The good years of TV shows

[raidenradio]

So I've been a fan of Law & Order SVU for a long time and it would be pretty hard to argue with the fact that show has been astonishingly terrible for a few years now.

So I'm curious what you all think are the good and bad years for other TV shows. Here's what I can think of.

Family Guy - This show goes from hilarious to unbearably awful in seconds. Can't place good/bad seasons or even episodes.

Futurama - That last season was so hit or miss. Trying too hard to bring back old jokes and characters.

Law & Order: SVU - Solid from seasons 1-4, all downhill from there.

News Radio - Great until Phil Hartman died (end of season 3). First episode of season 4 was the only TV moment that made me cry. Bring in Jon Lovitz and I'd rather eat a bullet than watch it.

Roseanne - First two seasons aren't very good. Then gets really good until that retarded mess where they win the lottery but it didn't really happen. One of the worst series finales ever.

Scrubs - Seasons 1,2, & 3 are good. Midway through season 4 is where the show starts to just suck.

The Simpsons - Seasons 1 & 2 just look so old and crappy, the series is awesome between seasons 3-6. Then it starts to go downhill til around season 10. Then another dropoff to mediocrity from 11 on.

[lonesomexloveus]

buffy: seasons 1-3 best tv, 4-6 pretty good, 7 gettin' a little hokey**

firefly: season 1 AWESOMMEEEEE 2-infinity WTF HAPPENED?!

** still better than 80% of television at the time

[jhulud]

Buffy tVS jumped the shark right after they did the musical episode "Once More, With Feeling"...it started getting hokey there. Not to mention the whole Spike & Buffy love thing and the Slayer Academy whatever.

[raidenradio]

firefly: season 1 AWESOMMEEEEE 2-infinity WTF HAPPENED?!

My gf showed me Serenity and I freakin loved it. Still never watched Firefly. Can't get into it since the British black guy bad guy from the movies wasn't on the show. That dude was so badass.

"I don't kill innocent women & chidren"

Bad guy: "I do."

Me: .....WELL FUCK OKAY THEN!!!!!

[Guest]

i've gotta say the Office was amazing in my opinion from Seasons 1-4, maaayyybe parts of Season 5, but 6 and the current season are awful; they should end it this year since Michael is leaving.

[hipsterasfolk]

Adventure Time

Regular Show

House

Dexter - He inspires me every time he touches his blood slides. I touch my vinyl the same way.

[rocknroll76]

i've gotta say the Office was amazing in my opinion from Seasons 1-4, maaayyybe parts of Season 5, but 6 and the current season are awful; they should end it this year since Michael is leaving.

I agree with all of this.

[dynamitekid]

I think South Park was brilliant from season 2 - season 7. Everything after that was hit or miss but has been declining

[sharkticon]

Dexter: Season 2 was one of the most stressful TV watching marathons of my life. Thank FSM I had downloaded the entire thing and could watch them all back to back

Breaking Bad - best show on TV. Just absolutely amazing. Brian Cranston is genius.

Mad Men - slow moving and mildly offensive, but highly compelling. It has a similar effect as Breaking Bad or Dexter. You're torn on who to empathize with. Not to mention the historical accuracy they strive for is amazing.

Community - I only started watching this show this season, but the writing is (albeit sometimes corny) great and fast paced. A great, easy to digest, yet complex story. The pop culture references are astounding. Spoiler Alert: watching the things that happen in the background provides all kinds of linear storylines (notably: Abed delivering the baby). Also: Alison Brie

Lost: Season 1 - Every episode could be it's own movie. Amazing levels of production

The Adventures Of Pete & Pete - you probably think it's a kids show. You think wrong. It's incredible how well this show has held up. Plus Iggy Pop in Nona's dad.

[jhulud]

Lost: Season 1 - Every episode could be it's own movie. Amazing levels of production

The Adventures Of Pete & Pete - you probably think it's a kids show. You think wrong. It's incredible how well this show has held up. Plus Iggy Pop in Nona's dad.

