A few of these have only been on 3 seasons. That's hardly long running.

Mystery Science Theater 3000

The last couple of seasons of MASH weren't up to par with the rest of the series as a whole, but it's the only long running show (11 seasons) that I can think of that was great.

This is very subjective, of course, and even within your own mix of choices it's relative.

Friday Night Lights didn't have a great season two...but even season two was better than 90% of what was on TV at the time.

24 had several "off" seasons...but even then, it was always adrenaline packed and kept most of us coming back for more.

Seinfeld was bumpy in the first season...but once you watch later seasons and get to know the characters, you still enjoy it.

Even Parks & Rec which I LOVE had a horrible season 1...but I'd never want that to dissuade anyone from watching the series.


I think along these lines, you could add some reality series to the mix. While not always awesome, shows like Survivor, The Amazing Race and Big Brother, consistently deliver what they promise. And if you're the sort of viewer who likes those shows, you're regularly tuning in, season after season.


Maybe the better question is, "What show was consistently good enough to you that you never missed an episode--even during down seasons?"

I don't recall Burn Notice faltering too much, taking each season as a whole.

Agreed. Perfect examples: 24, NCIS, NCIS LA, the original CSI, all had terrible seasons, but my wife and I kept watching. And now the same is starting to be true for Elementary and Once Upon A Time.

Maybe that would be "Shows you kept watching and hated yourself for it." That's Desperate Housewives for me.

Dynasty.


The only reason I watched it in the first place for so long, was that my then-gfs liked to watch the show religiously, and insisted that I watch it with them. (They didn't ask me to do the same thing in regard to the daytime soap operas they watched).

Sons of Anarchy for me.

The Shield.

This is a good list, though I'm on the fence about the last season of TPB. I did still enjoy it, but it felt 'off' from the rest.

I'd also add

Shameless UK
Still Game UK (obviously)

Game of Thrones
Justified
Friday Night Lights
24
The Walking Dead

Yikes. That Netflix season was a far cry from the first three seasons.

Parks & Recreation

Season 1 was not that bad.

Bates Motel almost came close but season 2 was a bore mostly.

Parks and Rec season one was terrible, even outside of how great the show eventually became. I remember absolutely hating Andy.

I may have to watch Friday Night Lights again to see if season 2 is as bad as I remember; that writer's strike messed up a bunch of shows.

If we're including cartoons, even with abbreviated seasons I don't think Venture Bros has ever disappointed me. On the other end of the spectrum, I think Adventure Time has been consistently good.
Batman the Animated Series is the only one of the Timmverse to last long enough to qualify, and some may argue it went downhill with later seasons but I consistently enjoyed it.

I never had any major problems with Xena or Charmed. I will also add Game of Thrones (for now) & Fringe.

By that standard, I have to go with Supernatural & Law and Order SVU. Some seasons have been better than others, but NOT watching either show never crossed my mind.

Not sure it was ever truly great, but Bonanza was always enjoyable. Easy to make fun of though:

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Off the top of my head (I'm only considering finished shows):

Chuck
Friends
Fringe
Mad Men
Parenthood
Parks and Recreation

Law & Order - Sure, the "Rohm-bot" years suffered a bit, but the episodes were still pretty damn good. And for a show that ran for 20 seasons I'd say it made out pretty damn well.

Despite some dips in quality seasons 9 and 10, Frasier was never downright bad or un-watchable. What I really respected about it is that it never did a clip show. It had flashback episodes once or twice, but the episodes still had plots.

Seinfeld - even the short first and second seasons had their share of good laughs.

Oooh good choice. I can watch Frasier in reruns anytime & I always enjoy it. The Golden Girls are the same, now that I think of it.

There are none. A few honorable mentions, but there is no actual answer.

All in the Family

Quantum Leap - season 5 upped the gimmick ante but overall didn't really suffer in quality.

I haven't seen it in years, but I want to say The Wonder Years.

The Unit never dipped in quality, but may fall short at only 4 seasons.

I still haven't watched season 9 so I might end up agreeing with you.

My favorite show and Season 5 is one of my favorite seasons. Really enjoyed where they were taking it.