These 13 TV Shows Lasted About 6 Seasons Too Long

At this point, anyone still watching The Bachelor is here for the wrong reasons.

As an avid TV watcher, I've witnessed some of my favorite series slowly descend into madness. It's not all that uncommon for quality shows to lose their heart as the years go by – as seen by the fever dream that is the latter half of Glee or the convoluted end times of Westworld.

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There are about a million examples of shows who overstayed their welcome, but I decided to dive into the TV series that reeeeeeeally needed to roll up the welcome mat...about six seasons before their finale.

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Disclaimer: For some of these shows, the finale has not yet come...

Some truly great television lives on this list. However, once these shows hit their peak, they continued airing way past their prime. Brace yourself. Here we go!

1. Supernatural

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I finally got around to watching this cult classic pretty recently and was warned by trustworthy sources (such as friends and the Internet) to be wary past Season 5. The first few seasons were binge-worthy, with their formula of two monster-hunting brothers chasing down a supernatural menace every episode. The show's creator originally planned for the series to end after five seasons but Supernatural continued to air for a whopping 15-year run due to popularity. Unfortunately, the storyline suffered, and got too complex and steeped in spiritual roots for many viewers.

2. The Walking Dead

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Like many fans, I was completely hooked on The Walking Dead during its early days. It reminded me of LOST (another show that ran too long, but not quite long enough to make this list), where you're whole-heartedly invested in the ensemble of characters and left wondering how in the world they can possibly manage to survive such a bleak situation. Sadly, I stopped caring halfway through, and then slowly inched across the finish line to the Season 11 finale over time. Thankfully, this series has been put to rest.

3. Once Upon A Time

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Once Upon A Time has the makings of insanity based on the plot alone, but I have no shame in saying the first two seasons are great fun. It centers on a woman and her son who move to a quaint town in Maine where everyone is secretly part of storybook lore. It's interesting to see how classic fairytales intertwine with reality, but the show then lasts seven whole seasons and is just way too much. Did Peter Pan need to be Rumplestiltskin's dad? How many times must we watch the main characters struggle to be good versus evil? Why are Anna and Elsa there?

4. One Tree Hill

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One Tree Hill is teen drama at its finest. It's a coming-of-age story about a group of friends residing in the suburban town of Tree Hill, though one that lasts a smidge too long. Halfway through, we see many of the main characters depart the series, and are introduced to a whole new cast of ridiculous people who don't have the same heart as their original counterparts. Plus, the storylines involving near-death experiences, crime, and stalkers become repetitive...

5. Grey's Anatomy

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Grey's Anatomy captured viewers' hearts in 2005 when it first aired on network television and has now reached its 19th season. Many dedicated viewers have abandoned ship along the way, as the plotlines began to get redundant and beloved characters (*ahem* McDreamy) were killed off. Can a show keep its quality when the people who are the heart and soul make their exit? The answer is probably no, which will be tested even further with Meredith Grey, the show's lead character, recently saying farewell.

6. NCIS

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Like Grey's, this fan-favorite series has suffered a number of blows when primary characters make their departure. NCIS is currently on season 20, albeit without  Mark Harmon, the show's lead. In the absence of Special Agent Gibbs, there is a host of new characters and the show is set to renew for its 21st season. This series has had its ups and downs throughout the years, with some fans enjoying later seasons and some fans despising them. Regardless, it's only a matter of time until this show completely loses steam due to the loss of familiar faces.

7. The Big Bang Theory

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It's no surprise that The Big Bang Theory quickly became a popular sitcom. The goofy, geeky characters are lovable, but perhaps less so after watching them fawn over nerdy things for 12 whole seasons. As the years go by, the circle of friends becomes less tight-knit given the responsibilities of relationships and adulthood. This is all realistic, and it's natural that these characters grow and evolve, but the show loses a bit of its bang compared to the earlier seasons.

8. Two And A Half Men

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This sitcom follows the misadventures of a single dad who moves in with his brother to raise his son. The show was a big success at its beginning but began to decline as the character Jake entered his teen years. Ratings plummeted when Charlie Sheen was dismissed from the show in Season 9, then replaced by Ashton Kutcher, who played a wealthy billionaire who buys Charlie Harper's house. Most fans agree the series should've ended when Sheen left but, alas, the show chugs along for three more years.

9. Pretty Little Liars

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The first two seasons of this drama are gripping, but once we discover A's identity, there really seems no reason to keep this show going. However, after this bombshell in Season 2, the pretty little lying continues for five more seasons, with new iterations of villains coming and going. Over time, Pretty Little Liars loses its suspense factor and, similar to other mystery shows like Gossip Girl, makes you wonder how many times you can wonder if this baddie is the actual, real, true villain of the series.

10. Smallville

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I love nothing more than a long-running show belonging to The CW network, but Smallville manages to go a little too far. This series, centered around Clark Kent before his Superman duties, is gripping — for a while. Once Clark leaves high school, the teen superhero trope dissipates and the show becomes lackluster. It's meant to be a teen drama, but it loses quality in its later years and probably could've been cut in half. There are 10 seasons of Smallville in total and we finally see Clark Kent become the Man of Steel a decade later in the finale...

11. Modern Family

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In its prime, Modern Family reigned over network television. It's a lovable show with a slew of goofy but relatable characters, and storylines that carry emotional life lessons about getting along with family. While its slow burn isn't the most egregious on this list, the series truly could've ended way earlier than it did. The second half of the 11-season series has some good episodes, but overall, viewers tapered off when the writing lost quality, the plots became less original, and the characters' quirks got old.

12. Jon & Kate Plus 8 / Kate Plus 8

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As much as I love TLC, the network is notorious for keeping shows on air way past their prime. Such was the case for Jon & Kate Plus 8, which dominated the mid-2000s, as it chronicled the lives of a family with a set of twins and a set of sextuplets. Viewers loved watching the kids grow up, but Jon and Kate's marital problems were on full display and the series became painful to watch. It halted after five seasons, and then picked back up as Kate Plus 8, post-divorce, for another tumultuous six years.  

13. The Bachelor / The Bachelorette

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I regret to say, I think we left "the most dramatic season of The Bachelor yet" back with Arie in 2018. These were the golden days for this franchise which, in my humble opinion, lasted up through Hannah Brown's bachelorette-hood the following year. These days, it feels like every contestant is there for the wrong reasons (to become a social influencer, perhaps?) and every season is filled with the same group dates, the same petty drama, and the same ridiculous villains. 

What shows would you add to this list? Share your thoughts in the comments!