What shows are in their make-it or break-it season for you.
 

Which shows for you need to turn it around sometime this season or else you plan on finally giving up on them.

For me

Smallville- What the hell happen this show?
Alias- the first couple of season were great but the last 2.5 or so just sucked

I've put alot of time into these shows but they need to turn it around fast or i'm jumping off the ship

Smallville. Actually, it fell off the map for me last year, but I guess I'll get the DVD to find out what happened.

The OC: mediocre second season, lets see if they can turn it around. Well, actually, lets see how they deal with the "shocker" season finale from last season

Alias: again, I mostly missed last season, but I'll catch up on DVD. Unlike Smallville, which I mostly missed due to schedule conflicts, I actually Tivo'd this for the whole season, but after the first few eps never felt an urgency to watch it. In fact, it took me a long time to watch the finale from the season before...

Gilmore girls had an "eh" season last year, but I still look forward to it... and it's one of my wife's favorite shows, so I guess we'll watch it as long as it's on.

THE OC are you kidding me???I knew someone HAD to mention it. Turn what around? It was a great season all the way through. I sure hope they do the intended 5 seasons of this show(which is what I heard Josh Schwartzs wants to do). This is one of the best shows on network television right now. Seth Cohen for President!

Lost. I was generally intrigued by the concept and the first half of the season, but I started losing the love in the second half. I still have the season final on my Replay because I just never felt like I *needed* to watch it.

The West Wing. It's probably the last season anyway, but these characters used to be great every week, now they're really really good every once in a while.

Yes, everyone is kidding you.

Anyway, I vote for "24". But like most shows, every season is a make or break.

American Dad - There are parts of it I like but I can see it falling flat too easily.

I'm concerned as well. However I don't think it needs to "turn it around", I felt as if they did that, but now they have to keep it headed in that direction. Season 5 had it's moments ("Shutdown" and "The Supremes" come to mind) but for the most part I really felt the absence of Aaron Sorkin in the writing. Season 6 started off with promise but man oh man did I DIG the second half far, FAR more than I ever thought I would. I now LOVE the Santos storyline/character and the season finale just blew my mind. My friends and I would watch the show every wed night throughout college, no matter what the schedule was like the next day and we were NOT dissapointed.

What mostly has me concerned is NBC cutting the budget in half... I don't want to see the show having to reduce in scope during what is probably its final season. If it is the last one, I want it to go out strong, I want it to harken back to the West Wing of old. I want Bartlett saying something wise and sage-like, while funny-in-his-Bartlett-way to Santos as Santos is left in the oval standing in front of the desk. I want him to thank Josh as he walks off to Leo's (now his) office and I want him to ask "what's next?" as the camera cranes up and the music from the end of the pilot plays. I want it to end on the seal, I want to be misty at the end.

If more actors leave or if stories shrink, I just don't see that happening. Still, here's hoping.

With regard to Smallville, last season did suck almost humorously hard compared to what came before, and I'd almost abandoned it for dead, but what I've been reading about next season sounds intriguing... if they really can "take it in a new direction" and make it more "adult", well then I'll gladly tune in. But Smallville is the show where I feel they need to "turn it all around", whereas West Wing, I just hope it stays on course.



Doc

Without a doubt, The O.C. is at the top of the list. The 1st season was a brilliant satire of the teen soap drama. The 2nd season, the show actually tried to be a teen soap drama, and not a very good one. They completely ruined Seth's character. If I want a teen soap, I have OTH or else bring back life as we know it.

If the 3rd season is like last season, I will quickly drop it.

The West Wings continues to be on the bubble, but last year was a decent comeback - at least the campaign episodes; I couldn't care less about the folks who remained in the WH. However, I think it may be academic because this might be its last season anyhow.

The O.C. - Like most fans of the show, I loved Season 1(minus the Oliver episodes) and thought it was a brilliantly written and acted comedy/drama. Season 2, I don't know what happened. Maybe Josh Schwartz got cocky and let all the success go to his head(rumor had it he was already prepping a new series for Fox and possibly even an O.C. spinoff). Maybe the writing staff was creatively tapped out after an extended first year that featured 27 episodes. Regardless, Season 2 was utter crap. I still think there's a lot of life left in this show, but the writers and producers better get their act together or this will go down as nothing more than a one hit wonder.

Lost - Speaking of one hit wonders, as cool a premise as this show has and as kickass as the first half of Season 1 was, there was a noticable dropoff in momentum as the year progressed. By the time the last shot of the season finale aired, I was pissed. This show seems to be spinning its wheels, and I can think of only two reasons why. First, ABC and the producers are trying to milk this sucker for all it's worth. And/or second, the creators have no clue where the storyline is headed. I know the writers claim they have an endgame in mind, but given J.J. Abrams' track record with his other show, Alias(I find it hard to believe all that Rimbaldi crap was intended as a buildup to a Resident Evil ripoff), I'm hesitant to give them the benefit of the doubt. Either way, Season 2 better start providing some answers or else the ratings will sink.

