Why don't good shows last?

[Moses Yoder]

Firefly, Life on Mars, Adventures Inc., Terra Nova, Carusoe, Human Target, Moonlight, Roar, all good shows that only lasted one or two seasons while shows like Friends and 2-1/2 Men lasted for years. 2-1/2 Men is still going I think. Can anyone explain that to me?

[Roger Newby]

How did the Living Dead crap make it past the first episode?

[David Weaver]

There are only two things I can think of that drive people to do things on TV - push their viewpoint/agenda and make money.

I'd imagine the money side covers it all. It even covers relatively well rated programs getting removed when a network can replace high paid talent with stuff like reality shows.

I have never heard of any of the shows you mentioned. The only show I'd even consider turning the TV on for now (aside from golf majors, and even then only intermittently) is doc martin.

Friends existed before the internet. I don't think it would play as well now, but I didn't think it was entertaining even when it was on. I can't relate to it. I could relate to roseanne when it was on because I grew up in a rural area and knew people like the conners. Now that I live in suburbia, I've noticed most people here hate it or hated it when it was on. They can't relate to it, and manners are generally better here in suburbia and senses of humor narrow and very poorly developed (have to be too politically correct in case someone would find out what you laughed it).

Anything that comes on TV now that passes off shooting people or murdering folks, crime dramas, etc, and i'm out ...change the channel. There's enough of that garbage on the news, and I don't need to see fake made-up psychopaths, etc on TV.

[Judson Green]

I'm not familiar with any of the shows you've mentioned, but I feel you pain. I've got a hollow place in me from how "Hero's" just stopped.

[Roger Feeley]

I've stopped tuning into shows with long story arcs because the networks won't commit to finishing them. I've been burned too many times.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

One thing determines how long a show remains on the air....it's ability to draw viewers and thus it's ability to generate advertising dollars.

The show doesn't have to be popular but it has to be able to attract viewers. Think back to the early days of "All in the Family". A lot people tuned in that show when it first aired, not because they liked it but rather to see what kind of stupidity would be demonstrated there. Later, a lot of those same people became fans.

I watch little commercial television with a few exceptions. I watch some college sports and a fewer number of professional sports. When I first saw advertisements for "The Big Bang Theory" I chuckled. "That will never be a hit!" I didn't watch for 2 seasons but eventually the wife started watching it and later I joined her. Now, I enjoy the show.

I also tie my own flies and fly fish but not as much as I used to do so.

A lot of things in life are subjective. It's a matter of personal taste. Frankly, none of my local friends are woodworkers. I enjoy woodworking. It's subjective.....it's a matter of personal taste.

[Moses Yoder]

I'm not familiar with any of the shows you've mentioned, but I feel you pain. I've got a hollow place in me from how "Hero's" just stopped.

Hero's is another one, great show. We watched it (from Netflix) and loved it. Just plain dead in the water, no explanation. I prefer clean shows with some comedy in them, actors that play well off of each other with maybe a little romantic interest and an interesting story line, a mystery or a challenge of some sort. Is that too much to ask?

[Judson Green]

IIRC, Hero's was not renewed cause it cost too much to produce... suppose in contrast to the reality TV blah, I hate reality TV. It was very well received, had a prime slot and many viewers. If ya Google it youd find some news about it and the idea of a movie being kick around. I think there was a internet heroes show, but I never tuned in.

[David Dockstader]

No television network ever lost money underestimating the intelligence of the American television audience!

[Wade Lippman]

I've never even heard of the shows you miss; but I agree 2.5 men and Friends weren't very good.
The best show ever was "the Richard Pryor Show". It ran two episodes, and I was surprised it lasted that long.

OTOH my two all time favorites were "Monk" and "Rockford Files" and they both had long runs.

[Judson Green]

Monk was good, only watched it as reruns, but really enjoyed it.

[Ole Anderson]

Short answer? It's all about the money.

Ran across Firefly in reruns and fell in love with it. Guess there is a bit of a cult following even though it only lasted 13 episodes.

Right now I am 4 episodes from finishing on Netflix streaming the TNT series "Saving Grace" which lasted 3 seasons, ending in 2010. Not for the prudes, it is rated MA, but has a unique story line of a chain smoking, hard drinking, promiscuous female detective in Oklahoma City trying to be saved by an equally odd angel

Another one I was sorry to see go was Flashpoint, a Canadian produced police series, one of the best IMHO. Lasted 4 1/2 seasons.

With the advent of cable and all of the different channels, there are more TV shows on than one could possibly watch. Not to mention all of the reruns.

[Tim Morton]

Heroes is coming back

[Brian Elfert]

Vegas was a show I really liked, but it only lasted one season. Supposedly, it had good ratings, but the audience skewed older than networks really want. There are many shows in recent years that I thought got cancelled too early: CSI: New York, CSI: Miami, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and JAG among others. There are a half dozen other shows I miss, but I no longer remember the show names.

What I find hard to believe is how networks will have a number of episodes of a show produced and then cancel the show with episodes already paid for. I find it hard to believe showing reruns is better than running a new episode.

[Brian Ashton]

They run out of things to write about so the audience looses interest, or they change writers. I've liked Person of Interest, Homeland and a couple others since they started but it appears theirs been a shift in direction and writing style and for the most part I lost interest in them because it either poor writing or boring themes.

Person of Interest is one where the story lines have started getting bad so i've lost interest.

Lost was a show I watched from the beginning but after a couple seasons there was a change in writing style and story lines and the show was for the most part crap. Then it appeared they made another shift and the shows writing was better and it became interesting again. And then they ended it, which brings me to, I think good quality producers prefer to end on a high and not on wringing every last penny out of a show before it's pushed off the airwaves.