Shows that completed their brilliant runs without jumping the shark

[Simon_Cowbell]

Minimum of, well, I'll go with our recently departed's 86 episodes.

To me, it is only The Sopranos.

I loved MASH till the end, but it was inferior once it lost Henry, Trapper and Frank, and then Radar.

I'd put Seinfeld in here, but I count that finale as a mashive jump of the dorsal.

Picket Fences almost made it for me, but no.

Other thoughts?

 

[Chi City 81]

I have a feeling The Wire will make the short list when its run concludes after next season.

And I think Sopranos did jump the shark, with the dream sequence episode, until making a late resurgence. Ditto West Wing.

Other than that ...

 

[alleyallen]

Kind of hard to fault West Wing, given the death of John Spencer. You have to wonder if the show would have ended differently had he still lived.

 

[Chi City 81]

Kind of hard to fault West Wing, given the death of John Spencer. You have to wonder if the show would have ended differently had he still lived.

See, I think it ended well. It was Seasons 4 and 5, post Sorkin, when it jumped. It bounced back, IMO.

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

I have a feeling The Wire will make the short list when its run concludes after next season.

And I think Sopranos did jump the shark, with the dream sequence episode, until making a late resurgence. Ditto West Wing.

Other than that ...

Interesting.

 

[Cousin Jeffrey]

I loved Seinfeld's last season, even though it was completely out there, and the last episode has some quality humor/metaphorical meaning in it, so I credit it as un-jumpable. Cheers too, of course.

 

[Captain_Kirk]

Seinfeld. I know I'm in the minority, but I don't have the disdain for the last episode most do, and looking back, I think it wraps up the show nicely.

Green Acres. Seriously. Ok, maybe there wasn't a shark to jump because it was such a goofball show to begin with, but they pretty much stuck to the premise throughout the run.

 

[Melodious Thunk]

I can't think of the shark jumping moment from Hill Street Blues.

I thought Seinfeld in the non-Larry David years came pretty close to shark jumping. It never sank to unwatchable levels like some shows, but it was a dead arm period.

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

I can't think of the shark jumping moment from Hill Street Blues.

I thought Seinfeld in the non-Larry David years came pretty close to shark jumping. It never sank to unwatchable levels like some shows, but it was a dead arm period.

I thought that when the basketball game was played... where Betty Thomas dominated and the ball was shot at the end... (if I am remembering that correctly)... that episode, plus the Buntz ship at the end, hurt it for me.

 

[Twoback]

St. Elsewhere.
Homicide: Life On The Street

 

[Melodious Thunk]

Homicide: Life On The Street

I wanted to vote for Homicide, but the show was never the same after Pembleton left.

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

I can't think of the shark jumping moment from Hill Street Blues.

I thought Seinfeld in the non-Larry David years came pretty close to shark jumping. It never sank to unwatchable levels like some shows, but it was a dead arm period.

Nice phrasing, MT.

I don't really agree, but I loved that turn.