Moonlighting- THE BIG QUESTIONS... unasked?

[colin72]

I've read all of the ML21 interviews as well as other interviews and information online and appreciate everything I've read. However, I haven't read anything that discusses the way the show ended (I think the question was put to Glenn but he was out of the picture at that point).

Given that one of the most often discussed things about ML are the (IMO, horrible) decisions that led to the finale, why aren't these questions asked? Wouldn't Jay Daniels (in his recent ML21 interview) have been able to shed some much needed light on this topic? If I had a chance to ask questions and speak to those involved, these questions would be at the top of my list.

Another issue that seems to be swept under the proverbial rug is Glenn being fired. As I said above, I know Glenn was asked about the way ML ended but he really couldn't answer. I think we all know that something took place... and I'm choosing my words carefully here... but didn't Glenn being fired have to do with Cybill?

And I hope no one jumps down my throat for not being "fun" on the forum for asking these questions. Sorry, but I was a ML fan from the beginning and endured the repeats, delays and miserable collapse and ending of my favorite show. That was at a time before the internet and I sought out what little information I could find in magazines, etc.

So I have wondered for the last 15+ years what happened to ML. Why was Glenn fired and most importantly what was going through the decision makers minds when they chose to end ML as they did?

[adyjdy]

I don't know the answer to any of your questions, but I want to at least support the idea of some of these questions coming up in the near future. Don't get me wrong. BIG, HUGE Thanks to Diana for the interview, which was very candid. No complaints at all, Diana.

I think it is fair to say though that with the issues brought up by the Season 3 commentaries and the, hopefully, inevitable Season 4 and 5 commentaries there are going to be some tough, even unpleasant discussions to come and I don't think we can long ignore those issues that made OUR show, our show.

I wouldn't mind getting some candid answers about the ending, Annie (Grrr) and the decision to do away with the baby. What were they thinking? I WAS angry. Now, after all these years, I really would just like to know why. Maybe it will all make sense if they explain it. Maybe not, but I agree, in principal, they're worthy discussions.

[diana2001]

Originally Posted by colin72

So I have wondered for the last 15+ years what happened to ML. Why was Glenn fired and most importantly what was going through the decision makers minds when they chose to end ML as they did?

As adyjdy said, the issues that led to the downward spiral of ML were tough and unpleasant, and they were touched upon in the Season 3 commentaries. However, it was evident that no one wanted to really get into it. The same goes with our interviews. We asked the questions but we respected the fact if they chose to gloss over it or not discuss it at all.

Jay's interview paints the clearest picture on the pressures on the set and the tensions that developed between Bruce and Cybill and Glenn and Cybill. Glenn left the show because of Cybill--that's common knowledge. Once he left, the voice of the show went with it and the writers did the best they could with the circumstances at the time. Before he left though, Glenn made the decision to marry Maddie off to Walter Bishop. A big mistake that he aplogized to Cybill about (as per her current interview with us).

In addition, you had tensions between Bruce and Cybill, their heart wasn't into it anymore and it showed. The audience turned away in droves, sick of repeats and the quality of the scripts were not up to the level of the first three seasons--though I think Season 4 is pretty good. ABC withdrew their support of the show and moved it to Sunday nights at 8, the nail in the coffin.

Don't know if I answered your questions satisfactorily, but as Jay said, the set was not pleasant and it deteriorated.

Diana

[colin72]

Originally Posted by diana2001

As adyjdy said, the issues that led to the downward spiral of ML were tough and unpleasant, and they were touched upon in the Season 3 commentaries. However, it was evident that no one wanted to really get into it. The same goes with our interviews. We asked the questions but we respected the fact if they chose to gloss over it or not discuss it at all.

Jay's interview paints the clearest picture on the pressures on the set and the tensions that developed between Bruce and Cybill and Glenn and Cybill. Glenn left the show because of Cybill--that's common knowledge. Once he left, the voice of the show went with it and the writers did the best they could with the circumstances at the time. Before he left though, Glenn made the decision to marry Maddie off to Walter Bishop. A big mistake that he aplogized to Cybill about (as per her current interview with us).

In addition, you had tensions between Bruce and Cybill, their heart wasn't into it anymore and it showed. The audience turned away in droves, sick of repeats and the quality of the scripts were not up to the level of the first three seasons--though I think Season 4 is pretty good. ABC withdrew their support of the show and moved it to Sunday nights at 8, the nail in the coffin.

Don't know if I answered your questions satisfactorily, but as Jay said, the set was not pleasant and it deteriorated.

Diana

Thanks for responding Diana.

The question I still have is what was going through the decision makers minds when they chose to end ML as they did?

