I’m here to complain about a growing trend in TV (and movies, for that matter) — the interminable death march toward a finale that stretches out over the course of several years.
Enough already.
Listen, I was a huge fan of AMC’s “Breaking Bad” — one of the best TV dramas in recent memory. But was it really necessary to wait one year between the “two halves” of its final season — summer 2012 to summer 2013 — instead of letting it go out with a furious flourish by airing all 16 “final season” episodes at once?
Did we really need to wait a year between seasons, forgetting just about everything from the previous summer? Didn’t think so.
And now fellow AMCer “Mad Men” will follow that same WTF? formula by airing seven episodes starting Sunday night, then making its fans wait another year to watch the final seven installments. This show just won’t go away. Reminds me of that old “SNL” skit with John Belushi as “The Thing That Wouldn’t Leave.”
Note to AMC and the “Mad Men” creative family: You’re not that precious.
As you might have guessed, it’s all about the money — and not the fans.
Welcome to Hollywood, where the financial bottom line takes precedence over loyal viewers, testing everyone’s patience.
It worked with “Breaking Bad,” which snared more than 10 million viewers for its finale and snared beaucoup advertising bucks — from a show that averaged barely 1 million viewers in Season 1.
And it’s worked with big-screen franchises including “Harry Potter,” which went on interminably before having that finale stake plunged into its billion-dollar heart.
But this waiting-a-year gimmick is unfair to the people paying hefty monthly cable bills, or shelling out $45 for a movie ticket (OK, it just seems that way).
And I don’t see it working with “Mad Men,” which doesn’t have the adrenaline-pumping chops or the buzz of “Breaking Bad” — and whose season average has never risen above a measly 2.5 million viewers.
So stop the madness.