10 Once Great TV Shows That Became Laughing Stocks

'Didn't we almost have it all?' That's a question that the powers-that-be at HBO probably found themselves asking after receiving the feedback from Game Of Thrones' final season, and in all honesty, you couldn't blame them if they were.

The show that single-handedly defined the past decade of television with its exceptional storytelling techniques, boundary-pushing CGI and overall cinematic presentation, GoT enjoyed one hell of a run over the course of its stint on the air - becoming one of the few truly cutting-edge shows that much of the population at least attempted to watch during its first airing. And yet it seems that the only thing people will remember when they look back on it is one of the absolute worst declines in TV history.

Following seven seasons of greatness, the show bowed out with a weak and problematic final offering that single-handedly destroyed its foundations (in a mere six episodes). Major story developments took place off-screen, other senseless events were brushed over with meaningless lines of dialogue and that rich long-form storytelling the show was renowned for was forsaken in one of the biggest rush-jobs in recent memory, leaving fans who had invested 10 years of their lives feeling understandably short-changed.

The show that loudly dominated a decade of TV bowed out with a whimper in what felt like a parody of this once-great phenomenon. And now the creators are the butt of endless jokes and the show has gone down in infamy for falling at the final hurdle.

Didn't they almost have it all, indeed...

-

Which TV shows do you think became laughing stocks? For more, check out our list of the 25 greatest superhero TV shows of all time.