I know it's against the percieved wisdom, but I think the last series of Red Dwarf was pretty decent. Series 7 did see a real dip in quality, but I think they came back and made that last series something different and, in it's own way, quite good. Sort of Porridge in outer space. I accept that I'm in the minority thinking this.
Quote: Dave @ September 2, 2007, 5:35 PMSeries 4 of Rising Damp was the best. Episodes like Pink Carnations and Great Expections are perfect.
I think all episodes of Rising Damp were very good, but there were 6 episodes that were just fantastic and all of them came in the first 2 series (A Night Out, The Prowler and Stand up and Be Counted- series 1 and The Permissive Society, A Body Like Mine and Things that go Bump in the Middle of the Night- Series 2), so I think the earlier episodes were alot better.
A sitcom that got off to a great start was "It aint Half Hot Mum" the first two series were superb, series 3-5 were not as brilliant and when Michael Bates died, the show lost its best charactor Rangi Ram, so it suffered because of that.
Last of the Summer Wine started off quite brilliantly, the first two series were great with Michael Bates, Series 3 was the shows peak with the introduction of Brian Wilde, but as the show went on it suffered and the episodes are diabolical now. The episode with Eric Sykes in was shocking, there was a recent shocking episode when a man wants to go down the canal in a boat in the shape of a swan. I read last weeks radio times and it said: To impress Marina- Howard starts to wear a crow costume. WHAT!!!
Also On the Buses and Please Sir got off to great starts, but the endings were a wee bit dissapointing due to cast changes.
Father ted had a good start but the 3rd series was the best. Theres an episode called chirpy burpy sheep which is so underated, you should watch it if you get the chance.
What do you think of Reggie Perrin? Loved the first series best, some brilliant bits in subsequent ones - but they tried a reunion without Reggie that was dire.
Quote: feck, arse, drink, girls, gobshite @ September 9, 2007, 2:07 PMFather ted had a good start but the 3rd series was the best. Theres an episode called chirpy burpy sheep which is so underated, you should watch it if you get the chance.
TED: There's been a deliberate and scurrilous attempt to sabotage this high profile sheep competition and those responsible are in this very room.
TED TURNS AROUND AND POINTS.
TED: Giant Reid and Hud Hastings.
THE CROWD ALL START TALKING.
MAN IN CROWD: F**kin' hell
HUD HASTINGS: You'd better have somethin' to back that up with Father.
TED: Oh I do, I do. You were the ones who constantly chatted of the so-called beast of Craggy Island, always within hearing distance of Chris the sheep.
A FLASHBACK SHOWS HUD AND GIANT HOLDING A PLACARD INFRONT OF CHRIS WHICH READS, "BEAST KILL CHRIS?"
TED: And it was you who used a copy of BBC sound effects volume five to add weight to those fanciful claims. An impressionable sheep could not help but be convinced by the late night howlings of terrible monster type A.
JUDGE: Is this true? Well, well, well. What a pretty picture Father Crilly has painted. How dare you bring shame on this celebration of sheep.
TED: Don't be too hard on them... Sorry I don't know your name.
JUDGE: Alan.
TED: Don't be too hard on them Alan. They were simply pawns. The real villain in this piece has yet to be revealed. FARGO BOYLE.
FARGO: What?
THE CROWD TALKS AGAIN.
MAN IN CROWD: F**kin' hell.
It may sound strange now, but when first broadcast in 1998, F**k was rarely heard in sitcoms, so it was alot more funnier than it would be today, then along came Gimmee Gimmee Gimmee.
not quite the same thing but Phoenix Nights was great and then Max and Paddy was poor.
Quote: Jack Massey @ September 9, 2007, 9:47 PMTED: There's been a deliberate and scurrilous attempt to sabotage this high profile sheep competition and those responsible are in this very room.
TED TURNS AROUND AND POINTS.
TED: Giant Reid and Hud Hastings.
THE CROWD ALL START TALKING.
MAN IN CROWD: F**kin' hell
HUD HASTINGS: You'd better have somethin' to back that up with Father.
TED: Oh I do, I do. You were the ones who constantly chatted of the so-called beast of Craggy Island, always within hearing distance of Chris the sheep.
A FLASHBACK SHOWS HUD AND GIANT HOLDING A PLACARD INFRONT OF CHRIS WHICH READS, "BEAST KILL CHRIS?"
TED: And it was you who used a copy of BBC sound effects volume five to add weight to those fanciful claims. An impressionable sheep could not help but be convinced by the late night howlings of terrible monster type A.
JUDGE: Is this true? Well, well, well. What a pretty picture Father Crilly has painted. How dare you bring shame on this celebration of sheep.
TED: Don't be too hard on them... Sorry I don't know your name.
JUDGE: Alan.
TED: Don't be too hard on them Alan. They were simply pawns. The real villain in this piece has yet to be revealed. FARGO BOYLE.
FARGO: What?
THE CROWD TALKS AGAIN.
MAN IN CROWD: F**kin' hell.
It may sound strange now, but when first broadcast in 1998, F**k was rarely heard in sitcoms, so it was alot more funnier than it would be today, then along came Gimmee Gimmee Gimmee.
The reason why f**kin hell is funny is because you know its graham lineham saying it.
Quote: feck, arse, drink, girls, gobshite @ September 9, 2007, 2:07 PMFather ted had a good start but the 3rd series was the best. Theres an episode called chirpy burpy sheep which is so underated, you should watch it if you get the chance.
I'm quite a fan of SPEED 3. I love the scragly sideburns ont he newborn babies.
Though my kid's favorite episode is the one with the rabbits in season 2.
-Erik
I loved SEINFELD until Larry David left. Once he left the show tanked in quality. Especially the finale.
-Erik
Agree with most of the above. I've tried to like Series 7 and 8 of Red Dwarf but apart from the odd episode, it just doesn't work for me. Shame.
The last series of The New Statesman (when B'Stard became a Euro MP) wasn't particulary good either. 
The biggest offender in my opinion is Chef!. I think the first series is brilliant, and then the second series changes a bit, but still watchable; then the third series changes things in such a horrible way, from adding canned laughter (I mean who the hell adds canned laughter!!), to dreaming up completely contrived plots.
Oh yeah, you can add every single American sitcom to that list. 
Although I've not seen it, numerous people have mentioned it, so yes. They did.