TV shows that were once brilliant, then went down the tubes.

[Sannum]

The West Wing until Aaron Sorkin left.

Ally McBeal--Say what you will, the first season was better than most things on today. Something just went horribly wrong during season 3 with a brief re-birth when the Robert Downey Jr./Anne Heche season happened. Then it just died.

There are many more, but I am too tired to think. Feel free to add!

[elperromagico]

1. The first season of "Happy Days" was great,

then the focus shifted to the Fonz, and the studio audience was brought in.

The show was never as good after that, IMO. By the end, it was a show that had more to do with the 70s and 80s than with the 50s and 60s.

[last_texas_dem]

10. That's the first one I thought of, too

I love the first couple seasons, and like pretty much all the ones that still had Richie and before Chachi became a major character. But, yeah, as the show went on it was like they forgot it was supposed to be a show about the fifties/early sixties. The seventies/eighties hair and, to some degree, clothing styles took over and everything. Also, the early episodes that were basically about Richie and Pottsy getting into various jams with a little bit of Fonz on occasion are good stuff. By the end it was mostly Fonz, with Joanie and Chachi, and whoever that guy was that Ted McGinley played. It wasn't totally bad but definitely a shadow of its former self as a TV show.

[democracy eh]

19. uugghhhh Chachi

Just think in some parellel universe
Chachi never happened

[goodboy]

2. Fawlty Towers (nt)

[elperromagico]

4. Absolutely. Episode 12 was nowhere near as good as Episode 1.

;)

[goodboy]

6. My absolute favorite is "the Germans" Don't mention the war

[elperromagico]

9. "Don't touch me! I don't know where you've been!"

[goodboy]

12. My GOD you're ugly aren't you?

A knock on the head like that one....



Is worth two in the bush,.

[physioex]

3. American Chopper...

I am not wacthing that show, it sucks.....

[LizW]

5. Mad About You

It was really funny in the first couple of years.

[realisticphish]

7. the simpsons

though its struggling back, slowly

snl, the last 5 years or so

and, say what you will, the man show. it started out out as slightly raunchy show that was genuinely funny. it slowly became just perversion and disgust

:hippie: The Incorrigible Democrat

[xray s]

8. Northern Exposure, Twin Peaks and X-Files

just couldn't keep the magic

[Kire]

15. Twin Peaks?

didn't that only have one season?

are you referring to the movie?

[xray s]

16. Nope. TP had two seasons

But I don't blame you for not remembering season two. Most people don't. Because it was pretty bad.

[liberalpragmatist]

11. West Wing is fine. My pick is "Family Matters"

I think West Wing is fine. Yeah, Sorkin was great (although I found the storylines in his last season more and more farfetched) but I think John Wells does fine. I still enjoy the show.

As for my pick - "Family Matters." Doesn't entirely fit your criteria b/c I'd hardly call the series "brilliant" - but it was a pretty decent show for the first few seasons.

Then it just got f*cked up. Characters randomly disappearing including one of the Winslow daughters (?!) and Steve Urkel going from the mildly amusing and harmless neighbor next door to ubiquitous super-genius concocting far-fetched inventions. WTF?

The show really crashed after a few good seasons. Oh God, how bad it got!

[Glenda]

13. Dharma & Greg n/t

[sakabatou]

14. Cop Rock... I think that's what it was called

[Skittles]

17. Seinfeld

I thought the last couple of seasons really bit it.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

18. The X-Files

Started out with a unique premise and some bizarre but cool plots, but after a while it got old and downright silly. The movie sucked, too.

The first three seasons I planned the evening around watching it, but when it went slot-hopping I gave up on it.

[Zomby Woof]

20. The Simpsons

First 6 or 7 seasons... the most brilliant satire in TV history, or any medium. Wish it would have stopped then.

But even its suckiest crap of the past half decade-plus beats the 'best' "Family Guy" ripoff crap. (As if that show would exist if not for the pioneering ways of the original!)