10 Amazing Comeback Seasons That Saved Dying TV Shows

Very few shows are perfect. Even beloved classics such as Breaking Bad, The Wire, MASH and Twin Peaks have something working against them, be it terrible characters, bad acting or risky narrative choices. None of these, however, have a truly bad season or two which tripped them up during their run.

Many other shows have not been so lucky. Sometimes a season or two can completely derail a show so it never recovers; some have a great run marred with predictability or bad characters; and others simple never realise their true potential.

The following list will have a look at the shows which suffered because of its plot, characters, writing and acting, but managed - often miraculously - to pull themselves back up and come back better than ever. None of these shows were ever outright awful, mind, but before these seasons, they were certainly heading to the point where fans would either jump off completely or the networks would start seriously considering cancellation.

Whatever the case, here are 10 shows that were saved by one excellent season of TV. Major spoilers follow.

It may be hard to admit now, but Parks and Rec didn't get off to a massively successful start. Running for only six episodes, Season One was far too short to get into the swing of things; the characters, though still funny, weren't yet fully realised, and the mockumentary style structure and predictable plots made it seem like nothing more than a weak carbon copy of the far superior show, The Office (US).

Then came Season Two. Though fans and critics were previously skeptical about how successful the show could be, Season Two put everyone's worries aside and came into its own. The characters - particularly Nick Offerman's Ron Swanson and Amy Poehler's Leslie Knope - were more refined and better written, and the stories, peaking with the fun and sweet "Galentine's Day" and the hilarious "Park Safety", were more engaging and unique than the previous outing.

After that, Parks and Rec went from strength to strength, with each season more entertaining and daring than the last. Now a cult classic, it's a prime example of why you should give a show a chance to see what it's made of.