TV Land Confidential: Finales

[Adamantium]

I watched it tonight. It was entertaining, but a little inaccurate. They said that "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" was the first to have a big finale. However, in 1967, "The Fugitive" did. It concluded the series long storyline and broke ratings records at the time.

"The Odd Couple" in 1975, had a final episode where Felix remarried his ex-wife and moved out of the apartment, thus breaking up the odd couple. However, this can be overlooked because it probably wasn't a publicized event like "Mary Tyler Moore's" was.

It was a nice episode and I enjoyed it, I just wished they would have mentioned "The Fugitive."

And I have a question. What happened in the final episode of "Little House on the Prairie" that had everything blowing up, lol?

[Classicshowsgurl15]

What happened in the Little House on the Prairie Finale is that some people were coming in and were going to build in Walnut Grove adding Saloons and stuff like that and the town didn't want that and so they blew up the town so they couldn't use those businesses. I hope that helps.:)

[TVFactFan]

I watched it tonight. It was entertaining, but a little inaccurate. They said that "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" was the first to have a big finale. However, in 1967, "The Fugitive" did. It concluded the series long storyline and broke ratings records at the time.

"The Odd Couple" in 1975, had a final episode where Felix remarried his ex-wife and moved out of the apartment, thus breaking up the odd couple. However, this can be overlooked because it probably wasn't a publicized event like "Mary Tyler Moore's" was.

It was a nice episode and I enjoyed it, I just wished they would have mentioned "The Fugitive."

And I have a question. What happened in the final episode of "Little House on the Prairie" that had everything blowing up, lol?


Wasn't the Odd Couple cancelled making it a Final episode rather than a Finale? Like Good Times?

[JulieSomoski]

Wasn't the Odd Couple cancelled making it a Final episode rather than a Finale? Like Good Times?

It was. It was like one of those final episodes, where the writers didn't know if they were cancelled or not, so made a final episode that could also be changed to be a season finale.

Anyways, I enjoyed what they had to say about the Who's the Boss? finale. It was definitely interesting.

[Adamantium]

Wasn't the Odd Couple cancelled making it a Final episode rather than a Finale? Like Good Times?

Yeah, probably. I've heard that they didn't know if they would be back. I was just pointing out that they had an actual finale-like plot. After five years of living together, Felix gets remarried and moves out of Oscar's apartment. It's the end. I don't know how they would have come back for a sixth season.

But yeah, "Mary Tyler Moore" was the second big finale. The first, being "The Fugitive." TVLand didn't mention that, though.

And Classicshowsgurl15, thanks for the response. By the looks of it, I figured war was declared in the finale or something, lol.

[TVFactFan]

Yeah, probably. I've heard that they didn't know if they would be back. I was just pointing out that they had an actual finale-like plot. After five years of living together, Felix gets remarried and moves out of Oscar's apartment. It's the end. I don't know how they would have come back for a sixth season.

But yeah, "Mary Tyler Moore" was the second big finale. The first, being "The Fugitive." TVLand didn't mention that, though.

And Classicshowsgurl15, thanks for the response. By the looks of it, I figured war was declared in the finale or something, lol.



Are you sure they didn't say first Sitcom Finale?

[Classicshowsgurl15]

Anyways, I enjoyed what they had to say about the Who's the Boss? finale. It was definitely interesting.
I enjoyed that too. It was really interesting.

Your welcome Adamantium. :)

[Ireneparalegal]

What happened in the Little House on the Prairie Finale is that some people were coming in and were going to build in Walnut Grove adding Saloons and stuff like that and the town didn't want that and so they blew up the town so they couldn't use those businesses. I hope that helps.:)
Actually, a land owner came to town to explain to the townsfolk that he was going to be making his own "town" with his businesses and the farmers would be working for him. They would still be growing crops, but they would be doing so for this man, their new boss. He would pay them a wage, while he would make money off of the crops. Also, the businesses in town, like the Olsen's mercantile, would be now owned by him.

It is reminiscent of Mr. Standish, that bullying man from the city when the Olsens, Ingalls and Garveys moved there. They didn't want to live and grow crops for someone else. So, they felt by blowing up the town, the man would have to start from scratch.

[treky]

Yeah, probably. I've heard that they didn't know if they would be back. I was just pointing out that they had an actual finale-like plot. After five years of living together, Felix gets remarried and moves out of Oscar's apartment. It's the end. I don't know how they would have come back for a sixth season.

But yeah, "Mary Tyler Moore" was the second big finale. The first, being "The Fugitive." TVLand didn't mention that, though.

And Classicshowsgurl15, thanks for the response. By the looks of it, I figured war was declared in the finale or something, lol.WRONG! THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW also had a finale.

The episode opened with Rob announcing that he had finally finished his book that he had been writing about him and Lauras married life. Laura sits down and starts reading it; and they show clips from some of the other episodes; showing Rob proposing, etc.
At the end; the Petries are having a little dinner to celebrate it, and they have over the Helpers, Alan (withoout his wife for some reason-I forget why), and Buddy & Sally (Buddy doesn't bring Pickles, though-again I forget why). The show ends with Allan anouncing that the book will be made into a series; starring him; and will be written by Rob, Buddy, and Sally. The last shot is of Rob and Laura with their arms around each other and kissing.