Smallville - Season 5 has been rumored to be this show's final year, so there's less pressure on it to rebound. Still, after the shitfest that was Season 4, the writers and producers need to do everything they can to ensure this series goes out on a high(er) note. In 4 seasons, there's been virtually no growth or development of any of the characters. Are Clark and Lana any farther along than they were when this series began? Has Chloe's obsession with Clark gotten her anywhere? Is Lex any closer to being evil? Has Clark still not learned his lesson when it comes to red kryptonite? Are people really still living in Smallville after all the meteor rock freaks keep turning up? Yes, it's a prequel to Superman and yes WB has placed some restrictions on what the writing staff can do with the characters(most notably the use of Clark's powers and certain DC icons), but this show has resorted to hitting the reset button so many times just to avoid having to take the storyline in any significant direction, it's become almost laughable.

One Tree Hill - Don't laugh. Much like The O.C., this is an enjoyable guilty pleasure of mine. Season 1 was a lot of fun. Yes, the acting left a lot to be desired and the writing didn't have anywhere near the wit of The O.C.(Season 1 at least), but the characters were engaging, Paul Johannson was the type of person you love to hate, and every chick(even the moms) was hot. Plus a big focus of the show was basketball which is my favorite sport, and for once they cast actors who actually looked like they could play. Then Season 2 happened. No, it didn't sink as low as The O.C.'s sophomore effort(then again it didn't have as far to fall), but the characters went from engaging to annoying. Everyone was reduced to being 2-dimensional, like the people you'd normally see in some generic daytime soap. And good Lord, the new additions to the show were brutal. Totally unlikable, not even remotely realistic, and worst of all, they couldn't freaking act. Memo to Maria Menounos. You're hot, but that doesn't make you an actress. Stick to sucking up to the real stars on Entertainment Hollywood or Access Tonight or whatever piece of crap tabloid fodder you came from. Another miscalculation was picking up right where Season 1 left off. Since Season 2 presumably focused on the second half of their junior year, there was no more basketball. The driving force behind the entire plot was gone. Still, they did end with quite an interesting cliffhanger, so there is hope for Season 3.

Alias - Aw, who am I kidding? Season 3 sucked. Season 4 was at best a marginal improvement. And now they're gonna have the star of the show pregnant for half the season? Alias is dead.

I don't know about "make it or break it", but Law and Order slipped a bit off my radar last season for some reason. It's certainly possible for it to fall all the way off if my interest doesn't pick up.

Oh, and I don't think it has seasons, but I sure will be happy when Tony and Mike start showing up at least three times a week on Pardon The Interruption.

Summer is basically over with Labor Day weekend and football is starting, so rest assured, they will be back to their regular schedule. This is the same pattern that has happened each year PTI has been on the air.

Las Vegas

Joey - It started off rocky, but I thought it got more enjoyable as the season progressed. But there is a LOT of stuff I watch (or plan on checking out) on Thursdays this season. It will have to stay strong to not get lost in the shuffle.

Smallville - Another vote here. I still haven't seen the last 3 or 4 eps from last season. And now it's still another Thursday show...

Wow, it took 3 replies to get Lost mentioned? I figured it would be in the first post. Backlash is a terrible thing along that thin line they are treading.

I don't know if there is one. If the show isn't good, I don't last the season. If it gets better, I go back and watch it. Monk was a make or break season, but it broke early so I didn't keep going.

If Lost started sucking (and I don't think it has) I wouldn't last the season either.

Every show I watch.

Television

Number one of all the ones mentioned here IMHO.

The O.C. - 1st season was great. 2nd season was crap. I would have prefered them bringing Oliver back instead of watching the Seth Cohen hour.

Lost - I predict 5 very small resolves and 100 big new mysteries this season.

Alias - is this the season where Sydney finds out she has 3 more sisters or maybe a brother?

That 70s Show - Not having Eric should kill it.

I still haven't finished season 4 of Smallville due to underwhelming episodes. However, season 5 looks like it might finally redeem itself: Season 5 trailer from The WB

You say this like it is a bad thing.

it will be bad if the show gets canned due to the audience jumping ship from the lack of answers. I hate to get completely wrapped up into a show only to have it pulled before its time. everyone I know is already ready to dump it.

Do any of the people you know get HBO? Lost doesn't require nearly the amount of patience most 5-star HBO shows do, and many people love it for that. I'm glad they aren't throwing answers about, and are just letting the story unfold at its own pace. I doubt it will cancelled anytime soon. Alias is on season 5 and we still don't know who/what the fuck Rambaldi is.

Smallville...Season 4 was the make or break season..and it broke, but I still keep watching it it! I'm a dumbass....but with the one two of Chloe and Lois, I couldn't not watch.

Lost - Answers in the first 2 episodes or I cut it from my list.

Smallville - they lost me last season, this show belongs on Lost.

Stargate: SG-1 - what the hell happened? Jack left and I’m packing, this season is craptacular so far.

24 - I’ll tune in and give it 2 episodes before I decide to ditch it. Last season was a total disappointment, a dog show would have been more entertaining.