My Name Is Earl aired for four seasons on NBC before it was cancelled, and the creator has revealed how he would have ended the series if it had continued on to a natural end. The series ended with a bit of a cliffhanger, but Greg Garcia did have a plan in mind for how to wrap things up.
In a Reddit AMA, he revealed how he would have ended the comedy series if he had been able to close it out. He said:
“I had always had an ending to Earl and I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to see it happen. You’ve got a show about a guy with a list so not seeing him finish it is a bummer. But the truth is, he wasn’t ever going to finish the list. The basic idea of the ending was that while he was stuck on a really hard list item he was going to start to get frustrated that he was never going to finish it. Then he runs into someone who had a list of their own and Earl was on it. They needed to make up for something bad they had done to Earl. He asks them where they got the idea of making a list and they tell him that someone came to them with a list and that person got the idea from someone else. Earl eventually realizes that his list started a chain reaction of people with list and that he’s finally put more good into the world than bad. So at that point he was going to tear up his list and go live his life. Walk into the sunset a free man. With good karma.”
Garcia also revealed that he had asked the network if it was okay for him to end the season on a cliffhanger. The network told him to go ahead, and it was only after that NBC decided to cancel the series. Garcia might have written a different season four finale if he had known the network was going to cancel the series.
In addition, Garcia also planned to reveal who Earl Jr’s father was before the show ended. The writers were thinking that it would be someone famous who’d been in town for just one night. The writers didn’t get to decide who that would be, but the baby daddy was intended to be revealed before the series ended.
Were you a fan of My Name is Earl? Did Garcia’s reveal give you closure for this series? Tell us what you think.
I hate that Earl was ended on a cliffhanger. This was my favorite show !! Now I watch re-runs and am saddened by the last episode. Please bring it back
Leave it to the network Executives to make poor choice. Just like with Family and all the other shows that could have been a success they don’t see the end game of the whole thing and they canceled what was by far an awesome show. Why don’t they just bring it back? Maybe with any luck TBS or Comedy Central or one of the other networks will recognize the popularity of my name is Earl and will bring the show back. I don’t like that we are left on a cliffhanger. By far it was a such a funny show… Read more »
I really enjoyed the series!!! Please bring it back I want to see more!! There was a lot of room for more great stories!! I would have liked to see how Earl would have made it up to his son knowing that he was his real father. I want to thank the cast for doing a wonderful job All of you were a great match for each other I think that you may have formed life time relationship with each other and get together to watch some of the shows to enjoy them together. Thanks so Much for your work… Read more »
My family and I love this show, I watch it with my teenagers we love it! I feel like we deserve closure here! They should bring it back as a movie if they can’t bring back the show. Sad it dropped off in such a dumb way!
This was a bad call by NBC
I liked the show and I think you should bring it back some how. It was a good show
This was by far one of my favorite tv shows of all time. Truly a shame that they cancelled it.
Why would abc cancel this show iv been binge watching my name is earl for days and it just ends like that I’m dying bring it back plz
Why would they cancel my name is Earl iv been binge watching for days and it’s so funny I really hate abc for cancelling this show bring it back plz I’m dying
What you guys did was a travesty to TV this was a great show me and many other people love that show and you should come back and finish it properly there was no need to cut that show off
That ending with Earl being approached someone else who had a list would have been a great ending! It was such a great show. Funny stuff based around spiritual principles. And it had great music too! I sure miss Earl. And Randy too!
Can we get a movie to finish up the series
This programme made me a better person thanks Greg
I love the show and wish it would’ve lasted another four seasons or more
you really need to come back and finish the show so many people loved the show please find a way to bring us our show back please
I loved the show, it was perfectly cast and wish it was brought back, now knowing how it would end..Truly funny and well written show, much better then anything on today.