▁for ▁European ▁aud ien ces ▁would ▁include ▁j okes ▁at ▁the ▁exp ense ▁of ▁Americans ▁in ▁general . ▁For ▁later ▁seasons , ▁opening ▁remarks ▁were ▁also ▁fil med ▁with ▁H itch cock ▁speaking ▁in ▁French ▁and ▁German ▁for ▁the ▁show ' s ▁international ▁present ations . ▁ ▁H itch cock ▁closed ▁the ▁show ▁in ▁much ▁the ▁same ▁way ▁as ▁it ▁opened , ▁but ▁mainly ▁to ▁tie ▁up ▁loose ▁ends ▁rather ▁than ▁jo ke . ▁Fre qu ently , ▁a ▁leading ▁character ▁in ▁the ▁story ▁would ▁have ▁seem ingly ▁got ten ▁away ▁with ▁a ▁criminal ▁activity ; ▁in ▁the ▁post script , ▁H itch cock ▁would ▁briefly ▁detail ▁how ▁fate ▁( or ▁the ▁authorities ) ▁eventually ▁brought ▁the ▁character ▁to ▁justice . ▁ ▁H itch cock ▁told ▁TV ▁Guide ▁that ▁his ▁re ass ur ances ▁that ▁the ▁criminal ▁had ▁been ▁app reh ended ▁were ▁" a ▁necessary ▁gesture ▁to ▁mor ality ." ▁ ▁Alfred ▁H itch cock ▁Pres ents ▁finished ▁at ▁number ▁ 6 ▁in ▁the ▁N iel sen ▁ratings ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 6 – 5 7 ▁season , ▁number ▁ 1 2 ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 7 – 5 8 , ▁number ▁ 2 4 ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 8 – 5 9 , ▁and ▁number ▁ 2 5 ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 – 6 0 . ▁The ▁series ▁was ▁originally ▁ 2 5 ▁minutes ▁per ▁episode , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁expanded ▁to ▁ 5 0 ▁minutes ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 ▁and ▁ret itled