# Shows that need to stop beating the old horse and put her out to pasture **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 28, 2011, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-need-to-stop-beating-the-old-horse-and-put-her-out-to-pasture/590660 "2011-07-28T19:44:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-need-to-stop-beating-the-old-horse-and-put-her-out-to-pasture/590660/81 "2011-08-06T22:18:16Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > **Rescue Me** has been on fumes for a while now. They’re barely in the firehouse at all anymore. > [@FrigidLizard](#): > > Couldn’t agree more. It started out as a compelling drama of an NYFD veteran struggling with his personal demons in the aftermath of 9/11. I tried to watch season 2 but couldn’t once I realized I hated all the characters and didn’t care that bad things were happening to them. Series finale is in five weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-need-to-stop-beating-the-old-horse-and-put-her-out-to-pasture/590660/82 "2011-08-06T22:32:14Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > _Firefly_ jumped immediately. [Check the ratings](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefly_%28TV_series%29#Ratings). > > > [@](#): > > > > At the time the series was cancelled by Fox, it averaged 4.48 million viewers and ranked 125th. That was a direct result of Fox deliberately playing with the schedule. Bit difficult to garner high ratings when the target audience has no idea when the show is going to be on. ---
**Author:** ![SecretaryofEvil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@SecretaryofEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecretaryofEvil)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-need-to-stop-beating-the-old-horse-and-put-her-out-to-pasture/590660/83 "2011-08-06T23:15:13Z")
> [@DKW](#): > > - Case in point, Mecha-Streissand. Be honest now, do you _really_ believe that Matt and Trey didn’t just pull four names out of a hat when deciding who the heroes and villain would be? > [@DKW](#): > > Anyway, relevant to the thread, I don’t know why Matt and Trey never made the jump to mainstream. Isn’t that, like, the usual follow-up to a cult hit? It’s totally ok that you’re not a South Park fan. That being said, you don’t seem terribly familiar with Parker and Stone’s work. They had another feature film, Team America: World Police, the political satire/action movie parody shot entirely with puppets. It wasn’t a blockbuster but it made money and has a fairly large fan base. Their Broadway musical, The Book of Mormon, was a huge hit and won 9 Tony Awards. I’m not sure what you mean by making the jump to mainstream. South Park is a hugely popular show, and their style has never really been the boring, go for as much mass appeal as possible, style of humor that say, Friends used. As for the Mecha-Streissand thing, it’s unlikely they pulled names out of a hat. They’ve made their strong distaste for Babs known quite vocally over the years. And they said that the Cure is one of their favorite bands. Robert Smith is one of the only celebrities they’ve ever let do his own voice on the show. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-need-to-stop-beating-the-old-horse-and-put-her-out-to-pasture/590660/84 "2011-08-07T01:09:40Z")
I think there’s room for another season or two of **Burn Notice** now that It looks like Michael is getting unburned, or close to it.Time will tell how this plays out. I think there’s probably an opportunity to tie in some of the Sam Axe backstory we got from the movie, too. It’s not a coincidence that Michael was dropped back in Miami when he was burned, after all. **House** has to go. They’ve now veered into apology for House committing broad domestic violence against Cuddy, they’re bringing in a slate of new female characters to pit against a man who’s becoming increasingly and inexplicably abusive and has burned any good will as a protagonist he had left. I agree with **MsRobyn** that there may be hope for **Bones** :They’ve delayed production – and the season premiere – by about two months, to come back to work _after_ Deschanel has her real life child. I have a very strong feeling that the TV pregnancy may not come to fruition. ---
**Author:** ![phantom\_lamb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@phantom\_lamb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phantom_lamb)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-need-to-stop-beating-the-old-horse-and-put-her-out-to-pasture/590660/85 "2011-08-08T11:54:18Z")
Breaks my heart but I have to go with South Park. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-need-to-stop-beating-the-old-horse-and-put-her-out-to-pasture/590660/86 "2011-08-08T12:03:46Z")
