TV Shows that ran too long.

[TVCOOL]

Remember when TV Shows ran too long meaning 2-3 years before they finally left the air. I thought of a couple shows that should've ended 2-3 years before they did.

Beverly Hills 90210 (1990 - 2000) should've called it quits either in 1996 or 1997.

NYPD Blue (1993 - 2004) should've ended in May 2002 or May 2003.

Seinfield (1990 - 98) should've ended in 1996.

Two and a Half Men (2002 - present) should've ended before replacing Charlie Sheen.

Melrose Place (1992 - 1999) should've ended a year earlier say 1998.

The Cosby Show (1984 - 1992) should've called it quits in 1990 or 1991.

Growing Pains (1985 - 1992) see The Cosby Show.

Family Matters (1989 - 1998) could've ended it when ABC cancelled them in 1997.

 

[onairb]

'Dallas' and 'Knot's Landing'-seriously, did anyone actually watch these shows after about 1987?

Just about any CBS sitcom from the '70s that ran til the early-mid '80s: 'All in the Family/Archie Bunker's Place' 'The Jeffersons', 'One Day at a Time', 'Alice'. In retrospect, they would have been better off not doing 'Atchie's Place' at all.
'The Jeffersons' has been cited here as one of the 'worst cancellations'. Certainly, CBS should have given it a better send-off in '85, but they probably should have cancelled it , and 'Alice', a year earlier. 'One Day...' was another one that 'everybody' watched, but not in its last season.

I would have had 'Frasier' on this list around 1999-2000, but that one actually improved in its last couple of years, even if it was nowhere near its peak.

'Benson'..another one often mentioned under 'worst final episode', since it left an unresolved cliffhanger regarding the election between the title character and his friend/boss, the Governor. They should have just pulled the plug a year or two sooner, and moved up that storyline to give Benson 'a year at the top' as the new governor. (Actually, the producers had very interesting plans for the unmade season 8; with Benson becoming a senator, and, as the show became something of a murder-mystery spoof, he would have ended up as President(possibly requiring a TV-movie to finish that storyline, and the series' run).
'Night Court'-a great show until it left Thursdays. All the characters 'evolved', in mostly unfunny ways, and more episodes dealt with storylines outside of working/courtroom hours, leaving less time for the 'wackos' appearing before the bench.
Should have been cancelled in 1990, or, if it continued, they should have wrapped it up when they resolved the long storyline about Dan and the 'Phil(or is it Will?) Foundation.
Full House..seriously, 8 years?
Who's the Boss?...see above.
CSI Miami...yes, still running, but officially 'on the bubble'. Just saw the season finale last night(via On Demand), and it's obviously run out of steam. The episode even ended on a curiously 'upbeat' note, instead of with some montage of 'grim' David Caruso walking in slo-mo accompanied by forgettable rap or indie music. It looked like an 'unofficial' farewell. Since they didn't bother with a season-ending cliffhanger..and ended the season a month early, to make room for that Robert DeNiro-produced cop drama...maybe the party.... 8)..is over!

 

[FRR]

MASH.......One episode more than the first one was too much

 

[TVCOOL]

'Dallas' and 'Knot's Landing'-seriously, did anyone actually watch these shows after about 1987?

Just about any CBS sitcom from the '70s that ran til the early-mid '80s: 'All in the Family/Archie Bunker's Place' 'The Jeffersons', 'One Day at a Time', 'Alice'. In retrospect, they would have been better off not doing 'Atchie's Place' at all.
'The Jeffersons' has been cited here as one of the 'worst cancellations'. Certainly, CBS should have given it a better send-off in '85, but they probably should have cancelled it , and 'Alice', a year earlier. 'One Day...' was another one that 'everybody' watched, but not in its last season.

I would have had 'Frasier' on this list around 1999-2000, but that one actually improved in its last couple of years, even if it was nowhere near its peak.

'Benson'..another one often mentioned under 'worst final episode', since it left an unresolved cliffhanger regarding the election between the title character and his friend/boss, the Governor. They should have just pulled the plug a year or two sooner, and moved up that storyline to give Benson 'a year at the top' as the new governor. (Actually, the producers had very interesting plans for the unmade season 8; with Benson becoming a senator, and, as the show became something of a murder-mystery spoof, he would have ended up as President(possibly requiring a TV-movie to finish that storyline, and the series' run).
'Night Court'-a great show until it left Thursdays. All the characters 'evolved', in mostly unfunny ways, and more episodes dealt with storylines outside of working/courtroom hours, leaving less time for the 'wackos' appearing before the bench.
Should have been cancelled in 1990, or, if it continued, they should have wrapped it up when they resolved the long storyline about Dan and the 'Phil(or is it Will?) Foundation.
Full House..seriously, 8 years?
Who's the Boss?...see above.
CSI Miami...yes, still running, but officially 'on the bubble'. Just saw the season finale last night(via On Demand), and it's obviously run out of steam. The episode even ended on a curiously 'upbeat' note, instead of with some montage of 'grim' David Caruso walking in slo-mo accompanied by forgettable rap or indie music. It looked like an 'unofficial' farewell. Since they didn't bother with a season-ending cliffhanger..and ended the season a month early, to make room for that Robert DeNiro-produced cop drama...maybe the party.... 8)..is over!

