What Show Should Have Only Had One Season?

I don't think that is a fair assessment of X-Files. it started as, and succeeded because, there was a mythology from the very first episode. It always had MotW episodes with Mythology episodes sprinkled throughout (with the big ones happening at Sweeps; remember sweeps?!?) and maintained that balance pretty much all the way through the 5th season -- where is where that show should have ended.
Your assessment is how I remember it. I don't think I even made it to season 5, as I bailed when I realized they had no idea where they were going with their metaplot. I turned to an episode in later seasons only to be greeted by two characters who weren't Mulder & Scully wondering to myself, "Who are these jokers?"
 

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There is a point somewhere around season 7 where the writing becomes highly self aware, and that's really what keeps it going over time.
Yeah I nearly mentioned that - and you're quite right, that is what eventually keeps the show going, I hadn't thought about that but it is.
Looks like X files is coming back!
Coogler certainly has the horror and general directing chops for it, but it's really going to be on how well they can update the general concept to today, a world where everyone has a powerful videocamera in their pocket, and demented conspiracy theories are government policy (particularly relevant literally today, horrifyingly), rather than weird almost cool things some loner in his 50s believes.
 
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Yeah I nearly mentioned that - and you're quite right, that is what eventually keeps the show going, I hadn't thought about that but it is.

Coogler certainly has the horror and general directing chops for it, but it's really going to be on how well they can update the general concept to today, a world where everyone has a powerful videocamera in their pocket, and demented conspiracy theories are government policy (particularly relevant literally today, horrifyingly), rather than weird almost cool things some loner in his 50s believes.
Also, at the time the original X-Files came out, conspiracies were still cooky fun. Now not so much.
 

Picard, but it should have only been Season 3.

Star Trek the Animated Series...oh wait...

The Mandalorian is debatable. Season 2 could be okay, if it had only been season 1 and 2...

(I should note, I haven't actually SEEN the Mandalorian as of yet, but I have plenty of friends who have. I have had spoilers aplenty...so if I ever do watch it I already know a LOT about what happens..etc...etc...etc).
 

I don't think that is a fair assessment of X-Files. it started as, and succeeded because, there was a mythology from the very first episode. It always had MotW episodes with Mythology episodes sprinkled throughout (with the big ones happening at Sweeps; remember sweeps?!?) and maintained that balance pretty much all the way through the 5th season -- where is where that show should have ended.
My trouble with X Files is that, in the first season, most episodes ended dubiously. There was an unnatural explanation of the events by Moulder and a grounded explanation of the same events by Scully. So you choose if you sided with Moulder or Scully. But after Gillian Anderson get pregnant and needed to "disappear" for some episodes, the rational explanation was throw out the window and most episodes were unmistakenly supernatural. That killed the show for me. The dubiety was what made it instigating for me in first place. No right or wrong answers. Believe in what you want.
 

Some already said …
Heroes. (Though this may seem obvious, but if you didn’t know it was actually pitched as an anthology series where each season would be self contained and different cast. So season 1 was written that way. But execs didn’t want an anthology show and wanted to keep using the actors that became sensations. It’s clear how hard they workedt after that to try and keep characters relevant to random plots.

Lost

The dragon prince (I think that’s the name. Later seasons just seemed to drag. But season 1 was crisp)

A lot of shows with time travel as a conceit. Which is odd coming from me since I love time travel shows. But after a season they start getting so convoluted trying to keep ever character and relevant despite timeline changes that it’s just a pain some times

… I’m sure I’ll think of more later.
 


Picard, but it should have only been Season 3.

Star Trek the Animated Series...oh wait...

The Mandalorian is debatable. Season 2 could be okay, if it had only been season 1 and 2...

(I should note, I haven't actually SEEN the Mandalorian as of yet, but I have plenty of friends who have. I have had spoilers aplenty...so if I ever do watch it I already know a LOT about what happens..etc...etc...etc).
I did not like season three!
 


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