New TV shows may start out with an intended number of seasons, but when a show proves its popularity and is greenlit for more, most shows continue past their original plan. Getting a new show greenlit is a challenging task for creators who may shop the show to several networks before getting a pilot approved. Even with a pilot episode of the series recorded, this is not always a guarantee that the show will be picked up for a whole season. When studios pick up a show and approve a season or occasionally, multiple seasons, writers need to plan carefully to ensure the season ends in an engaging way that will draw viewers back in and set up further seasons.
However, no story lasts forever, and many writers may have a set number of seasons in their minds for how long a show will carry on. If a TV show is intended for five seasons, it could have a neat arc that can be told effectively in that time. Despite this, a show may find itself going beyond the original plan, and writers and creatives will need to readjust and redefine the story to keep things fresh, or extend the arc further than originally planned. Some shows do this well and can successfully navigate several more seasons, but other shows lose their way as a result of the stretched-out storylines.
7 Arrow (2012 – 2020)
Season 5 Was Supposed To Be The End
Initially, the story of Arrow aligned with Oliver Queen’s life on the island. Oliver had successfully returned home, but with his harsh experiences on the island and training in combative techniques, he returned a changed man. Stephen Amell revealed at a convention that while the show carried on for eight seasons total before wrapping up, it was supposed to end after five, once Oliver Queen’s flashbacks and time on the island had caught up to real-time. However, with the introduction of the Arrowverse and multiple shows that crossed over, the show was extended beyond the original plan.
6 Supernatural (2005 – 2020)
5 Seasons Evolved to 15
Eric Kripke, the creative who successfully launched The Boys and Gen V, was also the creative mind that brought Supernatural to life. Initially, Kripke and the team intended to end Supernatural with season 5, but the show proved incredibly popular and continued to bring in good ratings for The CW, so it kept getting renewed. It eventually wrapped up in 2020 with its 15th season, but tripling the duration of the story meant it went through several changes and the brothers who started out fighting demons and monsters eventually had to challenge God and stop the universe from ending.
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5 Grey’s Anatomy (2005 – Present)
The Main Character Leaves After 19 Seasons
Grey’s Anatomy first aired in 2005, starring Ellen Pompeo as the titular character and a strong cast of actors playing young doctors. Since then, the show has enjoyed 19 seasons, with several actors leaving the show, most notably the show’s namesake herself, Ellen Pompeo, but a further season 20 is planned without her. Over time, the young actors have grown, and their characters had to grow along with them causing major changes in the cast, roles, and relationships. While the creator, Shonda Rhimes, insists there isn’t a plan to end anytime soon, it’s hard to imagine it was planned to go on 20 years and outlive its title character (via Good Housekeeping).
4 The Big Bang Theory (2007 – 2019)
12 Seasons Of Nerdy Goodness
The Big Bang Theory is an extremely popular TV series that ran for a total of 12 seasons, but even then, the show only ended because one of the main cast, Jim Parsons, who plays Sheldon, decided not to renew his contract. Being a sitcom, the format is slightly different and allows flexibility with telling new stories, but even TBBT had a clear vision for Penny and Leonard to get together from the start. While the couple went back and forth a lot, they eventually tied the knot in season 9, and the show had to develop other relationships to keep things fresh, with Amy and Sheldon, and Howard and Bernadette.
3 Pretty Little Liars (2010 – 2017)
The Mystery Got Old Quickly
Pretty Little Liars gained a dedicated following after the first season aired and was shrouded in a tantalizing mystery. As with many other shows, whether the series would continue past season 1 depended on the popularity of the show, and thanks to a positive response, the show was renewed up to season 3. It was then later awarded two more seasons, and then again another two to bring it up to season 7. This oddity of confirming two seasons at a time and waiting to find out if the story has a chance to continue or will be canceled resulted in seasons 6 and 7 featuring time jumps, reveals of an ultimate A, and general confusion that diluted the original story.
2 Smallville (2001 – 2011)
10 Seasons To Superman
In every Superman story, Clark Kent learns about his powers at an early age and grows up to become Superman. Smallville set out to unpack the events in between, with a young Superman attending high school. Smallville initially portrays a 15-year-old Clark, and the 10 seasons continue his story for 10 years, with the final episode jumping forward another seven years to 2018 when Clark finally reveals his transition to becoming Superman is complete. However, creators Alfred Gough and Miles Miller walked away from the project after season 7 as the story had already been stretched beyond what they intended for Superman’s origin story (via Screen Rant).
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1 Jon & Kate Plus 8 / Kate Plus 8 (2007 – 2017)
The Family Changed Over 11 Seasons
Reality TV shows are also notorious for continuing well beyond their expiration date, and one such show that did just that was Jon & Kate Plus 8, later renamed Kate Plus 8. The show focuses on the Gosselin family with parents Jon and Kate navigating life with their sextuplets and a set of twins. While other reality shows have a revolving cast, Jon & Kate Plus 8 relied on the Gosselin family for the story to continue. The show continued beyond the breakdown of their marriage and changed to focus on Kate and the kids, but documenting the family’s life for 10 years certainly took its toll.
