Most TV shows evolve during their time on the air. While some shows manage to keep the same format over the years, the majority "grow up" as the seasons stack up. In some cases, this means that a show that debuted as a comedy can become a dramedy by its second season and a full-on drama by the third. For the following shows, one thing is clear: The longer these shows go on, the darker things will become.
"Suits"
To be fair, "Suits" was never exactly a comedy. The first season had some dramatic moments built in, but overall, the tone was fairly light and frothy. Mike and Harvey shared more jokes, Louis was more of a goofball, and even the cases were less dire. Now nearing the end of its second season, "Suits" is a far darker show. Mike's grandmother is dead; Harvey's sad family secrets have been revealed; Louis is downright manipulative and cruel; and even respectable Jessica has shown that she has some major skeletons in her closet. The offices of Pearson Hardman are in a state of civil war, and Season 3 can only get darker.
If it's been a while since you've seen episodes from the first season of "Breaking Bad," it's worth going back just to remember how much funnier the show used to be. In its first season, "Breaking Bad" was more of a black comedy. But the longer that Walt has been involved in the meth trade, the higher the body count has risen….and the fewer jokes there have been to break the tension.
If you haven't caught this short-lived comedy from across the pond, check it out on Hulu as soon as you can. Often compared to "Scrubs," "Green Wing" is a screwball hospital comedy with a touch of romance. While the first season was pretty goofy and fun, the tone changed dramatically in Season 2. What was once a light-hearted, absurd romp became a heart-wrenching drama. A major character gets diagnosed with a terminal illness, two characters commit suicide, and there's even a subplot where a woman tries to saddle a man with a child that does not belong to him.
While "Sex and the City" was always a comedy, it turned pretty dramatic toward the tail end of its TV run. While the early seasons kept things light by focusing on single dates and one-night stands, things got more serious in Season 3 when most of the girls entered long-term relationships. By Season 6, serious issues like cancer, infertility, and shattered dreams were the order of the day. The show never totally lost its comedic bent, but it definitely turned dramatic by the finale.
