Pick: How would you have ended these classic TV shows?

Would you have the castaways get off the island?

Not every TV show had a planned finale. In fact, a series finale wasn't even a concept until Howdy Doody said goodbye in 1960. It would not truly turn into a widespread practice until the 1970s, when Mary Richards flicked off the lights.

A handful of Sixties series had a planned ending — The Fugitive, Leave It to Beaver and The Dick Van Dyke Show come to mind — but for the most part, popular shows just… stopped. Most series were episodic, not long narratives, so the series finale was often just another episode. Take "Gilligan, the Goddess" for example. It's no knock on the shows — that was merely showbiz back then.

But let's say you could go back in time as a studio executive and give some iconic series a big farewell finale. What would happen on the show? We've come up with some plot idea. You pick your favorite. Have a better one? We'd love to hear it in the comments!
  1. Gilligan's Island
  2. I Love Lucy
  3. The Andy Griffith Show
  4. Star Trek
  5. Lost in Space
  6. The Brady Bunch
  7. The Beverly Hillbillies
  8. Perry Mason
  9. Wonder Woman
  10. Hogan's Heroes

Pick: How would you have ended these classic TV shows?

Your Result...

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44 Comments

DIGGER1 41 months ago
Pick: How would you have ended these classic TV shows?
76% similar
76% similar to the most popular responses
Amalthea 41 months ago
(78%) For the Brady Bunch, why would Mike want to build a bigger house when the kids were starting to grow up and leave?
RedSamRackham 41 months ago
[1] Maynard G Krebs awakes from dream of being Gilligan. [2]Will Robinson wishes Dr Smith into the cornfield. [3] Bradys disappear never to be seen or heard from again in MFTV mvies or reboots but Kellys get a spin-off series. ☺
RJOwles 41 months ago
Gilligan's Island Finale: The cast of the Minnow learn that they died during the storm and the island is hell and Gilligan is the devil that keeps them there.
ETristanBooth 46 months ago
The first option for #2 wouldn't work as written. Back then, Lucy wouldn't know that she was pregnant with a "little Lucy." The ending would have to be that she gives birth, and it turns out to be a little Lucy.
jvf 46 months ago
#8 Perry looses a case already happened. There was an episode were he lost.
daDoctah 46 months ago
Darren outs his mother-in-law Endora to the authorities as a witch, and they burn her at the stake while he watches.

The Chief of CONTROL retires, Maxwell Smart steps in as his replacement, and promptly loses the agency to KAOS in a game of dominoes.

The Monkees finally get a record company contract but they have to tour as the opening act for the Partridge Family.

