20 Great TV Shows That Everybody Turned Against
These shows were once considered must-watch television. So, what went wrong?
There are TV shows that come along every once in a while that enrapture the world, forcing the masses to drop everything when a new episode airs. Sitcoms, dramas, and cartoons like these leave the populace so engrossed by their compelling storylines, intense character conflicts, or well-written jokes that it seems impossible to ever tire of them.
But nothing lasts forever.
No matter how solid a series starts, it's unlikely it'll maintain that standard, especially if the writing team changes, a pivotal actor is removed, or if the creative well runs dry. If the series in question has been on for decades or churned out hundreds of episodes, the chances of it suffering from a decline in quality are almost 100%.
Sure, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and South Park are going strong after a zillion episodes, but shows like this are exceptions to the rule, as more often than not, viewers will grow sick and tired of TV programs they never could've imagined hating.
In their prime, the following 20 entries were considered unmissable, but with the benefit of hindsight, these television shows prove that greatness tends to have an expiration date.
20. Prison Break
Prison Break opens with Michael Scofield deliberately getting arrested so he can be sent to the same prison as his brother Lincoln, who was framed for murder. As Michael prepares to break out, the siblings find themselves caught in a global conspiracy.
While Prison Break had a great hook, the main reason it worked is that most episodes ended with not one, but a plethora of cliffhangers. Twists and turns occurred non-stop, making it impossible to tell what would happen next.
By the second season, the Scofields and several other prisoners had escaped and were now on the run. Although ditching the initial premise could've backfired, the change-up stopped the season from feeling like more of the same. But when the ensemble was tossed into another prison in the third season, things started getting tedious and ridiculous. Characters were killed off and resurrected over and over, the leads kept making baffling decisions solely to drag out the already implausible story, and it became clear that Prison Break was relying on shock value more than smart storytelling - and even die-hard fans didn't stick around to see how it ended.