> [@tumbleddown](#): > > I agree with **MsRobyn** that there may be hope for **Bones** :They’ve delayed production – and the season premiere – by about two months, to come back to work _after_ Deschanel has her real life child. I have a very strong feeling that the TV pregnancy may not come to fruition. Nah, the producers have talked a little about how the upcoming season will include Booth and Bones dealing with the baby in their own unique way. So I don’t think it’s going away. But yes, I agree with there being hope. Even when Bones has been retarded, its still entertaining. I don’t think that will change. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-need-to-stop-beating-the-old-horse-and-put-her-out-to-pasture/590660/87 "2011-08-08T12:30:35Z")
> [@phantom\_lamb](#): > > Breaks my heart but I have to go with South Park. You’ll only have to endure it for another 2 and a half hours. It’s the last half-season ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-need-to-stop-beating-the-old-horse-and-put-her-out-to-pasture/590660/88 "2011-08-08T12:36:41Z")
**Survivor** would be great if they left the islands/hot locations. I know that part of its appeal for some is the perv factor of seeing the contestants in their skimpy clothes, but putting them high up in the mountains or a place like Greenland would renew my interests. **Weeds’** storylines went from good, to slightly outlandish, to just unbelievable and unlikeable. It’s like the show feels the need to keep topping itself that I’m expecting extra-terrestrial seeds next. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-need-to-stop-beating-the-old-horse-and-put-her-out-to-pasture/590660/89 "2011-08-08T13:19:30Z")
> [@Namkcalb](#): > > You’ll only have to endure it for another 2 and a half hours. It’s the last half-season Nope. [South Park](http://www.southparkstudios.com/fans/faq/) studios has announced that they’ve been renewed through 2013, two more seasons after the current one. ---
**Author:** ![Fluoridation\_Plot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea5d25/32.png) [@Fluoridation\_Plot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fluoridation_Plot)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-need-to-stop-beating-the-old-horse-and-put-her-out-to-pasture/590660/90 "2011-08-10T01:51:32Z")
I could see Family Guy getting axed for a third and final time. This season was more story-telling than joke-making, and it came across comically weak. Peter isn’t really a central character any more; everything is Brian and Stewie. (Not surprising, seeing as Brian is really McFarland’s alter ego, hence he uses his natural voice) They’ve abandoned the cut-aways, and much of the introspective humor that made the show from season 5 or 6 onward is gone. It seems to me that the 100th episode with Brian and Stewie in the bank vault worked so well that they adopted the formula for the entire show. However, the reason the 100th episode worked so well is that it was out of the ordinary and entirely unexpected. It just doesn’t work every week. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-need-to-stop-beating-the-old-horse-and-put-her-out-to-pasture/590660/91 "2011-08-10T02:02:02Z")
South Park still goes where other shows do not. It has a special place in comedy. If they were gone there would be a hole nobody else will fill. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-need-to-stop-beating-the-old-horse-and-put-her-out-to-pasture/590660/92 "2011-08-10T09:24:40Z")
I have to agree with the SDer who suggested “Desperate Housewives” should have been axed in the third season. That is when I stopped watching it. I tried later to watch the DVDs but gave up after a few more episodes that I hadn’t seen. They should have learned from “Soap”…one season of outright farce is great, any more is pathetic. I’m not sure if I should list all these various “Real housewives” series because I have never seen them, well not more than 10 minutes. But I think that is enough. Worst piece of crap on TV since “Firefly”. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-need-to-stop-beating-the-old-horse-and-put-her-out-to-pasture/590660/93 "2011-08-10T13:19:52Z")
> [@Fluoridation\_Plot](#): > > I could see Family Guy getting axed for a third and final time. This season was more story-telling than joke-making, and it came across comically weak. Peter isn’t really a central character any more; everything is Brian and Stewie. (Not surprising, seeing as Brian is really McFarland’s alter ego, hence he uses his natural voice) They’ve abandoned the cut-aways, and much of the introspective humor that made the show from season 5 or 6 onward is gone. > > It seems to me that the 100th episode with Brian and Stewie in the bank vault worked so well that they adopted the formula for the entire show. However, the reason the 100th episode worked so well is that it was out of the ordinary and entirely unexpected. It just doesn’t work every week. I don’t know, I think they could make the transition to hour-long parodies if they cut the number of episodes in half. Their Agatha Christie spoof was pretty entertaining. And the Star Wars ones of course. -Joe [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-need-to-stop-beating-the-old-horse-and-put-her-out-to-pasture/590660.md?page=4)