8 Action Shows With No Bad Seasons
Diego Pineda has been a devout storyteller his whole life. He has self-published a fantasy novel and a book of short stories, and is actively working on publishing his second novel.
A lifelong fan of watching movies and talking about them endlessly, he writes reviews and analyses on his Instagram page dedicated to cinema, and occasionally on his blog. His favorite filmmakers are Andrei Tarkovsky and Charlie Chaplin. He loves modern Mexican cinema and thinks it's tragically underappreciated.
Other interests of Diego's include reading, gaming, roller coasters, writing reviews on his Letterboxd account (username: DPP_reviews), and going down rabbit holes of whatever topic he's interested in at any given point.
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It's rare enough to come across an action show that is truly exceptional from start to finish, but to find one that doesn't even come close to having a single bad season? That's a precious occurrence that occasionally means one is in the presence of one of the greatest genre series the small screen has ever seen. Indeed, throughout the years, there have been noteworthy action series which have offered seasons that have been nothing less than, at the very least, rock-solid.
Regardless of whether we're talking about action shows whose weakest season may be somewhat below-average, such as Star Trek: The Next Generation; or shows whose every season was worthy of nothing but universal acclaim, such as Daredevil, these are action shows which prove that it's perfectly possible to offer nothing but good seasons of television. In order to qualify for this list, of course, the show in question must have at least two seasons under its belt.
'Star Trek: The Next Generation' (1987–1994)
After the tremendous success of Star Trek: The Original Series and the first three motion pictures in the franchise, the whole Star Trek universe was booming. Looking to capitalize on that success and longevity, Paramount made Star Trek: The Next Generation, which is now almost universally praised as the best show the Star Trek franchise has ever delivered. Though it's definitely not an action-packed series, it contains enough action elements for it to be labeled as part of the genre on IMDb.
But as great as the occasional ship-to-ship combat sequence or tactical standoff is, those aren't the reasons why Star Trek: The Next Generation is one of the most essential shows for sci-fi fans to watch before they die. In spite of a relatively slow first two seasons that most fans tend to agree aren't nearly as great as what followed, the series is packed with inventive world-building, compelling character arcs, and plenty of that good ol' signature Star Trek optimism.
'Invincible' (2021–Present)
Created by Robert Kirkman and based on the Image Comics comic book series of the same name he co-created with Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley, Invincible hasn't yet come to a conclusion, but it's already more than worthy of being called one of the most perfect sci-fi shows of the last five years. Some genre purists sometimes object to superhero shows being called sci-fi shows, but as far as action goes, that's a label that undeniably and undoubtedly applies to Invincible.
It happens to be one of the best animated action shows of the 21st century as a whole, for that matter. Though there is the occasional pacing dip and the animation isn't always up to par, Invincible has thus far offered four seasons that have been nothing less than fantastic all across the board. The writing is incredible, the voice performances are legendary, and—of course—the highly kinetic high-stakes action should be enough to satisfy any superhero show fan.
'Attack on Titan' (2013–2023)
Based on the legendary manga series of the same title by Hajime Isayama, the dark fantasy masterpiece Attack on Titan is widely regarded not only as one of the greatest anime series of all time (certainly the highest-rated on IMDb), but also as one of the most influential of the 21st century. It was, after all, one of several key anime shows that helped the medium break into the international mainstream on an unprecedented scale.
The reasons why Attack on Titan was able to have that tremendous level of pop-cultural impact are manifold, starting with the fact that it's one of those action shows that is perfectly fast-paced from start to finish. The series was never entirely free from some level of criticism from die-hard fans, but it was able to avoid having a single bad season throughout its four-season run thanks to a perfectly planned and airtight narrative, constantly refreshing genre shifts, and stakes that never came down from the stratosphere.
'Rome' (2005–2007)
Even though not nearly enough people remember it nowadays, HBO's Rome was a groundbreaking historical epic that helped re-define the scale, budget, and gritty realism of television dramas of this kind, paving the way for award-winning masterpieces of Game of Thrones' caliber. It's one of those HBO shows that are amazing from start to finish, a criminally underappreciated gem that was the most expensive television series ever produced at the time of its airing.
