# Television Shows That Stay Around Way Too Long



## BAYLOR (Sep 7, 2014)

Which shows do you think overstayed their welcome  and in effect jumped the shark ?


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## J-Sun (Sep 8, 2014)

TV shows basically have two fates - overstaying their welcomes or being cut down too early. Not saying there isn't one, but I can't think of a single show that ended just right. I'm also not a loyalist. I can't think of a single show that lasted more than a couple-three seasons that I watched in original airings from first episode to last except _Buffy, the Vampire Slayer_. That was out of pure loyalty as season 6 sucked and season 7 just avoided those lows but also avoided the highs.

Probably the shows closest to ending right were _Homicide: Life on the Streets_ and _Farscape_. The first is the best cop show ever but ran a season too long (though the 7th was still okay - they just had to replace too many cast members and made a mistake in replacing the sets). I only saw the early seasons later on DVD so I might have felt differently otherwise, but that's one that I retroactively saw from first to last. (The very first seasons are so superb that I might have felt there was too much drift to stick through to the end. As it was, the middle seasons were great enough but the drift from them to the last wasn't so bad. And then I only found out later how phenomenal the first ones are, so I still like them all.) And the second ran a season too short, probably - but I doubt they'd have really written season 5 as a finale season the way it should have been if it hadn't been cancelled. And _The Peacekeeper Wars_ at least tried to cushion the blow. But that was one I also saw only retroactively, having caught random chunks of random seasons (stupid local station) in reruns before buying the DVDs.

So, like I say, every show that wasn't premature probably ran too long. But "overstaying their welcome" and "jumping the shark" are two different things. Shows pretty rarely jump the shark, I think, in the strictest sense. And usually not long-running shows - most JTS shows are retoolings of young, near-death shows in desperate attempts to survive. I know the classic examples, such as the namesake _Happy Days_, are exceptions.

Either way, the lamest shows are the ones where you find there's no bottom or when they try to carry on without essential original cast. The _X-Files_ managed to achieve both. I never watched it, but I gather many _Lost_ fans learned the pain of the bottomless handwaving non-conspiracy conspiracy show, like the _X-Files_.


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## Brian G Turner (Sep 8, 2014)

_Heroes _had a superb first season - the developing sense of mystery, the way the story unfolded, and some of the episode climaxes, really astonished me. And then they spoiled it all in the last 30 seconds by keeping Sylar alive just to make a season 2, and end up dismissing all of the plot line they'd already built up.

_Supernatural _was gripping from the start, then meandered a bit, before reaching a suitably satisfying climax at the end of season 5. The series has continued without the original creator, just to milk its success. I hear it meanders and then improves (I think they're on season 9 now?) but I'd rather see something to a wrapped up finish, than slowly die from its own popularity.

_Babylon 5_ remains the tragedy of tragedies. It wanted 5 seasons - but was later told to wrap up in 4. Then they got a 5th season anyway, with nothing to fill it with.


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## BAYLOR (Sep 8, 2014)

The X Files , the first 5 seasons were great , they last 4 seasons the show lost it's direction.


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## Idoru (Sep 8, 2014)

Smallville. I enjoyed it, but it just seemed to go on forever. How can you have a Superman origin show called Smallville when they've all moved to Metropolis and started working at the Daily Planet. I think both Buffy and Angel would have benefitted from being one season shorter. The only problem being that in both it should have been the penultimate season that didn't happen.


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## Parson (Sep 8, 2014)

The problem with this thread is that we are looking at this from an arts point of view. Television shows will run as long as they make money and their stars are amenable to, or capable of, continuing in those roles. When either of these stops, so does the show, maybe a year later but not likely longer than that.


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## ratsy (Sep 8, 2014)

I loved Smallville at the start but stopped around season 5. Supernatural was (and is) one of my favorites but after season 4 or somewhere around there it started to wear on me. (I think I have only watched up to season 7) Buffy was good for the first 2 seasons (maybe even a little of 3) but then I couldn't watch it.

I will agree with Brian about Heroes. I loved the first season but it really got bad...

