My list of Sitcoms that were good near the end and bad near the end - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TVFactFan · 03-03-2003, 12:51 AM

Here are the sitcoms i think were still good in the last couple of seasons

1.Sanford and Son
2.Three's Company
3.Married With Children

Here are the sitcoms that were horrible near the end

1.Jeffersons
2.All in The Family
3.Happy Days
4.Cosby Show
5.Welcome back Kotter
6.Laverne and Shirley

Janice · 03-03-2003, 02:24 AM

Stayed good to the end:
* The Dick Van Dyke Show
* Barney Miller
* Mary Tyler Moore
* The Bob Newhart Show
* Family Ties
* Seinfeld
* Cheers...a close one though

Jumped the Shark:
* All In The Family
* The Jeffersons
* The Cosby Show
* Mad About You
* Ally McBeal

DarleneIllyria · 03-03-2003, 03:20 AM

Okay, let me think. I will also explain my choices

Stayed good to the end
Sanford and Son- Yeah, I feel it did get a little bit weak towards the end, but it wasn't enough to make it jump the shark. If it had lasted for a couple more years, yeah, I'd prob. be putting it in the jump category.

My Favorite Martian- It lasted 3 seasons and I enjoyed each season. It didn't run long enough to jump.

Jumped the Shark

All in the Family- Mike and Gloria leaving and Stephanie coming in made it jump. I know I have a confusing manner of looking at AITF. I'm still not all that fond of the Stephanie season, but she's cool on Archie Bunker's Place.

Leave it to Beaver- Beaver's puberty killed it. I just can't sit and watch the last few years. The first 2-3 years will always remain the best in my mind.

The Andy Griffith Show- Departure of Don Knotts, Andy gets the male form of PMS, the color seasons all contributed to the death of this show. Don and Andy were the backbone of the show. It only works if you have both actors together. Don left and the whole thing fell apart.

Diff'rent Strokes- Maggie and Sam, need I say more?

Ally McBeal- The show suffered pretty badly towards the end, imo.

Batman- Yeah, it jumped too. If you look at the 3 seasons of Batman, it really looks like a skier going down a hill. The first season is right at the top of the hill. The storylines took a nosedive starting with season 2. By season 3, it was gone. The storylines just weren't as clever, the criminals they were thinking up weren't the best ones they used before. It jumped.

Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C- I'm afraid this one kind of jumped too. Jim Nabors has a great singing voice, but during the color years of Gomer, I kind of get the feeling that it was turning into a Jim Nabors variety show or something. It's hilarious that Gomer couldn't sing all that well during his years on TAGS and on Gomer he can sing like that? They just showed his singing off too much on the Gomer show.

It Jumped, but look, it jumped back

The Twilight Zone- Ah, one of my personal faves. Hey, I'm talking about the original. I want to clear that up. The first 3 seasons were fantastic. You just couldn't beat it. Then season 4 pops up. We're dealing with hour long shows now. It just doesn't work. I think season 4 is the weakest TZ season and it just didn't have all that many memorable episodes. They wised up during season 5 and made it go back to 30 minute episodes.

The Facts of Life- If I were at the actual jumptheshark.com website, I might have voted day 1 for FOL. I don't really like the first season all that much. It jumps there. Then season 2 comes along and they shrink the cast up and add Nancy McKeon. It def. improved. It jumps back, the shark doesn't rip it to pieces. If they hadn't shrunk the cast up and added Nancy, I would be adding it to my jumped category.

*As you can see, I mixed everything up. I've got dramas and sitcoms mixed together. My list is every show that I have watched and really liked. I'm not one of these people that gets all defensive about a show that took a nosedive. I like all my shows and I can admit that some of them did jump the shark. I tried to judge as honestly as possible. I would really like to come back later on and add 3 more shows to one of my categories. Once I see every episode of Star Trek: TOS, Buffy, and Angel, I'd like to come back and vote on them.

