Viewing points

Notes, trivia and particulars about departing shows:

*Cited from www.jumptheshark.com

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'Alias'

When it started: 2001

Finale: 8 p.m. May 22 on WLS-Channel 7

Awards: Emmy nominations for make-up, hairstyles, costumes andstunts.

Sex symbols: Jennifer Garner and Michael Vartan.

Considered at first to be:

A good spy show.

Ended up being: A totally weird supernatural show featuring afamily of sexy spies.

Pop-culture heat: Garner leaves hubby Scott Foley, dates Vartan,weds Ben Affleck, has baby. The least newsworthy item of all this wasVartan leaving the cast.

*Downward turn: Sydney wakes up in Hong Kong ... two years later.

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'Charmed'

When it started: 1998

Finale: 7 p.m. May 21

(tentative) on WGN-Channel 9

Awards: Best show by the International Horror Guild.

Sex symbols: Alyssa Milano, Holly Marie Combs, Julian McMahon.

Considered at first to be:

A serious show about a family

of hot witches.

Ended up being: A silly show about a family of hot witches.

Pop-culture heat: Shannen Doherty leaves, her character Prue dies,and her witchy sisters restore their "power of three" by finding asister they didn't know they had, Paige (Marilyn Manson's ex, RoseMcGowan).

*Downward turn: Death of Prue.

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'Fear Factor'

When it started: 2001

Finale: Returns in summer with new, probably final episodes.

Awards: Teen Choice Award

nomination for grossest

reality moment (squid-eating).

Sex symbols: Joe Rogan?

Considered at first to be: Inpirational show about peopleovercoming irrational phobias.

Ended up being: Disgusting, drawn-out show about people

eating cow balls and puking.

Pop-culture heat: Playboy Playmates compete on a very specialepisode that aired against Fox's 2002 Super Bowl halftime show, agimmick that should have been repeated often.

*Downward turn: Dancing while dining on pig rectums.

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'Joey'

When it started: 2004

Finale: This summer, probably, but not officially canceled.

Awards: Teen Choice nomination for actor (Matt LeBlanc).

Sex symbols: LeBlanc.

Considered at first to be:

Worst sitcom on TV.

Ended up being: Merely stupid.

Pop-culture heat: During its whole run, nasty critics were able toutter the name of the show to express the worst of TV. (Example: "TVhas merits. But then again, there's 'Joey.' ")

*Downward turn: Too many implant jokes.

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'Malcolm in the middle'

When it started: 2000

Finale: 7:30 p.m. May 14 on WFLD-Channel 32

Awards: Emmy nominations for directing, actress (Jane Kaczmarek)and guest actors (Cloris Leachman, Susan Sarandon and Robert Loggia).

Sex symbols: None.

Considered at first to be:

A wacky family comedy.

Ended up being: A mostly well-written, wacky family comedy.

Pop-culture heat: In the first, hitmaking episode, the mom shavesthe naked dad's hairy body in front of the kids.

*Downward turn: Birth of Jamie.

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'7th Heaven'

When it started: 1996

Finale: 7 p.m. May 8 on WGN-Channel 9 (unless it's resuscitated)

Awards: Teen Choice

"Choice TV Parental Units": Stephen Collins and Catherine Hicks.

Sex symbols: Jessica Biel and Barry Watson.

Considered at first to be: A serious drama about a family ofprudes.

Ended up being: A non-preachy, sexually aware and somewhat avant-garde show that has featured the minister singing as Elvis and teensdebating the merits of jazz musicians.

Pop-culture heat: At 17, Biel posed topless for Gear magazine toget out of her contract and focus on landing roles in "The TexasChainsaw Massacre" and "Blade: Trinity." She came back for guestappearances, presumably on her hands and naked knees.

*Downward turn: Special guest star Wayne Newton.

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'Yes, Dear'

When it started: 2000

Finale: Season's over; another is unlikely.

Awards: Young Artist Award nominations for child actors.

Sex symbols: None.

Considered at first to be: A family comedy, and worst show on TV.

Ended up being: Merely a poor sitcom.

Pop-culture heat: Darrell Hammond ridiculed "Yes, Dear" at theEmmys, and show star Anthony Clark cracked back, in EntertainmentWeekly, "I can't

believe Darrell Hammond made fun of my show when he has beenshooting a movie in Canada with the Olsen twins. Maybe for his nextmovie, he can be the third lead behind Urkel and Screech from 'Savedby the Bell.' "

*Downward turn: Greg gets addicted to nasal spray.

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'That '70s show'

When it started: 1998

Finale: 7:37 p.m. May 11 on WFLD-Channel 32

Awards: Emmy nominations for hair, makeup, costumes, artdirection.

Sex symbols: Ashton Kutcher (right), Wilmer Valderrama.

Considered at first to be: Hilarious send-up of 1970s stoners.

Ended up being: Pretty funny send-up of 1970s stoners.

Pop-culture heat: Ashton Kutcher hooks up with Demi Moore, makes"Punk'd" and bad movies, while Topher Grace earns acclaim in"Traffic" then gets cast in "Spider-Man 3" -- and both stars leaveshow.

*Downward turn: Special Guest Star (Roger Daltrey) and the rockopera.