11 years ago today ....

[UUrselfRSpecial]

The very last new episode debuted, 1765!!!!!! It was all reruns after that. And Fred died only 1 1/2 years later! However, what wasn't so sad is that it didn't seem so different immediately after, since it was all post-75s, just like it was for 6 years before that, and since there weren't so many debuts, and it was the same exact post-75s airing, all of them except Conflict, it didn't seem so different. And post-75s would continue to air weekdays for another 8 years. And also, there was hardly anything suggesting that it was the last new episode, and Fred never showed anything about it over the course of the episode. it was just really Fred showing a few flashbacks of people doing art, as the week was Celebrating the Arts. And there was an art contest in the NOMB, just like there was in two previous post-75 weeks, Competition (1481 - 1485) and Art (1641 - 1645), and also maybe a subtle suggestion of realizing why Lady Elaine did the crazy things she did -- people made fun of her long nose. And, it's never specified in the show, and I never knew it until later, of all 895 episodes, it was the first time that Fred and Mr. McFeely shook hands. Also, there was no good-bye forever speech, and at the end of 1765, Fred just said "I'll be back when the week is new" and "I'll be back next time" as usual, but that's understandable for two reasons -- it could have been to keep people watching the show when it was nothing but reruns, or it could have been confusing to kids to see Fred say he was gone forever, only to see him the following week. But like 1455 and 1460, the two other episodes thought to be series finales, I feel there should have been more obvious things suggesting it was the season finale, such as more flashbacks and maybe something to prepare kids for 1461 - 1520 and 1526 - 1760 continuing to air. However, it was still a good episode, just not one that made sense for a series finale. And despite the reruns continuing to air, and the fact that there were so few new episodes by that point, it was still sad to see the last new episode.

[gordonraisley]

It was Aug. 31st, not Sep. 1

[JAO93]

I've not been here for a while since the forum was down - but here I am again.

I remember when the last episode aired. It was just like any other, no special good-bye. I think this was for the better, even if just for sake of episode rotation.

The final episode was not a sad day for me - I was happy to see MRN end on a fine note instead of being run into the ground like 90% of other TV programs out there. Compare and contrast: many other long-running programs.

[mitsguy2001]

It was Aug. 31st, not Sep. 1

Nicky knows it was Aug. 31.  He knows the schedules better than anyone.  It seems he posted it in the early hours of Sept. 1, when he was still thinking of it as being Aug. 31.  And maybe there are time zone issues involved too.