20 TV shows that had huge breaks between seasons

Fans were first introduced to the wild ride that is Euphoria in 2019, and it wasn’t until 2022 that they could get any follow-up on the story. Millions are still waiting patiently for a third season, but a multitude of unfortunate events have delayed production. It could be a while before we see Rue and company on our screens. 

By the time Stranger Things is all said and done, it will have been nine years of airtime but only five seasons. The first three seasons came out within a year or two of each other, but the fourth and fifth have taken literal years to finish filming and producing. 

Some people considered Twin Peaks a reboot, while others considered it a third season. Wherever you stand on this issue, the show took a very long time to return. It initially stopped in 1991 and didn't return until 2017. 

Fargo debuted in 2014, and new seasons of the anthology series were quickly produced. However, the fourth and fifth seasons took a little longer, not coming out until 2020 and 2023, respectively. There is no word yet on whether there will be a sixth season, but if there is, there's no reason to expect it any time soon. 

Atlanta took a couple of years between its first and second seasons, then four years between its second and third seasons. However, it made up for lost time by releasing its third and fourth seasons in the same year. TV watchers never know what they will get in this golden age of TV. 

Curb Your Enthusiasm had a steady rhythm for its first ten years or so, but then it took a massive six-year break before returning for season 9 in 2017. Ultimately, the beloved comedy series had three more seasons after that, ending for good in 2024. 

Russian Doll first came to Netflix in 2019, but the trippy drama didn't return for its second season until 2022. Production was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The series was never officially canceled, but it wasn't renewed either. If it does return, it'll be on the heels of another long between-seasons break. 

Big Little Lies was initially intended to have only one season as it was adapted from a novel with no sequel, but it was such a hit that HBO renewed it for a second season. Season 2 came two years after the series first premiered, and stars Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman have confirmed they're working on a third season, which would come several years after season 2. 

Reality TV has had shows with major breaks between seasons, too. The Real Housewives of Miami aired its first three seasons from 2011 to 2013, and it didn’t return for season 4 until 2021, when Peacock picked it up. After a successful season 4 and 5, the series returned to Bravo for season 6. 

Sometimes, kinks have to be worked out before series are ready to return. After a dismal season 13, The Real Housewives of New York was put on pause, and the network scrapped its entire cast in favor of an entirely new one. Its return was branded as a reboot, but it was technically season 14. 

For some, The OA didn't get nearly the love it deserved. For others, it never should've seen the light of day. No matter what side you're on, if you watched the show, you had to wait from 2016 to 2019 between seasons 1 and 2. But the series reportedly isn't coming back, so your waiting is over. 

The release dates of Doctor Who have been a little chaotic since the beginning of the series. The first two seasons aired in 2006, and the fifth and sixth seasons aired in 2010. After that, fans had to wait multiple years in between seasons on multiple occasions. 

Happy Valley had a very slow burn, and it was entirely because the seasons took so long to release. The first came out in 2014, the second in 2016, and the third in 2023. That's a grand total of three seasons over nine years. 

24 deserves an award for keeping fans so devoted for so long, with multiple multi-year breaks in between seasons. There were about three years in between seasons 6 and 7 and over four years in between seasons 8 and 9. The people who love Jack Bauer really love Jack Bauer. 

If you thought True Detective had ended after 2015, you're not the only one. As it turns out, the series wasn't over; it was just taking a very long pause. After season 2 aired in 2015, the show didn't return for a third season until 2019, and season 4 didn't air after that until 2024. How long it'll take for season 5 to drop remains to be seen. 

Considering its success, it's surprising how long it took for Sherlock to return for seasons 3 and 4. Considering the length of the episodes — each is essentially a full-length movie — it's impressive how quickly the series churned out new seasons. When looking at it that way, two-year breaks don't seem that long. 

Fans have been chomping at the bit for more stories in the Breaking Bad universe since Better Call Saul was announced, and for the first four seasons, fans were sated with new episodes each year. However, the final two seasons took two years in between to continue the series. 

Series made for streaming are automatically contenders for taking a while between seasons. They aren't bound by network schedules. Master of None only had three seasons, each with years-long breaks in between. Season 1 premiered in 2015, season 2 in 2017, and season 3 in 2021. 

HBO has always played by its own rules, and it continued that trend with Barry. After issuing the first two seasons in 2018 and 2019, the series waited until 2022 to release its third season, though it was partially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The series came to a stunning conclusion in 2023. 

Like Twin Peaks, Arrested Development's return was seen as a reboot by some and a fourth season by others. In any event, the show was on hiatus from 2005 until 2013 when Netflix picked it up for new episodes, and it didn’t return for a fifth season until 2018 after that.