Some TV shows manage to stay strong from start to finish, delivering satisfying conclusions after years on the air. Others are not so lucky. Even beloved, long-running series can stumble badly in their final seasons, leaving fans frustrated and disappointed.
There is no single reason why a show falls apart at the end. Television success depends on many moving parts, including writers, cast members, and showrunners, all working in sync. Over time, rising costs, creative burnout, or key departures can disrupt that balance. In some cases, shows simply outlive their original vision, a phenomenon often described as “jumping the shark,” when storytelling gives way to exaggerated or misguided ideas.
No matter the cause, a weak final season can overshadow years of great television. Whether due to creative missteps or impossible fan expectations, these endings failed to deliver the send-offs viewers hoped for. Here are TV shows that ended with notoriously terrible final seasons, some of which you may still be annoyed about today.
Methodology:
To determine the television shows that had terrible final seasons, 24/7 Tempo reviewed episode-level data on audience reception from IMDb. TV series were ranked based on the difference between the average IMDb rating for episodes in the final season and the average across all episodes. Only shows with at least 40,000 IMDb user reviews total were considered.
Here is the list of TV shows that had terrible final seasons.
40. Castle (2009-2016)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 7.7/10 (19,831 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.1/10 (173,503 votes)
39. Married… with Children (1987-1997)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 7.7/10 (11,782 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.1/10 (110,575 votes)
38. Luther (2010-2019)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 8.0/10 (7,658 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.4/10 (153,532 votes)
37. Psych (2006-2014)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 8.0/10 (9,861 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.4/10 (105,152 votes)
36. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 7.5/10 (14,103 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 7.9/10 (143,898 votes)
35. Money Heist (2017-2021)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 7.7/10 (60,235 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.2/10 (527,783 votes)
34. The Crown (2016-2023)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 8.1/10 (23,259 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.6/10 (254,584 votes)
33. Gilmore Girls (2000-2007)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 7.7/10 (16,212 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.2/10 (146,745 votes)
32. Community (2009-2015)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 7.9/10 (45,196 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.5/10 (291,179 votes)
31. Supernatural (2005-2020)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 7.8/10 (97,198 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.4/10 (479,940 votes)
30. The West Wing (1999-2006)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 8.3/10 (15,439 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.9/10 (84,926 votes)
29. Seinfeld (1989-1998)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 8.3/10 (80,102 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.9/10 (348,794 votes)
28. Weeds (2005-2012)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 7.3/10 (7,297 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 7.9/10 (116,948 votes)
27. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015-2020)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 6.9/10 (5,822 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 7.6/10 (78,307 votes)
26. The Good Wife (2009-2016)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 7.7/10 (12,429 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.4/10 (82,198 votes)
25. Californication (2007-2014)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 7.5/10 (10,337 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.3/10 (187,930 votes)
24. Vikings (2013-2020)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 7.6/10 (75,320 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.5/10 (577,054 votes)
23. The Office (2005-2013)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 8.1/10 (122,460 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 9.0/10 (702,350 votes)
22. Dragon Ball (1995-2003)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 7.6/10 (9,512 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.5/10 (64,694 votes)
21. Line of Duty (2012-2021)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 7.7/10 (10,183 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.7/10 (69,392 votes)
20. Fear the Walking Dead (2015-2023)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 5.8/10 (13,736 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 6.8/10 (143,090 votes)
19. Modern Family (2009-2020)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 7.5/10 (27,097 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.5/10 (478,539 votes)
18. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013-2021)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 7.4/10 (35,503 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.4/10 (357,453 votes)
17. How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 7.3/10 (125,945 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.3/10 (724,910 votes)
16. Columbo (1971-2003)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 7.2/10 (25,025 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.3/10 (41,433 votes)
15. True Blood (2008-2014)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 6.8/10 (13,523 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 7.9/10 (259,168 votes)
14. Shameless (2011-2021)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 7.4/10 (13,976 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.5/10 (280,933 votes)
13. The X-Files (1993-2018)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 7.5/10 (33,031 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.6/10 (247,780 votes)
12. Dragon Ball Z (1989-1996)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 7.6/10 (22,416 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.8/10 (145,991 votes)
11. That ’70s Show (1998-2006)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 6.8/10 (16,370 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.1/10 (188,580 votes)
10. The Flash (2014-2023)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 6.2/10 (19,721 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 7.5/10 (367,164 votes)
9. X-Men: The Animated Series (1992-1997)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 7.1/10 (5,909 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.4/10 (47,092 votes)
8. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 7.4/10 (79,694 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.7/10 (134,848 votes)
7. Arrested Development (2003-2019)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 7.1/10 (14,983 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.7/10 (322,797 votes)
6. The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 7.5/10 (78,689 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 9.1/10 (92,448 votes)
5. Dexter (2006-2013)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 6.8/10 (76,465 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.7/10 (760,384 votes)
4. Two and a Half Men (2003-2015)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 5.2/10 (15,118 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 7.1/10 (279,153 votes)
3. Scrubs (2001-2010)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 6.3/10 (10,013 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.4/10 (269,631 votes)
2. Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 6.2/10 (1,124,330 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 9.2/10 (2,266,140 votes)
1. House of Cards (2013-2018)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, final season: 4.1/10 (45,030 votes)
- Avg. IMDb user rating, all seasons: 8.6/10 (528,777 votes)
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Courtesy of Netflix.