As I recall: Making it an even more 'Wonderful Life'

One of the first television series deemed to have produced a definitive conclusion was "The Fugitive," starring David Janssen. For the most part, up to that time, the final episode of a series paid no homage to the fact that the series was concluding. In some cases, it was not even known by the actors and production crew that the final episode would in fact be the final episode. Alas, such was the case for the comedy "Gilligan's Island." The initial green light given to proceed with another season suddenly turned to red [or perhaps it might be better put that the promise to continue production was "gunned down," pun intended] when CBS reversed the fate of another series, "Gunsmoke," for which cancellation had been announced previously. While the reprieve resulted in many more years on the air for "Gunsmoke," for Gilligan and company, it seemed that the castaways were doomed to permanent exile. Rescue would not come until a shift in network methodology [not to mention a switch in networks as well] when NBC commissioned a series of television movies to provide resolution and closure. Ironically, in 1975, with the season's production in the can, "Gunsmoke" anticipated continuing in its Monday night slot which had resulted in a resurgence in its popularity. Instead, viewers were forced to get out of dodge... at least until years later when some television movies [at least courtesy of the original network, CBS] provided some follow up resolution for many of the main characters who had inhabited Kansas in the days before Dorothy and Toto. Movies, specifically many of the ones which were produced in days gone by, generally presented a story which offered a conclusion or resolution. In more recent times, at the outset, in anticipation of sufficient positive audience reception, plans are to produce multiple films, whereby at the end of the first of what is intended to be a series, one or more plot lines are left open or "dangling" with the motive of enticing the viewers back to the box office. However, many of the earlier movies were intended to be "self-contained," even in the case of such movies as "The Thin Man" series. In which, William Powell and Myrna Loy played Nick and Nora Charles, with each movie presenting a conclusion to whatever the mayhem was, with no suggestion of any future conflicts. Nonetheless, even these movies, which presented a resolution did not, in all instances, leave viewers completely satisfied. My first experience with such a reaction is when my parents took us to see the movie "Never Too Late," in which a couple with a married daughter find out that, to their surprise after all their years of marriage, their daughter will no longer be an only child. Perhaps after 60 years, I do not need to provide a spoiler alert, but in any case, after the parents work through the issues with which each one has to contend due to this unexpected [pun intended, of course] expecting condition, the parents reconcile and joyously await their upcoming blessed event. While a positive, happy ending was presented, in the movie critic view of an 8-year-old, I was left wanting to know more... did the couple's daughter have a baby brother or baby sister? To me, that was vital information! At least in the case of "The Thin Man" series, one of which could have been deemed to leave viewers "hanging" when Nora announced her pregnancy at the end, a follow up movie showed that they had a son. This matter of lack of total viewer satisfaction arose recently at our home in a discussion about the classic movie "It's A Wonderful Life." While the movie does a superb job of presenting the physical as well as spiritual rescue of protagonist George Bailey, and offers a touching, "feel good" conclusion, there are some unanswered questions. While on the basis of Sam Wainwright's offer to wire funds alone, as well as the outpouring of cash from a great many Bedford Falls' residents, George has ample funds to make up for Uncle Billy's gaffe. Viewers know that the envelope with $8,000 cash is still with Mr. Potter, who was quite willing to see George Bailey be arrested, undeservedly. Inquiring minds want to know what happened afterward. For several years, I always offered the idea that on Christmas morning, the man who was with Mr. Potter at the time he acquired via Uncle Billy's blunder, the envelope, discovers Mr. Potter in bed, dead and clutching the ill-gotten gain. Perhaps such an imagined conclusion fits well with the fate of the one-armed man in the finale of "The Fugitive?" Nonetheless, I would have to admit that a better imagined resolution, matching the true meaning of Christmas, would be with the repentance of Mr. Potter for his misdeeds. ••• Mike Baker is a local author.