TVgen62 · 03-03-2003, 04:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Janice
Stayed good to the end:
* The Dick Van Dyke Show
* Barney Miller
* Mary Tyler Moore
* The Bob Newhart Show

I'm with you on these! (All are on my list of faves.)

Quote:

Originally posted by Janice

* Seinfeld

Hmm. I felt that Seinfeld had one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel as of the next-to--last season. There were quite a few in the last season that I sat through without laughing. (And don't get me started on the last episode.)

Quote:

Originally posted by Janice

Jumped the Shark:
* All In The Family

[Sigh] Also one of my faves but, sadly, yes it jumped...

-- Everybody join in, now-> "when Mike and Gloria moved to California."

TVgen62 · 03-03-2003, 04:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jenny
Okay, let me think...
The Andy Griffith Show- Departure of Don Knotts, Andy gets the male form of PMS, the color seasons all contributed to the death of this show. Don and Andy were the backbone of the show. It only works if you have both actors together. Don left and the whole thing fell apart.

I agree. Don Knotts deserved eahc of his 5 Emmys for his work on TAGS.

Quote:

Originally posted by Jenny

Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C- I'm afraid this one kind of jumped too...It's hilarious that Gomer couldn't sing all that well during his years on TAGS and on Gomer he can sing like that?

Gomer could definitely sing on The Andy Griffith Show. Remember the one where he almost replaced Barney in the church choir? Gomer then pretended to have laryngitis when he saw how disappointed Barney was about being replaced.

Quote:

Originally posted by Jenny
It Jumped, but look, it jumped back

The Twilight Zone- Ah, one of my personal faves. Hey, I'm talking about the original. I want to clear that up. The first 3 seasons were fantastic. You just couldn't beat it. Then season 4 pops up. We're dealing with hour long shows now. It just doesn't work. I think season 4 is the weakest TZ season and it just didn't have all that many memorable episodes. They wised up during season 5 and made it go back to 30 minute episodes.

Didn't you find an anthology series, such as TZ, harder to rate than a series with a (basically) constant cast of characters? In this case, though, I guess you had a clear "signpost up ahead."

Again, I agree that an hour was way too long for most of those episodes. It took me a while, but I've grown to really like "Miniature".

BTW, you can always check with me about Star Trek TOS.

*PinkLady* · 03-03-2003, 04:20 PM

Good:
Taxi
ALF
I Love Lucy
Three's Company
Golden Girls
The Jeffersons

Bad:
Sanford and Son (too many stupid episodes)
Happy Days (repeatedly jumped the shark after the 1st couple of years)
Leave it to Beaver (when Beaver hit adolescence, he got ********)

DarleneIllyria · 03-03-2003, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TVgen62

Gomer could definitely sing on The Andy Griffith Show. Remember the one where he almost replaced Barney in the church choir? Gomer then pretended to have laryngitis when he saw how disappointed Barney was about being replaced.

BTW, you can always check with me about Star Trek TOS.

Aw geez, I completely forgot about the choir ep. Thanks for reminding me about it.

What do you think about Star Trek? I've heard a lot of complaints about season 3 being the point where it jumped. I've caught only a few season 3 eps, and that's basically it. Since Scifi airs it again now, I finally get the chance to see them all. Let me add *hopefully* to that part.

dawsongirl · 03-03-2003, 06:45 PM

Good to the end-
Adam-12
The Monkees
I Dream of Jeannie
Hogan's Heroes

Shark Jumpers-
Route 66- Not the same w/o Buz
I Love Lucy- God, after Europe it just nosedived

TVFactFan · 03-03-2003, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jimmiegirl48
Good:
Taxi
ALF
I Love Lucy
Three's Company
Golden Girls
The Jeffersons

Bad:
Sanford and Son (too many stupid episodes)
Happy Days (repeatedly jumped the shark after the 1st couple of years)
Leave it to Beaver (when Beaver hit adolescence, he got ********)

Why do you feel the beaver changed when he hit adolescence? How was he different?

