# TV series that have fallen the farthest **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 11, 2008, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-have-fallen-the-farthest/456089 "2008-07-11T04:26:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-have-fallen-the-farthest/456089/21 "2008-07-11T16:05:04Z")
About in its fifth season, I made a conscious decision to quit watching ER. I decided I just didn’t care enough about it to bother. I figured it would stagger on for another year or two, but it’s been, what, eight seasons now?? ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-have-fallen-the-farthest/456089/22 "2008-07-11T16:12:27Z")
It’s a little early to say it belongs here for sure, but what about Heroes? It peaked late in the first season (specifically the episode where the radioactive guy goes to the Bennet house), dropped off noticeably towards the end, and then the second (truncated) season was utter crap, writer’s strike or no. ---
**Author:** ![initech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/439d5e/32.png) [@initech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/initech)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-have-fallen-the-farthest/456089/23 "2008-07-11T16:37:06Z")
[QUOTE=Exapno Mapcase] Since I never watched ER I can’t say whether or not it fell the farthest. But I did watch West Wing. It was about as brilliant as any show ever, then Aaron Sorkin left. What remained was an ugly parody of itself. [/QUOTE] True, but only for about one season. Then the show got its footing back. The final season was actually pretty great. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-have-fallen-the-farthest/456089/24 "2008-07-11T17:07:38Z")
Another vote for ER. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-have-fallen-the-farthest/456089/25 "2008-07-11T17:29:21Z")
“m_a_s\*h”. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-have-fallen-the-farthest/456089/26 "2008-07-11T17:37:24Z")
Two shows that I thought fell a long way were _Trading Spaces_ and _What Not to Wear_. Both of them started out with fresh new ideas, but too many “gimmick” shows, personnel changes, and the fact that by nature the format got repetitive after awhile turned them both into bores for me. Another one is _Roseanne_, which started out as a smart, funny, “realistic” portrayal of a blue-collar family and then spun off into la-la land with the whole lottery plotline and the fantasy sequences. It kind of redeemed itself with the last episode, though. ---
**Author:** ![Abby\_Emma\_Sasha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@Abby\_Emma\_Sasha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abby_Emma_Sasha)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-have-fallen-the-farthest/456089/27 "2008-07-11T17:53:47Z")
I have to mention CSI: Miami here. For the first two seasons it was a pretty good crime drama, but then Horatio became a parody of himself and the writing went to hell. I still watch it, mostly for the snark value. And A-Rod. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-have-fallen-the-farthest/456089/28 "2008-07-11T17:55:49Z")
[QUOTE=Crawlspace] They got that way 5 seasons ago. Everything about that show now makes me cringe. What happened to pseudo-smart Homer? He’s a freaking buffoon. The Cosby Show got that way. Some time around when Oliva showed up. Friends was very good for at least 4 seasons, but they blew the Rachel Ross thing too soon and that was the only thing that held the show together. After that everyone became a caricature of their former selves. [/QUOTE] _The Simpsons_ has such a large place in my heart that I try to make excuses for it. But honestly, trying to recall the last _Simpsons_ episode that I would call a classic, I have to go a long, long way back. Damn shame. Groening should have retired the show at the top of its game and concentrated on _Futurama_. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-have-fallen-the-farthest/456089/29 "2008-07-11T18:17:44Z")
[QUOTE=winterhawk11] Another one is _Roseanne_, which started out as a smart, funny, “realistic” portrayal of a blue-collar family and then spun off into la-la land with the whole lottery plotline and the fantasy sequences. It kind of redeemed itself with the last episode, though. [/QUOTE] If you think the last episode redeemed it then why can’t you see the last series for what it was? An intentional parody of itself. ---
**Author:** ![Interrobang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/interrobang/32/17463_2.png) [@Interrobang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interrobang)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-have-fallen-the-farthest/456089/30 "2008-07-11T18:35:56Z")
_The Apprentice_ was fairly interesting its first season, almost unbearable its second, and then after that I stopped watching it and from what I can tell it sounds horrible. Fundamental mistake: deciding that Trump and product placement were the stars of the show. They should’ve moved on to a different business personality and kept the challenges more iconic and less about selling M&Ms. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-have-fallen-the-farthest/456089/31 "2008-07-11T18:53:08Z")
