TV Shows that started great and then went downhill

[fairweatherfan]

For me.. the ultimate show in this category is .... LOST

I agree in general about Lost, though it was more up and down than a steady decline, but:

The robotic dinosaur cliff hangers in season 1 were awesome. It was NEVER resolved. 

Yes it was.  That was the smoke monster that was in literally every season and even became a character later on.

Really, they put out an explanation/resolution for every one of the early plot hooks, it's just that a lot of them were half-assed and unsatisfying.

That black smoke monster is the most unsatisfying reveal of all time and in no way does it explain what was happening to the trees and sounds they heard in the first half of season 1.

It made those sounds and knocked down trees; it did all that stuff both before and after we saw what it was.  I'm not sure what would be considered an explanation beyond that - schematics of how it vocalized? 

Unsatisfying is subjective, though it sounds like you've done a lot of research to be able to place it highest of all time.  But they definitely explained what was doing that stuff, even made a character out of it, had him talk to folks about his smoky ways.

[indeedproceed]

Orange is the New Black

Season 2 is unbearable, I don't buy for 1 second how they were able to keep Piper in jail to keep the show going.

Disagree about OITNB. I didn't like it as much as the first season, and the "plot" was sooo dumb, but..
Yeah I actually agree, season 2 is unbelievable and unbearable.

[86MaxwellSmart]

The thing about "Happy Days"---it was great the first 2 seasons, when they were filmed without a Live audience...Season 3 started-and the clapping for Fonzie, etc, ruined the show.
It is basically unwatchable after season 4.

[slamtheking]

The thing about "Happy Days"---it was great the first 2 seasons, when they were filmed without a Live audience...Season 3 started-and the clapping for Fonzie, etc, ruined the show.
It is basically unwatchable after season 4.

to it's credit, it did leave a legacy of a long-lasting catchphrase used to this day.

no, not "Aaaayyyyy" or "Sit on it" but the ever-more-descriptive "Jumping the Shark" --> which would apply to some of the shows in this category

[fairweatherfan]

I'll stick my neck out and say Arrested Development.  1+2 were great, but Season 3 started to get a little shaky, and the Netflix season was really ambitious but just kind of a mess.

[TheBig3]

2 1/2 men...post sheen has been bad....

Office after steve carell left, was still decent but not as good....

[indeedproceed]

I'll stick my neck out and say Arrested Development.  1+2 were great, but Season 3 started to get a little shaky, and the Netflix season was really ambitious but just kind of a mess.

I looked for a long time for a picture of a guillotine or a picture of Ned Stark being beheaded that I thought would be acceptable. I could not find one, so I will merely mention that I disagree.

[slamtheking]

2 1/2 men...post sheen has been bad....

good catch. 

in the beginning it was a hardly plausible concept but it's really gone into  "no freaking way" territory.  should have ended even before Sheen started "winning".

[slamtheking]

one other one popped into my head: Soap.

Great beginning that just didn't evolve well each season.  Show was so funny it's first season.   My father met a number of celebrities in his job and the only autograph he ever asked for was from the Major -- Arthur Peterson. 

[fairweatherfan]

I'll stick my neck out and say Arrested Development.  1+2 were great, but Season 3 started to get a little shaky, and the Netflix season was really ambitious but just kind of a mess.

I looked for a long time for a picture of a guillotine or a picture of Ned Stark being beheaded that I thought would be acceptable. I could not find one, so I will merely mention that I disagree.

I'll clarify that it was never bad, it just dropped off in the last two seasons.  It had a long way to drop though, so even the later stuff is better than the vast majority of TV.

[wdleehi]

Newsradio when it lost Hartman


Mash when it became so sappy.


Knight rider when they added the flaps to the car.

[fairweatherfan]

Voltron when it switched to cars (which was really just a different show given the same name in the US).

[incoherent]

The Office and 2 and 1/2 Men should not be on this list.

Both shows were highly successful for like 7 years before any real dropoff

[Birdman]

8 simple rules for dating my daughters...John Ritter past away

[Rondo9]

Know what show hasn't done this thus far...Game of Thrones.

Oh it will eventually, every show has at least one bad season.