Got stale after a while,and were overripe for cancellation,lasting WAAY too long?

As much as I love Frasier, there was quite a stretch where it seemed to be in the doldrums ripe for cancellation. However I maintain all episodes are watchable. None of them went too far over-the-top (aside from the 3 Niles heart-surgery eps). But for too long the show just couldn't hold up to its former self and viewership reflected it.

It's a crying shame that the original writers were finally brought back for the fantastic final season but no one seemed to care anymore.

Most, if not all long-running TV Series reached that point where they seemed no longer worth watching, a point referred to as "Jumping the Shark", which is attributed to an episode of Happy Days where Fonzie literally jumped over a Shark on waterskis. Here's a show I actually began watching After many people consider a "Post Jump", Lassie. I was six years old when I was introduced to the dawg, the show was well into its "Ranger" Years, and I enjoyed the show all the way to its end in 1973. I considered its earlier, black-and-white incarnations seperate shows, because I was unaware thay were actually the same series, and that the show was "Split" into two other series, mainly "Jeff's Collie" and "Timmy and Lassie" (Which most people consider the best period). Being the child I was, I had no idea four seasons (No.s 4, 9, 10 and 11) were LEFT OUT of the Syndication Passage, with seasons 4 & 11 having Lassie change Owners). I now have most of this series on DVD, thanks to someone in the Trading Post. :D

Personally I think a lot of people jump the gun when jumping the shark. The term has become overused and thrown about too generally. While some long-runners do indeed reach a point of sillyness like Happy Days did, a lot of them never do. In my eyes there's a big difference between "meh, this ain't what it used to be" and "LOL what the hell just happened to this show?!"

Personally I think a lot of people jump the gun when jumping the shark. The term has become overused and thrown about too generally. While some long-runners do indeed reach a point of sillyness like Happy Days did, a lot of them never do. In my eyes there's a big difference between "meh, this ain't what it used to be" and "LOL what the hell just happened to this show?!"

You have a point there. I say The FBI and Hawaii Five-O fall into the former, while Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea is an example of the latter.


IMO Lassie "Never Jumped".

I haven't seen Lassie since I was very young (like 5 or 6) so I can't remember much at all. I didn't even know there were different owners and whatnot.

I don't think all shows outright jump the shark but there are many that end up in the water with the skis on and boat motor idling. They then become cancelled before events turn TOO ridiculous. A prime example of this situation would have to be Coach. Nobody in their right mind would argue the Orlando years were as good as Minnesota State but saying the show totally lost its appeal is going overboard.

Laverne & Shirley...moving to California, eventually trying to have just Laverne.

With The Waltons, even though the last couple of seasons were extremely weak I still enjoy them.

Cheers. First, it should have ended prior to 1993; its series finale left The Wonder Years (which ended the same year but was WAY BETTER) in the dust. NBC should have ended it in 1984 and instead continued Happy Days for a 12th season!

Good lord I can't imagine what another season of Happy Days would have been like. Ending Cheers after the 2nd season would have been a HUGE mistake considering 8 of its 9 remaining seasons finished no lower than #8 in the ratings while Happy Days finished the 1983-84 season at #55.

Friends--- probably should have been canceled after Chandler and Monica got married; the last several years destroyed the show with dumb stories and lackluster writing.

Melrose Place- It should have ended when Kimberly set the bombs off. That's when it went downhill, the cast started leaving and new characters weren't very interesting.

Beverly Hills, 90210---The show started growing stale with the boring "College Years" but the final nail in the coffin is when everybody started leaving--- Jason Priestly's exit should have been it's last episode, w/out Brandon it needed not to go on.

Will & Grace--- It all went downhill after Season 4. It became a caricature of itself when Jack & Karen overtook the show.

That 70's Show--- It clearly last longer than need be.

This thread just shows that long-running television shows can sometimes be trouble.

The Simpsons is the textbook definition of this. Absolutely brilliant show in its first eight seasons, then it started sliding around Season 9 and has been solidly mediocre for the past 12 years or so.

Friends. It should never have been allowed to succeed. In fact, it should have gone fewer episodes than the total number David Schwimmer guest-starred as Karen's boyfriend/husband Michael on The Wonder Years! Then he would be remembered first and foremost for that role!

The Simpsons is the textbook definition of this. Absolutely brilliant show in its first eight seasons, then it started sliding around Season 9 and has been solidly mediocre for the past 12 years or so.

Couldn't agree more. Yet many people will defend this show until the end of time. Seems to me The Simpsons is done out of pure vanity now.

"FRIENDS" should have ended when Monica and Chandler got married.

As much as I love Frasier, there was quite a stretch where it seemed to be in the doldrums ripe for cancellation. However I maintain all episodes are watchable. None of them went too far over-the-top (aside from the 3 Niles heart-surgery eps). But for too long the show just couldn't hold up to its former self and viewership reflected it.

It's a crying shame that the original writers were finally brought back for the fantastic final season but no one seemed to care anymore.

I loved the show from beginning to end. Yes, there are a few eps here and there that I didn't care for but for the most part I was very happy with the show from beginning to end. I enjoyed the Niles heart surgery episodes. I thought it was brilliant writing and brilliant acting.
I will say though that Frasier stopped when it should have, I just don't think they could have gotten another season out of it.

Now we learned that a long run can still get a primetime TV series in trouble: Because the six voice actors are acting like greedy old monarchs about their annual salaries, The Simpsons is now in danger of ending after the current season.

In addition to that, it was revealed that there will only be one more season for the show if the greedy monarch-ish voice actors agree to take a 45% pay cut. Cancelled or just ending? Either way, no season 25 for The Simpsons. And don't even think about pulling a "Family Guy" either. (you know, when you return to prime time after the first/second time you've been cancelled/ended.)

I loved the show from beginning to end. Yes, there are a few eps here and there that I didn't care for but for the most part I was very happy with the show from beginning to end. I enjoyed the Niles heart surgery episodes. I thought it was brilliant writing and brilliant acting.
I will say though that Frasier stopped when it should have, I just don't think they could have gotten another season out of it.

Well like I said, it was still very watchable. But I think you had to be a big fan of the series to find those episodes at least entertaining. That's when a lot of casual viewers gave up. I will say that since the series ended my opinion of most of them has been improving with time. Nowadays I find myself mostly disliking the later story arcs with Frasier's dismal love life such as Faye, Cassandra, Lana, Claire, etc. It was really getting to the point where they were beating a dead horse. The Niles heart surgery is probably the least watchable due to the overbearing heavy handedness concocted for a sweeps month. I watch sitcoms to laugh, not to feel forced into sadness.

By season 10, it did seem like one more season was all they could get out of it. But the final season was such a huge improvement that I believe it could have continued without being silly, although the ratings really dried up.

Today the "six greedy monarchs" have become a little less greedy as they agreed to the pay cut and Season 23 will not be the final season. And the show got renewed for two more seasons (24 and 25) hopefully, this will be the final order for the series; it has had enough renewals. Hoping COPS gets a 27th season in 2014-15.