It’s become incredibly difficult for shows to last for more than three seasons given the constraints put on them by the industry. Streaming services tend not to let shows go on for too long because they might lose viewership over time, and studios don’t want to renew shows when the required wages for writers and crew members increase after the third season. Although it is an unfortunate reality, it’s something that television creators have to contend with in a changing media landscape.
It’s impressive when a show can make economical choices to tell its story in a short amount of time without feeling like any characters or storylines are slighted. When considering how many shows have lost their essence over time due to an endless number of seasons, it can be preferable to cap off a finale after just three installments, offering a tight and conclusive ending that satisfies everyone.
10
‘Legion’ (2017–2019)
Legion is one of the best comic book shows ever made because it embraces the surrealist, psychedelic side of Marvel’s source material and offers a fresh perspective on the experiences of being a mutant. Although it is inspired by a more obscure run of X-Men comics, Legion doesn’t have anything to do with any of the live-action installments in the franchise; in fact, its creative and emotionally charged approach to the mythology might resonate with those that have otherwise dealt with “superhero fatigue.”
Legion created a compelling protagonist in David Haller, played by Dan Stevens in one of his greatest performances, who is a mutant who struggles to determine whether he is a hero or villain. While the outlandish comedy and musical sequences make Legion feel like an avant-garde approach to the genre, it ends up being a surprisingly emotional series based on how profoundly David’s story ends.
9
‘The Comeback’ (2005–2026)
The Comeback is one of the most unique sitcoms on HBO because it had three seasons that were released over the course of two decades, allowing it to examine how rapidly the entertainment system had evolved in the time since. Lisa Kudrow’s performance as a vain, struggling former sitcom star is not only a self-referential role, but one she uses to explore how the excess of celebrity has made Hollywood even more challenging.
The Comeback is a ruthless satire of how decisions are made in entertainment, but it’s also completely hilarious, and manages to say something about the rights of artists. The third and final season was particularly noteworthy for how it examined the destructive capabilities of artificial intelligence, which was a bold move during a time in which many studios have proven that they will bend over backwards to cut out humans from the process.
8
‘Daredevil’ (2015–2018)
Daredevil was a game-changing comic book adaptation that served as the first series from Marvel Studios to debut on Netflix, where it was allowed to be much darker and grittier than anything that had been seen in the live-action films. Although many fans were highly disappointed by the 2003 film about the character, Daredevil found a smart way to do the origin story and found the perfect casting of Charlie Cox, who has completely embodied the role of Matt Murdock.
Daredevil also featured an all-time great comic book villain in Wilson Fisk, played brilliantly by Vincent D’Onofrio in a completely terrifying, complex performance. Although the show was sadly canceled as part of the expiration of Disney’s deal with Netflix, the rebooted series Daredevil: Born Again debuted on Disney+ and reunited many of the leads from the original run of episodes.
7
‘American Crime Story’ (2016–2021)
American Crime Story is the best show that Ryan Murphy has ever made, and has done the anthology approach to exploring real incidents in American history much better than Monster. The three seasons focused on different historical cases that were significant within popular culture, including the arrest and trial of O.J. Simpson, the death of fashion mogul Gianni Versace, and the impeachment of United States President Bill Clinton.
American Crime Story featured brilliant performances from A-list actors throughout, and was able to look at all different angles to these cases in order to explore the social, political, and legal repercussions. Even if there were liberties taken with how these stories were told, they do serve as conversation starters because they were willing to look beyond the headlines to show the complex machinations involved with highly combustible and complicated media circuses.
6
‘I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson’ (2019–2023)
I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson is one of the funniest sketch shows of all-time, and is more than a suitable replacement for those who have felt that Saturday Night Live has lost its momentum in recent years. Tim Robinson is a remarkable performer and writer who was able to completely reboot what sketch comedy looked like by taking humorous situations and pushing them beyond normal limits to be weirder, more uncomfortable, and increasingly surreal than they would be in the hands of any other creator or showrunner.
