage shark. He will get the chance to compete in a recreation for an enormous prize. However there’s extra to the competitors than any participant realizes as those that lose die.
It was a wide ranging first season with revolutionary set designs, heartbreaking storytelling, and award-worthy performances. From the thoughts of Hwang Dong-hyuk, Squid Sport wrapped up its first season with a satisfying ending. However it left the door open for a attainable second season. Season 1 was nominated for 14 Primetime Emmy Awards, together with changing into the primary non-English present to earn a Greatest Drama Collection nomination. Lee Jung-jae gained the Excellent Lead Actor in a Drama Collection Emmy.
After changing into one of the crucial standard exhibits within the zeitgeist in 2021, Netflix renewed it for a second season. Whereas the second season broke streaming information once more, followers and critics had been much less excited in regards to the story. Season 3 is ready to wrap up the present in June.
9
‘The Flight Attendant’ (2020 – 2022)
Kaley Cuoco utterly charms within the first season of The Flight Attendant. She performs alcoholic flight attendant Cassie who wakes up after having a one-night stand with a passenger to search out his lifeless physique subsequent to her. She has no reminiscence of what occurred and tries to piece issues collectively because the stakes get extra harmful. Season 1 was based mostly on a guide of the identical identify by Chris Bohjalian and coated all the guide.
After its success, HBO renewed it for a second season with Steve Yockey tasked with persevering with the story as showrunner. The second season options Cuoco changing into a CIA asset and needing to stay a double life as a flight attendant and wannabe spy. Whereas Cuoco carried the present along with her charisma, the story was not as sturdy, although it did have a passionate fan base that was upset when HBO pulled the plug after Season 2.
8
‘Mr. Robotic’ (2015 – 2019)
Mr. Robotic
- Launch Date
-
2015 – 2019-00-00
- Community
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USA
- Showrunner
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Sam Esmail
It was disjointing and onerous to piece collectively whereas additionally being riveting and contemporary; the primary season of Mr. Robotic was heralded for its distinctive concept and performances as followers adopted Rami Malek’s Elliot by means of the ins and outs of the hacker world and the darkish net. There’s a lot at play for society within the present, and Sam Esmail crafted a superb concept for a collection. There are twists and turns and dramatic reveals as followers understand that Elliot isn’t probably the most dependable of narrators.
After Season 1 ended with a satisfying conclusion, Season 2 was a letdown for a lot of. Whereas the present continued to be entertaining, it was clear that it was not sure of what path it needed to take. Extra characters had been added, and the threads between tales had been skinny. Season 3 picked up the tempo and helped the present hit its stride once more, so Mr. Robotic is an effective instance of a present that stumbled a bit in Season 2 however in the end righted its ship in later seasons. However, it might even have been superb as a one-season collection.
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7
‘Russian Doll’ (2019 – 2022)
Audiences heard in regards to the “Candy birthday child” many, many occasions in Season 1 of Russian Doll. The present featured Natasha Lyonne as Nadia, a girl caught in a time loop on her thirty sixth birthday and reliving the day again and again. She stumbles upon Alan, performed by Charlie Barnett, who can be caught in his personal time loop. The 2 strive to determine why that is taking place and the way.
Lyonne is stellar as Nadia, proudly owning each line and stroll down the New York Metropolis streets with bravado. The primary season wrapped and premiered in 2019. Followers and critics instantly liked it. It was renewed for a second season. Nevertheless, it was delayed for almost three years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the pandemic, a movie with the same concept, Palm Springs, was launched. It gave followers a satisfying sequel of kinds to Season 1 of Russian Doll. When Season 2 premiered in 2022, followers had been lukewarm on it, giving it a 66% viewers rating on Rotten Tomatoes in comparison with the 86% Season 1 obtained.
6
‘Wayward Pines’ (2015 – 2016)
Matt Dillon starred as a Secret Service agent looking for two colleagues who went lacking close to the small Idaho city of Wayward Pines. What he discovers is way completely different than what he anticipated, because the city of Wayward Pines is behind an electrified fence and is run by an iron fist by the Sheriff, performed by Terrence Howard. Carla Gugino, Shannyn Sossamon, Melissa Leo, Toby Jones, and Juliette Lewis all star within the present, successful for Fox in 2015. Wayward Pines was based mostly on a guide collection, so there was extra story to drag from for Season 2.
Nevertheless, a lot of the star energy in Season 1 was misplaced when their characters had been killed. Season 2 changed a bunch of actors with new characters, principal amongst them Jason Patric and Djimon Hounsou. However, with the large reveal out of the bag throughout Season 1, it did not hit house with audiences. The present was cancelled after two seasons.
5
‘Killing Eve’ (2018 – 2022)
Killing Eve was about as modern and attractive as a British spy present will be, that includes Sandra Oh as Eve Polastri, an MI5 analyst who will get employed by MI6 to trace a harmful murderer named Villanelle, performed by Jodie Comer. The 2 ladies grow to be obsessive about one another through the pursuit and develop a severely twisted relationship. The primary season of the present was written and produced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. This got here after the primary season of Fleabag, and he or she toured the present in theaters world wide. The primary season of Killing Eve drew rave evaluations for the writing and the 2 leads, with Oh successful a Golden Globe for her efficiency.
