Great TV shows that hung on too long

[cumberlandreds]

Andy Griffith

The show just wasn't the same without Barney Fife.

This was my first thoughts when I saw this thread. Andy should have just dumped the show after Knotts left it. Not nearly as good.Not really the same show.

MASH went on about three seasons too long. It got incredibly silly the last couple of seasons with about three or four good shows in that time. They should have dropped the show after Larry Linville (Frank Burns) quit. Just not nearly as good without him. I never thought the Charles Winchester character was not a good fit.

Really most shows that go past five seasons start to really grasp for ideas and probably should have been dropped.

[cumberlandreds]

Wasn't there a spinoff called CSI: Mayberry?

There was a Mayberry RFD. Ken Berry was the star. I think Aunt Bea was a leftover from Andy that went to this show and some of the other town characters.

[cumberlandreds]

so was Floyd the town perv? IMO he was incredibly creepy.

I never thought him to be creepy. Howard McNear played Floyd. McNear had a stroke after the first season or two of the show and was at least partially paralyzed. If you notice after the first season or two all of the scenes/shows Floyd is in he is sitting in a chair or car. You never see him standing or walking. Maybe that made the air of creepiness about him for some people.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_McNear

[nate]

I never thought him to be creepy. Howard McNear played Floyd. McNear had a stroke after the first season or two of the show and was at least partially paralyzed. If you notice after the first season or two all of the scenes/shows Floyd is in he is sitting in a chair or car. You never see him standing or walking. Maybe that made the air of creepiness about him for some people.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_McNear

No, he was creepy before the stroke too.

[reds1869]

South Park. I used to eagerly anticipate every new episode, now it is overly preachy and tries too hard. I also liked the first season of Desperate Housewives but thought it should have ended right there. We actually stopped watching halfway through this past season because it was getting so ridiculous.

[TRF]

MASH

Agree on post Duchovny X-Files

It's time CSI left us.

Law and Order too.

Family Guy and all Family Guy related shows.

[Reds Fanatic]

MASH - This show really was not the same after parts of the original cast starting leaving.
Seinfeld - I am big of Seinfeld but the last few years of the show when Larry David was no longer working on the show were not as good
X Files - I agree with others after Duchovny left the show was really never the same. There were a few ok episodes but a pretty weak last couple seasons.

[Mark T]

Scrubs. It had a few good years, and Sara Chalke is a natural comedienne of the Lucille Ball variety, but c'mon. Enough already.

[guttle11]

Scrubs. It had a few good years, and Sara Chalke is a natural comedienne of the Lucille Ball variety, but c'mon. Enough already.

I would have said that, but this past season was really good. I think the last couple years on NBC not knowing if they would get canceled or have to change stations weighed them down a bit. With Braff and the director leaving, they really put a lot into the season.

[Johnny Footstool]

X-Files, for sure.

The Sopranos could have trimmed 6 episodes from the last season, and then HBO wouldn't have had to do that weird split-season thing.

The Simpsons gave us 8 amazing seasons (2-9), three mediocre seasons(1, 10-11), and
then a dozen good episodes spread out over the following 9 years.

[Chip R]

I can't believe no one has mentioned Friends.

[reds1869]

I can't believe no one has mentioned Friends.

That's because it wasn't that good to begin with.

[Hoosier Red]

MASH went on about three seasons too long. It got incredibly silly the last couple of seasons with about three or four good shows in that time. They should have dropped the show after Larry Linville (Frank Burns) quit. Just not nearly as good without him. I never thought the Charles Winchester character was not a good fit.

I'm in the distinct minority with everyone I talk to about this, but I definately liked the episodes with BJ as opposed to Trapper John, and Winchester as opposed to Frank.

BJ seemed a much more full character than Trapper and Frank was just too cliche for me.
Of course that's seeing the episodes 20-30 years after they were filmed.

Also, the later season episodes were really good in expressing a sort of hopelessness that the war was going to end. The first several seasons showed Klinger trying to prove he was crazy and get sent home. The last few season were a lot more somber as Klinger, and Hawkeye realized that no stunt could have them sent home.

[RichRed]

Also, the later season episodes were really good in expressing a sort of hopelessness that the war was going to end. The first several seasons showed Klinger trying to prove he was crazy and get sent home. The last few season were a lot more somber as Klinger, and Hawkeye realized that no stunt could have them sent home.

This is what I didn't care for. The show hit us over the head with "War is Hell" instead of being, you know, funny and stuff.

The sharp dialogue and wit that highlighted the show largely left around the time Larry Gelbart did.

[Hoosier Red]

It definately took more of a somber tone. I think that's the danger for a lot of shows, especially ones that have political connotations to begin with. They can find their voice so to speak and it overpowers everything else about the show.

I think that's what happened to The West Wing too until the last few seasons.