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TV Shows That Never Had A Decline In Quality During Their Run

Television and remote
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John Curtis
By John CurtisDec 13, 2022
John Curtis
A novelist, picture book writer and native New Yorker, John is a graduate of Syracuse University and the children's media graduate program at Centennial College. When not staring at his computer monitor, you'll most likely find John sipping tea watching British comedies, or in the kitchen, taking a stab at the technical challenge on the most recent episode of 'The Great British Baking Show'.
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On the third episode of the fifth season of the classic sitcom Happy Days, Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzerelli memorably jumped over a shark while water skiing, still wearing his iconic leather jacket over his swimming trunks.

While the episode in question, "Hollywood: Part 3", is not considered one of the series' best, it was nonetheless a defining moment in the history of television.

As it inadvertently coined the phrase "jumping the shark", signifying when a once beloved television series has seen a serious decline in quality.

More often than not, most shows find themselves suffering this fate, namely when they've run out of ideas and should have gotten out while the getting was good.

Did anyone think the final season of Once Upon A Time made any sense?

However, thanks to intrepid writers and dedicated actors, certain shows manage to avoid shark-infested waters, and remain flawless, at least in the eyes of some fans, from beginning to end.

Redditor Calm-Hovercraft9858 was curious to hear which shows people thought were every bit as good when they finished as they were when they started, leading them to ask:
"What TV show never had a decline in quality?"

So Many Possibilities...

"No one's going to mention 'How It's Made?'"- ScumbagLady

Good Luck Explaining "The Germans" Episode Today Though...

"Fawlty Towers."

If Anything, It Only Got Better!

"Blackadder."- HunterRoze

rowan atkinson GIFGiphy

The Only Renovation People Want To Keep Going...

"This Old House."- ripper4444

Some Would Call It Hypnotic...

"Everybody Loves Hypnotoad."- BuccellatiExplainsIt

Groundbreaking

"'Twilight Zone' the original Black and White."- sonoma95436

Season 5 Episode 3 GIF by Paramount+Giphy

Pure Joy From Start To Finish

"The Joy of Painting."

"RIP Bob Ross."- DuckFlat

Dont' Touch That Dial!

"On this Thanksgiving weekend, let us remember how WKRP in Cincinnati maintained excellence through all four seasons."

"Turkeys Away!"- ccguy

Things didn't get "Bad" till after the show was over...At Least for Bryan Cranston

"'Malcolm in the Middle' stayed pretty tried and true."- Letter10

malcolm in the middle fangirl challenge GIFGiphy

Thank You For Being A Friend

"The Golden Girls."- hi2squeak

B's Seem To Be Lucky...

"Band of Brothers."

"Breaking Bad."- 420DepravedDude

If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It...

"Stargate SG-1."

"It was a show that knew what it was."- Leeboman

stargate atlantis television GIFGiphy

Parents Like It Every Bit As Much...

"Bluey."- maebridge

Some People Make The Biggest Impact By Doing Very Little...

"Mr. Rogers Neighborhood."

"Fight me."- honest_true_man

No One Would Dare Challenge This

"Deadwood."- Economy_Stomach6773

television here's to you GIFGiphy

Be it the ingenuity of the writers, the appeal of the cast, or just a genuinely great idea, some shows simply never lose their freshness.

Or are simply wise enough to know when to end, rather than try to freshen themselves up desperately.

Nope, I still haven't forgiven you Once Upon A Time...

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