I am curious to get everyone's opinion on this. :)

I think that this is a very good question! Even though the quality went down after his passing, I would say that there were some pretty decent episodes in season five. However, the sixth season was a joke in its own time! It was clear proof that there can be something as bad if not worse than "Punky Bruster"!

Thanks Smartboy, excellent post! :)

I don't think they made a mistake in carrying on after Dolph Sweets death. I think they did make a mistake in adding too many new characters in the later seasons. They should have just concentrated on Nell and the three girls and how they coped and moved forward from the Chiefs death.

I think GMAB lost something when Dolph Sweet died. His banter with Nell is one of the things I liked best about that show. I think the show was still entertaining during the 5th season though. However when they dropped the girls from the cast and moved Nell and a few others to NY, it became a different show. They should have just used the 6th season premiere as the series finale.

Season 5 was not great and season 6 was worse. Had he lived, the show would have made it until at least 1990. Think about it, Diff'rent Strokes had 7 seasons on NBC but was cancelled and got an exta one to make 8, Facts of Life had 9 seasons. I'd say the show, had he lived, would have ended in either 1988 or 1989 the latest. These 3 shows were pretty big on the network at the time. Plus, the other 2 had its stars for almost the ENTIRE series run. When Mrs. Garrett left, the FOL continued 2 more seasons, when Dana Plato left, DS continued another season or so. They lasted long enough. 6-7 years where the main stars were all there. Had Dolf not died, I bet everyone would have stayed and things would have been so different. Who knows if there would have been a Matthew? Maybe, but who knows? The show would have started to get boring in season 6 anyways, as the girls were older and Julie had the baby by that time. I'm sure they would have aged her fast. Or maybe they would have never had her get pregnant as that happened after the Chief passed away. Things would have been very different.


But the show should have continued. Season 5 was a good way to end it, but they messed up by giving everyone closures but Nell. She never became anything or married again. The New York episodes were just a big let down. The focus was all on Joey. Joey's this or Joey's that. Look at the episode titles for that season. It's clear it was mostly Joey's show in the final season. Any story Nell had left by this time was so boring, like becoming Addy's boss and firing her, or wanting to marry that African prince or meeting her secret admirer from high schoo. Addy and Nell should have had steady relationships in the last season, but they got nothing. Addy just sat there with little Matty, or Nell would argue with Marty or Maggie about something, three boring characters that were added in the final season. Mama Maybell was pretty good though, as was Grandpa, but even he got boring. He was still up to his tricks in season 5, but he had changed when he moved to NY. He had his own apartment and was rarely seen anymore. I think his last good episode was where he was dating some younger woman on Valentine's Day in season 5.

Season 5 should have been the end of the show. It just got boring in season 6. Stupid episodes, but some were really entertaining like Christmas In New York, which was one of the best from the last season. The way they wrote the first 2 episodes of season 6, they should have had those at the end of season 5. I never saw the episode "The Purse Snatcher" but I see that was the season finale of season 5, and it doesn't read that entertaining on descriptions online. I would think Julie having the baby would have been a better end to season 5, she just had it and it magically appeared in the premiere of season 6, which was totally un-called for. If a character is pregnant, they should do the episode where they have the baby. This was a big let down. I'm sure they could have come up with something such as Nell and Julie alone at home and the car wasn't working because Sal Bonaduche couldn't fix it right and Nell would have delivered the baby herself before the ambulances arrived.

But season 6's 1st 2 shows were the real end of the series. They could have had Nell sell the house in the process during those 2 shows as well, but moving her to NY wouldnt have happened, she would have moved into a smaller place with Joey and Grandpa (or he would have moved to a retirement home finally), and after everyone leaves Nell does the speech to the Chief but then there is one last scene which would take place a day later, consisting of just Sam, Joey, Nell Addy, Grandpa, and Simpson (since everyone already left the area). They would be bringin the last boxes into the moving van. Sam asks Nell if everything is okay and she says it is. Everyone left says goodbye to the house in some way as they exit. Simpson remembers watching cartoons with Joey over the years, Grandpa remembers fighting with Carl, Sam remembers her first kiss on the couch with Scottie, Joey remembers how he showed up on the doorstep, and Nell remembers how she raised three terrific girls. Each person exits and then Nell says "goodbye, house." and walks off, as we see the exterior of the house which hadn't been seen since season 2 as the camera moves back.

Im new here and this will be my 2nd posting.
My opinion is I didnt care for Dolph Sweets character.
All he did was yell yell yell.
Nell was the star.

Season 5 was not great and season 6 was worse. Had he lived, the show would have made it until at least 1990. Think about it, Diff'rent Strokes had 7 seasons on NBC but was cancelled and got an exta one to make 8, Facts of Life had 9 seasons. I'd say the show, had he lived, would have ended in either 1988 or 1989 the latest. These 3 shows were pretty big on the network at the time. Plus, the other 2 had its stars for almost the ENTIRE series run. When Mrs. Garrett left, the FOL continued 2 more seasons, when Dana Plato left, DS continued another season or so. They lasted long enough. 6-7 years where the main stars were all there. Had Dolf not died, I bet everyone would have stayed and things would have been so different. Who knows if there would have been a Matthew? Maybe, but who knows? The show would have started to get boring in season 6 anyways, as the girls were older and Julie had the baby by that time. I'm sure they would have aged her fast. Or maybe they would have never had her get pregnant as that happened after the Chief passed away. Things would have been very different.