[QUOTE=Sateryn76] We seem to have quickly reached a consensus… \*ER \*was the best, and is now the worst. I don’t care who got exploded in the ambulance. [/QUOTE] But…this time there’s an angry maniac loose in the ER…and he’s GOT A GUN! -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-have-fallen-the-farthest/456089/32 "2008-07-11T19:01:41Z")
Well, try to get him out in the ambulance bay. That’s where the helicopters fall. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-have-fallen-the-farthest/456089/33 "2008-07-11T19:04:01Z")
[QUOTE=shy guy] I think that “getting that way” is an understatement when talking about the Simpsons. As far as I’m concerned, the show had been an increasingly crappy shadow of its former self since about 1996. I still watch it fairly regularly, and have very little good to say about any episode I’ve seen in the past twelve years. [/QUOTE] 199_6_? Seriously? That’s only up to season 5…season 6-8 were gold (in there we have “You Only Move Twice” with Hank Scorpion (but don’t call him Scorpion…it’s Scorpio, but don’t call him that either.)), and 9+10 were good too, at least on par with seasons 1+2, which weren’t that great. Go back and watch “Bart the Genius,” “Moaning Lisa,” or that one where Marge gets drunk at Mr.Burns party and sings that weird song. Very few laughs. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-have-fallen-the-farthest/456089/34 "2008-07-11T19:07:56Z")
[QUOTE=Sigmagirl] Well, try to get him out in the ambulance bay. That’s where the helicopters fall. [/QUOTE] Phew, it did land on him. Uh-Oh, here’s a strung out meth addict who is having some severe withdrawl problems. AND HE’S GOT A GUN! -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-have-fallen-the-farthest/456089/35 "2008-07-11T19:12:39Z")
I can’t believe I’m the first to mention the two classic examples of this: **Twin Peaks** : Brilliant first season and some of the second season, but once we learned who killed Laura Palmer, it died. It did, however, have an amazing finale. **The X-files** : I actually like this show quite a bit all the way through season 7, but many think it started falling afters season 5, with the movie. I know J.J. Abrams or Damon Lindelof have cited both of these shows as their “example to avoid” with Lost. I’ve even previously written rules based on these shows failures. Rule #1: If you have a well planned secret, don’t spoil it early like Twin Peaks. Rule #2: If you don’t have a well planned series of secrets, don’t pretend you do like The X-files. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-have-fallen-the-farthest/456089/36 "2008-07-11T19:18:58Z")
[QUOTE=shy guy] I’m not sure that Family Guy is really any worse than it used to be. I think that it might just be a show that some people can only watch for a little while. I know that its brand of humor totally fizzled out with me after its first run. By the time the series came back, its random absurdist humor did absolutely nothing for me because I was _expecting_ a bunch of random and offensive references to 80’s television or whatever. [/QUOTE] You may be right about this. I thought Family Guy was at its best in the first season or so after it came back. Lately, it’s been hit-or-miss, but, looking at my DVD’s of the first three seasons, it had its hit-or-miss-ness then too. [QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] SNL [/QUOTE] SNL has fallen pretty far not once, but several times. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-have-fallen-the-farthest/456089/37 "2008-07-11T19:20:16Z")
**The X-Files.** In its initial couple of seasons it was an original, fun show, with two ideally cast actors playing two interesting characters. And then it got bad. And then it got even worse than bad. And then, as if to test the very theoretical limits of badness, they produced “The Lone Gunmen,” which was worse than worse than bad. ---
**Author:** ![greatshakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@greatshakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greatshakes)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-have-fallen-the-farthest/456089/38 "2008-07-11T19:44:15Z")
All in the Family Seinfeld, after it finally got good, ca. 92-95 The Larry Sanders Show Can’t think of any others right now, but I soon shall. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-have-fallen-the-farthest/456089/39 "2008-07-11T19:58:46Z")
LOST. Happened about episode 6 in the first season. ---
**Author:** ![Crawlspace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Crawlspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crawlspace)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-have-fallen-the-farthest/456089/40 "2008-07-11T20:15:00Z")
[QUOTE=aldiboronti] _The Simpsons_ has such a large place in my heart that I try to make excuses for it. But honestly, trying to recall the last _Simpsons_ episode that I would call a classic, I have to go a long, long way back. Damn shame. Groening should have retired the show at the top of its game and concentrated on _Futurama_. [/QUOTE] I think there’s an episode where they have Bart say something like, “Hell, if I had a hit TV show I’d milk that sucker until it was bone dry.” Can’t fault the man for making money, but in my world The Simpsons ended at around season 12. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-have-fallen-the-farthest/456089.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-have-fallen-the-farthest/456089.md?page=3)