Fable: Cancel or Reboot

GameDynamo's Jumping the Sharkticon series latest writeup features the Fable franchise, with the writers wondering whether the over-the-hill series (according to them) needs a reboot or a cancellation.
I still have fond memories of the first Fable game. It was spectacular-looking at the time, with haunting music and whimsical characters with which to interact. Lionshead Studios did a great job of blending action, tragedy, and humor in that original game. However, by Fable II a lot of that original material was completely scrapped. Players could visit the old town where Fable hung its hat, but aside from that, there was no connection to the first game or its character. The biggest innovation was adding a four-legged sidekick to the mix - your trusted hound. At first the dog seemed like a good idea, but after a while it made exploration rather tedious and chore-like.

Fable III's story was connected to the second game. However, the story just wasn't there, and therefore I put it down after several hours of play time. For the first time in the series, I grew tired of what I was experiencing.