Weak final seasons - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Ohio8 · 01-24-2005, 03:13 PM

Here are a few: "Wings." "M*A*S*H." "Friends." "Mork & Mindy." "The Drew Carey Show." "Laverne & Shirley." "Roseanne."
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Trapper: "Radar put a mask on." Hawkeye: :"If that's my discharge give it to me straight I can take it." Radar: "I have a message.......Lt. Colonel..........Henry Blake's plane.........was shot down................over the Sea of Japan........it spun in......there were no survivors."

tvfan0101 · 01-24-2005, 03:35 PM

Personally, I really enjoyed the final season of The Drew Carey Show (at least, the episodes I saw, I missed the last few weeks). The fact that ABC showed it out of order did weaken it, but on an episode by episode basis, I liked it. And I cannot agree about M*A*S*H or Friends.

One show that I think really had a horrid final season would be Becker. The last half-season of was weak, in my mind, because the show had been changed so drastically from the first four seasons. Reggie was gone, Bob was gone. To be honest, Season Five was pretty weak too.

slackermonkey · 01-24-2005, 07:33 PM

I think Friends did have a weak final season.

Add Seinfeld to that list, too.

EmoJoe · 01-24-2005, 07:53 PM

Full House- (focused too much on Michelle, it became "The Michelle Show", plus everyone was too old)
Facts of Life- (the girls were too old to be living together and the spark of the show had run out)
Cosby Show- (Too many new characters, and the main cast was barely in any of the episodes.)

TJL · 01-24-2005, 08:28 PM

The Drew Carey Show

dawsongirl · 01-25-2005, 12:00 AM

I agree with Wings and Full House. Full House's season was horrid if for no other reason than that stupid donkey episode! Whoever wrote that needs to find a new line of work.

Wings' season was wearing thin, but the series finale was great.

The last season of I Love Lucy was pretty ick most of the time.

Adamantium · 01-25-2005, 12:18 AM

"Chico and the Man" - I love the show, but the last season, without Freddie Prinze was just sad. It was like three seasons in one. Della Reese was in the first part of the season. Charo was in the middle. And Julie Hill was in the last half. I guess the 12-year old Raul wasn't enough to fill the void Freddie left.

"NewsRadio" - This is my all-time favorite show. However, I admit it wasn't that great in it's final season. Phil Hartman's absence was very noticable. Jon Lovitz was great in his two guest spots, but he didn't blend in well as a cast member. The balance of the show was off without Phil Hartman's Bill McNeal.

"Ellen" - Another favorite of mine. The last season just wasn't as good as the others. First up, Ellen had left her job at Buy the Book. So we saw less of Joe and Audrey. Ellen also had left her apartment and moved into a home. She got a girlfriend, which gave Paige less to do. Spence wasn't on as much, either. Ellen being gay wasn't what made the last season weak. It was everything else going on with the show.

"Futurama" - The final season had a few great episodes. But for the most part, I didn't laugh out loud as I did with the previous seasons.

Vincent Paterno · 01-25-2005, 12:39 PM

The final season of "Seinfeld" was indeed relatively lame compared to the brilliant earlier seasons. The characters were drawn too broadly (George Costanza in particular became a self-caricature, and Kramer was too much doofus and not enough hipster), as if the writers had no idea what they were all about. I'm certain that was a major reason Jerry decided to call it quits, and I frankly don't blame him.

Another generally enjoyable sitcom with a weak final season was "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch." While the absence of the aunts was arguably the chief reason it didn't work, the storylines also were forced and Sabrina's work setting, a hip music magazine, seemed too contrived, calculated to the WB target teen audience. (And I'm still trying to figure out how Sabrina needed four seasons to complete three years in high school -- for some reason, her junior year lasted two series seasons -- and she only needed two years to graduate from college. Ah, magic.) You could tell at some point Melissa Joan Hart herself was tiring of the whole thing; in a few years, I hope she gets back to acting and reinvents her career.

I like the idea of a Mary Richards-type young professional with witch powers, but as much as I hate to say it, the short-lived "Tabitha" apparently did it better than the final-season "Sabrina."

Chain Gang Member · 01-25-2005, 12:58 PM

All In The Family

snl75 · 01-25-2005, 05:21 PM

night court had an awful last season .also family matters and although it wasant a sitcom dallas was a shadow of its former self by the last season

Sara Micelli · 01-26-2005, 02:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dawsongirl

Full House's season was horrid if for no other reason than that stupid donkey episode! Whoever wrote that needs to find a new line of work.

That episode was horrendous.

Belair · 01-26-2005, 05:00 AM

The Nanny comes to mind,and The Cosby Show.

GARFIELDKOOL · 01-26-2005, 03:13 PM

Welcome Back, Kotter

Chico and the Man

Good Times

Sanford and Son

Different Strokes

All in the Family

Jeffersons

Alice

What's Happening

Married with children

Superstar · 01-26-2005, 03:27 PM

Sabrina the Teenage Witch - Wasn't bad, but the void left by Caroline Rhea and Beth Broderick couldn't be filled.

Friends - Not as funny as other seasons

dawsongirl · 01-26-2005, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riff

According to the IMDb, whoever wrote that did indeed find a new line of work. As a coffin liner.

I'm intrigued with something, though. There was a good episode of "Full House?" Does anyone have proof?!

Yeah, but my only proof is my opinion.

01-24-2005, 03:13 PM	#1
Ohio8 Member Forum Star Join Date: Jul 29, 2003 Location: Wherever you aren't. Posts: 18,966	Weak final seasons Here are a few: "Wings." "MAS*H." "Friends." "Mork & Mindy." "The Drew Carey Show." "Laverne & Shirley." "Roseanne." -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trapper: "Radar put a mask on." Hawkeye: :"If that's my discharge give it to me straight I can take it." Radar: "I have a message.......Lt. Colonel..........Henry Blake's plane.........was shot down................over the Sea of Japan........it spun in......there were no survivors."

