shows with short and sweet runs - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

jamesanthony · 06-17-2004, 04:27 PM

Some shows didn't run that long, but have had devoted followings in reruns or on video. Some of the ones I like are

Police Squad- 6 episodes

Smart Guy- 51 episodes

White Shadow- 58 episodes

It's interesting that the last 2 did so well in reruns considering how relatively few episodes there were. Both could have ran longer, but its better qualitatively that they ended when they did.

I guess others that people like would include

Bosom Buddies
Freaks and Geeks
My So Called Life
Square Pegs
F-Troop

Chocoholic · 06-17-2004, 07:25 PM

NewsRadio
Two Guys, A Girl, and a Pizza Place

Chain Gang Member · 06-17-2004, 07:55 PM

Three's A Crowd

Saved By The Bell:The College Years

tvfan0101 · 06-17-2004, 09:14 PM

Personally, unless a show lasted for one season or less I wouldn't consider it a show with a "short and sweet run" at all. Newsradio? Five seaons, 97 episodes. Two Guys, Etc?? Four seasons, 81 episodes. Compared to a great many shows, these two had long runs with a lot of episodes.

Freaks and Geeks, without a doubt, fits into the category, though.

jamesanthony · 06-17-2004, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tvobscurities
Personally, unless a show lasted for one season or less I wouldn't consider it a show with a "short and sweet run" at all. Newsradio? Five seaons, 97 episodes. Two Guys, Etc?? Four seasons, 81 episodes. Compared to a great many shows, these two had long runs with a lot of episodes.

Freaks and Geeks, without a doubt, fits into the category, though.

By short and sweet I was thinking of shows that don't have somewhere in the ballpark of 88 episodes which seems to be the standard minimum for syndication.

Another short and sweet one would be The Honeymooners at least the series itself and not the lost episodes from Jackie Gleason's show.

The Jetsons is another one in that it only ran for one season yet I remember it being constantly reran in syndication up to the 90s.

The Monkees is another short run show that people like. Also Gidget.

Two Guys A Girl and A Pizza Place ran that long??? I never paid any mind to that series. Do a lot of people like it and was it ever syndicated?

AtlantaBravesFan29 · 06-17-2004, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jamesanthony
By short and sweet I was thinking of shows that don't have somewhere in the ballpark of 88 episodes which seems to be the standard minimum for syndication.

Another short and sweet one would be The Honeymooners at least the series itself and not the lost episodes from Jackie Gleason's show.

The Jetsons is another one in that it only ran for one season yet I remember it being constantly reran in syndication up to the 90s.

The Monkees is another short run show that people like. Also Gidget.

Two Guys A Girl and A Pizza Place ran that long??? I never paid any mind to that series. Do a lot of people like it and was it ever syndicated?

Two Guys And A Girl(they changed the name of the show in the second season) appears on the WE channel now in reruns.

AtlantaBravesFan29 · 06-17-2004, 11:08 PM

Here are some short-lived shows that are/were shown in syndication and on cable channels.

Ned and Stacey
The Naked Truth
Veronica's Closet
Get A Life
Working
Boston Common
The Single Guy
ROC
For Your Love
Angie
The Ropers
Three's A Crowd
The Flying Nun
Courtship of Eddie's Father

There are quite a few more that I probably missed,but maybe some other posters will have some good ideas.

jamesanthony · 06-17-2004, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BravesFan2004
Ned and Stacey
The Naked Truth
Veronica's Closet
Get A Life
Working
Boston Common
The Single Guy
ROC
For Your Love
Angie
The Ropers
Three's A Crowd
The Flying Nun
Courtship of Eddie's Father

.

Yes these all ran 3 or fewer seasons except For Your Love which had 5 seasons and 87 episodes. I never watched some of these. Short and sweet to me would be shows that you knew if they had another year they would have jumped the shark so it was best to end them when they did, yet they still live on and have a following. Clueless had 3 seasons also and was in local syndication for awhile.

JT · 06-18-2004, 12:09 AM

"Family Guy" probably defines the subject of this thread. Only 50 episodes before being cancelled, and the DVD sales and Cartoon Network reruns are so successful that it's coming back. If that ain't a cult following, I don't know what is.

dawsongirl · 06-18-2004, 03:42 AM

The Magician (22 episodes, 1 season)

Saved by the Bell: The College Years (19 episodes, 23 with the Wedding movie, 1 season)

Ant-Lox · 06-18-2004, 10:56 AM

SBTB" The College year

jamesanthony · 06-18-2004, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JT
"Family Guy" probably defines the subject of this thread. Only 50 episodes before being cancelled, and the DVD sales and Cartoon Network reruns are so successful that it's coming back. If that ain't a cult following, I don't know what is.

