# What is the worst TV show decay you've seen? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 2, 2016, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-tv-show-decay-youve-seen/745002 "2016-02-02T23:58:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-tv-show-decay-youve-seen/745002/101 "2016-02-03T18:05:14Z")
4400, like Heroes, had an interesting premise about ordinary humans granted extraordinary abilities and how they would cope with them, seen through the eyes of a couple of feds. It started out as a case of the week kind of storyline but was also building to an overarching plot. Then the fed’s boss stabbed them in the back for some reason, then the baby grew up to be a sexy young lady who was getting married, something else happened, I dunno evil future dudes or something. Regular people hated the powered people, I think. Some were good and some were bad and the future people were bad or something because they wanted the future to happen. I think? I couldn’t stand Billy Campbell in this and I forgot that I liked him in everything else. My wife and I watched Helix last month and I was like “Hey, I like Billy Campbell. I totally forgot.” This show squandered Garret Dillahunt, Jeffery Combs, and just about everyone else as well. Then it ended. A bit of a thread that I started about the 4400 a while ago: > **[AS God as my witness, I'll never have to watch 4400 again](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742584)** > > Mrs. Intergalactic Gladiator (who actually kept her maiden name, stating "like hell I am going to take that surname) and I finally worked our way through season 4 of The 4400. We’ve been watching this show on and off for the past few years and it’s... ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-tv-show-decay-youve-seen/745002/102 "2016-02-03T18:36:37Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > _Charlie’s Angels_ tanked after Kate Jackson left. 😃 It got a lot harder for me to watch after she left after season three. Still made the effort, though… ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-tv-show-decay-youve-seen/745002/103 "2016-02-03T18:40:37Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Speaking of BSG, as I understand it the one in the '70s got cancelled because there weren’t enough people tuning in to see a wannabe drama about serious-minded folks in space looking for the lost tribe of humanity; it just wasn’t popular enough, and so wasn’t profitable enough, to stay on the air. > > But, hey, so long as we now have all these props and costumes: how about we do a Buck Rogers series? It won’t aspire to serious drama; it’ll be swashbuckling fun, with guest stars like Cesar Romero and Frank Gorshin and Julie Newmar just so everyone can say _I See What You Did There_. And we’ll give our hero a wisecracking robot pal voiced by Mel Blanc, and cast Erin Gray as a sexy fellow officer in skintight spandex, and have Buster Crabbe save the day with a wink to how he played Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon – and cue the scenery chewing by Roddy McDowell and Ray Walston! We’re doing light-hearted sci-fantasy here, people! > > And it was a hit: it wasn’t hamburger trying to be filet mignon; it was ice cream trying to be dessert. And so it got renewed. And so they said, _say, now we can drop all of that and go back to my favorite plot: serious-minded people searching for the lost tribes of humanity in space!_ > > So, no BATMAN villains, and no Mel Blanc; and no skintight spandex, dammit; and no light-hearted swashbuckling fun, because who wants that? Throw in a stoic sidekick and stand by for Season 2: _BSG!_ > > There was no Season 3. Hated that stupid robot. Erin Gray was the only reason I watched! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-tv-show-decay-youve-seen/745002/104 "2016-02-03T18:42:58Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Dude, a slight decline, but hardly massive decay. Season 4 is less popular, but Farscape more or less rocked all the way through. Sorry, but the stupid in Season 4 burned my eyes. I stopped watching when the “you son has your memory of the wormhole” nonsense. I did watch the finale, but the “Instant Crighton – Just add water” cliffhanger was probably the worst in TV history. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-tv-show-decay-youve-seen/745002/105 "2016-02-03T19:25:21Z")
**Ray Donovan** : first season was pretty good and showed some good potential. Then Jon Voight showed up. I’m still enjoying _Homeland_, and I think _Nurse Jackie_ probably went one season too long, but was okay for most of its run. **True Detective** went from brilliant to disaster in record time. **The Office** had quite a few good seasons, but they should have ended it when Carell left the show. Maybe even before then. Definitely before then. Chevy Chase’s talk show went to shit in the first airing; maybe even before he came out on stage. It was given a mercy killing after five weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-tv-show-decay-youve-seen/745002/106 "2016-02-03T19:26:38Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > **[VOICE OF SHELDON COOPER]:** “Original”? Really?!? \*\* “Original”?!? \*\* :dubious: :eek: I’m not sure what you mean. Please explain. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-tv-show-decay-youve-seen/745002/107 "2016-02-03T19:42:38Z")
> [@JKilez](#): > > _Archer_. The first three seasons were fantastic, they stumbled a bit with season four, and then the floor dropped with seasons five and six. It was as if they completely ran out of ideas and at the same time were contractually bound to give all the voice actors equal time on every episode. It becomes a game of “how can I contrive a situation that gives minor characters X, Y, and Z each their required three minutes of dialog?” Yeah, Archer kind of baffles me. It sort of abruptly turned into a parody of itself, where the plots stopped being interesting and the humor has become 99% callbacks. It stopped inventing, and just started repeating itself. It went from “consistently so funny I had to pause it to finish laughing” to “sometimes I chuckle.” ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-tv-show-decay-youve-seen/745002/108 "2016-02-03T19:55:06Z")
