TV shows that burned hot, then burned out almost as fast

[Mrs. Sawyer]

I'd rather watch the XFL.

 

[TheNextNolan22]

At least the XFL had colorful and interesting personalities. IT HAD THE ROCK ON AN EPISODE!! I'd rather hear The Rock say how “psyched, pumped, geeked, AND cranked" he was for the league than having to sit through Season 10 of Smallville.

 

[TMC1982]

I think there are a lot of shows that fit this list, but I'm only going to go on the ones I've watched.

Heroes - No explanation needed.

24 - First season is excellent. No other season was ever able to top that.

Revolution - First few episodes had potential, but by mid-season you could tell it was already working up to be a clunker. It's now over due to be cancelled.

The Mentalist - It just keeps going downhill

Ally McBeal - Gimmicky show where the gimmicks got old by the second season

The Borgias - So much intrigue in the first season, but nothing really after that.

Ugly Betty

Desperate Housewives

Here's a historical analyst of Ally McBeal:
http://blip.tv/RowdyReviewer/tv-trash-100th-episode-6454749

http://blip.tv/RowdyReviewer/tv-trash-ally-mcbeal-part-2-6465847

 

[SV Fan]

The O.C..............

The show tried too hard to come up with a jaw dropping moment week after week. If you think about all of the stories they did in season 1, they could have either been explored further or saved for later seasons. Also, the revolving door or guest stars didn't help either. Love interest pops up, and unless they're in the title credits, you know they'll be gone in 6-10 episodes.

I never got this myself, they seemed to do like a years worth of storylines in 4-5 episodes. While it was great at first it got tiring fast

In terms of a show that took a big hit after it's first season, I would go (and I am sad to say I watched this) Jersey Shore. The first season was great in a trainwreck sort of fashion, the second season was good, everything after got progressively worse and started to feel forced

As for Smallville I thought the first 4 season were good, the middle three were not so great and the last 3 were a step up from the middle 3. I think the biggest problem on the show was it had terrible payoffs to most storylines so it's hard to get into those episodes that focused on a season long plot because you know it will end off bad.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

At least the XFL had colorful and interesting personalities. IT HAD THE ROCK ON AN EPISODE!! I'd rather hear The Rock say how “psyched, pumped, geeked, AND cranked" he was for the league than having to sit through Season 10 of Smallville.

Those moments with the Rock already makes XFL better.

 

[jmc]

To me 24 is the show that fits this category perfectly. The first season was without doubt one of the best seasons of television I had ever watch at the time, in fact it was the first TV show I could recall where the entire season was genuinely one epic storyline. And then for a reason I couldn't figure out for ages the show just never felt the same after that. It wasn't until I rewatched the entire season one about 2-3 years ago that I figured out why the show never really hit the heights season one did again, it's because unlike subsequent seasons 'Day 1' was very much a slow burn where things genuinely felt as if they were happening in real time. The following seasons tried very much to cram as many plot twists and action sequences within each hour where as season one would more often than not just end with no big revelation or set piece taking place, especially in the first 12-16 hours, the pacing was just so much better and natural. I remember the last 6-7 hours as being some of the most intense TV I had ever witnessed because that slow burn over the course of the series was slowly building up to a dramatic finale. In retrospect I wonder if 24 was one of those concepts that works fantastic as a one-off series but was never really a great concept as an on going series.

 

[SV Fan]

it's because unlike subsequent seasons 'Day 1' was very much a slow burn where things genuinely felt as if they were happening in real time.

I never watched 24 but I wonder if they show all the events that happen over a 24 hour period did they show people eating and going to the washroom(chances are you will have to do that even in a hostage situation)? lol

 

[jmc]

I never watched 24 but I wonder if they show all the events that happen over a 24 hour period did they show people eating and going to the washroom(chances are you will have to do that even in a hostage situation)? lol

Thing about the show is there's usually 3-4 plot points happening over the course of the season, so you're never fixated on one specific character the entire time meaning you could make the argument that sort of thing happens off camera. Season 1 from what I can remember however was the only season that showed someone eating and taking a break.