Often considered the most difficult form of storytelling in entertainment, the television landscape has produced some riveting shows that have become mainstays in pop culture and have garnered loyal fans in a variety of genres. However, for as many great series that highlight the best of the medium, specifically TV dramas, multiple shows fail to live up to a higher standard that had been previously established for viewers, where some TV dramas eventually lose direction.

Whether dealing with changes in the plot, mishandled narrative execution or issues outside of the show’s control, several TV dramas have delivered a strong television experience for audiences that emphasized great potential, only to then significantly drop in quality. Moreover, many of these shows’ prolonged tenure drew the ire of dedicated fans who felt disappointed by a lack of cohesion, as well as grew tiresome with the ill-conceived narratives at hand.

10 The Walking Dead Dipped in Quality Over Time

The Show Was Never the Same After Its Tremendous Start

Based on the comic book series by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard, the AMC post-apocalyptic horror drama The Walking Dead drew in millions of loyal fans and, at one point, was one of the most exciting television shows in entertainment; however, the series transformed from a gripping cinematic tale into an overextended narrative showcase. With multiple showrunners throughout its run, the series never quite reached the same depth and structural pace during its first season with Frank Darabont.

The initial Darabont era made The Walking Dead feel grounded while still operating within a genre-heavy format and each episode elevated the story rather than just serving as filler. Moreover, the show’s eventual turn into prolonged comic book storytelling may have delighted some fans, though it essentially brought the program from a prestige quality into another run-of-the-mill horror series that ran past its due.

9Dexter Dragged on Longer Than It Should’ve

A Solid Idea Got Lost in Execution

Adapted from the novels by Jeff Lindsay, the Showtime crime drama Dexter introduced viewers to a crime scene analyst living a double life as a vigilante serial killer and, during the show’s early run, produced memorable moments that enticed audiences. However, despite having a performer like Michael C. Hall who perfectly embodies the character, the series highlighted an engaging concept that unfortunately lost its footing.

Although Dexter depicted some interesting story arcs throughout its first four seasons, though these elements are more entertaining than feasibly possible, the series never quite reached the same status as its first outing. Whether having messy character drama or overcomplicated plot lines, the show fell into the same trappings as other mishandled dramas by losing its prestige luster and becoming melodramatic. By its conclusion, the constant heightening of conflict made the show feel uninspired rather than sticking to a solid narrative that could’ve helped the series.

8House of Cards Lost All of Its Credibility

The Magic of the Show Faded Away

Taken from the novel by Michael Dobbs, Netflix’s political thriller House of Cards displayed a decline that emphasized how fundamental character development is for a television series, where the process of want vs. need ultimately hurts the audience. When the show began with a strong opening arc, House of Cards’ lead character Frank Underwood vied for the position of President of the United States and upon achieving his goal, the series had no real bite left to it, especially after its first season.

The process of watching a character like Frank Underwood desire something is far more interesting than viewing him gain everything. The manipulation tactics and Frank’s monologues to the audience are the best parts of the show and, even prior to Kevin Spacey’s departure, the series hadn’t attained the same level of satisfaction as the first outing.

7Westworld Became Too Convoluted for Its Own Good

Big Concepts and Poor Delivery Hurt the Series

As a televised interpretation of the Michael Crichton film, HBO’s dystopian sci-fi Western Westworld showcased a series ripe with narrative depth, high-quality production design and a terrific cast that was ultimately wasted after its first season. Setting up the story so smoothly and properly building up to a harrowing finale, the first season of Westworld took audiences by storm and left viewers wanting more. However, the proceeding seasons that followed blew away all sense of engagement and drowned the narrative with too many plot threads.

What worked best about Westworld was the interesting philosophical elements, effective action and the cast’s ensemble chemistry. Unfortunately, the series became a parody of itself and tried to handle several storylines that were unsatisfying or too vague to understand. Over time, the basic premise of androids breaking free from slavery within a theme park eventually turned into a battle for dominance of planet Earth, which took the fun away from the series’ initial start.

6Empire Ran Out of Material to Hook Audiences

A Great Premise Turned Into a Soap Opera

Initially serving as a fresh take on a musical series, the Fox music drama Empire engaged viewers with the show’s strong soundtrack, stylized production & costume design and the overall acting of the ensemble cast, though definitively lost its way following the first season. Although its initial combination Shakespearian themes and hip-hop culture was enjoyable, Empire eventually got too muddled. With too many narrative threads and overly complicated melodrama, the show turned into a typical television soap.

