Cancelled TV Shows That Never Provided A Proper Ending

[Corky Marlowe]

As far as this topic goes, Sullivan was quite bitter
over his show's cancellation and didn't have the heart to do
the last show on June 6, 1971; that show was a rerun.

Wow! That just made me think of Gabe Kaplan's old bit about Ed doing his last show with the help of some adult beverages. "Kate Smith was on our second shew back in 1948...Since then, she's been on our shew some 50 times...And I'm rilly getting tired of looking at her!"

 

[Mark Giardina]

The original "Battlestar Galactica" ended abruptly without ever indicating if the survivors found Earth.

I'm aware that many of the cast thought there would be a second season, but ABC executives pulled the plug on the show not because of poor ratings, but because of production costs.

Galactica 1980 was one of the biggest jokes ever. That show was doomed to fail from the start mostly because ABC was trying to pacify the thousands of people who complained about the cancellation of the first show.

Another show that left a lot of unsolved questions was Jericho.

 

[bpatrick]

If you can find it, read a book published in
1968 called "Always On Sunday." It talks
about Sullivan's relaxed demeanor off-camera
but also says he suffered from stage fright from
the very first show in 1948; the camera appeared
to intimidate him.

Sullivan always had trouble remembering names
and would misread the teleprompter. He once said
he took belladonna for his ulcer; belladonna tends
to blur the eyes, making it difficult to read a teleprompter.
It led to some classic garble-de-goofs: "I'd like to prevent
Robert Merrill," he once said, introducing the opera singer;
another time he introduced an actress as "now starving on
Broadway." As far as this topic goes, Sullivan was quite bitter
over his show's cancellation and didn't have the heart to do
the last show on June 6, 1971; that show was a rerun.

Even though Sullivan was bitter at how his show was cancelled, even had CBS NOT cancelled chances are his show would not lasted much longer anyway due to Ed's declining health. Not only was Ed suffering from cancer ( which would kill him in 1974 ) but Ed Sullivan was also suffering in the early 70s ( I read this in one of those Lucy books ) from the then-unkown disease...Alzheimer's.

I think this is probably true, and it's possible that Sullivan started
losing interest in living after his wife Sylvia died in 1973; I've seen
that happen.

And it's also true that Sullivan, inarticulate though he might have
been, knew show business inside-out.

 

[Corky Marlowe]

And it's also true that Sullivan, inarticulate though he might have
been, knew show business inside-out.
He could definitely smell the Next Big Thing, even into his 60s. The show was already slipping quite a bit in the Nielsens when he snatched up the Beatles...That move may have bought him a couple more years on the air, in fact.

 

[Mark Giardina]

HOgans Heroe's. I would have loved to see the war end, and Klink find out about Hogans operation. Of course Sgt. Shultz would "Know Nothing".

Speaking of Hogan's Heroes, did the show ever explain what happened to Ivan Dixon, who played Sgt. Kinchloe? ???

Stalag 13 was supposed to be an escape-proof POW camp so that Hogan's people could conduct sabotage operations under the noses of the Nazis. So if Kinchloe wasn't there that must have meant he escaped.

 

[Ultimajock]

He could definitely smell the Next Big Thing, even into his 60s. The show was already slipping quite a bit in the Nielsens when he snatched up the Beatles...That move may have bought him a couple more years on the air, in fact.

...although at one point in December 1963 Sullivan cancelled The Beatles' appearances when he found out Jack Paar had leased film of them from the BBC, which he ran on The Jack Paar Program of 3 January 1964. Fortunately, Sullivan's London talent coordinator, Peter Prichard, knew Sullivan's temper would simmer down after a while so he waited a few days rather than notifying Beatles manager Brian Epstein immediately. Sullivan eventually called Prichard to rescind the cancellation and Epstein apparently died without knowing the cancellation had ever been ordered...

 

[WMC2006]

Speaking of Hogan's Heroes, did the show ever explain what happened to Ivan Dixon, who played Sgt. Kinchloe? ???

Wikipedia says that the departure of Kinch was never explained.

 

[andreajesus]

Wikipedia says that the departure of Kinch was never explained.

and you believe Wikipedia? They have to me about as much credibility as those authors who pretend to know everything, but know NOTHING....

Andrea

 

[WMC2006]

I didn't say anything about believing Wikipedia or not. But it is a source out there on the web and I provided some information. If you'd like to provide a more definitive reason from a more definitive source, please do so at this time.

 

[dhett]

and you believe Wikipedia? They have to me about as much credibility as those authors who pretend to know everything, but know NOTHING....