Yes and yes!

[islington]

The Adventures Of Pete & Pete - you probably think it's a kids show. You think wrong. It's incredible how well this show has held up. Plus Iggy Pop in Nona's dad.

Also Michael Stipe is an ice cream man and Kate Pierson is Mr. Tastee's ex-girlfriend. LL Cool J,Richard Edson,Deborah Harry, and Juliana Hatfield also show up. I'm sure there's lots more that I missed. Half the fun was looking for the cameos.

[j4m35]

the west wing, seasons 1-4 (probably my favorite show of all time, you can't beat aaron sorkin)

24, seasons 1, 2 and 5

lost, seasons 1-3

twin peaks

[Guest]

So I've been a fan of Law & Order SVU for a long time and it would be pretty hard to argue with the fact that show has been astonishingly terrible for a few years now.

So I'm curious what you all think are the good and bad years for other TV shows. Here's what I can think of.

Family Guy - This show goes from hilarious to unbearably awful in seconds. Can't place good/bad seasons or even episodes.

Futurama - That last season was so hit or miss. Trying too hard to bring back old jokes and characters.

Law & Order: SVU - Solid from seasons 1-4, all downhill from there.

News Radio - Great until Phil Hartman died (end of season 3). First episode of season 4 was the only TV moment that made me cry. Bring in Jon Lovitz and I'd rather eat a bullet than watch it.

Roseanne - First two seasons aren't very good. Then gets really good until that retarded mess where they win the lottery but it didn't really happen. One of the worst series finales ever.

Scrubs - Seasons 1,2, & 3 are good. Midway through season 4 is where the show starts to just suck.

The Simpsons - Seasons 1 & 2 just look so old and crappy, the series is awesome between seasons 3-6. Then it starts to go downhill til around season 10. Then another dropoff to mediocrity from 11 on.

your 7-10 analysis is painful. hell, there are still great (even classic) episodes lingering through seasons 13 and 14

[almightyseancore]

I think South Park was brilliant from season 2 - season 7. Everything after that was hit or miss but has been declining

yeah i've been watching south park since the premier of the very first episode, and i have to admit, the last few seasons, especially the most recent, just aren't that funny.

[mcm1610]

I don't have much to add, except that while the Simpsons got incredibly predictable and bad during the years Futurama was on, when that show went off the air, the Simpsons picked back up a bit. Also, if you listen to the DVD commentary, the show is significantly more funny as they point out every subtle joke.

[j4m35]

I don't have much to add, except that while the Simpsons got incredibly predictable and bad during the years Futurama was on, when that show went off the air, the Simpsons picked back up a bit. Also, if you listen to the DVD commentary, the show is significantly more funny as they point out every subtle joke.

you should watch the west wing, i think you'd really like it.

[Guest]

I think South Park was brilliant from season 2 - season 7. Everything after that was hit or miss but has been declining

yeah i've been watching south park since the premier of the very first episode, and i have to admit, the last few seasons, especially the most recent, just aren't that funny.

ive spent the last 3 or 4 seasons of south park expecting every new episode to suck.

but i keep watching...

[roadmonkey]

Batman the Animated Series: All Of It

Weeds Seasons 1 & 2.. no need to see anything after that

[mclz]

South Park is my favorite show so I am biased, but I do agree that since about season 10 it has not been up to par with the old episodes and its not the same including some shitty episodes (see season 13 premiere). I still enjoy the show, but for me season 4-7 was their prime and best seasons.

[mcm1610]

I don't have much to add, except that while the Simpsons got incredibly predictable and bad during the years Futurama was on, when that show went off the air, the Simpsons picked back up a bit. Also, if you listen to the DVD commentary, the show is significantly more funny as they point out every subtle joke.

you should watch the west wing, i think you'd really like it.

I always meant to. When I was in high school I took AP Government and after the exam, that's pretty much all we did, but I don't remember it at all.

The school I teach at has the whole series floating around somewhere but I've never tracked it down. I should do that before I leave at the end of the year.

