since there's been threads about shows that either ran on a few years too long or were cut before their prime, how about tv series that ended their runs at exactly the right time, when there's still dignity left, and where people still hungered for more (as opposed to being full), yet were satisfied with what they had?

In retrospect, I'd say Seinfeld. The show is just as big cult-wise and pop-wise as it was in 98. Though the last season is seen by critics and diehard fans as its worst, that never hurt its massive popularity.

Seinfeld: it's the type of show that could've run 13 seasons, hell, it could still be on today if Jerry wanted. But Jerry was satisfied with 9 seasons, and the show was slowly beginning to lose it's edge, but yet it was still great, and when Jerry ended the show in 98, everyone wanted more seasons.

Sex And The City: it revolutionized television when showing a comedy about 4 single sexy city-women. After 6 seasons, the characters were settling down and getting domesticated. It was still good at the end, but SJP and Michael Patrick King knew that it would be the right time to let the show go.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: one of the few major shows that didn't suffer one bit with the departure of one of it's most famous characters (David Boreanez's Angel who left after season 3 to go onto playing on his own spinoff). Seasons 5 and 6 were both stellar, and while season 7 lacked the charm of the earlier seasons, Joss and Sarah Michelle Gellar were wise to go out when the show still had dignity, and gave us a final season that was a nice farewell to the show we loved for so long... even tho we still were left wanting more, 7 seasons was still good and respectable.

Roswell: It only lasted 3 seasons, but I think that 3 seasons were enough for the arc of the characters. A great great underrated WB/UPN series, it ended with the characters graduating high school followed by Max and Liz's wedding, it was the right time to go out, even though another season would've been great, but it still was a satisfying run that didn't overstay its welcome.

Taxi: 5 wonderful seasons, nothing more, nothing less. Season 5 was a slight decline from seasons 1-4 but still excellent. It ended because of low ratings, but considering the passage of time (if the show had run a 6th year, Andy Kaufman's Latka would've had to leave because Andy became ill and then passed away during the 1983-1984 season. Danny Devito also became a film star with Romancing The Stone, which came out in early 1984 as well. Tony Danza had time to sign onto Who's The Boss, etc...), it went out at exactly the right moment, and will be regarded as one of the few sitcoms that never truly jumped.

The Star Trek series - Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager. Seven seasons is just enough.

As for Enterprise, four seasons was too much.

Seinfeld - It's the type of show that could go on endlessly. And in a way, it has.

Cheers - I sincerely believe there was a good 3 or 4 seasons left in this show and it would still have been top notch. However, ending in 93 was smart. It brought it to the 11 season mark, which seems to be the cutoff for all long-running sitcoms, sans The Simpsons. And it made way for Frasier to come along in the fall, which would never be the same had it not been made that year.

the dick van dyke show 5 seasons of some of the most classic comedy ever they could have problay done 2 or 3 more seasons and still been great but carl riner and compnay bowed out after 5 great seasons and in hindsight they made the right move also leave it to beaver and the brady bunch ended at the right time too

Star Trek-Deep Space Nine...the only show that I can think of that was still going great during its final year.

Star Trek-Deep Space Nine...the only show that I can think of that was still going great during its final year.


Actually, of all the Star Trek series, I think Deep Space Nine could have gone a few mores seasons.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch



D'ya think so?

the dick van dyke show 5 seasons of some of the most classic comedy ever they could have problay done 2 or 3 more seasons and still been great but carl riner and compnay bowed out after 5 great seasons and in hindsight they made the right move also leave it to beaver and the brady bunch ended at the right time too

Carl Reiner said at the onset that if the show a hit they will do it five years. He felt after that it would become stale and running out of storylines. Dick Van Dyke and the rest of the cast was not ready to move on. Looking at the fifth season the quality was not as good as the previous four seasons. It was still good but if the show went on for another season it would not had been as good plus it would had gone color. That what made the show a classic was it left the audience wanting more and all episodes was done in black and white.

Here are some more shows that went off at the right time:
The Mary Tyler Moore Show - The show went off just at the right time. The final season, though, was not as good as the previous seasons. It was beginning to age and the storylines was not as good. It left me still wanting more and I was glad that they did not go there by marrying off Mary Richards in the final episode.

Maude - Beatrice Arthur knows when to say bye to a character with no desire to reunite the character. She has no desires to do a reunion for Maude nor the Golden Girls. Both shows she was in left the audience wanting more.

Family Ties - The final season was good. It showed more the Keaton's as a family after Meredith Baxter Birney complained to the producers about her role was shrinking and giving the show over to Michael J. Fox. It left just at the right time.

Seinfeld
The Golden Girls (though the last season was the weakest, I still think it went out at the right time. Another year probably would have been too much, as was proven by the failure that was The Golden Palace)
Cheers (season 10 was, IMO, very weak, but season 11 made up for it and they went out on top. I don't really think they could have gone beyond 11 though)
Everybody Loves Raymond
Star Trek: The Next Generation (in season 7 they were starting to lose quality so it's good they ended it then. as for DS9, I actually believe it could have gone on one more season)
Babylon 5 (had a 5 year plan and stuck to it)

Everybody Loves Raymond
Seinfeld

Full house
Roseanne