When watching a show a while after it’s released you can sometimes tell when a show was canceled because a season will end on a big (occasionally spiteful) event.
The following season after it’s picked back up occasionally stumbles a bit but I’m wondering what examples can you think of that were especially bad?
For me, it was definitely Arrested Development. The original run was super tight and hilarious, and worked as a self-contained story. Then season four happened and… yeah.
A clear example of a show jumping the shark between seasons.
I believe the main issue there was scheduling conflicts. They couldn’t get all the cast in one place at the same time. So they worked around that in the script. They did a great job given the constraints, but not a great job by the standards of the series.
I actually really liked season four in its original format - where you saw the story from one person’s perspective and then later saw it from another’s. The way the story lines intertwined was really good IMO. If you watch it now then you get the recut version where it’s all in chronological order and it’s just weak.
It was different and it could have been good with different characters, but I didn’t like it because the characters are bad to stick around with by themselves for extended periods of time.
I haven’t watched it since the original version. Frankly, it was barely okay as it was, but the structure was one of the things that made the obvious scheduling issues bearable. If you don’t structure around it and sort of hang a lampshade for those who were following the production, then yeah, you just get a remarkably weak season of Arrested Development. Never bothered with 5.
Sometimes a staff has moved on and a moment has passed. Looking at YOU, various Covid reunion shows.
I enjoyed season 4 as well, particularly in the original format. Season 5 on the other hand, I have no idea what that was.
What the hell was up with the hand? They made an amputated hand the cornerstone of half their jokes. That’s when we lost interest and stopped watching.