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I read a lengthy and very good interview with the guys who wound up heading up the TV show Lost.  They talked about how J.J. Abrams had the idea for the premise, pitched the show to the network, got it off the ground, and then left after producing a few episodes and handed it off to them, basically saying, "Here you go, you guys can probably handle it."  They talked about how inexperienced they were and how it was a major undertaking for their "level" at the time, but that they felt like they had a pretty good handle on it for what it been designed for.  Which was a much more limited series.

But it became such a runaway hit near the beginning that ABC said "Great!  Let's do 6 seasons!"  At which point they looked at each other and said "Well, crap."  They talked about how they had to introduce a bunch of new stuff to try and fill up the time they were committed to and keep the story new and fresh, and how it got so convoluted because of that.  Eventually they felt like the show suffered because of it, and going by the ratings, viewers must have felt the same. 

I wound up watching the show all the way through, but it did need some serious tightening up and would've probably been a great 3-season show of about 13 episodes a piece.  Prime example of what you're talking about. 

I listened to a podcast with those guys, and said they were approached to capitalize off Castaway, the TV execs didn't love it, JJ Abrams just showed up, and said "what if it wasn't what it appeared to be...oooooo...." and they adapted, and then, as you said they never knew year to year if they were going to keep going.  At the time I listened to it, it had just recently ended, and they said they felt like they came along right before you were allowed to pitch a whole show, with an idea of where it was going.  Instead, the biggest hits are pressured to draw it out, yet again.  For most of TV it didn't really matter, they were comedies, or very episodic dramas.  Or a mix, like MASH.  But it kind of felt like shows kept going until ratings tanked, or the creators pulled the plug, usually too late.  And even shows with some sense of continuity, like Dallas or X-Files, were episodic enough, that as long as the episodes were still good, it wasn't like the overall plot felt directed in one way enough that it felt forced

I liked the nostlgia of Season3 so it was fine with me even though the whole thing was a tad silly.  Plus I think the Steve and Robin pairing during that season is the best character duo on the show.

Agree that Season4 was more like S1 and S2, and I liked it.

I was fine with Season5.  It certainly had its problems and issues as expressed by many above, but I also had lower expectations of it, again for the exact reason y'all are pointing out about long-running shows and shows that run past their original intent or source material.  So I forgave S5 for its shortcomings, appreciated it as being at least a last bit of decent technical showmaking if nothing else, and am ready to move on.  Honestly if they'd stopped after S2 I probably would have always longed for more, but as it is, I'll not have to worry about that.

Yeah, Season 3 was saved because Steve was the best character on the show.  Robin was also very good.  I've never rewatched, but I literally remember nothing except their interactions, and that there was a Russian tunnel, and the Neverending Story song.  If you told me Eleven wasn't in that season, I'd believe it

For most of TV it didn't really matter, they were comedies, or very episodic dramas.  Or a mix, like MASH.  But it kind of felt like shows kept going until ratings tanked, or the creators pulled the plug, usually too late.  And even shows with some sense of continuity, like Dallas or X-Files, were episodic enough, that as long as the episodes were still good, it wasn't like the overall plot felt directed in one way enough that it felt forced

When it became much more common for shows to have overarching plots, I really liked it.  I still do, but I'm starting to see the value in episodic tv which can largely be viewed in any order.  

A personal example for me--and probably the first time I noticed the shift--was the Star Trek universe move from TNG to DS9.  I loved TNG when I was a kid, and DS9 felt so different because the plot was ongoing and I'd never watched anything like that.  

Although the continuing plot is probably still more my thing, I've come to realize there's a separate value to episodic TV.  Like in TNG, the writers were free to explore new and different things and put them against the backdrop of familiar characters, and it made for some great episodes.  Continuing shows like DS9 are more constrained in what they can explore, because there's always the larger plot that has to be served.  

Yeah, Season 3 was saved because Steve was the best character on the show.  Robin was also very good.  I've never rewatched, but I literally remember nothing except their interactions, and that there was a Russian tunnel, and the Neverending Story song.  If you told me Eleven wasn't in that season, I'd believe it

I'm just going to assume no one here cares about spoilers...

Curiously, although Eleven was in it, it is the only season in which she does not defeat the thing from the upside down (whatever that thing might be). Saving you the trouble, she is completely spent when the fleshy version of the shadow monster gets to the mall. It dies (after Billy redeems himself by standing up to it for a moment) when Joyce, Murray, and Hopper shut the Russian's gate, severing the connection to the upside down's hive mind.

I just don't really enjoy re-watching TV shows for some reason.  I did it for Stranger Things just to prepare for the final season.  But absent that, I rarely feel compelled to re-watch something I've already seen.

Something about me which I don't understand is that I'm inclined to re-watch TV shows I really enjoyed, given enough years in between viewings.  (I don't tend to rewatch something I've just recently seen.)

However, movies hardly ever interest me for re-watches, no matter how much I liked them.  I don't know why that is.

It is truly stunning and irregular that I look forward to LOTR every Christmas.  

That's where my wife and I most frequently split.  Even in the pre-streaming era, she would buy me DVDs of movies I said I liked, even though I would almost never rewatch them.  The Indiana Jones movies, the Back to Future movies, the Star Wars movies, I'll watch those.  Fargo is probably my favorite movie ever, and I can still only rewatch it so often.

Having kids has been great for rewatching with them for the first time.  Star Wars is great, because for better or for worse there is so much content, and even the worst of it is extremely rewatchable.  Indiana Jones is the tough one.  We watched before 5 came out.  1 and 3 are both probably in my 3 favorite movies of all time, and 2 and 4 are awful.  5 was also bad.  I'd be inclined to start to harry Potter movies, but my wife wants to read the books with them first, and they seemed to lose interest at some point

That's where my wife and I most frequently split.  Even in the pre-streaming era, she would buy me DVDs of movies I said I liked, even though I would almost never rewatch them.  The Indiana Jones movies, the Back to Future movies, the Star Wars movies, I'll watch those.  Fargo is probably my favorite movie ever, and I can still only rewatch it so often.

Having kids has been great for rewatching with them for the first time.  Star Wars is great, because for better or for worse there is so much content, and even the worst of it is extremely rewatchable.  Indiana Jones is the tough one.  We watched before 5 came out.  1 and 3 are both probably in my 3 favorite movies of all time, and 2 and 4 are awful.  5 was also bad.  I'd be inclined to start to harry Potter movies, but my wife wants to read the books with them first, and they seemed to lose interest at some point

Yeah great point, I've rewatched a bunch of movies with the kids.  And my daughter also loves to watch Star Trek OG and Next Generation with me.  She loves the cringe.