The Singing Ringing Tree was an East German Film made at the end of the 50s. Tremendously popular in the GDR, it was bought by the BBC and split into 3 episodes for broadcast as a children's mini-series. This, of course isn't true. In truth it extended infinitely over hundreds of episodes, scaring and scarring children with its bizarre princess, bear and pitifully sad giant fish in a pond. Most of all, it never ended.

Yeah, balls to all that (even though I'm one of those scared kids).

The important point is NEVER ENDED. (not in my mind). What series is amongst your favourites that NEVER ENDED. Are you cross, happy, indifferent?

I was irritated by Odyssey 5 that ended on a cliif-hanger and...well, that's it really. Not enough audience it seems. Since then I have had excellent reason to wish death and suffering on numerous TV executives. In particular I mention the astonishing Carnivale, and a show that still scratches at my ribs, the OA.

Anybody feel the same way?

We recently watched the Guillermo Del Toro version of Nightmare Alley, which reminded me quite a lot of Carnavale, and the baggage of midway and sideshow cinematic tropes that Carnivale and NA both tapped. I wouldn't have minded another season or three of Kevin Spacey in House of Cards.

I've moaned about this before on here. Perhaps it should have been a rant. Just happened that yet another bunch of shows has gone by in the last few years with no proper ending or ending at all. It's almost as though the TV and streaming company executives think of the shows as product, only care about arbitrary profit levels, and don't give a fuck for their customers.

Oh yeah, I've got a copy of Nightmare Alley. Must watch it.

Fixed that for you

Thank you for the repair work.

Yes, it's a curious world. I don't want to point a finger at any streaming service in particular, especially as they're all a bunch of bastards. That said, Netflix has a reputation for commissioning shiny new shows when their overall numbers are down, but only giving them one or two seasons. They're prepared to invest to draw people in, but not to keep investing after that. The OA, that I mentioned before, had high audience figures throughout, and approval ratings from critics and viewers up in the 80% plus range, but it was still cancelled. One might be forgiven for thinking that they never intended to go beyond two seasons. Correct that if you will.

I'm never sure how to judge whether something is a "favourite" or simply "a show I liked", but in any case I can't think of any with examples that fit your criteria for either.

I recently endured the UK version of House of Cards, the ending of that was naff, but then so was the whole thing. *shrug*

The most recent show I enjoyed watching was The Wire; I'm sad it ended, but not with how it ended. Though the "start" sequence (which occurs 3-5 minutes in) seemed endless at times...

I think I remember being sad that Dungeons and Dragons (the 80s cartoon series) never ended, but I might be confusing memory with reading about it later on in life. I definitely liked watching it, anyway.