Robert N EmersonPet Peeve about Finales
May 13th 2009 18:32
There is one thing that has always bothered me, irked me to no end, with respect to the various networks and choices that are made about programming and finales of shows; if you're gonna end a show and you know it, please don't end the season on a cliff hanger and don't pretend like you don't know you're gonna end a show.
Truly, nothing bothers me more than a show being left on a cliffhanger forever, as it is just annoying and disrespectful to the viewers of a particular show. Sure, the show is being canceled due to low ratings, however networks should still be respectful of the viewers that they did earn, instead of punishing them for a lack of being able to punish the non-viewers.
Cliffhanger finales should be left for shows that are being renewed, as it builds up conversation about a show, all the speculation about what will happen, while the show is in reruns or, as is common today, letting another show use its time slot. Many people remember the cliffhanger that was Captain Picard being turned into a Borg, it was an awesome build up to what followed and left people wondering what was gonna happen next.
But, when a show is gonna be canceled, or is on the cusp of being canceled, networks should not be jerkish to their viewers and let a show cliffhanger into infinity. It isn't that hard, or it doesn't appear to be that hard, to give a season a soft closure moment, just in case the show is canceled.
Look at NBC's Life, it was given a soft closure, that was easier to transmute into a full and firm closure, due to the show being on the cusp of cancellation. As NBC said on May 4th, Life was canceled, yet while the audience is disappointed, I know I am disappointed, there was still a sense of closure for the story and characters of that show. Heck, the closing moments, for me, with Cruise and Reese looking at each other while the voice over helped drive the point home was a solid point, I even told a friend that I could see them ending the arc, let alone the series, on that note.
Life on Mars did it right, too, as ABC gave the audience closure, instead of leaving them guessing what was happening, what the truth was, and what was coming next. Chuck left the season with a cliffhanger, but it, too, was a soft closure moment, where the series could have ended on a good note. Sure, Chuck was renewed, thus giving us more stories and a lot of potential for coming arcs, but it was easy to think of it as closure, too.
But, shows like Threshold and Surface, to name a few, are left in unanswered cliffhangers, forever.
I think networks are getting the clue, though, especially after leaving a show like Jericho in cliffhanger, at least until the fans revolted and got the more endcaped second season. The networks seem to be focusing on shows that can be either in a short cycle, ala British Television, or producing proper endings to a show that is not going to be renewed.
We'll see, though, if this is truly a trend or if the networks are going to slide back into the habit of just holding out until a show is over to cancel, so as to not lose, in their minds, more ad dollars. Hopefully, though, they'll focus on the viewers who were loyal to the show, to the bitter end, and give the audience what they want and deserve...closure.
Truly, nothing bothers me more than a show being left on a cliffhanger forever, as it is just annoying and disrespectful to the viewers of a particular show. Sure, the show is being canceled due to low ratings, however networks should still be respectful of the viewers that they did earn, instead of punishing them for a lack of being able to punish the non-viewers.
Cliffhanger finales should be left for shows that are being renewed, as it builds up conversation about a show, all the speculation about what will happen, while the show is in reruns or, as is common today, letting another show use its time slot. Many people remember the cliffhanger that was Captain Picard being turned into a Borg, it was an awesome build up to what followed and left people wondering what was gonna happen next.
But, when a show is gonna be canceled, or is on the cusp of being canceled, networks should not be jerkish to their viewers and let a show cliffhanger into infinity. It isn't that hard, or it doesn't appear to be that hard, to give a season a soft closure moment, just in case the show is canceled.
Look at NBC's Life, it was given a soft closure, that was easier to transmute into a full and firm closure, due to the show being on the cusp of cancellation. As NBC said on May 4th, Life was canceled, yet while the audience is disappointed, I know I am disappointed, there was still a sense of closure for the story and characters of that show. Heck, the closing moments, for me, with Cruise and Reese looking at each other while the voice over helped drive the point home was a solid point, I even told a friend that I could see them ending the arc, let alone the series, on that note.
Life on Mars did it right, too, as ABC gave the audience closure, instead of leaving them guessing what was happening, what the truth was, and what was coming next. Chuck left the season with a cliffhanger, but it, too, was a soft closure moment, where the series could have ended on a good note. Sure, Chuck was renewed, thus giving us more stories and a lot of potential for coming arcs, but it was easy to think of it as closure, too.
But, shows like Threshold and Surface, to name a few, are left in unanswered cliffhangers, forever.
I think networks are getting the clue, though, especially after leaving a show like Jericho in cliffhanger, at least until the fans revolted and got the more endcaped second season. The networks seem to be focusing on shows that can be either in a short cycle, ala British Television, or producing proper endings to a show that is not going to be renewed.
We'll see, though, if this is truly a trend or if the networks are going to slide back into the habit of just holding out until a show is over to cancel, so as to not lose, in their minds, more ad dollars. Hopefully, though, they'll focus on the viewers who were loyal to the show, to the bitter end, and give the audience what they want and deserve...closure.
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