Nobody wants their favorite show to end, but that doesn’t mean it should go on endlessly. By the time a show reaches double-digit seasons, you start to wonder if there really are more stories to tell or if the creators just don’t want to let it go. It’s understandable that fans and creators grow attached to characters they’ve watched for years, but keeping it going can hurt the show more than help it
If you don’t lose interest after twenty-something seasons, the episodes have an increased chance of getting redundant. For fans, that’s just as bad as the show ending. Here are 3 shows that have gone on too long.
#3: NCIS
The successful police procedural premiered in 2003 on CBS and finished its 21st season in May of this year. At the start of the show, NCIS followed Leroy Jethro Gibbs, the supervisor of the Major Case Response Team of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and his team. They solved crimes that involved members of the Navy or Marines.
There have been numerous cast changes and everyone that audiences came to love is now gone. This includes Mark Harmon as Gibbs after 19 seasons, Michael Weatherly as Anthony DiNozzo after 13 seasons, and Pauley Perrette as the quirky Abby Sciuto after 15 seasons. Additionally, fans think the most recent seasons haven’t been as good as the earlier ones.
After 21 seasons of a show, these police procedurals can get redundant, and the lack of familiar faces can turn some viewers away. NCIS has been renewed for a 22nd season, set to hit screens this fall. Maybe this will be the last?
#2: Pretty Little Liars
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Pretty Little Liars has been off the air for years now, but it needs to be included in this list. 4 best friends are being stalked by an unknown person called A after the leader of their clique fakes her death and disappears. On this show, Hanna, Aria, Spencer, and Emily work to uncover the truth behind Alison’s disappearance while juggling A’s threats to expose their secrets, their love lives, and everyday drama.
Pretty Little Liars ran on Freeform from 2010 to 2017. Toward its end, it just felt like the writers were grasping at straws to prolong the show. For example, after being in high school for most of it, there was a random 5-year progression, and the girls were still being threatened by A, even though A’s identity was uncovered multiple times.
To make it even worse, PLL ended with Spencer discovering she had an evil twin who wanted revenge on the girls as well. The show was very popular with viewers, and it was obvious the creators wanted to keep the momentum going at the expense of the storylines.
#1: SpongeBob, AKA Gen Z’s Childhood Show
The lovable SpongeBob has been living in a pineapple under the sea since 1999. The sea sponge loves his job at the Krusty Krab restaurant, spending time with his other aquatic friends and his pet snail Gary. The show is currently on its 14th season.
The show used to be so amusing with its slapstick comedy and wacky adventures, but it’s gone downhill in the past few years. The plots are ridiculous even for kids’ programming, and the change in animation, although slight, is disappointing. At least there a plenty of earlier seasons to turn to for comfort.
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