[Scoobiedoo30]

I wonder why they did not do Dick Van Dyke

[treky]

read my post: they DID do DVD.

[Classicshowsgurl15]

Actually, a land owner came to town to explain to the townsfolk that he was going to be making his own "town" with his businesses and the farmers would be working for him. They would still be growing crops, but they would be doing so for this man, their new boss. He would pay them a wage, while he would make money off of the crops. Also, the businesses in town, like the Olsen's mercantile, would be now owned by him.

It is reminiscent of Mr. Standish, that bullying man from the city when the Olsens, Ingalls and Garveys moved there. They didn't want to live and grow crops for someone else. So, they felt by blowing up the town, the man would have to start from scratch.
Yeah, that is pretty much the same thing I was saying, just in shorter detail.:)

[Dr. Thong]

Yeah, probably. I've heard that they didn't know if they would be back. I was just pointing out that they had an actual finale-like plot. After five years of living together, Felix gets remarried and moves out of Oscar's apartment. It's the end. I don't know how they would have come back for a sixth season.

Easy. Felix's reunion with his wife fails, his wife throws him out (again) and he ends up once again on the doorstep of his old pal Oscar and it's business as usual.

[Adamantium]

WRONG! THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW also had a finale.

The episode opened with Rob announcing that he had finally finished his book that he had been writing about him and Lauras married life. Laura sits down and starts reading it; and they show clips from some of the other episodes; showing Rob proposing, etc.
At the end; the Petries are having a little dinner to celebrate it, and they have over the Helpers, Alan (withoout his wife for some reason-I forget why), and Buddy & Sally (Buddy doesn't bring Pickles, though-again I forget why). The show ends with Allan anouncing that the book will be made into a series; starring him; and will be written by Rob, Buddy, and Sally. The last shot is of Rob and Laura with their arms around each other and kissing.

Okay, I'll give you that. I just meant a show with a last episode plot, such as Felix getting married and moving out or Kimble finally tracking down the One-Armed Man and proving his innocense. Or everybody at WJM is fired (except for Ted). The Dick Van Dyke Show knew they were ending and so they did the finale, knowing it was their last. And it didn't hit you over the head saying THIS IS OUR LAST SHOW! And for the record, didn't it air second to last? I know the DVD has it in it's proper order, but originally aired, I mean.

And also, in the TV Land special, they said Mary Tyler Moore was the first finale to be publicized as a finale. I was stating that "The Fugitive" was first. Because it was publicized as the final episode. As for "The Odd Couple", I was just mentioning that it had a last episode plot before MTM did. I know it wasn't publicized as the last one, though.

And as for the Dick Van Dyke episode, though I liked the idea of the final show, I didn't like that it was a flash back.

[Stuck In The '70's]

Didn't Leave it to Beaver have a flashback final episode too?

[Adamantium]

Didn't Leave it to Beaver have a flashback final episode too?

I believe they did. And it was the last episode when we find out why everybody calls Theodore, "Beaver."

[treky]

Okay, I'll give you that. I just meant a show with a last episode plot, such as Felix getting married and moving out or Kimble finally tracking down the One-Armed Man and proving his innocense. Or everybody at WJM is fired (except for Ted). The Dick Van Dyke Show knew they were ending and so they did the finale, knowing it was their last. And it didn't hit you over the head saying THIS IS OUR LAST SHOW! And for the record, didn't it air second to last? I know the DVD has it in it's proper order, but originally aired, I mean.

And also, in the TV Land special, they said Mary Tyler Moore was the first finale to be publicized as a finale. I was stating that "The Fugitive" was first. Because it was publicized as the final episode. As for "The Odd Couple", I was just mentioning that it had a last episode plot before MTM did. I know it wasn't publicized as the last one, though.

And as for the Dick Van Dyke episode, though I liked the idea of the final show, I didn't like that it was a flash back.no; it didn't air as the second-to-last one. It was filmed as the second to last one; though. But the second to last one was a western spoof, where Rob's telling Jerry about an idea he has for a western sketch while Jerry's working on his teeth. Then, he (Rob) falls asleep and dreams that they're all in a western.


By the way, the pilot episode ("Sick boy & the sitter") was also filmed as the 2nd or 3rd episode-I think.

[treky]

I believe they did. And it was the last episode when we find out why everybody calls Theodore, "Beaver."
oh yea; they did. I forgot about that one.

[Ireneparalegal]

Yeah, that is pretty much the same thing I was saying, just in shorter detail.:)
Yes it is. I wanted to clarify the fact that the landowner was going to end up being these farmers/landowners' boss. Now, for a farmer and landowner, business owner to all of a sudden "have a boss" after years of owning their own business or land, that was too much for the townsfolk to bear. Imagine a farmer had to now answer to a boss abt his crop? Imagine the Olsens' having to share some of their earnings/income with this man? Imagine a farmer working hard to grow a crop and having to share his income from that crop with that man and on top of that, answer to him? That is what the people of Walnut Grove didn't want. Almanzo was extremely upset at this prospect. He had this beautiful new house and land to grow crops on and now it was no longer "his" to do with what he wanted?

It was better for them to destroy the businesses and homes FIRST, before they left the town, so that man would have nothing and would have to build from scratch.