Are there an TV shows that have gotten better over time?

[Juan]

Seems like no matter what show you bring up, the most common response will be "It's not as good as it used to be" or something to that effect.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

I think NCIS has got better over time, though I've enjoyed it from the beginning.

I find Star Trek series' tend to get better as they go on, once they are done establishing the characters.

[MoFo]

I'd say no.

Lost, Entourage and Scrubs were the main shows I watched, and all three got gradually shitter each year.

[Boondock Saint]

The Shield got better and better as it went along.

[RoXer]

Arrested Development
Breaking Bad
Lost

[G]

Arrested Development got horrible during the 3rd season. Breaking Bad got really good.

[IC Champion]

Homicide: Life of the Street.

[VSG]

Seinfeld

[.44 Magdalene]

Venture Brothers.

Both because it legitimately improved as a show, and because it slowly built up so many in-jokes and mythology arcs that it becomes progressively more fun to watch the more you watch it.

[PapaGeorgio]

Homicide: Life of the Street.

A lot of the shows listed, including this one I guess kind of went like a hill. Slowly got better over time, peaked mid-range then slowly got worse.

Though Homicide's first season, especially the first 5 or so episodes were my favorite of the series. As I said before, Three Men and Madea or whatever, the episode where its all in the interrogation room is my all time favorite episode of any show.

[Triple Naitch]

I know this will only be the third season, but Park & Recreation was way better in its second season than it was in the first.

[Nowhere Man]

Mystery Science Theater 3000.

As much as I loved Joel Hodgson, Mike's delivery was just so much funnier to me. Granted, the out-of-theater storyline got pretty lame as it went into the Sci-Fi Channel years, but the final trio of Mike, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett kept making me laugh harder and more frequently as the show went, right up til its cancellation.

[dronepool]

The Batman.

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[Jeritron]

Depends on where you mark the "over time" from. The Simpsons improved greatly from the first few seasons in Season 4, and kept that level of quality up through Season 9.
However, it went way downhill after that.

Most great shows tend to improve over the first several seasons and hit some kind of peak, and then taper off. It's easier to determine the progress later on.
That's why it seems best for shows to know when to say when.

Just looking at some of my favorite shows, a show like Seinfeld went out at the right time. A show like Lost, given it's nature, knew to set an end date and keep moving instead of hanging around. X-Files made the mistake of not doing that, and hung around and fell apart before it could reach a finale.
That's why I tend to think it's better for shows to cash out, even if they can milk a few more years.

I still watch and love The Office, but they should probably look at calling it quits. I think it's beginning to wear thin and Steve Carrell's departure will do no favors.

[Jeritron]

Twilight Zone's last season was arguably it's best. It was improving, but the head of CBS at the time despised it and considered it sci fi garbage so he flat out cancelled it.

[Bad Company]

How I met your mother, though I haven't seen the new episodes.

[G]

Knight Rider

Super Pursuit Mode

[ron the dial]

i definitely think that the wire got better, or at least stayed just as amazing, the whole way through.

[Gertner]

Seinfeld for sure. I find the first two seasons almost unwatchable.

[Requiem]

Breaking Bad. Was always good, but it got even better as it progressed. Would also say the same about House. The season 6 finale brought me to tears. :'(

[The Naitch]

Monday Night RAW

:shifty:

[XCaliber]

The only recent one I can think of is Star Trek Enterprise and only since due to the fact that it was cancelled right around the time the show had hit it's peak almost all shows go downhill at some point.