Dramatic television series, films, and novels are hard to execute well. This is because there are fewer conventions available for creatives in dramatic media than in other genres. When in doubt, a comedy can always use a joke, and horror can rely on a new scare or build more suspense.RELATED: 10 Great Netflix Shows That Shouldn't Have Been Canceled Given the challenges that come with drama TV shows, it's not a surprise that TV dramas like Lost, How To Get Away With Murder, or CW's The Flash don't always work well. Unfortunately, this means that shows with creative premises, well-executed pilots, and compelling early seasons don't always pan out.

10 The Flash Jumped In The Deep End Instead Of Building Up Gradually

8 Seasons

The Flash (2014-2023) promised to be what Arrow wasn't: a superhero show that balanced action scenes with emotional depth and genuine humor. Where Arrow was dark both tonally and visually, The Flash was supposed to be light. Its first two seasons succeeded in these efforts.Unfortunately, it was downhill from there. The Flash tried to do too much too soon, so it was forced to one-up its own villains as the seasons progressed. Given the great first impression of The Flash, fans hope that its upcoming ninth and final season will be able to recapture the magic of its early days.

9 Lost Got Messier As It Went On

6 Seasons

Lost (2004-2010) saw consistently high viewership throughout its six-season run, and it has one of the best pilot episodes in TV history. Nonetheless, many fans argue its quality dropped off significantly partway through season three.RELATED: 10 TV Shows To Watch If You Miss Peacock's Vampire Academy Most of Lost's issues stemmed from an ill-defined focus. While the first couple of seasons presented high-stakes conflicts and posed big, captivating questions, these elements became muddled as the show progressed. Its already sprawling ensemble cast grew further. Complicating Lost's legacy is its highly polarizing finale.

8 Glee Has Not Aged Well

6 Seasons

Glee (2009-2015) had all the makings of a great high school drama, and the pilot set it up to be just that. Though more generous viewers claim that Glee's first three seasons are worthwhile, many audiences agree that it peaked with episode one.Between many fan-favorite characters getting shut out of solo opportunities and cast chemistry waning as Glee's major players departed, audiences believe that the musical drama series declined in quality. Plus, a number of Glee's elements aged especially poorly, like Mr. Schu's problematic interactions with his students, and Mark Salling's real-life felony conviction.

7 Weeds Got A Little Carried Away Through The Years

8 Seasons

In Weeds (2005-2012), a widowed suburban mom starts selling cannabis to support her family's lifestyle. The show's premise had high stakes, motivated characters, and a clear conflict, making it an excellent candidate for a long-running satirical drama. However, Weeds resorted to cartel storylines at the end of season three, which fans did not appreciate.The remaining five seasons never recovered the charm of its first three. Instead, Weeds' plot lines veered into outlandish territory. Additionally, time jumps made Weeds' narrative less coherent.

6 How To Get Away With Murder Just Repeated Itself

6 Seasons

How to Get Away with Murder's (2014-2020) first season was great. A strict law professor at a prestigious university hires five of her students to intern at her firm with two of her employees. All eight of them get caught up in two interconnected murder plots. Viola Davis delivered an Emmy Award-winning performance, and How to Get Away with Murder as a whole earned multiple accolades.RELATED: 10 TV Jerks We Still Root For Had How to Get Away With Murder progressed or shifted in some way, it might have continued to be successful. Instead, it repeated plot points from season one several times, but in a more convoluted manner.

5 Riverdale Jumped The Shark Long Ago

5 Seasons

Riverdale's (2017-2023) premise was certainly creative. A gritty take on perpetually colorful, lighthearted Archie comics could have been successful, particularly as a murder mystery. Since the first season followed this premise, critics and wider audiences fell in love with Riverdale.However, after season one, this soapy, mysterious, teen drama lost a lot of its charm. Riverdale began to stretch viewers' suspension of disbelief past the point of being enjoyable, eventually jumping the shark entirely. Episodes have earned progressively lower and lower ratings since then. Riverdale's seventh season will premiere in 2023, and hopefully, the show will go back to its roots.

4 Heroes' Structure Was Genius But Couldn't Save Bad Storytelling

4 Seasons

The synopsis for Heroes (2006-2010) is gripping: people from all walks of life discover they have superhuman abilities. The show is structured like comic books, with volumes, main storylines throughout each volume, and eventual "crossovers" as characters' lives intersect with one another. This is a brilliant way to incorporate comic book culture and publication practices into a superhero show.Season one definitely gave viewers what they were promised, and it was nominated for eight Emmy Awards. However, the following seasons declined in popularity and ratings. Critics cited Heroes' increasingly grim tone and unfocused narrative as the sources of its quality declining.

3 Smash Had Everything Going For It But Ultimately Missed The Mark

2 Seasons

A television show about the making of a Broadway show is surprisingly novel. Smash (2013-2014) could have led to a dynamic TV show, as it focused on a Broadway show about movie star Marilyn Monroe. Smash's star-studded cast, including several Broadway veterans, and executive producer Steven Spielberg only made the series more appealing.RELATED: 10 Best Underrated Foreign TV Shows Sadly, Smash failed to live up to its potential. While the pilot was highly praised, as the seasons progressed, critics panned its character devolvement, poor dialogue, and weak conflicts. Smash is still a fun watch, but it's not high-quality television.

2 Skins Did Not Land As Well In The U.S.

1 Season

The UK's Skins (2007-2013) was controversial, but it was a critical darling and popular enough to warrant seven seasons. The show deals with many of the very real challenges of adolescence, like mental health conditions, sexuality, mortality, and bullying. As such, the show seemed ripe for a US remake.Despite following the same intriguing premise, the US's Skins (2011) was canceled after its first ten-episode season. It received mostly positives reviews from critics but negative to mixed reviews from viewers. Furthermore, the show's willingness to grapple with sexuality generated extreme backlash, prompting several advertisers to pull their funding.

1 Red Band Society Should Have Been More Nuanced

1 Season

Red Band Society (2014-2015) was a medical comedy-drama series that brought together four teenagers who become unlikely friends. The show promised a deeper dive into the lives of hospitalized teenagers. Based on a Catalan series of the same name, Red Band Society intended to showcase how adolescents might build community with one another to manage untenable and profoundly unfair circumstances.Instead, Red Band Society's tone was mostly too light for the content. It was infused with occasional, painfully inauthentic melodrama which, when resolved, was deeply unsatisfying.NEXT: 10 TV Shows Fans Were Disappointed To See Canceled In 2022