Shows That Overstayed Their Welcome.

[onairb]

People likely stayed with Cosby out of habit for a while. By 1990, however, Cos was mailing it in, the formerly 'cute' kids were way too old for their roles, the new young 'cute' kid, Olivia, didn't have anywhere near the charm of young Rudy(or even Vanessa), Lisa Bonet was either there or not there, and wasn't really relevant either way, and Erika Alexander as 'cousin Pam' seemed like a desperate move to make the show a little 'edgier'.

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

Welcome Back Kotter

Hey, up your nose with a rubber hose...

 

[71dude]

Alice - when it moved from Sunday to Wednesday in fall 1982 and the ratings tanked that should have been the end of it. The same applies to Laverne & Shirley - it was only a hit on Tuesday and died when it kicked off Thursday and Monday in 1979-80.

The Jeffersons - when they ditched the live audience for a laugh track.

One Day at a Time - five seasons was enough. Glenn Scarpelli added nothing, nor did those husbands.

Diff'rent Strokes - four seasons

Newhart overstayed by a couple of seasons.

Night Court - everyone seems to think it went downhill when Reinhold Weege left in 1989.

 

[onairb]

Alice - when it moved from Sunday to Wednesday in fall 1982 and the ratings tanked that should have been the end of it. The same applies to Laverne & Shirley - it was only a hit on Tuesday and died when it kicked off Thursday and Monday in 1979-80.

The Jeffersons - when they ditched the live audience for a laugh track.

One Day at a Time - five seasons was enough. Glenn Scarpelli added nothing, nor did those husbands.

Diff'rent Strokes - four seasons

Newhart overstayed by a couple of seasons.

Night Court - everyone seems to think it went downhill when Reinhold Weege left in 1989.

You could make a case that 'Alice' should have ended in 1980(when 'Flo' got her own show..and Philip Mckeon went through one of the most awkward stages of puberty ever seen in a child actor!)
Diff'rent Strokes...maybe if they'd ended it when Drummond married Maggie(end of season 6)
Newhart...I recall when I was in my teens, I used to watch both 'ALF' and 'Newhart' until they went head-to head in '88, and then I chose ALF. Except for the series finale, I never watched 'Newhart' again...and apparently, I didn't miss much.
Night Court...as mentioned in the 'secondary characters' thread, only Dan Fielding's scenes/storylines were worth watching in the last couple of seasons. Harry Anderson went from being a loveable geek to a boring wuss as he branched out into other acting roles, and that turned Judge Stone into a bore, as well. Christine marrying the idiot cop, splitting up, and then NOT continuing a relationship with Harry was another turn-off. Oh, and Gilbert Gottfried turned up in the final season....and I haven't even mentioned the half-baked final episode.

I'll add one of my own...'Empty Nest', post-1993. The decline had already started the year before, when Kristy McNichol left due to herpersonal problems. They hired someone to play the previously-mentioned but unseen third daughter, Emily, and she did OK...until, in the fall of '93, they revamped the show. Emily was gone, Harry was no longer a pediatrician, but worked in a free clinic with Marsha Warfield(!), and the writers ran out of ideas and turned Carol into a Murphy Brown-ish single mom(after she dumped her boyfriend, played by Paul Provenza). And, out of desperation, suddenly Sophia Petrillo was back in the neighborhood, and constantly popping up.

 

[radio-dinosaur]

Speaking of overstaying one's welcome, can we please bury the phrase "jump the shark". Please.

 

[jwk1979]

The "Andy Griffith Show" ratings are easy to explain...in the late 60s, people were tired of hearing about Vietnam, and race riots, and MLK & RFK being assasinated, so they looked forward to their weekly escape into Mayberry.

By the time both MLK and RFK were assasinated in the Spring of 1968, the Andy Griffth Show had already ceased production.

 

[onairb]

The "Andy Griffith Show" ratings are easy to explain...in the late 60s, people were tired of hearing about Vietnam, and race riots, and MLK & RFK being assasinated, so they looked forward to their weekly escape into Mayberry.

By the time both MLK and RFK were assasinated in the Spring of 1968, the Andy Griffth Show had already ceased production.

Good point. What I don't get is that 'TAGS' ratings had a slight decline the first year (65-66) without Don Knotts, but then actually went up(and finished at # 1 for the final year). Nowadays, nearly everyone agrees the all-color, no-Barney episodes are nowhere near as good as the first half of the show's run, and that Andy's grumpiness, and lack of chemistry with most of the rest of the cast, are fairly obvious in that period. So, what made that era of the show MORE popular to Nielsen viewers back then...other than the appeal of 'escapist' TV?

