[ SECRET POST #3357 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #3357 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 04 pages, 078 secrets from Secret Submission Post #480.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[fscom]

03. http://i.imgur.com/GkNiwEM.jpg

[dethtoll]

I actually agree, but I'd reduce the hourlongs to 5 seasons max. There comes a point where you have to say enough is enough, wrap the story up or fuck off.

[(Anonymous)]

Would you say this is true in all circumstances or would you make a distinction for different types of media?

I feel that some on-going series have a story they need/want to tell and that it can be done in about 5 seasons, depending on how big it is. But, I feel like a procedural can go on forever. Law and Order took cases from everyday life, they changed up the cast, I don't remember too many season-long arcs - it made sense that it went on forever. There's rarely anything new or fresh in the detective genre, so it's not like solving murders gets old. And, you don't have to catch every episode to keep up.

[philstar22]

I don't agree. It depends on the show. Stargate:SG1, for example, was good for 8 seasons, though 9 and 10 are pretty bad. And I for one enjoy the last couple seasons of Buffy. And I'm still into Doctor Who, though maybe your rule is different with shorter seasons?

I think it is important for showrunners to know when to quit and end things, but that place isn't going to be the same for every show.

[(Anonymous)]

British Brevity is preferred, yes.

[(Anonymous)]

Seven seasons for me. Some shows decline in quality before that, of course. But it seems like every long running show I've watched has gone downhill after season seven.

[kallanda_lee]

I tend to agree. I don't know a single example of where season 6 was the best.

[(Anonymous)]

I think it depends. Some of it is how many episodes there are in a season. The 22 episode shows that go on for 10 years can end up having a lot of unnecessary filler and lose steam. They tend to meander a bit and lose focus.

But if your season was 10 episodes, then maybe there are 10 seasons-worth of stuff to go over (depending on what the show's premise is). I've encountered some 6-episode seasons that felt like they had no room to breathe. I feel like Legend of Korra could've benefitted from having more episodes to flesh out their characters and allowed for better pacing. But ATLA had some filler episodes.

As far as seasons go, it also depends on the kind of show. A show with a lot of characters and a lot of world building will have a lot of stuff to explore. I feel like SPN's problem is it's just about the 2 boys (and an angel now) and the world feels small. But Star Trek had a lot of worlds to explore. The later shows were good in that there were more characters to focus on, who could all carry an episode. I haven't watched Simpsons in years, but they're also one I think of that has longevity because of the number of characters (might be played out by now though).

Maybe it's more that writers shouldn't be on the same show for more than 5 years. It's nice they know the characters, but the audience knows the writers' ticks now. For a property that has a complicated premise and lots to explore, then there's no reason to assume it would be played out in 6 years. It depends on a lot of factors but I think some shows definitely can justify going on for a really long time.

[(Anonymous)]

Actually, I think half hour long ones should be five seasons as well. They seem to drip off after that.

[nightscale]

For me it depends on the show, if it's something like a procedural or a show which essentially works on a case-of-the-week basis I think you can keep them going on for a while without it getting too stale.

But for shows with long running arcs and stories I do think it dragging out too long has a detrimental affect in the end(especially when it's clear the writers/creators have no idea what they're doing and are winging it).

(I'm also of the opinion that seasons work better as 10-13 episodes instead of 20-24, it cuts down on padding imo).

[(Anonymous)]

For me, I wish hour long shows only last 10 episodes per season and not 22/24. It's one of the reasons I could binge on Game of Thrones, Agent Carter and Downton Abbey, because I could finish them.

[(Anonymous)]

*Classic Doctor Who is 27 seasons. I know it had short seasons, long episodes, but six seasons would have ended on the second Doctor.
*Sesame Street is 46 and still going.
*Mister Roger's Neighborhood was 33 years running.
*Wheel of Fortune has been going since 1983.
*American Bandstand had been on air 16 years before they ever broadcast the Beatles.
*Pokemon has been going since 1997.
*What's My Line was still winning awards after ten years.
*Jon Stewart did the Daily Show for 16 years and Trevor Noah brings the count up to 17.
*WWE Raw is 24 seasons so far.
*South Park has had it's weaker seasons, but several of the later ones are fan favorites.
*Good Eats is one of my favorite cooking shows and it ran for more than 10 seasons.
*It's Always Sunny has ten seasons so far.
*Various hour long news shows that have been airing for over thirty years.

