If I had to pick 5 then they would be:

1, Fools and Horses. An obvious choice I know but the episodes in 1996 would have ended the show perfectly.
2, Red Dwarf. Take away half of the writing team and you're only left with half a show. Introducing new characters, making more episodes per series, filming without an audience and remastering the old series were all mistakes in my opinion.
3, Game On. The first series of this show was genuinely superb I think but the same old problems of losing writers and cast members meant a decline ensued. It still wasn't terrible but just not the same.
4, Brittas Empire. Another show that had a natural ending and then ripped it up to make money. The episodes written by new writers are clearly discernable from waht had gone before as well.
5, Blackadder. Back and Forth wasn't up to the high standards set and I hope that they never make a 5th series.

I neglected to pick Summer Wine because I think that it's coped with cast changes better than most sitcoms. I wouldn't have minded if it had ended after Bill Owen's death though.

There are so many, but off the top of my head...Only Fools & Horses (the last few episodes were terrible), 'Allo 'Allo, Bread, Red Dwarf, Respectable (outstayed its welcome by six episodes).

Agree with all of the above, especially Red Dwarf. Series 6 had a few minor wobbles but from series 7 on it became dire. The chemistry of Lister and Rimmer drives the show. Why can't the writer see what the audience knows?

Other sit-coms that outstayed. I love League of Gentlemen but series 3 was almost iconoclastic as they seemed determined to destroy what they'd built on. Series 3 was incomparable to the preceding. Just my opinion.

Hyperdrive - outstayed its welcome after Episode 1 / series 1. I think it was after this the BBC announced the creation of a new comedy genre - Sit-com.

Add to that Supernova, but i'm not really sure it was ever conceived as a comedy, so its unfair to judge what was evidently serious mainstream drama as comedy. (I have tounge in cheek at this point). Not even Brydon could save it.

Good topic Nick!

I agree with a lot of the above... especially Only Fools and Horses. Pretty angry they ruined the perfect 1996 ending actually.

Scott - you really, really don't like Respectable do you. ha ha.

I think there's an argument for saying that the majority of sitcoms outstay their welcome by one series. It's rare that a comedy finishes due to a bold step by the writers (you can't really blame them for wanting to go on). I think even The Office, which as everyone knows was ended "early" by Gervais, went on two episodes too long - that change in direction for the specials wasn't quite right IMHO.

Here's an interesting thing: can anyone think of a comedy that's picked itself back up after heading downhill? I guess even when the crew know things are not going well they are thinking to themselves they can still turn it around.

In my opinion, My Family, My Hero and Green Wing have all outstayed their welcomes.

I'm a huge fan of Green Wing, but I feel that series two was no where near as good as the first series.

Only Fools and Horses I'd definitely agree with. Are You Being Served? should have been killed when Trevor Bannister left. 'Allo 'Allo!, however, I can't agree with at all. Nor Respectable.
My Hero, possibly, although I didn't see enough of this last series to judge fairly. Green Wing I'd agree wasn't funny in the same way, but I don't think it outstayed its welcome. Hyperdrive definitely, and Supernova isn't too bad in itself, but as a 'sitcom' it is pretty poor.

...And not a sitcom, but Ant & Dec entirely.

2 pints of lager....I've always been baffled how that managed to stay on our screens for so long, AND managed to get a spin off. Not only that, they repeat it constantly. Strange.

Again, agreeing with much of the above. Only fools and horses was ruined after the "perfect ending". I think with things like that you've just got to pretend they never happened. You know like Robocop 2 and 3.

I disagree with the Game On comment though. When they changed Matthew, i couldn't believe it, and wasn't very impressed with new guy, just because he was different. However he made the character his own, he played him the way he wanted to, and didn't try to emulate the previous guy (whats his name!).

In the end I think he did a good job.

Quote: Ginger Jesus @ October 9, 2006, 12:33 PM

2 pints of lager....I've always been baffled how that managed to stay on our screens for so long, AND managed to get a spin off. Not only that, they repeat it constantly. Strange.

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Do you mean Grownups? If so, I don't think that that was a true spin-off; just similar.

Right, I thought it was supposed to be the same character, growing up leaving Warrington behind and moving to the trendy Northern Quarter. It's the same writer and everything though isn't it?

Yeah, same writer, and I suppose not too hard a mistake to make, but there are differences there. In some ways it is very much a spin-off - a continuation along a theme - but the characters are all different, and I think the jump is just that bit too much between the maturity of the shows.

... If that makes sense.

I barely gave it the time of day if I'm honest. I did wonder what had gone on to make the jump from scally in Warrington, to living in trendy flat in Manchester.

Not that that isn't possible. I'm sure it's been done.

In response to the Game On comments, I would agree that Neil Stuke did a decent job but I think that Ben Chaplin had a much more chemistry with the rest of the cast. The writing also went downhill a little and the idea of Matthew being gay probably wasn't an idea for the character in the first series.

I would agree with the earlier comments about The Office Christmas specials though. They were ok I guess but didn't really work that well I don't think.

I would say thats probably fair. It was only because he had a tough act to follow, and thought he coped with it well.

And yeah, there was no way he was going to be gay in the first series.

Another couple of shows that I'd mention are Goodnight Sweetheart and Birds of a Feather. Marks and Gran's tactic of starting a show and then raking in the money as hired hands continue isn't a particularly meritworthy one.

Quote: Mark @ October 8, 2006, 7:50 PM

Scott - you really, really don't like Respectable do you. ha ha.

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The worst sitcom since Heil Honey I'm Home!