The common thing I see is that I don't ever finish shows! haha


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## Ashaman (Sep 8, 2014)

Battlestar Galactica (the new series) and Enterprise (the 2000 series) I think were finished just on time and the ends were as good as they could go in my opinion. Yes I may have wanted more but both series did not get to be boring and were not ended prematurely.


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## Jo Zebedee (Sep 8, 2014)

Twin Peaks. And Lost.


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## Michael Colton (Sep 8, 2014)

SG-1 in my opinion went on too long for what it was. Voyager had one more season in it. The last season of DS9 was disappointing to me.

If we are going to include non-SFF, I consider Seinfeld to be the perfect example of a show ending precisely when it should have.


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## ratsy (Sep 8, 2014)

Seinfeld was one of the few sitcoms that ended in its prime. Shows like Friends, and the Office (US version) went on for at least 2 seasons too long.


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## BAYLOR (Sep 8, 2014)

ratsy said:


> Seinfeld was one of the few sitcoms that ended in its prime. Shows like Friends, and the Office (US version) went on for at least 2 seasons too long.



If the ratings are still there the Network will keep the show going  and milk it for everything it worth   

The Show ER which I liked , ran for about 5 seasons too long.


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## Jo Zebedee (Sep 8, 2014)

Father Ted didn't run long enough. Poor Dermot Morgan. I still miss  him.


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## J-Sun (Sep 9, 2014)

springs said:


> Twin Peaks.



That's a great example - a two-season show that lasted too long.  Even the late ones have their interests but it definitely could have ended with the initial solution.


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## BAYLOR (Sep 9, 2014)

J-Sun said:


> That's a great example - a two-season show that lasted too long.  Even the late ones have their interests but it definitely could have ended with the initial solution.



It should never have been made into a full television series.  As a limited series with defined conclusion  it would have worked far better.


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## J-Sun (Sep 9, 2014)

BAYLOR said:


> It should never have been made into a full television series.  As a limited series with defined conclusion  it would worked far better.



Yep, exactly so.


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## Ashaman (Sep 9, 2014)

Got another one for u guys. _Grey's Anatomy! 11 seasons too many _


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## BAYLOR (Sep 9, 2014)

Grey's Anatomy , a bit overrated.


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## Ashaman (Sep 9, 2014)

A bit he says. I managed to watch the first 2 seasons due to my wife. When the 3rd started and I watched the 1st episode I had a total nervous breakdown and my wife magnanimously permitted me to stop downloading it


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## RightersBlock (Sep 10, 2014)

BAYLOR said:


> It should never have been made into a full television series.  As a limited series with defined conclusion  it would have worked far better.



I felt the same with Heroes. it should have been a mini-series, with the same ambiguous ending. Or continue the show but with a different cast each season/series.


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## alchemist (Sep 10, 2014)

springs said:


> Father Ted didn't run long enough. Poor Dermot Morgan. I still miss  him.



Father Ted shares something with Fawlty Towers; there were so few episodes that they never had a chance to go stale, and every remaining episode is precious.



Ashaman said:


> Got another one for u guys. _Grey's Anatomy! 11 seasons too many _



Don't be so harsh! When Grey's Anatomy is on, that's my chance to put the headphones and browse the internet in peace


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## BAYLOR (Sep 10, 2014)

alchemist said:


> Father Ted shares something with Fawlty Towers; there were so few episodes that they never had a chance to go stale, and every remaining episode is precious.
> 
> 
> 
> Don't be so harsh! When Grey's Anatomy is on, that's my chance to put the headphones and browse the internet in peace



That's rough.


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## Ashaman (Sep 10, 2014)

Lol Alchemist. Hadn't thought it that way mate


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## svalbard (Sep 11, 2014)

Eastenders and Coronation Street. Both series are a couple of decades past their sell by date.


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## Vertigo (Sep 11, 2014)

springs said:


> Father Ted didn't run long enough. Poor Dermot Morgan. I still miss  him.


 


alchemist said:


> Father Ted shares something with Fawlty Towers; there were so few episodes that they never had a chance to go stale, and every remaining episode is precious.


