4. Bones
Bones was a surprise hit for FOX when it first began in 2005. Since then, Bones has delivered more than favorable ratings for FOX, peaking at #29 in the Nielsen ratings after season six. However, the series is not young anymore; to remind everyone, it has just been renewed for its ninth season. Frankly, it is not a tragedy to give Bones another season. The show does have more quality in its current form than most crime procedural dramas have nowadays. Nonetheless, the show is certainly past its prime. Bones has survived primarily on the strength of its characters. Dr. Temperance Brennan and FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth are both extremely well-developed and interesting characters to watch week after week. However, the series began to decline for me the moment that Brennan and Booth had a daughter at the end of season seven and Dr. Hodgins and Angela Montenegro married at the end of season six. Brennan and Booth are reportedly supposed to marry in season nine, and I think that when this happens, there will be very little character development to keep the old cast interesting. The cases, for the most part, have been very typical of an average crime drama, and without the methodical character development, this series will see its end.