Shows That Overstayed Their Welcome.

[Rollo-Smokes]

I agree with a lot of what's posted, but I'll add a few more:

"Laverne and Shirley" - should have cancelled before they moved to California (the sure sign they ran out of ideas)

Piggybacking on that, the final straw should have been after Cindy Williams split. But they went ahead and continued on with that eighth season, which turned out to be the last anyway.

 

[onairb]

ABC wouldn't cancel 'L & S' or 'Happy Days' as long as both shows were in the top 20, which they still were for 1981-82(just barely...'HD' was 18th, 'L & S' 20th). Midway through '82-83, of course, 'The A-Team' came along, and wiped both shows off the map(although 'Happy Days' clung to a spot in the top 30 for the season, and ABC granted Garry Marshall's wish for one final year.)

 

[Mario500]

The Simpsons is far overdue for cancelation - With well over 500 episodes - you can only do the same things so many times - since 2005 the Simpons have been mostly remakes of earlier episodes. The Simpsons jumped the shark back in 2003 and should have been put to pasture by 2007.

The year 2007 was when "The Simpsons Movie" was released. It would have been a great ending to the Simpsons' animated adventures if the TV series had been cancelled by then.

 

[nativeatlanta]

Friends
Threes Company
Charlies Angels
Saturday Night Live

 

[Rollo-Smokes]

Friends
Threes Company
Charlies Angels
Saturday Night Live

Never cared for Friends...to this day I have never seen a whole episode.

After Cheryl Ladd left at the end of the third season, Charlie's Angels should have ended and perhaps we would have been saved from the awful theatrical films.

I personally think Three's Company got a second wind when Priscilla Barnes came aboard. Nothing against Jenilee Harrison, but she was too green and not strong enough to replace Suzanne Somers. Barnes did it better and gave that series three more good years.

And, with all of the criticism that Saturday Night Live gets from those who post here, let's all remember one thing: It comes in cycles. Performers, writers, guest hosts all change. It's unfair to judge the SNL of 2013 to the SNL of 1977, 1987, 1997 or 2007 for example.

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

My submissions: Two And A Half Men (post-Charlie Sheen)
Big Bang Theory*
* BBT is particularly scarey. People actually watch it. And they vote!

Whole heartedly agree with both of those comments, but I would adjust Two and a Half Men to say pre the Charlie Sheen departure. The show had gotten old for me at least a season before the Sheen debacle

Yes, writers did seem to be running out of ideas in season 6, but they were still a damn sight more creative than the crappy story lines following Charlie H's "accidental" demise. Might be more interesting if the writers would take a leap by milking Charlie's collision with an on-coming train, inside the "tube". Imagine the quality of dark humor bound to ooze from a Rose-Goes-OnTrial-For-Homicide-By-Train storyline. Surely it would beat the tar out of the scripts they're doing now.

...Another idea-- how about a standby "Charlie-Secretly-Survived" storyline, in the event the Ashton eps finally crash (which you gotta believe they will)? Sheen could swallow his pride and return, if only to score one heck of a memorable show finale. Imagine: the doorbell rings. Ashton answers, finding Charlie, alone at first. He introduces himself, then draws to his side his latest conquest, a beautiful, mature brunette babe, all to the roaring applause of the audience. This "babe" is played by Demi Moore.

Writers?

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

Friends
Threes Company
Charlies Angels
Saturday Night Live

Never cared for Friends...to this day I have never seen a whole episode.
Neither have I.

I personally think Three's Company got a second wind when Priscilla Barnes came aboard.
I agree. Priscilla brought an on-screen energy distinct from Suzzane Sommer's "Chrissie", yet refreshing on it's own merit. Jennilee Harrison was cute, but seemed lost in the storylines, although I do give her stand-up kudos for her dramatic role on Dallas.

 

[Mark Giardina]

How about a standby "Charlie-Secretly-Survived" storyline, in the event the Ashton eps finally crash (which you gotta believe they will)? Sheen could swallow his pride and return, if only to score one heck of a memorable show finale. Imagine: the doorbell rings. Ashton answers, finding Charlie, alone at first. He introduces himself, then draws to his side his latest conquest, a beautiful, mature brunette babe, all to the roaring applause of the audience. This "babe" is played by Demi Moore.

That would be a classic ending to the show. However I doubt that Chuck Lorre would ever allow Sheen to return and it's also doubtful that Demi Moore would ever desire to appear with ex-husband Kutcher especially after he dumped her for a younger woman.

But like I said your idea is a damn good!

Personally I miss Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men. His new show, Anger Management, just doesn't cut it with me. The writing is lame and I hate shows that rely on a laugh-track.

 

[FredLeonard]

Some shows had major cast changes and got stronger. Some had major cast changes and were lost afterwards.

Those that got stronger include MASH and Cheers. They didn't replace characters. They brought new, different characters to create a new mix and new dynamic. They shook things up.

Those that got lost just tried to bring in a similar face and a different name to read lines written for the departed actors. Cloning doesn't work.

 

[FredLeonard]

I hate shows that rely on a laugh-track.

Are there any that don't? One camera shows always have one. Three camera shows used canned laughs to "sweeten" audience response. Network television is addicted to them.

Worst ever laugh track was The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Always the same laugh. Every other line got a laugh no matter how lame.

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

How about a standby "Charlie-Secretly-Survived" storyline, in the event the Ashton eps finally crash (which you gotta believe they will)? Sheen could swallow his pride and return, if only to score one heck of a memorable show finale. Imagine: the doorbell rings. Ashton answers, finding Charlie, alone at first. He introduces himself, then draws to his side his latest conquest, a beautiful, mature brunette babe, all to the roaring applause of the audience. This "babe" is played by Demi Moore.

