I hope this hasn't been done recently, but I thought it'd be a good companion for the 'Shows Axed too Soon' thread. Which TV shows do you think overstayed their welcome?

The Drew Carey Show

Happy Days should've ended after the 1979-1980 season when Ron Howard and Donny Most left (or maybe Marshall should've renegotiated with Howard and Most and made the 1980-1981 season the final year and go out in grace). It was plummetting in the ratings by that point anyways (#17 in 1979-1980 compared to #4 in 1978-1979) and the quality of the show was already in swift decline, if it ended then, the show would be regarded better, and there wouldn't be Joanie Loves Chachi punchlines.

I also think Friends probably could've and should've ended with Chandler and Monica's marriage. The last three seasons were pure comfort food and nothing else.

The Drew Carey Show

:yeahthat

As much as I am a fan of "M*A*S*H," they should have cut the series run by a season or two. By the end they were going through the motions.

Happy Days
The Drew Carey Show
Laverne & Shirley (like, by about 11 years)!!
The Andy Griffith Show

Happy Days
The Drew Carey Show
Laverne & Shirley (like, by about 11 years)!!
The Andy Griffith Show
Laverne And Shirley was unwatchable after they moved to California with the last season being the worst.

Another sitcom that lasted a year to long and probably 2-3 years to long was Roseanne.

The Drew Carey Show
i agree

i have to agree about mash .i know there are diehard fans who love every ep. but imho they should have stopped after season 8 seasons 9 and 10 esp had some very weak almost unwatchable eps season 11 was a little better but not by much the finale saved that season.

I agree about "MASH". It should have ended when Radar left.
And "Laverne & Shirley" should have ended when they moved to California, and half the town moved with them!-which has to be the all-time WORST sitcom "twist" ever! :brent :brent :lol: :lol:

The X-Files

Happy Days
Murphy Brown
Family Matters
Step by Step
Dawson's Creek

Andy Griffith-Should've ended after Barney left.
Chico and the Man-Should've ended after Freddie Prinze died.
Welcome Back Kotter-one season too many.
Friends
Coach
Walker, Texas Ranger
Frasier
7th Heaven

I definitely agree with the person who said that Roseanne went on too long. It was a great show that really took a dive by the end. :(

i hate to say it, but The Facts Of Life... by the end of its run it was like, okay when is it going to end!

FRASER!!!!! that show should have ended many years before it did...

Sabrina the Teenage Witch - I still enjoyed the last season, but it had lost its original appeal and innocence.

i hate to say it, but The Facts Of Life... by the end of its run it was like, okay when is it going to end!

I agree that the last season was awful, but had it ended in the 1986-1987 season, it would've gone out with a bang, that was one of the best seasons IMO

Happy Days (the post-Richie years were TERRIBLE, shoulda ended after 1979-1980 season)

Bewitched (the Dick Sargent years were lame, shoulda ended after 1968-1969 season)

Andy Griffith Show (shoulda ended when Barney left)

Cosby Show
Drew Carey Show
That 70s Show
Malcolm in the Middle
Will & Grace

Bewitched (the Dick Sargent years were lame, shoulda ended after 1968-1969 season)


Once Elizabeth Montgomery looked like she didn't want to be there anymore, they should have ended it.

Once Elizabeth Montgomery looked like she didn't want to be there anymore, they should have ended it.

Towards the middle of the 7th season, 70-71 season, Liz looked as though she did not want to be there. When the 8th season began she looked as though she was pissed off. I understand her and William Asher, her husband, were having problems. I heard he was having an affair with someone on the set of Bewitched. Liz portrayed Samantha in the 8th season with an edge and she was more snippy.

The following shows wore its welcome out:
One Day At A Time - In previous posts the plug should had been pulled at the end of the 82-83 season. The 83-84 season episodes were horrible. The show was showing its age during that season. It would had been great to marry Ann Romano off and had her moved to London. We would not have to see MacKenzie Phillips go downward spiral again like we did in her three episodes that season. We were seeing it happening during the 82-83 season.

All In the Family - It should had ended when Mike and Gloria moved away. Norman Lear and CBS dragged it on for another season and added insult to injury by renaming the show Archie Bunkers Place.

Alice - The show ran its course to a point that in the final season it wasn't as many episodes produced because the writers were tired. Linda Lavin was going through the motions. She ruined what could had been a classic by letting her ego get in the way during the Flo and Belle seasons.

The Jeffersons - The show ran its course after the 80-81 season. From that point on it was unwatchable.

The Cosby Show - Clair's cousin Pam and Olivia put the final nail in the coffin. The show became unwatchable during its final season.

Three's Company - That final season was still somewhat good but you can tell its best days was behind them

The bottom line Carl Reiner and Beatrice Arthur was smart to pull out of their shows while they were still on top and enjoyable to watch.

The X-Files

Yeah, it should of finished when Mulder left. It got borin after that.

Alo Frasier went on way to long. Should've finished a couple of years before it did. Sabrina the Teenage Witch should've finished when Harvey left and also malcolm in the Middle went on WAAAAY too long.

Frasier (should have ended around season 7 or 8)
Friends (should have ended with season 6)
Will and Grace
That 70s Show
Three's Company
The Cosby Show (should have ended at the end of the 5th season)
The Andy Griffith Show (when Barney left)
Malcolm in the Middle
Boy Meets World (they should have never sent them off to college. the last 2 seasons were horrible!)
Full House
Family Matters (should have ended way before they started doing all those weird sci fi eps with Urkel)
Star Trek: Voyager
Law and Order
ER (should have ended with season 6, 8 at the latest, 9-11 have been crap)
Home Improvement (should have ended with season 7, the final season was just tired, with Randy gone and Tim's brother and nieces living with them)
Bewitched (I agree, pretty much when Elizabeth Montgomery started looking like she would rather be anywhere else, of course the same goes for most of the other sitcoms I listed above)

the list goes on. It would perhaps be easier to list shows that ended at the right time, and didn't drag on 2 or 3 years longer than they should have.

Andy Griffith-Should've ended after Barney left.
Chico and the Man-Should've ended after Freddie Prinze died.
Welcome Back Kotter-one season too many.
Friends
Coach
Walker, Texas Ranger
Frasier
7th Heaven

"Chico And The Man" & "Welcome Back, Kotter" both ran 4 seasons on 2 different networks NBC & ABC. That's an average amount of seasons, not long-running.

Family Ties's cancellation would have been in the Spring of 1985. But a very special thanks to Michael J. Fox (not Justine Bateman or Scott Valentine people) for keep the show on for 7 seasons, this show had went from #5 to #2 in the ratings. Both of Fox's movies Teen Wolf & Back To The Future were box office hits. So this show had ran for 7 seasons. Both Justine Bateman & Scott Valentine's popularity waned in 1992.

And Coach, well I'm ashamed to say it, it should've been on CBS from Nov 1988-May 1995, not on ABC from Feb 1989-May 1997.