{TV - I have persisted in watching, despite the quality falling} Decline & fall: TV series that sadly sank to being sub-standard after being so good for some time (although I persisted i.e. watched all the series of the programme)
These are examples of TV series that IMHO declined into disorganisation, rambling purpose, muddled characters, bad stories, hackneyed plots, repeated storylines, poor scripts . . . or just plain rubbish!
Yes, I watched ALL the episodes of each of these series, from start to end. I never gave up on the programme.
This persistence on my part might have been more due to a declining series ending before I could abandon it - e.g. "The Vice" which had a last season that would have been better off left unmade - but, still, I endured each TV series to the end.
And, in many cases, how I wish I hadn't . . . ! ,-)
Yes, I watched ALL the episodes of each of these series, from start to end. I never gave up on the programme.
This persistence on my part might have been more due to a declining series ending before I could abandon it - e.g. "The Vice" which had a last season that would have been better off left unmade - but, still, I endured each TV series to the end.
And, in many cases, how I wish I hadn't . . . ! ,-)
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- CreatorBarry SimnerRob PurseyStarsCaroline CatzDavid HarewoodKen StottVeteran Detective Inspector Pat Chappel (Ken Stott) heads up the Metropolitan vice squad as he and his team investigate prostitution and pornography in the London sex trade.[SPOILER ALERT!:]
Sadly this series dissolved into chaos after the character of "D.I. Pat Chappel" (played brilliantly by Ken Stott) left, after the end of series 4 (or, to be exact, after the 1st episode of Season 5).
The decline of the series was not so much because Stott 'made' the series (although in part he did), but because after that the series floundered around with little idea of where it was going.
New & unnecessary changes to the number & importance of key characters, & an inexplicable morphing of the character of the new lead - Caroline Catz's "P.C. Cheryl Hutchins" bumped up from sub-lead - just made the series feel like a completely different drama story. And not a drama story that was well made! - CreatorFoz AllanDominic MinghellaStarsJonas ArmstrongGordon KennedySam TroughtonAfter 5 years of fighting in the crusades, Robin returns to England and leads a band of outlaws to outwit the Sheriff of Nottingham.A TV series that we - the watchers in our home - jokingly renamed "Robin the Hoodie"! ,-)
Our jovial renaming of the title was made when the series first started, and when we were fully enjoying such a well-made & exciting set of storylines. But when we saw the series decline into such - to be frank - dross, all that fondness was lost; then our laughing sadly became AT the characters & series creators, and no longer WITH them! :-( - CreatorHoward OvermanJohnny CappsJulian MurphyStarsMark AddyJack DonnellyRobert EmmsFar from home, Jason washes up on the shores of the ancient and mysterious city of Atlantis.
- CreatorNicolas FalacciCheryl HeutonStarsRob MorrowDavid KrumholtzJudd HirschWorking for the F.B.I., a mathematician uses equations to help solve various crimes.Sadly they seemed to run out of any mathematics connection to the FBI action storylines; so much so that the last few series seemed to be a rather pathetic case of adding in any sort of maths theory just to keep up the original concept of this series.
Unfortunately, this latterly seemed to be a case of:
" 4 + 4 = ooh! wow! it's 8!! Who'd have thought it!!"
,-D - CreatorJohnny CappsJulian JonesJake MichieStarsJohn HurtColin MorganBradley JamesThese are the brand new adventures of Merlin, the legendary sorcerer as a young man, when he was just a servant to young Prince Arthur on the royal court of Camelot, who has soon become his best friend, and turned Arthur into a great king and a legend.
- StarsJames NesbittTom RileySarah ParishMedical drama series about brilliant neurosurgeon Gabriel Monroe.
- CreatorBruno HellerStarsSimon BakerRobin TunneyTim KangA famous "psychic" outs himself as a fake, and starts working as a consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation so he can find "Red John", the madman who killed his wife and daughter.
- CreatorToby WhithouseStarsLenora CrichlowRussell ToveyAidan TurnerA werewolf, a vampire, and a ghost try to live together and get along.
- CreatorDavid WolstencroftStarsPeter FirthHugh SimonNicola WalkerThe missions of MI-5, the UK's domestic intelligence organization.
- CreatorJana SinyorStarsErin KarplukReagan PasternakMichael Riley"Therapist" Dr. Tom - who is constantly spouting famous and not so famous historical quotes - is Erica Strange's savior and worst enemy.
- CreatorMatthew GrahamTony JordanAshley PharoahStarsJohn SimmPhilip GlenisterLiz WhiteAfter a near-fatal car accident, smart, savvy, sharp-suited detective Sam is mysteriously transported back to 1973. Confused by his new surroundings, Sam tries to return to the present, but the police force of long ago needs his help.
