15 TV Shows That Were Good Right Until The End, And 13 That Totally Declined In Quality

Yes, we all knew this show would be on this list. Because it’s the best show ever, duh.

At five seasons, BrBa was just the perfect length, giving characters ample time to grow, but wrapping the story at a sensical point. Not one episode of this show was wasted (yes, even “Fly”), but it wasn’t rushed, either. 

Vince Gilligan knew exactly where he wanted this show to go, and had it all methodically planned out. And you can tell when you watch Breaking Bad.

I feel like everyone and their mother talked about Succession when it was running. And honestly, it’s still pretty widely discussed now.

Succession is a 4-season show, and even though the ending left some people feeling “underwhelmed,” TBH, it’s better than a show droning on without any real purpose. Plus, Jesse Armstrong, the guy who created the show, said he knew how he wanted it to end for a long time.

I genuinely don’t think this show could get more perfect. It’s super quick, at only 4 seasons of 20-minute episodes, it’s beyond smart, and it’s also super hilarious, with an adorable cast of characters.

Also, virtually all fans agree this show’s ending goes down in history as one of the best — if not THE best — ever.

Yes, this show was 7 seasons, which does sort of feel like a lot…but this show just gets more amazing as it goes on, which, honestly, is pretty unique for a long-running sitcom.

I know I’m not the only one who could sit and watch Leslie Knope’s life for years at a time. The characters are just so lovable, and the storylines are hilarious and interesting!

Everyone pretty much agrees that Gravity Falls started great, continued that way, and ended off just as strong — so much that fans still want more seasons to this day. It’s one of those shows that’s 100% worth a rewatch (or two). 

It’s honestly sad that this show ended in the first place, but hey, look on the bright side: at least it’s ALL good. Maybe we’ll get more Gravity Falls in the future.

Veep has seven seasons, but honestly, you can fly through this show pretty quickly. It’s interesting and clever right until the very end. Plus, Veep is actually funny, as well. 

Perhaps it would hit a bit too close to home at the moment, but in general, it’s definitely worth a watch if political dramas interest you.

This one has seven seasons as well. And besides the incredible cast, this one is another political drama worth a watch — or a rewatch, honestly.

Fans do say this show falls off a bit for season 5, which is a bit of a touchy topic among the West Wing fandom…but the good news is, unlike a lot of other shows, it picked back up just in time for seasons 6 and 7.

If you’ve never seen this ’00s comedy show, you absolutely MUST. It’s downright adorable! Maybe this is also a testament to the characters — like, it’s pretty much impossible not to absolutely love Hal — but still.

This show feels so real and is so relatable, you just can’t help but love it right until the end. It’s also cool being able to see the kids grow up.

No, I’m not biased in including this one just because it’s Canadian and so am I! The fact is, this show is a rare one — because it got better with every episode. No wonder this show is addictive given how much chemistry the cast has, both on-screen and off, but I’m convinced I’d love it either way. 

Basically, once you start this show, good luck ever stopping. It’s brilliant and hilarious.

I know, this is a totally different vibe than the rest of the list, but it’s a crime (hehe, no pun intended) that this show ended after only 2 seasons. 

It’s no wonder this show was so good, because it’s based on a book — and you know, all the best movies and TV shows were based on books. That, and the concept is just mind-blowing.

This is a super long-running sitcom, consisting of a whopping TEN seasons. But like, with the magic behind this show and the actors, I wouldn’t have blamed them if they let this show go on even longer. 

But Jerry Seinfeld himself pulled a smart move in 1998 and allegedly turned down $100 million to film another season, reflecting on his “sense of timing.”

Another show that just got better as it progressed! It only has two seasons — but it’s one of those shows where you can’t really pinpoint a flaw. Of course, season 1 is what hooked fans onto the show, but season 2 is even better. 

Forbes commented that this show is a rare one that “doesn’t waste a scene,” and honestly, that’s obvious when you’ve seen the show.

There’s a reason this animated series is being talked about so much, even 20 years after it first aired. It’s the same reason Netflix released a live-action version of this show just this year, in February 2024. 

