TV series that went on (or a going on) too long

[Truckosaurus]

Big Bang Theory - definitely gone off the boil. As with a lot of shows the original writers go off and create a new show and are replaced by lesser writers to flog a dead horse for another few seasons.

2.5 Men - should have ended when Chuck Sheene left.

Not Going Out - likewise, was much poorer without Tim Vine.

[Crossbot]

Aphex said:

Supernatural

I would've agreed with this a couple of years ago but bar a slightly weak final, season 11 has been the best since season 6.

[Crush]

Fringe

[Aphex]

Crossbot said:

I would've agreed with this a couple of years ago but bar a slightly weak final, season 11 has been the best since season 6.

I haven't actually seen season 11 as I gave up at the end of ten (after a couple of re-watches of the entire thing). Got a little bored with the same old over and over. But if you say its picked up then I'll give season 11 a shot, thanks

[mybrainhurts]

West Benders
Constipation Street
Enemadale
Whingeing women's hour
The stting forecast
Anything that Melvyn Bragg is on...

To name but a few.

[FunkyNige]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - the last season was just weird, I think they lined up a new cast of younger actors but it didn't go down too well then it just went from one random event to another.
Heroes - I remember series 1 being good but pretty crap after that
Continuum - fairly obscure Canadian sci-fi series, was really fun and imaginative for 1 series then took itself far too seriously
Nashville - again, series 1 was fun and light hearted but after that it all got serious.

[5pen]

Homeland - as someone said, 1 series would've been enough.

24 - the concept became a bit weary beyond the first couple of 'days'

Modern Family - getting a bit contrived now. Still has some great lines though.

The final series of The Wire perhaps? It was my least favourite as it was a little far-fetched, but still part of a great series.

[rev-erend]

Coronation Street
Emerdale
East Enders

[Truckosaurus]

Wasn't there a final series or two of Scrubs that tried to insert a new, younger, cast without success?

[AlexRS2782]

Possibly Bones - they had a decent ending in season 10 with both Booth & Brennan deciding to leave their respective jobs and going off to do something else with their expanding family.

I think initially it had been written as a final episode, of sorts, because the network had been undecided over going any further. However they decided to renew it for season 11 and had to find a way to write the characters back in. It seems to have just about worked, to a degree, but by the looks of it, the network have now confirmed season 12 will be the final farewell so hopefully they can take it out on a high.

[Vocal Minority]

Heroes is a great shout. Would have been brilliant as a stand alone series - but you could sense the ideas drying up after

[bstb3]

Wasn't it Happy Days that was the original example of this - being the source of the 'Jumping the Shark' phrase and all?

Can't blame the BBT cast though, if that's how much they are on I'd be quite happy to keep it going too.

[Cotty]

Eastenders should have been killed off years ago

[sandman77]

Blue Bloods - Each and every episode consists of a moral dilemma, a family crisis, a power struggle between the PC and someone (often the mayor) and a family dinner where the kids get their 2 lines to say. Became boring after about 6 episodes.

[Tony Starks]

Lost has got to be the winner here, started off great. Then it seemed like the studio took over the story due to its popularity and tried to squeeze as much money out of it as possible. Then the writers strike killed it. And after how many seasons of them saying they're not in purgatory, they were.

I'd love to know what the original, unmolested story was.

And why is it, ever since the writers strike its acceptable to have 'mid season breaks' in everything?

[Muzzer79]

Benidorm.

The first couple of series' were laugh-out-loud funny, the most recent one I didn't get past episode two.


How about series that started a bit iffy but have got better over time?

I'll nominate A League of their Own on Sky1 for that - genuinely very, very funny to my immature mind

[Europa1]

'Allo 'Allo.

Last of the Summer Wine.

Dad's Army.

Casualty.

[technodup]

HIGNFY
Mock the Week
Top Gear

[grumbledoak]

Europa1 said:

'Allo 'Allo.

I just popped in to say that, but you beat me to it. It went on so long that most probably don't realize that the first two series were both original and funny.


(You would have to be quite old now to remember Secret Army, which 'Allo 'Allo was the comedy riposte to)

[Iva Barchetta]

grumbledoak said:

(You would have to be quite old now to remember Secret Army, which 'Allo 'Allo was the comedy riposte to)

I quite enjoyed that.

Yes,old.