Some long-running television shows remain great for a very long time, while others are allowed to end gracefully, or are canceled before they get terrible.
These 20 shows are not examples of that.
The much more common ending to a show is that it lasts way too long, quality declines, stars leave, and storylines become wildly unrealistic. Whether it's Fonzie literally jumping the shark on "Happy Days," or half the original characters of "Once Upon A Time" leaving the show, the following 20 shows definitely overstayed their welcome.
By the time "Friends" reached its 10th season, it became clear that the writers were running out of ideas.
"Friends" is one of the most beloved TV shows of all time, which is why it's painful to admit that it lasted at least one season too long. Granted, the show revolved around a group of six friends, so storylines were in short supply. But when Rachel and Joey started dating in season 10, after nine seasons of having no interest in each other whatsoever, it became clear that the writers had run out of material.
Additionally, the characters became loud, obnoxious caricatures of themselves. Try watching an episode from the first season of "Friends," and then one from the 10th season — the differences are startling.
"Pretty Little Liars" should have ended when they revealed the identity of "A" in season two — the show inexplicably lasted another five seasons.
If you were on Twitter during an episode of "Pretty Little Liars," you might remember how captivating this show about a group of friends getting terrorized by an anonymous stalker named "A" used to be — it was a phenomenon.
But the show's runaway success led to it promising to reveal who the real "A" was every single season. Even though the identity of "A" was revealed in season two, more "As" popped up every season.
How many "As" could there be? The show only got more confusing as it went on, and mercifully ended after season seven.
"The Vampire Diaries" probably should have called it quits after the show's star Nina Dobrev left in season six — it finally ended two years later.
"The Vampire Diaries" originally started off as a love triangle between Eleana (played by Dobrev) and two vampire brothers, Stefan and Damon, but as seasons went on, the show lost focus. However, it kept going, and doubled down on the uninspired romance between Damon and Elena. Arguably, it was never able to recreate its storytelling highs of season two.
The show's sixth season ended with Elena in a coma, and curiously continued without her for another two unnecessary seasons. Without Elena, the main character, the show struggled, and finally came to an end after season eight — though you can still see some of your favorites on spin-off "The Originals."
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