With Fleabag incomes a second season of the TV collection, Waller-Bridge was pressured to delegate writing duties on Killing Eve. She elevated Emerald Fennell as head author and, whereas the second season is not dangerous by any means, it wasn’t as crisp as the primary season. Comer did win an Emmy for her efficiency throughout that season, although. The present’s recognition kicked in with the BBC renewing it for a 3rd season hours after the second season premiered. However by the third and fourth seasons, the present started to retread some related storylines, and the ultimate season earned a 52% on Rotten Tomatoes.
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4
‘The Following’ (2013 – 2015)
Season 1 of The Following felt like occasion tv every week because it aired. Fox had an enormous price range for advertising, and the debut episode aired after the NFC Championship recreation in 2013 to an enormous viewers. It starred Kevin Bacon as a former FBI agent who’s pressured to come back again after Joe Carroll, a serial killer performed by James Purefoy whom he put behind bars, escapes jail. What unfolds is the conclusion that Joe has amassed a cult following with tons of people prepared to do his bidding. It is a harmful recreation of cat and mouse as Ryan and Joe toy with one another.
The solid had plenty of nice actors and actresses by means of its three-season run. Michael Ealy, Connie Nielsen, Jessica Stroup, Shawn Weston, Natalie Zea, Valorie Curry, Nico Tortorella, Annie Parisse, and Gregg Henry all performed components within the present’s unfurling. Nevertheless, the present started to grow to be a bit extra ridiculous because it went on, with some near-death experiences getting used for cliffhangers and a few storylines that bordered on the ridiculous.
3
‘Scream Queens’ (2015 – 2016)
Fox makes the checklist once more with Scream Queens, a darkish comedy horror collection created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan. The present’s first season adopted a sorority at a university that needed to battle for his or her lives as the varsity’s mascot started killing off completely different members. The present had an A-list solid with Emma Roberts, Lea Michele, Abigail Breslin, Billie Lourd, Keke Palmer, Oliver Hudson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Glen Powell, Diego Boneta, Niecy Nash, Ariana Grande, and Nick Jonas all enjoying components. It performed up well-known horror film tropes for enjoyable hours of tv all through Season 1.
However Season 2 inexplicably jumped forward two years and featured the sorority ladies as medical college students in a hospital bought by Curtis. John Stamos was a health care provider there. A brand new serial killer emerged. All of it grew to become much more ridiculous than the punny and cheeky first season. The present was cancelled for low scores after that.
2
‘Large Little Lies’ (2017 – 2019)
HBO made a prestigious tv collection with Large Little Lies in 2017. It had a number of the greatest film stars connected, together with Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, Zoe Kravitz, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, Alexander Skarsgard, and Adam Scott. Tailored from the favored Liane Moriarty novel, it follows 5 ladies who grow to be mates after assembly on the elementary faculty the place their children attend. Woodley’s character is new to the world and is welcomed in by the opposite moms (ultimately).
Season 1 featured plenty of soapy goodness, as there’s a crime that hangs over all the season, with clues being revealed piece by piece till an explosive finale. HBO needed to money in on the collection’ recognition and greenlit a second season, regardless of Season 1 overlaying all the guide. Season 2 invited Meryl Streep into the fray, and the story simply did not maintain as much as the load and gravity of Season 1. It explored every character a bit additional, nevertheless it failed to duplicate the sooner season’s magic. Regardless, Kidman has mentioned that there can be a Season 3.
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1
’13 Causes Why’ (2017 – 2020)
A present about an adolescent committing suicide is a troublesome material to painting. 13 Causes Why did a terrific job of bringing Jay Asher’s novel to life in Season 1. The collection centered on Hannah Baker, performed by Katherine Langford, a highschool pupil who commits suicide. After her demise, Clay Jensen, performed by Dylan Minnette, receives 13 cassette tapes, narrated by Hannah, all telling him about completely different explanation why she killed herself. Clay, obsessive about determining who and what brought about Hannah to take action, stops at nothing to uncover the reality. The season was heavy and onerous to look at at occasions, particularly the heartbreaking finale. The present was lauded for its sincere and brutal portrayal of significant issues all through Season 1.
Netflix seized on its recognition and ordered Season 2 and two extra seasons afterward. The present obtained darker and darker every season as there have been extra deaths, extra crimes, extra medication, and extra plotlines that bordered on ridiculous. It grew to become onerous to imagine that every one of those horrible issues might occur to at least one group inside a four-year span. One other miss was that the present solid its most magnetic actor for the character that dies in Season 1, as Langford was praised for her portrayal of Hannah. 13 Causes Why tried too onerous to remain related after Season 1 and by no means got here near being pretty much as good once more.