Every last cent that went into making Rome was worth it, though, because we're talking about a landmark partnership between HBO and the BBC that resulted in one of the best prestige historical dramas of all time. Though only two seasons of Rome were ever produced due to the astronomical costs of production, thus making it harder for it to ever have a bad season, it's still remarkable just how exceptional both of those seasons are.
Collider Exclusive · 8 Questions · 2 Minutes Which Member of the Fast Family Are You? Dom · Letty · Roman · Tej
Eight honest questions about how you actually are: what you are like in the group chat, how you host, what you do when a friend lets you down, what people underestimate about you. Answer them and we will tell you which seat at that barbecue table is yours. Four are still free: the one at the head of it, the one who never backs down, the one doing all the talking, and the one who quietly made the whole thing happen.
🏁Dom(Fast & Furious)
🔥Letty(Fast & Furious)
😎Roman(2 Fast 2 Furious)
🛠️Tej(2 Fast 2 Furious)
01
What kind of driver are you? Your passengers would answer this differently, and you know it.
02
Who are you in the group chat? Everybody recognises themselves here immediately.
03
What are you like when you host? Hosting exposes people faster than almost anything.
04
How do you react when a friend lets you down? There is no right answer, only a very revealing one.
05
What are you better at than people realise? Pick the one you would quietly agree with.
06
What is the best compliment you could get? Whichever one you want most is the honest answer.
07
How do you like to travel? People are remarkably consistent about this one.
08
What matters most to you in the end? Eight questions in, this is the one that picks your seat.
Grace Is Said You Are…
Four people, four completely different ways of being somebody's family. Here is your seat at the table, what the rest of them would rely on you for, and the thing you would have to watch.
Dominic Toretto
You are the head of the table, and you did not ask for the job so much as end up holding it. Dom is the gravity of this franchise, which is why the films work best when everybody else is circling around whatever he has decided.
- You define family by who shows up rather than by who is related to you, and you would defend that definition against anybody.
- People bring you their problems because you make a decision and then stand behind it, which is rarer than it sounds.
- Your weakness is the same as your strength, since holding everybody together means you rarely admit when you need holding yourself.
- The franchise finale is currently set for April 2027, and after two decades it is still built on exactly this one idea.
Letty Ortiz
You are the one who says the thing out loud and then does not take it back. Letty is the least sentimental person at that table and somehow the most loyal, which is a combination almost nobody manages.
- Your friends know exactly where they stand with you, because you have never once softened something to make a room more comfortable.
- You give loyalty rarely and completely, and betraying it is the one thing you would find genuinely hard to move past.
- Letty is the best driver in the family and the franchise keeps quietly proving it, usually while somebody else is making a speech.
- The risk is that people mistake the bluntness for coldness, when it is actually the most protective thing about you.
Roman Pearce
You are the reason anybody remembers the night. Roman talks first, thinks second and is far more frightened than he lets on, which is precisely what makes him the most human person in the whole family.
- You use volume and jokes the way other people use armour, and the people who know you well worked that out years ago.
- Roman gets the biggest laughs in these films and also the best running gag in the series, which is his absolute certainty that he is invincible.
- You would turn up for a friend without hesitating, complain about it the entire time, and do it again the following week.
- The thing worth watching is how rarely you let anybody see the version of you that is not performing.
Tej Parker
You are the one who made the plan work while everybody else was busy being heroic about it. Tej does not need the credit, which is fortunate, because in this family the credit tends to go to whoever drove fastest.
- You are the person who reads the whole thing properly, spots the problem nobody mentioned, and has already solved it by the time anyone asks.
- Tej and Roman are the best double act in the franchise, and it works because one of them is genuinely competent and the other is genuinely loud.
- Your friends take you slightly for granted, mostly because you have made everything you do look effortless.
- You would rather be the reason it worked than the reason everybody is talking, which is a rare and quietly powerful preference.
