Going on Too Long

Yesterday I posted about being continually surprised by series characters. A series has gone on too long when you are no longer surprised. A series has gone on way too long when the characters become so indistinct that anyone can stand in for them in the theater of our minds. Witness James Bond, initially a WWII veteran who, in '90s books by John Gardner is still a Commander in the Royal Navy, practicing safe sex. (I've posted previously on the search for a new Bond to star in a more spectacular movie. Add Heath Ledger's name to the list of stand-ins.)

Witness Spenser, a veteran of Korea who, on "Spenser: For Hire", was said to have served in Vietnam. I'm not the purest form of purist, but I do wonder: if Hollywood, and sometimes authors, are tweaking the characters however they like, how much is really left of the characters we grew to love? An author may be in good writing form, but are the characters still sharp? Before the answer becomes "no," it's time to end the series.