Imperial Phase

[shiftwork2]

but applied to TV shows.

Mad Men hits a ridiculous level of writing, acting and just style between S3 and S4, so the transition between Sterling Cooper and Sterling Cooper DP.

Not necessarily looking for fine detail with such a wide remit but simply your personal likes, and perhaps a reason why.

[Norton Canes]

Potentially contentious but Doctor Who seasons 13 and 14 (1975-77) hit a high point in terms of production values, while Tom Baker was the Doctor - arguably moreso than any of his predecessors - and with Liz Sladen, formed probably the archetypal Doctor/assistant teams.

Having said that, in the early 70's the Pertwee years left their own cultural imprint with the Doctor regularly assisting UNIT, the army's Killing Aliens division. In the years immediately following the show's inception, there was the Beatles-eclipsing phenomenon of Dalekmania. And the show once again achieved critical mass at the end of David Tennant's first Tennure (see what I did). 

[sevendaughters]

Seinfeld s4. There's maybe 1 less good episode. But it has The Contest, Babu Bhatt, Pagliacci daVola, the Bubble Boy, Mulva, all the meta episodes, "not that there's anything wrong with that", Teri Hatcher's tits, loads more

[Mwnger]

Season 4 of Game of Thrones for sure

Starts with a bang with the Purple Wedding (the last episode written by GRRM) which was peak Lannister skullduggery. Ends with two banging episodes of Viper vs the Mountain and then the battle on the wall with the Wildlings

It's also got a really underrated episode halfway through where Jon Snow finally puts down the Night's Watch rebellion in Craster's Keep. It's got a deliciously nasty performance from Burn Gorman as the leader of the rebels.

Then of course it's the only season where Pedro Pascal features as the Viper. His monologue to Tyrion in the prison cell is one of my favourite moments in the entire series

A lot of people rate S3 as the peak (mostly because of the Red Wedding) but that series gets a downmark from me due to that horribly drawn-out and unnecessary plotline of Theon being tortured by Ramsey

So S4 for the win

[mr. logic]

Always thought the purple wedding was a way superior episode to the red wedding.

[Gulftastic]

Season 3 of Buffy.

Faith & Wesley introduced, classic eps like The Wish, Dopplegangland, Band Candy, The Zeppo, great season long big bad plot paying off hints from previous seasons, first hints of Willow's true sexuality.

It's a belter.

[Egyptian Feast]

Season 6 of South Park, the one where Kenny is dead, is the absolute peak of the show. Looking at the list of episodes, quite a number of classics there including my favourite episode of all, 'The Biggest Douche In The Universe'. It's often been very funny since (and only really hit the skids for me following the excellent Fractured But Whole), but this was the point where it most consistently gave me cramps from laughing.

[beanheadmcginty]

When they started to represent KITT's speech with a three bar graphic equaliser rather than a single red flashing oblong.

[dissolute ocelot]

All my favourite shows were cancelled after one season :(

Season 3 of Buffy.

Definitely (you could trace it to the latter part of season 2, maybe Surprise or even earlier with What's My Line, but it kicks up another gear in season 3 thanks to Faith and Mayor Wilkins).

Season 4 of Angel, which was properly epic with a great through story, lots of drama and tragedy, building to a massive climax (which was kind of rolled back when they decided they would have a season 5, which was fun but a bit scrappier).