 
I agree Springs and exactly so Alc. Both Father Ted and Fawlty Towers are priceless classics. The difference is that Fawlty Towers was ended by 'choice' whilst Father Ted was by tragedy. I think it was the right decision to end Fawlty Towers when they did so it didn't have time to fail. It's interesting to speculate whether, but for Dermot Morgan's untimely end, they would have ended up milking Father Ted into exhaustion. As it is it will remain one of the greats of comedy.

As for series that ran too long that I watched at the beginning but eventually gave up on, the two worst offenders for me were Heroes and Lost.


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## BAYLOR (Sep 11, 2014)

RightersBlock said:


> I felt the same with Heroes. it should have been a mini-series, with the same ambiguous ending. Or continue the show but with a different cast each season/series.



One of the biggest problems , Hiro Nakamura's  seemingly unlimited ability to time jump undermined things.


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## BAYLOR (Sep 21, 2014)

The Simpsons.  They should have ended the show at it's 10 season.


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## Ursa major (Sep 21, 2014)

ratsy said:


> Shows like Friends, and the Office (US version) went on for at least 2 seasons too long.


Funny that: _The Office_ (UK original) also went on for two seasons too long....


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## HareBrain (Sep 21, 2014)

BAYLOR said:


> The Simpsons.  They should have ended the show at it's 10 season.



I was going to say the same, but I have enjoyed some of the later ones, so I didn't. It's not what it was, though.


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## Rodders (Sep 29, 2014)

I think that a lot of newer tV series have a great start, but then fizzle out. Lost, Heroes, Flash Forward etc. 

I think Lexx went on for too long and got a little too suggestive for me. Perhaps it should've stopped after the third series. Stargate SG1. I really didn't get into this series and couldn't see how it went on for so long. X-Files, yeah, i'll go with that. Babylon 5, sorry Brian, i just couldn't agree. Dr. Who (the old series) was silly once Colin Baker was the Doctor (Sorry). 

I haven't gotten around to seeing the final series of BSG, so i'm not going to comment.


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## Highlander II (Sep 30, 2014)

_House, MD_ went on a few seasons longer than it should have (and I <3 that show).  _X-Files_ I didn't get into until long after it was finished and I'm one of the odd-balls who likes Doggett.  _Highlander_ stretched on a season or so too long.  And _Stargate_ should have stopped when RDA decided he was done.


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## Ashaman (Sep 30, 2014)

Rodders mate, Flash forward didnt even have time to start, let alone fizzle out. They stopped it way too early!


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## Bugg (Oct 1, 2014)

The X-Files -  I loved the first three seasons but after that it was only the occasional episode that gripped me.  Same for Buffy - loved the first three seasons, then just occasional episodes.  I still haven't seen the ends of Battlestar Galactica or Smallville because I ran out of steam on them much earlier, and I gave up on Supernatural after season 6 or 7 (can't remember which - which says it all, really!).


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## Vince W (Oct 1, 2014)

Community. I can't even watch it any more.


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## soulsinging (Oct 18, 2014)

Vince W said:


> Community. I can't even watch it any more.



I loved this show for the first 2-3 seasons, but season 4 was SOOOO bad. I thought season 5 was a decent recovery but it's pretty clear the moment has sort of passed and the magic is gone (along with Troy).


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## Dinosaur (Oct 18, 2014)

Rodders said:


> I think that a lot of newer tV series have a great start, but then fizzle out. Lost, Heroes, Flash Forward etc.



There is a definite sense that writers come up with an amazing hook and pitch the first series around that without ever actually coming up with a master plan for later series. I guess so many series get cancelled, what's the point of developing a five-year year arc that will never see the light day? Imagine Homeland if the first series just ended when Brody (?) Walked out of the toilet after fixing the bomb, instead there's a load of stuff in later seasons that obviously didn't make the script first time around.

Dexter could have easily ended early and I would have been happy.


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## paranoid marvin (Oct 19, 2014)

Red Dwarf should have finished at series 5. Quit when you're ahead.


