What's the history of the big "season finale"? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 08-22-2019, 05:49 AM

Are there any in-depth articles or discussion threads on when and how the phenomenon of the "season finale" (where the show tries to end with a bang of some kind) developed?

It seemed like in the earlier days of TV, sometimes a TV season would just peter out ignominiously with a backdoor pilot for another show (Star Trek TOS' "Assignment: Earth" at the end of Season 2, for instance) or a clip show.

Did this change mostly start with Dallas' "Who Shot JR?" in 1980 and then accelerate in 1990 with Star Trek: TNG's "Best of Both Worlds, Part I"?

Chocolate Moose · 08-22-2019, 01:30 PM

Good question!!! Interesting topic!!!

Edward216 · 08-22-2019, 06:47 PM

Yeah I'd say the whole "who shot J.R." storyline was the first (or one of the first) big season finales for a TV show. And eventually more shows started doing them in the 80s and it's just gotten more common since then. If there were any shows that did a big season finale before 1980 I'm not aware of them. But it would be interesting to know if anybody else remembers anything like that on a TV series before 1980.

Ed.

Mr. Television · 08-22-2019, 06:56 PM

Not a cliffhanger or anything but Little House on the Praire " I'll Be Waving as You Drive Away" when Mary goes blind was kind of big. I remember the whole show startled me mainly because I didn't know the backstory of the real Mary Ingalls. That was in March of 1978.

TV Guy · 08-22-2019, 08:46 PM

“Dallas” really started in the modern TV era. Of course, the other soaps followed. I think “Cheers” was one of the first sitcoms to follow suit.

08-22-2019, 05:49 AM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 125,663	What's the history of the big "season finale"? Are there any in-depth articles or discussion threads on when and how the phenomenon of the "season finale" (where the show tries to end with a bang of some kind) developed? It seemed like in the earlier days of TV, sometimes a TV season would just peter out ignominiously with a backdoor pilot for another show (Star Trek TOS' "Assignment: Earth" at the end of Season 2, for instance) or a clip show. Did this change mostly start with Dallas' "Who Shot JR?" in 1980 and then accelerate in 1990 with Star Trek: TNG's "Best of Both Worlds, Part I"?

08-22-2019, 01:30 PM	#2
Chocolate Moose Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 21, 2007 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 4,888	Good question!!! Interesting topic!!!
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08-22-2019, 06:56 PM	#4
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,133	Not a cliffhanger or anything but Little House on the Praire " I'll Be Waving as You Drive Away" when Mary goes blind was kind of big. I remember the whole show startled me mainly because I didn't know the backstory of the real Mary Ingalls. That was in March of 1978.
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08-22-2019, 06:47 PM	#3
Edward216 Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 18, 2014 Location: Central Time Zone Posts: 4,634	Yeah I'd say the whole "who shot J.R." storyline was the first (or one of the first) big season finales for a TV show. And eventually more shows started doing them in the 80s and it's just gotten more common since then. If there were any shows that did a big season finale before 1980 I'm not aware of them. But it would be interesting to know if anybody else remembers anything like that on a TV series before 1980. Ed.

08-22-2019, 08:46 PM	#5
TV Guy Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 25, 2001 Location: Boston, MA, USA Posts: 3,419	“Dallas” really started in the modern TV era. Of course, the other soaps followed. I think “Cheers” was one of the first sitcoms to follow suit.