Jump to content

TV Show Whose Decline Saddens You the Most


Max

Recommended Posts

  • Members

I would say DALLAS started JTS the season after JR and Bobby fought for EO. they started repeating SLs, but I still loved it. but the last 4 seasons? DREADFUL. most of the cast was gone, replaced by lousy characters and JR was turned into a buffoon.

DYNASTY: when the opening credits are longer than an episode....and it just became horrible. the MWDM was great, but as Gordon Thompson said, the payoff almost killed the series. 

TBBT: that show IMPO should have went off 5 seasons ago. 

LHOTP:  they just seemed like they lost their spark. there still were some great episodes here and there, but by the end, it was a shadow of its glory days, although I still love The Last Farewell. 

DAYS: James Reilly and Ken Corday. Enough Said.

THE KING OF QUEENS: the first 5 season were great, but the four turned Doug into a 50-year-old child, Carrie into an evil shrew, and Arthus was even more crazy than he was in the first seasons. but he just got out of hand. no one IMO was likeable at all by the end, and it showed. no wonder it was canceled.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 169
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • Members

The last good season of Dallas was 1987-1988 season. Fans still tuned in to the fall of 1988 to see if JR had died after Sue Ellen shot him.  The 1988-1989 season had a few good episodes...the usual Oil Barrons Ball and Sue Ellen laughing at JR marrying Callie and trying to sabotage in a fun way their marriage. Dallas should've ended in 1990. I think it lasted one too many years. The ratings totally eroded in the final season. The Susan Lucci episodes kept the audience amused for a bit along with her shooting April. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

What payoff?

Please register in order to view this content

 

The final season of DALLAS smelled of desperation.  At the time, there seemed to be so many "Special Guest Stars" (Susan Lucci!  Barbara Eden!  Joel Grey!) that it threatened to turn into "The Love Boat."

 

Speaking of TLB, when episodes became more like travelogues, you knew the end was nigh.

 

Carroll O'Connor had a tremendously negative influence on those two shows (and on "In the Heat of the Night").  The more power he exerted BTS, the less entertaining the shows became.

 

Similarly, Andy Griffith assuming more and more control over "Matlock" turned an already journeyman "detective" series into one, gigantic, homespun bore.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Perhaps.  OTOH, mango, Long's departure might have been a blessing in disguise.  Her leaving certainly didn't hurt the show's ratings.  Also, her departure meant that Sam and Diane's on-again, off-again romance would no longer be front-and-center in the storylines, thus allowing the writers to develop the rest of the ensemble, including Frasier, Woody, Carla, Cliff, Norm, and even Lilith and newcomer Rebecca.

 

People forget, too, that "Cheers" ran longer without Diane (and achieved higher ratings) than it did with her.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

That's a fair point, Khan. I'll be the first to admit that I tend to gravitate toward characters/actors versus an entire show. And you have to wonder, if Shelley didn't exit, perhaps the growth you mentioned doesn't happen and there would be no Frasier spinoff. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members


well, I see what you're saying and agree (wow we agree!), but for me, the season you named was the last great season they had. the Jock SL ( I still believe that was JE) and the entire season was great, but after Pam's car accident, the next season opener just fell flat. from then on, other than certain episodes or scenes (like when JR read Jock's letter to him) it just was crap. the last season they were on fumes. now they were looking for one last season at the time. the next season would have ended the series, but CBS and Lorimar felt with ratings in the toilet and the production costs, not to mention the salaries the cast was making, they called it quits. there was no where else for them to go.

 

two incidental characters were killed, and no one else. they got home and never mentioned that SL again. and then we had the fake Amanda, a lady who was found working at a McDonald's and got the part, and just ended up being so bad they wrote her off and never mentioned her again. didn't Blake and Alexis go back to saying they only had three kids after that?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

so I'm not the only one who thinks ITHOTN went to crap after the first 5 seasons? they had a great cliffhanger, when Joe Don Baker's character got shot, and the season opener had Tibbs' wife being raped with Gillespie already back?! and why? because Carroll wanted that episode first instead of the resolution to the cliffhanger. 


hold on....that's all she wanted? and she got replaced for that?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

To be honest Dallas should've ended the same year Dynasty did because without Sue Ellen the show was dull as hell. There was nothing left after 1989. But Dallas was still doing well in the ratings which Dynasty wasn't anymore. 

 

I like the JR vs Sue Ellen again...yes it was a repeat of the Holly story but that's what made Dallas Dallas.....JR and Sue Ellen...their love hate marriage....I refer to JR sleeping with Kimberly Cryder(sp?) to get Wistar(sp?) and gain control of it. I loved that Sue Ellen stuck it to him by siding with Kimberly and bringing back Wendall.

 

They also brought Morgan Brittany back only to waste her on a two episode visit.......

