What's the worst way to ruin a good series?

[Lone_Wolf_Moderate]

[Longhorn]

1. A series that stays too long

almost always ends up "jumping the shark." They've done everything they can do and they have outlived the original premise of the show. The characters often become caricatures of themselves.

[mandyky]

2. What I hate is when they put shows against

already established well rated shows or move the nights and times it is shown around willy nilly.

[Phentex]

4. Yep. When they start moving a show so that you can't find it...

it's the kiss of death!

[Mojambo]

3. Clearly letting it go too far is worse.

You can always look back fondly on a great but short lived series, ala Fawlty Towers.

But when a show runs too long it tends to taint the truly great, innovative early years and tarnish the show as a whole, ala Seinfeld seasons 8-9.

I'd much rather have my favorite shows end too soon rather than too late.

[Enraged_Ape]

5. When they add Ted McGinley to the cast

[kaitykaity]

9. When they add Julia Duffy to the cast.

She killed Designing Women and Grace Under Fire that I
can remember right off.

[Goblinmonger]

10. and the second Newhart show

I think there is a trend here. Is she the devil's henchwoman?

[Patiod]

11. Ah, another "Jumptheshark" fan

[imenja]

6. constantly running reruns mid season

in a show with a story line that continues from one episode to another. Lost. I've lost all patience with that show. They have screwed it up so badly by running re-runs, episodes out of order, etc.... Whoever runs ABC TV programming is a complete idiot. It's been years since they've had shows with high ratings, and they seem determined to make sure they stay third place permanently.

[Mojambo]

7. IIRC, Fox made the same stupid mistake in Season one of 24

You're right, it is extremely poor programming.

[CBGLuthier]

8. Had to go with killing it early

Sure it can be sad to see a great show turn into a bad one. But then you can stop watching it and let it die a ratings death.

But when a show I love is cancelled early, like Crusades, Dead Like Me, Odyssey 5 (Ok, wasn't quite great but was gettiung better).....

It's dead and over no matter how much you want to watch it.