10 TV Shows Never Better Than Their First Season

Whilst there can be no doubt Deadwood is one of the greatest and most influential dramas ever made, it's also not controversial to say it peaked with its first season, which introduces audiences to David Milch's profane Western with an equal helping of exquisite worldbuilding, mighty historical detail, and rich characters.

Quick to warn audiences it won't be a pleasant ride, Deadwood opens with a brutal hanging and goes increasingly uphill from there, throwing short-tempered but virtuous lawman Seth Bullock into a world of dirty saloons, corruption, dangerous outlaws, and murder.

Deadwood's first season is all about growth, as the eponymous camp grows into a community despite the violence and horrors that threatens its continued existence. The execution of this development is impossible to fault, balancing its expansive cast with profundity and unsettling grit.

The second and third seasons of the drama are both astounding achievements in their own right, rife with expert character development and tragedy, but they lack the overall consistency and freshness of Deadwood's debut.