[matt-attack]

This applies to more than just cartoons. Look at Seinfeld. First 3 seasons, the characters were real, each w/ their own personalties, quirks, etc. By the final season, each character became so extreme, so one-dimentional in it's characterization and personalities it was entirely unwatchable (at the time) for me.

[dilyevsky]

Many shows seem to fall into this. Silicon Valley is another example where it happened to almost all characters except erlich and jian yang who were already extreme caricatures

[leephillips]

After Larry David left the show it went into a depressing tailspin. At least J. Seinfeld had the sense to mercifully kill it off before too long.

[bluedino]

Today's sitcoms just jump straight to it. The Neighborhood, for example.