TV shows that lasted WAY too long

[Briancuse]

Three's Company. After losing Chrissy and the Ropers, it was never quite the same.

I liked the one about the misunderstanding.

 

[OttoMets]

I don't agree try and tell me the frogger episode isn't an all time classic you have the Merv Griffin show which is another classic. Season 9 is fantastic. You also. Have the Wizard and the burning.

Merv Griffin is really not one of my faves. The Burning...is that "the tractor story"? Funny one. Probably one of the five best of the last two years.

My take on those two seasons:

Enjoyably-silly-to-solid:
The Bizarro Jerry, The Yada Yada, The English Patient, The Package, The Fatigues, The Chicken Roaster. The Comeback, The Summer of George, The Susie, The Frogger, The Wizard, The Reverse Peephole, The Dealership ("feels like an Arby's night"...never stops being funny), and The Strongbox.

Very good:
The Checks (Desperado), The Strike (Festivus), The Betrayal (but would this episode have worked if it hadn't been backward? the reverse chronology gimmick is pretty much the whole appeal), The Blood (the Frankenstein bit with the little Howie Rose-looking kid is hilarious, and Mickey's always great), and The Serenity Now.

Excellent:
The Andrea Doria.

So there are some gems, but it's a big step down from Seasons 4 through 7 when they were cranking out perfect episodes every week.

 

[Briancuse]

Three's Company. After losing Chrissy and the Ropers, it was never quite the same.

See I was the opposite I liked Chrissy but never was a fan of Mr Roper. Much bigger Ralph Furley guy.

 

[MSOrange]

Those are fighting words.

The show suffered bigly after Larry left. There were half a dozen all-time classics in the last two seasons, but 8 and 9 are characterized by broad humor and totally unrecognizable and caricatured characters.


Anyway, I think the right answer is: all of them. There are very few favorites of mine that I can turn on during a later season and say "hey! here comes an exciting story arc." In general, the networks' desire to wring out a few more dollars leads to a mediocre show being produced long after it has been played out.

Season 5 of The Wire is the worst season and is difficult to rewatch. Seinfeld, enough said. Cheers devolved into all slapstick all the time in the last four years. Scrubs I would have forgotten but you all nailed it. 24...outrageous. The Office, terrible down the stretch. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel gets worse with each passing season. And, obviously, Saved by the Bell fizzled badly in its last years.

Did you just take a shot at Saved by the Bell? Tell me you didn't! The New Class - ok I agree. But not the original!

 

[CA Monk]

Well we know one thing, Hogans Heroes will never fit this category. Perhaps one or two seasons too short. I like war comedies that last longer than the war itself.

 

[upperdeck]

hogans heroes. wild wild west, mission impossible about all that was on as a kid since we only had 3 channels

 

[Chip]

See I was the opposite I liked Chrissy but never was a fan of Mr Roper. Much bigger Ralph Furley guy.

I liked the Ropers together. Something about a married couple never having se xx really spoke to me. Even back then when I was just a kid.

He was way better about the Jack being gay thing too.

Furley did dress better, I’ll give you that. And had a nice snort laugh.

 

[DoubleDee]

You guys are arguing about which season of Seinfeld was best, and I could never get through a single episode.

now michael Richards as the janitor in UHF, now that was brilliant.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

Lost.
Mad Men.
Eastbound & Down.

 

[OttoMets]

Did you just take a shot at Saved by the Bell? Tell me you didn't! The New Class - ok I agree. But not the original!

Never! But the last season or two really limped along.

 

[NKR1978]

Mad Men

Wow, I didn't love the last season because it was too much about Don, and not enough about the interesting characters (Peggy, Joan, Roger and Pete), but I feel like they have more stories to tell. My dream is when Elizabeth Moss is done with Handmaid's tale that they do a Peggy Olson in the 80's series.

Disagree with the people who said Game of Thrones - just because the last season was terrible (aside from Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the only episode with a lot of dialogue) doesn't mean it should have ended earlier.

Weeds, Shameless, Homeland, Office definitely lasted too long.

 

[NKR1978]

Those are fighting words.

The show suffered bigly after Larry left. There were half a dozen all-time classics in the last two seasons, but 8 and 9 are characterized by broad humor and totally unrecognizable and caricatured characters.


Anyway, I think the right answer is: all of them. There are very few favorites of mine that I can turn on during a later season and say "hey! here comes an exciting story arc." In general, the networks' desire to wring out a few more dollars leads to a mediocre show being produced long after it has been played out.

Season 5 of The Wire is the worst season and is difficult to rewatch. Seinfeld, enough said. Cheers devolved into all slapstick all the time in the last four years. Scrubs I would have forgotten but you all nailed it. 24...outrageous. The Office, terrible down the stretch. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel gets worse with each passing season. And, obviously, Saved by the Bell fizzled badly in its last years.

I think 8 & 9 were ahead of their time. I remember not liking them much in real time, but now they're hilarious to me. Those seasons were a bit of a precursor to the cartoon real life characters that Arrested Development really ran with and pioneered. And I think a lot of the great comedies this century are progeny of Arrested Development (Office/Parks&Rec, Veep, Silicon Valley, Schitt's Creek, Letterkenny).

 

[NKR1978]

Never! But the last season or two really limped along.

The Kelly episodes of the final season were good. The Tori episodes were stupid.

I've never seen anyone with a strong opinion on the 2nd to last season of SBTB and am actually impressed with your ability to feel strongly about that, unless you're talking about the new classes, which no one should talk about, ever.

 

[OttoMets]

... My dream is when Elizabeth Moss is done with Handmaid's tale that they do a Peggy Olson in the 80's series.

...