 

Oh and I hated Sue Ellen's send off.....a damn movie reel and leaves with the ugliest man in Dallas.....lawd....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

The ratings were still too good to cancel it. They were pulling in a 23.1 HH rating. I didn't mind the recast of Pam in the Michaels lady...her first name escapes me...she looked like Victoria Principal and the scenes she had with Cliff and the doctor were very good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



  • Recent Posts

    • It's such a shame that the conflict couldn't be resolved in a mature way between the two actors.. especially since Albee was a bigger asset for the show in terms of character and his popular will they/won't they pairing with Deborah Saxon. One of the things about Edge was that it was just as popular with male viewers as it was with women.  It's one of things I think the show forgot in the final year or two with the deemphasis on the male characters.
    • Daytime Confidential did a podcast of the worst mothers in soaps and here were their lists.  5.Felicia Scorpio 4.Reva Shayne 3.Dina Mergeron 2.Helena Cassadine/Shelia Carter 1.Brooke Logan Dishonorable Mentions- Stephanie Forrester,Ann Douglas, Phyllis Summers and Joanna Manning Joshua 5.Anna Devane 4.Diane Jenkins 3.Ava Vitali 2.Shelia Carter 1.Brooke Logan Dishonorable Mentions-Alexis Davis, Felicia Scorpio, Eve Donovan, Heather Webber, Natalia Ramirez, Stephanie Forrester,and Ruth Martin Luke 5.Natalia Ramirez 4.Diana Coville 3.Helena Cassadine 2.Alexis Davis 1.Arlene Vaughn Dishonorable Mentions-Stephanie Forrester Now for my comments. Wonder what Ruth Martin ever did to this guy?!!! I mean Ruth Martin? I don't get it. Next, IMO they are just picking on Eve Donovan. Who is Dina Mergeron? Same question  Joanna Manning? Diana Colville Is that because of the bad DAYS retcon of her being Leo Stark's mother? All of the rest, CO-SIGN!  
    • Thanks! Looking forward to reading the rest!
    • 1995 Daytime Emmys https://www.instagram.com/p/DJjjxOupJcS/ Deidre Hall & DAYS OF OUR LIVES Edit Special Lifetime Achievement Emmy to Ted & Betty Corday presented by Frances Reid
    • I don't really care about what the men are wearing, or not wearing.   What I care about is focusing on the writing and character development for each of the male characters. Andre really doesn't have a lot of character development that sets him apart from the other male characters except that he seems content to be degraded and mistreated by the elitist Dani.  I would like to know why a good looking younger guy like Andre would willingly be at the mercy of an emotional vampire such as Dani.   Martin, on the other hand, seems to have decent character development.. and it is partly due to how the actor chooses to recite his lines.  Martin was raised in a very privileged household and probably went to the best schools... so it makes sense that he would come across as thinking he was above everyone else.  Most people raised in a upper class situation as the Duprees would view themselves as better than others (it's the same trait Dani seems to employ on those she feels superior to). It makes me wonder how Nicole came out of that family being so warm and nurturing  when her family dynamics seemed very appearance oriented.    
    • I know, right. I after just re-reading the thread, I'm like ooppph!
    • Lulu and Dante were divorced before her coma, but she was still in love with him.  He just didn't know.  They haven't been married for years.    I was pretty mixed about Lulu getting involved when it was just a child out there in the world, but now that she realizes it's Gio I am okay with her telling Dante.  It also is her son's sibling.  I still think it's BLQ's choice though.  Lulu is in a rough spot because I think Dante will be mad if she keeps it a secret and Chase, Brook, Lois, etc will be mad if Lulu tells. Without veering too far into the classic area of the show, I had no problem with Robin telling AJ about Michael.  It may not have *exactly* been her place, but she could see how Carly was manipulating the entire situation.  It also ruined her romantic relationship with Jason for good.  Jason and Sonny were furious with Robin and practically ran her out of town, so I think we were to believe she was the bad guy.  It was a bit out of character for Robin to spill, but KMc was leaving the show.
    • Rewatching/binging THE X-FILES Seasons 1 and 2 (almost done). So much fun re-experiencing, especially re-discovering some of the monster-of-the-week stories. THE WEST WING Seasons 1 and 2 as well - so good to rewatch now with 20 years more life experience and understanding. ALSO.... lol FOOTBALLERS' WIVES Season 3, which is just as bonkers as I remember and so so so so fun. I had forgotten about that iconic season cliffhanger. Good times. Excited to rewatch Seasons 4 and 5 since I remember so very little about them. Hope you've been enjoying!
    • @Toups Tyler Topits listed in alpha order with the breakdown writers 5/12 Monday episode. O'Connor still listed as both breakdown and script writer. Kreizman wrote today's script.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy