Which long running TV shows never "jumped the shark"? (Read 334 times)

I thought of one earlier today, can't believe I didn't think of it before: Mystery Science Theater 3000.

You could say it still lives on in the forms of Rifftrax and Cinematic Titanic, but, strange as this seems, by the end, I was starting to really enjoy the "breaks..." the little skits they did around the commercials.  They were getting really funny, and I still miss Brain Guy, Professor Bobo, and Pearl.  Not to mention the 'Bots and Mike (and before him, Joel).  I still hold a grudge against The Scifi Channel, as it was known back then, for pulling the plug.

 

I assumed that they expected a third season but it never happened?  That was the least dramatic ending of all time!

 

My favorite word after watching the show: Cocksucker.

They never ended Deadwood. They were supposed to do another season or possibly a movie to finish it....and they never did.

 

Your list of names is a good selection of ones that went on to greater success. Young Billy Mumy (a.k.a WIll Robinson) was awesome in "It's A Good Life."  Robert Redford in "Nothing In the Dark." Here's a website that lists some of the actors that became well know later on:

 

http://www.paleycenter.org/a-panoply-of-stars-on-the-twilight-zone/

 

The list is long on Gunsmoke, which still comes across as a hard-nosed western dealing with interesting issues, is another series with a long list of actors who went on to later success.

Thank you so much for that link!   I had forgotten so many of those.  It's kind of fun to watch them when they're young before their mannerisms became almost clichés.

Shatner is a good example--if you watch the faces he makes in the 30,000 Feet episode, they are pretty much the precursors to his "I'm losing command!" face during a couple of episodes of Star Trek.

I should mention:  one of my other all time favorite episodes is the Winters/Klugman masterpiece, "A Game of Pool"

Fringe jumped the shark when the observers stopped observing.

Star Trek TNG, IMO, never jumped the shark.

 

I agree on TNG. That was must-see TV ever Saturday night. Even had a great finale. The Borg episodes when Picard was made into one was as good as The Wrath Of Khan.

Agreed!

I added it to my Neftlix queue a few months ago and last night I was flipping through and stopped on it randomly, not intending to watch.  My wife sat down and said "oh, are you going to get me into another Star Trek (though I SWEAR she pronounces it Track).  And so we watched the first episode (which was a double).  I was surprised it help up after 2 1/2 decades or so.  Guess we'll start watching it straight through.  I can't believe she's never seen it.  I did get her hooked on BSG (kinda jumped the shark but was still good) and then DS9 (maybe jumped the shark with what happens to Dax but that's kind of prepping it for the end).

Oh, and Lost... definitely jumped the shark and I loved that show.

Related note, I've run into the Fonz a few times over the last 2 years in my office.  He co-writes children's books now.  It was SO DAMN COOL/WEIRD to talk to him about twitter (or anything really).  Next time I see him I have to ask him if our hiring him means Scholastic has jumped the shark lol.  I also want him to get my iphone to play music by banging on it.  I did get him to say Ayyyyy and give me the thumbs up.  Wow, I'm way too excited about this.

 

Disagree!

 

Jericho was cancelled despite a huge fan response - NINE TONS of nuts were delivered to CBS in an effort to get the show revived.

I liked Jericho.
 They did have closure with a finale, but it seemed like a rush job. Still, I recommend the brief journey.

Also recommend the very brief Freaks and Geeks. It ended well.   I'm hoping producers get the message that sometimes a show can be planned to be just one season, and have it be a great story. Like a longer mini-series.