- CreatorAndrew W. MarloweStarsNathan FillionStana KaticSusan SullivanWhen a psychopath commits murders based on novelist Castle's books, Detective Beckett seeks his help to solve the case. He decides to work with her and uses his experiences as research for his novels.The last ever series: oh dear, oh dear, oh dear: the series suddenly became a conspiracy theory series rather than being a great & fun cop show. The demise this caused in the quality of the series was not aided by the sudden advent of an over-fast telling of the story. This sadly made episode storylines unable to be followed by the viewer.
- CreatorLee AronsohnChuck LorreStarsJon CryerAshton KutcherAngus T. JonesA hedonistic jingle writer's free-wheeling life comes to an abrupt halt when his brother and 10-year-old nephew move into his beach-front house.The last few series of this funny comedy drama became camp & effete, & the characters snide & nasty. I like Ashton Kutcher's first few series, but the story lost all vigour toward the end. Where oh where were the witty days of Charlie Sheen?!
- CreatorDavid ShoreStarsHugh LaurieOmar EppsRobert Sean LeonardUsing a crack team of doctors and his wits, an antisocial maverick doctor specializing in diagnostic medicine does whatever it takes to solve puzzling cases that come his way.Except for the last ever episode, the rest of the last series (Series 8) of the erstwhile excellent series was drab & mundane. Even the superlative Hugh Laurie couldn't lift the spirits of the show & seemed bored by it, delivering his lines with attempted enthusiasm that just didn't inspire.
The main problem was the messing around with the characters of old, & introducing 2 token 'newbies' whose purpose & character did not fit well with the story arcs. One was clearly supposed to be the de rigeur 'sexy female', one the 'quirky little oddball female'. This latter character was clearly an attempt to reiterate the excellent temporary character played by Amber Tamblyn in Series 7. But the tokenism was apparent, & the characters were sadly just irritating.
Instead, the producers should have neatly melded the last episode - & a few connecting episodes to make the storyline of the characters run smoothly - onto the last few episodes of Series 7.
Ah well. Other than that it was a GREAT series. - StarsKatherine ParkinsonGemma ChanLucy CarlessIn a parallel present where the latest must-have gadget for any busy family is a 'Synth'--a highly-developed robotic servant that's so similar to a real human--is transforming the way we live.Series 3 should have been a final series that neatly pulled everything together that had happened in this till-then-great TV drama. That would have aptly rounded up a 3-series drama. Instead, everything straggled out of control, & in fact a 4th series was implied that not only didn't happen but didn't NEED to happen.
- CreatorDominic MinghellaMark CrowdyCraig FergusonStarsMartin ClunesCaroline CatzIan McNeiceThe trials and tribulations of Martin Ellingham, a brilliant but socially challenged doctor who moves from London to the picturesque village of Port Wenn in Cornwall.
- StarsAlan DaviesCaroline QuentinStuart MilliganJonathan Creek, a magician with a natural ability for solving puzzles, works from his home in a converted windmill. He uses his abilities to solve impossible crimes and mysterious murders.
- StarsShaun EvansRoger AllamJames BradshawSet from 1965 into the 1970s, the show follows Endeavour Morse in his early years as a police constable. Working alongside his senior partner DI Fred Thursday, Morse engages in a number of investigations around Oxford.Going . . . going . . . GONE! Downhill . . . !
The drama series started well, but then after a few years devolved into silliness: lack of character development, ticking boxes, lack of credulity, thinness of plot development; you name it. It just began to fail . . . It even began to emulate the 'Lewis' series in puerile & stupid plots.
Flat, uninspiring & turgid. Eight series has been enough for me. Sayonara, young Morse!
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And then . . . they announced that the very next series would be the last ever! Yeeha! So - as there was little left to endure ,-) - I stuck it out, just to watch the drama series to the end.
I must say, I found the last 3 episodes far more enjoyable than the whole of the previous 3 series put together! Maybe that was because I already knew I had to survive little more of a weakening drama series. ,-)
But the 9th series was largely deftly put together: not too saccharine, not TOO convoluted. And a lot of hanging storylines were neatly completed. It was a little schmaltzy & American in its approach, but . . . At least we got to say our goodbyes.
As with the previous series, the 1-off storyline in series 9 was sadly hackneyed & thinly developed. But who really cared at this late stage?! What mattered with this series is that this is the end of the drama tales about Morse.
The last series, no. 9, WAS a bit daft in places. There were too many unnecessary add-ons at the very end e.g. where 'Morse' asks "Is that it?!" to a fellow choir attendee - clearly an in-joke, referencing the end of the series. Far too cheesy. And it niggled me that two gunshots in the story were left both uninvestigated as a police event & unexplained as to what they meant to the story (one gunshot was in the PI's office, the other in the church graveyard). But I did like the nice segue at the very end of the last ever episode. Fantasy, or course, but a nice deference to the next stage of Endeavour Morse's story.