'Justified' (2010–2015)
A Southern Gothic neo-Western unlike anything else that the small screen has ever seen, Justified is often hailed as one of the greatest shows of the 2010s, and for good reason. It's a top-tier crime drama with a well-deserved nearly-perfect score of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, fueled by Timothy Olyphant's powerhouse lead performance and Walton Goggins playing one of the most memorable television villains of the past couple of decades.
There are many reasons why Justified was able to remain one of those Western shows without any substantial flaws over the course of its six incredible seasons. Though most fans will agree that both the first and fifth seasons drag a bit in certain spots, we're nevertheless talking about one of the most consistently incredible action shows ever made. The character writing is deeply compelling, the sharp dialogue is unforgettable, and the dynamics between Olyphant and Goggins' characters somehow never lose any of their entertainment value.
'Daredevil' (2015–2018)
Well before the Marvel Cinematic Universe made the full-on jump to television on Disney+ in the 2020s came Netflix's street-level side of the franchise, which began with the absolute masterpiece that is Daredevil. With it now officially being part of the MCU canon again, there's a very strong argument to be made that it's the single greatest cornerstone of the franchise to date. It is, at the very least, one of the best action TV shows of all time.
The awkwardly-paced second season of the series is quite easily the weakest of the bunch, but it's still one of the greatest seasons of superhero television that the small screen has ever seen—and what does that say about the show as a whole? Treating the comic book genre more as a gritty crime drama, the series delivered an absolute masterclass in genre television packed with some absolutely engrossing action set pieces, amazing character writing, and top-tier performances.
'Battlestar Galactica' (2004–2009)
There are sci-fi series so close to perfect that they don't need any reimagining of any kind, but then there are sci-fi classics like Battlestar Galactica from the '70s, which was practically begging for a remake. That remake came in the form of the 2004 series of the same name, and not only is it superior to its predecessor in virtually every way: It's legitimately one of the greatest, most iconic, and most influential sci-fi TV shows in the genre's history.
It's also one of those hyper-addictive sci-fi shows that is impossible to stop watching, and though it's not flawless (its series finale is one of the most controversial in the modern history of sci-fi television), all four of its seasons are among the best seasons of sci-fi television that the world has seen in years. Much like it's the case with Star Trek: The Next Generation, action isn't at the forefront of Battlestar Galactica. But nonetheless, there is enough action in it to allow it to qualify as one of the greatest shows the genre has ever seen.
'Avatar: The Last Airbender' (2005–2008)
Though it's true that the vast majority of the most universally acclaimed action TV shows history has ever had to offer were made for adults, there is one particular show for children that is one of the highest-rated action shows of all time on IMDb—and for good reason: Avatar: The Last Airbender, easily the biggest cult classic that Nickelodeon has ever animated, as well as one of the most original fantasy shows of all time.
We're arguably talking about the most consistently perfect action, fantasy, and children's TV show of all time, a unified masterwork that action fantasy fans of any and all ages should be equally capable of thoroughly enjoying. Perfectly structured as a three-arc story from day one, Avatar: The Last Airbender was executed with such masterful precision along the way that it's no surprise it's still widely considered one of the most endearing and re-watchable television series of all time, action or otherwise.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
- Release Date
- 2005 - 2008-00-00
- Network
- Nickelodeon
- Showrunner
- Michael Dante DiMartino
- Directors
- Giancarlo Volpe, Ethan Spaulding, Lauren MacMullan, Dave Filoni, Joaquim Dos Santos, Anthony Lioi
-
Zach Tyler Eisen
Aang (voice)
-
Katara
- Writers
- Tim Hedrick, Elizabeth Welch Ehasz, Joshua Hamilton, James Eagan, Joann Estoesta, Nick Malis, May Chan, Katie Mattila
- Franchise(s)
- Avatar
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Seasons
- 3
- Producers
- Bryan Konietzko
- Creator(s)
- Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko
- Story By
- michael dante dimartino
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix
- Executive Producer(s)
- Bryan Konietzko
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