why was Gimme a brake canceld

I am not sure, but I think that it had become clear to the staff that the show had run its course. They had gotten what they could out of it and it was time to move on. The episodes of the final season were too far-fetched for the audience to relate to. Some people will say that the relationship between Nell and Addie was like a "Laverne and Shirley" clone that just did not work.

I can't be the only one who wonders how Gimme a Break could've ended (and if it would've lasted beyond Season 6) had Dolph Sweet not died after Season 4. As it is, I've been reading comments on YouTube who feel that the Season 6 premiere episode "Sam Goes to College" is the de facto series finale. But you could also say that there really wasn't much else that could've been done with GAB. The Chief was no longer around, the girls were now grown up, and Nell was working a job with her GED and living life in New York City. So the storylines were running thin based on the premise of the show.

There are probably several reasons for why GAB ended after six seasons:

The network was in pretty good shape in 1987, unlike when GAB started. GAB did well enough so by this standard they kept it on the air season after season, while each year the network was improving. As I said, by 1987, NBC was such a big success that when it was time to renew shows for the next season, they looked at this show and thought it wasn't necessary anymore. They did order the show to make the changes in Season 6 or be cancelled, and the changes just didn't work well enough.

The show was already in syndication, so there wasn't a need to do new episodes.

The ratings weren't there anymore, which also factored into the other two reasons stated above. So when NBC planned the next season, they decided to end GAB at this point.

Too many changes at one time. The Chief died. The kids got older.

I feel with Mama’s Date and Sam Goes To College we would have gotten more Ernie and more Sam in college and Nell visiting or working there. Mama Maybelle marrying Ernie...Maybe James Roland coming back somehow and Nell and him marrying and her getting discovered by a big Broadway producer when Marty’s restaurant starts karaoke nights.


Sam Goes To College felt like an end, but just for the house and NYC just felt like another season that was a lot different but still some familiar faces.