Sitcoms that Lasted Exactly As Long as They Should Have - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Retro4Life · 02-25-2010, 09:48 PM

Most popular sitcoms fall into one of two categories; either they lasted a bit too long and kind of outstayed their welcome (I'd put Frasier in this category), or they ended too soon and left a lot of good stories untold (I'd put WKRP here).

But which ones ended just when they should have? I think for the sake of brevity we shouldn't list a thousand horrible sitcoms that ended quickly, reasoning "yep, they were horrible and they ended just when they should have!"

Let's set a 3 year minimum run time for this thread, OK?

I'll start off with "The Mary Tyler Moore Show".

Tubehead · 02-25-2010, 10:33 PM

Mine wouldbe
famiy matter it just became urkle show then they did cloning and went back in time. didn't hardly show the kids in any rbarley showedharritedon it.

boy mets world. they made erice stupid. i didn't like the ones were after they got marrid. iactully thought they runied their wedding epsidoe. it wasn't even theire real name. they usedfakes names. i think it went down hill.

Adamantium · 02-25-2010, 10:39 PM

Well, of course, this is an opinion. But I have to say "Taxi." It was on for five seasons and I think that was perfect for that show. It never "jumped the shark", nor did it drag on for many years past it's prime. The only thing upsetting about the show was no series finale. But the length of the show was just great.

Also, "The Odd Couple." It was another five season sitcom. It even had a nice ending to it's run. I don't think there was a whole lot more to do with Oscar and Felix, other than let them move on in their lives, which is exactly what happens at the end of the fifth year.

Marvo301 · 02-25-2010, 10:48 PM

Another five season show that I think ended at the right moment is "The Dick Van Dyke Show". They were still on top of their game and had a great concluding episode that brought the story full circle. Absolutey perfect.

Schmoopie · 02-25-2010, 11:50 PM

As much as I hated to see it end, I'm going to say Seinfeld. Jerry was right when he said that to do another season would be making a great thing seem mediocre. I think the cast probably felt that it was the right time to end it and it had a wonderful 9 year run. That's pretty good for a sitcom that started out as a mid-season replacement, and whose first season is only four episodes. Jerry was offered millions of dollars to keep the show going for at least another season and he turned it down. Now that's a classy guy! I know he didn't need the money at all but I'm sure a lot of these shows ran their course way before the show had acutally ended; and I think a lot of that has to do with money. I'm glad that Jerry wanted the show to end in a positive way, instead of making it just another sitcom.

Schmoopie · 02-25-2010, 11:53 PM

I'm going to add another one here and say "Felicity". Now honestly, I only watched the first season so my post may not really be "valid", but they purposely made that series to last four years, which was the length that Felicity (Keri Russell) was in college. Most shows dealing with school keep going after graduation (ie: Saved By The Bell) and it ruins the feel of the show. I don't know about shows like "Welcome Back Kotter". I haven't watched it in so long that I'm not sure if that show ended after graduation or not.

Lorimar Television · 02-26-2010, 12:34 AM

Reba deffinitly ended on a high point without jumping the shark.

clj2 · 02-26-2010, 02:43 AM

I Love Lucy and The Golden Girls both had nice, long runs and ended at appropriate times.

benjamoon · 02-26-2010, 12:04 PM

I agree with "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "I Love Lucy" and I would also add "The Dick Van Dyke Show"

DSfan · 02-27-2010, 01:26 AM

I think Home Improvement ended at a good time. If it had another season it probably would have overstayed its welcome. Some may say it already was doing that, maybe a little bit, but I think it was a good time for it to end.

Now, this may be a little controversial, but I think Wonder Years ended at a good time. Although it would've been nice to see them graduate high school, I think some of those season 6 episodes were starting to go downhill with Fred Savage become more mature and it just seemed a bit like he was ready to move on. Also, considering it was called the Wonder Years, after high school it really wouldn't have necessarily been Kevin Arnold's Wonder Years much longer. Can we say we would've liked to see them all in college together? I think that would be too big a change or they all go separate ways so no matter what I think that show was over but they definitely should've done a graduation episode as the last or a scene of the last episode.

comedyfreak · 02-27-2010, 09:38 AM

I think What's happening ended at the right time it went 3 seasons and ended with Raj and Rerun in college living on campus.

