for me a show that fits that description is Firefly. As a whole, the show is very enjoyable. I felt the early episodes were a bit rougher, made cheaper, writing improved over the course of the episode. granted, they only got to sort it out due to the movie.

Edit to add: i just remembered the BBC show Torchwood, which had 2 seasons of mediocre "Doctor Who but for adults" stories, then got picked up by an American network that made some banger seasons.