[(Anonymous)]

I sort of agree, but I wouldn't make it a hard and fast rule.

The reason I finally gave up on The X-Files at the start of S9 was that I just couldn't keep track of the mythology anymore, so while I was happy to watch Mulder and Scully or Dogett and Reyes investigate things, I reached a point where I just couldn't handle the ongoing story arcs, despite having seen every episode at least twice. In contrast, Star Trek TNG was more episodic and therefore was still good and watchable in its last (7th) season. Procedurals can go on forever, as far as I'm concerned, provided they can change up the cast, like L&O.

I don't agree that half hour shows can go longer by default, because I can't think of a half hour show other than The Simpsons that I watched consistently for more than four consecutive years. I'm not into sitcoms, though, so maybe that's just me. I'm not sure comedies are naturally long-lived anyway, since they are far more dependent on the writing and acting than the premise and the writers can get burnt out while changing the cast if people want to leave gets awkward if the show is centered around a family. Something like the Daily Show is different, since it relies on current events.

I think season length is a factor, too.

Doctor Who has both fewer episodes than a typical American show (at least, the new version does - I was never sure how many half-hour installments the old series would do in a year, even if they only had, like, five "episodes") and a tradition of the cast and showrunner rotating out and writers coming and going, so I think it's easier to justify continuing a show like that over a long period of time.

[(Anonymous)]

Not sure that I'd pick a set number of seasons to enforce as an upper limit for a given show format - at least, not without sitting down and reviewing a list of favourites I've had to watch jump the shark over the years - but I definitely would like to stop the PEOPLE ARE STILL WATCHING QUICK MAKE ANOTHER SEASON

[(Anonymous)]

I mostly agree with you. Though if it is a more episodic show it can go longer if there is the occasional change of cast.

[dani_phantasma]

I think it depends. Does the story take that amount of seasons to be told? Or is it being prolonged for as long as it can because $$$?

I wouldn't mind a show going on for a long time if I felt that they were actually going somewhere with a clear plan.

I don't think "shows can only go x number of seasons" is the answer. A show can go strong for a long time and a show can also start meandering at 4 seasons. It's more about story arc and structure.

[(Anonymous)]

Yeah, I can kind of see this point. Even if they start off strong, most shows start to flag around this point.

[(Anonymous)]

I disagree. I tend to stop watching before that point, but if the actors and other fans are still enjoying it, why the hell not??

this comes across was 'I don't like it, therefore it should stop'

[(Anonymous)]

Fuck arbitrary end dates. But I do think shows should end when creators feel like it's time story-wise and not keep going just because producers see dollar signs.

[caerbannog]

I start getting wary when a show goes over 3 seasons. If I'm not already invested in it I am likely to drop it, just because if it's not closed by the 4th it tends to start becoming really repetitive and kind of annoying.

So I'm growing concerned with Orphan Black, but still invested and hoping it will tie up in the next season or two with a nice ending - while it's still good.

Futurama I appreciated the return, then didn't like season 5 as much as the others, but season 7 was a really nice way to end it and I'm relieved it has ended neatly rather than turning into the simpsons. Especially since one of the seasons were just some tie-in movies.

There's a solution for this.

[(Anonymous)]

After a show has its 6th (or 10th) season, stop watching.

I still enjoy NCIS (currently in season 13) and Grey's Anatomy (currently in season 12).

Other shows I thought were good beyond those cut-offs include MASH (11 seasons), Law & Order (20 seasons), West Wing (7 seasons), Stargate SG-1 (10 seasons), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (7 seasons).

[cure_light]

Honestly I could even go for less seasons. Most of my favorites shows are standard half hours and they usually started going downhill around season 3 or 4.

Not that I want to force it on shows. I just wish more shows quit while they were ahead.

[(Anonymous)]

Six seasons and a movie.

[(Anonymous)]

Agreed. I have never seen a show that didn't jump the shark by the time it hit season 5 or 6. I feel that if you can't wrap up your story arcs in 4 or 5 seasons, you kind of suck as a writer and don't know how to be concise.

This is why I vastly prefer British TV shows and anime to Western shows. Give me something that actually ends before the writing goes to hell and half the cast quits.

what does SJW stand for?

[valo]

...that is my question.