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??
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.
True, but only for about one season. Then the show got its footing back. The final season was actually pretty great.
Another vote for ER.
“mas*h”.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
But…this time there’s an angry maniac loose in the ER…and he’s GOT A GUN!
-Joe
Well, try to get him out in the ambulance bay. That’s where the helicopters fall.
1996? 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.
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
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.
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.
SNL has fallen pretty far not once, but several times.
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.
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.
LOST.
Happened about episode 6 in the first season.
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.