8 Bizarre Endings To Otherwise Incredible TV Shows - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 11-25-2013, 06:25 PM

http://whatculture.com/tv/8-bizarre-...e-tv-shows.php

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Judging from the examples that have been set by a lot of shows, apparently the hardest thing about managing a massively successful television venture is to determine the tone in which it should be ended. That’s where a number of really great shows seem to stumble, after all.

Such shows aren’t sure whether or not they want to be touching, since it’s the last episode, or stay true to the spirit of the series, or try to say something big and important. Most of the time they attempt all three, with varying degrees of success. But every once in a while, a show will come up with a totally out-of-left-field finale that makes all the fans sitting around the televisions collectively turn to one another in confusion and say: “Wait. What?”

There’s nothing quite as exciting as when one of your favorite shows really gets their finale right – consider, for example, the recent Breaking Bad, or Futurama. Equally, there’s a particular brand of disappointment reserved for when the production team fouls everything up in what should be their moment of glory. With that in mind, here are 8 of the most bizarre endings in all of television history…

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dougiezerts · 11-25-2013, 07:55 PM

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Originally Posted by TMC

http://whatculture.com/tv/8-bizarre-...e-tv-shows.php

Read more at http://whatculture.com/tv/8-bizarre-...Y39XWeC3E3w.99

Even though it's British, the last episode of the Prisoner should go on the list!

tlc38tlc38 · 11-25-2013, 08:26 PM

I loved the "Newhart" finale!

I would add "Roseanne" to that list. I actually loved the finale but I can see why so many people didn't.

"The Jeffersons" should have been given a proper send off but we all know how CBS felt about the show anyways.

"Family Matters" had a very bizarre finale, actually the entire last season was bizarre.

The finale for "ALF" is another one that should be added to that list.

James · 11-25-2013, 08:59 PM

They left The Wonder Years off that list??? THE HORROR!!!

MacLeaper · 11-26-2013, 10:23 AM

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I loved the "Newhart" finale!

I would add "Roseanne" to that list. I actually loved the finale but I can see why so many people didn't.

"The Jeffersons" should have been given a proper send off but we all know how CBS felt about the show anyways.

"Family Matters" had a very bizarre finale, actually the entire last season was bizarre.

The finale for "ALF" is another one that should be added to that list.

The "Newhart" finale is awesome! Very creative and funny!

I don't care about "Roseanne", but I do like "The Jeffersons"- though I can't recall ever seeing the series finale, but I'm sure it was a fine episode since I like watching that series a lot. I wouldn't mind watching the whole thing if I ever had the chance sometime.

As for "Family Matters", I don't see how the last season or series finale was all that bizarre. It seems like something the show had been leading towards eventually- I for one liked to see the underdog nerd end up with the girl.

And with "ALF", the reason the series finale seems bizarre is because it wasn't meant to be the series finale- it was meant to be a season cliffhanger from Season 4 to the proposed Season 5- only a fifth season never happened. So the show was left hanging- until the 1996 "Project: ALF" TV-movie resolved things. Since I've seen the entire series and the TV-movie a number of times (and have them all on DVD)- I don't have a problem with the series finale.

MacLeaper · 11-26-2013, 10:40 AM

Also, with some of these "bizarre" endings, like the ones for "St. Elsewhere" and "Little House on the Prairie" and "Seinfeld" and so forth- I think I would give them credit for at least trying something different. That's what makes them so memorable and one of the main reasons people still talk about these shows. I didn't really have a problem with any of these shows series finales.
I'm kind of surprised "Mork & Mindy" wasn't listed, since there was an episode where Mork and Mindy were on the run through the galaxy from an alien trying to kill them, but that storyline was never really resolved. (Though that wasn't the last episode aired; in the last episode aired, Mork and Mindy were back at their apartment and Mork gave his report to Orson about how to stay happily married on Earth- so I guess we can just assume that somehow everything was resolved with the killer alien.)
Other shows could be listed that just didn't have a real great ending- "Laverne & Shirley" comes to mind, but that's mainly because of things beyond their control- Cindy Williams had left the series and thus, it left the majority of the last season kinda flat, since the chemistry of the whole show worked on both of those personalities. And it would have been nice to see Shirley come back for a visit or something at the end- but obviously that wasn't going to happen. So I guess it was nice to see Carmine get a break in the last episode (though I believe that episode was intended as a possible spinoff.) Probably the only really good ending I could think of would be to see Laverne also get married and have Shirley return for the wedding and get to see the two of them say a proper goodbye as they go off to their separate lives, vowing always to remain friends and keep in touch.
(All that said, I still want to see Season 8 of the show come to DVD so I can see the series in its entirety though. 'Cause I still love the series all the way through the entire run!)

11-25-2013, 08:26 PM	#3
tlc38tlc38 Every day’s a Dolly day! Forum Star Join Date: May 02, 2008 Location: I’m just travelin’ thru Posts: 19,257	I loved the "Newhart" finale! I would add "Roseanne" to that list. I actually loved the finale but I can see why so many people didn't. "The Jeffersons" should have been given a proper send off but we all know how CBS felt about the show anyways. "Family Matters" had a very bizarre finale, actually the entire last season was bizarre. The finale for "ALF" is another one that should be added to that list.
	__________________ Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. Deuteronomy 15:10 In loving memory of my best friend, my Mama.

11-25-2013, 08:59 PM	#4
James Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 07, 2001 Location: Dayton, Ohio, USA Posts: 6,370	They left The Wonder Years off that list??? THE HORROR!!!

11-26-2013, 10:40 AM	#6
MacLeaper Child of the 80s Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 20, 2001 Posts: 3,359	Also, with some of these "bizarre" endings, like the ones for "St. Elsewhere" and "Little House on the Prairie" and "Seinfeld" and so forth- I think I would give them credit for at least trying something different. That's what makes them so memorable and one of the main reasons people still talk about these shows. I didn't really have a problem with any of these shows series finales. I'm kind of surprised "Mork & Mindy" wasn't listed, since there was an episode where Mork and Mindy were on the run through the galaxy from an alien trying to kill them, but that storyline was never really resolved. (Though that wasn't the last episode aired; in the last episode aired, Mork and Mindy were back at their apartment and Mork gave his report to Orson about how to stay happily married on Earth- so I guess we can just assume that somehow everything was resolved with the killer alien.) Other shows could be listed that just didn't have a real great ending- "Laverne & Shirley" comes to mind, but that's mainly because of things beyond their control- Cindy Williams had left the series and thus, it left the majority of the last season kinda flat, since the chemistry of the whole show worked on both of those personalities. And it would have been nice to see Shirley come back for a visit or something at the end- but obviously that wasn't going to happen. So I guess it was nice to see Carmine get a break in the last episode (though I believe that episode was intended as a possible spinoff.) Probably the only really good ending I could think of would be to see Laverne also get married and have Shirley return for the wedding and get to see the two of them say a proper goodbye as they go off to their separate lives, vowing always to remain friends and keep in touch. (All that said, I still want to see Season 8 of the show come to DVD so I can see the series in its entirety though. 'Cause I still love the series all the way through the entire run!)