[raidenradio]

you can't beat aaron sorkin)

Another great show he wrote:

[lonesomexloveus]

Buffy tVS jumped the shark right after they did the musical episode "Once More, With Feeling"...it started getting hokey there. Not to mention the whole Spike & Buffy love thing and the Slayer Academy whatever.

YO, BUFFY N SPIKE 4 EVA.

[somethingvinyl]

News Radio - Great until Phil Hartman died (end of season 3). First episode of season 4 was the only TV moment that made me cry. Bring in Jon Lovitz and I'd rather eat a bullet than watch it.

Scrubs - Seasons 1,2, & 3 are good. Midway through season 4 is where the show starts to just suck.

I agree with your News Radio analysis. Season 4 and 5 are awful.

Scrubs, on the other hand, I would include seasons 1-5. Season 6 is where, I think, it takes the turn. 7 & 8 have some good episodes but aren't nearly as funny. The interns season was just bad.

ARRESTED FUCKING DEVELOPMENT is one of the best shows of all time.

Some current shows I love or hate:

LOVE:

Treme - A good HBO show about the place I live. Excited to see the characters develop.

True Blood - So hokey, just endears itself to me.

Big Bang Theory - Hilarious

30 Rock - Still funny but the first couple seasons were the best.

The League - Hit and miss on occasion but good.

HATE:

Cougar Town - Bill Lawrence's (Spin City and Scrubs creator) newest show and it's not good. Not at all. Nothing like either shows and I know it's not supposed to be but it just doesn't have his flair.

Modern Family - I don't hate it, but I don't like it either. Just not interested either way.

[Guest]

i hate modern family! except i dont hate it! im really just impartial! tomorrow ill probably like the new episode actually!

[controlthebleeding]

So I've been a fan of Law & Order SVU for a long time and it would be pretty hard to argue with the fact that show has been astonishingly terrible for a few years now.

So I'm curious what you all think are the good and bad years for other TV shows. Here's what I can think of.

Law & Order: SVU - Solid from seasons 1-4, all downhill from there.

Scrubs - Seasons 1,2, & 3 are good. Midway through season 4 is where the show starts to just suck.

i'm gonna disagree with ya on Law & Order SVU. how do you hate on that cast. I think every episode is at least good. it's a revolving door of sub-plots every now and again which make it a bit more involved and exciting. and how are you gonna hate on ICE -T and Richard Belzer? haha. but since meloni is gone, i'm bummed. at least now i have "Law & Order" original series.

Criminal Intent on the other hand.. but those episodes leading up to denofrio leaving were fuckin' epic.

Law & Order (original) series had gotten meh during seasons 6-15 with it's ever so changing cast, but I think when SISTO got added it picked up. Fuckin' love LUPO. along with roache as the EDA. dude fucks up and comes back with a vengeance. shit started picking up from there. It was a good combo for Martin too. that is probably my favorite cast besides the original. and well, everyone loves McCoy. Not sure how i feel about Anderson yet. But he does seem to work well with Sisto. glad they brought it back.

you sir are dead on for Scrubs.

also shows which were awesome, then got kinda lame:

sex and the city: got pretty lame after season 4. aiden seemed like a good dude and she fucked it all up. the whole burger thing was meh. petrovsky arc just left me giving up on it. then the final episode was pretty damn good though. i was rooting for big all along. but thats because of my love for law & order. and yes, i did watch sex and the city throughout its entirety. fuck you!

jeffersons - good start, but like MASH, got a bit more serious. hell i had to relive 2 lionels. one of which came back? WTF? i did have a crush on JENNY as a kid. always wanted that portrait that was in the living room above the desk. haha. i think i need to write a song about Mr. Whittendale.

M.A.S.H. - WTF? that's really all that has too be said.

Facts of Life - It was cool till Blaire and Jo graduated, and then all of a sudden the mrs garrett is selling candy or some shit where the kitchen use to be. total face palm.