Torgo · 02-27-2010, 12:55 PM

I think Leave It To Beaver ended at a good time. They could have gone on and had Beaver go into high school, but they may have ended up repeating storylines already used for Wally.

Retro4Life · 02-27-2010, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Torgo

I think Leave It To Beaver ended at a good time. They could have gone on and had Beaver go into high school, but they may have ended up repeating storylines already used for Wally.

Yeah, that's a good one. The show was about Beaver being a "kid" and though technically he still was when it ended (I believe he was 14), at that point the dynamics of the show would have radically changed. Wally would have been off to college and it wouldn't have made sense to have him hanging around as much, and Beaver's own stories would, as you point out, probably have copied Wally's teen stories.

I'd also like to add "Barney Miller" to the mix. Some saw a decline in quality the last year or so, but I didn't. I just saw the characters growing and the squad room kind of winding down, the way things do in real life. It was still fresh and funny up to the end. If it had gone on, I think, again, there would have been a temptation to repeat themselves as they'd more or less exhausted most of the relevant story lines for the characters.

megamanj2004 · 02-27-2010, 11:29 PM

I thought that Soap ended when it did after 4 seasons. Any longer and this show would've really ended up sillier than what it was in its last season or two.

Family Ties ended at the right time after 7 seasons with Alex graduationg from school.

Most of Carsey-Werner's shows fall under the trap of overstaying its welcome i.e., The Cosby Show, Roseanne, That '70s Show, etc.

OOliver · 03-03-2010, 05:23 PM

All In The Family, Good Times, Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley - all went on too long.

Phyllis, Rhoda, Designing Women, could have stayed longer IF they got new writers who knew what to do with the characters.

02-25-2010, 09:48 PM	#1
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,708	Sitcoms that Lasted Exactly As Long as They Should Have Most popular sitcoms fall into one of two categories; either they lasted a bit too long and kind of outstayed their welcome (I'd put Frasier in this category), or they ended too soon and left a lot of good stories untold (I'd put WKRP here). But which ones ended just when they should have? I think for the sake of brevity we shouldn't list a thousand horrible sitcoms that ended quickly, reasoning "yep, they were horrible and they ended just when they should have!" Let's set a 3 year minimum run time for this thread, OK? I'll start off with "The Mary Tyler Moore Show".
	__________________ Alex Reiger :[Trying to convince Louie not to antagonize Bobby] "It's not hard to make people feel bad about their lives. What's hard is making people feel good about their lives."

02-25-2010, 10:33 PM	#2
Tubehead Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 12, 2007 Location: chattanooga.tn Posts: 5,139	sitcoms Mine wouldbe famiy matter it just became urkle show then they did cloning and went back in time. didn't hardly show the kids in any rbarley showedharritedon it. boy mets world. they made erice stupid. i didn't like the ones were after they got marrid. iactully thought they runied their wedding epsidoe. it wasn't even theire real name. they usedfakes names. i think it went down hill.

