How to End a Series

When I was growing up in the sixties television series did not usually have a finale. With rare exceptions (the two part finale of the original Fugitive series comes to mind), series just ended, going off TV. The castaways on Gilligan's Island, for example, were not rescued in the last episode of the series. That took the TV movie, "Rescue from Gilligan's Island," which wasn't aired until several years after the series was cancelled. In the 70s show creators and network executives learned that series finales could generate great ratings and critical acclaim. The finale of the Mary Tyler Moore show, where the cast finally exits the newsroom singing "There's a Long Way to Tipperary," may have started the trend. The finale of MASH, whose series run lasted much longer than the acutal Korean War, was the highest rated series episode and remains one of the highest rated shows of all time. These days, almost every series that's been on the air for more than one season trys to plan their finale in a way that will satisfy fans of the series and tie up loose ends. Of course some series, like The Sopranos, end controversially. As a fan of that series, I thought creator David Chase didn't honor the series with his jump cut to black at the end. I didn't like the Seinfeld finale, a bizarre fantasy that made no sense to me. Which brings us to the finale of House. Spoiler Alert. I'm going to talk about what happened. I loved House when the series launched. I own the first four years on DVD. Like many viewers, I found the lead character fresh, funny, and interesting. I enjoyed the non-so-subtle Sherlock Holmes hints. I did think the series lost its way the last two seasons, and it was time to end it. I am glad that it ended with House faking his death, just like Sherlock Holmes did at the end of the first series of stories. I liked the character of House, and am pleased that he chose life, even if he had to kill his old persona to find it. Endings are tough, particularly in episodic television. When you're running a show, you're doing everything you can to keep it running by keeping the audience interested. A series that lasts several seasons leaves loose ends dangling all over the screen, making it difficult to tie them up. When you're creating your content, you should be thinking about how it might end, even at the beginning. I'm not saying you need to chart the plot, or outline it in detail. But if you know where your characters and story are going, you can shape the characters and events to make them get there. I hope we all have the success of a long running series, and the chance to end it gloriously.