# shows that quit while they were ahead **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 12, 2016, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-quit-while-they-were-ahead/745951 "2016-02-12T17:16:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2016, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-quit-while-they-were-ahead/745951/81 "2016-02-16T17:44:35Z")
_Key and Peele_ was a hilarious sketch comedy show. When they ran out of ideas after 5 seasons, they ended it. And now every re-run is watchable. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2016, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-quit-while-they-were-ahead/745951/82 "2016-02-16T18:16:12Z")
_The Wild Wild West_ was going strong, but was cancelled because it was too violent. _Third Rock From the Sun_ I will contend ended at the right moment - just before they started running on momentum. I suspect many other series didn’t necessarily run out of ideas - I just got tired of the premise or the writing or the schtick. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2016, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-quit-while-they-were-ahead/745951/83 "2016-02-17T17:19:57Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Largely true, except for Peter Dinklage and (to a lesser extent) Lena Headey. Plus Sean Bean, but he doesn’t really count. At this point I think of him as having had a guest spot on the show. Wasn’t Bean literally a big-named star brought on board for the 1st season explicitly to give the series more prominence? ISTR reading that somewhere. Lena Headey was by far more prominent than Peter Dinklage prior to GoT; aren’t some of the character actors somewhat prominent in their niche though; Iain Glen, Julian Glover, Ian McElhinney, etc… ? That’s what baffles me about “Rome”; not a big-named cast, and it doesn’t seem to have been filmed anywhere more expensive than GoT, but apparently had much bigger budgets. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2016, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-quit-while-they-were-ahead/745951/84 "2016-02-17T17:43:39Z")
> [@pool](#): > > I really wish HBO had given us another season or two of Eastbound and Down. I don’t. I thought the last season had good ideas but overall kind of sucked. I think if it had ended after the Myrtle Beach season, it would have been tops. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2016, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-quit-while-they-were-ahead/745951/85 "2016-02-17T18:08:22Z")
> [@bump](#): > > That’s what baffles me about “Rome”; not a big-named cast, and it doesn’t seem to have been filmed anywhere more expensive than GoT, but apparently had much bigger budgets. The above quoted article mentions that Rome had a five acre set and implies that this was rather extravagantly sized. They might have spent more on costuming both because CG touch-ups weren’t quite there yet and an attempt at historic realism (versus generic fantasy). Overall CG is just better now which would help. Of course, the answer might have been as simple as someone signed off on $100mil for the season in 2005 so Rome found ways to spend it. HBO could have been more gun shy about costs so gave GoT $6mil per episode and they’ve made due. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-quit-while-they-were-ahead/745951/86 "2016-02-18T03:40:30Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > HBO could have been more gun shy about costs so gave GoT $6mil per episode and they’ve made due. From interviews, I think this is part of it. HBO certainly doesn’t write them a blank check. They fight for every dollar they spend on the show, and sometimes have to work around the constraints. HBO was willing to spend more on Rome. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-quit-while-they-were-ahead/745951/87 "2016-02-21T01:05:48Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > Freaks and Geeks, hands down. They didn’t quit, they were canned due to bad ratings. They certainly never had time for the show to diminish, what being still in the first season. If that counted any other single season show that didn’t absolutely suck would fit here. ---
**Author:** ![btcg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@btcg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/btcg)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-quit-while-they-were-ahead/745951/88 "2016-02-21T03:32:48Z")
I vote for Carnivale… they had 3 more seasons planned, but refused to cut their show’s budget, resulting in HBO pulling the plug. There may be a movie in the works. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-quit-while-they-were-ahead/745951/89 "2016-02-21T06:49:46Z")
Gilligan’s Island Although they were considering having the castaways be rescued and switch to just having the Skipper and Gilligan take different people out every episode. ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-quit-while-they-were-ahead/745951/90 "2016-02-21T11:03:06Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > Freaks and Geeks, hands down. Yes! I came in here specifically to mention Freaks and Geeks. Well, that and My So-Called Life. ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-quit-while-they-were-ahead/745951/91 "2016-02-21T11:07:21Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > _Dead Like Me_ ran two seasons. It wrapped up the last episode with the series in a pretty good place: George came to terms with her afterlife, accepted it, and looked forward to her future. Many shows which lasted longer fared much worse. I don’t know about that. Dead Like Me started off strong, but it went downhill after Bryan Fuller left. The show went on much longer than it should have, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-quit-while-they-were-ahead/745951/92 "2016-02-21T18:43:06Z")
I don’t think being canceled is the same as quitting when you’re ahead. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-quit-while-they-were-ahead/745951/93 "2016-02-21T23:57:32Z")
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