*PinkLady* · 03-03-2003, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SOLOMON
Why do you feel the beaver changed when he hit adolescence? How was he different?

He was saying the same things he said when he was a little kid, stuff like "Girls have cooties" or whatever, stuff that an adolescent kid wouldn't say. Plus, the way he phrased things still made him sound like a little kid. It just didn't work. They were trying to keep him cute and little when he really wasn't.

DarleneIllyria · 03-03-2003, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jimmiegirl48

He was saying the same things he said when he was a little kid, stuff like "Girls have cooties" or whatever, stuff that an adolescent kid wouldn't say. Plus, the way he phrased things still made him sound like a little kid. It just didn't work. They were trying to keep him cute and little when he really wasn't.

Yeah, exactly. It just doesn't work to have a 13 or 14 year old trying to act 8 years old.

Oh yeah, I need to add something to my Beaver list. I've already mentioned Beaver's puberty being a jump. I would also like to mention the exit of Madge Blake and Rusty Stevens.

Sitcomwriter · 03-04-2003, 12:05 AM

I'm in the minority of people who preferred the later "Ally Mcbeal" episodes to the earlier ones.

TVgen62 · 03-04-2003, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by SOLOMON

Why do you feel the beaver changed when he hit adolescence? How was he different?

Well there are these things called hormones and...

TVgen62 · 03-04-2003, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jenny

Aw geez, I completely forgot about the choir ep. Thanks for reminding me about it.

"Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia..."

Quote:

Originally posted by Jenny

What do you think about Star Trek? I've heard a lot of complaints about season 3 being the point where it jumped. I've caught only a few season 3 eps, and that's basically it.

I wasn't sure what, if anything, you might have heard and I didn't want to influence your opinion. Let's just say season 3 is...uh, inconsistent. BTW, there are numerous theories as to why things turned out the way they did in the last season. Feel free to PM me, since this is a wee bit "off (to the side of the) topic".

Penny Lane · 03-04-2003, 11:09 AM

Bad at the end;
Roseanne was THE worst!
Welcome Back Kotter
Happy Days
LaVerne and Shirley

Good at the end;
Mama's Family
Newhart
Family Ties
Facts Of Life
Mary Tyler Moore
Bob Newhart Show

03-03-2003, 12:51 AM	#1
TVFactFan Member Forum Junkie Join Date: Aug 17, 2002 Posts: 99,113	My list of Sitcoms that were good near the end and bad near the end Here are the sitcoms i think were still good in the last couple of seasons 1.Sanford and Son 2.Three's Company 3.Married With Children Here are the sitcoms that were horrible near the end 1.Jeffersons 2.All in The Family 3.Happy Days 4.Cosby Show 5.Welcome back Kotter 6.Laverne and Shirley

03-04-2003, 11:09 AM	#15
Penny Lane Butter Pie Forum Icon Join Date: Jul 03, 2001 Location: Beneath the blue suburban skies Posts: 51,269	Bad at the end; Roseanne was THE worst! Welcome Back Kotter Happy Days LaVerne and Shirley Good at the end; Mama's Family Newhart Family Ties Facts Of Life Mary Tyler Moore Bob Newhart Show
	__________________ Vulgarity is no substitute for wit- Lady Violet Crawley

03-03-2003, 02:24 AM	#2
Janice Retired Admin - Hollywood Swingin' Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Beantown Posts: 36,388	Stayed good to the end: * The Dick Van Dyke Show * Barney Miller * Mary Tyler Moore * The Bob Newhart Show * Family Ties * Seinfeld * Cheers...a close one though Jumped the Shark: * All In The Family * The Jeffersons * The Cosby Show * Mad About You * Ally McBeal