01-24-2005, 07:33 PM	#3
slackermonkey the big yellow joint Senior Member Join Date: Oct 05, 2004 Location: Earth Posts: 1,779	I think Friends did have a weak final season. Add Seinfeld to that list, too.
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01-24-2005, 07:53 PM	#4
EmoJoe Cool cool cool Forum Addict Join Date: Apr 23, 2004 Location: New Jersey Posts: 71,478	Full House- (focused too much on Michelle, it became "The Michelle Show", plus everyone was too old) Facts of Life- (the girls were too old to be living together and the spark of the show had run out) Cosby Show- (Too many new characters, and the main cast was barely in any of the episodes.)
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01-24-2005, 08:28 PM	#5
TJL Suburbanite Extrordinaire Forum Star Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: New Jersey - the cradle of civilization Posts: 16,588	The Drew Carey Show
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01-25-2005, 12:39 PM	#8
Vincent Paterno Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Oct 31, 2000 Location: Waynesboro, Va. Posts: 37	The final season of "Seinfeld" was indeed relatively lame compared to the brilliant earlier seasons. The characters were drawn too broadly (George Costanza in particular became a self-caricature, and Kramer was too much doofus and not enough hipster), as if the writers had no idea what they were all about. I'm certain that was a major reason Jerry decided to call it quits, and I frankly don't blame him. Another generally enjoyable sitcom with a weak final season was "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch." While the absence of the aunts was arguably the chief reason it didn't work, the storylines also were forced and Sabrina's work setting, a hip music magazine, seemed too contrived, calculated to the WB target teen audience. (And I'm still trying to figure out how Sabrina needed four seasons to complete three years in high school -- for some reason, her junior year lasted two series seasons -- and she only needed two years to graduate from college. Ah, magic.) You could tell at some point Melissa Joan Hart herself was tiring of the whole thing; in a few years, I hope she gets back to acting and reinvents her career. I like the idea of a Mary Richards-type young professional with witch powers, but as much as I hate to say it, the short-lived "Tabitha" apparently did it better than the final-season "Sabrina."
	__________________ "There is no such thing as accident. It is Fate--misnamed." --title card, Erich Von Stroheim's "The Wedding March," 1928

01-24-2005, 03:35 PM	#2
tvfan0101 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Sep 29, 2003 Posts: 961	Personally, I really enjoyed the final season of The Drew Carey Show (at least, the episodes I saw, I missed the last few weeks). The fact that ABC showed it out of order did weaken it, but on an episode by episode basis, I liked it. And I cannot agree about MASH* or Friends. One show that I think really had a horrid final season would be Becker. The last half-season of was weak, in my mind, because the show had been changed so drastically from the first four seasons. Reggie was gone, Bob was gone. To be honest, Season Five was pretty weak too.

01-25-2005, 12:00 AM	#6
dawsongirl Member Forum Icon Join Date: Jan 04, 2001 Posts: 53,140	I agree with Wings and Full House. Full House's season was horrid if for no other reason than that stupid donkey episode! Whoever wrote that needs to find a new line of work. Wings' season was wearing thin, but the series finale was great. The last season of I Love Lucy was pretty ick most of the time.

01-25-2005, 12:18 AM	#7
Adamantium TVAdam No More Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 11, 2002 Location: Springfield, Ohio Posts: 7,839	"Chico and the Man" - I love the show, but the last season, without Freddie Prinze was just sad. It was like three seasons in one. Della Reese was in the first part of the season. Charo was in the middle. And Julie Hill was in the last half. I guess the 12-year old Raul wasn't enough to fill the void Freddie left. "NewsRadio" - This is my all-time favorite show. However, I admit it wasn't that great in it's final season. Phil Hartman's absence was very noticable. Jon Lovitz was great in his two guest spots, but he didn't blend in well as a cast member. The balance of the show was off without Phil Hartman's Bill McNeal. "Ellen" - Another favorite of mine. The last season just wasn't as good as the others. First up, Ellen had left her job at Buy the Book. So we saw less of Joe and Audrey. Ellen also had left her apartment and moved into a home. She got a girlfriend, which gave Paige less to do. Spence wasn't on as much, either. Ellen being gay wasn't what made the last season weak. It was everything else going on with the show. "Futurama" - The final season had a few great episodes. But for the most part, I didn't laugh out loud as I did with the previous seasons.

01-25-2005, 12:58 PM	#9
Chain Gang Member 1st Female Triple Crown Champ Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 28, 2003 Location: Watching Three's Company & Wrestling Posts: 8,927	All In The Family
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01-25-2005, 05:21 PM	#10
snl75 Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 25, 2004 Location: in the formen basement watching snl Posts: 1,377	night court had an awful last season .also family matters and although it wasant a sitcom dallas was a shadow of its former self by the last season

01-26-2005, 05:00 AM	#12
Belair Back@SO&Loveit! Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 13, 2004 Location: New York City Posts: 5,925	The Nanny comes to mind,and The Cosby Show.
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01-26-2005, 03:13 PM	#13
GARFIELDKOOL Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 02, 2004 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 7,204	Welcome Back, Kotter Chico and the Man Good Times Sanford and Son Different Strokes All in the Family Jeffersons Alice What's Happening Married with children

01-26-2005, 03:27 PM	#14
Superstar Member Forum Icon Join Date: Dec 08, 2003 Posts: 63,316	Sabrina the Teenage Witch - Wasn't bad, but the void left by Caroline Rhea and Beth Broderick couldn't be filled. Friends - Not as funny as other seasons