53 episode limit why?

[bradhig]

Why does Disney only produce 53 episodes for most TV series and then stop?

[jpanimation]

The 3 season limit is a standard for television networks. Shows usually start getting stale after 3 seasons (e.g. SpongeBob, Family Guy, Rugrats, etc.) but that's not always the case.

[Tascar]

I have often read that 52 episodes is a magic number for TV episodes because once you have hit that milestone, your show hits a sweet spot for syndication because, assuming that you are running the show 5 days a week, the show will get to run itself through 5 times in the course of the year.

On a personal note, I have often personally wondered if another reason for this is that networks assume that younger audiences are more fickle and so they are much more willing to cut off a show early instead of waiting for a significant decline in quality and/or value.

[Avaitor]

I think you mean 65.

[toonaspie]

Of course the two big exceptions to this rule were in the more popular shows That's So Raven and Hannah Montana...

...both of which overstayed their welcome.

[Duckburger]

Kim Possible and Phineas & Ferb have broken this chain too, so I guess once an animated show is really popular it gets more episodes regardless of any rule. Both are, in my opinion, pretty entertaining shows with quite solid animation for a tv show.

The 65 (or 53 now, I don't really know) episodes rule is probably the amount of episodes needed for Disney to sell them in syndication, or to international buyers.

[milojthatch]

It's a dumb rule. Shows, even cartoons shows, should keep going if they have not lost steam. Disney only hurts themselves but sticking to this rule.