5 Once-Beloved Sitcoms That Ran One Season Too Long

Sitcoms come in all shapes and sizes. Some are gone before we even get the chance to get to know them. Meanwhile, other series just start to drag on so long or change the story's direction, that you can't help but start to wonder whether or not the term "sitcom" even applies anymore. 

For the most part, as long as a sitcom is doing well in the ratings and making a network money, they will continue to churn out season after season. But when do you reach the point of diminishing returns? When is it not so great to have too much of a good thing? We've compiled our list of five sitcoms that ran one season (or in some cases, multiple seasons) too long — either because they lost important cast members, the writers ran out of stories to tell, and sometimes both! 

For years, "Community" was the little sitcom that could. The brainchild of Dan Harmon, the show put a group of disparate weirdos together and sent them to Greendale Community College; The most troubled school you've ever seen. From smart alec Jeff (Joel McHale), to curmudgeon Pierce (Chevy Chase), and the off-beat duo of Troy and Abed (Donald Glover and Danny Pudi), the cast's many different pieces fit together beautifully. 

"Community" was weird, it was different, and despite it struggling with ratings for most of its run, it had a surprisingly long shelf life. However, as the show went on, the main group of misfits that fit so well together started to separate. First to leave was Chevy Chase, which was just fine with the majority of the cast. Donald Glover would tragically exit just a few episodes later. Then, before the start of the sixth and final season, Yvette Nicole Brown departed, as well. Losing Glover meant losing the Troy and Abed aspect which carried the series for long stretches. Without him and Brown, the show just lost its magic.

The sixth season actually never aired on NBC. NBC canceled the sitcom after Season 5, but it was brought back by Yahoo Screen for 13 more episodes. The final season was actually well received critically, but not enough to keep the series going. Season 6 did, however, go a long way in fulfilling the show's prophecy of six seasons and a movie, (still waiting on that movie by the way). 

In the early '00s, ABC managed to bring two sitcom heavyweights together for one hilarious and heartwarming show. "8 Simple Rules" paired Katey Sagal from "Married with Children" fame and John Ritter, famous for "Three's Company," as parents dealing with the antics of their three children. The casting department even discovered future sitcom legend, Kaley Cuoco, and cast her as one of the daughters.

For one season, the sitcom looked poised to become a mainstay on broadcast television, finishing in the top 50 in the ratings. While the reviews weren't stellar, critics lauded the performances of Ritter and Sagal. With some seasoning, the series could have had staying power. Unfortunately, the show and world was dealt a tragic blow when Ritter passed away early during the production of Season 2. The sitcom took a brief hiatus before returning with one of the most soul-crushing TV episodes of all time.

For the rest of Season 2, James Garner was brought in to play Sagal's father and attempt to fill the massive void Ritter left behind, but the damage had been done. At the end of that season, David Spade was added as Sagal's nephew, but it didn't help. Even still, "8 Simple Rules" returned for a third and, rather bland, final season. Ratings tanked and the show was canceled.

For eight seasons, "Two and a Half Men" was as consistent a sitcom performer as you could hope for. Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer playing brothers with two very different outlooks on life was comedy gold and kept the show in the top 20 in the ratings. But a very public argument between Sheen and the show's creator, Chuck Lorre, followed by an unfortunate addition to the cast, left the series a shell of its former self — a shell that staggered along for four more dismal seasons.

Sheen played Charlie Harper, a heavy-drinking, woman-chasing jingle writer who takes in his woe begotten brother Alan, a recent divorcee. The show was full of sexual innuendo, snappy one-liners, and an endless parade of guest stars (usually playing one of Charlie's many sexual escapades). It seemed as though there was little that could derail the success of the series, until Sheen's drug problems and public denouncing of Lorre forced the sitcom to wrap up Season 8 early. 

Finally, CBS decided they couldn't take it anymore, and fired Sheen, replacing him with Ashton Kutcher who — let's just say – didn't bring the same level of comedic talent as his predecessor. While the series initially was able to maintain its ratings, it was clear the show wasn't the same with Kutcher aboard. After Season 10, Angus T. Jones, who played Alan's son, left the sitcom, leaving "Two and Half Men" with only one of the original men remaining, which simply wasn't enough. 

Go to your corners and come out swinging because this pick is going to get heated. The "How I Met Your Mother" series finale is either seen as a glorious end to a long-running show, or one of the worst finales of all time that makes you wonder if we were better off not knowing who Ted was talking about this whole time. For the first seven seasons of "How I Met Your Mother," writers kept throwing curveball after curveball at fans when it came to the identity of who Ted would end up marrying. Robin was ruled out almost immediately, other flames came and went, and the cast's chemistry kept audiences coming back for more. 

The final season revolved around Barney and Robin's wedding, with each episode flashing back to explain how the gang got there. Season 8 ended with the mother of Ted's children appearing on screen for the first time, which some will say is when the series should have ended. In Season 9, everyone else's stories took center stage at the wedding, making fans wait even longer to find out what actually happens with Ted and Tracy.

Then came the finale.

In the two-part final episode, audiences are sent on an emotional rollercoaster severe enough to leave them with whiplash. In the span of just a few moments, you learn that Tracy dies young, are hit with Barney and Robin's divorce, and finally see Ted essentially ending up with "Aunt" Robin. For fans who appreciate the slow burn the sitcom was known for, the jarring finale was a little hard to adjust to.

When it comes to crowning the best sitcoms ever made, "The Office" most definitely belongs on that list. Unfortunately, it also belongs on this list. While the first seven seasons were filled with wit, humor, and downright insanity, the final two seasons had, quite frankly, too much Andy Bernard.

This is not a knock on Ed Helms, who has excellent comedy chops, nor is it not a knock on his character, Andy, either. For years, Andy excelled as a valuable member of the ensemble that made the show as great as it is. His on-again/off-again romance with Angela, feud with Dwight, and occasional run-ins with Jim were always good for a laugh. But when Michael Scott, played by the brilliant Steve Carell, left the series near the end of Season 7, it was immediately obvious the show would never be the same.

At first, Michael hands over the reins to Deangelo Vickers, played by Will Ferrell, giving fans hope that perhaps swapping one comedy all-star for another might do the trick. But Ferrell only lasted a few episodes and, at the start of Season 8, it was announced that Andy was the new manager of Dunder-Mifflin. From there, the downhill descent began.

It wasn't just the loss of Michael that hurt the show, either. Jim and Pam's relationship went from a cute will they/won't they, to featuring depressingly real and serious plot lines that made them much less fun to watch. Overall, even though there were flashes of the brilliance that makes "The Office" so enjoyable to re-watch, there just weren't enough of them to warrant two Michael-less seasons.