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## Alysheba (Oct 25, 2014)

*Dexter*. I really enjoyed the show then it went off the rails. The final season was crap. The final episode was worse than crap.
*True Blood*. It should've ended two seasons ago. It didn't and we were tortured to death.
*Supernatural* I thought would run for 10 seasons (which it has). While they had a few rough seasons I have to say they did find their footing again but it is clear that they need to be careful about the future and not go too much longer. Even if I will miss the Winchesters. A LOT. Mostly Dean...
*CSI*. I still watch it but it was really hard once Grissom left. I'm trying to forget the Laurence Fishburne years. I still enjoy it but not like I did in the beginning.
*Grey's Anatomy* is revisiting the same storylines. I wanted to give up on it last year. Now that Christina is gone it's not nearly as interesting.
*The Real Housewives of (enter any city here)* Please make them stop!!!


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## BAYLOR (Oct 29, 2014)

paranoid marvin said:


> Red Dwarf should have finished at series 5. Quit when you're ahead.



I did the later seasons , I  like it when Kryton's nanites  resurrected the the whole crew on the Red Dwarf . That was  fun to see.


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## markpud (Nov 1, 2014)

Alysheba said:


> *Dexter*. I really enjoyed the show then it went off the rails. The final season was crap. The final episode was worse than crap.


Definitely! Peaked at season 4 and then floundered, and they totally bottled the ending!

Babylon 5 is a good case too. They wrapped up the whole arc at the end of s4 but then got renewed and had to deal with a main character sacrificing himself for another, but that actor left the show so that story was never continued.

I think Walking Dead still has a way to go, it found it's feet with season 4 and seems to be going from strength to strength. Hopefully no more changes in Showrunner and its got a couple more seasons at least.


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## BAYLOR (Nov 9, 2014)

*Happy Days  *1974 to 84. In early seasons it was fun show but it stayed tooling.  In fact the expression Tv Show Jumping the Shark came from Happy Days.


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## Donal DeLay (Nov 16, 2014)

*How I Met Your Mother* - It was always Ted and Robin's story, but that final season was really 2 episodes at most. It didn't need to be 22 episodes long, but they stretched it out until the very end to make that reveal. 



Vince W said:


> Community. I can't even watch it any more.





soulsinging said:


> I loved this show for the first 2-3 seasons, but season 4 was SOOOO bad. I thought season 5 was a decent recovery but it's pretty clear the moment has sort of passed and the magic is gone (along with Troy).



Problem with Community is Dan Harmon was kicked off the show for season 4, and he WAS the show. Instead, they gave a well received, popular show to a couple of writers that ran a CW series no one heard of that ran for one season before being cancelled. When the network figured out their mistake, they brought him back for season 5, but it felt like they kept him on a short leash. It felt like a restrained version of seasons 1-3. I'm hoping, now that it's on Yahoo, he'll be given creative control and it'll be funny once again.

Removing Harmon as showrunner for season 4 was just a stupid decision by NBC. That's like finding someone who owned a coffee shop that closed after a year to be CEO of Chipotle.



Alysheba said:


> *Dexter*. I really enjoyed the show then it went off the rails. The final season was crap. The final episode was worse than crap.
> *Grey's Anatomy* is revisiting the same storylines. I wanted to give up on it last year. Now that Christina is gone it's not nearly as interesting.



Dexter. Dear Crom. I've never been so pissed off at a series finale than that. Pretty sure the writers just wanted to throw fans off because everyone knew it HAD to end in one of two ways. But, that? ugh.

Grey's Anatomy. I don't know why I watch this show. I honestly don't know. It's so awful. Every single character is a petulant child that makes the worst decisions imaginable. Choices no rational adult would ever make. They're all selfish and insuffereable.


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## BAYLOR (Oct 11, 2017)

The Simpsons.


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## BAYLOR (Oct 18, 2017)

Bugg said:


> The X-Files -  I loved the first three seasons but after that it was only the occasional episode that gripped me.  Same for Buffy - loved the first three seasons, then just occasional episodes.  I still haven't seen the ends of Battlestar Galactica or Smallville because I ran out of steam on them much earlier, and I gave up on Supernatural after season 6 or 7 (can't remember which - which says it all, really!).



The series was less then successful in the feature film department.


