15 TV Characters Who Stayed on the Show Too Long

Some TV characters start out as fan favorites, helping define a show’s tone and direction. Over time, however, not every character evolves in a way that keeps them essential to the story.

In some cases, extended storylines, repetitive arcs, or shifting writing priorities can leave certain characters feeling less impactful than they once were. Instead of adding to the narrative, they begin to feel out of place in a series that has moved in a different direction. These 15 TV characters are often cited by viewers as examples of roles that remained on screen longer than they needed to.

Mr. Shuester from "Glee" started as a good enough character. He was interested in his family and starting a Glee club. As the show went on, however, he transformed from endearing to unbearable. Mr. Shuester became increasingly competitive, self-centered, and even creepy. Suspending a student because she was uncomfortable wearing a bikini on stage is not a good look.

Vanessa Abrams may have stooped low during "Gossip Girl," but Blake Lively's character Serena van der Woodsen really deserved to be written off. She was the drama queen, always stirring the pot, but never one to take responsibility for her underhanded actions. Either way, Woodsen thrived on self-centeredness.

Mindy Kaling may have been a writer for "The Office," and her character Kelly Kapoor a staple of the show, but she should have been written off sooner. Kelly is gossipy, spiteful, and exhibits real "mean girl" energy. While other characters self-actualized throughout the show's run, Kelly always retained an element of nastiness and jealousy that did not endear her to fans.

He was America's sweetheart during the first few seasons of Grey's Anatomy, but by the middle of the show, Derek Shepherd deserved to be written off. Shepherd became increasingly abusive to his long-time love interest, Mer. He almost ruined their adoption of Zola because he refused to talk to Mer while they endured a long, unnecessary fight. He may have been the leading man, but he was also a bit of a man baby.

"Gossip Girl" featured a healthy dose of drama and backstabbing, but no character stooped lower than Vanessa Abrams. She stole people's art and passed it off as her own, helped people drug other characters, and worse. Abrams was arguably the most judgmental character on the show, and that's saying something. Fans of the show seem to agree.

"One Tree Hill" was full of handsome heartbreakers, but no one deserved to be written off the show more than Lucas Scott. He played push-and-pull with his love interests, and even resorted to cheating when he kissed Peyton behind Brooke's back. Half-pining, half-scandalous, Lucas Scott turned out pretty unredeemable. Plus, his character arc doesn't really go anywhere throughout the seasons.

NBC's "Community" had a plethora of unseemly, amoral characters, but no one acted like a downer more than Shirley Bennett. As the resident "mom" character of the group, Bennett went out of her way to judge and shut down any funny hijinks that happened in her midst.

The Desperate Housewives were just that--desperate. While the other characters suffered fools and follies, they usually came away better for it. This was not the case with Katherine Mayfair. She was smug from the get-go. Though she endured some serious hardships throughout the show's run, Mayfair never grew from the experiences. By the end, she was still her old self, smug and frankly, kind of annoying.

Shepherd may have been problematic, but Owen Hunt from "Grey's Anatomy" should have been written off sooner. He made sure to remind everyone that he was once in the Army at every possible chance. When Hunt wasn't appealing to past authority, he acted unnecessarily aggressively and rudely, especially to the show's female characters.

Ross and Rachel were the show's long-running, off-again, on-again couple, but Ross himself was intolerable. No matter how well things were going for Ross, he always had a sob story and annoying tendencies to boot. He was also kind of controlling. Frankly, Joey and Rachel were a better couple.

While most of the characters on "How I Met Your Mother" went out of their way to make bad decisions, Robin Scherbatsky might have been the champion. As the most annoying member of the tight-knit group, Scherbatsky deserved to be written off because of her self-importance and selfishness.

Better Call Saul was a complicated show full of equally complicated people. One character, however, stood apart thanks to his utter selfishness, stubbornness, and spite. Chuck McGill did everything in his power to stop his brother Jimmy from rising the ranks at his law firm. In the end, McGill's familial feud cost him his job, his sanity, and eventually, his life.

Lena Dunham may have written the critically acclaimed show "Girls," but her character Hannah Horvath deserved to be written off. All of the characters had their share of unappealing qualities, but Hannah seemed to cause chaos wherever she went. No one she interacted with was safe. Plus, needy and selfish is a very aggravating combination.

Callie Adams Foster may have had a rough go of things early in her life, but she didn't fare much better once she moved into the Foster's house in TV show "The Fosters." She had no filter, and her impulsive actions had serious ripple effects on the show's other characters. Even when it came home to roost, Callie never seemed to learn better behavior.

Rory Gilmore may have been the "Gilmore Girls" show lead, but she surely deserved to be written off. She started out okay, but by the time Roy reached college, she had developed a penchant for having relations with married or taken men. Plus, she never seemed to appreciate how much her negative actions affected her mother, Lorelie.