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.
What a fantastic show this was, it should never have been cancelled when it was, it was just cruel to the fans. Maybe they could really considering a final season special so their loyal fan base can have proper closure, and why not seeing they have reinvented other lesser shows that didn’t have the same following as this great show.
Shame shame shame from from fans all over the world not just the USA
Do you mean dodges father ?? Earl Jr father was darnell ( crabman ) wasn’t he
Loved the show, gutted when got cancelled, who is earl jnr father?
wish would bring it back!
Love the show, still watching it. It’s so fun! It’s a pity it got cancelled.
I loved this show and would still watch it today. Atleast another season to wrap up the cliffhanger we were lefr with.
We need this show back, I used to look forward to new episodes every week & continuously used to watch re-runs. It definitely stands the test of time and never grows old. We need some hope & enjoyment in our lives, especially in these dark times!!!
Can’t believe they canceled this. Hate the ending. To much suspense.
They need to bring back my name is earl, I freaken love this show! The way they ended it was horrible…someone bring it back !!!
There was not enough “my name is earl”… It should be brought back!
Disappointed at the “ENDING?”
really excellent and funny show, I was surprised to see that this is how it ended, also was dissappointed.
That wouldve been a great ending, but theres still time, the show would work just as well years down the road when hes further down the list!
I really am disappointed that they left the show on a cliff hanger, it still had so much potential! While Darnell may not have been the father, it would have been nice to give all the fans some closure as to who was and how it happened. This show was hilarious and has a really big fan base, bigger than this network seems to realize even though it’s been left unfinished! That alone should show everyone at the network they should at the very least finish up season 4. As a fan of the show I can’t speak for every… Read more »
I was really sad to see it ended like it did. I was really in to it when it was aired in the UK but didn’t get to see all the episodes. I just re-watched all seasons in lockdown and found out the bitter ending. I feel like the series was peaking in season 3 and getting to be at it’s funniest but it should have drawn to it’s natural conclusion. It’s a shame it ended but I would like to know why! Did someone die? Or was there just insufficient funding and interest?
It had a big following here in the UK too, it was on the E4 digital entertainment channel here and according to reports from 20th Century Fox it sold well over here too! Seeing how Disney owns Fox Studios now, they would own the rights and have a say on any revival, they own most of Hulu as well. So we shall see.