# TV Series That Spun Off The Rails **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 15, 2016, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-spun-off-the-rails/754819 "2016-05-15T04:13:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![btcg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@btcg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/btcg)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-spun-off-the-rails/754819/41 "2016-05-15T22:17:33Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > _Northern Exposure_ gets my vote, specifically the episode where Fleischman leaves Cicely for the Indian village. Paul Provenza was brought in in the next episode, and it was all downhill from there. > > It was a fun, quirky show until they brought in Provenza to replace Rob Morrow and changed the nature of Fleischman’s character. The neurotic, nature-phobic physician who hated guns, became ill at the smell of pine trees and spent the entire show’s run longing to live in a condo on the Upper West Side suddenly went to live in a tiny Inuit village with no modern conveniences and accessible only by boat? A place where he was suddenly happy to spear fish and shoot bears? Where he ceremonially burned his Columbia med school diploma? Additionally, Provenza’s character was too much like Fleischman’s, but somehow the chemistry between him and the rest of town just wasn’t there. > > It’s almost as if there were two different series… the first had the self-absorbed New York physician bravely if unwillingly toughing it out in a tiny, quirky Alaskan town. The characters had depth and were somewhat believable. After Morrow left it became a fairly standard comedy-drama, and a lot of the characters lost the depth that they had gained. Maggie lost her man-hating independent streak, Ed’s loveably innocence was lost when he started doing his shaman training… they even changed the professions of some. (Chris’ brother, a CPA through the entire show, was suddenly an attorney. Maggie the bush pilot became a real-estate agent. WTF?) > > If Morrow hadn’t left, and they hadn’t replaced the writers with people that apparently had no idea who the characters were, I think the show would have lasted several more years. Spot-on. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-spun-off-the-rails/754819/42 "2016-05-15T22:35:56Z")
> [@btcg](#): > > Opinion? What of fact? The fact is, that most critics and fans disagree with your opinion about the episode. And the special effects in Star Trek were never that great from the beginning. In any case, it can’t be an example of a point when a series “spun off the rails” unless you’re saying that it had already spun off the rails in the second season. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-spun-off-the-rails/754819/43 "2016-05-15T22:38:06Z")
SNL has gone on and off the rails many times over the decades. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-spun-off-the-rails/754819/44 "2016-05-15T22:40:03Z")
PBS’ “Victory Garden” also went off the rails when Roger Swain left. I tried to watch an episode a couple years ago, and never even made it through the first segment. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-spun-off-the-rails/754819/45 "2016-05-15T22:44:31Z")
> [@ddsun](#): > > Sleepy Hollow comes to mind. I thought the first season was well done. Fun and silly, but working in the scares. It’s been down hill since then. Now it’s just floundering around, completely disconnected from it’s original premise. The original show runners left after season 1. The guy in charge in season 2 made many bad decisions, in plot & character arcs. New people were in charge for season 3 but bad decisions continued. The show limped along. In the final episode, they killed off Abbie Mills. It’s said the actress wanted to leave–no blame, since her part had suffered. But her death was handled clumsily. So the show was just renewed for season 4. Really season 1 was quite good… ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-spun-off-the-rails/754819/46 "2016-05-15T23:28:15Z")
> [@btcg](#): > > That show had the lowest rating when it aired of all their shows. It was silly; exactly the opposite of what they were trying to do. To be fair, the show’s popularity was on a decline, and they were desperate to try anything to turn things around: it didn’t work. Aside from the other points made about the critical consensus on “Tribbles,” there is the fact that ratings of the initial broadcast run are about the least-meaningful way to look at Star Trek possible. _None_ of the episodes got recognition commensurate with the status they would earn in syndication. ---
**Author:** ![Santos\_L\_Halper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/santos_l_halper/32/1_2.png) [@Santos\_L\_Halper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santos_L_Halper)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-spun-off-the-rails/754819/47 "2016-05-16T00:21:12Z")
> [@btcg](#): > > Just watched it… and you could see they cut the budget: Klingon’s no longer needed makeup; just let em look like everyone else. Have you watched ‘Errand of Mercy’, the episode from season one that showed Klingons for the first time? Screen cap below. Is that the expensive makeup you’re referring to? [![](http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/images/c/c1/Klingon_invasion_of_Organia.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20081224105027&path-prefix=en) ](http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/images/c/c1/Klingon_invasion_of_Organia.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20081224105027&path-prefix=en) ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-spun-off-the-rails/754819/48 "2016-05-16T00:41:04Z")
> [@btcg](#): > > Lost in Space in 1968 seems my obvious choice. The series went from cool and cutting edge to audition’s for clown college. They doomed themselves: people stopped watching in droves. No they didn’t. Lost in Space’s Nielsen rankings: 1965-66 32nd place 1966-67 35th place 1967-68 33rd place Compare that to Star Trek, which never got above 52nd place in its three seasons. ---
