Most disappointing/unresolved endings to sitcom... Page 3

Quote: chipolata @ June 9 2010, 2:28 PM BST

Tell you what I hate, where writers leave a lot of open ends not knowing if they'll get another series or not. If you have any ongoing plots and aren't 100% certain of another series, tie everything up! That BBC 2 sitcom about the woman who runs away from her husband back to her hometown did that last year. Gits.

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The worst for that were the Red Dwarf writers. Set up an uncertain ending, then come back either ignoring the previous ending or clearing it up with some pat explanation.

Quote: john lucas 101 @ June 9 2010, 2:31 PM BST

The worst for that were the Red Dwarf writers. Set up an uncertain ending, then come back either ignoring the previous ending or clearing it up with some pat explanation.

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Ooh, yes. I remember a season of Oz where one of the main characters sealed himself into a coffin to escape prison. Then next season he was still in prison with no mention of how his coffin-escape plan had gone! My mouth was agape.

I think Please Sir! and On The Buses two quality sitcoms had very dissapointing final series due to cast changes. Indeed, the penultimate series of On The Buses was also a bit flat as the writers Wolfe and Chesney had left, leading to new writers who didn't seem to be able to make the characters as likeable as Wolfe and Chesney did and made the show a bit too unrealistic.
A modern day example is The Royle Family. Great first three series and a fine ending what should have ended as "Roger my Arse" but then they brought it back years later with three specials. The Queen Of Sheba was okay, but lacked being funny in my opinion, just poignant. They also left the house and it wasn't played in real time which for me was what made the The Royle Family so good. This theme continued with The New Sofa, which, like On The Buses, was also ruined by making the characters too unrealistic, such as making Denise too stupid. I then watched The Golden Egg Cup a year after and that was awful, full of simple comedy lines I'm sure I could have managed myself.

Quote: possnoah @ June 9 2010, 2:58 AM BST

Some Mother's Do 'Ave 'Em's ending was ok.

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How did Some Mothers... end?

I reckon the final episode of One Foot In The Grave is a very good one, maybe it's my favourite overall, but I find that there is something missing, unresolved: I would have liked to see a more noteworthy ending to the feud between Victor and Patrick.
Since Patrick and Pippa were two very important characters, it's such a pity in the final series they have such a little space.

They could have focused about how Patrick reacted after Victor's death, at least for a short special; potentially lots of ideas to develop in my opinion, for instance Patrick may find himself persecuted by Victor's ghost.

Anyway a perfect ending for a great comedy: all good things sadly come to an end, and so poor old Victor Meldrew.

Other unresolved comedies, maybe Black Books?
It seems to me it has not any proper ending at all.

Quote: Kevin Murphy @ June 9 2010, 2:07 PM BST

The recent retrospective documentary shows the ending how it was written and shot, including the raw footage. They all die.

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I should think they did. Otherwise they'd all be about 110 by now.

Roseanne ended stupidly, though the 9th series was the most ridiculous of the lot.

Cybill ended on a cliffhanger. Stupid thing to do

Ellen didn't really end, just got axed because she was a Lesbian

Goodnight Sweetheart was 'ok' but I agree that there's not alot you can do to end something like that much better.

2point4 Children wasn't intended as the last episode, but sort of had an 'ending'

Friends was shit, nuff said.

As far as I can remember Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em ended with Frank taking flying lessons? The 1978 Christmas special...? That episode was long drawn out and probably quite a shit ending now that I come to think of it. I dunno what I'd rather have seen but I mean, how do you send Frank off into the sunset? How can you have him hold down a job or anything or become successful after messing up absolutely everything, no matter how easy or simple in the rest of the episodes, it would be unrealistic. Still, not one of the best endings.

It wasn't until I actually watched the final series of One Foot In The Grave again I realised what made the final episode so different. It wasn't anything to do with the tone because it was so well written and it never clicked on the first ten or so viewings, but Patrick and Pippa and even Mr Swaney are missing. True, there was no NEED for them and they'd appeared in the rest of the series, but now that you've said that it does make me question how Patrick etc would have reacted to news of Victor's death...