Andrea

You may want to reevaluate that blanket statement, as several R-I members are also regulars on Wikipedia, and members of WikiProject Television Stations. Obviously, you know nothing about the emphasis the project places on reliably sourced information. Certainly, not everything can be monitored, but it sounds like you're just the kind of person the project needs, if you're willing to back up your bravado.

 

[RicoGregg]

and you believe Wikipedia? They have to me about as much credibility as those authors who pretend to know everything, but know NOTHING....

Andrea

You may want to reevaluate that blanket statement, as several R-I members are also regulars on Wikipedia, and members of WikiProject Television Stations. Obviously, you know nothing about the emphasis the project places on reliably sourced information. Certainly, not everything can be monitored, but it sounds like you're just the kind of person the project needs, if you're willing to back up your bravado.

Just wondering, why would Wikipedia lie about a character from Hogan's Heros? ???

 

[andreajesus]

Rico...

My whole point (which was SERIOUSLY misinterpreted by others or I just did not state it PROPERLY) was that I would NOT consider Wikipedia to be my FIRST source of information...if there are those on this Board who HAVE put in information on there, my apologies to them... :-[

Andrea

 

[Rick_E]

Another show that left a lot of unsolved questions was Jericho.

Jericho, one of my all time favorite shows, actually had an excellent intense 'wrap up' which led the door open for the show to continue with America on the brink of an all out civil war........what a great concept for the show to continue on with considering how it started and played out........I would have loved for the show to continue on with this...but as we all know it was cancelled.

Another show which ended with out a proper ending was I'm with Her on ABC in 2003 with Terri Polo & David Sutcliff..the last episode has Alex flying off in a plane to Italy......we never know if Alex and Patrick get together.

 

[bpatrick]

A common denominator among all these shows that never got proper endings - LOW RATINGS. I was a fan of Branded, but it only lasted 1 or 2 seasons. Run for Your Life - also 2 seasons. Some of the others mentioned above lasted one full season at best.

The networks obviously felt no responsibility toward viewers of shows that "only" had a few million fans.

Add to the list "A Man Called Shenandoah" (ABC, 1965), with Robert
Horton as an amnesiac roaming the West in search of his identity.
It lasted one season against the two Andys--Griffith and Williams--
and the last I heard, Shenandoah was still trying to find out who he
really is.

In daytime, most canceled soaps try to end on an up note. Not "Love
Of Life." In its last episode in 1980 Vanessa Sterling was being accused
of having an affair, and her nephew Ben Harper (played at one point by
Christopher Reeve) was on trial for battery. Neither storyline was resolved.
Supposedly American Home Products was hoping either ABC or NBC would
pick up the show, or it might go into syndication (as its sister soap "The
Secret Storm" was supposed to do in 1974). (BTW, "Storm" did go out on
a happy note: Amy Ames Britton's wheelchair-bound husband Paul actually
got up, took a few awkward steps, and collapsed on the floor right where
Amy was playing with their kids, and naturally he joined in.)

My bad in mentioning "A Man Called Shenandoah"; I overlooked the
fact that somebody else mentioned that show. But he's probably still
trying to figure out who he is, anyway.

 

[imhomerjay]

Jericho, one of my all time favorite shows, actually had an excellent intense 'wrap up' which led the door open for the show to continue with America on the brink of an all out civil war........what a great concept for the show to continue on with considering how it started and played out........I would have loved for the show to continue on with this...but as we all know it was cancelled.

Don't even get me started on how sad I still am about that cancellation, but at least there was that great finale (my understanding is an alternate "season" finale was filmed too had it earned a third season...but alas...)


I'm going to add one of my personal faves though it is probably one no one else would think/care about: The New WKRP in Cincinatti. Was the program director killed in the plane crash or not? I still wonder all these years later.

 

[anotherguyTN]

I'm going to add one of my personal faves though it is probably one no one else would think/care about: The New WKRP in Cincinatti. Was the program director killed in the plane crash or not? I still wonder all these years later.

I posted about that one earlier as well.

A lot of game shows ended with no real finale. I've read where Match Game 7X was cancelled on short notice and they still had a few weeks of unaired episodes that were never shown except possibly later in reruns on GSN.

Then there were two of the biggest flops in prime time game shows in recent years, The Rich List and Show Me the Money. The Rich List only ran one episode, but the team that was on it had won $175,000 and were on a roll. On Show Me the Money a contestant had reached the $600,000 range when the last episode was shown. I've read where these contestants may have never been paid their complete winnings since the later episodes weren't shown. Has anything ever come out on what happened with the final results of these shows if they had continued? It sounds like in both cases they probably won big and Fox and ABC got out of the shows fast since they were ratings flops to keep from paying the big winners.

