When a show is successful on your network, you may be tempted to keep on renewing it. Be warned - overstaying your show’s welcome isn’t necessarily a recipe for success. More often than not, television shows happen to run for way longer than they should, resulting in frustrated fans, confusing storylines and unsatisfying character development for everyone involved.
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According toReddit, the following shows were all brilliant shows, at least at one point in time, but ran for so much longer then they should’ve. Today, we explain when they were good, when their downfall began, and most importantly - when they should’ve ended.
Once Upon A Time(2011-2018)
A recipe for disaster is when shows happen to lose the majority of its main cast, and still decide to try and continue. This is exactly what happened withOnce Upon A Time- a show that ultimately ended up getting canceled after it’s super low-rated seventh season.
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The original premise for the show - fairytale characters living in a fictional Maine town - was interesting at first, but the more the show progressed, the more that the connections between all the characters became unrealistic. Not to mention, every character on the show somehow ended up being related, which added to the strangeness of the show as a whole.
Scrubs(2001-2010)
Frequently cited as one of themost realistic medical showsportraying life as a doctor,Scrubsprovided viewers with as many laughs as it did tears for seven seasons on NBC. After the network canceled it, ABC picked it up for season 8, providing fans with a beautiful finale - or so we thought.
After this, ABC commissioned an additional season of Scrubs, where the show was moved to a medical school and only three original cast members were introduced. It was so poor that most fans don’t even consider it part of the show - and thankfully, it was well and truly canceled after that.
13 Reasons Why(2017-2020)
The show that raised controversy left, right, and center - based on the novel by Jay Aster comes the story of Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford). The show’s first season was based on the novel itself, and when this season wrapped up, so did the source material based on the book.
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The show then went on to have three more seasons - many of which felt like shock factor instead of deep, powerful storytelling. Many argue that the first season was wrapped up well enough to not need following seasons, but alas, here we are.
Dexter(2006-2013)
Another show that began with an interesting premise that got dragged on for way, way too long isDexter- all about the serial killer with a moral code. After training himself to only kill bad guys, the show quickly loses its appeal with multiple attempts to humanize Dexter, and no consequences for his actions - ever.
Every time someone comes close to exposing him,another serial killercomes in to disrupt the threat, and the moral code remains upstanding. This, combined with a season finale that fans simply didn’t enjoy means the show definitely should’ve ended much earlier.
Weeds(2005-2012)
Showtime’sWeedscenters around Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker), a single suburban mom who grows and sells marijuana to support her family after her husband’s sudden death. What begins as a small-town suburban analysis turns into drug cartels, murder, and gruesome subjects that completely stray away from the show’s initial basis.
The first two seasons portray Nancy as a suburban marijuana dealer in Agrestic, California, which is a great plot. As the show starts to become gunshots to the brain, crossing the border into Mexico, and drug cartel rivalries with her children, not so much.
The Office(2005-2013)
So many shows try to persevere after their main character leaves, andThe Officeis no exception.Steve Carell’s Michael Scott departs the show after season seven, and the show is simply unable to recapture the magic it starts off with.
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The show begins to run out of steam after Pam and Jim get married in the show’s sixth season - with seemingly random plotlines that make no sense with the show start to be thrown in. After these events unfold, Carell’s departure from the show is the final nail in the coffin.
The Big Bang Theory(2007-2019)
In its earlier seasons,The Big Bang Theorywas a pleasant comedy about a group of nerds trying to find their way in interacting with people, especially when their free spirited neighbor moves in next door.
As the years go by, Sheldon (Jim Parsons), one of the protagonists of the show, finds himself reduced to catchphrases and a lack of substance, with the actor himself evengrowing tired of the show’s antics. Twelve seasons later - it’s safe to say that the show had definitely lost its way, and should have wrapped up seasons before.
How I Met Your Mother(2005-2014)
Telling one simple story should not take nine seasons to do -How I Met Your Motheris the perfect example of this. The slow pace of the show was insufferable to some fans, especially as the show started to lose its spark as time went on too.
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With the series finale being one of the most widely hated, It’s safe to say that it should’ve ended way sooner than it did. With Ted (Josh Radnor) and Robin (Cobie Smulders) ending up together after nine seasons of buildup with the Mother, it was dissatisfying to say the least.
