"It Turned Into A Travesty" — 19 TV Shows That Went On For Way Too Long

    "Almost all of the original stars were gone and no one was watching."

    Elizabeth Cotton
    by Elizabeth Cotton

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Recently, u/Styleismymiddlename asked people to share the TV shows they wish had fewer seasons, and we decided to round up the best answers:

    1. Dexter

    Man in casual shirt holding a syringe, standing indoors with serious expression
    Showtime

    "It could have ended at season four and gone down as a true classic. I still love it, but it really tarnished itself." 

    u/CaptainMcClutch

    "I still like the other seasons, but it definitely peaked at four."  

    u/Limio

    2. Glee

    Two characters from Glee, Rachel in a striped sweater and Santana in a cheerleader outfit, stand in a library
    Fox

    "Should have stopped when they graduated." 

    u/timewarp4242

    "Absolutely. Everything post-graduation was a train wreck."  

    u/PDX_er

    3. The Office

    Man in business attire with a bemused expression, sitting in an office
    NBC

    "It should have ended when Michael left."

    u/Aware_War_4730

    "When Michael gets on the plane in The Office I stop at that point. It’s the last episode in my world, and I rewatch the series about once a year." 

    u/PDX_er

    4. Shameless

    A military officer speaks to four young adults sitting across a table in a briefing room
    Showtime

    "It should have ended after season nine."

    u/Competitive-Kick-481

    "While it definitely lost steam, I honestly enjoyed every season." 

    u/Fat_Getting_Fit_420

    5. Grey's Anatomy

    Derek Shepherd and Meredith Grey in white lab coats in a hospital setting from the TV show "Grey's Anatomy."
    ABC

    u/5footfilly

    "I used to be a huge fan but I have no idea how it’s still on."  

    u/AJoCo80

    6. The Vampire Diaries

    Elena Gilbert from the Vampire Diaries standing in a cemetery with a pensive expression
    The CW

    "It became unwatchable to me somewhere around season four or five if I remember correctly. It was the constant 'I’m gonna have to kill you now' to friends again back and forth that did me in. Like I get it's a show but it was sooo annoying to me."

    u/jenguinaf

    7. Once Upon a Time

    Five individuals standing outdoors, likely a scene from a TV show or film
    ABC

    u/Kivahoosier

    "Yes! They shouldn't have had that whole season where the kid became the adult who didn't believe in fairy tales."  

    u/lightning_teacher_11

    8. X-Files

    Two actors portraying characters walking, the man in a suit and sunglasses, the woman in a jacket and blouse
    Fox

    "The post-Mulder seasons had some decent episodes, but it really should have wrapped up when he left." 

    u/Bullit16

    9. Supernatural

    Two men standing side by side outdoors, likely characters from a TV show
    The CW

    u/YakNecessary9533

    "It turned into a travesty. I couldn’t finish the final season. A lot of people say it should have ended after Dean came back and lived a happy life. That would have been a fine finale. I would have been fine with Sam still coming back and having 2-3 seasons to wrap everything up. But once the mother came back I was out."

    u/calartnick

    10. Weeds

    A group of actors in a scene with a woman in the foreground and men clapping in the background, surrounded by large plants
    Showtime

    "It got pretty dumb after the first couple of seasons."

    u/fleetmack

    "Yeah, it really went off the rails in the later ones."  

    u/PDX_er

    11. The Walking Dead

    AMC

    "The show pretty much peaked after four seasons, it really went downhill in season seven with the introduction of Neagen. By the end of season 11 almost all of the original stars were gone and no one was watching." 

    u/CliffGif

    12. Bones

    Two characters from a TV show, a female police officer and a male in a suit, look serious with a police car in the background
    Fox

    "Although I did enjoy the last season, I felt eventually story lines became a bit too unrealistic in later seasons and had too much drama that simply wasn't entertaining." 

    u/roheni

    13. Castle

    Two characters from the TV show "Castle" look concerned; woman in a dark peacoat, man in a brown jacket
    ABC

    "It should have stopped entirely at seven, and should have had some serious changes to writing and storylines as early as four."

    u/Tyrone_Shoelaces_Esq

    14. The Simpsons

    Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie Simpson sitting on a couch watching TV
    Fox

    "Voice actors dying, characters written off, storylines stagnating. Give up already."

    u/King_of_Lunch223  

    15. 13 Reasons Why

    Two characters from a TV show stand near lockers, one with a backpack, the other wearing a denim jacket with patches
    Netflix

    "There should have never been a season two."

    u/bjregin

    16. Californication

    Two characters wearing sunglasses with serious expressions
    Showtime

    "As much as I love that show, the last season was weird and felt like they fired the original good writers and brought in a bunch of generic ones to recycle the plot of the show." 

    u/eddie_ironside

    17. The 100

    Three actors from the TV show "The 100" standing in a forest, dressed in post-apocalyptic attire
    The CW

    "It should’ve ended with season five. Everything that came after it effectively ruined every single good memory of the show." 

    u/RinoTheBouncer

    18. Smallville

    Man with dark hair smiling, wearing a light jacket. Appears to be a scene from a TV show or film
    The CW

    "I swear, this is my favorite show of all time, but they should have ended it either at season five or seven. They dragged it on for ten seasons due to its popularity, but when series creators Miles Millar and Alfred Gough left the show changed completely. The whole vibe was different. They introduced Lois Lane in season four. Four! And dragged it out for six more years!" 

    u/OldFactor1973

    19. Sabrina the Teenage Witch

    Woman in sleeveless top using laptop with black cat beside her, indoors
    ABC

    "That show jumped the rails hard after season four, switching from ABC to CBS and removing the two aunts." 

    u/Level_Bridge7683

    H/T to u/Styleismymiddlename and r/tvshows for having this discussion!

    Note: All submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

    Do you have anything else to add? Let us know in the comments below