 

[johnnya2k6]

Don't forget CBS' "Secret Talents of the Stars" from this year! Figure skater Sasha Cohen and country singer Clint Black advanced while singer Mya and "Star Trek's" George Takei were sent packing.

Cindy Margolis, Joe Frazier, Ben Stein, Marla Maples, and former pro wrestler Ric Flair were among those to participate in the weeks to come. But faster than you can say "Turn-On" or "Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos", it immediately got the cancellation notice after only one episode.

By the way..."Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos" was planned as a very crude spin-off the more family-friendly "Australia's Funniest Home Videos." Halfway through the show, the late Kerry Packer -- who owned the Nine Network at the time -- didn't like what he was seeing, got on the phone to master control, and told them..."Get that s--- off the air!!!!!!" Reruns of "Cheers" were aired in Melbourne and Brisbane in its place, and host Doug Mulray was fired and banned for life from Nine.

Just recently, a repackaged special of that infamous show aired on Nine, hosted by Australian TV personality Bert Newton. Packer died in 2005 thus lifting the ban, but Mulray refused repeated requests by Nine to host.

 

[RicoGregg]

Need I mention The Chevy Chase show? Six weeks of his lamely trying to re-create the Saturday Night Live magic, then the next thing you know, reruns of In Living Color. I remember watching the first night of Chase's show, and thinking to myself, "This show ain't long for this world."

I'm probably only one of twelve people or so nationwide who saw this, but on the former Nashville Network (TNN), they ran a show called RollerJam, which was a somewhat watered-down recreation of the old Roller Derby, with a few pages borrowed from wrestling with storylines and feuds.

In what turned out to be it's last few weeks, they started a storyline ripped off from the WWE, where the supposed granddaughter of Roller Derby founder Jerry Seltzer takes over operation of the league, and proceeds to show favortism, is morally corrupt, displays bratty behavior, and so on. Suddenly, just a few weeks into the granddaughter story, they jump to a pretaped final episode, where they have a few novelty match races, and several skating stars say goodbye. Turns out the show runner had sold overseas syndication rights, and basically got his money, and cashed in his chips. He personally arranged for TNN to pull the plug.

 

[nightfly61]

SOAP. The show left us with many, many cliff hangers involving sure deaths of nearly all of the characters. The show was cancelled before those stories could be resolved.

Except Benson who got his own spinoff. I wonder if Chuck & Bob died.

 

[nightfly61]

Show just ended until the Mary Tyler Moore's finale. After that you started to see a final episode to long running programs for a last second ratings bang.

Adding to the list:

The Brady Bunch ended with Greg having orange hair and a pissed off Robert Reed.
IIRC Taxi faded away after the move to NBC

I believe I remember reading in Barry Williams' book that Robert Reed was so fed up with The Brady Bunch that he was going to quit the show anyway if it had continued another season. (I believe this would have been the 1974-75 season.) Interestingly enough, that last episode, in which he refused to appear because he was upset about the way it was written, "The Hare-Brained Scheme," involved a subplot involving Bobby and Cindy breeding rabbits, and that stuff that caused both the rabbits' fur, and Greg's hair to turn orange. The irony is that that last episode involved a lot of chances for parental lecture that ordinarily Mike Brady would have handled, but with him gone, it fell to Carol to lecture Bobby and Cindy about fly-by-night pyramid schemes.

If they had gone another season (without Mike Brady), it would have been interesting to see how they dealt with him not being there for the "Hollywood Squares" sequence that opened every show. I'm sure they could have put Robbie Rist (Oliver) in there somewhere, assuming he had stayed with the show. Would Marcia have gotten Greg's old room in the attic? Would Greg have even appeared in the show at all? Supposedly, he went off to college.

Besides ratings, The Brady Bunch cancellation was encouraged by The Brady Kids growing up and having an opinion. The youngins had story line suggestions and the Schwartz family would have none of that. By the way, another plug for "Growing Up Brady", it's a great read.

Unless I missed a mention in this thread, Ed Sullivan wasn't allowed a goodbye after 23 years on CBS. Come to think of it, none of the shows canceled around that time had a final episode. That would include Beverly Hillbillies, Mayberry RFD, Green Acres and a few others.

Then there is Sanford and Son, a show that just faded away. It became The Sanford Arms without Sanford and son and finally Sanford.

A confusing final episode was WKRP in Cincinnati. The station was to change to an all news format but Mama Carlson allowed a stay of execution and music continued.

Wasn't Chico & the Man a spinoff of Sanford & Son? Was Chico(Freddie Prinz) Julio's cousin or brother? Remember he'd bring the goat over to see Lamont? ;D