What Shows Overstayed Their Welcome?

[Ultimajock]

The last two seasons of The Avengers when Tara King (Linda Thorson)replaced Emma Peel (Diana Rigg). It just wasn't the same anymore.

...Linda Thorson only appeared regularly on one season of The Avengers (1968-69). And Patrick MacNee told me personally that the writing of the series went sharply downhill around the time of the changeover from black&white to colour...

 

[azumanga]

The Sopranos. The question is whether it went on too long or ended too soon

My vote is "too soon" -- the whole of the series was top notch from start to end. Of course, what happens after that abrupt ending is up for debate.

 

[searadiofreak]

I will agree with the OP that Archie Bunkers Place was just too much. The show had deteriorated so much by the late 70's that this spin-off was generally a waste of time. However, All In The Family from 1971 to the 1975-76 season was simply genius. The combination of humor and social commentary was unmatched. TVLand recently has run the the series, but recently dropped it. Please bring it back.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

The last two seasons of The Avengers when Tara King (Linda Thorson)replaced Emma Peel (Diana Rigg). It just wasn't the same anymore.

...Linda Thorson only appeared regularly on one season of The Avengers (1968-69). And Patrick MacNee told me personally that the writing of the series went sharply downhill around the time of the changeover from black&white to colour...

The audience liked Emma Peel (Diana Rigg) because her role was more than just a good looking woman in tight-fitting clothes.
Thorson however was the complete opposite. That and the fact that she couldn't hold a candle to Rigg when it came to acting.
Also factor in that by the time The Avengers, like most spy shows, were going out of fashion.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

The Man from U.N.C.L.E You know that a show has overstayed its welcome when the theme song is changed every season to sound more "hip."

 

[bpatrick]

The last two seasons of The Avengers when Tara King (Linda Thorson)replaced Emma Peel (Diana Rigg). It just wasn't the same anymore.

...Linda Thorson only appeared regularly on one season of The Avengers (1968-69). And Patrick MacNee told me personally that the writing of the series went sharply downhill around the time of the changeover from black&white to colour...

The audience liked Emma Peel (Diana Rigg) because her role was more than just a good looking woman in tight-fitting clothes.
Thorson however was the complete opposite. That and the fact that she couldn't hold a candle to Rigg when it came to acting.
Also factor in that by the time The Avengers, like most spy shows, were going out of fashion.

True. Thorson tended to play the damsel-in-distress, which could never be said of Rigg, who even rescued John Steed a few times.

 

[MsMusicRadio]

The Sopranos. The question is whether it went on too long or ended too soon

My vote is "too soon" -- the whole of the series was top notch from start to end. Of course, what happens after that abrupt ending is up for debate.

I think the guys in the diner were the Feds and they arrested Tony. There were some scenes where agents discussed building a case. That way they can do a movie based on his trial. His daughter can be his attorney. Or not.

 

[firepoint525]

The same could be said for "Good Times." John Amos and eventually Esther Rolle left the series because the focus was on Jimmy Walker.
Amos went on to have a major role in the TV series "Roots" plus other projects. Ms. Rolle was also featured on numerous TV shows before her death a few years ago. As for "JJ" Jimmy Walker, he's still waiting at the unemployment office for his check.

Anytime a TV show (usually a sitcom) starts to focus on just one character, that is the first sign of a shark jump.

Happy Days did it with their focus on Fonzie, Diff'rent Strokes did so, when it became all about Arnold, Family Matters became the "Urkel" show, and as you mentioned, Good Times centered around JJ. And in each example, that main character had a catch phrase that he seemed to say at the drop of a hat!

"Aaaaay!"
"Whutchu talkin' 'bout?"
"Did I do that?"
"Dyn-o-mite!"

It was almost to the point that viewers were disappointed if that main character didn't drop his catch phrase in there somewhere! And you would hear it at least once per episode! I'm sure that the writers of these shows probably hit on these catch phrases by accident, but continued to use them because of the audience reaction to them.

 

[MsMusicRadio]

Or the guys in the diner were werewolves working for Russell Edgington. They kidnap Tony in order for Russell to gain control of New Jersey. Carmela hooks up with Eric Northman to find Tony and off Russell. A.J. joins Jason Stackhouse and starts hanging out in Hot Shot where he plans on taking over Meth dealing. Paulie becomes the new cook at Merlotte's and changes the menu to Italan. Summer moves in with Sookie and hooks up with Alcide to also find Tony. Janice Soprano accidently drives in to Bon Temps and has a torrid affair with Andy. Bill Compton reveals himself to be an FBI agent who is after Tony, Russell, Eric ,and Sophia who all face indictment under RICO

 

[jwk1979]

Anytime a TV show (usually a sitcom) starts to focus on just one character, that is the first sign of a shark jump.

Happy Days did it with their focus on Fonzie, Diff'rent Strokes did so, when it became all about Arnold, Family Matters became the "Urkel" show, and as you mentioned, Good Times centered around JJ. And in each example, that main character had a catch phrase that he seemed to say at the drop of a hat!

"Aaaaay!"
"Whutchu talkin' 'bout?"
"Did I do that?"
"Dyn-o-mite!"

It was almost to the point that viewers were disappointed if that main character didn't drop his catch phrase in there somewhere! And you would hear it at least once per episode! I'm sure that the writers of these shows probably hit on these catch phrases by accident, but continued to use them because of the audience reaction to them.

You can add "Alice" with the character of "Flo" and her "Kiss My Grits" catchphrase was would be said at the drop of a hat. At least, the creators of the show didn't focus the entire show on her character, they just gave her a spin-off that lasted maybe a season and the Flo character was never heard from again.

