Did Earl ever finish his list? I haven't seen the show in a couple of seasons (though I really liked the first season or so), and I ask because, well, this could turn out to be His Name Was Earl, since NBC is very close to saying bye-bye to the sitcom. How does this rank as a series finale if this season finale does indeed turn out to be a series finale?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-15-2009 @ 9:26AM
Ed Venture said...
Because of the cliffhanger, it would totally suck as a series finale.
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5-15-2009 @ 9:59AM
Alicia R. said...
It would suck as a series finale.
5-15-2009 @ 1:27PM
Dan said...
Absolutely.
It's still a good show, and I still enjoy it every week. Give it another season while the syndicated episodes work their magic. Networks are so ADD these days that they forget how long it takes some shows to catch on.
5-15-2009 @ 10:44AM
HD said...
I have to wonder if the networks ever really stop and think why every year fewer and fewer people watch free network television. They just sigh and state it's just that there are too many outlets for viewers and then slap on another cheap reality show while canceling sitcoms and dramas by the truckload. Networks still think that every show they air should have 10 to 20 million people watch every week - which is becoming unrealistic, on cable if 5 million watch it's a huge hit. Quality counts and you see less and less of it on the networks - conversely cable allows many quality shows to run longer with much smaller audiences.
The networks need to adjust to reality (and not just Hulu) and produce quality instead of trying to find one or two "mega" hits to float their boat.
Here's hoping Earl ends up on Fox or ABC
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7-03-2009 @ 3:20AM
Robert said...
Amen and amen brother. You preached the exact sermon I've been preaching. Reality TV was a novelty at first. Then the writers strike talked networks into publish programming completely devoid of intellegence, plot, and meaningful characters. Hulu has put so many shows on their site that I never recall seeing on air originally. All the shows I'm referring to were cancelled before Hulu got the rights to show them. I'll watch the entire season in like one day for some cancelled Fox show and think, wow what a great concept! Then I realize why I never watch TV shows on my TV. Hulu puts the shows I give a cr@p about on, so they can have my viewership. I hope to God the network execs start using focus groups with people who enjoy well-thought out plots, and not just people who yell, "Jerry Jerry" even though they're at home watching.
5-15-2009 @ 10:42AM
Fran W said...
TO Mr. Sassone - My God Bob!!! You get an assignment to do a write up of part 1 of a 2 part season and possible series fanale of "My name is Earl" that aired the night before the article is to be published on the web. You, instead, inform us that you not only did not watch the episode, you haven't watched the series since season 1 or 2. Then you ask your readers to get you caught up. The only real question that I have is, "How do I get a job like yours?"
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5-15-2009 @ 11:07AM
Ian said...
Earl stopped being that groundbreaking must see show after dropping the format of the 1st season. Part of My Name is Earl's appeal was that there while there was character development, you didn't have to watch every episode to get into it and enjoy it.
That is why the 30 minute sitcom is the most profitable television program. They can be resold into syndication on a Monday-Friday strip, without the need to watch them in sequence. Its also a reason why procedurals like the Law & Order & CSI franchises have long lives in broadcast and syndication.
If Earl stuck to the formula of the 1st season, instead of having long, drawn out story arcs, it would not be on the bubble right now. It currently has 93 episodes in the can, just short of that magic 100.
Will it move to Fox just so they can beef up the syndication numbers. I believe syndication of its reruns starts this fall, but they'd be a ton more valuable if they stuck to what made it so much fun to watch in season 1.
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5-15-2009 @ 12:05PM
Bob Sassone said...
Fran: As far as I know, this is not Part 1 of a two-part season finale. Next week's episode is a repeat.
This is an open thread. I don't watch Earl anymore, but that doesn't mean that fans who do watch the show shouldn't have a place to discuss the episode.
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5-15-2009 @ 12:28PM
Willmore2000 said...
Bullshit. I hate shows that know they are on the bubble and choose to end the season with a cliffhanger.
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5-15-2009 @ 1:57PM
Francis Wertz said...
Bob, I do understand where you are coming from. I was merely making a joke. Besides if the show makes the NBC cut or moves to another network as "Scrubs" has done, part 2 would be the first show of the next season and quite possible already in the can. I do agree with the posters that the show has lost some luster by moving away from the original format.
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5-15-2009 @ 5:37PM
Jennifer said...
This show stopped losing its fun around the time of the coma (bad, bad idea, show). This season has mostly fallen flat to the point where I don't even care if it gets renewed, and I kind of hope it doesn't.
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5-17-2009 @ 1:49AM
tingrin87 said...
didn't the jailtime come first? both of those arcs sucked, imo.
and about the episode itself...
***SPOILER ALERT***
i thought it was quite predictable that Earl was Dodge's father. when it first came out that Joy had lied, i thought joy was going to tell the truth, and expected Earl to say "that was ME! I was the one (in the shooting gallery/behind the lemonade stand/giving free breast exams)"
and as to Earl Jr's real father, i'm pretty sure they will need to bring in a new character to tie up the plotline, (i don't think there are any more black people we are aware of in camden).
7-05-2009 @ 1:26PM
Janessa said...
I will miss it dearly. It's not on the NBC fall lineup.
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5-21-2009 @ 10:52PM
Sid said...
NBC sucks B***s, they got there head shoved so far up notre dame ass that can't smell what is good. I am now down to watching NBC only for about 1 hour on saturday night 11:30/10:30cnt to hell with the rest and to hell with all that reality crap.
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5-25-2009 @ 1:46AM
Befox said...
hey,
I've watched all the episodes of the four seasons
I love this show and hope it wont end
the last episode is the 27th it said to be continued
I hope there'd be a fifth season
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7-14-2009 @ 4:19PM
Ryan said...
Look guys, I know this may be sad, but, it probabl will come back in a year or two for one last season. If the episodes are good in syndication then they simpy have to pick it back up. It's happened before (Family Guy, Futurama etc.) Yes I know they were cartoons but theyhave got to save Earl!
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7-27-2009 @ 2:40PM
Jeff Parkes said...
I think the show is great! It has smart writing and jokes.
and at the end of each the story a positive message.
I think I have watched almost every episode when it aired if not the next day on iTunes.
I'm sad the show has gone the way of so many other quality shows because some bean counter thinks it would be more profitable to have a reality show take its place.
To this day I have not watched one reality show that has aired nor will I start. The drama from a good story can't be replaced by some group of fakers like big brother, The Apprentice or one of the other dozen bad ideas the networks come up with. I do blame shows like Sally Jessy Raphael, Jerry Springer, and Maury Povich for the mess the networks are in now. Enough with the crap of putting people in the same room and telling them the others secretes on television to see what reaction they give. Thats not Drama its bad TV. and it not instilling anything good on the viewers. As we all know our children watch this crap and it's a bad example to portray to anyone much less children.
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