First Episode/Last Episode: 13 TV Shows that Overstayed Their Welcome

We here at Cracked love a good pilot of a TV show. There's something so exciting about the promise of a good introduction to characters and setting and themes. Remember how the first scene of The Wire is our main drunkard Jimmy McNulty talking to some random guy who lays out the entire thesis of the show and then is never seen again? So cool! Remember watching the first episode of Mad Men, thinking “this Don Draper guy sure has a glamorous New York City life," only to have the rug pulled out in the last five minutes, when he goes to a whole family he's been cheating on/neglecting for days and you're just like, “DAMN!” That's the promise of a good pilot. The hard part, though is sticking the landing. And not every show does that.

The problem with popular TV series is that networks squeeze out unnecessary seasons long after the magic dies.  Here are 13 shows that stayed at the party too long, including three still hanging around after everyone else has gone to bed.