That would be a classic ending to the show. However I doubt that Chuck Lorre would ever allow Sheen to return and it's also doubtful that Demi Moore would ever desire to appear with ex-husband Kutcher especially after he dumped her for a younger woman.
But like I said your idea is a damn good!

You're probably right, none of this would fly with Chuck or Demi. Ok, let's try this-- Take it from a silent Charlie standing at the door, only sans Demi. Audience roars with delight, director milks it for a minute as dumfounded Ashton, Alan and Berta stand there, in character, jaws dropped to the floor. Now, fade to final scene: Rose, donning a tangerine hued jumpsuit. Camera then pans back, revealing the irrepressible Rose in handcuffs, "hitting" on a jail guard from behind bars. No?

 

[Mark Giardina]

I could never understand why “Family Affair” starring Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot stayed on the air for as long as it did.
That show was so boring! :
Keith looked like he’d rather be somewhere else.

 

[vjm]

Friends
Threes Company
Charlies Angels
Saturday Night Live

Never cared for Friends...to this day I have never seen a whole episode.

After Cheryl Ladd left at the end of the third season, Charlie's Angels should have ended and perhaps we would have been saved from the awful theatrical films.

I personally think Three's Company got a second wind when Priscilla Barnes came aboard. Nothing against Jenilee Harrison, but she was too green and not strong enough to replace Suzanne Somers. Barnes did it better and gave that series three more good years.

And, with all of the criticism that Saturday Night Live gets from those who post here, let's all remember one thing: It comes in cycles. Performers, writers, guest hosts all change. It's unfair to judge the SNL of 2013 to the SNL of 1977, 1987, 1997 or 2007 for example.

Jenilee was seen as "the girl who replaced Crissy", so she really didn't have a prayer anyway. Not her fault...just put in a bad spot. It would have been the same if Prescilla Barnes had directly relpaced Suzanne Somers. Barnes was in the right place at the right time as she replaced Harrison, thus coming out ahead at the end.

 

[vjm]

I could never understand why “Family Affair” starring Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot stayed on the air for as long as it did.
That show was so boring! :
Keith looked like he’d rather be somewhere else.

If CBS didn't decide to chainsaw all thier rural/family shows in one fell swoop, "Family Affair" may have lasted even longer.

It wasn't a huge ratings machine, but was chugging along nicely.

 

[Mark Giardina]

I could never understand why “Family Affair” starring Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot stayed on the air for as long as it did.
That show was so boring! :
Keith looked like he’d rather be somewhere else.

If CBS didn't decide to chainsaw all thier rural/family shows in one fell swoop, "Family Affair" may have lasted even longer.

It wasn't a huge ratings machine, but was chugging along nicely.

God knows why it lasted as long as it did.
That show was as exciting as cold soup. :

 

[FRR]

MASH

 

[onairb]

It took Flip Wilson to knock 'Family Affair' off the air (all the way out of the top 30 after three years at # 5). But the point of diminishing returns/cuteness had already been reached.

 

[Mark Giardina]

Ok, let's try this-- Take it from a silent Charlie standing at the door, only sans Demi. Audience roars with delight, director milks it for a minute as dumfounded Ashton, Alan and Berta stand there, in character, jaws dropped to the floor. Now, fade to final scene: Rose, donning a tangerine hued jumpsuit. Camera then pans back, revealing the irrepressible Rose in handcuffs, "hitting" on a jail guard from behind bars. No?

Yet another good idea. Here’s Mine.

Walden meets a woman, falls in love and decides to sell his house and move to another state.

Alan, who is distraught over the idea of being homeless, goes out and purchases a bottle of booze at a liquor store. While there he uses his last dollar to buy a lottery ticket. Low and behold he wins the lottery and ends up buying Charlie’s old house. Sitting on the veranda smoking a cigar Alan thinks about his new found fortune, but then realizes how much he misses Charlie, Walden and Jake…and the scene fades to black. End of show.

Personally I think that Two and a Half Men has run its course. Jon Cryer was quoted during an interview at the recent Tony Awards saying that the show’s producers are auditioning women to replace Angus T. Jones since Jones’ character is slowing being eased out.

So what is CBS going to call the show: Two men and a girl? Right there that’s an indication that a program has run way past its course.

 

[LKellerIII]

I could never understand why “Family Affair” starring Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot stayed on the air for as long as it did.
That show was so boring! :
Keith looked like he’d rather be somewhere else.

If CBS didn't decide to chainsaw all thier rural/family shows in one fell swoop, "Family Affair" may have lasted even longer.

It wasn't a huge ratings machine, but was chugging along nicely.

God knows why it lasted as long as it did.
That show was as exciting as cold soup. :

The show was sugary enough to give your TV diabetes. Even as a kid watching the show, I wanted to strangle Buffy and Jody. I read somewhere that Johnny Whitaker was originally cast in movies because he could cry on cue. Brian Keith always acted like he'd had a few belts just to get through the show.

 

[WMC2006]

After Cheryl Ladd left at the end of the third season, Charlie's Angels should have ended and perhaps we would have been saved from the awful theatrical films.

It was Kate Jackson who left after the 3rd season. Cheryl Ladd came aboard in the 2nd season to replace Farrah and stayed until the end. Jaclyn Smith was the only Angel to stay for the entire run of the show. David Doyle (Bosley) was the only other regular to stay for the entire run other than John Forsythe as the voice of Charlie.

Shelley Hack replaced Kate Jackson for the 4th season; Tanya Roberts replaced Shelley for the final season.