Good Times (1974 - 79) should've left a year earlier.

All in the Family/Archie Bunker's Place (1971 - 1983) should've ended after Mike and Gloria was written off the show.

The Jeffersons (1975 -1985) could've ended a year or 2 earlier.

Friends (1994 - 2004) see The Jeffersons.

 

[FreddyE1977]

Married With Children ran at least five years too long.

 

[Marckd]

Simpsons - was a good show but it ran its course about 5 years ago and should have been canceled by now. The last 3 years of the show are just redundant and old hat.

 

[firepoint525]

Any show in it that has children as the main character(s) should be cancelled once the kid(s) grow(s) up. Bringing in new "cutesy" kids just because the original child stars are growing up is a sure-fire shark jump!

I believe that the original 90210 should have been cancelled much earlier, like say, right after high school graduation. Once they hit college, the show began to lose direction and focus.

When the WB and UPN were merged to form the CW, Everwood was axed to make room for one final season of Seventh Heaven. BOTH shows were well over the shark by then, but it seems that if one show had to give way for the other, Everwood should have been allowed to continue, while Seventh Heaven got the axe!

 

[MDefl]

Any show that brings in a new, younger child actor to try and "cuten up" the show has already jumped the shark and should be cancelled.

Oliver on the Brady Bunch. The Partridge Family even introduced a new kid in it's last year. Family Ties. Cosby. The list is endless.

 

[nomadcowatbk]

Any show in it that has children as the main character(s) should be cancelled once the kid(s) grow(s) up.

And die hard Wonder Years fans bitch that Kevin never got a senior year

 

[Mario500]

I believe "Rugrats" and "Dexter's Laboratory" ran too long after production on both series was revived. Their original runs and revived runs differ in artwork, stories, and characterizations.

"SpongeBob Squarepants", "The Powerpuff Girls", and "Johnny Bravo" also ran too long after their creators were no longer available to help with their productions. Those series had different styles and characterizations after their creators were gone ("SpongeBob Squarepants" and "The Powerpuff Girls" should have ended before the theatrical movies based on their respective series were released).

And die hard Wonder Years fans bitch that Kevin never got a senior year

Would you say that hurtful word to family and friends, even in the context above?

 

[bpatrick]

"Dynasty": should have ended after the infamous Moldavian Massacre,
in which a so-called crack team of assassins managed to knock off a
few extras in a church smaller than my bedroom. Likewise, "Dallas"
should have ended after "Bobby's in the shower and Pam dreamed the
entire previous season"; whatever credibility that show had vanished
after that.

"The Beverly Hillbillies" went on about two years too long, to the point
that it was poking fun at the women's movement with its "Gals From GRUN"
storyline. "Petticoat Junction" should have ended after Bea Benaderet's
passing; God love June Lockhart, but she never quite fit in, and Edgar Buchanan
was a character actor, not a star.

And "Life With Lucy" lasted about seven weeks too long; it should have been canceled
after the first episode. Likewise, Lucille Ball should have stopped with "The Lucy
Show," since "Here's Lucy" seemed to be a weekly extended sketch with a celebrity
guest.

 

[wbhist]

If variety shows count, then think The Jackie Gleason Show, which was on the verge of heading to the proverbial glue factory in 1966 when he was persuaded to revive his Honeymooners sketches in an hour-long musical format. But by 1968-69 he once more ran out of gas, and was running almost wholly on fumes by the time CBS finally pulled the plug in 1970. In addition, the well in Dean Martin's show by 1972 had begun to run dry (first doing whole shows centered on songs from key MGM musicals, then in what proved to be its final {1973-74} season the template for his "Celebrity Roasts" - which themselves, by the early 1980's, had likewise become stretched too thin). And while The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour of 1971-74 ended at the right moment, the two (1976-77) seasons of the subsequent Sonny & Cher Show were . . . well, two seasons too many.

And to the point of June Lockhart in the final two seasons of Petticoat Junction (speaking of nothing in particular): Its cancellation, and CBS putting Mary Tyler Moore's new show in its place in the Saturday night time slot, was karma in a weird way, given that one of the MTM show's co-stars was Cloris Leachman - who, some dozen years earlier, had been replaced on Lassie by Ms. Lockhart.

Another show that overstayed its welcome was the original (1968-80) Hawaii Five-O which should have ended upon Kam Fong's departure and the murder of his Chin Ho character. Though James MacArthur stayed one more season as "Danno," by the final season you had a cast-out-of-left-field William Smith along with Sharon Farrell and Moe Keale (the last two of whom seemed only along for the ride).

