ONTD Original - 5 TV Series Currently on the Air That Will Not End
Excluded from this list are shows where an end date has been announced (ie. Two and Half Men).
Survivor
On the air since: 2000
Number of seasons: 30
Why it should end: Does anybody still watch this anymore? Years ago, this was one of the most popular shows on television. The season 1 finale raked in 51.69 million viewers. The last season? 9.79. Of course, it makes sense that a show in it's 29th season wouldn't have ratings as high as it did in the beginning, but it seems that people are simply just tired of this show. But why is that?
The producers have to recruit their casts, because that is apparently the only way they can get entertaining contestants. Despite criticism, they've had, not one, but two "Fans vs. Favorites" seasons, but the fans in those seasons were clearly recruited as well. As for the Favorites, they constantly have to include former cast-aways, as they feel that is the only way to get more ratings. They also have to have a different theme now each season. Rather than simply having two opposing tribes, they need to divide them by age, gender, race (the controversial Cook Islands season), abilities (Brawn vs. Brains vs. Beauty), family (Blood vs. Water) and this upcoming season 30th, the tribes will be divided by social classes.
If that wasn't enough, they're not only repeating story arcs and castmembers, but they're also repeating locations. For the past 12 seasons, Survivor has flipped back and forth between Samoa, Nicaragua and the Philippines, all of them on a beach. They used to go to more diverse places like the Australian Outback, Gabon, the Amazon and China.
American Idol
On the air since: 2002
Number of seasons: 14
Why it should end: Like Survivor, does anybody still watch this? Apparently so. as last season this show managed to rake in around 10 million viewers each week. What happened to the other 20 million that Idol received in it's prime? What made them stop watching?
Possibly the biggest reason is the departure of the show's creator, Simon Cowell. Cowell left the show in 2010, one year after veteran judge Paula Abdul left. Since then, the show has a different panel almost every year, including Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, Steven Tyler, Keith Urban and even Ellen Degeneres. However, even after Cowell left, the show still had high ratings. So perhaps it's not only about the judges.
The contestants on the show are not as talented as they used to be. The first winner, Kelly Clarkson has international success, and fourth season winner, Carrie Underwood has also become a very famous country singer. Although these two are the only winners to have acheived success post-show, many non-winners from the show also had some levels of success. Some went on to Broadway (Diana DeGarmo, and the Tony-nominated Constantine Maroulis) while Jennifer Hudson won on Oscar for her role in Dreamgirls. Does anybody even remember who won this show last year? Or the year before that?
Grey's Anatomy
On the air since: 2005
Number of seasons: 11
Why it should end: How many catastrophes can possibly happen in just one hospital? Let's be real here. The doctors in this show have experienced a boat accident, a train crash, a plane crash, and a bomb threat? And yet, these surgeons still have time to have relationships with each other? After too many recycled storylines and too many character departures, it might be better to just pull the plug on this show.
Awkward.
On the air since: 2011
Number of seasons: 4
Why it should end: It's a teen show. Like most teen shows, they drag on too long. Jenna is a senior now, and rather than ending the show after the fourth season, MTV decided to split her senior year into two seasons. Many of the old writers have left, and they are mostly recycling the same storylines, meanwhile making Jenna a more irritating character.
ETA: Season five will be the last one! Yayy!
Dancing with the Stars
On the air since: 2005
Number of seasons: 20
Why it should end: This show used to be a way for former celebrities to relaunch their careers (most notably Mario Lopez). Unlike Idol, this show never added or subtracted any of it's judges until last season, when they added two-time DWTS winner and failed actress/singer, Julianne Hough to the panel. Obviously the panel changes are not the reason nobody is interested in this show anymore. The show used to have people who used to be famous (pro-athletes like Apolo Anton Ohno, Spice Girl Mel B, etc.). Now they cast people like Sarah Palin's daughter and Youtube celebrities. If the selection of contestants wasn't enough, the fact that so many contestants simply make it far in the competition because they have a large fanbase is what ruins the show. Bristol Palin came in third place, despite never receiving a 10 from one of the judges her entire season, simply because of who her mother is.
Honourable Mentions:
Supernatural
The Big Bang Theory
CSI
Law & Order: SVU
NCIS
Criminal Minds
Pretty Little Liars
The Vampire Diaries
America's Next Top Model
Are there any other shows that were not included in this list that you think need the axe?