But the show should have continued. Season 5 was a good way to end it, but they messed up by giving everyone closures but Nell. She never became anything or married again. The New York episodes were just a big let down. The focus was all on Joey. Joey's this or Joey's that. Look at the episode titles for that season. It's clear it was mostly Joey's show in the final season. Any story Nell had left by this time was so boring, like becoming Addy's boss and firing her, or wanting to marry that African prince or meeting her secret admirer from high schoo. Addy and Nell should have had steady relationships in the last season, but they got nothing. Addy just sat there with little Matty, or Nell would argue with Marty or Maggie about something, three boring characters that were added in the final season. Mama Maybell was pretty good though, as was Grandpa, but even he got boring. He was still up to his tricks in season 5, but he had changed when he moved to NY. He had his own apartment and was rarely seen anymore. I think his last good episode was where he was dating some younger woman on Valentine's Day in season 5.

Season 5 should have been the end of the show. It just got boring in season 6. Stupid episodes, but some were really entertaining like Christmas In New York, which was one of the best from the last season. The way they wrote the first 2 episodes of season 6, they should have had those at the end of season 5. I never saw the episode "The Purse Snatcher" but I see that was the season finale of season 5, and it doesn't read that entertaining on descriptions online. I would think Julie having the baby would have been a better end to season 5, she just had it and it magically appeared in the premiere of season 6, which was totally un-called for. If a character is pregnant, they should do the episode where they have the baby. This was a big let down. I'm sure they could have come up with something such as Nell and Julie alone at home and the car wasn't working because Sal Bonaduche couldn't fix it right and Nell would have delivered the baby herself before the ambulances arrived.

But season 6's 1st 2 shows were the real end of the series. They could have had Nell sell the house in the process during those 2 shows as well, but moving her to NY wouldnt have happened, she would have moved into a smaller place with Joey and Grandpa (or he would have moved to a retirement home finally), and after everyone leaves Nell does the speech to the Chief but then there is one last scene which would take place a day later, consisting of just Sam, Joey, Nell Addy, Grandpa, and Simpson (since everyone already left the area). They would be bringin the last boxes into the moving van. Sam asks Nell if everything is okay and she says it is. Everyone left says goodbye to the house in some way as they exit. Simpson remembers watching cartoons with Joey over the years, Grandpa remembers fighting with Carl, Sam remembers her first kiss on the couch with Scottie, Joey remembers how he showed up on the doorstep, and Nell remembers how she raised three terrific girls. Each person exits and then Nell says "goodbye, house." and walks off, as we see the exterior of the house which hadn't been seen since season 2 as the camera moves back.

You should've done some writing for the show. Some of your ideas sound better than the actual shows of season 6.
I would've kept Julie & Jonathan as semi regulars.
Lots of potential with Julie's baby.
That scene of Carl & the baby from the episode in the first season was
great.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOTEZQEVTBQ

Darryl

Yeah, me write for GAB at the age of 4 in 1986-1987?

:lol:

Yeah, me write for GAB at the age of 4 in 1986-1987?
That would have been interesting

I don't think that GAB! should have ended after Dolph Sweet died for two reasons:
1.) Dolph Sweet would not have wanted it that way, and
2.) It was important to show that a family could survive, and even thrive, despite the passing of one parent, let alone two parents.

Dolph Sweet's passing hurt the show immensely, but it did not kill the show. What killed the show, in my opinion, was the departure of the three Kanisky girls and the move to New York, at which point it became a completely different show.

I don't think that GAB! should have ended after Dolph Sweet died for two reasons:
1.) Dolph Sweet would not have wanted it that way, and
2.) It was important to show that a family could survive, and even thrive, despite the passing of one parent, let alone two parents.

Dolph Sweet's passing hurt the show immensely, but it did not kill the show. What killed the show, in my opinion, was the departure of the three Kanisky girls and the move to New York, at which point it became a completely different show.
The sad part is that those changes were forced onto the producers in order to get a 6th season. They probably should have just ended the show at the end of the 5th.

The sad part is that those changes were forced onto the producers in order to get a 6th season. They probably should have just ended the show at the end of the 5th.


Which was a stupid move by the network. I really think that the 6th season premiere should've been the series finale. It was an hour long episode, and it showed most of the people, if not everybody moving on in one way or another. Instead, the netwok just dragged the series on, and after watching the GAB! E! True Hollywood Story, it seemed that the 6th season was done for Nell's sake. Just my thought.

Which was a stupid move by the network. I really think that the 6th season premiere should've been the series finale. It was an hour long episode, and it showed most of the people, if not everybody moving on in one way or another. Instead, the netwok just dragged the series on, and after watching the GAB! E! True Hollywood Story, it seemed that the 6th season was done for Nell's sake. Just my thought.


I will have to agree that you have raised some very good points in this post! In my opinion, the sixth season of the show was, more or less, a joke in its own time! I would say that it was worse than "What's Happening!!" and perhaps, as bad as "Punky Bruster"! The humor was extreamly forced and artificial. Although the fifth season was not as good as the earlier ones, it still had some degree of decency in it. However, the sixth simply made a mockery of everything that the show ever was! Quite sad if you ask me!