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I'm glad to see them go

by Glen Christmann
| February 18, 2010 11:00 PM

I'm sure by now you all know "Lost" is in the midst of its final season. How could you not know? It's everywhere. It's in commercials, it's in magazines, it's on the side of buses, it's even in this newspaper. It has more exposure than the Winter Olympics, and that's saying something.

I have a confession to make. I like "Lost." I do. I've watched every episode from the very beginning. And for the most part, I've enjoyed every confusing minute of the show. But as it nears the end, I find myself feeling the same way I feel whenever I find any TV show is about to be over: Good!

I know what you're thinking. If I like the show, why am I happy it's almost over? Simple. I hate it when TV shows hang around too long. For the most part, I bet you do too.

A prime example of a show that hung around too long is "ER." It just ended last year, so it's still fresh in my mind. Allow me to praise it and then pick on it for a minute.

"ER" was a great show back when it started. It had a great cast. The stories were compelling. Everyone was watching. Heck, I was in college when it started. Some friends and I used to get together every Thursday night to watch it. I know - we knew how to party at Idaho State.

But then it hung around too long. Cast members started leaving. That's always a sign that a show has been around too long. The show limped on for 15 seasons (thanks Wikipedia.) That's at least seven seasons too many. I should have stopped watching, but I like to see things through. "I've watched this show for 10 years, how can I quit now?"

I will say this for "ER," it ended on a decent note. You probably weren't watching anymore, but I was. Toward the end they touched base with most of the original characters. I thought that was a nice way to wrap things up. The final episode was mediocre at best, but I was thrilled when it ended. You may have heard my "Whew!" from wherever you were that night. Finally, I don't have to watch that anymore. Now I can do something else with my Thursday nights.

Of course it never works out for me that way. I'm a TV junkie and I always seem to find another program to take up my time.

TV shows are different now than they used to be. Before, writers just plugged along until they were canceled and then quickly scrambled to wrap things up. Some shows never got that chance.

This will date me, but the old 1980s show "Crime Story" ended with the main characters fighting and falling out of a plane. The show was canceled and as far as I'm concerned, those characters are still hanging over the Nevada desert somewhere.

Fortunately, most shows now have an idea what to do when the show ends. That's a good thing. All shows should be planned that way. In fact, that should be the new rule if you want to have a TV show. Get in, tell your story, get out. And don't come back! Spin-offs are not welcome! Ever.

We have shorter attention spans now, so it's OK to have a short TV series. This keeps things fresh. This way no one hangs around too long.

So I'm looking forward to the end of "Lost." I can't wait to see how it ends. And I'll be a happy camper when it's gone. Maybe I can do something else with my Tuesday nights now.

Glen Christmann is The Press news editor. He can be reached at gchristmann@cdapress.com.