I'd love to hear some kind of explanation or the thought process that brought about the finale. Fans wanted to see David and Maddie together. They could have ended the show on an upbeat note in many different ways.

Diana, are you saying that you asked questions about the ending/finale and people did not want to discuss it? And if so, could you elaborate?

I still remember the sick feeling I had when the credits rolled. I was shocked- not that ML had ended, but I was shocked at the way they ended it. They could have partially made up for the bad 4th and 5th seasons, they could have helped reverse the horrible decision of Maddie marrying Walter Bishop (not to mention Terry and Annie). But instead they left fans absolutely disappointed and ended on such a downer. I frankly can't see how anyone involved thought the way ML ended was a good idea.

[gypsygem81]

Well, I think everyone would like a good explantation of these circumstances, but I agree with Diana that these are obviously sore subjects for the people involved and we should respect the fact that they might not want to discuss them. If Diana and co. went in all guns blazing and asking questions like that, we would not get the wonderful interviews we are getting now.

In regards to the ending, I suspect that they had to come up with something pretty quick and at the last minute, at least that's how it comes across. Maybe they were leaving it open ended in hopes that it was not really the end and they might find a way to bring the show back some day. I'm not defending the choice of ending, I dislike it as much as anyone, but we have to keep in mind the tremendous pressure that everyone was under at the time, especially the writers, who had big boots to fill when Glenn left.

Love Gem

[MulberryGal]

I agree with Gem, it does seem as if the ending of Moonlighting was a rushed attempt at filling airtime rather than a considered plot twist. I believe it was because the show was cancelled before they could finish all the stories they had for Season 5? Or did I imagine this?

Like Diana, I think that Season 4 was actually rather good in places (and 'Father knows last' is excellent), and it was only in Season 5 that not only were Bruce and Cybill less interested, the loss of Glenn Caron meant that it was directionless. Having said that, there were still good moments in Season 5, it just didn't hold together without Glenn.

Colin, I think your questions are really important to ask, but I do doubt whether we'll ever have the answers in full, unfortunately.

Mul

[laura a]

I`ve been reading all your thoughts and i whole heartedly agree ,i still remember watching Lunar Eclipse when it first aired and feeling empty and really let down ,no one is saying that David and Maddie should have `rode off into the sunset and spent the rest of their lives cosy in some little breakfast nook`but the ending they did use `sucked`.I also think that the reason the Annie thing didn`t work was because when they wrote the Sam trilogy even though Maddie was with Sam we all knew she loved David too and it was great to see her restle with her feelings like thatand then finally deciding that she wanted David after all. But with the Annie thing ,when the writers went down this road again only this time with David they left it cold unfeeling ,they made it clear that David and Maddie were over and that David wasn`t in love with Maddie any more . Thats what made it so hard to watch ,the writers should have used the Annie plot line to show the audience that they DID still have feelings for one another and should have brought them BACK together again.It would have given the whole other woman thing some purpose.

[dreams200377]

arg, Lunar Eclipse. I agree, the ending was rushed and we were left w/ our characters apart. But hey, at least they wrote a nice line for maddie to say to david. "I can't imagine not seeing you tomorrow." That says to me, Maddie did still care, at least on some level. Even in Eine Kleine Nacht Murder, I sensed she had feelings for him and David for her as well. I suspect that had Glenn stayed on, the show may have ended differently. I mean look at Womb and the things said about Maddie and David to Baby Hayes. I'm sorry, but you don't fall out of love that quickly. But, that's just my opinion. Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, maybe they were gonna end it another way. Definitely a rush job...When David crashes Maddie and Annie's lunch, he doesn't even look at Annie. He's more concerned with Maddie's reaction to all that's happening. Do you really enjoy getting a rise out of someone like that if you don't care? Love/hate, two sides of the same coin. I think someone mentioned that here once. Okay, I'm sorry I went off on a tangent.

But. it was great to see B and C, onscreen together again, for the special When ML ended, who would have ever thought that possible?

[colin72]

Just bumping hoping Diana wil clarify...

The question I still have is what was going through the decision makers minds when they chose to end ML as they did?

I'd love to hear some kind of explanation or the thought process that brought about the finale. Fans wanted to see David and Maddie together. They could have ended the show on an upbeat note in many different ways.

Diana, are you saying that you asked questions about the ending/finale and people did not want to discuss it? And if so, could you elaborate?