At the same time, the tone of the show veered in different directions, which took away the value of the series’ first season’s sharp writing, where the heightened conflicts and interpersonal relationships became too complicated amidst the show’s solid initial base. Moreover, despite the cast uplifting the material at hand, these characters were never the same since the show’s start and never reached a satisfying closed arc.

5The Umbrella Academy Went Style Over Substance

A Unique Superhero Show Turned Too Chaotic

Based on the comic book series by Gerard Way & Gabriel Bá, Netflix’s superhero comedy-drama The Umbrella Academy launched into the television landscape with dynamic characters, an intriguing mystery and a fun tone that also handled mature drama nicely. That said, despite a promising start with its first season, the show suffered diminishing returns with its outlandish/convoluted plot and ultimately fell short of keeping viewers invested in the drama. Furthermore, the continual changes of setting and mishandled character development tonally clashed with every proceeding season.

As The Umbrella Academy primarily centered on a group of siblings trying to piece together a conspiracy, while also healing from trauma, the series’ narrative momentum promised big climactic events and delivered stylized action set-pieces along the way. However, by heavily leaning on the chaotic elements within the narrative, the show forgot to keep the personal and intimate moments worthwhile for the audience.

4American Gods Just Couldn’t Stick the Landing

Continuous Changes Caused an Unfocused Show Development

Adapted from the novel by Neil Gaiman, the Starz fantasy drama American Gods delighted fans with its impressive visual style, expansive narrative and talented cast, where each element introduced in the first season promised a sweeping tale of Old vs. New Gods in an epic battle that also displayed well-executed character drama. However, with changing showrunners and a botched delivery of the source material, the series quickly dropped in quality and never regained its original dramatic weight.

With Neil Gaiman’s book being praised for fostering many intricately written characters, a distinct tone and properly pacing the narrative toward a great conclusion, American Gods also displayed these facets from the get-go and tried to do something new as well, but ultimately lost the core elements in what made the novel great with each new season. The trappings of style over substance also heavily affected the show and diminished the story by going for spectacle instead of concise storytelling.

3Riverdale Quickly Turned Outlandish and Frustratingly Complicated

A Teen Soap That Fumbled Its Source Material

Having reframed the characters from Archie Comics, the CW teen drama mystery Riverdale introduced viewers to a grittier version of the beloved franchise and leaned toward a younger/mature audience, where despite having an ambitious take that showed promise, the series failed to keep any intrigue past its first season. With its talented young cast and a genre-blending style, Riverdale gathered a compelling set of stakes for its building narrative, though very quickly turned messy and silly.

Among the show’s six seasons, Riverdale has gone through a variety of storytelling tropes and over time turned the original premise into a convoluted series of events that didn’t add anything to the overall plot, nor did these facets help define the characters at hand. Furthermore, the show’s ridiculous storylines made its audience turn on the program, where viewers watched to criticize the series for its campy nature and lackluster direction.

2Prison Break Should’ve Been a Concise Narrative

The Ball Dropped When the Story Was Over

Largely hinging on its simple but effective premise, Fox’s crime drama series Prison Break hooked audiences with its first season due to a great ensemble cast led by Dominic Purcell & Wentworth Miller, along with tight scriptwriting that built an engaging narrative throughout. The show’s first season efficiently told the story of the Scofield Brothers trying to escape from prison and connected with fans leading up to the season finale; although, it is at this point where the show goes off the rails.

With plot lines dealing with government coverups, globe-trotting adventures and multiple character side-plots, the show lost any sense of direction once the promise of a prison escape was achieved. Had the show been retooled as a tight miniseries, Prison Break could have been one of the best crime dramas in all of television. Instead, the series stretched out its narrative far past what any reasonable show would’ve done and audiences themselves felt uninterested after the memorable characters broke out into the regular world.

Michael Scofield is a desperate man in a desperate situation. His brother, Lincoln Burrows, was convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and put on Death Row. Michael holds up a bank to get

1Heroes Had Nowhere Else to Go With Its Story

Comic Style Narratives Don’t Especially Hold Strong

Crafted with a deep respect for comic books and a distinct style, the NBC superhero drama Heroes was among the first shows of its kind to seriously adapt the superhero genre into a televised series. Having an eclectic ensemble cast, great production design and unique storytelling techniques, the show bolstered a great first season that delivered effective drama and interesting characters, though sadly lost the charm that made its first season special.

With an emphasis on comic book-style storytelling, Heroes managed to present the highs & lows of the medium by introducing various tones throughout each season, where the very first outing was the defining moment for the show. The complicated plot lines and story beats ultimately left more questions than answers, which, in conjunction with its large cast losing a lot of character depth, tarnished Heroes from what it once was.