 

[TVCOOL]

Happy Days...Happy Days....Happy Days. Once Ron Howard and all these other characters started arriving, the whole flavor of the show changed. Also, Happy Days was supposed to take place between the late 1950s and the mid-60's. In the earlier shows, they took effort to make the show look like the era that it occurred. In later years, they stopped caring. Everyone wore hairstyles that no one wore in the early to mid 60's...and the same with their clothing. It ended up looking like an 80's show. The Fonz was so out of place during the later years, and even worse because most of the shows revolved around him. No one wore leather jackets in the mid-60's.
The Cosby Show was another. Once the kids grew up, it was time to hang it up. They weren't as funny anymore...and the plots reflected that. but in both cases, the shows stayed on as long as they did because they continued to bring in money to their respective networks.

Like the popularity of the post-Don Knotts era of 'The Andy Griffith Show', 'The Cosby Show' is another one of those TV ratings mysteries. How do you explain Cos remaining at number 1 for two years, despite the obvious decline in quality starting in season 5? Even in season 7, it still managed to hit # 5 for the year. Yet, most fans today agree that the show began shark-jumping once it passed the halfway point of its run.

The "Andy Griffith Show" ratings are easy to explain...in the late 60s, people were tired of hearing about Vietnam, and race riots, and MLK & RFK being assasinated, so they looked forward to their weekly escape into Mayberry.

Cosby is a case of a show where even though the viewers know it's slumping, you stick by it thinking "OK, this will be the week it gets back on track."

Cosby should've ended in 1990-91 instead 1992 ,especially when The Simpsons moved to Thursdays at 8pm in 1990.

 

[BD Sullivan]

The "Andy Griffith Show" ratings are easy to explain...in the late 60s, people were tired of hearing about Vietnam, and race riots, and MLK & RFK being assasinated, so they looked forward to their weekly escape into Mayberry.

By the time both MLK and RFK were assasinated in the Spring of 1968, the Andy Griffth Show had already ceased production.

Good point. What I don't get is that 'TAGS' ratings had a slight decline the first year (65-66) without Don Knotts, but then actually went up(and finished at # 1 for the final year). Nowadays, nearly everyone agrees the all-color, no-Barney episodes are nowhere near as good as the first half of the show's run, and that Andy's grumpiness, and lack of chemistry with most of the rest of the cast, are fairly obvious in that period. So, what made that era of the show MORE popular to Nielsen viewers back then...other than the appeal of 'escapist' TV?

It was probably because the other two networks didn't really provide any competition: in each of TAGS's last two seasons, ABC showed "Felony Squad," while in 1966-67, NBC had an one-season hour-long Western, "The Road West." The second year, they put on (ironically) "The Danny Thomas Hour."

 

[onairb]

Also,having Lucy as Andy's lead-in didn't hurt; a test pattern could have followed either program, and finished in the top 5 in that era.

 

[FredLeonard]

Also,having Lucy as Andy's lead-in didn't hurt; a test pattern could have followed either program, and finished in the top 5 in that era.

Actually, Andy had stronger numbers than Lucy. Even Mayberry RFD beat Lucy.

 

[onairb]

For the most part, you're right; Lucy outrated Andy in only two seasons, 1962-63(the first for 'The Lucy Show'), and the aforementioned '65-66. And '62-63 was virtually a tie, Lucy squeaked it out by a tenth of a ratings point.

 

[ShawnHill1]

The Jeffersons - when they ditched the live audience for a laugh track.

One Day at a Time - five seasons was enough. Glenn Scarpelli added nothing, nor did those husbands.

Diff'rent Strokes - four seasons

You could say that many of Norman Lear's shows, once they were still on the air entering the '80s, had pretty much overstayed their welcomes, and CBS (in the case of The Jeffersons and ODaaT) continued to milk-out those shows longer than they deserved. As to Diff'rent Strokes, once the show moved from NBC to ABC for its evenutal final season, Gary Coleman had enough (nevermind the health issues he had throughout his life), and it clearly showed in his performances.

 

[vjm]

The Jeffersons - when they ditched the live audience for a laugh track.

One Day at a Time - five seasons was enough. Glenn Scarpelli added nothing, nor did those husbands.

Diff'rent Strokes - four seasons

You could say that many of Norman Lear's shows, once they were still on the air entering the '80s, had pretty much overstayed their welcomes, and CBS (in the case of The Jeffersons and ODaaT) continued to milk-out those shows longer than they deserved. As to Diff'rent Strokes, once the show moved from NBC to ABC for its evenutal final season, Gary Coleman had enough (nevermind the health issues he had throughout his life), and it clearly showed in his performances.

All the Lear-coms, M*A*S*H*, and Lou Grant were tailor-made for the '70s with their social-political themes and pontificating. Once the '80s rolled around, and the country was taking to Reagan, all of that over-philosophising seemed dated and out-of-place.

