Quality TV shows that stayed on way, way too long

[Kusanagi]

This kinda reminds me, South Park is barely mentioned in the same breath as the thread topic. I'm not really a regular watcher and so I can't comment on its quality over the years, but it's so interesting to me that it's two decades old and it's now at the age where Parker and Stone can now make an occasional episode saying, "Hey, we changed our minds about X topic since the 90s" or "What we said back then is shitty by today's standards, so let's change things up a bit to reflect what we think now."

Unfortunately for the Simpsons, I feel like they're so trapped into that nostalgic mindset of its glory days that they've stagnated while simultaneously worried about that very thing, whereas South Park at least allows itself some time to evolve and adapt. There was a time when I stopped watch the Simpsons once every other episode had a musical montage.

Part of works for South Park is

1: There plots were always bat **** crazy and over the top, so there was never a worry of going too far.
2: They can make episodes in about two weeks so they can stay relevant with anything happening in the world.

I do agree with the looking back and reassessing stuff. Last years apology to Gore was on point.

[Sacred Knight]

I think the quality has dipped a lot what with the serialization attempts and bad new characters, but a show like South Park can keep on going indefinitely because of the basis of its story structure. It satires the present day in most all aspects. So ss long as things are happening in the world, the show is relevant.

[DanMad1977]

Walking Dead is coming to the point where, when Micchone also leaves, it should end. A Rick Grimes movie after that and then end it.

But it will milked to death...

[TriggerWarning]

Walking Dead is coming to the point where, when Micchone also leaves, it should end. A Rick Grimes movie after that and then end it.

But it will milked to death...

I think the main series will probably end in 2 to 3 years as they are quickly catching up to the end of the comic series.

However they will milk other series that aren't tied to comic continuity as long as the ratings are there.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

House M.D probaly should have been cut shorter.

House should have ended after season #5 or #6. That it should have ended when House was finally in a happy relationship.

M*A*S*H was probably on for two seasons too long, but the finale was great, so that's easily forgotten.
.

M.A.S.H originally was gonna end in season #10 but the network and brief writers strike in 1981 had them ask the actors to return for 1 last season. It was brief though (16 episodes compared to 22-24 episodes normally)

I think the main series will probably end in 2 to 3 years as they are quickly catching up to the end of the comic series.

However they will milk other series that aren't tied to comic continuity as long as the ratings are there.

AMC has said they see the main series lasting another decade. They don't care about original material as Fear and the 3rd spin-off won't follow any original comic material.

[Comic-Reader Lad]

DALLAS - should have ended with Season 7 (referred to as "Season 8" on the DVD sets) when Bobby died. The Bobby-less season was boring, but bringing him back did not restore Dallas to what it was. It was better than the dream season, but never reached its former heights.

KNOTS LANDING - The last two seasons were boring, but the characters and the actors still had life left in them, so I don't think it was canceled too late; I just think they needed better writing after Season 12. Dallas had its same writers, but even bringing back Bobby couldn't recapture the magic.

I thought Friends, Will and Grace, Cheers, and MASH were all great right up until the end.

All in the Family should have ended when Mike and Gloria left in the Season 8 finale. I think that was actually the original plan, but Carroll and Jean were convinced to return. Maybe I'm wrong about that, but I do seem to remember the Season 8 finale being marketed as the series finale. Archie Bunker's Place should never have happened.

Roseanne should have ended a season or two before it did. People hate the final season, but the previous one was uneven if I remember correctly.

American Idol should have ended when Simon Cowell left.

Laverne and Shirley should have ended with Season 5 because 6-8 in California were largely laugh-free and forgettable.

Charlie's Angels should have ended when Kate Jackson left. At the time, everyone was worried when Farrah left because she was thought to be irreplaceable, but what killed the show was Kate's departure.

[Nine Crocodile]

M.A.S.H originally was gonna end in season #10 but the network and brief writers strike in 1981 had them ask the actors to return for 1 last season. It was brief though (16 episodes compared to 22-24 episodes normally)

And it cost Loretta Swit the role of Cagney on Cagney and Lacey, as the producers wouldn't let her out of her contract..

[caj]

DALLAS - should have ended with Season 7 (referred to as "Season 8" on the DVD sets) when Bobby died. The Bobby-less season was boring, but bringing him back did not restore Dallas to what it was. It was better than the dream season, but never reached its former heights.

I definitely see your point with this, but I hate the idea of Dallas ending with Bobby dying and faux Miss Ellie (Donna Reed) being present. I hated the dream season and agree it was as dull as dirt.

However, I liked the post-dream season. I thought it did a great job of getting the show back on track. I disagreed with the way that season ended though. If Victoria Principal was leaving, they should've had Pam have a nervous breakdown (she had every reason to considering everything that happened that year), and just put her in a facility like they did Jock's first wife Amanda. That way, Bobby could move on and they could easily write Pam back into the show if VP ever decided to come back.

