Season 8 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

willjarmon · 09-22-2006, 12:00 PM

Everyone always says how much they didn't like season 8 but if you really watch season 8 there were a few episodes that were ok like Tale of Two Teachers, Sam's Big Brother, Bully For Arnold and The Photo Club was show we all knew had to happen what do you all think

TVFactFan · 09-22-2006, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willjarmon

Everyone always says how much they didn't like season 8 but if you really watch season 8 there were a few episodes that were ok like Tale of Two Teachers, Sam's Big Brother, Bully For Arnold and The Photo Club was show we all knew had to happen what do you all think

I didn't like Photo Club because I thought Arnold was going to change after him and Lis were stuck in the Basement and start dating her but once they got out he went back to fighting with her again. AFter they had kissed each other. Arnold was a Fool-lol

Natalie1969 · 06-01-2011, 03:44 PM

I love season 8. I wish all of them were on You Tube. I'm looking for Willis Goes to College and Speak No Evil.

Wildchats · 06-09-2011, 03:57 AM

The final season closes up Lisa and Arnold with the kiss and shows how Arnold wanted to pursue journalism and photography in his future after high school. However, the show was over at that point. Had it returned, they were going into Sophomore year, and I bet Lisa would have been added to the cast or been in a majority of episodes for season 9.

I did not like the finale. When a show knows they are near the end, they should write a more fitting finale. NBC didn't do it and neither did ABC. NBC had the girl with Epilepsy as the season 7 finale/almost final episode of the series, and in the last show, Arnold taking photos and making stories on high schoolers doing drugs, the episode ending with him and Mr. D. hugging, which was a much better ending than the season 7 finale ending.

But when you think of it, Willis should have been there for the finale, college or not. They should have had some touching final scene to let people know it was the end or possibly is the end if it wasn't getting renewed for a 9th year. They could have easily came back for a 9th and done the same thing for the 9th finale if it made it to 9 years.

Willis just being in the final show could have been something like this "Hey, Arnold, I see you've been doing a lot of work lately with your writing and photography." And then Mr. D. jumps in and says something along the lines of college in a few years, and how Arnold can build his portfolio or something for when he submits to colleges for journalism. Then Arnold could have said "Dad, I thought you wanted Willis and I to be businessmen!" And then Mr. D. could have said something along the lines of "I raised two great boys. I know they'll be great at whatever it is they do in the near future! They're great now!" And they all share a hug. That would have been a much better ending to "The Front Page".

TMC · 07-28-2015, 04:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wildchats

The final season closes up Lisa and Arnold with the kiss and shows how Arnold wanted to pursue journalism and photography in his future after high school. However, the show was over at that point. Had it returned, they were going into Sophomore year, and I bet Lisa would have been added to the cast or been in a majority of episodes for season 9.

I did not like the finale. When a show knows they are near the end, they should write a more fitting finale. NBC didn't do it and neither did ABC. NBC had the girl with Epilepsy as the season 7 finale/almost final episode of the series, and in the last show, Arnold taking photos and making stories on high schoolers doing drugs, the episode ending with him and Mr. D. hugging, which was a much better ending than the season 7 finale ending.

But when you think of it, Willis should have been there for the finale, college or not. They should have had some touching final scene to let people know it was the end or possibly is the end if it wasn't getting renewed for a 9th year. They could have easily came back for a 9th and done the same thing for the 9th finale if it made it to 9 years.

Willis just being in the final show could have been something like this "Hey, Arnold, I see you've been doing a lot of work lately with your writing and photography." And then Mr. D. jumps in and says something along the lines of college in a few years, and how Arnold can build his portfolio or something for when he submits to colleges for journalism. Then Arnold could have said "Dad, I thought you wanted Willis and I to be businessmen!" And then Mr. D. could have said something along the lines of "I raised two great boys. I know they'll be great at whatever it is they do in the near future! They're great now!" And they all share a hug. That would have been a much better ending to "The Front Page".

I'm guessing that at the time, the producers didn't know that the show (either on ABC or NBC) was going to get cancelled, hence why the respective season finales were treated like any other episode.

Joe M. Davis · 07-28-2015, 10:18 PM

I seem to recall reading somewhere that the two-parter "Sam's Missing" was the last episode shot (despite being used as the season premiere). Despite it not being anywhere close to a fitting finale, all of the main cast (including Dana Plato) was present.

This would explain the house make-over subplot as apparently the set was being torn down. Though if you consider this the season premiere, it acts as an explanation for the sudden set change in between the NBC and ABC run.

Wildchats · 09-13-2015, 05:13 PM

No way! That would mean they filmed all 19 episodes in the summer and then stopped and then aired it as the premiere? I doubt it. They start filming in August, sometimes late July, and they air episodes out of order. They end filming around April.

For example:

Full House filmed Michelle Rides again Pt 1 and 2 before they filmed All Stood Up. The cast got word at the last taping the show was cancelled. Even had it been or not, they switched the filmed episodes around, making Michelle Rides Again the series finale, which was a better ending than All Stood Up.

bh7812 · 09-18-2015, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMC

I'm guessing that at the time, the producers didn't know that the show (either on ABC or NBC) was going to get cancelled, hence why the respective season finales were treated like any other episode.

Exactly. That's the only way to explain the way Seasons 7 and 8 ended.

I think as Season 7 ended the producers were thinking NBC might renew it but weren't entirely sure so they went with the episide they did. But NBC cancelled it and then ABC picked it up for that last year.

