Shows that have changed noticeably from one season to the next

[Dark Raven]

Which shows have changed noticeably from one season to the next, either for better or worse? Which shows have been rather consistent in their tone/ quality?

Human Target is one recent example I can think of. Season 1 was badass and had great music. Season 2 was more watered down, added 2 lame female characters and it was hardly surprising in the end that they axed the series.

 

[Anno_Domini]

Season two of Human Target was terrible. Changes of composers and the entire tone itself. Loved everything about the first season though.

Can't really think of anything else that really changed a lot after the first season, or from any shows I have watched. Criminal Minds maybe started to become a bit darker, a bit bloodier in season two, which was a main reason why Mandy Patinkin left.

And there's also Supernatural, which, maybe not have altered a lot, but the lighting of the show changed a lot from seasons two and three, if that counts, haha. The first two seasons had a very gritty feeling to it.

 

[WOLVERINE25TH]

Iron Man and Fantastic Four's second seasons got better animation, theme music, and storylines. Unfortunately, too late to save either of them.

 

[Dark Raven]

Actually the Incredible Hulk cartoon changed from Season 1 to 2. Season 1 was a lot darker. Season 2 had She-Hulk and was much lighter in tone.

Other older shows with a fairly significant change are:

1. Martial Law: Almost an entire cast and premise change, with the exception of Sammo Hung, Arsenio Hall and Kelly Hu. The music was different too.

2. Murder One: Season 1 had Stanley Tucci and Daniel Benzali, and it focused on just one case. Season 2 had smaller cases and Anthony LaPaglia. It just wasn't the same in Season 2.

3. Starksy & Hutch: That constantly changed. Season 1 was much more gritty and had a great score by Lalo Schiffrin. The tone was more similar to the Dirty Harry movies. Then Season 2 watered down the violence and it became more comedic with a new theme music (Gotcha by Tom Scott). Season 3 had this melodramatic tone both in theme music and overall feel, and Season 4 was like very light lunch-time TV with a variation on the Tom Scott theme. The difference between Season 1 and 4 is astounding.

4, Alias: This show kept rebooting itself every season.

 

[WolfCypher]

True Blood.

Season 1 was very well structured. We had a managable number of characters, the plot focused heavily around lead stars Sookie & Bill, Sam could be considered the teritary main character, characters like Tara and Sam were still fan-favorites, and the overall major conflict was very grounded.

Fast-foward to Season 4. By this point, the number of characters is bursting at the seems, many fan-favorites have become unlikable or downright loathed, characters like Sam have greatly become irrelevant, there is far too much campy and soap; the plot has become more over-the-top compared to the more serious nature from seaon 1, and while season 1 focused on only vampires, we've since gotten even more vamps, shifters, maenads, werewolves, werepanthers, ghosts, witches...and the major conflict is always outrageous and excessive. They've abandoned the less-is-more approach for more cast, monsters, nudity, corniness, and sub-plots that have nothing to do with the main plot and sometimes don't resolve into anything.

 

[enterthemadness]

Chuck suffered the stupidity curse from season 3 up to the 5th and finale season. Still was nice to watch, but season 1&2 felt more real.

Breaking In had major changes this season. First season was nice. But whatever, I'm one of the few who loved season 2 debut.

 

[Primal Slayer]

Buffy The Flawless Slayer.

 

[John Locke]

Lost. Each season was focused on something different. Something that almost couldn't be predicted before the previous season finale.

 

[C. Lee]

VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA...first season was more adult themed -spies and international intrigue....after that it became the monster of the week with explosions every 10 minutes.

BURKE'S LAW....first 2 seasons followed Amos Burke as he solved murders in L.A. Third season he became a secret agent for the US government.

 

[SV Fan]

Chuck suffered the stupidity curse from season 3 up to the 5th and finale season. Still was nice to watch, but season 1&2 felt more real.

I think what the show suffered between S2 & 3 is called a budget cut.