Also, it was a mistake to permanently break up Donna and Ray, who were the heart of the show. I didn't mind Ray's little fling with Jenna (even though the two actors had zero chemistry), but Donna and Ray belonged together.

But the show should've ended with the post-dream season IMO. After VP left, it never was the same.

[Comic-Reader Lad]

I definitely see your point with this, but I hate the idea of Dallas ending with Bobby dying and faux Miss Ellie (Donna Reed) being present. I hated the dream season and agree it was as dull as dirt.

However, I liked the post-dream season. I thought it did a great job of getting the show back on track. I disagreed with the way that season ended though. If Victoria Principal was leaving, they should've had Pam have a nervous breakdown (she had every reason to considering everything that happened that year), and just put her in a facility like they did Jock's first wife Amanda. That way, Bobby could move on and they could easily write Pam back into the show if VP ever decided to come back.

Also, it was a mistake to permanently break up Donna and Ray, who were the heart of the show. I didn't mind Ray's little fling with Jenna (even though the two actors had zero chemistry), but Donna and Ray belonged together.

But the show should've ended with the post-dream season IMO. After VP left, it never was the same.

Interestingly enough, the original plan of the Dallas miniseries (now called "Season 1") before Duffy was hired and it went into production was for Bobby to die in the final episode (episode 5) so that Pam would be left alone with the Ewings. Leonard Katzman, the Dallas showrunner, asked why Pam would stay at Southfork without Bobby. David Jacobs agreed and so Bobby was kept. Episode 5 was then changed to Pam's first miscarriage at the Ewing barbecue.

About the dream season, the only thing I really did like was Sue Ellen's final drunk storyline on the series where she ended up homeless in the gutter. Linda Gray always gave those drunk stories her A-game, and this one was really raw. It was really the only notable thing about the season. The attempt to create an Alexis-type character in Angelica Nero was a complete misfire.

And, yes, I agree that Donna Reed was woefully miscast as Miss Ellie. She had none of Bel Geddes' grit and strength.

[Jokerz79]

I liked the Sue Ellen and JR stories from the Dream Season.

Also I loved the development as a character Archie got with Stephanie Stephanie's Conversations ending always makes me teary eye when watching it.

[Riv86672]

I always felt Frasier was consistently strong. Stronger than Friends, at that.

^^^Same.

MASH is a big one for me. It just got too preachy; even as a kid I could see that.

Scrubs seems to have gone downhill towards the end. I didn’t watch regularly but later eps seemed really bland.

Family Guy, from around the time Cleveland spun off. Quagmire became a real douche, and Joe became this total loser. It ruined the dynamic.

Happy Days AND Laverne & Shirley definitely.

X Files. The magic just wasn’t there towards the end. I don’t blame Robert Patrick.

In regards to House MD and a few others mentioned, I don’t think they went on too long, I think they ended badly/unsatisfactorily but that’s a different subject.

[Indian Ink]

Charlie's Angels should have ended when Kate Jackson left. At the time, everyone was worried when Farrah left because she was thought to be irreplaceable, but what killed the show was Kate's departure.

That's not too surprising as the show was effectively almost formed around her and Kate was the one who came up with the name Charlie's Angels. Originally It was going to be called The Alley Cats, but Spelling, Goldberg and Kate Jackson thought it would be better for something more glamorous in image.

[Somecrazyaussie]

Castle - really should have ended with series 7. Castle and Beckett finally tied the knot, the 3XK case was wrapped up, and Castle faces the childhood trauma that inspired him to become a writer.

Dexter - was on the air 3 seasons too many. Season 5 was the perfect coda in that, by helping Lumen, Dexter came to terms, not only with Rita's death, but also came to accept and embrace who he was. Everything afterwards was complete dreck.

Big Bang - should have been retitled in its last few seasons to "The Sheldon Cooper and Friends Show." Its telling that, once Parsons made the decision he was calling it a day (he was likely feeling as bored with the show as the audience were by the end) they basically said, "we're done."

[Captain Smith]

Law and Order SVU - especially when it lost focus on the crimes to the endless personal life of Liv and her crew. When ever I see a Noah in Peril episode, I barf. Also, the blond other detective gets pregnant yet again and we have personal drama. I know the actress got pregnant (good for her). However, in the show - marry her off, then we never have to see the baby or husband.

Dexter, I agree. X-files - endless stupid conspiracy. BSG 2 - when it went God for Cylons and had the world's stupidest ending.

The Brits have it right with constrained series and maybe short 4 episode new ones, every once in awhile. Dr. Who beats that by switching out doctors.

Big Bang - too long and the marriage, relationship focus sunk it.

[The Whovian]

Supernatural. I absolutely love the show, but it should have ended after season 5. Would have been a great ending.