guess I now have heard every joke

[spatch]

I just watched the final episode of Corner Gas and was pleased, if not entirely unsurprised, to see that the series went out not with a bang nor a sea change but instead with a pleasant smirk.

Even when the show was at its most sitcom-y (while bucking many sitcom standards, it did fall prey to the New Job or the dreaded Swapping Places storylines) it still managed to consistently rise above the formulaic, often parodying one standard even while stuck firmly in another, and that made it feel quite comfortable. The last season may not have been their strongest, but at least there was no severe decline, and that's what Brent Butt was hoping to avoid when he announced the end of the show after the sixth season. He did good.

And maybe, most of all, it's just reassuring to know that despite the fact that there will be no more new episodes, the characters will still live on in their small town universe doing their thing just as they had. I mean, if you think about it, the biggest permanent change to come to the town happened in the very first episode, when Lacey showed up to re-open her aunt's coffeeshop. From then on the show was set. Ending the series before a cast member left (bringing on a replacement) or a creative team decision to "go in a new direction" means that Dog River will always stay what it is. Was. And I guess it's nice to think about that.

Comments

[zrblm.livejournal.com]

Who aired Corner Gas in the states, anyway? Didn't realize it received any international attention worth mentioning.

I saw Brent Butt at a comedy club in Montreal sometime in the early 90s. He's a seriously good standup.

[spatch]

Who aired Corner Gas in the states, anyway?

Nobody, really...

We usually acquired our episodes from Those Poor Bastards in Sweden.

[giantfightbot.livejournal.com]

I think WGN aired it from time to time.

I ended up buying mine from Amazon Canada, though I only have the first three seasons so far.

I didn't realize they'd wanted to end the show, but better now than introducing the Canuck equivalent of Cousin Oliver.

[johnnycanuck.livejournal.com]

Totally agreed, man. I am, of course, of the opinion that American (and Canadian!) television should take a hint from the British model and run finite series.

I wouldn't be surprised if Brent puts out a "Corner Gas Christmas Special" or the like sometime in the next two years. I know all the actors had a blast with the series, and would definitely be up for the occasional reprise.