03-03-2003, 03:20 AM	#3
DarleneIllyria Gone Forum Star Join Date: Oct 15, 2000 Posts: 19,086	Okay, let me think. I will also explain my choices Stayed good to the end Sanford and Son- Yeah, I feel it did get a little bit weak towards the end, but it wasn't enough to make it jump the shark. If it had lasted for a couple more years, yeah, I'd prob. be putting it in the jump category. My Favorite Martian- It lasted 3 seasons and I enjoyed each season. It didn't run long enough to jump. Jumped the Shark All in the Family- Mike and Gloria leaving and Stephanie coming in made it jump. I know I have a confusing manner of looking at AITF. I'm still not all that fond of the Stephanie season, but she's cool on Archie Bunker's Place. Leave it to Beaver- Beaver's puberty killed it. I just can't sit and watch the last few years. The first 2-3 years will always remain the best in my mind. The Andy Griffith Show- Departure of Don Knotts, Andy gets the male form of PMS, the color seasons all contributed to the death of this show. Don and Andy were the backbone of the show. It only works if you have both actors together. Don left and the whole thing fell apart. Diff'rent Strokes- Maggie and Sam, need I say more? Ally McBeal- The show suffered pretty badly towards the end, imo. Batman- Yeah, it jumped too. If you look at the 3 seasons of Batman, it really looks like a skier going down a hill. The first season is right at the top of the hill. The storylines took a nosedive starting with season 2. By season 3, it was gone. The storylines just weren't as clever, the criminals they were thinking up weren't the best ones they used before. It jumped. Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C- I'm afraid this one kind of jumped too. Jim Nabors has a great singing voice, but during the color years of Gomer, I kind of get the feeling that it was turning into a Jim Nabors variety show or something. It's hilarious that Gomer couldn't sing all that well during his years on TAGS and on Gomer he can sing like that? They just showed his singing off too much on the Gomer show. It Jumped, but look, it jumped back The Twilight Zone- Ah, one of my personal faves. Hey, I'm talking about the original. I want to clear that up. The first 3 seasons were fantastic. You just couldn't beat it. Then season 4 pops up. We're dealing with hour long shows now. It just doesn't work. I think season 4 is the weakest TZ season and it just didn't have all that many memorable episodes. They wised up during season 5 and made it go back to 30 minute episodes. The Facts of Life- If I were at the actual jumptheshark.com website, I might have voted day 1 for FOL. I don't really like the first season all that much. It jumps there. Then season 2 comes along and they shrink the cast up and add Nancy McKeon. It def. improved. It jumps back, the shark doesn't rip it to pieces. If they hadn't shrunk the cast up and added Nancy, I would be adding it to my jumped category. *As you can see, I mixed everything up. I've got dramas and sitcoms mixed together. My list is every show that I have watched and really liked. I'm not one of these people that gets all defensive about a show that took a nosedive. I like all my shows and I can admit that some of them did jump the shark. I tried to judge as honestly as possible. I would really like to come back later on and add 3 more shows to one of my categories. Once I see every episode of Star Trek: TOS, Buffy, and Angel, I'd like to come back and vote on them.

03-03-2003, 04:20 PM	#6
PinkLady Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jun 04, 2002 Posts: 7,457	Good: Taxi ALF I Love Lucy Three's Company Golden Girls The Jeffersons Bad: Sanford and Son (too many stupid episodes) Happy Days (repeatedly jumped the shark after the 1st couple of years) Leave it to Beaver (when Beaver hit adolescence, he got ********)

03-03-2003, 06:45 PM	#8
dawsongirl Member Forum Icon Join Date: Jan 04, 2001 Posts: 53,140	Good to the end- Adam-12 The Monkees I Dream of Jeannie Hogan's Heroes Shark Jumpers- Route 66- Not the same w/o Buz I Love Lucy- God, after Europe it just nosedived

03-04-2003, 12:05 AM	#12
Sitcomwriter Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 27, 2001 Posts: 7,356	I'm in the minority of people who preferred the later "Ally Mcbeal" episodes to the earlier ones.