Why didn't Ann and Donald marry?

[McGillicuddy]

I just started watching season 5 of That Girl which starts out with Don asking Ann to marry him. It seems strange the series didn't end with them getting married!

[tv star collector]

Ann Marie was supposed to be television's first "liberated woman"; although,
in fact, she wasn't very liberated as she spent most of her time either sharing
boyfriend Don's interests or interacting with her father. Getting married
would have sort of changed the basic premise of the show, even in a series
finale (and probably spoiled the chances for an extended life in syndication).
Just my opinion.

[McGillicuddy]

Ann Marie was supposed to be television's first "liberated woman"; although,
in fact, she wasn't very liberated as she spent most of her time either sharing
boyfriend Don's interests or interacting with her father. Getting married
would have sort of changed the basic premise of the show, even in a series
finale (and probably spoiled the chances for an extended life in syndication).
Just my opinion.


Now that I think about it, they might not have known this was their last season. What you say all makes sense if they were thinking in terms of another season. I suppose TG could have been cancelled after the season was done, and they didn't have series finales back then anyways.

However, I would like to think if they knew, they would have finished off the series with them marrying.

[Stuck In The '70's]

I remember reading somewhere that ABC wanted them to get married in the final but Marlo Thomas was against it.

[McGillicuddy]

I remember reading somewhere that ABC wanted them to get married in the final but Marlo Thomas was against it.


The last episode (on the dvd set) has a commentary with Marlo and series creator Bill Persky. Maybe they share some insight to this there. I shall check it out.

[Duster76]

I just started watching season 5 of That Girl which starts out with Don asking Ann to marry him. It seems strange the series didn't end with them getting married!

I think Marlo Thomas has responded to this question by stating she wanted young women to feel they didn't have to get married to be happy or feel complete. Here I thought she copped out a little. Why have the character get engaged during the final season if you wanted to send that type of message. The final episode of the series deals with Ann Marie admitting to Donald she supported women's liberation and asking him to attend a meeting with her. I thought a better end might have been for her to be offered a part on a TV series in LA, and making the decision to accept the part ending her engagement to Don. Kind of what Cheers did with Sam and Diane many years later. The producers could have left it open ended enough so there was a chance at getting back together. I think the message she wanted to get across would have been much clearer and it would have been a daring way to end the series. The show probably would have made history with such an ending.

[TV Knowledge Fan]

...Ann Marie to be married, period. Had the series been renewed for another season (which was unlikely), Marlo would have wanted her to continue being "THAT GIRL", not "That Wife". And, it would have affected the rerun cycle of the episodes in syndication, because most viewers preferred that Ann remain single as well.

:tv:

[ansara1]

Why do you think she ever agreed to them getting engaged? I mean, as " Duster 76" mentions in the reply above: "Why have the character get engaged during the final season if you wanted to send that type of message?"
(Meaning Marlo Thomas giving the message to young girls that they didn't have to get married to be happy or feel complete)

[treky]

...Ann Marie to be married, period. Had the series been renewed for another season (which was unlikely), Marlo would have wanted her to continue being "THAT GIRL", not "That Wife". And, it would have affected the rerun cycle of the episodes in syndication, because most viewers preferred that Ann remain single as well.

:tv:
that's right; "CLAIROL"-the shows sponsor-wanted Ann & Donald to getg married in the last show, but Marlo insisted that they don't.

[treky]

Now that I think about it, they might not have known this was their last season. What you say all makes sense if they were thinking in terms of another season. I suppose TG could have been cancelled after the season was done, and they didn't have series finales back then anyways.

However, I would like to think if they knew, they would have finished off the series with them marrying.
They had series finales back then; but they were rare. "THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW" & "THE FUGITIVE" had them, and "I DREAM OF JEANNIE" was going to, but NBC had to preempt it twice in the final season for coverage of the Apollo 13 crisis and some special.