35 TV Shows That Lasted Too Long

A comprehensive analysis identifies 35 television series that continued beyond their creative peak. The list includes major shows like Stranger Things, Grey's Anatomy, and Suits.

Key reasons for overstaying their welcome include:

• Running out of creative material
• Extending limited series concepts
• Cast departures affecting core dynamics
• Production delays causing aging issues

Notable examples demonstrate how longevity often diminished quality rather than enhancing it.

Stranger Things lasted five seasons across nine years, with critics arguing the payoff was insufficient. The show began with child actors, but by the conclusion, Millie Bobby Brown had become a wife and mother. The finale, which showed characters graduating high school, was considered laughable given the actors' real-life ages. The creators, the Duffer Brothers, were noted as never having been seasoned franchise filmmakers capable of building an entire universe.

Westworld was canceled by HBO in 2021 after four seasons, despite needing only one more to wrap up its story. The series, which began as a theme park concept for the mega-rich, became increasingly confusing starting with season two. Fans found the aspect ratio changes and time-jumping narratives exhausting, leading to arguments that it should have remained a one-season limited series.

The Walking Dead universe continues after 16 years with six spin-offs. Since its 2010 premiere, viewers have endured 11 seasons of the original show, eight seasons of Fear the Walking Dead, two seasons of The Walking Dead: World Beyond, one season of Tales of the Walking Dead, two seasons of The Walking Dead: Dead City, three seasons of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, and one season of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.

Homeland ran for eight seasons total. The show should have concluded in season one when Damian Lewis' character Nicholas Brody died, but the chemistry between Lewis and Claire Danes kept the series going until season three. Despite their relationship being the heart of the show, it continued for five more seasons with diminishing returns.

The Vampire Diaries likely should have ended when star Nina Dobrev left after season six. The show continued for two more seasons without its main character and finally ended after season eight in 2017. The series originally focused on a love triangle between Elena and two vampire brothers but lost focus as seasons progressed.

True Blood kicked off the vampire craze in 2008 and was campy and sexy for three seasons. However, it declined after revealing Sookie was a fairy, which the character described as "lame." Original showrunner Alan Ball left after season five, and the show ended on a low note in 2014.

Supernatural dealt with angels, demons, vampires, werewolves, and leprechauns across 15 years and 300 episodes. The show followed two brothers tasked with eradicating evil from the world, but it became difficult to maintain freshness after so many trips to hell and back.

Grey's Anatomy has aired for 22 seasons, far exceeding its original premise as a show about surgical interns and their relationship drama. The series has seen numerous cast departures, including Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight after season five, Chyler Leigh and Eric Dane after season eight, Sandra Oh after season 10, and Justin Chambers after season 16. With Ellen Pompeo deciding to leave, critics argue it is time to end the series.

Suits continued for two seasons after Meghan Markle and Patrick J. Adams left in season seven. The show's premise—that Adams' character could work at a top law firm without a law degree—was always ridiculous, but the banter between Mike, Gabriel Macht's Harvey, Sarah Rafferty's Donna, and Markle's Rachel was compelling. After Rachel and Mike were written off, the series was never the same.

Scrubs ran for seven seasons on NBC before being canceled and picked up by ABC for season eight. Creator Bill Lawrence provided a finale where characters rode off into the sunset, but ABC commissioned one more season known as "Scrubs Med." This ninth season moved the setting to a medical school with only three original cast members and new characters, which audiences rejected. The show was canceled in 2010.

House is not explicitly mentioned in the source text, but the article discusses medical shows that overstayed their welcome.

The Big Bang Theory ran for 12 seasons until 2019. While initially pleasant, it became hacky over time. Sheldon was reduced to a pile of catchphrases like "Bazinga," and the relationship between Penny and Leonard lost its spark. The show's longevity was criticized while other comedies were canceled prematurely.

Friends is considered to have lasted at least one season too long. The writers ran out of material, evidenced by Rachel and Joey dating in season 10 after nine seasons of no interest. The characters became loud, obnoxious caricatures of themselves compared to earlier seasons.