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## Cli-Fi (Nov 6, 2017)

I am about to give up on both Hawaii Five-0 and NCIS: LA. I gave up on all the other NCIS' awhile back, but LA was the funnest out of all of them. Now that Hetty is gone from the show and likely won't return with two new managers, the dynamic feels off. Hawaii Five-0 same thing with Chin and Kono, both highly missed, last fun episode was a mess.


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## BAYLOR (Nov 7, 2017)

Cli-Fi said:


> I am about to give up on both Hawaii Five-0 and NCIS: LA. I gave up on all the other NCIS' awhile back, but LA was the funnest out of all of them. Now that Hetty is gone from the show and likely won't return with two new managers, the dynamic feels off. Hawaii Five-0 same thing with Chin and Kono, both highly missed, last fun episode was a mess.



Both shows are pretty mediocre.


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## Cli-Fi (Nov 7, 2017)

BAYLOR said:


> Both shows are pretty mediocre.


I never minded that, but now they are worse.


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## Danny Creasy (Nov 12, 2017)

_Revolution_ (NBC) was beginning to wear on me; its two seasons would have been a proper run. Unfortunately, the producers planned a third season. NBC cancelled it. With no concluding episode, they left us hanging. Not good.


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## Edward M. Grant (Nov 13, 2017)

Danny Creasy said:


> _Revolution_ (NBC) was beginning to wear on me



Yeah, they took an interesting premise, and quickly threw it away, soon becoming another 'get captured by the bad guys and escape of the week' show. I don't think we even finished watching the second season.


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## BAYLOR (Nov 29, 2017)

Edward M. Grant said:


> Yeah, they took an interesting premise, and quickly threw it away, soon becoming another 'get captured by the bad guys and escape of the week' show. I don't think we even finished watching the second season.




That one went downhill fast.


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## AlexH (Nov 29, 2017)

Vertigo said:


> I agree Springs and exactly so Alc. Both Father Ted and Fawlty Towers are priceless classics. The difference is that Fawlty Towers was ended by 'choice' whilst Father Ted was by tragedy. I think it was the right decision to end Fawlty Towers when they did so it didn't have time to fail. It's interesting to speculate whether, but for Dermot Morgan's untimely end, they would have ended up milking Father Ted into exhaustion. As it is it will remain one of the greats of comedy.



I might be wrong, but I think that was the final series of Father Ted anyway. Originally, they had Ted jumping to his death, but after Dermot Morgan died (the day after filming wrapped up) they changed the ending to the Ted montage.

Dermot Morgan apparently had heart pains on the last day of filming. One of the actors kept fluffing his lines, which meant Dermot Morgan had to repeatedly do the crazy dance for the scene. I think the actor said his mess-ups could have contributed to Dermot Morgan's heart-attack.

So sad, but what a legacy. I think Father Ted is perfect at three series. Series Graham Linehan is involved on don't tend to go on for too long.

Back on topic, off the top of my head, I can't think of any TV programmes that stayed around so long I got bored of them.


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## Danny Creasy (Dec 5, 2017)

Since the OP was not genre specific:

Westerns: Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Virginian, The Rifleman 
Detective shows: Hawaii Five-0, NCIS, Criminal Minds, Barnaby Jones, Mannix
Comedy: The Cosby Show, All In the Family (and its spinoffs), Friends, Seinfeld, Modern Family, The Simpsons


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## Marvin (Dec 7, 2017)

Too soon:
Firefly - obviously
About right:
Misfits - although the cast did pretty completely change
Stranger Things - potentially, if they stick to the 4 season plan. Planning it - that could be the key. Don't think the money men like that idea!
Too long:
Arrow - gave up on that after the whole 'what happened on the island' was pretty much resolved.
Walking dead - Its on the cusp right now, unless something changes soon...


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## Narkalui (Dec 10, 2017)

Edward M. Grant said:


> Yeah, they took an interesting premise, and quickly threw it away, soon becoming another 'get captured by the bad guys and escape of the week' show. I don't think we even finished watching the second season.



