"The thing with being on a series that runs that long is that the writers run out of things to do"

This quote by Ted Shackelford talks to the difficulty of sustaining a long-running tv series. It recommends that the authors of such a series may ultimately discover themselves in a creative rut, not able to come up with new and intriguing stories. This can be a difficulty for authors, as they must continually create fresh concepts to keep audiences engaged and amused. It can also be a difficulty for actors, as they should discover methods to keep their characters fascinating and pertinent. Ultimately, the quote implies that the longevity of a series can be both a true blessing and a curse, as it can be challenging to keep the show fresh and interesting over an extended period of time.