It’s rare, but sometimes TV shows end with unresolved storylines – on cliffhangers – only to be cancelled. Classic shows like Sliders and Alf famously suffered this fate, with Alf‘s ending being particularly upsetting. Even Angel, a spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, left viewers hanging, though its story was later continued in comic books. This isn’t just a problem with older shows, though. Streaming services are quick to cancel programs, even if the story isn’t finished. Netflix alone has several cancelled shows with unresolved cliffhangers, including Archive 81, Glow, I Am Not Okay With This, Santa Clarita Diet, and The OA, among others.
It’s unusual for a sitcom to end with an unresolved cliffhanger. Most sitcoms are inexpensive to make and have a planned trajectory, allowing them to wrap up neatly, as seen with shows like Seinfeld, Cheers, and The Big Bang Theory. However, forty years ago today, on April 19, 1986, the show Benson broke that mold, ending its seventh season on a cliffhanger. Sadly, the series was canceled before the storyline could be resolved, leaving viewers shocked and without closure. Fortunately, we now know what the original plan for the ending was.
40 Years Ago Today, Benson’s Series Finale Ended on a Cliffhanger
Originally a spin-off of the show Soap, Benson featured Robert Guillaume as Benson DuBois, the head of household for the state’s Governor. The series followed Benson as he navigated family drama within the Governor’s home and occasionally assisted with the Governor’s work. Episodes ranged from storylines focused on the political side of things—like when the state budget director unexpectedly passed away—to more traditional sitcom plots, such as Benson helping a group of young people avoid trouble. The show also wasn’t afraid to get a little wacky, with storylines like the Governor believing Benson had been abducted by aliens during a golf outing.
By the show’s last season, Benson had become Lieutenant Governor and was working with his old boss. As the series neared its end, Benson campaigned to become Governor, and everyone believed Gatling couldn’t run due to term limits. However, a surprising loophole allowed Gatling to run as an independent candidate and seek re-election. This led to a rivalry between Gatling and Benson, straining their long-time friendship as they both competed for the Governorship.
In the final episode, the two characters manage to resolve their issues and remain friends while waiting for the election results. However, despite the episode being called “And the Winner Is…,” we never actually find out who won. The seventh season of the show ended right before the announcement, and unfortunately, the series was cancelled before the outcome could be revealed.
Benson Had a Plan for What Came Next
Bob Fraser, the showrunner for Benson, explained that ABC, the network, decided to end Season 7 with a cliffhanger. He later shared in a 2007 interview with TV Series Finale that they had ideas for what would happen next. The plan involved Governor Gatling narrowly winning re-election, followed by the death of the state’s junior senator. Gatling would then appoint Benson to fill the senator’s term. Fraser envisioned a chain of unfortunate events disrupting the normal line of succession, ultimately leading to Benson becoming President of the United States. However, TV Series Finale doesn’t contain direct quotes from this interview, so the details may not be entirely accurate.
Gary Brown, the director of Benson’s final episode, shared some surprising details about how the show almost ended. In an interview with Salon, he explained that three different endings were filmed for the Season 7 finale. One had Benson winning the election, another had Gatling re-elected, and the third – which Brown described as playful – involved a tie between the two candidates. They were seriously considering using the tie ending.
Brown explained that he always felt Benson would eventually become governor, even though a previous interview suggested a different future for the character. He knew Robert Guillaume hoped that would happen. He also shared that, like many shows, Benson‘s airtime changed from season to season, but it consistently drew viewers no matter when it aired. Brown believes resolving the show’s final cliffhanger – something we’ll never know for certain – would have completed a long story arc and potentially revitalized the series, giving it new life and extending its run.
Sadly, like many TV shows, Benson was cancelled due to rising production costs. These costs would have continued to increase if the show had gone on, and the cancellation happened exactly forty years ago today.
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2026-04-19 16:13