Taelia wrote:Episode 97? No way! That's not right! tHEY CAN'T DO THAT! They're !@!#@!@!~ nuts! How can it end if the show is popular?
^^; Taelia...please please please calm down...just a smidge? Thanks. ^_^
It's called "ending on a high note". You end the show when it's still relatively popular, but with a satisfying and all encompassing episode that ties up most, if not all, of the loose ends of the plot. That way, the fans are satisfied plot-wise (with some spare room for fanfiction and fanart ideas left), and the show doesn't suffer from a loss of following or viewership due to further seasons being cranked out that are either poor quality or un-related to the original plot of the show (ie. Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh GX, etc.)
Everybody Loves Raymond did it. They gave the fans one last season, and a good one, and then ended the show. The reruns are still fresh, the show is still well-loved, and it's become an overall television success in most senses of the word. *nods*
Kim Possible is another good example. True, the fans fought hard for a 4th season because the show was so popular, and didn't deserve to be cut at just 65 episodes. However, the creators have decided to make the 4th season, the last season, because they want the show to end on a high note and also leave some things for the fans to explore on their own. (The creators have said that where Kim and Ron go to college and what happens beyond, for example, will not be explored further, so that's left for the fans to decide).
It's not an uncommon practice in the industry, particularly when one has smart writers and smart creators, producers and directors. *nods*