10 TV Shows That Failed Spectacularly In Their Final Season

Ted Lasso was a show that arrived at just the right time, the almost aggressively wholesome sports sitcom releasing mere months into the pandemic when the world desperately craved some unchallenging feel-good content.

As such, it not only proved a storming ratings hit for Apple TV+, but won numerous Emmys in its first season, including Outstanding Comedy Series. Season two didn't rouse quite the same fervour, yet was still largely raved-about by critics and fans alike.

The recently concluded third season, however, is overpowering proof of what can go wrong in a hit show's final stretch.

Where to begin? For starters, the episodes were just way too long - far from the breezy half-hour runtimes of the first season, several episodes in season three ran well over an hour without in any way justifying it.

Beyond that, fans were disappointed with the decreased emphasis on football over character drama and a number of ill-advised subplots - namely a leaked sex tape storyline delivered without a shred of subtlety or finesse.

And then there's the characterisation, with numerous characters either having curtailed, incomplete, or unsatisfying arcs, and many fans feeling especially short-changed by Nate's (Nick Mohammed) role this season.

All in all Ted Lasso's third season confirmed that, no, it's far from the prestige drama many have held it up as. Rather, it's a warm-hearted comfort food dramedy that ultimately got irresponsibly high on its own supply.