 

[PirateJohnny]

'Dallas' and 'Knot's Landing'-seriously, did anyone actually watch these shows after about 1987?...

I never did tune in to find out who shot J. R..

...And to the point of June Lockhart in the final two seasons of Petticoat Junction (speaking of nothing in particular): Its cancellation, and CBS putting Mary Tyler Moore's new show in its place in the Saturday night time slot, was karma in a weird way, given that one of the MTM show's co-stars was Cloris Leachman - who, some dozen years earlier, had been replaced on Lassie by Ms. Lockhart....

Now, that is the kind of TV Trivia that interests me.

 

[FreddyE1977]

Any show in it that has children as the main character(s) should be cancelled once the kid(s) grow(s) up.

And die hard Wonder Years fans bitch that Kevin never got a senior year

Were you die hard Wonder Years fans out there aware of this...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/12/danica-mckellar-wonder-ye_n_573644.html

 

[nocomradio]

I'd agree with M*A*S*H being on way too long. The last several seasons were hard to watch.

BJ Hunnicut got very preachy, Charles Emerson Winchester was stiff and stern, Col Potter was more like a grandfather than an Army colonel and Loretta Swit was way past her prime. Alan Alda, being a great actor, seemed to have taken up a cause every show too. The comedy was waning. Add to that the Vietnam War was way over and there wasn't much fodder anymore to keep it going.

Another show that is currently running but will probably make a future list is The Office. Too many character changes....

 

[onairb]

I'd agree with M*A*S*H being on way too long. The last several seasons were hard to watch.

BJ Hunnicut got very preachy, Charles Emerson Winchester was stiff and stern, Col Potter was more like a grandfather than an Army colonel and Loretta Swit was way past her prime. Alan Alda, being a great actor, seemed to have taken up a cause every show too. The comedy was waning. Add to that the Vietnam War was way over and there wasn't much fodder anymore to keep it going.

Another show that is currently running but will probably make a future list is The Office. Too many character changes....

Overall, I agree about MASH's overkill on 'preachiness' in the later years, although it still came up with some good individual episodes-or at least secondary storylines-even after, say, 1979(Gary Burghoff's departure, which seems to be when most die-hard fans draw the line between the 'classic' years and the 'other' episodes.)
The biting comedy pretty much died when Larry Gelbart left in 1975.

 

[bpatrick]

Have to agree about Gleason. He just seemed to be
coasting those last two years, and I would have been
just as happy if he'd done "The Honeymooners" as a
straight sketch, without the songs, as he did in the '50s.
In fact, in those last years, I was more inclined to watch
the "Dating Game" and "Newlywed Game" at the same time
on ABC.

And here's a little tidbit for you: both Gleason's show and
"Petticoat Junction" were canceled in 1970; Sheila MacRae
was playing Alice Kramden and daughter Meredith was Billie
Jo Bradley. They may be the only mother-daughter combination
to get canceled in the same year.

 

[onairb]

As I understand it, CBS was willing to bring Gleason back for '70-'71, but he and the network disagreed about the content; supposedly, the network wanted a mix of 'Honeymooners' and non-'Honeymooners' shows, while Jackie wanted to drop the variety shows and only do more Kramden-Norton adventures. Ultimately, they compromised, Gleason did a few more 'Honeymooners' specials, CBS reran some of the 1966-70 episodes in early '71, and, with Gleason's contract fulflilled, they parted ways...but not before CBS asked if Gleason had any interest in playing a new sitcom character called 'Archie Bunker'.

 

[Ultimajock]

...The Prisoner. Patrick McGoohan's original concept called for only seven episodes, the first six and the "Fall Out" finale, but he came up with an additional ten after Lew Grade convinced him CBS would never buy such a short series. Although the entire series is brilliant, I find that those first six and "Fall Out" work best of the lot...

 

[Bob1370]

"CBS asked if Gleason had any interest in playing a new sitcom character called 'Archie Bunker'."

All true, but it was only CBS' idea, not Norman Lear's, and neither Jackie Gleason nor Lear were interested in casting him as Archie Bunker in "All In The Family." Lear had Carroll O'Connor in mind for the role from the start (O'Connor starred in the original pilot for the show offered to ABC for the 1969-70 season, which only became available to CBS for 1970-71 after ABC passed on it--probably to its lasting regret). Gleason probably would have been successful as Archie if he'd done it, but we'll never know--it's hard to imagine anyone else but Carroll O'Connor as Archie Bunker.

Gleason also turned down another year of the variety show, as mentioned above--he wanted to move on to a lighter workload centering on a movie role or two every year, which he did for the rest of his life until he passed in 1987 soon after he filmed his final major film role in "Nothing In Common", co-starring with Tom Hanks.

Did Gleason stay on TV too long? The audiences didn't think so, his ratings were healthy right to the end, and while he may have made one two many "Smokey and the Bandit" films, his last work with Hanks in "Nothing In Common" was excellent, and the film likewise.