7 TV Shows That Went From Must-See To Completely Forgettable

As a network, HBO have a staggering hit to miss ratio. Throughout their history they have aired less than 30 original dramas, but their emphasis on quality over quantity means that the vast majority of those are highly regarded, the odd failure such as Luck or John From Cincinnati struggling to negatively impact the collective brilliance of a list that includes The Sopranos, The Wire, Game of Thrones, Deadwood, True Blood, and Westworld.

True Detective seemed destined to be their next big hitter when it debuted to major fanfare in 2014, with its dark storyline spanning seventeen years in the search for a serial killer. The performances of Hollywood heavyweights Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson gave the series star power, whilst the unusual move of having just one director (Cary Joji Fukunaga, who will helm the next Bond movie) gave it a consistent flow.

There was huge anticipation for the second season, which swapped Lousiana for California and McConaughey and Harrelson for Colin Farrell, Rachael MacAdams and Vince Vaughn. Whilst not entirely bad, it felt very rudimentary and generic in comparison to the first season, and the excitement soon dissipated.

The recently aired third season, which switched the focus to Arkansas and was again headed by a new cast led by Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali, has been a return to form. But much of the audience hooked in 2014 have since moved on to the many alternatives that have sprung up in the intervening five years.