shows with weak (or at least not-as-good) freshman seasons

[Dean Winchester]

one thing a lot of people have been debating on TV-DVD forums recently is the abandonment of some shows after season one, when the fans feel that season one was not near the best... so I pose the question, what are shows out there that you consider the first season to be subpar compared to the latter seasons. It can either be a show that completely changed it's style or cast (Happy Days, A Different World, Facts Of Life are example) or just a show that really didn't find it's "groove" until latter seasons.

[Dean Winchester]

some offhand for me...

-Buffy The Vampire Slayer - season one was campy goodness, but that was about it, the show didn't really become what everyone loved about it until midway into season 2
-Seinfeld - the first two seasons were more or less a work in progress with a few great episodes (The Chinese Restaurant comes to mind) but also with a lot of lackluster shows, and then suddenly everything worked in season 3 and it stayed that way until about season 8 when Larry David left
-The Facts Of Life - I didn't like all the extra girls, but if I was older and had watched them on NBC, I might feel differently. To me, Jo was too big a part of the show that without her the show isn't the same
-The Simpsons - season one was cute and had a few good moments, but for the most part, it's nostalgia over humor while seasons 2 to about 9 are classic
-Diff'rent Strokes - season one didn't have enough outside action, almost every episode was completely set in the penthouse, plus Willis and Kimberly seemed more useful when they got a bit older
-Sex And The City - the first season was shot on low-budget cameras so it's aged badly, plus I hated the "talk to people on the streets about the subject of the week" angle that luckily they killed off early into season two, which is when the show really entered greatness
-Roseanne - the first season is alright in a standard sitcom way, but IMO, the show really broke out of its shell and became better when it became less of a "white trash Cosby Show" and more of the show Roseanne wanted to make

I personally liked the first seasons of Happy Days and A Different World so I didn't list those

[rjb182]

I would go with "A Different World." It was an entirely different show with Lisa Bonet as the star, and I think what it turned into was better.

Star Trek fans know the first season of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" was infamously bad.

"Mad About You," the Paul Reiser/Helen Hunt sitcom, wasn't very appealing to me in its early days, but found its groove later on...

I agree with you about the first year of Happy Days being good-- I think the Fonz was *really* cool then. The more they brought him front and center, the more he softened up and became (for me) less interesting...

[snl 70s show fan]

friends and that 70s show they were good in ther first seasons but nowhere as good as they became later on

[Adamantium]

Ellen - Season one was just a "Seinfeld" rip-off. It had a couple funny moments, but wasn't all that great. Season two was a huge improvement over season one.

Boy Meets World - As a kid, viewing this show for the first time, the debut season was great. It wasn't until the show ends that you look back at the first season and it's really not that funny. Plus all the characters were completely different back then.

Married .. with Children - It was too soft compared to what it later became. Although I still prefer Steve over Jefferson, the show's first season wasn't very good.

Wings - It just wasn't that funny. The show really became great during the second season.

[Classicshowsgurl15]

Most shows first seasons aren't the greatest anyway.

[Dean Winchester]

Most shows first seasons aren't the greatest anyway.

:::coughMork And Mindy:: ;)

[slackermonkey]

"Seinfeld" had a mediocre first season. Its pilot alone is almost unwatchable compared to what the show would become.

[Buffyboy323]

Growing Pains....The first season was alright, but it got much better as the years went by.

Charles In Charge.....Hate the pembrokes! I can see why it was canceled and then brought back.

Facts Of Life...Do I even have to explain this one?

Family Matters and Roseanne....Not much comparison between these two, except that they became better shows, beginning with their second seasons. The first seasons of both were too "family friendly"

Buffy's first season was ok television, but it's nothing compared to what the show would soon become.

Star Trek:TNG and Star Trek:DS9: I hate the first 2 seasons of both. They really picked up in their Third seasons.

Full House...liked it better when the cast started to expand, which was early in season 2.

[Buffyboy323]

Growing Pains....The first season was alright, but it got much better as the years went by.

Charles In Charge.....Hate the pembrokes! I can see why it was canceled and then brought back.

Facts Of Life...Do I even have to explain this one?

Blossom....liked the first season....was hooked on the second and third one's.

Family Matters and Roseanne....Not much comparison between these two, except that they became better shows, beginning with their second seasons. The first seasons of both were too "family friendly"

Buffy's first season was ok television, but it's nothing compared to what the show would soon become.

Star Trek:TNG and Star Trek: DS9: I hate the first 2 seasons of both. They really picked up in their Third seasons.

Full House...liked it better when the cast started to expand, which was early in season 2.