Folks this side of the pond are mourning the end of The Sopranos (a series that I never watched), and in particular the disappointing way in which it ended. I’ll admit that I felt similarly disappointed about the closing season of Buffy.

In Buffy’s defence, the series was terminated more abruptedly than The Sopranos, reducing the possibility of a satisfying finale. The end of The Sopranos was well telegraphed, hence viewers’ expectation for a suitable conclusion.

However, the ending was apparently poor, and rumours abound as to whether it was the real ending.

None of this matters. Because, whilst one might want to believe that entertainment is about giving people enjoyment, fundamentally it’s about making money. Those eight seasons of The Sopranos brought in revenue for the networks that showed it, the advertisers and merchandisers. That’s really all it was about.

This is why there are so many series of Law and Order, and why CSI has two spin-off series. It’s why 24 runs for 24 episodes and so obviously makes it up as it goes along.

Sometimes the viewers know they’re being screwed. Sometimes they don’t.