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Capt. Nemo
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
630 Posts |
 Posted - 05/27/2008 : 10:31:16 PM
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I was reading this article about bad series finales.
However, all too often, great shows fumble at the one-yard line, scarring otherwise stellar franchises with lousy, unsatisfying finales. Although no long-running series will take a final bow this season, planned finales for surgical residents "ER" and "Scrubs" have been put off until next season, giving us a golden opportunity to school overzealous TV execs on the ins and outs of crummy endings.
[url]http://tv.msn.com/tv/worst-finales-ever?GT1=7703[/url]
School executives? Ha! Good luck!
Can anyone think of more criteria for crummy endings?
And above all, what would you say is the WORST series finale evah!
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"Ward, the Beaver blew up the 7-11 again."
"I'll have a talk with him Dear" |
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zombiewhacker
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
1475 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2008 : 09:19:30 AM
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| Except for the expected swipe at St. Elsewhere, lousy examples all. The finales for Magnum P.I. and Knots Landing were far worse. |
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Ericb
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
648 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2008 : 10:19:12 AM
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The M*A*S*H series finale was awful (not that the series was all that great near the end anyway. It was like one long, drawn out Very Special Episode).
"I reserve the right to look as well as be boring." - Robert Fripp |
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Terrahawk
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
644 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2008 : 3:34:37 PM
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M*A*S*H was a disaster. I didn't think the Magnum P.I. ending was bad. It wasn't great, but it wasn't groan worthy. I feel the same way about the Seinfeld finale.
BTW, the Newhart show ending was brilliant and violated their "it was all a dream" rule. What made it great was that it had him in his previous comedy show.
- Si desea pulse 2 para español, encontrar un país diferente. - |
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Joliet Jake Blues
Minister of the Sacraments of Jabootu
Australia
41 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2008 : 4:18:08 PM
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I have my doubts about how Battlestar will end: I suspect that it will be a reveal that "all this has happened before" and that the Colonials are really themselves Cylons who forgot they were Cylons. Tears and hugs all around. The enemy is us, you know. Lets put that whole attempted genocide thing to bed and forget about it.
"Age and guile beat youth, innocence and a bad haircut" - P.J. O'Rourke |
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Sardu
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
1126 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2008 : 7:30:03 PM
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Well, the X-files finale is a pretty obvious pick. I think a lot of people would like to punch Chris Carter out personally for that one. I actually thought the ambiguous ending to The Sopranos worked. I'm not sure I liked it, mind you, but it worked. It gives you a sense that there were real lives going on in its universe and they continue even when we aren't watching. (Or of course, maybe not). It was gutsy.
The Newhart ending may be a contender for best series finale of all time. British shows often wrap up well due to their finite series format. The Office Christmas special really sent the show off on a perfect note.
"Meeting you makes me want to be a real noodle cook"
--Tampopo |
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Bobby-G
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
904 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2008 : 8:32:22 PM
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Except for planned out limited run, quest/chase(like THE FUGITIVE) or continuing storyline series, I don't really like the idea of a "final" episode where the basic premis of the show is somehow ended. If I enjoy a shows basic idea, I'd like to think it just continues on like that for the characters eternally at that age and time in their lives, just having different adventures/situations.
The first show I remember seeing that actually had a definite "end" was The Odd Couple.
Rob |
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RossM
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
427 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2008 : 8:59:50 PM
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| I thought that the Dick Van Dyke show had a great wrapup. Rob has a dream that he is in the old west and in it almost everyone who was ever in the show turns up in a role paridying his part in the show. The next week they had a clip show that was also very funny and nicely done. |
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BradH812
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
1294 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2008 : 10:32:19 PM
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I've always been partial to shows that don't wrap things up all nice and neat. Go ahead and wrap up most of the plot threads, but leave a couple hanging. Frasier did this pretty well. And I loved the life-goes-on ending of Cheers.
Quantum Leap pissed me off. The final line in the show pretty much stated that the guy is doomed to wander through time forever. |
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Flangepart
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
2329 Posts |
Posted - 05/30/2008 : 4:46:47 PM
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BABLYON 5.
Not bad, since Joe S. had planned it that way.
CRUSADE on the other hand....
Then there is SPACE : ABOVE AND BEYOND....it kinda fit...
Marvin the Paranoid Android to Buzz Lightyear "Too infinity and beyond-i've been there, its rubbish!"
"Hoody Hoo, i waste 'em with my cross bow!" Bob Herzog- KODT
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Edited by - Flangepart on 05/30/2008 4:49:25 PM |
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zombiewhacker
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
1475 Posts |
Posted - 05/30/2008 : 11:02:08 PM
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The best endings I've seen were Star Trek: The Next Generation and Everybody Loves Raymond. Like Bobby G said, these episodes didn't really "end" the series... they left the impression that the established story arcs and situations would go on and on.
(Unfortunately, in TNG's case they did... on the big screen. Ugh!) |
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hbrennan
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Philippines
1455 Posts |
Posted - 05/31/2008 : 06:54:47 AM
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quote:
BradH812 wrote: Quantum Leap pissed me off. The final line in the show pretty much stated that the guy is doomed to wander through time forever.
Actually, I thought the ending for Quantum Leap to be quite poignant (especially as it pertained to Al). By the way - Sam chose to continue doing good throughout time. It wasn't a trap.
"...yet it hadn't destroyed his brain."
re: Charles "The Butcher" Benton (1956)
http://www.henrybrennan.com/
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Edited by - hbrennan on 05/31/2008 06:55:22 AM |
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BradH812
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
1294 Posts |
Posted - 05/31/2008 : 07:28:06 AM
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| I had no problem with Al's ending. And I could understand Sam continuing to leap through time. I remember, though, that Sam has family at home, and it seems cruel that Sam never returns. The final line could have been "Dr. Sam Beckett has yet to leap home," and it would have worked. Saying he never leaped home left a bad taste in my mouth. |
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hbrennan
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Philippines
1455 Posts |
Posted - 05/31/2008 : 07:49:00 AM
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quote:
BradH812 wrote: I had no problem with Al's ending. And I could understand Sam continuing to leap through time. I remember, though, that Sam has family at home, and it seems cruel that Sam never returns. The final line could have been "Dr. Sam Beckett has yet to leap home," and it would have worked. Saying he never leaped home left a bad taste in my mouth.
I can understand that. But consider this - having been a Leaper and finally coming to terms with it by being briefed as to the true nature of what his leaping is really all about - one might say that Sam understood the nature of time and the existance of an afterlife. To him, then, the assignments he is given are very important and he will be with his family, again, in the afterlife that he has been given evidence of. He may even encounter them repeatedly in his leapings, since all his leaps are within the the years beginning with his birth.
"...yet it hadn't destroyed his brain."
re: Charles "The Butcher" Benton (1956)
http://www.henrybrennan.com/
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