--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The trouble with a series as it gets…" description: "\"The trouble with a series as it gets older is it can feel like a tradition, and tradition is the enemy of suspense, and it's the enemy of comedy. It's ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/536/steven-moffat-2328_comedy_the-trouble-with-a-series-as-it-gets-old_1264332.jpg" --- # The trouble with a series as it gets older is it can feel… ![“The trouble with a series as it gets older is it can feel like a tradition, and tradition is the enemy of suspense, and it's the enemy of comedy. It's the enemy of everything, really. So you have to shake it up.” quote by Steven Moffat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/536/steven-moffat-2328_comedy_the-trouble-with-a-series-as-it-gets-old_1264332.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/536/steven-moffat-2328_comedy_the-trouble-with-a-series-as-it-gets-old_1264332.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/536/steven-moffat-2328_comedy_the-trouble-with-a-series-as-it-gets-old_1264332.jpg) > “The trouble with a series as it gets older is it can feel like a tradition, and tradition is the enemy of suspense, and it's the enemy of comedy. It's the enemy of everything, really. So you have to shake it up.” [Steven Moffat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-moffat/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Long-running series become predictable, turning tradition into a barrier to surprise, humor, and freshness, so creators must disrupt expectations. **In simple terms:** Tradition can kill excitement; change is needed. Key Takeaway Introduce unexpected twists regularly. Themes creativity risk genre Mood playful critical Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - season finales - series revamps - writing workshops - fan events Key Concepts narrative fatigue audience expectations genre conventions Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance tradition with innovation? - What risks are worth taking for fresh storytelling? A Different Perspective Changing too much may alienate loyal fans. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Shake it up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shake-it-up/) [Suspense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suspense/) [Tradition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tradition/) ## Related quotes > [In Norway, we have a community of people who prefer to use a version of Norwegian that looks very much like lutefisk: Dug up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-naggum/in-norway-we-have-a-community-of-people-who-prefer-to-use-a-version/) [Erik Naggum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-naggum/) > [Remember that the fans want to hear inside stuff about the series; they don't want to hear gripes and grouses about your personal life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-coto/remember-that-the-fans-want-to-hear-inside-stuff-about-the-series/) [Manny Coto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-coto/) > [Not many people whose series gets cancelled get to come and put the period at the end of the sentence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-balfour/not-many-people-whose-series-gets-cancelled-get-to-come-and-put-the/) [Jodi Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-balfour/) > [What I do know is how difficult it is in this industry to get a show on the air. 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