10 TV Shows That Went One Season Too Long

10. Scrubs

There's perhaps no more blatant example of a show bowing out a season before it was actually laid to rest than Scrubs.

The series' eighth season was widely expected to be its last, to the extent that Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence even said so himself.

The season's final episode "My Finale" was very clearly written and presented as a final farewell to J.D. (Zach Braff) and the rest of the Sacred Heart crew.

But in an attempt to milk their investment for every drop, ABC - who recently inherited the show from NBC - commissioned a surprise ninth season, which shifted the focus to a new set of medical interns, while the legacy cast were shuttled into supporting or cameo roles.

Season nine was met with a wildly polarised response from critics and audiences alike, and as the show's ratings plummeted throughout the season, ABC (thankfully) opted not to renew for season ten.

Though Scrubs' "final" season didn't tarnish the show's legacy in any overt way, it was nevertheless an awkward and unnecessary post-script which denied season eight's finale the space to have the final word on this beloved cast of characters.