02-25-2010, 10:48 PM	#4
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,461	Another five season show that I think ended at the right moment is "The Dick Van Dyke Show". They were still on top of their game and had a great concluding episode that brought the story full circle. Absolutey perfect.
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02-25-2010, 11:50 PM	#5
Schmoopie Keep Calm and Love Snoopy Forum Star Join Date: Jul 13, 2008 Location: Lynnwood, Washington Posts: 15,697	As much as I hated to see it end, I'm going to say Seinfeld. Jerry was right when he said that to do another season would be making a great thing seem mediocre. I think the cast probably felt that it was the right time to end it and it had a wonderful 9 year run. That's pretty good for a sitcom that started out as a mid-season replacement, and whose first season is only four episodes. Jerry was offered millions of dollars to keep the show going for at least another season and he turned it down. Now that's a classy guy! I know he didn't need the money at all but I'm sure a lot of these shows ran their course way before the show had acutally ended; and I think a lot of that has to do with money. I'm glad that Jerry wanted the show to end in a positive way, instead of making it just another sitcom.
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02-26-2010, 12:34 AM	#7
Lorimar Television Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 06, 2007 Posts: 7,034	Reba deffinitly ended on a high point without jumping the shark.
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02-25-2010, 10:39 PM	#3
Adamantium TVAdam No More Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 11, 2002 Location: Springfield, Ohio Posts: 7,840	Well, of course, this is an opinion. But I have to say "Taxi." It was on for five seasons and I think that was perfect for that show. It never "jumped the shark", nor did it drag on for many years past it's prime. The only thing upsetting about the show was no series finale. But the length of the show was just great. Also, "The Odd Couple." It was another five season sitcom. It even had a nice ending to it's run. I don't think there was a whole lot more to do with Oscar and Felix, other than let them move on in their lives, which is exactly what happens at the end of the fifth year.

02-25-2010, 11:53 PM	#6
Schmoopie Keep Calm and Love Snoopy Forum Star Join Date: Jul 13, 2008 Location: Lynnwood, Washington Posts: 15,697	I'm going to add another one here and say "Felicity". Now honestly, I only watched the first season so my post may not really be "valid", but they purposely made that series to last four years, which was the length that Felicity (Keri Russell) was in college. Most shows dealing with school keep going after graduation (ie: Saved By The Bell) and it ruins the feel of the show. I don't know about shows like "Welcome Back Kotter". I haven't watched it in so long that I'm not sure if that show ended after graduation or not.

02-26-2010, 02:43 AM	#8
clj2 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 16, 2005 Location: SC Posts: 3,501	I Love Lucy and The Golden Girls both had nice, long runs and ended at appropriate times.
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02-26-2010, 12:04 PM	#9
benjamoon Bewitched Senior Member Join Date: Jun 15, 2000 Location: New York Posts: 1,450	I agree with "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "I Love Lucy" and I would also add "The Dick Van Dyke Show"
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02-27-2010, 01:26 AM	#10
DSfan Member Senior Member Join Date: Sep 15, 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 1,204	I think Home Improvement ended at a good time. If it had another season it probably would have overstayed its welcome. Some may say it already was doing that, maybe a little bit, but I think it was a good time for it to end. Now, this may be a little controversial, but I think Wonder Years ended at a good time. Although it would've been nice to see them graduate high school, I think some of those season 6 episodes were starting to go downhill with Fred Savage become more mature and it just seemed a bit like he was ready to move on. Also, considering it was called the Wonder Years, after high school it really wouldn't have necessarily been Kevin Arnold's Wonder Years much longer. Can we say we would've liked to see them all in college together? I think that would be too big a change or they all go separate ways so no matter what I think that show was over but they definitely should've done a graduation episode as the last or a scene of the last episode.

02-27-2010, 09:38 AM	#11
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Star Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,061	I think What's happening ended at the right time it went 3 seasons and ended with Raj and Rerun in college living on campus.
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02-27-2010, 12:55 PM	#12
Torgo Omaha & Fritz Forum Star Join Date: Mar 06, 2004 Location: Oregon Posts: 19,051	I think Leave It To Beaver ended at a good time. They could have gone on and had Beaver go into high school, but they may have ended up repeating storylines already used for Wally.
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02-27-2010, 11:29 PM	#14
megamanj2004 Member Senior Member Join Date: Dec 21, 2004 Posts: 2,361	I thought that Soap ended when it did after 4 seasons. Any longer and this show would've really ended up sillier than what it was in its last season or two. Family Ties ended at the right time after 7 seasons with Alex graduationg from school. Most of Carsey-Werner's shows fall under the trap of overstaying its welcome i.e., The Cosby Show, Roseanne, That '70s Show, etc.
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03-03-2010, 05:23 PM	#15
OOliver Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jan 28, 2009 Location: Providence RI Posts: 569	All In The Family, Good Times, Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley - all went on too long. Phyllis, Rhoda, Designing Women, could have stayed longer IF they got new writers who knew what to do with the characters.