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Time to say buh-bye . . . Shows that over stay their welcome
So FOX announced this week that there is going to be a fourth season of Prison Break.
Yeah, I think we all know how I feel about that.
Because I so enjoyed the first season of the show, I’m not going to say too much more. However the pick up of Prison Break for another round (this time the series will film in Los Angeles and Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell have both signed on) got me to thinking about other shows that were past their prime but kept on airing.
Just like there are shows that are gone too soon, there are shows that overstay their welcome. Once popular shows that hang on just a little too long and go out with a whimper (raise your hand if you were still watching Ally McBeal when it ended) instead of a big brouhaha bang (the final episode of Seinfeld).
My top three picks of shows that should have ended before they did:
Melrose Place: Melrose Place was the first show I officially broke up with. Once most of the original residents had moved out the apartment complex it just wasn’t the same. And I decided that I wanted to remember the days of Amanda threatening Allison and Sydney plotting to steal her sister’s husband in all its glory and not be constantly reminded that the show had become a shadow of its former self.
The X-Files: See I kind of have a rule. If you have basically a two-character drama and one of those characters decides to leave, I think that’s a sign it’s time to cancel your show. As much as I actually enjoyed Robert Patrick and Annabeth Gish, more often than not it seemed like I was watching a completely different show. And even though I loved the fact that the final scene was Mulder and Scully together, I still think the show lasted one season too long.
Roseanne: In its heyday, Roseanne was simultaneously hilarious and a biting social commentary. The rare sitcom that could handle comedy and drama with the same skill. It’s why to this day I watch everything Sarah Gilbert is in (yes even Twins). But once the family won the lottery and Dan moved to California, everything I loved about the show faded away. Like Bobby Ewing, I decided the final season of Roseanne was merely a dream.
What shows do you think overstayed their welcome? Talk about it below.
The Mother of All Possibilities
Kids, are they just messing with us? What can we make of Stella (Sarah Chalke) saying to Ted "I’ve been to one party in the past year. St. Paddy’s Day. It was awful. I left early" on How I Met Your Mother? I’m kind of getting the feeling that every week the show runners may throw a new possibility at us. Chalke was delightful (and did a great job of creating a character distinctly different from Elliot on Scrubs) and I love the idea that she could be Ted’s future wife and that the "your mother" could also refer to how Ted met the mother of a child he was the step-parent to. It’s a great plot twist. And we don’t know the kids’ names, do we? They are only listed son and daughter in the official CBS press releases. The daughter could be Stella's daughter.
I’m loving this apparently new direction of constantly providing viewers with mother possibilities. Are you? Also, Britney Spears gave the show its best ratings ever and I found her appearance to be just fine. She definitely was not a distraction and was rather charming. What did you think of Spears' guest star appearance? How about all the mother possibilities that have come up lately? Talk about it below.
Where Have I Seen Them Before?
James Remar was Arvin Solinsky, the mogul tearing down an apartment complex on Eli Stone. Remar is Harry Morgan on Dexter, Jonah on Jericho and I’ll always remember him as the dastardly Richard Wright on Sex and the City.
Matt DeCaro is Judge Salese on Eli Stone. DeCaro was Roy Geary on Prison Break and we saw him on an episode of House earlier this season.
Nanny Carrie is stirring up trouble all over the place. Angela and Ed recognized Torrey DeVitto, who kidnapped Jamie on the 100th episode of One Tree Hill, was the stripper the bullet was meant for on CSI: Miami. She was also Karen on Beautiful People.
Lewis recognized Ken Marino as the sports agent on CSI: Miami. Marino was Vinnie Van Lowe on Veronica Mars, Professor David Wilder on Dawson’s Creek and Andy on Leap of Faith.
That was Anastasia Griffith as the wife of the hockey player who was interested in Victory on Lipstick Jungle. We recently saw Griffith as the teacher who killed her student on New Amsterdam and she was Katie on Damages.
Diane was the first to remind me that Vanessa Marano, Luke’s daughter April on Gilmore Girls, was the girl who wore the same dress to the prom as Becky on Miss Guided. Marano was also Jack’s daughter Hanna on Without a Trace.
That’s all for today. I’ll be back on Friday with quotes of the week and a review of the second season premiere of The Tudors. Have a question? Seen a familiar face? Want to nominate a quote of the week or a topic for discussion? Write me at amytvgal@zap2it.com.
Amy Amatangelo, TV Gal ®
Goin' for first. But I'll give you some substance and take my chances.
My vote for a show that overstayed its welcome: Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The show was genius through season 5, but once Joss Whedon became distracted with other projects, Buffy suffered, particularly in Season 7. Season 6 brought us "Once More With Feeling" and "Tabula Rasa" and Season 7 gave us the terrific Anya-centric episode, but those two season were otherwise regrettable.