That’s because this show is JUST SO DANG GOOD — I swear, the hype is worth it. You obviously can’t beat the original.

If Breaking Bad is on this list, you know Better Call Saul is, too. This show had six seasons. Fans want more, of course, but I’m beginning to think that’s the sign that the show ended where it was supposed to.

“You’ve got to know when to leave the party,” creator Vince Gilligan told The Hollywood Reporter when asked about the show’s final season.

Another big switch-up here, but there’s a reason this show made it onto Variety’s list of the best TV shows of all time despite being a children’s show. (No hate to children’s shows, but you know what I mean). 

Fred Rogers himself is a big reason why people love this show, but again, it’s also one of those that kept getting better despite having a whopping 31 seasons.

Where are all my Gleeks at? All of us know the first three seasons of this show were elite. After much of the original cast “graduated,” it just wasn’t the same.

But I still stand behind this show hands-down, and the last two episodes are pretty cute, still! This doesn’t diminish my Gleek status at all.

Again, this one is sort of a no-brainer — we all know after Michael left in season 7, things got a bit rough around the edges for The Office. 

Although, I will say, I did love the way this show ended; the last episode always brings me to tears, and I’ll always call this my favourite show regardless of the last few seasons maybe not being as good. The fact is, those last few seasons are still better than most other sitcoms I’ve watched.

Everyone I know feels pretty much the same way about the ending of this show: it was underwhelming and not that great. I feel like it’s not much of an exaggeration to say the ending of this show has caused actual chaos in the fandom.

Still, though, it’s worth watching despite the ending! Which says something about how awesome the rest of the show is.

You can expect an 11-season show to degrade in quality at least a little bit, and that’s sort of what fans think happened with The Walking Dead. That, and when certain beloved characters die, it’s hard at times to keep watching.

Now? Lots of fans have stopped watching, and film buffs have gone as far as to analyze “what went wrong.”

Despite being a super popular show that even got its own spinoff in 2021, some fans aren’t too happy with the way Dexter ended. Fans were not just a little bit underwhelmed with the ending, but they also felt like it was rushed. 

With so much build-up and fans who have stuck around for years, it’s hard to feel unsatisfied by an ending. Unfortunately, that happened with Dexter.

The ending of show has been debated and discussed for years…and not always for the best reasons. Without giving anything away, it definitely took some shocking turns — and while it was definitely unexpected, many fans didn’t respond well to it.

Although, hey, if the point of a TV show is to generate discussion, this one just might take the cake.

Don’t get me wrong: GOT is one of the greatest shows of all time. But even actors in the show itself have admitted that the ending was rushed and could’ve been better, considering how amazing the rest of the series was.

It really is a shame, because I know this would rank much higher on people’s favourite TV shows list if the ending had been different.

This 10-season show began in the 1980s, and by the time it ended, it seems like fans got a bit checked out. 

One fan on Reddit called the final season of this show “unwatchable,” which is a sentiment shared by many fans who stuck around for years. Again, I won’t give anything away, but one particular shift in the plot may have raised eyebrows in particular, and steered the show in a questionable direction for fans.

My entire family is obsessed with this show — but still, like many others in the Scrubs fandom, we blatantly ignore the entire last season of this show. 

Even Zach Braff himself, who plays protagonist J.D., has acknowledged the lacklustre last season, explaining that everyone was tired by that pont. He also confessed that they’d started to “repeat jokes.”

OK, I’ll admit it: I definitely watched (and maybe even enjoyed) the first season of this show. But as soon as that was over, I genuinely couldn’t watch it anymore.

Like, when I found out there were SEVEN seasons of this show, my jaw dropped. Who was watching this show by the end? WHO???

Listen, PLL has a special place in all of our hearts. But for a wild mystery that takes you for a ride throughout all seven seasons, all to find out who “A” is — the ending is a bit ridiculous. Because if all the suspense and all the plot twists don’t lead to a satisfying ending, it puts an extra sour taste in fans’ mouths when it comes to the show as a whole.

Plus, not only did the reveal confuse and annoy fans, but the end of the show just wasn’t the greatest in general.