Will “How I Met Your Mother” avoid the Season 9 curse?

Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris in CBS' "How I Met Your Mother"Kids, it looks like we’re finally going to get to meet Ted’s wife on How I Met Your Mother, as the CBS sitcom that has mastered the art of the delayed payoff will end its run with Season 9.

Wait, hold up. Season 9? That could be trouble.

You see, it turns out that there have been several stalwart series that have lost their way by the ninth go-round. Whether it’s a case of the cast getting ridiculously blonder and slimmer — which is totally what happens to people in real life, right? — or whether an idea has just run its course, it’s sad to see a show you once loved stick around too long. For these shows, eight would have been enough.

Roseanne — Otherwise known as the lottery season, the Conners indulged in a new fantasy scenario every week, drastically butting heads with the groundbreaking show’s heretofore realistic look at working-class life. It was enough to make you think it was all a dream. Oh, wait, it was. Or at least it turned out to be excerpts from Roseanne’s novel about her life, during which she managed to deliver one of the most bummer series finales ever.

Scrubs — Creator Bill Lawrence all but said Season 9 was more about keeping his friends employed than anything else, and it showed. Suddenly converting Sacred Heart into a teaching hospital and subbing in a nondescript blonde for Zach Braff (while still having J.D. make a few halfhearted cameos) just didn’t work.

The Office — OK, I’ve heard this season has actually been pretty decent, but damned if I’m going to watch anymore. That trip to Florida last season was brutal. Bru. Tal.

The Facts of Life — Not even Mrs. Garrett stuck around for this show’s ridiculously tardy swan song. Cloris Leachman climbed aboard, and they even added a spunky kid (Mackenzie Astin) but the taking of the bad had long since surpassed the taking of the good.

American Idol — Reality shows aren’t immune to the Season 9 curse. The ratings juggernaut started to lose its way during this go-round, which was the first one without Paula Abdul, the only one with Ellen DeGeneres, and the last one with Kara DioGuardi and — gasp! — Simon Cowell. Also, the winner was Lee DeWyze, whose subsequent album ranked the lowest in sales of any previous Idol champ, leading RCA to dump him.

Dallas — Bobby Ewing in the shower. It was all a dream, Pamela! ‘Nuff said.

Photo: © 2012 Fox Television. Credit: Ron P. Jaffe

2 Comments

  1. This show has direction and was always going to end with Ted finding his wife and the mother of his children in the final season. I have no doubt at all that the final season will be Legend, wait for it, Dary. I have enjoyed this show so much. I can’t believe that season 9 is coming up. Nine years, unbelievable.

  2. Sometimes, a series does a slide down hill before the ninth season, it jumps the shark at some point

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