On The Buses kinda had its ending with Holiday On The Buses but since that's out of series continuity, all the characters are suddenly back, Arthur and Olive had a kid etc etc, I guess I don't count that. I think though there was a hint that the Gardening Time episode would be the last, judging by Blakey's last line and indeed the entire final line of the series being something like, "I'll get you, all of you, you'll see." But despite me liking the final series, I still think it's very... sudden?

Quote: Shepka @ June 12 2010, 6:01 PM BST

As far as I can remember Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em ended with Frank taking flying lessons? The 1978 Christmas special...?

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That is indeed the final episode: https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/some_mothers_do_ave_em/episodes/3/7/

I wouldn't mind seeing a reunion for the show. Catch up with Frank, Betty and Jessica in 2010.

I'm sure Roy Clarke would have written another series of OAH if Ronnie hadnt retired. The last episode of OAH wasnt intended as the last episode

Quote: Gianni Merryman @ June 11 2010, 6:15 PM BST

I reckon the final episode of One Foot In The Grave is a very good one, maybe it's my favourite overall, but I find that there is something missing, unresolved: I would have liked to see a more noteworthy ending to the feud between Victor and Patrick.
Since Patrick and Pippa were two very important characters, it's such a pity in the final series they have such a little space.

They could have focused about how Patrick reacted after Victor's death, at least for a short special; potentially lots of ideas to develop in my opinion, for instance Patrick may find himself persecuted by Victor's ghost.

Anyway a perfect ending for a great comedy: all good things sadly come to an end, and so poor old Victor Meldrew.

Other unresolved comedies, maybe Black Books?
It seems to me it has not any proper ending at all.

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that was the strange thing about the One Foot last episode, it didnt feature Patrick and Pippa, or Mrs Warboys amd Nick

As has been previously stated lol

Quote: Shepka @ June 12 2010, 6:01 PM BST

As far as I can remember Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em ended with Frank taking flying lessons? The 1978 Christmas special...? That episode was long drawn out and probably quite a shit ending now that I come to think of it. I dunno what I'd rather have seen but I mean, how do you send Frank off into the sunset? How can you have him hold down a job or anything or become successful after messing up absolutely everything, no matter how easy or simple in the rest of the episodes, it would be unrealistic. Still, not one of the best endings.

It wasn't until I actually watched the final series of One Foot In The Grave again I realised what made the final episode so different. It wasn't anything to do with the tone because it was so well written and it never clicked on the first ten or so viewings, but Patrick and Pippa and even Mr Swaney are missing. True, there was no NEED for them and they'd appeared in the rest of the series, but now that you've said that it does make me question how Patrick etc would have reacted to news of Victor's death...

On The Buses kinda had its ending with Holiday On The Buses but since that's out of series continuity, all the characters are suddenly back, Arthur and Olive had a kid etc etc, I guess I don't count that. I think though there was a hint that the Gardening Time episode would be the last, judging by Blakey's last line and indeed the entire final line of the series being something like, "I'll get you, all of you, you'll see." But despite me liking the final series, I still think it's very... sudden?

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Re One Foot, I think Nick Swainey, Mrs Warsboys and Pippa would have been naturally shocked to learn of Victor's death, not sure about Patrick

I think people generally recall Patrick and Piper's involement wrongly. They were only in two episodes a year - and even then, very briefly.

Quote: Dave @ June 13 2010, 6:09 PM BST

They were only in two episodes a year - and even then, very briefly.

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The episodes they were in they were in prominently.

There was no need for them to appear in the final episode, but fun could have been had with Nick Sweeney's and Mrs Warbuoy's attempts at comforting Margaret.

I did not like the final series though. I found it hard to watch after the suicide episode.

The sixth/final series has some of the best and some of my most favourite episodes out of all of them, but I do agree with you, the final episode seems to foreshadow the rest of the series somewhat.

I never liked the ending to OFITG either. I don't know why.

I don't like it when sitcom's "develop" they should all stay the same.

I'm not sure about develop, part of the hilarity is often that the characters never get anywhere and are stuck being broke, unpopular, stressed or whatever... but I do like a conclusion to their problems or a resolving.