TV shows that best fit the "Deader than Disco" trope

[TMC]

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...eaderThanDisco

The polar opposite of Vindicated by History, and a variant on Seinfeld Is Unfunny. This is something — an individual character, an individual song or book or game, an entire genre — that was very, very popular in its day. But at some point, it somehow just got too popular. It was talked about on every radio station, on every TV network, on every chat room (not that they'd been invented then...). It was overexposed until people got bored with it, and it got so much publicity and so many bad knockoffs that there was plenty of time to notice each and every flaw and dissect them under a microscope. Soon, small problems were regarded as unavoidable flaws. The final tell-tale sign is when ridicule, or even hate, comes not just for the thing itself, but for its fans. They become the subject of nasty, highly-specific stereotypes, and gushing about how you like it online is considered trolling.

Ten years later, almost nobody will admit that they ever liked it, and the only mention in the media will be cheap jokes about the fad. It may get revived decades later as kitsch, but it's unlikely to be popular on its own merits again. In fiction (and Real Life), a Disco Dan is a rare admirer who refuses to accept the judgment of history and passionately holds on to the belief that the dead thing is still as big as it always was — usually with comical results.

Of course, twenty years later, the situation may change again.

Sometimes caused by people saying that It's Popular, Now It Sucks too much, but not always: at its height, these people are typically not very vocal. It's particularly common with things that never had a cult following to begin with — they went from nowhere to everything, and then back to nowhere, very suddenly. This is essentially Hype Backlash after something faded from popularity with the haters still remaining.

Another cause of this trope, other than simple overexposure, is a franchise doing something that is widely rejected by the established fandom and fails to allow it to pick up a new audience. Falling victim to The Chris Carter Effect or a Kudzu Plot is one of the easiest ways for this to happen, as fans' memories of earlier seasons, films or books are tainted by the realization that the plot that they had spent years following is going nowhere, is being made up on the fly with little forethought, and isn't likely to be resolved. Consequently, the now-former fans tell newbies not to bother. Ending a series on a base-breaking note is another way to do this. In a nutshell, the series enters a Dork Age that it not only never gets out of, but which rubs off on when it was still good. Long Runners may be troubled by changing times (and thus, changing tastes), which can lead entire genres to being not even the shadow of that they were before.

Compare Jumping the Shark, Periphery Hatedom, Dead Horse Genre, Fallen Creator, and Hatedom. Contrast Vindicated by History and Nostalgia Filter. If a single work is perceived as rendering something Deader than Disco, it's a Creator Killer, Franchise Killer or Genre Killer. Compare and contrast Unintentional Period Piece, when a work can be precisely dated to a specific era, but it may (or may not) have remained popular up to the present day.

[robyrob]

the thing that springs to mind immediately is the variety shows of the 70's, and to a lesser extent talk shows of the 80's/90's, where for each there was a time period where it seemed like EVERYONE that was a recognizable name had their own variety show or talk show, and that trend died out for each eventually.

in terms of specific shows, the only one that i remember being openly mocked and hated and anyone that admitted to watching it was marked for life and made fun of was - "Hello Larry", except of course that it was never really popular and was a laughing stock before the first episode aired (yet somehow had good enough ratings to get a second season)

[icecream]

I haven't seen Hello Larry but liked its crossover episodes with Different Strokes.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by robyrob

the thing that springs to mind immediately is the variety shows of the 70's, and to a lesser extent talk shows of the 80's/90's, where for each there was a time period where it seemed like EVERYONE that was a recognizable name had their own variety show or talk show, and that trend died out for each eventually.

in terms of specific shows, the only one that i remember being openly mocked and hated and anyone that admitted to watching it was marked for life and made fun of was - "Hello Larry", except of course that it was never really popular and was a laughing stock before the first episode aired (yet somehow had good enough ratings to get a second season)

A "deader than disco" type of show to me, is simply something that was quite popular and/or acclaimed during its initial run, but in the years and decades since that time, is seen as sort of an embarrassing joke (in the sense that you're quite ashamed to admit to actually liking or enjoying it) or horribly dated. I guess, Hogan's Heroes can fit into this category since ten years ago, TV Guide named it as one of the 50 worst TV shows ever made.