_It’s Always Sunny_ was always a little on the dark side, but Jesus Christ!, the recent episodes are damn near unwatchable. It has degenerated into some truly abhorrent shit. Oh, I still watch it, and its funny as hell, but I can only imagine I’m the only one who still thinks so. 😃 Most of the Comedy Central original shows have a similar trajectory. _Workaholics_ is unwatchable anymore. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-tv-show-decay-youve-seen/745002/109 "2016-02-03T19:58:19Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > I’m not sure what you mean. Please explain. Perhaps we have different understandings of the word “original”: > **[Doctor Who](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who)** > > Doctor Who is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterrestrial being called the Doctor, part of a humanoid species called Time Lords. The Doctor travels in the universe and in time using a time travelling spaceship called the TARDIS, which externally appears as a British police box. While travelling, the Doctor works to save lives and liberate oppress... ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-tv-show-decay-youve-seen/745002/110 "2016-02-03T20:02:31Z")
There are sharks in Lake Michigan? 😮 _Sliders_. It started out pretty good (though I wanted to throw something at the TV when they thought they were in an alternate reality because Quinn’s mother had oiled the squeaky front gate), but it turned into “All aliens in every timeline” and I was out, even before Jerry O’Connell’s brother showed up. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-tv-show-decay-youve-seen/745002/111 "2016-02-03T20:03:11Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Perhaps we have different understandings of the word “original”: > > [Doctor Who - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who) Peter Davison was the Fifth Doctor, in the original run. Not sure what your point is? ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-tv-show-decay-youve-seen/745002/112 "2016-02-03T20:08:50Z")
Great topic, and some excellent examples. Personally I think Game of Thrones is in serious danger of joining this category. As Benioff and Weiss have run out of novels to adapt their shortcomings as writers have been cruelly exposed. I’m pretty much expecting the next season to be a total disaster. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-tv-show-decay-youve-seen/745002/113 "2016-02-03T20:15:29Z")
> [@TCMF-2L](#): > > “The Big Blue Bitch” seems a harsh appellation for Zhaan. Of course, the **Prof.** was only quoting Rygel’s epithet for her. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-tv-show-decay-youve-seen/745002/114 "2016-02-03T20:27:01Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Peter Davison was the Fifth Doctor, in the original run. Not sure what your point is? By your own definition, he was not the original Doctor. The original Doctor was William Hartnell. Davison would be the original Doctor only if you ignored Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, and Tom Baker. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-tv-show-decay-youve-seen/745002/115 "2016-02-03T20:32:40Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Perhaps we have different understandings of the word “original”: > > [Doctor Who - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who) When I said _original Doctor Who_, I was referring to the TV series that ran from 1963-89. When I said New Doctor Who, I was referring to the TV series 2005-present. I have no idea what you meant, or what you thought I meant, or what your actual objection is. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-tv-show-decay-youve-seen/745002/116 "2016-02-03T20:37:09Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > By your own definition, he was not the original Doctor. The original Doctor was William Hartnell. > > Davison would be the original Doctor only if you ignored Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, and Tom Baker. Oh, I see. But Sheldon would know that Doctor Who is the name of the show, not the character. The others would then start arguing about _The War Machines_, and Bessie’s vanity plates. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-tv-show-decay-youve-seen/745002/117 "2016-02-03T20:37:09Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > There are sharks in Lake Michigan? 😮 [http://wgntv.com/2014/08/14/is-that-a-shark-in-lake-michigan/](http://wgntv.com/2014/08/14/is-that-a-shark-in-lake-michigan/) :eek: ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-tv-show-decay-youve-seen/745002/118 "2016-02-03T20:43:57Z")
How about **Northern Exposure**? I don’t think the drop-off is a severe as other examples noted, it was a pretty great show that ended on a whimper in a similar manner to **The Office**. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-tv-show-decay-youve-seen/745002/119 "2016-02-03T20:45:46Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Oh, I see. But Sheldon would know that Doctor Who is the name of the show, not the character. I get it, I get it! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-tv-show-decay-youve-seen/745002/120 "2016-02-03T20:48:55Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > _Get Smart_ and _Bewitched_ were never as good once the principles were married with children. \*Bewitched \* begins with Samantha and Darrin’s honeymoon, if I recall aright. And all the comedic tension comes from the fact that they’re a mixed marriage; the addition of Tabitha just ups to ante. I can see what you mean with_Get Smart_. But I never much cared for it anyway. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-tv-show-decay-youve-seen/745002.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-tv-show-decay-youve-seen/745002.md?page=7)