Top 10 Best First Seasons of TV Shows

Everyone loves a good nostalgia kick. And in its first season, “Once Upon a Time” was somehow able to maximize nostalgia while still giving us a compelling story. The first season centers around a group of cursed fairytale characters and Emma, the savior who must break the curse. With stunning visuals and clever twists on the fairytales we all know and love, “Once Upon a Time” delivered upon an interesting premise in an uber satisfying way. Add near perfect casting into the equation – Ginnifer Goodwin was born to play Snow White – and you’ve got an incredible first season.

It’s hard to maintain a steady throughline of hilarity throughout 10 seasons of television. But it’s even harder to succinctly and quickly define six different characters and the relationships between them. The first season of “Friends” managed to do just that while finding its signature comic style along the way. It’s a delight to go back and watch the sitcom’s first season, if only because it’s fun to see the stars of the show before they were some of the biggest celebrities on earth. But we were also surprised just how quickly the show found its stride. It takes a lot of comedies a little time to cut their groove but, by the middle of the first season, “Friends” was already a stand-out.

When it comes to near perfect first seasons, “The Good Place” ranks pretty high. Arguably, the show’s first season is its best – although we have a soft spot for the others too. In season one, Eleanor Shellstrop dies and arrives in “The Good Place,” a sort of prototype of Heaven. Trouble is, Eleanor was a pretty terrible person when she was alive – and she knows she’s not supposed to be there. This first season is equal parts funny, outlandish, and introspective, handling the idea of the afterlife and morality in simultaneously complex and humorous ways. It’s rare a show is able to keep us on our toes quite like the first season of “The Good Place,” and we commend it for that.

Has there ever been such a strong drop off between seasons before? That’s not necessarily because the subsequent seasons of “Westworld” are all bad – although some of them are certainly lacking. But season one hit the television scene with such a bang, it seems unlikely the creators would have ever been able to top it. The story takes place in a theme park modeled after the Wild West, which contains lifelike robots to help entertain guests. The show considers questions of sentience and morality in complex ways. But after season one, some of its themes start to become a little muddled. That first season came at us with a bang; it was a perfect combination of mystery, surprise, and just good storytelling.

Trust ‘80s nostalgia to get us all immediately engaged with a television show. But the first season of “Stranger Things” had more than just the nostalgia bait going for it. We don’t think anyone was prepared for just how much of a hit it would be. The first season centers around a group of friends; one of their pack goes missing and another, a young girl with telekinetic powers, joins to help in the search. Before all the convolutedness that would follow in subsequent seasons, this first batch of episodes was hard-hitting, well-paced, and had more than enough hints of Stephen King and Steven Spielberg combined to keep us intrigued.

When “Heroes” first premiered, it seemed like one of the best television shows of the decade was upon us. We’ll leave you to decide if the show’s later seasons stacked up to its first. “Heroes” follows various people around the world who have superhuman abilities as they try to go about normal lives. The first season had everything we could have wished for: action-packed drama, stellar writing, and an incredible cast. The show received a lot of comparisons to “Lost,” mostly because of its thoughtful premise and imaginative themes. While it may not have necessarily lived up to that degree of hype, we’ll never forget that near-perfect first run.

When “Psych” first dropped on the scene in 2006, it took the world by storm. The show, which follows a crime consultant with a good enough memory to convince people he’s a psychic, offered a new spin on the detective serial. The show is often compared to “Monk,” and takes some flack for that. But we think “Psych” had a distinct enough style of comedy plus some real emotional stakes to differentiate itself. When you combine that with a perfect “will they/won’t they” couple in Shawn and Jules, you’ve got yourself a pretty unbeatable first season of TV.

Sometimes, you stay on the air long enough to see yourself become the villain. After 15 years of “Supernatural,” it was hard to remember the feeling we once got from that impeccable first season. You remember it, don’t you? “Dad's on a hunting trip and he hasn't been home in a few days…” That first season the Winchester brothers spend tracking down their father, who in turn is trying to track down the demon that killed their mother, is a unique premise on its own. It’s effortlessly equal parts soapy and campy, and such a mid-2000s time capsule; it’s hard not to love! It might sometimes be silly, yes. But the first season of “Supernatural” knows exactly what type of vibe it’s going for, and it nails it.

You can only break out of prison so many times and keep it interesting. And that’s why the first season of “Prison Break” will always be the most thrilling. In the show’s first season, a man named Michael purposefully gets himself into prison to try and help free his brother, who is set to die for a crime he didn’t commit. If that sounds like a sort of bonkers premise, it is – but one that “Prison Break” completely delivers on. The first season of the crime drama brings pulp, action, and suspense in all its forms. Like we said, breaking out of prison is sort of a one-trick pony. The first time will always be the best.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“True Detective” (2014-)
The McConaissance Begins

“Abbott Elementary” (2021-)
This Is an “Abbott Elementary” First Season Stan YouTube Account

“Shameless” (2011-21)
We Couldn’t Get Enough of the Gallaghers

“Modern Family” (2009-20)
However Complicated the Family Dynamics, They Were Introduced Seamlessly

“Veronica Mars” (2004-19)
You Can’t Go Wrong With a Teen Detective

“Lost” is one of the best television shows that has ever graced our screens. Despite how you might feel about its finale, it has some of the best moments in TV history, and somehow seemed to only get better as the seasons went on. Knowing that, it’s pretty astounding how amazing its first season is, and how well it still holds up today. “Lost” season one took on the daunting task of introducing not only dozens of critical characters, but a mystery that we would be trying to solve for years to come. It does so with expert writing that reveals answers and questions in equal measure, and acting that makes us care so much about these people it almost hurts.