TV Show Whose Decline Saddens You the Most

[Khan]

 

Fair enough.  However, even a sex comedy on TV like early SATC needed a richer exploration of the main characters between bang sessions.  Otherwise, it was just "1st & Ten" with snappier dialogue.

 

 

Spot. On.

 

King and SJP had planned to kill off Big in the third movie.  My reaction to the bombshell: "He died, because telling Carrie how beautiful-slash-smart-slash-popular-slash-successful she was every moment of the day just wore him out."

[cct]

 

 

TBH, Star's SATC was boring. I remember watching the first few episodes of the first season and thinking, "Meh."

Sometimes I think SATC is overrated. We liked it, because they were talking about things on TV no one else on TV was talking about like "funky spunk" and "vibrators." 

 

 

I was all in on Heroes through the first season. I should've known after that weak-ass finale, but I hung in another two years. I was one of those, "it's about to get better" people. I was so burned I couldn't hang for the reboot. Such a shame. 

 

 

I think another one that saddened me was Designing Women. It just never recovered from losing Delta and Jean. Even though Delta's zaniness was fun, Charlene was really the "heart" of the show, and I really enjoyed Jan Hook's Carlene, but we just didn't have that investment. I'll always be interested to see how the show might have fared if we had jumped right into BJ (Judith Ivey) instead of Julia Duffy's Allison. I did like BJ, even if they had a hard time differentiating her from Julia. 

[Taoboi]

Uh...yeeeaah NO. 

 

I IMHO still think Season One hold up well after a rewatch...given what Tim Kring was going for.

 

HOWEVER...he should have stuck the landing and killed everyone he wanted to kill in that first season finale. And then do what he claimed he wanted to do which was introduce a new set of heroes from season to season a la American Horror Story.

 

To this day, I remember critics mentioning how Bryan Fuller at least understood the brand and righted the ship enough. However, once he left to do his own shows, the show was doomed.

That sounds familiar...what was the story with that again?

Well, to be fair, my favorite episode of SATC was the second season finale, but yes Star did leave after season two.

 

That said...I tell my co-worker this all the time. Most shows do not last after the original showrunner/creator leaves. The only show that I can think of that has has been SUPERNATURAL and I don't know why TBH. lol. Its showrunner had his five year plan. Then he was out. Yet...years later...

 

I agree with you on TB btw. I'm not sure if I can sit through Five again. I remember it having a lot of potential. The last two seasons...other than seeing Lala with a happy ending and Alexander s with his Tarzan filming bod in Season...I don't think so. But the first four seasons with its gothic allure in season 1 and 2, MaryAnn and Russell evilness, and the shade from Pam, Lala, and Tara though? I'm here for it.  

[Khan]

Another series I don't believe has been mentioned: "Gilmore Girls."  Many say the show declined when its' creators and original EP's, Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, left.  I can't attest to that, since I never watched beyond the first season.

[Soaplovers]

 

I'm a die hard Gilmore Girl fan... and the show started it's decline around season 4/5.  Season 4 had an opportunity to expand with Rory going to Yale.. being single.. rooming with paris.. and meeting other supporting characters.. but Rory started to change from the likable character she was in season 1 to 3.. to the shrew she became in season 5 through 7.. and the limited series reboot.  With that said, season 4 had some great episodes that I always love to rewatch... but season 5 was when the show truly started the fast track down the decline hill.

 

I'm one of the few that actually liked the final season.. because the creators/EP's were forced out.. and the new showrunner slowed down the frenetic pace.. and finally got Lorelei/Emily off that annoying hamster wheel of fighting/making up.  Plus, Rory opting to choose herself and go on to start the next chapter was so much better than what Palladino originally wanted to do (and ended up doing at the end of the limited series).

[Huntress]

I agree about the final season being more even than seasons 5 and 6. I think GG's worst year was season 6 with the introduction of the April/Anna Nardini mess. I also didn't like that Rory and Lorelai were kept apart for weeks after they had their big fight in the season premiere only to reunite in the blink of an eye. That was some lazy writing.

 

While I know that the show was mostly about Rory and Lorelai (after all, it's called Gilmore Girls), the show had such a large supporting cast which was hardly used – or if they were used, they always had the same stereotypical storylines. I definitely wanted to see more of Paris, Lane, Michel and Sookie in seasons 6 and 7, but they were always given the C plots (or didn't appear for weeks).

 

I haven't seen the Netflix revival, yet.

[xtr]

 

I hated when they paired Rory with Logan in season 5 (and onward) who I found to be smug and very unlikeable. I thought he was an awful fit for her and that their relationship was unhealthy. I think that her relationship with him had a very negative impact on her and her behavior in later seasons.

[NothinButAttitude]

 

But I like Tiffany. 

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I just don't think she was given a fair chance. Her debut episode was more about Kelly (my fave) instead of Tiffany. At least when Kris was brought on, her debut episode allowed her to shine. Same with Julie. I do think your suggestion for Julie would've been more interesting than what she did have. It would've at least been a change and shock seeing an angel end up murdered. 

[Khan]

 

I don't see how.  You said so yourself: they never developed her enough.  Moreover, Shelley Hack looked even more uncomfortable with "running and gunning" than did Farrah or Jaclyn (who was my favorite as well).

 

Someone (forget who) said that had Tanya Roberts joined "Charlie's Angels" one season earlier, the show might have lasted longer.

[All My Shadows]

Y'all, I love Charlie's Angels, and I don't turn away if I get a chance to watch a post-Kate episode, butttttttt I would've been fine with it ending after the third season. I never minded Tiffany, and the first time I ever came across reruns of the show as a kid, they were Julie reruns, but neither one could replace Sabrina. They tried with Tiffany. She was serious, she was all about the business, but she had none of Sabrina's wit and willingness to play to get the case solved. Julie was a different direction altogether, and the whole dynamic of the team was thrown out of whack.

Another show of the same era that limped along longer than it needed to - CHiPs. The "fun in the sun" lightweight 70s style was out by the time Larry Wilcox left, but then they tried to keep it going with the dumb ass Nelson brothers and a bunch of new secondary troopers. The only plus from that last season is the clip of Ponch disco dancing that was added to the opening.

[marceline]

I did a quick review of this thread and saw no mention of Scandal. The first season was wild fun and somewhat innovative but it died on the altar of shipping. The show became all about Olivia and Fitz. Then once the B613 stuff got layered on top of it, the show quickly climbed up its own ass and turned into complete nonsense.

[jcar03]

Agreed.  The B613 took over the whole show.  I liked the first season or two where the focus was on solving a scandal.

[Taoboi]

With allowing a little bit of time to pass, I will even say that the fun stuff on Scandal was the first three seasons...at least until Olivia was kidnapped. Then she became a whole other person from the take charge woman she started off as.

 

And her mother was BOSS.

[Khan]

When it comes to "Scandal," I just remember thinking I had seen it all before on "Alias."

[NothinButAttitude]

 

I enjoyed the poshness Tiffany possessed. Just the aura about her. I felt like she was a total opposite of Sabrina (who I love too). I just wish we knew more about her character outside of her dad being an old friend of Charlie's, hence why she was hired. 

 

 

Let me add another classic TV show I have been becoming obsessed with to the list--T.J. Hooker. Season 1 was good but didn't have that spark that the show had in seasons 2-4. The Shatner/Zmed/Lockclear/Darren dynamic is EVERYTHING. Again, a few years before my time, but I love it. I do think that CBS (who acquired the series at that time) not doing everything in their power to woo Zmed to stay killed the show. The presence without Romano was hard to replace.