Seems like this could be a pretty short series. Episode 1: Peggy is miserable to everyone around her, is diagnosed with lung cancer, and drinks herself to death. Episode 2: ?

I think 8 & 9 were ahead of their time. I remember not liking them much in real time, but now they're hilarious to me. Those seasons were a bit of a precursor to the cartoon real life characters that Arrested Development really ran with and pioneered. And I think a lot of the great comedies this century are progeny of Arrested Development (Office/Parks&Rec, Veep, Silicon Valley, Schitt's Creek, Letterkenny).

This is fair. Though the humor was in many cases not as sharp or culturally literate as it was in Arrested Development.

The Kelly episodes of the final season were good. The Tori episodes were stupid.

I've never seen anyone with a strong opinion on the 2nd to last season of SBTB and am actually impressed with your ability to feel strongly about that, unless you're talking about the new classes, which no one should talk about, ever.

The Tori episodes were the worst.

 

[Fat tire 13]

I hate to say it but I loved OITNB. Until Pennsatucky passed her GED and Piper got back with Donna Pinciotti at the end.

But it was a great binge during quarantine.

Two and a Half Men without Charlie Sheen is garbage and the last REAL season of Prison Break should have been half as long as it was.

Really good call with Prison Break. That show got totally ridiculous once they got down to Mexico

 

[nzm136]

I liked the one about the misunderstanding.

I never watched much of the show, but I think I saw that episode.

(Before anyone kills this by explaining the joke, I get it, and I’m building off of it.)

 

[nzm136]

Wow, I didn't love the last season because it was too much about Don, and not enough about the interesting characters (Peggy, Joan, Roger and Pete), but I feel like they have more stories to tell. My dream is when Elizabeth Moss is done with Handmaid's tale that they do a Peggy Olson in the 80's series.

Disagree with the people who said Game of Thrones - just because the last season was terrible (aside from Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the only episode with a lot of dialogue) doesn't mean it should have ended earlier.

Weeds, Shameless, Homeland, Office definitely lasted too long.

Fair point about GOT. They should have gone all in on GOT and killed off the writers leading into the last season. Having watched the last season, the writers were out of touch with the show and would have never seen it coming. They could have then carried on the GOT tradition of introducing new characters, or in this case, writers.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

You guys are arguing about which season of Seinfeld was best, and I could never get through a single episode.

now michael Richards as the janitor in UHF, now that was brilliant.

Well, its pretty intellectual, so there is that.

 

[NKR1978]

Fair point about GOT. They should have gone all in on GOT and killed off the writers leading into the last season. Having watched the last season, the writers were out of touch with the show and would have never seen it coming. They could have then carried on the GOT tradition of introducing new characters, or in this case, writers.

The writers and cast all had senioritis. They all mailed it in. You can tell they didn't care any more. And it has completely ruined the show for me. I used to rewatch the whole series leading up to every new season. I haven't even bothered to watch Battle of the Bastards, my favorite episode, since the finale.

 

[OrangeDW]

Wow, I didn't love the last season because it was too much about Don, and not enough about the interesting characters (Peggy, Joan, Roger and Pete), but I feel like they have more stories to tell. My dream is when Elizabeth Moss is done with Handmaid's tale that they do a Peggy Olson in the 80's series.

Disagree with the people who said Game of Thrones - just because the last season was terrible (aside from Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the only episode with a lot of dialogue) doesn't mean it should have ended earlier.

Weeds, Shameless, Homeland, Office definitely lasted too long.

I have trouble remembering what season was what in Mad Men, and what the last season was even like. I basically enjoyed the show the whole way though, so I don’t recall feeling like it had gotten worse or gone on too long.

Weeds...yeah, I checked out I think in either season 2 or 3. I enjoyed the show initially, but it was getting way too far fetched for me.

Homeland kinda got me back the last few seasons. It was more in the middle where I stopped enjoying it.

 

[nzm136]

The writers and cast all had senioritis. They all mailed it in. You can tell they didn't care any more. And it has completely ruined the show for me. I used to rewatch the whole series leading up to every new season. I haven't even bothered to watch Battle of the Bastards, my favorite episode, since the finale.

Yeah, I remember watching it and wondering if they stopped caring, if the show got new writers, or if they outpaced the books (which I think they actually did way before) and weren’t able to continue the same level of quality.

I’ll add it my list of Godfather Part III and Terminator 4, as yet another movie or TV show that will be great when someone gets around to making it. One day...

 

[NKR1978]

I have trouble remembering what season was what in Mad Men, and what the last season was even like. I basically enjoyed the show the whole way though, so I don’t recall feeling like it had gotten worse or gone on too long.

Weeds...yeah, I checked out I think in either season 2 or 3. I enjoyed the show initially, but it was getting way too far fetched for me.

Homeland kinda got me back the last few seasons. It was more in the middle where I stopped enjoying it.

That's a good point about homeland. The Germany season and the president who resigned were pretty entertaining. Going back to Islamic terror is kind of boring though and I'm slowly getting around to making my way through the final season.

Have a feeling billions is down the road to ruin. I actively hate every character, so it's hard to enjoy it. It's just not fun any more.

 

[Cowtown]

Ted Mack and the Original Amateur Hour

 

[OttoMets]

Ted Mack and the Original Amateur Hour

Mooman, as always, this is the cherry atop a great thread: I thought you would show up and be unfamiliar with the shows 90% of us have heard of; instead here you are sharing a show that 90% of us haven't heard of. Good times!

 

[Cowtown]

Mooman, as always, this is the cherry atop a great thread: I thought you would show up and be unfamiliar with the shows 90% of us have heard of; instead here you are sharing a show that 90% of us haven't heard of. Good times!