Television history is filled with shows that had stellar first or second seasons only to degrade in quality. Some shows can recover, while others just sink further and leave fans disappointed in how they wasted their potential. However, there’s a subset of shows that had weak or poor first seasons only to become amazing series as they continued.
Usually, this is true for science fiction, with Star Trek: The Next Generation being perhaps the best case of a frankly terrible first season becoming a TV classic a few years later. Yet fantasy TV has a few good examples as well; shows with first seasons that weren’t quite terrible, just weak, with obvious potential that just needed time to develop properly. These are 10 fantasy shows overcame weak first seasons to become stellar genre series, and prove that you can never write a show off too early.
1. The Wheel of Time
It’s a real shame Amazon decided to cancel this show just as it was finally hitting its stride. The first season of the epic adaptation of the beloved novels was rough, more so because its production was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and some cast shifts. It doesn’t help that most Wheel fans agree the first book is a weak start to the saga, prone to classic fantasy clichés.
Season 2 was a good step forward, thanks to being based on the later, stronger novels. The characters were more fleshed out, the budget allowed for bigger set pieces, and the actors stepped up their game. Season 3 was the best yet, everything coming together just when the axe came down. Without that rough start, The Wheel of Time might still be rolling with fans. It’s sad that such a promising show was killed off too fast.
2. The Outpost
The very underrated CW series The Outpost surprised many by surviving past one season. It was easy to dismiss what looked like a throwback to the cheesy syndicated shows of the 1990s, despite a stellar turn by Jessica Green as the heroine seeking revenge for her people being wiped out. That first season wasn’t terrible by any means, yet it seemed lacking.
The second season boosted things up, becoming darker and more daring with its storylines. It unleashed a wider scope, adding in better characters, and a good mythology was established. The show also proved itself in the later seasons with bold story developments, showing it wasn't afraid to kill off main characters and creating an enthralling adventure. The four-season run is a testament to how this series wonderfully improved into a cult classic show that's still enjoyable today.
3. Legend of the Seeker
This syndicated take on the Sword of Truth books by Terry Goodkind had numerous challenges. That first season wasn’t too poor, since the show instantly sold viewers on the wonderful chemistry between stars Craig Horner and Bridget Regan. Still, the series was hampered by its low budget, trying to make the books’ ambitious storylines work amid a more conservative TV landscape. While it had a good finale, it ultimately felt lacking.
Season 2 was much better, thanks to things like the addition of Cara, who had a wonderful character arc. Horner showed a tougher edge to his hero and a darker motif made the entire series ironically shine more. It wasn’t enough to save it from cancelation, yet fans will agree the second season was far more faithful to the books’ spirit than the first year had been.
4. Charmed
Given its long run amid so many creative changes, it’s easy to forget how poor the first season of Charmed was. While the stars had an instant chemistry, the show’s writers struggled to find the balance between drama and comedy. It wasn’t helped by many episodes being by-the-numbers tales and too much emphasis on religious themes rather than Wiccan antics.
Season 2 saw some improvement, tightening up the supporting cast and adding more threats. It was season 3 when the show truly hit its stride with the introduction of Cole. Granted, the last few seasons were rough in terms of storylines and the cheese factor, yet Charmed still cast a spell on viewers to overcome that tough beginning.
5. The Vampire Diaries
One of the CW’s biggest hits that birthed two successful spinoffs, The Vampire Diaries seemed to have the ingredients to be a hit. It was based on a popular YA novel series and came in the wake of Twilight when vampire tales were hot. The first season isn’t as bad as others on this list, yet it suffered from trying to do classic YA tropes and put too much emphasis on the love triangle between the leads. It didn’t really come alive until the finale, which introduced the wicked Katherine.
It’s no coincidence that season 2 saw instant improvement when Caroline was turned into a vampire and quickly became the show’s best character. The storylines became darker, introducing more supernatural elements, the romance was less distracting, and the series evolved its complex mythology into a fantastic lore. That helped TVD become a CW mainstay and franchise, overcoming the first season slowness.
6. Shadowhunters
After The Mortal Instruments crashed and burned as a film franchise, Freeform took a chance on the urban fantasy for a TV show. The results proved the material worked better on the small screen, with Katherine McNamara a much better choice than Lilly Collins as heroine Clare. The first episodes were a tad rough as they tried to follow the book’s complex storyline, but things picked up when the show simply used the books as inspiration for new tales.
Shadowhunters was helped by a good young cast that connected well and intriguing turns like Clare’s human best friend becoming a vampire. The series deepened as it went, often with darker and more mature storylines. It could have lasted longer, but the last two seasons were far better fantasy fare than when it started, proving the source material was a better fit for TV.
7. Wizards of Waverly Place
Wizards of Waverly Place is an offbeat choice, but it counts for this list. The series that made Selena Gomez a star began like any cookie-cutter Disney Channel sitcom of the time, with Gomez as the mischievous Alex Russo. What set it apart was that it was about a family of wizards, allowing for fun special effects to mark the comedy. It was a throwback to older comedy TV and not much else.
As it went on, the series grew alongside Gomez’s stardom. The magical world expanded greatly with complex plotlines, and the series relied on continuity far more than other shows of its type. There was character growth amid the fun, and it all came to a warm conclusion. Likewise, its recent sequel series Wizards Beyond Waverly Place started as a weaker sequel, only to blossom and show how Gomez worked magic with this franchise.
8. Dark Shadows
Sometimes desperation breeds genius. Such a case was in 1967 when Dan Curtis was informed his gothic soap opera was facing cancelation. Despite some decent actors and storylines, the series was failing to break through. With nothing left to lose, Curtis decided to introduce the brooding Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) and then reveal him to be a vampire. Rather than “jumping the shark,” the series took off as a cult favorite that would become a classic of its time.
The series became famous for its grand mythology of ghosts, demons, time travel and more. It still retains a massive following that’s included a couple of revivals on TV and movies. It also paved the way for other supernatural dramas while proving that taking a seemingly wild swing could produce a home run for fantasy TV lovers.
9. Highlander
The 1990s were packed with TV shows based on movies, and one based on Highlander made sense on paper. While Christopher Lambert appeared in the first episode, the real star was Adrian Paul as Duncan MacLeod, a 400-year-old Scotsman who engaged in sword duels with other Immortals. That first season acted like a prequel to the 1985 movie, talking about a “Gathering” of the last Immortals, but seemed to not do as much with the concept.
The first significant shift was getting away from the movie storyline with the introduction of the Watchers, who observed Immortals. Killing a major character was a wild turn, but it freed up Duncan to have other romances, and the series excelled using flashbacks to enhance the storylines. There were also better fight scenes and a deeper exploration of Immortal society. The result was a show with an undying fandom and a series far better than the movie that inspired it.
10. Angel
Yes, Buffy the Vampire Slayer had an up-and-down first season, though when it was on a high, it showed. The issue with the spinoff Angel’s first season was that it should have hit the ground running with the character in L.A. fighting for redemption. Instead, it faltered in the early going despite a decent bond between Angel, Cordelia and Doyle. The attempts to link to Buffy with cameos from a couple of characters didn’t land as the show struggled to find its identity.
The first step to improvement was writing out Doyle and replacing him with Wesley, who began a terrific character evolution. The show took a massive jump forward in season 2 with Gunn, tighter storylines, and higher stakes in Angel’s fight against Wolfram & Hart. The series found its footing by the end of the year, and closed out a five-season run with a stunning finale. In many ways, Angel was even better than its parent show in maintaining its quality over seasons.