I only watched the first episode of Revolution. I hated it because all I saw was a shameless piece of anti gun control propaganda


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## Danny Creasy (Dec 11, 2017)

Narkalui said:


> I only watched the first episode of Revolution. I hated it because all I saw was a shameless piece of anti gun control propaganda



And bows and arrows and short swords?


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## Narkalui (Dec 12, 2017)

No, it was the fact that the BADDIES were restricting ownership of fire arms and that’s what made them BAD


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## Khuratokh (Dec 13, 2017)

Narkalui said:


> I only watched the first episode of Revolution. I hated it because all I saw was a shameless piece of anti gun control propaganda


The entire premise, for me. Electricity ceases to work = barbaric feudal world.

Because before electricity became a thing, we all lived in caves, apparently. 

Sure it would be rough the first few years and our society as we know it now would collapse, but haven't the writers ever heard of steam power?.


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## SilentRoamer (Dec 13, 2017)

Khuratokh said:


> The entire premise, for me. Electricity ceases to work = barbaric feudal world.
> 
> Because before electricity became a thing, we all lived in caves, apparently.
> 
> Sure it would be rough the first few years and our society as we know it now would collapse, but haven't the writers ever heard of steam power?.



It's apples and oranges though. In pre-electric times it wasn't really possible due to limiting factors to over-populate certain geographical regions to the extent that they are today. 

The reliance on electric technology wasn't in place, today's average Joe would be hard pressed to carry out the necessities for survival. I think a worldwide loss of electric would have completely devastating consequences in some places of the world whilst having almost no effect in others.

I liked the premise of the show, the execution was terrible. The sword fights equally so.


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## Edward M. Grant (Dec 13, 2017)

Narkalui said:


> No, it was the fact that the BADDIES were restricting ownership of fire arms and that’s what made them BAD



I honestly don't remember much about the show, but, from what I do remember, the bad guys were, you know, the bad guys, and they wanted power over the rest of the survivors. Which they acquired in part by being the only ones with guns.

One of the big problems with the show was that they started with that as part of an interesting premise, then, a few episodes later, everyone seemed to be running around with guns.


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## Hyde (Dec 13, 2017)

First post - Cant resist chipping in

'Weeds ' far too long- 

'V' with Morena Baccarin, too short


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## Brian G Turner (Dec 13, 2017)

Hyde said:


> First post



Hi @Hyde and welcome to the chrons forums.


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## Hyde (Dec 13, 2017)

Thank you


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## Narkalui (Jan 20, 2018)

On the subject of Walking Dead, I gave up on this when I realised that almost all of the zombies should have rotted away to dust long long ago. In fact, when you think about it, by the time Rick woke up from his coma the majority of them should have started to decompose, especially in that Georgian heat...

They are asking a lot of my wilful suspense of disbelief to accept that a corpse can just get up and walk, but this is just too much. Yes a sf/f story will ask me to accept something that’s impossible but don’t then go and break your own laws of fantasy science


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## BAYLOR (Sep 28, 2018)

Narkalui said:


> On the subject of Walking Dead, I gave up on this when I realised that almost all of the zombies should have rotted away to dust long long ago. In fact, when you think about it, by the time Rick woke up from his coma the majority of them should have started to decompose, especially in that Georgian heat...
> 
> They are asking a lot of my wilful suspense of disbelief to accept that a corpse can just get up and walk, but this is just too much. Yes a sf/f story will ask me to accept something that’s impossible but don’t then go and break your own laws of fantasy science



At a certain point all the zombies are going to be rendered non functional by decomposition.


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## Vince W (Sep 28, 2018)

Have we mentioned *Big Bang Theory*? If we have then it needs to be repeated. Enough already.


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## Rodders (Sep 28, 2018)

The Office: an American Workplace should've quit once Steve Carrell left. 

I also think that Star Trek: TNG was a season too long.


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## soulsinging (Sep 28, 2018)

Rodders said:


> The Office: an American Workplace should've quit once Steve Carrell left.



Always a bad thing when cast members leave an ensemble comedy, it's rarely the same. See also, That 70s Show after Topher Grace and Ashton Kutcher left.


