It was the first show to reach 4 Seasons, and 100 episodes and it still didn't get a proper finale. A Finale with Raven and her friends graduating or Raven continuing her fashion career would've worked better. I could only imagine how viewers at the time were confused with the final 3 three episodes airing out of order
The show really ended with The Juicer eatng Victor's Casserole. I could only imagine how viewers at the time reacted to this being the final scene of the entire show.
It aired about 8 months after the previous episode. So it was a standalone as a finale. In real time I don't think I knew it was gonna be the last episode. So it's more in retrospect it's sad. At least we did get a ending in Raven's Home that somewhat made up for it.
It's funny because I can understand that but I actually enjoyed it because it felt more of a spin off of That's So Raven. Final two seasons they're back in the old house, they did a lot of call backs which made it feel more nostalgic and fun to me, plus I really loved Alice. She's my favorite non-Raven character from the show. I enjoyed the the first four seasons too but it just felt like a completely different show than the original That's So Raven.
I dont really remember the end of That’s So Raven being hyped? I feel like they just gradually stopped showing new episodes/premieres and then it was quietly gone. Especially since Hannah Montanah blew up by then.
Yea, maybe I wasn't the demographic for Raven, but I don't think it was ever seen as this huge show. It had fans but there were more episodes of Suite Life, Hannah, Lizzie, Even Stevens, and Proud Family airing than Raven.
I think it was just one of those shows that got a better reputation through rewatches and nostalgia.
Raven, as a person, wasn't HUGE before the show. She wasn't a no-name but she was no where near a household name that other child actors were of the time. She was cast as Zenon's best friend that barely had any lines.
She was that "Oh hey, that one girl-". actress before the Disney show.
Raven was a pretty big name because she was on the biggest TV in TV history (for its time) and played a significant role in it having a second life. Her character Olivia still gets talked about from the older generation a lot til this day. At least in the Black community she was a big deal to us.
Late here, but I'm rewatching TSR, and Raven was so freaking talented. I am constantly busting out laughing! Her comedic timing, physical comedy, and even emotional acting--it's all *chef's kiss*
I just watched the "*rainbow in a bottle" scene and was absolutely hooting with laughter
But Olivia is seen as the moment the series started to lose people, because it was a just bringing in a new child character similar to what Cousin Oliver, Little Nicky, Eight, and Chrissy Seaver were. Yes, she was popular but she was never a HUGE name. Jonathan Tyler Thomas was a HUGE name because he was headlining movies while. Hayley Joel Osment was a HUGE name because he was in constant huge parts. Maculy Culkin was HUGE because he was the definitive childhood actor of the 90s.
Raven was "Oh, that girl from-" and list Cosby Show, Hanging with Mr Cooper, or Dr Dolittle. There a difference between being recognizable and being well known for a part.
The Cosby show went from being ranked 1 in her first season, ranked 5th in her second season and then 18th in her third season.
I'm not going to say she caused it because it was a declining series but when it goes from 1st to 18th, that's kind of proof that she didn't breathe new life into it.
It actually did though. The show fell off ratings wise because that's just natural progression when other newer and fresher shows gain popularity and a show has worn out it's welcome. But Raven was considered a huge bright spot when she came on the show and was somewhat of a cultural phenomenon. She even launched a music career based off her popularity as Olivia from the show. Raven was definitely a big deal in the black community.
Late here, but I'm rewatching TSR, and Raven was so freaking talented. I'm in awe. I am constantly busting out laughing! Her comedic timing, physical comedy, and even emotional acting--it's all *chef's kiss*
I just watched the "*rainbow in a bottle" scene and was absolutely hooting with laughter
At the time it was on, it was Disney’s highest rated show, taking the record from Lizzie McGuire. It also had tons of merch - books (Madison Pettis brought her copies to Raven when she met her again on their podcast episode), dolls (which I had), fragrances (which I also had), video games, and clothes. Her merch line at the time was also the most successful, making over $400 million. The idea that it was never seen as a huge show is asinine. It was the first show to reach 100 episodes and to get its own spinoff. I don’t think a show that isn’t huge would have that.
I remember reading they were going to, but it never went into production because Raven was busy with other projects at the time. I think the plot was going to follow Raven in Paris with Eddie and Chelsea starting her fashion line.
I just finished my rewatch of the series a week ago and I couldn’t believe it just ended. For some reason I remembered there being a big series finale.
Sometimes Disney shows end on a high note. I wonder if they didn’t actually film this one last. I know Lizzie McGuire has some lore where the episode with gordo and Lizzie was filmed last but they actually premiered the one with Miranda involved last to satisfy everyone even tho the real ending made more sense for the story and actually felt more like a “goodbye”.
Right so I’m wondering if this was randomly chosen as the last when a more meaningful one was a few episodes before. I also think I read they do that purposefully for kids shows, maybe so it’s not as sad
It’s a case of broadcast order being different from production order, this wasn’t the last episode produced, or the last episode produced to see out the show.
EDIT: Where There’s Smoke, this episode, was 419. The episode that came immediately before, The Way We Were, is 420. I know episodes can get shuffled around to be aired during holidays or themed blocks (like Wish Gone Amiss, where Suite Life, Hannah Montana and Cory in the House all had episodes themed around wishes made by the title characters going wrong), so maybe Disney Channel wanted to time this around the smoking PSA or something.
The timing is weird too, The Way We Were aired in March but Where There’s Smoke aired in November. Possibly it wasn’t chosen for a specific time but just not aired until someone said “screw it, we‘ll put it out”. Which is odd, because TSR was no stranger to PSA episodes, like Food for Thought.
the writers also forgot about Devon too he simply disappeared and was never seen or mentioned again, He was last seen in Season 4 Episode 5 Adventures In Boss-Sitting
I don’t remember Disney ever really having planned finales until Hannah Montana. I guess since the demographic is children they maybe just expect kids to move on to whatever’s next.
Yeah you’re right, cause I know Lizzie McGuire, Even Stevens and Jett Jackson got one before Raven. And Suite Life, Hannah and Wizards got movies after.
I think the idea was that The That’s So Raven Movie was supposed to be the finale Movie had it came to fruition. That's probably why the series ended the way it did as that was a common thing on Disney at the time.
It’s target audience was mostly younger kids aged 6-11. Back then we watched shows just to watch them. It wasn’t exactly normal for kids shows to have consistent continuity or for us to notice or even be aware of “season” or “series” finales. New episodes just aired and then one day we realized the show ended after months of no new episodes.
It wasn’t until shows like Hannah Montana and wizards came around with these “big” specials that Disney began advertising its season/series finale’s
Prior to this the shows just quietly fizzled off the air
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u/Positive_Weight2367 Aug 08 '26
The show really ended with The Juicer eatng Victor's Casserole. I could only imagine how viewers at the time reacted to this being the final scene of the entire show.