Television Shows That Stay Around Way Too Long

[Overread]

So what is the secret of the Soap Opera? I mean, those shows go on for years.

I think its a combination of aspects
1) Their audience has loyal followers, but at the same time a lot of people who filter in and out. The writing is such that you can pick them up and put them down fairly easily. Even if you might not get some of the long running stuff, there's enough short term to keep you interested if you're of the kind of person to like soap operas.

2) They are a good place for steadily retiring or actors between projects. Long term actors will remain, whilst many others will appear for a short story arc and then move on. So in part I think they give a repository of roles for actors to step into when they might otherwise find themselves out of work with the bigger, but short term drama series.
Much like how many actors might also do roles in theatre and the like between big TV productions.

 

[soulsinging]

So what is the secret of the Soap Opera? I mean, those shows go on for years.

Ask GRRM, he's been reaping the benefits for decades. The trick is to get people hooked enough on the characters that they simply don't care how many shark-jumping moments you add, people will still watch out of devotion to the world.

How I Met Your Mother has to be in this category... an amusing concept that had some truly hilarious moments early on and engaging leads, but ran about 5 years too long.

 

[Vertigo]

So what is the secret of the Soap Opera? I mean, those shows go on for years.

I think they are a modern take on gossip and voyeurism. Long time popular human activities.

 

[jackwin]

"Glee", only show I ever went from loving to hating.
Maybe some shows shouldn't be binge-watched.

 

[The Big Peat]

Death in Paradise and New Tricks were both great comedy police procedurals in their prime, but their prime ended a good couple of seasons before the shows did (or will) at least.

So what is the secret of the Soap Opera? I mean, those shows go on for years.

Never be good enough that people can complain about them being bad later Also, never be sufficiently based around one particular writer or set of actors that their removal kills everything.

The problem with this thread is that we are looking at this from an arts point of view. Television shows will run as long as they make money and their stars are amenable to, or capable of, continuing in those roles. When either of these stops, so does the show, maybe a year later but not likely longer than that.

You're not wrong, but I don't see why we should look at it from any other view. Whether the show is profitable or not isn't my concern, it's whether its good.

 

[Overread]

Death in Paradise suffered when they lost the original lead actor. Same as Midsummer Murders. New Tricks handled it better because they had a core of leads and they generally only swapped one or two at a time and often ahd lead in time to introduce new ones. So it felt like a more natural progression. When you've a team system and no one single powerful lead you can get away with that in a series. Though by the last you only had one of the original remaining and I think it ended on a good spot - even if it tried to get a bit dark in the last season.

Midsummer just feels wrong without the original actor in the role; it would be like Morse or Frost replaced (though in Midsummer its also worse as the new guy just doesn't have the screen presence - he's just too much a "blank face in a suit")

 

[CupofJoe]

Oddly I like Midsummer better with Dudgeon now than I did with Nettles. And I would argue that Morse has had three leading actors. There was Thaw in Morse, the Prequel with Evans and the follow up with Whatley in Lewis [which was the same as Morse in all but name]. It is a great set-up that can handle the changes.
I think just about all TV shows hang around too long. Only the rare show like Fleabag and Fawlty Towers quit with the world wanting more. There must be others but they don't come to mind. I like a good mini-series, a handful of episodes in a self-contained story.

 

[Vertigo]

There must be others but they don't come to mind.

Father Ted.

But I agree almost all shows go for the lingering death.

 

[Vladd67]

Does Father Ted count? Had the lead actor not died how long would the series have lasted? Would we have eventually been moaning about the writer squeezing laughs out of the characters and that it was past its best?

 

[Vertigo]

Does Father Ted count? Had the lead actor not died how long would the series have lasted? Would we have eventually been moaning about the writer squeezing laughs out of the characters and that it was past its best?

Well that's a valid point, though I was still left wanting more!

 

[Vince W]

Well that's a valid point, though I was still left wanting more!

I would add Black Books and Black Adder to shows that I was left still wanting more.

 

[soulsinging]

I would add Black Books and Black Adder to shows that I was left still wanting more.

I loved Black Books, but my wife couldn't stand when I put it on.

 

[CupofJoe]

I think Black Adder [Goes Forth] ended on such an emotional point [with futile the charge across no-mans-land], that there really couldn't be a follow-up. I saw the Black Adder Millenium Dome thing and it was a poor imitation.

 

[BAYLOR]

I would add Black Books and Black Adder to shows that I was left still wanting more.

Ive seen a few episodes , I thought it quite good.

 

[paranoid marvin]

Blackadder ran it's course; it was incredibly funny for the final 3 seasons, but (imho) the laughs (perhaps due to the subject material) weren't quite as funny in Fourth as they had been in two or three. Christmas Carol was incredibly funny too and Cavalier still holds up (Stephen Fry makes an excellent King Charles) but Back and Forth was fairly poor.

 

[BAYLOR]

Blackadder ran it's course; it was incredibly funny for the final 3 seasons, but (imho) the laughs (perhaps due to the subject material) weren't quite as funny in Fourth as they had been in two or three. Christmas Carol was incredibly funny too and Cavalier still holds up (Stephen Fry makes an excellent King Charles) but Back and Forth was fairly poor.

Ive seen a few episodes of that series over the years. I found it pretty entertaining stuff.

 

[BAYLOR]

So what is the secret of the Soap Opera? I mean, those shows go on for years.

Because the audiences for soap operas by and large, tend to be Zombies.

 

[BAYLOR]

Bewitched especially after Dick York left the show. Dick Sargent who replaced him was good actor, but just wasn't the right fit .

 

[BAYLOR]

Ask GRRM, he's been reaping the benefits for decades. The trick is to get people hooked enough on the characters that they simply don't care how many shark-jumping moments you add, people will still watch out of devotion to the world.

How I Met Your Mother has to be in this category... an amusing concept that had some truly hilarious moments early on and engaging leads, but ran about 5 years too long.

IIt was very good showing yes last a bit too long.

 

[BAYLOR]

The original Hawaii 5-0 , Gunsmoke , My Three Sons .