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

All the Lear-coms, M*A*S*H*, and Lou Grant were tailor-made for the '70s with their social-political themes and pontificating. Once the '80s rolled around, and the country was taking to Reagan, all of that over-philosophising seemed dated and out-of-place.

Excellent observation. For better or worse, additudes evolved as the nation adapted to the more upbeat, "can-do" feel of the Reagan years, particularly his first term. Suddenly, the endless ideological grinding of M*A*S*H seemed "dated".

 

[vjm]

All the Lear-coms, M*A*S*H*, and Lou Grant were tailor-made for the '70s with their social-political themes and pontificating. Once the '80s rolled around, and the country was taking to Reagan, all of that over-philosophising seemed dated and out-of-place.

Excellent observation. For better or worse, additudes evolved as the nation adapted to the more upbeat, "can-do" feel of the Reagan years, particularly his first term. Suddenly, the endless ideological grinding of M*A*S*H seemed "dated".

Thanks.

Regarding M*A*S*H*, while there was always some ideological grinding, it was more subtle in the early years, beneath the surface of all the wackiness of Trapper/Blake/Burns/cross dressing Klinger/Hot Lips Houlihan.

Once those characters left and were replaced by BJ/Potter/Winchester/straight laced Klinger/empowered divorcee Margret, it opened the door more for Saint Hawkeye the Righteous to stand on his soapbox and give the viewers the lecture of the week while the rest of the cast blended in to the scenery.

It was almost like a concious decision to replace the dynamic characters with drier, blander ones so Hawkeye would stand out even more (giving Alan Alda a bigger pulpit to preach out of the '70s "sensitive male" handbook in early '50s Korea).

 

[therealjm12]

Someone mentioned in an earlier post of what a nice guy Eddie Albert was. In fact, the set of Green Acres was considered one of happiest in Hollywood for cast & crew. Not only because of Albert but Eva Gabor was considered a sweetheart. Very sweet with a great sense of humor (and timing). Several years ago I was at the bar at the Beverly Hills Hilton. I was talking to the bartender about celebrities that came in. He said Eddie Albert came in every afternoon (unfortunately I missed him) with his son. He had some degree of dementia at the time but did enjoy it when people came up and talked to him. His son took great care of him. He looked sharp every day. A class act.

 

[cool_guy82]

other shows i think over stayed their welcome

Power Rangers (Should have ended after Power Rangers In Space)

 

[BD Sullivan]

Someone mentioned in an earlier post of what a nice guy Eddie Albert was. In fact, the set of Green Acres was considered one of happiest in Hollywood for cast & crew. Not only because of Albert but Eva Gabor was considered a sweetheart. Very sweet with a great sense of humor (and timing). Several years ago I was at the bar at the Beverly Hills Hilton. I was talking to the bartender about celebrities that came in. He said Eddie Albert came in every afternoon (unfortunately I missed him) with his son. He had some degree of dementia at the time but did enjoy it when people came up and talked to him. His son took great care of him. He looked sharp every day. A class act.

Sadly, Albert's son died only a few years after he did.

Regarding the Lear sitcoms, he once said that no show should go past five years, since the strong chance of decline in quality, boredon, costs, etc. would hurt its legacy.

 

[onairb]

Brooks and Marsh makde it easy to follow the ratings progression, and decline, of the Nielsen top 30. In some cases, a hit show rather abruptly runs out of steam, for no apparent reason, other than everyone deciding to try another channel.
ABC had this happen with several hits, notably 'The Six Million Dollar Man' in the late '70s, and 'Three's Company' in the mid '80s. Both shows quickly fell from theirpeak ratings, and went from top 10 in their penultimate seasons, to 'unranked'(at least in the top 30), prompting cancellation.
It's easy to explain the 'bionic' craze burning out, although it was somewhat unusual that in '77-78, CBS moved 'Rhoda' to Sundays to compete with Steve Austin. The year before, 'Rhoda' had fallen completely out of the top 30(as viewers gave up following the divorce of Rhoda and her husband). In '77-78, it was paired with 'On Our Own', a one-year wonder sitcom. The two shows barely cracked the lower reaches of the top 30,yet they managed to do what Bigfoot, killer robots, and the Death Probe couldn't..knock off the Six Million Dollar Man.
'On Our Own' was cancelled in early '78, and 'Rhoda' moved to Saturday, where it didn't make it til Christmas.
As for 'Three's Company', it had been shedding viewers gradually since about the time Suzanne Somers left, but it was still comfortably at # 6 for the '82-83 season.
The next year, ABC, which had already killed 'Laverne and Shirley', moved 'Happy Days' to 8:30, with the forgettable 'Just Our Luck' at 8. Viewers switched to 'The A Team' on NBC, and, apparently, decided to check out CBS's Tuesday movie instead of checking out ABC(where '3'sCompany' was paired with 'Oh, Madeline', another failure.)