21 Average TV Shows That Developed Into The Best Thing People Have Watched

I will never stop talking about Zuko's pivotal redemption arc in Avatar: The Last Airbender.

A while ago, I published a post about popular TV shows that started off strong but then became unbearable to watch over time. It generated a lot of chatter — especially when it came to series like Westworld, American Horror Story and The Handmaid's Tale — which were considered the gold standard of television until they screwed things up.

HBO

With that in mind, I wondered about the opposite — what are some TV shows that started off average, but found their footing with each season and eventually transformed into one of the best things you've ever watched? To find out, I asked the BuzzFeed Community. Here are their answers!

Giphy: Nick Jonas / Via giphy.com

1. The Office

NBC

"You have to persevere with Season 1. It's cringe and Michael is unredeemable. But in Season 2, it stops following the British one so closely and finds its feet." 

—katerumtruffle

2. BoJack Horseman

Netflix

"BoJack Horseman is notorious for the phrase, 'Once you get midway through Season 1' when spoken about. But trust me — then it changes to one of the best shows ever."

—sockcucker

3. The Last Kingdom

Netflix

"It was excellent as a BBC show, but once Netflix bought it, the production value skyrocketed as the story got more and more compelling. I can't remember the last time I loved a show that much."

—micahdr

4. Legends Of Tomorrow

The CW

"They were trying so desperately in the first season to stay in the lane of the rest of the Arrowverse shows. And while the first season wasn't bad, it was just aggressively fine. But once they decided to embrace the wild and wacky side of the Legends they really created something great."

—sforsgren1

5. Schitt's Creek

CBC

"I was really excited when I saw that Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara were doing a TV show. I was a huge fan of their mockumentary movies (Waiting For Guffman, Best In Show, A Mighty Wind). I remember watching the first episode and being extremely underwhelmed. I completely forgot about it after that and didn't watch it anymore. A few years later, I saw a BuzzFeed story about David and Patrick’s relationship being the best thing on TV, so I decided to give it another try. I forced my way through the first few episodes, and by the end of the first season, I was hooked.

It took a few episodes for the writers to figure out how to frame the story. The first episodes were mostly about making fun of the town's residents. They then realized the real joke was the absurdity of the Rose family."

—tomb4adc7727a

6. Bob's Burgers

Fox

"The first seasons aren't bad, but it's around Seasons 3 and 4 that the show starts to find its niche by perfecting the blend of family comedy and workplace comedy. Plus, there's also the emergence of holiday episodes, a focus on the Belcher siblings and a lot of AWESOME songs!"

—blackbird68

7. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Marvel/Disney+

"The first season seems a bit bland, but once Captain America: The Winter Soldier came out and they were able to make the big reveal it really took off. If you rewatch the first season knowing the reveal, it makes it even better. You can see the pieces were in place and it was truly a great table setting. Then, the show just really found its footing and became something special, in my opinion."

—tkgm

"I kind of thought it was going to be a low-budget MCU TV series without the Marvel magic, but boy, did I get invested. We had programming issues in Australia with it being swapped around different networks and streaming platforms, but I persisted and grew to love it and the characters."

—libby77

8. Halt And Catch Fire

AMC

"Halt And Catch Fire started off as a Mad Men clone in Season 1, then Seasons 2-4 turned into some of the most compelling character-driven TV I've ever seen."

—depotlounge

9. The IT Crowd

Channel 4

"The first season is mostly introductory to the characters and their job as a whole. It's still incredible, don't get me wrong, but in the second season, Matt Berry becomes one of the main characters and totally changes the projection of the show in the BEST way. In true style, he adds immense power to the show and definitely compliments the other characters."

—theicebox720

10. Star Trek: The Next Generation

Paramount Domestic Television

"I am a die-hard Trekkie, but boy, oh boy, was that first year a test of my devotion. The cast was clearly uncomfortable with each other (that got better throughout the first season) and the writing was inconsistent and sometimes contradictory. But it got better over the following seasons."

—markh63

11. Cougar Town

ABC

"It was flailing for the first eight episodes or so of Season 1, but then it rebooted to be a totally different center (hangout vs. Courtney Cox dating) and became great. It was a little weak in the final season, but the rest is really strong and worth watching."

—shelleye

12. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

FXX

"Although the first couple of seasons weren't terrible, it really hit its stride in Season 4/5 onwards."

—yellow_bee12

13. How I Met Your Father

Hulu

"The first few episodes were shaky, but once it stopped trying to be a How I Met Your Mother clone and found its own voice it became so good and funny."

—jedi11knight

14. The Magicians

Syfy

"It took a few episodes of the first season to hook me in, but by Episode 7 I loved it. Then, each season just got better and better. Now, it's one of my all-time favourite shows! It's got a great ensemble cast and is the rare exception when the show is better than the book."

—blackcat_rach

15. Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Lucasfilm/Disney+

"They had a lot of ground to make up after the awful movie. Starting about midway through Season 2, it starts getting good and was incredible by the end."

—laurenhuchingson

16. Parks And Recreation

NBC

"The show is gold, but the first season is hard to get through the first time around. The second season is when the show really hit its stride."

—slad619

"Adam Scott and Rob Lowe bring some much-needed sparkle to the show, but the characters started becoming so much more well-rounded and three-dimensional (Leslie and Ron in particular) and guest stars like Paul Rudd and Kathryn Hahn took the show to a new level of excellence."

—myfclark

17. American Dad!

TBS

"It's not based as much on pop culture commentary as Family Guy, and the characters are so well developed (IMO) that whatever storyline they give them, their respective reactions are organic and hilarious. Seth [MacFarlane; the creator of Family Guy and co-creator of American Dad!) himself said that he sort of backed off this one and let his partner take it in a new direction and it was the smartest thing he could have done. Also, Roger is by far one of the most entertaining TV characters that I've seen in a long time."

—trilingualmom

"The first season is basically a Family Guy knock-off. Once they started to create their own identity, the show became far superior to FG."

—tomb4adc7727a

18. The Amazing World Of Gumball

Cartoon Network

"Season 1 is okay, but the animation and storytelling really started to improve in Season 2. Then, it just got better with each season."

—gaelicmaiden

19. Longmire

Netflix

"The first season I was like, 'Okay, a decent cop show/western hybrid. Something to put on in the background.' Then it turned into something that my husband wouldn't let me watch without him. We were both hooked. It was SO good!"

—lexia47e9b2a07

20. Person Of Interest

CBS

"At first, it comes across as just another CBS procedural, but by the end of the first season, it starts to reveal itself as one of the smartest and most gripping looks at the power of the surveillance state and personal liberty."

—joshlemmings

21. And finally, Avatar: The Last Airbender

Nickelodeon

"Okay, let's be honest. ATLA was never an average show, but I think we can all agree that it had a very different tone in the first season compared to later episodes. That's not to say it was boring, but the transformation of Avatar from a light-hearted kids' show into a mature series that boasts some of the most incredible character development I've ever watched is a testament to how well-written it is. I will never shut up about Zuko's groundbreaking redemption arc or how the finale makes me weep each and every single time I rewatch this show."

—Isha Bassi

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

What are some other TV shows that started off weak, but got stronger with each season? Tell us in the comments!