Gomer Pyle gets sent to Vietnam.
ETristanBooth daDoctah 46 months ago
Your Monkees suggestion made me LOL. However, your Gomer Pyle idea is a bit of a downer for a final episode.
* Only action Gomer ever saw were them thar Godziller movies! ☺
Corey 46 months ago
Jupiter 2 time warps to the 24 century to the Alpha Quadrant and encounters the Enterprise D and Will Robinson and Wesley Crusher meets.
JoeyTerlizzi 46 months ago
The Andy Griffith Show. Didn`t Andy and Helen get married in the final season in 1968?? In the colour episodes that MeTv never shows??
cperrynaples JoeyTerlizzi 46 months ago
MeTV does show the color TAGS! What you're refering to is Mayberry RFD, which has been shown in limited markets but never on the full MeTV network!
cmurf1960 JoeyTerlizzi 19 months ago
You know what got me about Andy and Helen? In the second season of Mayberry RFD, Andy and Helen returned to Mayberry for a visit and to show off their new baby, Andy Jr. However, in the Return to Mayberry reunion movie, which MeTV does show from time to time, Andy Jr. is not mentioned at all. Opie is an adult and married and his wife was set to give birth at any time. I guess Andy was so excited about being a grandpa that he forgot he had another kid?
JoeyTerlizzi 46 months ago
The Andy Griffith Show. Didn`t Andy and Helen get married in the final season in 1968?? In the colour episodes that MeTv never shows??
MaryMitch JoeyTerlizzi 46 months ago
Andy and Helen got married on the first episode of "Mayberry R.F.D."
TVJunkie 46 months ago
The start of the movies in 1979 tell us that the Starfleet careers of our gallant crew of the Enterprise went on. I wouldn't have it any other way.
NostalgiaFan 46 months ago
I declined to answer #7 (Clampetts) because I didn't like any of the scenarios.
Lantern NostalgiaFan 46 months ago
Well, my answer for #7 was the first one. Sure, Jed is unqualified to be president, but is he any worse than what we've got right now?
harlow1313 Lantern 46 months ago
Considering his education level, I feel Jethro was the better candidate.
cperrynaples harlow1313 46 months ago
Actually, Jethro did get elected...LOL!!!
SalIanni NostalgiaFan 46 months ago
This is my idea for #7: The Clampetts move to Hooterville and buy the Shady Rest Hotel and the Hooterville Cannonball to save it from bankruptcy. Elly May becomes a critter doctor and Jed is the new mayor.
ETristanBooth harlow1313 46 months ago
I would vote for Miss Hathaway.
Barry22 46 months ago
Here's one for Lost in Space, The Jupiter 2 lands on the planet where Land of the Giants takes place, followed by Doug and Tony from Time Tunnel, and then the flying sub from Voyage to the Bottom of the sea and.......... on the other hand, forget I said anything.
cperrynaples 46 months ago
Technically, many of these things DID happen, as I will now explain: [1]The castaways did escape in the first movie, then got restranded and rerescued before opening a hotel. However, I prefer another poster's explanation that it was all Maynard's dream! I can see him complaining to Dobie about how the Skipper forced him to "work"! [2]Lucy did give birth to a little Lucy...BEFORE the show began! [3] All 3 of these DID happen! Andy and Helen got married on Mayberry RFD...without Barney! Barney became sheriff in Return to Mayberry and Andy became mayor of faux Mayberry on The New Andy Griffith Show! [4]Kirk did become an Admiral but it was Sulu who became a captain! [6]We assumed Greg went to college, but most of us know what really happened! Mike quit his job and talked the family into doing a variety show, Marcia and Jan had a double wedding, and Bobby became a race car driver and was paralyzed in an accident! Oh yeah, and all 3 girls had plastic surgery, at least 2 of which were later reversed...LOL!! [7]Jed becoming President? Hey, it happened to Mike Brady as well as a certain reality host! The Clampett fortune was stolen by Mr. Drysdale in the 2003 reunion, and Jed almost got married in the 1993 movie! [8] Perry did become a judge between the series and the TV movies, and he DID lose a case in 1963! [9] Wonder Woman did join the Justice League...over 30 years later! [10] I can imagine the farewell for this show! As Hogan leaves the camp, he sees a message from Newkirk...LOL! And the message is "See you on the Feud"...LOL!!!
I could envision everyone gathering {all of the surviving cast members of all of these shows-and then some} at Stalag 13 for a party. {Similar to the one BJ on MASH planned for the doctor's nurses families stateside.} Only this one is a farewell party...literally. Carter is down below working on the bomb to end all bombs. He finishes, and while he's wheeling it into position behind one of the barracks, all know-see-hear nothing Schultz catches Carter and says that he really must tell Klink about this. A tug-of-war ensues with the bomb between Carter and Schultz. The bomb gets detonated prematurely and...KABLOOEY! A "Farewell To Arms," ears, hands, legs, noses....
Not bad Stephanie, but anything to say about my other comments? Foe example, my Brady section referred to most of the spinoffs [Variety Hour, Brady Brides, and Bradys '90]!
For not foe! Another Spellcheck shortfall!
As my brother-in-law is fond of saying: "No worries!" I figured it was something like that {spell check,} or you were doing your impression of the Giant from Jack and the Beanstalk {"Fe-Fi-Fo[e] Fum...."} As for the BB. As you commented on my suggestion, the same to yours. "Not bad."} Only mine is much simpler, and quicker. Everyone is invited to the Stalag 13 Farewell Party! Come one, come all! The more the merrier!
ETristanBooth cperrynaples 46 months ago
"Andy and Helen got married on Mayberry RFD...without Barney!"

Barney was, in fact, best man, and then he went with them on their honeymoon.
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