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## Narkalui (Sep 28, 2018)

The U.S. adaptation of The Office is unique in that, I beieve, it is better than the original. Don't get me wrong, the original is a masterpiece; but it is such tough going. The American remake is so much easier to watch, which is what you want from a sitcom: it shouldn't be an ordeal like Ricky Gervais' version is. 

Did it stay a series too long? Maybe, but there were things I liked about that last series, like the arrival of the next generation...

Crowning moment: Toby's return. "No! Dear God no!" Hilarious .


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## Rodders (Sep 28, 2018)

It was genius.


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## BAYLOR (Sep 28, 2018)

Vince W said:


> Have we mentioned *Big Bang Theory*? If we have then it needs to be repeated. Enough already.



I watched a few episodes of this show over the years . Never cared for it at all.


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## Vince W (Sep 29, 2018)

The first two series were good, but when they started introducing the other characters (the girls and the comic guy) it became pointless.


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## Narkalui (Sep 29, 2018)

The introduction of Amy Fowler was the Jump The Shark moment.


For your information, there was an episode of Happy Days where a dude literally jumped over a shark. And it was the best episode ever!


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## Vince W (Sep 29, 2018)

Narkalui said:


> The introduction of Amy Fowler was the Jump The Shark moment.
> 
> 
> For your information, there was an episode of Happy Days where a dude literally jumped over a shark. And it was the best episode ever!


Fonzy. Fonzy jumped the shark.


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## Narkalui (Sep 29, 2018)

Yeah I know  I was quoting Troy Barnes in Community


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## BAYLOR (Sep 29, 2018)

Vince W said:


> Fonzy. Fonzy jumped the shark.



That's where the expression   " The Show has jumped the Shark"  originated.


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## Narkalui (Sep 29, 2018)

I know this also. I should have used quotation marks


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## soulsinging (Sep 29, 2018)

Narkalui said:


> Yeah I know  I was quoting Troy Barnes in Community


Another great show that went too long. Though I did think seasons 5-6 had their moments, it was never really the same after they booted Dan Harmon at the end of season 3.


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## Narkalui (Sep 29, 2018)

Series 5 episode Asscrack Bandit has to be in the top 5 episodes for the entire series. So funny! I really hope they make the movie.
#sixseasonsandamovie


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## BAYLOR (Nov 11, 2019)

ER  was great show but stayed around way to long.


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## Rodders (Nov 11, 2019)

So what is the secret of the Soap Opera? I mean, those shows go on for years.


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## Overread (Nov 11, 2019)

Rodders said:


> So what is the secret of the Soap Opera? I mean, those shows go on for years.



I think its a combination of aspects
1) Their audience has loyal followers, but at the same time a lot of people who filter in and out. The writing is such that you can pick them up and put them down fairly easily. Even if you might not get some of the long running stuff, there's enough short term to keep you interested if you're of the kind of person to like soap operas.

2) They are a good place for steadily retiring or actors between projects. Long term actors will remain, whilst many others will appear for a short story arc and then move on. So in part I think they give a repository of roles for actors to step into when they might otherwise find themselves out of work with the bigger, but short term drama series. 
Much like how many actors might also do roles in theatre and the like between big TV productions.


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## soulsinging (Nov 11, 2019)

Rodders said:


> So what is the secret of the Soap Opera? I mean, those shows go on for years.


Ask GRRM, he's been reaping the benefits for decades. The trick is to get people hooked enough on the characters that they simply don't care how many shark-jumping moments you add, people will still watch out of devotion to the world.

How I Met Your Mother has to be in this category... an amusing concept that had some truly hilarious moments early on and engaging leads, but ran about 5 years too long.


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## Vertigo (Nov 11, 2019)

Rodders said:


> So what is the secret of the Soap Opera? I mean, those shows go on for years.


I think they are a modern take on gossip and voyeurism. Long time popular human activities.


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## jackwin (Nov 16, 2019)

"Glee", only show I ever went from loving to hating. 
Maybe some shows shouldn't be binge-watched.


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## The Big Peat (Nov 16, 2019)

Death in Paradise and New Tricks were both great comedy police procedurals in their prime, but their prime ended a good couple of seasons before the shows did (or will) at least.



