Back in the 1980s, I used to watch Gimme a Break when it was on NBC prime time, and I am wondering if the series should not have continued after Dolph Sweet, who played the police chief Carl Kanisky, passed away in 1985. Did he both die and leave the show before the end of the 1984-1985 season? I thought Dolph did a fine job playing the Chief, a gruff man with a heart of gold. I strongly think the series should have ended at the conclusion of the 1984-1985 season; after all, Gimme a Break wasn't the same without the Chief or the actor who played him. What do you think?

CJ Malagodi :(

I agree the show wasn't the same without the chief. I think the show should have ended in 1986. I didn't like the last season where Nell and Addy moved to New York.

same here

Originally posted by cjmalagodi
Back in the 1980s, I used to watch Gimme a Break when it was on NBC prime time, and I am wondering if the series should not have continued after Dolph Sweet, who played the police chief Carl Kanisky, passed away in 1985. Did he both die and leave the show before the end of the 1984-1985 season? I thought Dolph did a fine job playing the Chief, a gruff man with a heart of gold. I strongly think the series should have ended at the conclusion of the 1984-1985 season; after all, Gimme a Break wasn't the same without the Chief or the actor who played him. What do you think?

CJ Malagodi :(


I loved the last season where Nell and Addy moved to New York.

I think that the season after the cheif died was need only for a bit of closer for the family.
The move to NY was NOT needed.
I knew it was not the same when they decide to let the Kaninsky girls go. They were a main part of the show. It would be like saying, let's get rid of Nell and bring somebody new in.
I don't think so. :nonono:

I agree that the series was definately was not the same when Dolph Sweet died. I think that what really killed the show was when NBC fired thr three girls. IMHO, the 5th season was needed to give the family a sense of closure in dealing with the Chief's passing, and to show that they could survive and thrive (life goes on) after the deaths of both parents.

I think that the 6th season premiere should have been the series finale. When the three girls left the show, that was really the end of GAB as we knew it, IMHO. I also think that that episode would have given the series a more graceful and dignified exit.

Becky

:crazy:

I agree that the series was definately was not the same when Dolph Sweet died. I think that what really killed the show was when NBC fired thr three girls. IMHO, the 5th season was needed to give the family a sense of closure in dealing with the Chief's passing, and to show that they could survive and thrive (life goes on) after the deaths of both parents.

I think that the 6th season premiere should have been the series finale. When the three girls left the show, that was really the end of GAB as we knew it, IMHO. I also think that that episode would have given the series a more graceful and dignified exit.

Becky

I agree wholeheartedly. The episode where they dealt with the Chief's passing was a hard one to watch because my dad died that year and I cried up a river watching that show.

It was too bad they dragged the show to a point ot relocating instead of pulling the plug by making the sixth season premiere the series finale with everyone moving on.

:crazy:

yeah and just moving out selling the home like that was just wrong and having the girls move away from each other was sad 2.they schould of stayed at the house and like the 1 person said life life without the cheif n cope with the lost and by god get rid of joey lawrence

:crazy:

I also loved when Nell and Addy oved in Together

:crazy:

it just was not the same they ruined the show when they did that.i mean Gimme a break was soppose be about a family n live in maid coping with los of the mother but they ruined that moving to Ny and firing the young girls and also bringing joey lawrence whole entire family was career suicide talk about jumping the shark

:crazy:

I think they did the right thing by keep doing Gimme A Break

I think the show could have continue without the Chief, but his passing took much from the show. Had he lived, the storyline would still have to change because the girls were growing up and his character would need to evolve too. I agree with most about the move to NY and the selling of the house was too much change. I still believe the best shows were the ones with the Chief.

The show definitely changed but it wasn't so bad that the series needed to end. I liked when they brought Addy on and created the fight and adventure stories around her and Nell.

I think the show could have continue without the Chief, but his passing took much from the show. Had he lived, the storyline would still have to change because the girls were growing up and his character would need to evolve too. I agree with most about the move to NY and the selling of the house was too much change. I still believe the best shows were the ones with the Chief.

The show needed to continue without Dolph Sweet in order to bring closure to him and his character. Not to mention the fact that Dolph Sweet would not have wanted the show to be canceled on account of his passing. When Dolph Sweet died, much of the show's energy and success went with him, because the energy and the conflict (the conflict between Nell and the Chief) that made the show work, was gone after his passing. However, despite his passing, the show did a good job of moving on and staying afloat. When NBC fired the three girls, sold the Kanisky house, and moved the show to New York, that was the end of GAB as we knew it and it should have been part of the series finale, and the show could have had more of a graceful and dignified exit, which it deserved; considering the fact that GAB was one of the first shows to jump start the network's sitcom division in the 1980's.