Survivor
On the air since: 2000
Number of seasons: 30
Why it should end: Does anybody still watch this anymore? Years ago, this was one of the most popular shows on television. The season 1 finale raked in 51.69 million viewers. The last season? 9.79. Of course, it makes sense that a show in it's 29th season wouldn't have ratings as high as it did in the beginning, but it seems that people are simply just tired of this show. But why is that?
The producers have to recruit their casts, because that is apparently the only way they can get entertaining contestants. Despite criticism, they've had, not one, but two "Fans vs. Favorites" seasons, but the fans in those seasons were clearly recruited as well. As for the Favorites, they constantly have to include former cast-aways, as they feel that is the only way to get more ratings. They also have to have a different theme now each season. Rather than simply having two opposing tribes, they need to divide them by age, gender, race (the controversial Cook Islands season), abilities (Brawn vs. Brains vs. Beauty), family (Blood vs. Water) and this upcoming season 30th, the tribes will be divided by social classes.
If that wasn't enough, they're not only repeating story arcs and castmembers, but they're also repeating locations. For the past 12 seasons, Survivor has flipped back and forth between Samoa, Nicaragua and the Philippines, all of them on a beach. They used to go to more diverse places like the Australian Outback, Gabon, the Amazon and China.
American Idol
On the air since: 2002
Number of seasons: 14
Why it should end: Like Survivor, does anybody still watch this? Apparently so. as last season this show managed to rake in around 10 million viewers each week. What happened to the other 20 million that Idol received in it's prime? What made them stop watching?
Possibly the biggest reason is the departure of the show's creator, Simon Cowell. Cowell left the show in 2010, one year after veteran judge Paula Abdul left. Since then, the show has a different panel almost every year, including Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, Steven Tyler, Keith Urban and even Ellen Degeneres. However, even after Cowell left, the show still had high ratings. So perhaps it's not only about the judges.
The contestants on the show are not as talented as they used to be. The first winner, Kelly Clarkson has international success, and fourth season winner, Carrie Underwood has also become a very famous country singer. Although these two are the only winners to have acheived success post-show, many non-winners from the show also had some levels of success. Some went on to Broadway (Diana DeGarmo, and the Tony-nominated Constantine Maroulis) while Jennifer Hudson won on Oscar for her role in Dreamgirls. Does anybody even remember who won this show last year? Or the year before that?
Grey's Anatomy
On the air since: 2005
Number of seasons: 11
Why it should end: How many catastrophes can possibly happen in just one hospital? Let's be real here. The doctors in this show have experienced a boat accident, a train crash, a plane crash, and a bomb threat? And yet, these surgeons still have time to have relationships with each other? After too many recycled storylines and too many character departures, it might be better to just pull the plug on this show.
Awkward.
On the air since: 2011
Number of seasons: 4
Why it should end: It's a teen show. Like most teen shows, they drag on too long. Jenna is a senior now, and rather than ending the show after the fourth season, MTV decided to split her senior year into two seasons. Many of the old writers have left, and they are mostly recycling the same storylines, meanwhile making Jenna a more irritating character.
ETA: Season five will be the last one! Yayy!
Dancing with the Stars
On the air since: 2005
Number of seasons: 20
Why it should end: This show used to be a way for former celebrities to relaunch their careers (most notably Mario Lopez). Unlike Idol, this show never added or subtracted any of it's judges until last season, when they added two-time DWTS winner and failed actress/singer, Julianne Hough to the panel. Obviously the panel changes are not the reason nobody is interested in this show anymore. The show used to have people who used to be famous (pro-athletes like Apolo Anton Ohno, Spice Girl Mel B, etc.). Now they cast people like Sarah Palin's daughter and Youtube celebrities. If the selection of contestants wasn't enough, the fact that so many contestants simply make it far in the competition because they have a large fanbase is what ruins the show. Bristol Palin came in third place, despite never receiving a 10 from one of the judges her entire season, simply because of who her mother is.
Honourable Mentions:
Supernatural
The Big Bang Theory
CSI
Law & Order: SVU
NCIS
Criminal Minds
Pretty Little Liars
The Vampire Diaries
America's Next Top Model
Are there any other shows that were not included in this list that you think need the axe?