 

[enterthemadness]

I think what the show suffered between S2 & 3 is called a budget cut.

Wasn't much sense of fear from the bad guys though. Yeah, the Ring...but season 4&5 dropped the ball big time. Writers failed there. Volkoff Industries sucked, except for that actor playing Volkoff. Now that's a actor. A-C-T-O-R, take note Hollywood, not that you do Anyhoo.

 

[Rylvan]

Supernatural
Season one was about finding dad, and introduced the "monster of the week" format. Season two was more or less the same, but without dad.

Jump to season four, they've ditched the monster of the week thing, and suddenly it's a Christian show, with the introduction of angels, Heaven, Cas, etc, and it's all about preventing Lucifer from escaping his prison down in the bowels of Hell. Season five, prevent the end of the world.

Seasons 4 and 5 also lost a lot of the comedy and humor of the first few years, and became darker and more serious. Now, post-season five, it kinda lacks a clear direction. What do you do, now that you've averted the freakin' Apocalypse? Satan's gone, Crowley's gone, the Campbells are all gone, there was that big fakeout with Eve...

I think they're really running out of steam and just doing whatever, trying to keep the ratings and viewership numbers up by whatever means necessary, whether it's killing off characters, resurrecting them, killing them again, bringing old characters back, or more gimmicky time travel, meta, and spoof episodes.

 

[Anno_Domini]

Supernatural
Season one was about finding dad, and introduced the "monster of the week" format. Season two was more or less the same, but without dad.

Jump to season four, they've ditched the monster of the week thing, and suddenly it's a Christian show, with the introduction of angels, Heaven, Cas, etc, and it's all about preventing Lucifer from escaping his prison down in the bowels of Hell. Season five, prevent the end of the world.

Seasons 4 and 5 also lost a lot of the comedy and humor of the first few years, and became darker and more serious. Now, post-season five, it kinda lacks a clear direction. What do you do, now that you've averted the freakin' Apocalypse? Satan's gone, Crowley's gone, the Campbells are all gone, there was that big fakeout with Eve...

I think they're really running out of steam and just doing whatever, trying to keep the ratings and viewership numbers up by whatever means necessary, whether it's killing off characters, resurrecting them, killing them again, bringing old characters back, or more gimmicky time travel, meta, and spoof episodes.

I don't think you understand what this thread is about...

 

[Llama_Shepherd]

Yeah, that post belongs in the actual Supernatural thread.

What you could have said is that the humour of the early years primarily focused in sibling rivalry (eg Provenance) was uprooted by forcing drama by always making the boys go separate ways (eg Seasons 4, 5, 6 and 7).

 

[Lord]

Why? That's the kind of post i want to see here.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer changed a lot, not only the quality of the effects but the enemies varied from old vampires to the origin of evil itself.

Fringe is a show that in only 4 seasons changed a lot, in fact, while it kept it's quality, when comparing season 1 and most of season 2 with the end of season 2 till season 4 some things don't seem to really fit, and the show kind of rebooted itself twice.

Smallville also changed a lot, probably because it lost focus, or it never really had one, by Season 4 things got really weird and i must say that the show had contradiction and problems from the very begining

 

[Lantern Venom]

The Incredible Hulk animated series in the mid 90s is an infamous one. The first season's shows ended on a somber note with a misunderstood Hulk on the run from countless enemies. Season 2 still had is dark (for a kid's show) moments, but it became a lighter show called "Hulk and She-Hulk". The green Hulk grew increasing dim-witted and bumbling while She-Hulk acted like a college girl on spring break.

 

[Dark Raven]

I think the reason for dramatic changes from one season to the next are often to do with budget cuts, different producers or being told to change things up to attract a different audience otherwise the show will be cancelled. However, that can sometimes change things for the worse, as was the case with Human Target.

Some shows naturally evolve, and so yes, when you compare an early season to a later one, they will be quite different. However, you can see the process of evolution over a period of time and it will feel more natural. When there is a dramatic change, you notice it much more markedly. Suddenly cast members are gone or others are added and other plotlines are abandoned.