Many of the sketches from I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson have subsequently gone viral, but there are so many hidden gems within every single installment that it is worth revisiting all three seasons to experience the full extent of Robinson’s radically inventive, hilariously genius sense of humor.
5
‘The Office’ (2001–2003)
The Office is one of the most groundbreaking sitcoms of all-time and an early achievement in the mockumentary genre that set a template for other shows to follow. While the American remake did become quite popular and served as a “comfort watch” for many fans, the original British version of The Office is even more incisive and brilliant, and managed to accomplish even more in just three seasons.
The Office offered a definitive perspective on the mundanity of cubical work that spoke to anyone who has ever hated their job or been irritated by an obnoxious coworker or employer. Although Ricky Gervais is an actor and comedian who can be very polarizing, he unquestionably tapped into genius with his portrayal of David Brent, a character who belongs in the hall of fame when discussing the funniest characters in the entire history of television.
4
‘Hannibal’ (2013–2015)
Hannibal was a surprising new twist on the iconic Thomas Harris source material that justified its existence by offering a different perspective on the events covered in films like Manhunter and The Silence of the Lambs. Although Mads Mikkelsen’s performance as Dr. Hannibal Lecter was worthy of all the other great actors who had occupied the role, credit must also be given to Hugh Laurie for his performance as Will Graham because of how well the show works as a cat-and-mouse chase.
Hannibal is the rare show that has a completely perfect finale that resolved all the series’ mysteries, and solidified Bryan Fuller as one of the best showrunners working in television today. Although there have been constant rumors about a potential continuation that would introduce Clarice Starling, it’s hard to imagine that any new installments would be able to live up to the incredible legacy of Hannibal.
3
‘Deadwood’ (2004–2006)
Deadwood is the greatest Western in the history of television because it is based on more than just the tropes of the genre. The real history of America’s frontier era was much more fraught than it’s often depicted as being in films and shows, and Deadwood explored the process in which a territory becomes an official town within the Union in an exciting way that featured dialogue worthy of Shakespeare.
Deadwood was one of the first examples of what HBO could do when it committed to a specific genre and aesthetic, as David Milch’s exacting vision for the series ensured that every character and storyline was fascinating in its own right. Deadwood may have been cancelled after the end of its third season, but Milch returned 13 years later to direct the standalone HBO film Deadwood: The Movie, which served as a proper finale.
2
‘The Leftovers’ (2014–2017)
The Leftovers is a major achievement in television because it expanded beyond being a strict adaptation of an acclaimed novel to become a rich, mythic odyssey about the quest for answers that captured a shockingly poignant depiction of how humanity would react to a global tragedy.
The Leftovers is a show that only could have existed on HBO, as it asked viewers to buy into some truly strange tonal shifts and ambiguity, as Damon Lindelof has never been the type of showrunner who gives viewers the answers to all of their questions at once. Although Lindelof’s process of mystery-baiting proved to be controversial during the highly divisive ending of Lost, The Leftovers didn’t suffer the same backlash because its finale “The Book of Nora” offered a completely satisfying emotional conclusion to the beautiful romance that the series had built over the course of three seasons.
1
‘Twin Peaks’ (1990–2017)
Twin Peaks is one of the most foundational works in television history because David Lynch revamped what a serialized mystery could look like by creating a series that had a “watercooler effect,” in which fans gathered to unpack the mysteries between weeks.
Twin Peaks dared to be more than just a procedural because it explored the complex aftermath of the death of the high school prom queen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee), and how it leads to secrets being revealed about her entire town. Twin Peaks was sadly cancelled by ABC in its second season after the network had forced Lynch to solve the murder, which resulted in a crashing of ratings. Although Lynch directed the prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me to unpack the show’s events from Laura’s perspective, he would finally make a Season 3, subtitled Twin Peaks: The Return, which aired on Showtime in 2017.
