So due to mainly to snowfall and high winds my time spent watching TV has risen over and above my normal levels this last week, and the more I watch the more disappointed I seem to become. Shows I watch that have been running past their initial 2 seasons seem to have my interest waning and there suck levels rising.
Ricky Gervais and Steven Merchant (who created the Office) refused to go past 2 seasons and moved on to creating a new show (Extras) and one of the most loved shows ever to come out of the UK was Fawlty Towers (only 12 episodes ever). Both maintain high esteem in the armchair critics eyes and yet their brevity is one of the key elements in those nods of appreciation. I’m not saying that’s why they are loved but they never gave the audience a chance to utter the phrase “it’s not what it used to be” instead anything else that comes along on TV has the task of being compared to these now ‘classics’.
Watching Lost this week, I’m at a loss as to why I still bother. So you’re on the island, you hate it; you leave; now you want to go back again. That in itself might make for an interesting story but the level of writing to go with it has just bombed. In a recent episode the writers saw fit to dismiss a character (he’d obviously become an inconvenience to the story line) by way of an actress emotionally saying that she never wanted to talk about it. Fair enough, maybe the other characters on the show don’t need to know but as someone who has lost (dum dum tish) so many hours watching the show maybe I deserve to know? Don’t I have any viewer’s rights?
Maybe it’s time I went old school and spent more time some of the books I have on my shelf rather than staring at something I no longer enjoy, I guess my point is can someone tell the writers guild of America that now their strike is over can they tell their members go back to basics and as a form of entertainment leave the public wanting more?
The thoughtherder's Blog 
I agree whole heartedly! For example, I love The X-Files with my whole soul, but seasons 8 and 9 are pure rubbish. It got so ridiculous I couldn’t even stand it, and I’m a hardcore fan. Great post!
A lot of American shows lose their appeal purely because they run too long. I blame the networks who want to squeeze as much ad revenue potential out of them. They keep them running until the creators no longer know what to do with them. Lost is actually one of the few shows on right now that has gone against this trend–the creator fought and won to have only six seasons. Personally, it feels like too little, too late, though. Battlestar Galactica is another American show with a limited number of episodes: only four seasons. I think they did a better job with that, although I’ve only really watched the first season.
I recently picked up season 1 & 2 box sets of Xfiles as I watched them first time round on TV but never got as far as seasons 8 & 9, I’ll see how I feel after season 3 to whether or not I continue to watch. Really enjoying the second season again though as my memory is hazy on the storylines it’s like a new show!
I think with Lost the fact that Alan Dale (Charles Widmore) said in an interview that he was bored with Lost’s repetitive storylines spoke volumes. Like you say it’s the squeeze for add revenue which damages the show overall. Not watched Battlestar (does the 80’s movie count!?!) but if they hav managed to build a core fan base then it leaves the door open for more a later date with an audience already lined up.