I'm sure TIH animated series changed from season 1 to 2 because the studios told them to make it lighter as the first sesaon was too dark for kids.

The 70s Bionic Woman show noticeably changed in its 3rd and final season. Suddenly they abandoned Jaime Sommers as a school teacher and she seemed to be a full-time agent. Often she wouldn't show up in the episode until quite a way in or would barely feature herself. And they started introducing these alien plotlines and other ridiculous things. Seasons 1 and 2 were much stronger.

 

[Marvel Spider]

That one Disney show American Dragon: Jake Long. Just compare the openings.

Season 1:[YT]dkvCUwOHS9U[/YT]

Season 2: [YT]Xdw-G2QxYM4[/YT]

It changed tremendously. Total change in art direction, most of the crew, and story. Season 2 was a bit darker.

 

[Ipodman]

Lost. Each season was focused on something different. Something that almost couldn't be predicted before the previous season finale.

Agreed with LOST, although I won't say EVERY season. Seasons 1 to 3 was very different from seasons 4 to 6

 

[Lord]

Yeah, i remember that happening with American Dragon, they completelly redesigned the characters, and the story was much better in season 2.

 

[Dark Raven]

Wonder Woman is a prime example. Season 1 was set in WWII and was on ABC. The theme music was sung and WW had a slightly different costume. Season 2 was in modern times and on CBS, which was most likely the reason for the change. The theme was instrumental now and WW's costume was updated.

 

[WOLVERINE25TH]

Actually, the change is the reason CBS picked it up. ABC didn't renew it because it was more expensive and limiting to do a period piece, so the president of WB sold it to CBS with the notion of setting it in the present, reducing the overall costs.

 

[Franklin Richards]

Star Trek : TNG seemed to try to stick to it's TOS roots in the first season. Then they just went their own way in Season 2. Cleaner. Fewer zippers. Troi stopped wearing that bun and Riker grew out the beard. Geordi wore yellow and got kicked to Engineering. Crusher took off and She-Bones took over for a bit. Worf pulled out the metal baldric. Tasha DIED!


TNG wins the Season 1 to Season 2 award.

 

[DACrowe]

True Blood.

Season 1 was very well structured. We had a managable number of characters, the plot focused heavily around lead stars Sookie & Bill, Sam could be considered the teritary main character, characters like Tara and Sam were still fan-favorites, and the overall major conflict was very grounded.

Fast-foward to Season 4. By this point, the number of characters is bursting at the seems, many fan-favorites have become unlikable or downright loathed, characters like Sam have greatly become irrelevant, there is far too much campy and soap; the plot has become more over-the-top compared to the more serious nature from seaon 1, and while season 1 focused on only vampires, we've since gotten even more vamps, shifters, maenads, werewolves, werepanthers, ghosts, witches...and the major conflict is always outrageous and excessive. They've abandoned the less-is-more approach for more cast, monsters, nudity, corniness, and sub-plots that have nothing to do with the main plot and sometimes don't resolve into anything.

That's because the books became that excessive...not with so many more characters (it's all Sookie's POV), but more soapy and having dozens of supernatural characters. It became a romantic fantasy-fest for female readers about Eric. The show has gone the same direction. It's why the first two seasons are great and 3 and 4 are only "OK." Though I think S4 was better than the very boring S3.

Just my opinion on that last part.

 

[John Locke]

Agreed with LOST, although I won't say EVERY season. Seasons 1 to 3 was very different from seasons 4 to 6

No I would say every season.

Spoiler

Season 1: Hunting boar and building a raft.
Season 2: Trying to push a button to save the world.
Season 3: Trying to get Jack from the others and then fight them.
Season 4: Half of it is on a boat. Flashforwards. Some of them living in houses.
Season 5: Time Travel.
Season 6: Fighting the Smoke Monster.
However I do agree that seasons 1-3 had a common quality that season 4-6 didn't have and vice versa.