[factsoflife]

I think that soap operas may fall into this category. They were clearly very popular in the 50's through the 80's, but starting in the 90's they've been quickly fading out of popularity. As we all know now, the genre is on it's last legs with many of the most legendary one's being cancelled for cheaper to produce series.

I don't really know anybody that still watches soaps anymore. Once upon a time they had very strong, rabid fan bases, but those seem to have vanished. I recall in the early 90's, teenagers used to watch them, and people thought that the teen audience would save the soaps, but nowadays I don't think most young people watch soaps. It's so sad but I don't think history will look too fondly on this once great genre that I love.

[jimpickens]

Music shows like Solid Gold American Bandstand and The Midnight Special were all the rage in the 70s and 80s but by the 90s they have gone the way of the 8 track. Creature features use to be every non network station would air Godzilla movies and other monster and sci fi movies now all you get is the lame stuff Sci Fy churns out.

[UMFaninMD]

Speaking of American Bandstand, teen dance shows - Dancin' USA, Dance Party USA, Club MTV, and The Grind were extremely popular in the late 80's and early 90's but it seemed after grunge and alternative music took over, watching good-looking people bop around on a TV set wasn't so hip anymore. Soul Train ended several years later too despite focusing more on hip-hop. Now if people are going to dance on a TV set, they have to be somewhat famous, judged on and voted off by the public.

[EmoJoe]

I feel like a lot of MTV reality shows are going to/already fit this description. I'd say Laguna Beach already does, and Jersey Shore is on its way.

[Mr. Television]

I hope the reality genre goes into this soon. lol

[TMC]

Originally Posted by EmoJoe

I feel like a lot of MTV reality shows are going to/already fit this description. I'd say Laguna Beach already does, and Jersey Shore is on its way.

MTV as a whole fits this trope. MTV had always been I think, the main hub of whatever was hip, cutting edge or in vogue at the time. MTV could make or break you as an artist during its peak. It's now a days, pretty much become the channel for exploitative, trashy, low-rent reality shows. MTV pretty much treats or looks down upon its young audience as non-intelligent these days.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by UMFaninMD

Speaking of American Bandstand, teen dance shows - Dancin' USA, Dance Party USA, Club MTV, and The Grind were extremely popular in the late 80's and early 90's but it seemed after grunge and alternative music took over, watching good-looking people bop around on a TV set wasn't so hip anymore. Soul Train ended several years later too despite focusing more on hip-hop. Now if people are going to dance on a TV set, they have to be somewhat famous, judged on and voted off by the public.

What did something like Soul Train in perhaps was the emergence of Black Entertainment Television and Yo! MTV Raps by the late '80s. By this point, Soul Train really no longer had a monopoly on the black youth. I also think that Soul Train arguably, failed to evolve or really adapt to the times, especially after Don Cornelius stopped hosting in '93. It really became one of those shows that you you were surprised that was still on the air.

[MrCleveland]

The Variety Show genre would fit well in in this category. In 1970, it was like the passenger pigeon, there were a lot of varirty shows out there, but when "Pink Lady and Jeff" came...the variety show genre died and basically became extinct. Now the variety show genre is limited to SNL, though there were some exceptions like "Chappelle's Show"...I wish this genre would return.

[Mr. Drucker]

Perhaps they might even consider a crack or two at reviving westerns and sci-fi

[TMC]

Originally Posted by MrCleveland

The Variety Show genre would fit well in in this category. In 1970, it was like the passenger pigeon, there were a lot of varirty shows out there, but when "Pink Lady and Jeff" came...the variety show genre died and basically became extinct. Now the variety show genre is limited to SNL, though there were some exceptions like "Chappelle's Show"...I wish this genre would return.

If anything killed the variety show if you ask me, it's cable television. Why sit around and wait for say a comedian, musician or whatever during a single show when there's already a devoted, 24/7 channel to fulfill that particular niche.

[MacLeaper]

I don't know if this category would really work- is disco really dead?
Oh well- I still like listening to it- along with a lot of other styles of music.