(Reading your reply, it seems to say that you asked questions about the tension on the set but I'm wondering if you asked questions about the way ML ended and the decisions that led to the ending)

[diana2001]

Hi Colin,

Over the years, we have asked what was going on in the 5th Season as well as asked about Lunar Eclipse. While others hinted, others did not wish to discuss it in detail, which we respected. If you have read our interviews and listened to the commentaries on the Season 3 DVDs, you can easily conclude that the tensions on the set impacted on the quality of the scripts once Glenn left the show.

In regards to the decision makers and how they chose to end the show, we have not interviewed any former ABC executives, but it is a well know fact that they were not happy with the costly production delays, especially when the ratings took a dive because the audience were not tuning in like they once were. As a televison advertiser back then, I seem to recall that ABC canceled the show abruptly and the writers were forced to write Lunar Eclipse as the last episode.

In Lunar Eclipse, Cy the producer (who was really Dennis Dugan, aka Walter Bishop) made it be known to David and Maddie what the problem with Moonlighting was, as well as Agnes. They both echoed what ABC and the audience were thinking and feeling, respectively, which also sheds light on why the show ended the way it did.

Hope this clarifies it for you.

Diana
www.moonlighting21.com

[dihop]

According to information that I have, prior to the cancellation, the episode " Perfetc" was originally planned to be the last episode of the season (you can also tell by the numbering of the scripts).

This would have ended the season with Maddie and David flying off to Paris together, and given us the summer to imaginate, to ruminate, to......

Oh well......

So the show was cancelled, and the Annie storyline was born.

One of the hot and heavy theories among the ML fan community about the Annie episodes was that they were designed to make Maddie pay for her relationship with Sam -- if she and David were "even", then they could start over.

However, I still don't know ANYBODY who can explain "Lunar Eclipse".

Anybody?

[MulberryGal]

Nope, no one can explain Lunar Eclipse...

Wouldn't it have been a much better ending with Maddie and David jetting off to Europe, and leaving it open for a happy ending that we could imagine.

I've always thought it seems very odd that one moment they are talking about jetting off together, then next they are just being nasty and punishing each other for things they had already sorted out and talked about.

Thanks for that Diane!

Mul

[colin72]

Originally Posted by diana2001

Hi Colin,

Over the years, we have asked what was going on in the 5th Season as well as asked about Lunar Eclipse. While others hinted, others did not wish to discuss it in detail, which we respected.

I understand people not wanting to discuss the tension on the set and Glenn leaving but I find it extremely odd that people won't comment on the depressing tone and unsatisfying conclusion of Lunar Eclipse.

Obviously, those involved with ML chose to end Lunar Eclipse the way they did (it wouldn't have been a decision of ABC Executives). I know Lunar Eclipse was written by Roy Clark and I believe Jay Daniels was the Executive Producer but certainly the way ML ended was discussed.

Why is it that no one explains the thought process that went into the decisions? I just don't get it. Doesn't anyone else find this very strange?

Diana, is it your understanding/feeling that there was/is regret or some kind of argument over the way they ended Lunar Eclipse?

[CyBr]

I don't think "Perfetc" would have been a very satisfying season ending because it was a weak episode. (But still better than the Annie storyline.)The chase scene seemed too much like "Camille" to me. Even the Paris trip at the end seems like an afterthought. Maddie's closing line is a put down to David. Not exactly romantic. But the biggest problem is that David and Maddie are apart a lot. Maddie sees the client alone and David comes in after, which is unusual. Maddie is absent for David's press conference. Maddie goes with Bert to the museum. One scene they do have together (it may be their last driving scene) has them talking about how it's over. They're apart a lot during the rest of the episodes. Draw your own conclusion as to why, but my guess is that tells us something about why we didn't get the ending to the series we wanted.

[diana2001]

Originally Posted by colin72

I understand people not wanting to discuss the tension on the set and Glenn leaving but I find it extremely odd that people won't comment on the depressing tone and unsatisfying conclusion of Lunar Eclipse.

Obviously, those involved with ML chose to end Lunar Eclipse the way they did (it wouldn't have been a decision of ABC Executives). I know Lunar Eclipse was written by Roy Clark and I believe Jay Daniels was the Executive Producer but certainly the way ML ended was discussed.

Why is it that no one explains the thought process that went into the decisions? I just don't get it. Doesn't anyone else find this very strange?

Diana, is it your understanding/feeling that there was/is regret or some kind of argument over the way they ended Lunar Eclipse?

No, I am not saying that there was an argument over the way they ended Lunar Eclipse. Much of Season 5 was unsatisfying, let alone Lunar Eclipse.

Tensions on the set impacted on the type of scripts that were written and as Cybr noted, there were a lot of episodes where David and Maddie were not together. That is a reason why the fans did not get the ending they wanted.