 

[MsMusicRadio]

The X-Files after Maulder left. The show was based on the chemistry between Maulder and Scully. I also think it "jumped the Shark" with the implication that the 'cigarette smoking man" could be Maulders father and that he sorta became one of the good guys------a change that seemed contrived.

 

[Mark Giardina]

Bonanza comes to mind. That show almost ran for 20 years. The program went off the air shortly after Dan Blocker died in 1972. No one could replace Blocker, and besides westerns were dying out on TV anyways.

What I always found amusing is here is a group of (supposedly) wealthy men and yet they wore the same clothes week after week. Come to think of it most western characters also never changed their wardrobe. I guess Wal-Mart didn't have a store nearby.

 

[azumanga]

Bonanza comes to mind. That show almost ran for 20 years. The program went off the air shortly after Dan Blocker died in 1972. No one could replace Blocker...

Dan Blocker died in May 1972 -- the series soldiered on for one more season, through 1973. By then, following Blocker's death and competition against CBS's "Maude" after moving to Tuesday nights, viewership dwindled.

 

[jwk1979]

Bonanza comes to mind. That show almost ran for 20 years. The program went off the air shortly after Dan Blocker died in 1972. No one could replace Blocker...

Dan Blocker died in May 1972 -- the series soldiered on for one more season, through 1973. By then, following Blocker's death and competition against CBS's "Maude" after moving to Tuesday nights, viewership dwindled.

I don't think Bonanza lasted the whole season following the death of Dan Blocker. I think it was cancelled in very early 1973 (maybe January) with the last episode being shown in early January or so.

 

[firepoint525]

Anytime a TV show (usually a sitcom) starts to focus on just one character, that is the first sign of a shark jump.

Happy Days did it with their focus on Fonzie, Diff'rent Strokes did so, when it became all about Arnold, Family Matters became the "Urkel" show, and as you mentioned, Good Times centered around JJ. And in each example, that main character had a catch phrase that he seemed to say at the drop of a hat!

"Aaaaay!"
"Whutchu talkin' 'bout?"
"Did I do that?"
"Dyn-o-mite!"

It was almost to the point that viewers were disappointed if that main character didn't drop his catch phrase in there somewhere! And you would hear it at least once per episode! I'm sure that the writers of these shows probably hit on these catch phrases by accident, but continued to use them because of the audience reaction to them.

You can add "Alice" with the character of "Flo" and her "Kiss My Grits" catchphrase was would be said at the drop of a hat. At least, the creators of the show didn't focus the entire show on her character, they just gave her a spin-off that lasted maybe a season and the Flo character was never heard from again.

You bring up another pet peeve of mine, and that is, TV shows that were little more than singing vehicles for their main stars. Linda Lavin on Alice, Nell Carter on Gimme a Break, and Patti LuPone on Life Goes On. Notice how the lead characters on these shows were always auditioning in plays, etc., any excuse to sing! And of course, they all sang the theme songs to their respective shows, albeit in LuPone's case, with her "family." Obviously would have much preferred to hear the Beatles sing "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" as the theme song for Life Goes On, but then again, I know how expensive it can be to get song rights.

 

[Tim L]

Bonanza comes to mind. That show almost ran for 20 years. The program went off the air shortly after Dan Blocker died in 1972. No one could replace Blocker...

Dan Blocker died in May 1972 -- the series soldiered on for one more season, through 1973. By then, following Blocker's death and competition against CBS's "Maude" after moving to Tuesday nights, viewership dwindled.

I don't think Bonanza lasted the whole season following the death of Dan Blocker. I think it was cancelled in very early 1973 (maybe January) with the last episode being shown in early January or so.

It seems to me that if Blocker had not passed away, Bonanza would have made it through the 1972-73 season with a full 26 episodes..I also thought that the story line with Little Joe getting married then outlaws murdering his wife and burning down their house was way too much a downer..

 

[therealjm12]

Any woman that would marry a Cartwright is looking for death.

 

[Tim L]

Any woman that would marry a Cartwright is looking for death.

Seems so, but I thought that storyline in the last season went kind of overboard..

 

[RBW]

The last two seasons of The Avengers when Tara King (Linda Thorson)replaced Emma Peel (Diana Rigg). It just wasn't the same anymore.

...Linda Thorson only appeared regularly on one season of The Avengers (1968-69). And Patrick MacNee told me personally that the writing of the series went sharply downhill around the time of the changeover from black&white to colour...

The audience liked Emma Peel (Diana Rigg) because her role was more than just a good looking woman in tight-fitting clothes.
Thorson however was the complete opposite. That and the fact that she couldn't hold a candle to Rigg when it came to acting.
Also factor in that by the time The Avengers, like most spy shows, were going out of fashion.

True. Thorson tended to play the damsel-in-distress, which could never be said of Rigg, who even rescued John Steed a few times.

I wasn't as fond of the Thorson season as much as the Rigg episodes... but you have to admit (as in keeping with the original question of this thread) that the "NEW" Avengers which followed the original series was a complete mistake.

 

[onairb]

Bonanza comes to mind. That show almost ran for 20 years. The program went off the air shortly after Dan Blocker died in 1972. No one could replace Blocker...

Dan Blocker died in May 1972 -- the series soldiered on for one more season, through 1973. By then, following Blocker's death and competition against CBS's "Maude" after moving to Tuesday nights, viewership dwindled.

I don't think Bonanza lasted the whole season following the death of Dan Blocker. I think it was cancelled in very early 1973 (maybe January) with the last episode being shown in early January or so.

It seems to me that if Blocker had not passed away, Bonanza would have made it through the 1972-73 season with a full 26 episodes..I also thought that the story line with Little Joe getting married then outlaws murdering his wife and burning down their house was way too much a downer..

If Blocker had lived, Hoss would have gotten that storyline.