10 Great TV Shows That Went Downhill (And Then Redeemed Themselves)

5. Sons Of Anarchy (2008 - 2014)

There's an argument to be had that Sons of Anarchy had a somewhat messy run over the course of its lifespan, but most fans would agree that the first two seasons are probably the best that the show had to offer - exciting, bloody and - most importantly - well-paced, especially during season two (which remains the show's high water mark).

The third season marked a low point for Sons of Anarchy, however, as the action split between California and Belfast and introduced a whole set of new characters. In turn, this made it a lot harder to invest in what was happening, as the time spent with each individual was cut in half and the late additions remained vastly undeveloped. Unsurprisingly, here's when a lot of Anarchy fans begin to lose interest in the show.

The fourth season improved on some of the failings of the third, at least, and - despite its slow pacing - proved to be a generally more satisfying experience (even if the stuff with the Mexican cartel didn't resonate in the way that it probably should have).

It took the fifth season of Songs of Anarchy to get things back on track, though: after two years of admittedly disappointing episodes, season five worked as a recalibration; all those annoying outside influences that had been bogging down the action were rightly removed. This was followed up by two more good seasons, which - despite a few clunky moments - never came close to the lows of season three.