Derek | Mar 26, 2008 10:56:28 AM | #"I decided the final season of Roseanne was merely a dream."
It wasn't actually a "dream" per se, but according to the series finale the final season was Roseanne Connor's fictional account of what happened because Dan had actually died. It was an interesting twist that in hindsight somewhat redeemed the final season.
Mike | Mar 26, 2008 11:10:16 AM | #Hmm, I guessed from the title that it would be a response to Prison Break - but I still don't agree. I think the show has plenty of steam left; and though I'm not surprised to see it get another season, I'm still really, really glad it did.
I agree about the X-Files, though; I tend to just pretend that it only had seven seasons, as it makes me like the series better that way.
Um, ER. Seriously, is that show still on television? And does anyone care anymore? It's not even a shadow of what it used to be, and I'm appalled (though not surprised) NBC kept it around this long.
And I know this will be an unpopular opinion, but American Idol. I realize it's the highest rated show on television, but I still wish it would go away.
Amalthea | Mar 26, 2008 11:13:48 AM | #MASH
by the time it was over the young funny doctors were not so young.
LA Law
Once Mike Kusck left the firm it was over they had a few good moments but it was done.
Friends
25 hanging out in the coffee shop is one thing 35 and it is time to get a real job.
Kevin | Mar 26, 2008 11:16:03 AM | #MASH
by the time it was over the young funny doctors were not so young.
LA Law
Once Mike Kusck left the firm it was over they had a few good moments but it was done.
Friends
25 hanging out in the coffee shop is one thing 35 and it is time to get a real job.
Kevin | Mar 26, 2008 11:16:12 AM | #Regarding HIMYM, the bouncer at the St Patty's bar remarked that it was full of women that night, so they can work the angle Amy wonders about for a long time.
hondo | Mar 26, 2008 11:16:37 AM | #E.R.
Seriously, will this show never die...?
A show that should have ended before it did? 7th Heaven.
Craig M. | Mar 26, 2008 11:28:35 AM | #I tend to stick with shows until the bitter end but I had to give up on Ally McBeal because it was getting too silly.
Sigh, I miss Mulder and Scully.
I watched the first couple of episodes of Prison Break this year but really didn't enjoy the whole Sona backdrop so I gave it up when I was having trouble keeping up with all my shows. I still have them all on my PVR - I don't care enough to watch them but can't seem to delete them. What should I do? Did the show get better after the first couple of episodes?
Dani | Mar 26, 2008 11:29:07 AM | #I agree about Prison Break. I gave up at the beginning of this season. I watched the season finale and it was absolutely absurd.
I also feel that way about all the crappy traditional sitcoms, especially on CBS. Who watches those? Nobody I know.
I disagree about ER though. I love it (almost) as much as I did in the beginning. It's still a great show, although last season's finale was a disappointment.
Re: HIMYM-- I also was pleasantly surprised with Britney's guest spot. It was a small enough role and it didn't typecast her. She seems like such a mess lately, but to me at least, this gave her a bit of credibility for once. Oh, and I would LOVE to see Sarah Chalke become a new cast member when Scrubs ends.
Jason | Mar 26, 2008 11:32:54 AM | #HOW COULD I FORGET 7th Heaven!!
Wow, if there was ever a show that lasted too long, it's that one.
Jason | Mar 26, 2008 11:34:42 AM | #The daughter that we see at the beginning of occasional episodes can't be Stella's daughter. The subtitle during those "flash-forward" says it is the year 2025 or so. Stella's daughter was 8 years old in 2008, which makes her 25 years old or so in 2025. The daughter looks to be more like 15-16 years old. Also, an 8-year-old would remember how her step-father met her mother. It is possible that Stella is the kids' mother, but he is not talking to Stella first daughter in those flash-forwards.
Jonny | Mar 26, 2008 11:43:22 AM | #I hadn't thought of that - that it could still be Stella but that just isn't her daughter Lucy that he's talking to. Maybe at the beginning of the last episode of the series, another girl will come sit on the couch and say "Hey, what are you talking about?" and Bob Saget/Ted will say "Well, Lucy, we're talking about how I met your mother, remember that?" Okay, maybe I'm reaching. But I thought Sarah Chalke was amazing as Stella and I loved loved loved the 2-minute date. Britney was sort of awkward but at least not completely terrible. She should stick to singing. Or maybe not.
Dani | Mar 26, 2008 11:49:09 AM | #I agree with those who mentioned ER - that show has jumped the shark so many times it's getting rather ridiculous. I stopped watching (for the most part) after they dropped a helicopter on Dr. Romano.
I also think some serialized crime dramas, like CSI and Cold Case, are done and should be put to rest.