Some shows are like that. I was thinking that short and sweet meant that the show really didn't need another season because you could see that it was starting to get threadbare (White Shadow), the quality would not be able to be sustained long term (Police Squad) or the premise was about to be worn out (Smart Guy- the lead was going into puberty and the show would have lost its charm or had to have adopted a different premise).

China Beach only had 64 episodes over 4 seasons and has a definite beginning, development and conclusion. It has a sense of completeness to it. More episodes were unneccesary.

March.Madness · 06-18-2004, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jamesanthony
I was thinking that short and sweet meant that...the quality would not be able to be sustained long term or the premise was about to be worn out.

I think The Office and That's My Bush! can fit that description.

treky · 06-18-2004, 04:30 PM

WKRP in Cinncinati

Nighthawk76 · 06-18-2004, 05:04 PM

Square Pegs

Wonderfalls

06-17-2004, 04:27 PM	#1
jamesanthony Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 30, 2004 Posts: 2,180	shows with short and sweet runs Some shows didn't run that long, but have had devoted followings in reruns or on video. Some of the ones I like are Police Squad- 6 episodes Smart Guy- 51 episodes White Shadow- 58 episodes It's interesting that the last 2 did so well in reruns considering how relatively few episodes there were. Both could have ran longer, but its better qualitatively that they ended when they did. I guess others that people like would include Bosom Buddies Freaks and Geeks My So Called Life Square Pegs F-Troop

06-17-2004, 07:55 PM	#3
Chain Gang Member 1st Female Triple Crown Champ Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 28, 2003 Location: Watching Three's Company & Wrestling Posts: 8,930	Three's A Crowd Saved By The Bell:The College Years
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06-18-2004, 12:09 AM	#9
JT Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 29, 2001 Location: USA Posts: 7,223	"Family Guy" probably defines the subject of this thread. Only 50 episodes before being cancelled, and the DVD sales and Cartoon Network reruns are so successful that it's coming back. If that ain't a cult following, I don't know what is.
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06-18-2004, 10:56 AM	#11
Ant-Lox Cloud Watcher Senior Member Join Date: Feb 18, 2004 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 1,824	SBTB" The College year
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06-18-2004, 04:30 PM	#14
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Star Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	WKRP in Cinncinati
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06-17-2004, 07:25 PM	#2
Chocoholic Member Forum Star Join Date: Dec 01, 2000 Location: Between a rock and a hard place. Posts: 11,235	NewsRadio Two Guys, A Girl, and a Pizza Place

06-17-2004, 09:14 PM	#4
tvfan0101 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Sep 29, 2003 Posts: 961	Personally, unless a show lasted for one season or less I wouldn't consider it a show with a "short and sweet run" at all. Newsradio? Five seaons, 97 episodes. Two Guys, Etc?? Four seasons, 81 episodes. Compared to a great many shows, these two had long runs with a lot of episodes. Freaks and Geeks, without a doubt, fits into the category, though.

06-17-2004, 11:08 PM	#7
AtlantaBravesFan29 Atlanta Braves Fan Senior Member Join Date: Aug 13, 2002 Location: Pleasanton,TX--40 Miles South Of San Antonio Posts: 1,859	Here are some short-lived shows that are/were shown in syndication and on cable channels. Ned and Stacey The Naked Truth Veronica's Closet Get A Life Working Boston Common The Single Guy ROC For Your Love Angie The Ropers Three's A Crowd The Flying Nun Courtship of Eddie's Father There are quite a few more that I probably missed,but maybe some other posters will have some good ideas.

06-18-2004, 03:42 AM	#10
dawsongirl Member Forum Icon Join Date: Jan 04, 2001 Posts: 53,140	The Magician (22 episodes, 1 season) Saved by the Bell: The College Years (19 episodes, 23 with the Wedding movie, 1 season)

06-18-2004, 05:04 PM	#15
Nighthawk76 Rachel Berry Forum Celebrity Join Date: Feb 28, 2003 Location: Illinois Posts: 23,254	Square Pegs Wonderfalls