**Author:** ![rock\_party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@rock\_party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rock_party)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-spun-off-the-rails/754819/49 "2016-05-16T00:43:56Z")
Most TV shows in the 60’s and 70’s ended because they at least started to go off the rails. Classic of the rails is “My Three Sons” which just became a sinking pile O’ when the dad remairried and it became all about the wife’s daughter Doedee’s angst. But so many went that route. These days there is at least a few shows that end at a high (er) point. ---
**Author:** ![rock\_party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@rock\_party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rock_party)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-spun-off-the-rails/754819/50 "2016-05-16T00:52:08Z")
Pettycoat Junction same thing. I love Lucy, when they moved to CT and became suburban. Mayberry was beat to death, though it was after Andy Griffith left. ---
**Author:** ![rock\_party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@rock\_party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rock_party)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-spun-off-the-rails/754819/51 "2016-05-16T00:53:28Z")
They were also much more open to total “retooling” shows back then. Sometimes it worked, most times not. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-spun-off-the-rails/754819/52 "2016-05-16T00:54:41Z")
> [@btcg](#): > > At one point, she was ‘coming out’ every week to somebody. When the week came that she came out to her plumber… I think the show met this thread’s criterion. Actually, that one was pretty good. She needed a plumber to fix a leak in her sink, and was about to call her father’s old friend, when somebody suggested she should hire a gay plumber – who turned out to be completely incompetent. She finally called her father’s friend, who was competent – and turned out to be gay. One of the better episodes. ---
**Author:** ![btcg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@btcg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/btcg)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-spun-off-the-rails/754819/53 "2016-05-16T01:37:23Z")
> [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](#): > > No they didn’t. Lost in Space’s Nielsen rankings: > > 1965-66 32nd place > 1966-67 35th place > 1967-68 33rd place > > Compare that to Star Trek, which never got above 52nd place in its three seasons. From 1965, they lost an entire place. Looks like droves to me. ---
**Author:** ![btcg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@btcg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/btcg)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-spun-off-the-rails/754819/54 "2016-05-16T01:45:07Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > Actually, that one was pretty good. She needed a plumber to fix a leak in her sink, and was about to call her father’s old friend, when somebody suggested she should hire a gay plumber – who turned out to be completely incompetent. She finally called her father’s friend, who was competent – and turned out to be gay. One of the better episodes. Everyone I knew, myself included, groaned at this episode, and felt it was the epitome of taking it “too far”. Glad you liked it, though. ---
**Author:** ![btcg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@btcg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/btcg)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-spun-off-the-rails/754819/55 "2016-05-16T01:47:35Z")
> [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](#): > > No they didn’t. Lost in Space’s Nielsen rankings: > > 1965-66 32nd place > 1966-67 35th place > 1967-68 33rd place > > Compare that to Star Trek, which never got above 52nd place in its three seasons. Also: I believe the show was cancelled after this season. Network must have been wrong, eh? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-spun-off-the-rails/754819/56 "2016-05-16T02:26:40Z")
> [@btcg](#): > > Also: I believe the show was cancelled after this season. Network must have been wrong, eh? The show was cancelled mainly because of its high budget, not because of its ratings, which hadn’t declined significantly. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-spun-off-the-rails/754819/57 "2016-05-16T02:42:37Z")
> [@btcg](#): > > Everyone I knew, myself included, groaned at this episode, and felt it was the epitome of taking it “too far”. Glad you liked it, though. So far, your opinion doesn’t seem to be a very reliable indicator of quality.😉 ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-spun-off-the-rails/754819/58 "2016-05-16T02:48:23Z")
Heroes went completely of the rails after one season and never recovered. The Walking Dead went of the rails after one season (Hey, this is our most popular show EVER…let’s severely cut the budget and get rid of the show runner!) but it got better. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-spun-off-the-rails/754819/59 "2016-05-16T03:15:10Z")
Roseann winning the lottery. Did anyone watch after that? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-spun-off-the-rails/754819/60 "2016-05-16T04:41:04Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > PBS’ “Victory Garden” also went off the rails when Roger Swain left. I tried to watch an episode a couple years ago, and never even made it through the first segment. Roger Swain left “Victory Garden?” I hate that! I was going to start watching that show again if my job ever gave me Saturday mornings free (and not sleeping). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-spun-off-the-rails/754819.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-spun-off-the-rails/754819.md?page=4)