TV series and how they end

Some TV series end too soon, others end up going on for far too long, but some may end at just the right time.

I can tell you one series that went on for too long (or rather could have stopped sooner, even though the fans really wanted more). Roswell. Season 3 was complete crap. It may sound harsh, but it ruined everything. Knowing what I know now, I’d much have preferred to part with the series while it was still good.

It was a bit similar with Veronica Mars, but in comparison, that season 3 was excellent compared to Roswell’s, it was just a lot worse than season 1 and 2.

I apologize for bringing up a very old TV series – The House of Eliott, but I loved that series and I thought it was (gasp) a lot better than for instance Downton Abbey, which I did nevertheless quite enjoy too. The House of Eliott ended far too soon and I think it would have been an excellent idea to end it with a movie. Imagine the glamour of all those 1920’s dresses… And I’m not even that big a fan of fashion. I’m more of a history fan.

It may seem odd to mention Sliders in the same context as The House of Eliott. I mean, there will obviously be no glamorous dresses in Sliders. However, I think a movie at the end might have helped the series. If there could be no movie, then sadly I think the series should have ended sooner.

Prey ended far too soon. It was a very exciting series and I would have loved to see at least one more season before it ended.

The X files – well, I’d much rather have had it end when Mulder left, than have to suffer Doggett in it. This is a series that went on for a very long time and maybe it would have been better to just accept that it was over, than have it go on and lose its quality. On the other hand, I understand that there are viewers who actually liked Doggett and kept enjoying the series up until the end. Or did they really? Who could stand to lose Alex Krycek the way he left the series? What a crap ending for his character.

Horatio Hornblower is a series that I stopped watching before its end, because I heard that Archie Kennedy, one of my two favorite characters in the series, was going to die. I didn’t want to see that, even though there’s always fan fiction, right? I just decided that I’d had enough of the series. They could have given him a better ending if they wanted to get rid of him. Sure, having him die probably gave them plenty of opportunity for Hornblower angst, but frankly, they could have had that some other way, and left Archie alive and well, but not actually with Horatio. Why not?

Star Trek The Next Generation was a series that I think probably ended at just the right time. It went on for quite a long time and although as always the quality of the different episodes varied, I think it ended without disappointment. And there was a movie or two which was great.

In general, I can only say that if a series has to end, it has to end well. No stupid cliffhangers that lead nowhere since the series is canceled before there’s a resolution to the ending of season 1. There should always be closure of some kind.

What do you think? Do you have any examples of series that ended too soon or too late or at just the right time? Are you as annoyed by series ending badly or do you just move on to the next one?