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SALT LAKE CITY — “Six seasons and a movie,” as "Community" fans know, is the ultimate goal for a beloved television series. In today's age, getting to six seasons is an impressive feat. If a show is lucky enough to last that long, however, it may become victim to something other than the antiquated Nielsen system: a decline in quality.
A new interactive website called Graph TV lends credibility to this theory. This site attempts turns TV quality into mathematic fact, by taking the average IMDB user rating per episode and pinning it on a scatter plot to show the fluctuation of opinions over time.
A quick look shows that most television series experience a downward trend in viewer ratings the longer they stay on air: "The Simpsons,""The Office,""House,""Alias." It's not hard to argue the fact that the longer a show goes on, the harder it is for the writer's room to come up with original ideas and fresh content to keep the viewer engaged. Quality will inevitably decline. (That poor "Dexter" chart...)
There are a few exceptions, however, and these are the ones I found the most interesting. Several shows that are still fondly remembered experienced an upward spike in user ratings during their last seasons. Defying the trend, these shows ended with a bang, instead of a whimper. Here are five of those series:
"Cheers" (1982-1993)
The classic bar comedy lasted for 11 seasons, and while the ensemble sitcom lagged for a bit in the middle, the quality stayed solid throughout most of its 270 episodes. The last season experienced a slight rejuvenation by tugging at nostalgia and bringing back past characters and elements from the show's run. The three-part finale, where Sam reunites with Diane, only to return to the bar that started it all, was especially satisfying to viewers. Just look how far that last dot is above everything else.
"Angel" (1999-2004)
The "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" spinoff struggled at the beginning to separate itself from its predecessor. It eventually grew into its own, however, and its fifth season, with a completely changed premise and new cast members from the now-cancelled "Buffy," felt exciting and new. And let's not forget that absolutely crazy yet devastating finale that left viewers craving more.
"Friday Night Lights" (2006-2011)
The fifth and final season of this beloved Jason Katims show came out slowly, but fortunately the patient viewers found it satisfying on almost every level. The last season of the football drama excelled in what it did best — making us care deeply about each character and their eventual fates.
"30 Rock" (2006-2013)Some accused this zany NBC comedy of becoming stale in its later years, with low stakes and character arcs that went nowhere. Tina Fey's decision to make the seventh season of "30 Rock" its last proved to be a good one. The jokes were sharper, the characters progressed and the finale hit the perfect balance of absurdity and sweetness.
"Breaking Bad" (2008-2013)
Considered by many to be one of the greatest dramas of all time (if not the greatest drama), this AMC show of a chemistry teacher turned drug lord bucked the traditional television trend (give or take a "Friday Night Lights") by making each season better than the last. The last season is ranked ridiculously high by IMDB viewers, with "Ozymandias" (514) scoring a perfect 10 — a feat no other episode of television has achieved.
These examples show that it takes several elements for a television series to go out on a high note: a fresh new concept, nostalgic elements and most importantly, an endgame. Shows that wander aimlessly trying to avoid cancellation don't stand a good chance of maintaining their high quality.
But if a show knows a season will be its last and uses that season to build to a conclusion, there's a much greater chance that the viewer will be satisfied by the ending. While "Community" fans may like the idea of 12 seasons of Greendale adventures, it's probably best to have the show stick with its six-season plan. Let's just hope we also get that movie.