Mickey | Mar 26, 2008 11:55:09 AM | #P.S. - Just a typo I noticed: April was Luke's *DAUGHTER*, not his son.
Mickey | Mar 26, 2008 11:56:02 AM | #Thank you Diane for remembering Luke's "son" April in MisGuided! It's been bugging me for days where I'd seen her.
Britney wasn't bad but her part could have been played by anybody - kudos to the writers for not making it bigger just because of who she was. And who else thought the writers were throwing us off when Britney showed up after the spectacularly unique and wonderful 2 minute date with a yellow purse and dress? The umbrella could well belong to her but I hope they wouldn't tease us like that!
Talking about Roseanne - didn't Sarah Chalke also play Becky at one point? Funny that she's gone on to success and the original Becky has disappeared.
Although, I enjoyed it still the last season of Charmed shouldn't have happened. It effectively ended at the end of Season 7 but Aaron Spelling doesn't know when to say stop - witness Melrose Place and Seventh Heaven the last episode of which was just bizarre! Was that bus supposed to be Noah's Ark or the Tardis perhaps? Talk about adopting the world!
So many shows I broke up with before they ended-better to leave a bad relationship before it gets any uglier.
In no particular order
1. ER
2. Seinfeld (blasphemy, I know, to some but I thought everyone became a caricature of themselves by the end--Kramer keeping his blood in the freezer ended it for me)
3. Chicago Hope (boring and preachy by the end)
4. Frasier
5. Cosby--Who were some of those people I see (or rather skip by) on the reruns?
6. X Files
7. Ally McBeal --I notice a trend on these David E Kelly shows. The Practice droned on a bit too long and now Boston Legal is too.
And then there are the shows that could be another whole topic of "WHY DID THEY LAST SO LONG"--e.g. JAG, Murder She Wrote, According to Jim...
Andrea | Mar 26, 2008 12:19:59 PM | #Sure the ratings my have increase for HIMYM this week because of Britney spears...but I guarantee next week the ratings will be back. In fact all teh CBS sitcoms are horrible...Actually I don't watch anything on CBS..its all procedural dramas.
I like to watch television that goes somewhere...with continued storylines from previous episodes.
Prison break was great...until they killed sara.
ER, 7th heaven, also overstayed their welcome.
Melissa | Mar 26, 2008 12:20:07 PM | #Northern Exposure - a little show that was wonderful in the beginning but ridiculous by the end.
jessie | Mar 26, 2008 12:21:50 PM | #I was actually very excited to hear Prison Break got picked up. What else is there to watch on Monday nights? It's an aquired taste. Just like watching One Tree Hill.
While I think season 7 of Buffy was not very good, it still had moments.
I think there is a difference between shows that went on too long for no reason (ER and 7th Heaven) and shows that could have been great for longer but the creative forces screwed it up (Moonlighting, Ally McBeal).
realgenius | Mar 26, 2008 12:26:57 PM | #Jason, how can you say you know no one watching CBS sitcoms then you discuss HIMYM? Makes no sense.
I thought Monday's episode along with the previous left plenty of possibilities. Sarah Chalke was perfect on the show.
Roseanne should have ended when Darlene went to school. I thought in the series finale it was explained the whole show was a book Roseanne had written (Jackie was a lesbian, the two girls were actually with the others' husbands, Dan had died, etc.)?
ER needs to be done. It stopped being good and fun 5 or 6 years ago. 24 is boring too - seriously how many really bad days can one man have? And Prison Break. Seriously. The whole premise is just DONE!
Ken | Mar 26, 2008 12:28:29 PM | #I agree with Andrea, David E Kelly shows all seem to overstay their welcome.
Picket Fences, The Practice, Ally McBeal all shows I loved in the beginning, but they all lost something in their last few seasons. (I didn't even bother with Boston Legal)
And i'll add my vote for ER. It really needs to end.
Melanie | Mar 26, 2008 12:33:12 PM | #Murphy Brown overstayed its welcome, as did Fraser (once Daphne & Niles got together it was over for me) and Cosby (once they started bringing in cousins - forget it).
I was with Ally McBeal to the bitter end though, although it was difficult.
The problem with David E Kelly shows is that he has a concept and all the plots in his mind, and they're great, but he only has them for a season or so worth. They should stop when his original plots run out.
Sitcoms seem to be the shows that always lasted too long. Friends and Frasier both stayed on too long by at least a season. According to Jim shouldn't even have lasted 1 season...
ER, Boston Legal, 'Till Death, One Tree Hill, Law and Order...so many shows are just so past their prime.
Sean | Mar 26, 2008 12:39:33 PM | #Thanks for the catch that April was Luke's daughter not his son. I've fixed that. Sigh, why can't spell check catch those kind of errors.
Amy | Mar 26, 2008 12:43:05 PM | #
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