Rodders said:


> So what is the secret of the Soap Opera? I mean, those shows go on for years.



Never be good enough that people can complain about them being bad later  Also, never be sufficiently based around one particular writer or set of actors that their removal kills everything.



Parson said:


> The problem with this thread is that we are looking at this from an arts point of view. Television shows will run as long as they make money and their stars are amenable to, or capable of, continuing in those roles. When either of these stops, so does the show, maybe a year later but not likely longer than that.



You're not wrong, but I don't see why we should look at it from any other view. Whether the show is profitable or not isn't my concern, it's whether its good.


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## Overread (Nov 17, 2019)

Death in Paradise suffered when they lost the original lead actor. Same as Midsummer Murders. New Tricks handled it better because they had a core of leads and they generally only swapped one or two at a time and often ahd lead in time to introduce new ones. So it felt like a more natural progression. When you've a team system and no one single powerful lead you can get away with that in a series. Though by the last you only had one of the original remaining and I think it ended on a good spot - even if it tried to get a bit dark in the last season.

Midsummer just feels wrong without the original actor in the role; it would be like Morse or Frost replaced (though in Midsummer its also worse as the new guy just doesn't have the screen presence - he's just too much a "blank face in a suit")


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## CupofJoe (Nov 17, 2019)

Oddly I like Midsummer better with Dudgeon now than I did with Nettles. And I would argue that Morse has had three leading actors. There was Thaw in Morse, the Prequel with Evans and the follow up with Whatley in Lewis [which was the same as Morse in all but name]. It is a great set-up that can handle the changes.
I think just about all TV shows hang around too long. Only the rare show like Fleabag and Fawlty Towers quit with the world wanting more. There must be others but they don't come to mind. I like a good mini-series, a handful of episodes in a self-contained story.


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## Vertigo (Nov 17, 2019)

CupofJoe said:


> There must be others but they don't come to mind.


Father Ted.

But I agree almost all shows go for the lingering death.


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## Vladd67 (Nov 17, 2019)

Does Father Ted count? Had the lead actor not died how long would the series have lasted? Would we have eventually been moaning about the writer squeezing laughs out of the characters and that it was past its best?


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## Vertigo (Nov 17, 2019)

Vladd67 said:


> Does Father Ted count? Had the lead actor not died how long would the series have lasted? Would we have eventually been moaning about the writer squeezing laughs out of the characters and that it was past its best?


Well that's a valid point, though I was still left wanting more!


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## Vince W (Nov 17, 2019)

Vertigo said:


> Well that's a valid point, though I was still left wanting more!


I would add Black Books and Black Adder to shows that I was left still wanting more.


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## soulsinging (Nov 17, 2019)

Vince W said:


> I would add Black Books and Black Adder to shows that I was left still wanting more.


I loved Black Books, but my wife couldn't stand when I put it on.


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## CupofJoe (Nov 17, 2019)

I think Black Adder [Goes Forth] ended on such an emotional point [with futile the charge across no-mans-land], that there really couldn't be a follow-up. I saw the Black Adder Millenium Dome thing and it was a poor imitation.


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## BAYLOR (Oct 1, 2020)

Vince W said:


> I would add Black Books and Black Adder to shows that I was left still wanting more.



Ive seen a few episodes , I thought it quite good.


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## paranoid marvin (Oct 4, 2020)

Blackadder ran it's course; it was incredibly funny for the final 3 seasons, but (imho) the laughs (perhaps due to the subject material) weren't quite as funny in Fourth as they had been in two or three.  Christmas Carol was incredibly funny too and Cavalier still holds up (Stephen Fry makes an excellent King Charles) but Back and Forth was fairly poor.


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## BAYLOR (Oct 18, 2020)

paranoid marvin said:


> Blackadder ran it's course; it was incredibly funny for the final 3 seasons, but (imho) the laughs (perhaps due to the subject material) weren't quite as funny in Fourth as they had been in two or three.  Christmas Carol was incredibly funny too and Cavalier still holds up (Stephen Fry makes an excellent King Charles) but Back and Forth was fairly poor.



Ive seen a few episodes of that series over the years. I found it pretty entertaining stuff.


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