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Original poster

Following on from the other thread…. Which tv series did they carry on too long?

140 replies

Tillow4ever · 29/08/2025 08:07

We have seen some excellent examples of shows ended in their prime that we all wanted more of - now what about the tv series that we loved… but then they carried on too long and ruined it.

Scrubs - I like to pretend the whole Med School drain just never happened

House - What were they thinking in the final season?

OP posts:
MMBaranova · 29/08/2025 08:58

My rule of thumb would be think very carefully before any Series 3. Stop with Series 3.

There are exceptions of course, including series based on a set of novels.

Weekmindedfool · 29/08/2025 08:59

ExcellentDesign · 29/08/2025 08:45

Yes to Brookside, once the gangster storylines took over it became unwatchable.

ER - they managed to get it back on track in the end but it did go all sorts of wrong in the multiple helicopter crashes era.

Yes to ER. Later seasons you simply didn’t care about the characters. Carter coming back for a few episodes at the end made all the difference.

legsekeven · 29/08/2025 09:01

Weekmindedfool · 29/08/2025 08:59

Yes to ER. Later seasons you simply didn’t care about the characters. Carter coming back for a few episodes at the end made all the difference.

Show quote history

Yes to er. Loved it. I have rewatched over the years and always stop on the episode where Nela arrives

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Original poster
Tillow4ever · 29/08/2025 09:01

willtrent · 29/08/2025 08:16

Grey’s Anatomy. It’s still going, and should have stopped pre-Covid.

I love Grey’s. It’s started to improve the last couple of seasons, although it’s unlikely to ever be as good as the early days!

OP posts:
Cattenberg · 29/08/2025 09:02

The Durrells. I really liked the first series, but each subsequent series seemed to be worse than the last. I didn't watch the last series and my family told me I didn't miss much.

pilates · 29/08/2025 09:02

So many but here are a few

Casualty
Xfactor
Big Brother
Eastenders
The Voice
Ant and Dec need to go too

Original poster
Tillow4ever · 29/08/2025 09:04

PsychoHotSauce · 29/08/2025 08:52

The Blacklist. You could tell even the actors were fed up of the whole thing the last few seasons.

Re Lost, I recently watched it all for the first time. I liked it and think it ended in the right way at the right time, however it's a very binge appropriate show. I can imagine losing interest if I had to wait a year between seasons and would probably agree it dragged on too long then.

I gave up on Blacklist, which isn’t like me at all - once I start something, I keep going regardless! Such a shame as it started brilliantly.

OP posts:
Candleabra · 29/08/2025 09:05

ER for sure.
They had to keep killing off the main characters when the actors wanted to leave or making them ridiculously unhappy or act out of character. Every time someone settled down or found love it was ruined the next season.

Idontknowwhy15 · 29/08/2025 09:05

I don’t think any series can end at the perfect time. We’d probably want more even when given the perfect ending. Conversely, I think every show I’ve ever watched has dragged on too far.

Candleabra · 29/08/2025 09:06

And Homeland. I wish they’d done just one season with a different ending. It would have been a brilliant stand alone series.

Pianoaholic · 29/08/2025 09:07

I loved Friday Night Dinner, but could have done without the last series.
I still watched it because I loved the characters, but it wasn't as funny.

Candleabra · 29/08/2025 09:07

Idontknowwhy15 · 29/08/2025 09:05

I don’t think any series can end at the perfect time. We’d probably want more even when given the perfect ending. Conversely, I think every show I’ve ever watched has dragged on too far.

Agree with this. It’s rare the writers/studios know when enough is enough.

Kingsleadhat · 29/08/2025 09:08

TheNightingalesStarling · 29/08/2025 08:12

Big Bang Theory.
But on the other hand... it got the perfect ending.

The final speech was nice but I thought it was crappy of them to make Penny have a baby when she'd had a whole episode establishing that she didn't want kids

Kingsleadhat · 29/08/2025 09:10

Ted Lasso went from lovely comfort viewing to moralising schmaltz by S3

wizzbitt · 29/08/2025 09:13

R0ckandHardPlace · 29/08/2025 08:28

Brookside. Fantastic in its day, bloody ridiculous by the end.

Was I right in seeing an episode where there was a UFO in the woods? And it used to come on at lunchtimes towards the end. It used to be so good though.

Kingsleadhat · 29/08/2025 09:13

Pianoaholic · 29/08/2025 09:07

I loved Friday Night Dinner, but could have done without the last series.
I still watched it because I loved the characters, but it wasn't as funny.

Agreed. The ending was ridiculously sentimental, not at all in keeping with the rest of the series

Kingsleadhat · 29/08/2025 09:15

And the less said about the Frasier reboot the better

UnsocialMedia · 29/08/2025 09:16

Walking Dead, Only Murders In The Building, The Last of Us

WeAreExperiencingHigherNumberOfCallsThanUsual · 29/08/2025 09:16

X files
The last few seasons were quite meh. Just to add, they also had the audacity to add 2 season in 16 and 18 and that was an abomination
Walking dead

If it's a moneymaker, they are bound to drag it out and ruin it

grrrlatrix · 29/08/2025 09:17

CharlotteStreetW1 · 29/08/2025 08:13

Only Fools & Horses. Show me a decent episode once the womenfolk arrived.

Nooo - two of my favourite episodes: when Del meets Raquel at the club and when Rodney has the clip on pony tail.

Original poster
Tillow4ever · 29/08/2025 09:18

Idontknowwhy15 · 29/08/2025 09:05

I don’t think any series can end at the perfect time. We’d probably want more even when given the perfect ending. Conversely, I think every show I’ve ever watched has dragged on too far.

I agree. If it finishes on a high, we all wanted “one more season”. If it carries on, we inevitably say “it jumped the shark”

OP posts:
NewYorkSummer · 29/08/2025 09:18

Dr Who after Peter Capaldi
Walking Dead (god, they’re really desperate to cash in on that one aren’t they)
You after the second season
13 Reasons Why after season 3

wizzbitt · 29/08/2025 09:18

Kingsleadhat · 29/08/2025 09:10

Ted Lasso went from lovely comfort viewing to moralising schmaltz by S3

So true but I loved every minute of it 😂
There’s a new series coming so will need to renew my AppleTV subscription.

Weekmindedfool · 29/08/2025 09:18

pilates · 29/08/2025 09:02

So many but here are a few

Casualty
Xfactor
Big Brother
Eastenders
The Voice
Ant and Dec need to go too

Tbh pretty much all the long running British tv shows should have stopped years ago. This is why I don’t watch regular tv any more,
only Netflix, Amazon etc.
I went to live abroad for over ten years,
came back to the UK and the TV hadn’t changed a jot. It was like being in a time warp.

ExcellentDesign · 29/08/2025 09:19

I’m a little bit concerned about Slow Horses, the last season wasn't as good as the previous ones even though it was based on what I thought was the best book so far. Hoping the new season picks up again as the books have stayed excellent.