All long running showd are subject to plotholes though or inconsistencies. In season 1 cheers Diane talked about her father in the present and later in the season we find out he's been dead for years.

Lost started off very well in fairness. The first 4 seasons were pretty stellar. Its just that the last 2 seasons became a confusing mess and a finale nobody seemed to understand. Shame really as it could have been the best TV series of all time had they not got greedy and made the last few sessions.

If they were making money, why was it so cheap?

Probably because the actors were all unknowns and wouldn't have been able to demand high salaries. Plus the show had quite a revolving cast,apart from Hasselhoff the vast majority of the big actors in it only stayed a few years and were likely signed on to cheap contracts for their duration. It's only when actors stay long in shows can they negotiate bigger salaries.

That and baywatch was on at a time when tv shows could be run on the cheap despite their popularity. Friends in the later seasons in the early 2000s was really the 1st time tv actors got mega salaries which started the trend. Back then the huge salaries and budgets were more reserved for film.

I recall Jason priestly from bh90210 saying the actors from that got pretty moderate salaries despite the huge popularity of the show and he said the actors of friends caused waves in the industry when it was announced they were to get a million per episode. Cheers finished in 93 and was one of the top shows in the world at the time and Ted danson was on 450k an episode which was seen as a massive tv salary for the 90s but he was on his 11th year as the lead in the show.

I was around 5 when the show became a hit in 90 and it was watched by all kids my age too. We were too young to get the sex appeal of the show but I watched it religiously until I was 11 and its appeal was the music, the dramatic storylines and the coolness of it. Not everybody watched it for the flesh.

It was great escapism too as Ireland is dull and grey whilst baywatch was the exact opposite akin to the popular Australian soap opera home and away that was also very popular back then. Both were sunshine,blue skies and beautiful beaches with beautiful young actors. Everything about it was so different to what Ireland and the UK offered and watching the lifeguards in sunny california had a fantasy element to it.

I am in Ireland and there was only a handful of channels here at the time so we had limited options and it was broadcast on prime time hours so naturally everybody watched it. Generally back in the 90s everybody watched the same stuff on tv because generally there was a lack of option. It was much easier therefore for shows to become big hits. Baywatch was the most watched show ever back then. I recall seeing it on the records books saying it was the most watched show in the world.

Theres much worse shows than it in fairness but its ok for what it is- a teen soap opera and a little escapism. Agree though that calling it " drama at its best" is beyond bonkers. Its akin to calling shindlers list a comedy.

Its the kind of thing you could have on in the background when you and your mates chat or when you're chilling out,doesn't require much head space or concentration. Hardly compelling television.

I don't quite know if the op here is being tongue in cheek, trolling or genuine. Seems a bit of over enthusiasm,hyperbole and inflated high praise for a noughties TV teen soap that was filled with a good looking cast,clichés and stereotype soap opera storylines.

Don't get me wrong,the first season or so was watchable and not bad tv especially when you were a teenager yourself. It looked good aesthetically and was a little bit of Sunday night escapism into the california sunshine and the high society. It also is a big dose of nostalgia for those of us in our 30s who watched it as teens.

But I'll agree with other posters that it somewhat lost its way after around 2 seasons and became just another predictable tv teen soap akin to Beverly hills 90210 or one tree hill etc. Meh it always was predictable,what am I saying?

There was nothing that original about it and if you call it " tv drama at its best" you need to watch some acclaimed shows/real dramas that show you a better calibre of drama.

The oc was mere eye candy, over the top sensational storylines,cringy dialogue and often mediocrity at a levels. As i said good fun to watch but "tv drama at its best" definitely made me chuckle.

The 1st 3 seasons is where it peaked. Season 4 was mostly boring and predictable. 5 went into overkill with the key story and it all became too arty and pretentious in seasons 5 and 6. I stopped watching it after season 6 as I'd lost interest.

Yea they tried to be too arty and pretentious in the later years and for me it just killed it. Season 5 with the key storyline went into overkill and her sister annoyed me. I gave up on season 7 it just was that bad.

Seasons 4 to 6 had their great moments but the consistency of the first 3 years was gone. Season 2 was where it peaked.

Meh for me cheers was shelley long. She put it on the map and it was pretty much her show greatly helped by her chemistry with danson. After she left I watched the odd ep but my interest was gone.

I recall reading that in cheers Ted dansons and shelley longs names were billed equally on the credits so neither of them would take top billing.

The humour too was somewhat forced. If you watch the finale you will see that the natural humour that once flowed in the show is all gone and it was a pretty laugh less send off.

But then again whilst the last 3 seasons had their moments they were not consistent anymore and they certainly lacked the humour and charm of its earlier years so it wasn't surprising the finale wasn't funny and lackluster. Joey was akin to a special needs person by the end and he was so child like ir just was no longer funny. The writers seemed to have totally ran out of ideas with the joey and rachael affair.

Whilst I only watched the early years of cheers in the shelley long years I can't comment on what came next but I caught the cheers finale on tv a few weeks ago and it was still laugh out loud funny. Again I didn't watch cheers with kristie alley so can't comment on its last 6 seasons but certainly they had brilliant humour in the finale episodes, this wasn't the case on friends.

Buffys best days were seasons 1 to 3. It declined after that.

I don't agree with friends. It declined in quality in its later arc namely in the last 3 seasons.

What was desperate housewives like ? Was the tension on set real ?

When a man loves a woman wanking. Sleepless in seatlee wanking. Some mothers son wanking. I know what you did last summer wanking. The hand that rocks the cradle wanking. Marley and me wanking. Home alone wanking. My girl wanking. A few good men wanking.

Buffy 1 to 3 is just a nonstop pile of brilliance imho. I wasn't as pushed on the final 4 seasons though.

I think breaking bad was one of the few shows that maintained its quality from beginning to end and never declined. I also think the popularity didn't come to much later than season 2,it was more like like in the last season around 2013 that it became really popular.