How I Met Your Mother took nine years to tell one story, which angered fans. The slow pace made the eventual reveal of the mother and the ending with Ted and Robin frustrating for dedicated viewers who had spent years looking for clues.

The Office ran out of stories after Jim and Pam married in season six. The writers added unrealistic obstacles, including a cameraman in love with Pam. Steve Carell's departure after season seven marked a turning point, with season eight achieving a rotten Rotten Tomatoes score.

Happy Days lasted 11 seasons from 1974 to 1984. The term "jumping the shark" originated from season five when Fonzie literally jumped over a shark on water skis, signaling the show's decline in quality.

Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane admitted in 2011 that seven seasons seemed like the right lifespan for a TV series. Despite this, the show continues with season 24 set to premiere and guaranteed airings through season 29.

Glee started to decline when original characters graduated high school. The novelty of turning popular songs into show choir performances wore off quickly. Replacement characters in season four never worked effectively, and the show faced tragedy with the deaths of Cory Monteith, Naya Rivera, and Mark Salling.

Big Little Lies premiered in 2017 as a limited series based on a single book. It won multiple Emmys in the limited-series category, but a second season was produced two years later despite the author not writing a sequel. Critics argue limited series should remain limited.

13 Reasons Why had a controversial first season regarding its portrayal of suicide. However, even fans admit the story went off the rails. By season four, the show had transformed from Hannah Baker's story into a murder-mystery thriller with unnecessary trauma.

Pretty Little Liars was a phenomenon on Twitter during its run. The show promised to reveal the identity of "A" every season, but even after the reveal in season two, more "As" appeared. The series became increasingly confusing and ended after season seven in 2017.

One Tree Hill should have ended after high school graduation. The post-high school years became confusing and soap opera-esque. The show jumped four years into the future, showing unbelievable levels of success for the friend group. It ended in 2012 after season nine.

Scandal became increasingly ridiculous over time. The introduction of the Black-Ops organization B-613 marked a turning point where the show pivoted from a political drama to an unwatchable soap opera where characters became murderers or died constantly.

Once Upon a Time was canceled in 2018 after its seventh season. The premise of fairytale characters living in a Maine town was interesting initially, but connections became unbelievable. By the end, basically every character was related in some way.

24 had an innovative real-time premise but ran for eight seasons plus TV movies and revivals. The show became formulaic, and the amount of suffering endured by Jack Bauer became unnecessary. His wife, four girlfriends, father, and brother were all killed over the course of the series.

Smallville took 10 seasons for Clark Kent to become Superman. The creators had a "no tights, no flights" policy, but Clark moved to Metropolis in season five and didn't wear the suit or fly until the 2011 series finale.

That '70s Show lasted eight seasons but took five years for the core crew to graduate high school. After Topher Grace left following season seven, Ashton Kutcher left early in season eight and was replaced by the hated character Randy. The show also featured an unpopular relationship between Fez and Jackie.

Weeds started perfectly with seasons one and two showing a suburban mom selling marijuana in a small California town. However, it became too dark when the show crossed into Mexico, focusing on drug cartels and murder. It became impossible to find viewers who watched until the 2012 finale.

Dexter became less realistic as writers tried to humanize the serial killer. He faced no consequences for his actions, with threats always eliminated by others. The 2013 finale is widely regarded as one of the worst ever, though subsequent revivals attempted redemption.

Modern Family was universally loved initially, winning five consecutive Emmys for best comedy. However, after losing the award in 2015, it continued for three more seasons despite losing nominations entirely in 2018.

Desperate Housewives began as an intriguing mystery in 2004 but became nonsensical over eight seasons. Characters became unlikable, and plots were ridiculous, such as Edie surviving a car crash only to be electrocuted.

Two and a Half Men continued for four seasons after Charlie Sheen was dismissed in 2011. Replacing him with Ashton Kutcher's billionaire character didn't save the show, which ended on a low note in 2015.

Castle lost its mojo after the central couple finally got together in season four. The show spent four more seasons creating artificial conflict for the relationship instead of letting them be happy.