I think where the end of Season 8 was concerned they were expecting a renewal and looked like they were planning for one more final season which is why what ended up being more of a season finale as opposed to Series Finale. Going into the ABC stretch I imagine they were planning for 2 last years for the series...planning on Season 8 probably started right after ABC picked it up and they'd probably had at least a vague idea where they wanted to go had it been renewed for Season 9 and a second year on ABC. As that last season plays out you can kind of tell they were trying to lay out how they wanted to get to the end...Sam becoming more or less the big main character-not that he wasn't already by the end-but that with Arnold taking a huge back seat role. Then they got cancelled so that was that and any plans they'd made for Season 9 were obviously down the toilet.

I will say I liked the version of the theme song used for the final season way more than the older version. Thought Alan Thicke did really well with that final version of it. Then again that's because I like disco-y versions of songs like that. But, I did feel personally they at least got that part of the last year really right. That's all personal opinion though.

Overall, the final season was just your average season for the majority of it. There were a few good episodes that year. By and large it was mostly predictable with really nothing unexpected or surprising happening during it.

Wildchats · 09-19-2015, 05:35 AM

Yes, they needed this theme song even before season 8. The theme stayed the same all 7 seasons on NBC. It was just like The Jeffersons theme. That one always sounded the same. The theme should have changed once Pearl became housekeeper and Adelaide left.

Season 9 I think would have been just as lame as season 8, but my guess is we would have seen a lot more of Lisa. I think she and Arnold would have eventually became a couple in their sophomore year. We would have seen a lot more of Arnold's friends and classmates.

For a final episode, not sure what they would have done. Maggie pregnant? I doubt that would have happened. Willis getting married could have worked best. Weren't he and Janet Jackson's character a couple for a while? There really wasn't much to close up, but a final episode at that point in time would have made more sense with Willis getting married off to his girlfriend.

09-22-2006, 12:00 PM	#1
willjarmon Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 31, 2001 Posts: 182	Season 8 Everyone always says how much they didn't like season 8 but if you really watch season 8 there were a few episodes that were ok like Tale of Two Teachers, Sam's Big Brother, Bully For Arnold and The Photo Club was show we all knew had to happen what do you all think

06-01-2011, 03:44 PM	#3
Natalie1969 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 11, 2009 Location: MD Posts: 187	I love season 8. I wish all of them were on You Tube. I'm looking for Willis Goes to College and Speak No Evil.

06-09-2011, 03:57 AM	#4
Wildchats Me Senior Member Join Date: Jul 15, 2001 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,076	The final season closes up Lisa and Arnold with the kiss and shows how Arnold wanted to pursue journalism and photography in his future after high school. However, the show was over at that point. Had it returned, they were going into Sophomore year, and I bet Lisa would have been added to the cast or been in a majority of episodes for season 9. I did not like the finale. When a show knows they are near the end, they should write a more fitting finale. NBC didn't do it and neither did ABC. NBC had the girl with Epilepsy as the season 7 finale/almost final episode of the series, and in the last show, Arnold taking photos and making stories on high schoolers doing drugs, the episode ending with him and Mr. D. hugging, which was a much better ending than the season 7 finale ending. But when you think of it, Willis should have been there for the finale, college or not. They should have had some touching final scene to let people know it was the end or possibly is the end if it wasn't getting renewed for a 9th year. They could have easily came back for a 9th and done the same thing for the 9th finale if it made it to 9 years. Willis just being in the final show could have been something like this "Hey, Arnold, I see you've been doing a lot of work lately with your writing and photography." And then Mr. D. jumps in and says something along the lines of college in a few years, and how Arnold can build his portfolio or something for when he submits to colleges for journalism. Then Arnold could have said "Dad, I thought you wanted Willis and I to be businessmen!" And then Mr. D. could have said something along the lines of "I raised two great boys. I know they'll be great at whatever it is they do in the near future! They're great now!" And they all share a hug. That would have been a much better ending to "The Front Page".

07-28-2015, 10:18 PM	#6
Joe M. Davis Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Feb 25, 2013 Location: America Posts: 50	I seem to recall reading somewhere that the two-parter "Sam's Missing" was the last episode shot (despite being used as the season premiere). Despite it not being anywhere close to a fitting finale, all of the main cast (including Dana Plato) was present. This would explain the house make-over subplot as apparently the set was being torn down. Though if you consider this the season premiere, it acts as an explanation for the sudden set change in between the NBC and ABC run.

09-13-2015, 05:13 PM	#7
Wildchats Me Senior Member Join Date: Jul 15, 2001 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,076	No way! That would mean they filmed all 19 episodes in the summer and then stopped and then aired it as the premiere? I doubt it. They start filming in August, sometimes late July, and they air episodes out of order. They end filming around April. For example: Full House filmed Michelle Rides again Pt 1 and 2 before they filmed All Stood Up. The cast got word at the last taping the show was cancelled. Even had it been or not, they switched the filmed episodes around, making Michelle Rides Again the series finale, which was a better ending than All Stood Up.

09-19-2015, 05:35 AM	#9
Wildchats Me Senior Member Join Date: Jul 15, 2001 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,076	Yes, they needed this theme song even before season 8. The theme stayed the same all 7 seasons on NBC. It was just like The Jeffersons theme. That one always sounded the same. The theme should have changed once Pearl became housekeeper and Adelaide left. Season 9 I think would have been just as lame as season 8, but my guess is we would have seen a lot more of Lisa. I think she and Arnold would have eventually became a couple in their sophomore year. We would have seen a lot more of Arnold's friends and classmates. For a final episode, not sure what they would have done. Maggie pregnant? I doubt that would have happened. Willis getting married could have worked best. Weren't he and Janet Jackson's character a couple for a while? There really wasn't much to close up, but a final episode at that point in time would have made more sense with Willis getting married off to his girlfriend.