http://stagingpoint.com/2005/03/20/too-much-of-a-good-thing/ a microscopic cog in the catastrophic plan Tue, 15 May 2012 23:03:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://stagingpoint.com/2005/03/20/too-much-of-a-good-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-5893 Heather Mon, 21 Mar 2005 22:18:59 +0000 http://stagingpoint.com/2005/03/20/too-much-of-a-good-thing/#comment-5893 "Why are low ratings the only reasons that shows are ever cancelled? Why must all good shows end their days having been run into the ground several years after their peak?" Because television shows are created to sell products. As long as it's selling stuff to its target market--uh, audience, it stays on the air. Once a show can't sell stuff as efficiently as the next best show, it gets zapped. All that creative energy just to sell fast food and what-have-you. “Why are low ratings the only reasons that shows are ever cancelled? Why must all good shows end their days having been run into the ground several years after their peak?”
Because television shows are created to sell products. As long as it’s selling stuff to its target market–uh, audience, it stays on the air. Once a show can’t sell stuff as efficiently as the next best show, it gets zapped.
All that creative energy just to sell fast food and what-have-you.

]]> http://stagingpoint.com/2005/03/20/too-much-of-a-good-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-5892 Jon Mon, 21 Mar 2005 12:49:47 +0000 http://stagingpoint.com/2005/03/20/too-much-of-a-good-thing/#comment-5892 Andy, Interesting post. As you say, there are exceptions -- <i>The Office</i> finished its brilliant run after a meager 12 episodes because the creators didn't want it to get stale. <i>The Prisoner</i> only ran for a season. <i>Kolchak: The Night Stalker</i>, one of the main influences on <i>The X-Files</i>, only went for one season (mercifully). <i>Star Trek</i> is a different matter. While seven seasons has become the standard for the franchise (soon to be broken if <i>Enterprise</i> stays canceled), I don't think a service would be done by shortening their runs. This is because it's the later seasons that are among the best. I just watched the TNG pilot "Encounter at Fairpoint" the other day and, man, did it ever stink up the joint. Give me seventh season fare like "Lower Decks" or "All Good Things..." over that dreck any day. Still, overall your point holds. Andy,
Interesting post. As you say, there are exceptions — The Office finished its brilliant run after a meager 12 episodes because the creators didn’t want it to get stale. The Prisoner only ran for a season. Kolchak: The Night Stalker, one of the main influences on The X-Files, only went for one season (mercifully).
Star Trek is a different matter. While seven seasons has become the standard for the franchise (soon to be broken if Enterprise stays canceled), I don’t think a service would be done by shortening their runs. This is because it’s the later seasons that are among the best. I just watched the TNG pilot “Encounter at Fairpoint” the other day and, man, did it ever stink up the joint. Give me seventh season fare like “Lower Decks” or “All Good Things…” over that dreck any day.
Still, overall your point holds.

]]> http://stagingpoint.com/2005/03/20/too-much-of-a-good-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-5891 Ron Mon, 21 Mar 2005 10:53:41 +0000 http://stagingpoint.com/2005/03/20/too-much-of-a-good-thing/#comment-5891 Hey, interesting post Andy. I'd agree with your main point: There are shows that go on longer than they should. I watched X-files off and on, and found it very interesting, and really liked the movie... After Mulder left, it seemed weird that the show kept going, and seemed as though it would have been better for it to just end.. but then I ended up watching most of the last season, and it was really good.. I thought the final episode was incredible. I'd agree the the Simpsons is another show that has past its prime. It can be funny, on occasion, but it's no longer the "every episode is great" show that it was a number of years ago... So I guess you have to weight the good and the bad.. considering how many excellent shows never make it past their first season, and how many great ideas never get their shot, once a show is on the air, are you really just going to let it die the instant you accomplish your original intent? Should Arrested Development end now, just in case they aren't quite as funny in season 3? Seems like shows end for one of 2 reasons: They get canceled, or the people involved don't want to do them anymore. If we were overwhelmed with the sheer number of quality shows on the air, I'd be right there with you telling them to pull the plug on a number of shows past their prime... but if canceling the Simpsons means adding "America's Next Top Elvis Impersonator", I'd rather just watch the Simpsons. As for Scrubs.. I think you just aren't a fan of romantic comedy sitcoms in general. Scrubs continues to be one of my favorite shows, and seems to be liked by a lot of people. So I guess the flip-side of your argument would be: If shows were killed as soon as they finished saying what they originally set out to say, we'd miss out on a lot of really interesting shows. Writers would no longer have to be all that creative.. Come up with an idea, say it, then you're done. Sure, if shows get the ax early you can avoid the 1000th Simpsons episode where you find out Homer is a bad husband, but you could lose some really quality shows. Cheers would've ended the instant Diane left, Friends would have ended as soon as Ross hooked up with Rachel (the first time), Ed would have ended anywhere from the 3rd episode to the end of season 2 or 3, etc.. Sure, plenty of shows get stale and dull, but other shows go in interesting new directions when their "original" storyline is done. Also, DS9 & TNG were still interesting and I'd say "fresh" in their 7th season, and I wouldn't' have minded seeing them continue a bit longer. So I guess what I'm saying is the bigger problem is that the overall quality of television is so low that shows aren't really required to be that good. Simpsons still gets good ratings because it used to be quite funny, and there's nothing better to watch. Hey, interesting post Andy.
I’d agree with your main point: There are shows that go on longer than they should. I watched X-files off and on, and found it very interesting, and really liked the movie… After Mulder left, it seemed weird that the show kept going, and seemed as though it would have been better for it to just end.. but then I ended up watching most of the last season, and it was really good.. I thought the final episode was incredible.
I’d agree the the Simpsons is another show that has past its prime. It can be funny, on occasion, but it’s no longer the “every episode is great” show that it was a number of years ago…
So I guess you have to weight the good and the bad.. considering how many excellent shows never make it past their first season, and how many great ideas never get their shot, once a show is on the air, are you really just going to let it die the instant you accomplish your original intent? Should Arrested Development end now, just in case they aren’t quite as funny in season 3? Seems like shows end for one of 2 reasons: They get canceled, or the people involved don’t want to do them anymore. If we were overwhelmed with the sheer number of quality shows on the air, I’d be right there with you telling them to pull the plug on a number of shows past their prime… but if canceling the Simpsons means adding “America’s Next Top Elvis Impersonator”, I’d rather just watch the Simpsons.
As for Scrubs.. I think you just aren’t a fan of romantic comedy sitcoms in general. Scrubs continues to be one of my favorite shows, and seems to be liked by a lot of people. So I guess the flip-side of your argument would be: If shows were killed as soon as they finished saying what they originally set out to say, we’d miss out on a lot of really interesting shows. Writers would no longer have to be all that creative.. Come up with an idea, say it, then you’re done. Sure, if shows get the ax early you can avoid the 1000th Simpsons episode where you find out Homer is a bad husband, but you could lose some really quality shows. Cheers would’ve ended the instant Diane left, Friends would have ended as soon as Ross hooked up with Rachel (the first time), Ed would have ended anywhere from the 3rd episode to the end of season 2 or 3, etc.. Sure, plenty of shows get stale and dull, but other shows go in interesting new directions when their “original” storyline is done.
Also, DS9 & TNG were still interesting and I’d say “fresh” in their 7th season, and I wouldn’t’ have minded seeing them continue a bit longer.
So I guess what I’m saying is the bigger problem is that the overall quality of television is so low that shows aren’t really required to be that good. Simpsons still gets good ratings because it used to be quite funny, and there’s nothing better to watch.

]]>