Various TV series are loved and enjoyed for different factors that lead to producers investing more as time passes and ratings rise. It’s good for the show, the production, and the fans as more seasons get made. But when is the limit of stretching a story? Especially when lead actors decide to leave the cast?
Helpful examples are long running shows such as Grey’s Anatomy, Supernatural, the CW Arrowverse, Once Upon A Time, etc., and even more recent hit shows like Stranger Things. Also, a good comparison are with shows that did well with just one season, particularly “limited series”, a current television trend that includes Netflix’s Maniac and HBO’s Sharp Objects.
This is a really cool topic, I actually think about this a lot. For example, Dexter is my favourite show, but I do think they should have ended sooner than they did, since the story felt stretched. What do you think is a good gauge for knowing when to end a show? – priyashashri4 years ago
Any good show should end when they run out of stories to tell or when the narration should obviously conclude. The order should be story>show. With so many shows, it is the other way around- They decide there should be more seasons because ratings are good or whatever and come up with a clearly forced narrative. – abky4 years ago
I think a really good example is ‘Community.’ In it’s final episode the characters address that it must be the last episode for various reasons, including the fact that many actors had left. They offer suggestions as to what the storyline of the hypothetical ‘next season’ will be, and they conclude that it can’t be.
Or there’s a reference in an episode where the earliest seasons are referred to as the best era (that’s paraphrased, I cant remember verbatim).
Just a really cool example of a show’s self awareness that it has run its course, and the decision process the show’s creators would have had to go through. – leersens4 years ago
Every day I pray that they'll stop renewing the Simpsons for another season, if you love something, let them go. – Daniel Duncan2 years ago
I think the time to write this article would be now. In a sort of 'as the walls fell' perspective. We are seeing now more than ever studios dragging IPs out for the closet and a slew of new content to see what gets traction. It isn't entirely a model of reprint what is proven like it used to be. I think seasons and run times are more defined by data than ever. This should be a focus in the article, how interpretation and use of seasons has changed over time. – MichaelOlive2 years ago
This is a really interesting topic! I guess you could discuss the way art is almost incompatible with Capitalism, a profitable commodity is reproduced but when it comes to art the reproduction of it can destroy or at least greatly damage the art. Some of it of course is fan interest in wanting the series to continue, and so does it become arrogant to decide for fans that they don't want it to continue? Anyway just some thoughts! Again, super cool topic. – Lucinda2 years ago