best series finales (1 Viewer)

[Sathyan]

In anticipation of Friends and Frasier not living up to expectations....

What do you consider to be the best series finales (or at least those that are worth of the show)?

One rule: If the series is a sitcom, the finale needs to be largely comedic.


I'll start it off:

Black Adder Goes Forth

 

[Chris]

Black Adder Goes Forth is a fantastic conclusion, with a truly touching ending that sums up so many thoughts not just about the series, but about the battle at hand. Great stuff.

I would also list:

M*A*S*H
Star Trek: TNG
Star Trek: DS9


There are a few more..

 

[Raasean Asaad]

M*A*S*H

Had my favorite series finale of all time.

 

[Jason Seaver]

The original Fugitive has got to be somewhere on the list, I imagine. Especially since the idea of having a definitive finale must have been almost unheard-of at the time and it drew an audience the likes of which TV today can only dream of.

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

I love the finale for M*A*S*H.

Mary Tyler Moore Show is a good one also, and so is Newhart.

 

[Mike Graham]

Millennium - its final season was terrible, and the series finale borrowed a large amount from Red Dragon, but damn if it wasn't satisfying

DS9 - Each character is given his/her due

TNG - Great story

Nowhere Man - Completely trippy

Brimstone - (very obscure, I know). The producers pretty much knew they weren't being renewed after the initial 12 episode order, so they wrote a wonderful epilogue to this underrated series.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Already mentioned:

M*A*S*H

Mary Tyler Moore

Newhart

And on the non-sitcom side:

Upstairs/Downstairs

 

[KyleC]

Quantum Leap
Babylon 5
Cheers

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Newhart - Bob wakes up next to Suzanne Pleshette after a terrible dream.

St. Elsewhwere - "Dr." Donald Westphal comes home from his "job" which is obviously a blue collar occupation and finds his autistic son staring at a snow globe. He takes the snow globe away from the son and sets it down. Camera closes in on the snowglobe, revealing the interior which contains a miniature of St. Eligius hospital. Absolutely shocking.

 

[Rob P S]

Mary Tyler Moore
Newhart
Barney Miller
All in the Family (Mike and Gloria leave for California - I know it wasn't the finale, but it should have been.)
Alice
Family Ties

 

[Paul_Stachniak]

My picks would be Mystery Science Theater 3000 and The Office (see the Christmas Party).

 

[James T]

Quantum Leap is my favourite.

I've always wanted to see Roseanne's finale, but I keep missing the repeat on TBS.

 

[Chris]

Yeah, Quantum Leap was a feel-good open ended story.

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

Freaks and Geeks
Quantum Leap
Nowhere Man
Twin Peaks (the show floundered a bit after they revealed Laura's killer, but it was starting to get back on track, and the final episode - directed by David Lynch - was stunning.)

 

[Ken Chan]

We also had a thread a few months ago.

 

[Blaine Skerry]

The last two episodes of THE PRISONER, ONCE UPON A TIME and FALLOUT are two of the most surreal and over-the-top finishes you'll ever see. All that and Leo McKern. Wonderful stuff.

 

[ChrisBEA]

I agree with TNG.
And as much as I hate to admit it, Farscape's finale was agonizingly great.

 

[AlexSchwarz]

The X-Files - you can say what you want, but I found it amazing. But then again, I really like seasons 8 & 9. so I'm in the minority anyway

I also like the endings of the Trek-shows and Buffy very much

And oh yes, although unintended by the creators, the ALF-finale gets kudos for being so dark and shocking - my girlfriend was actually angry at the show when she watched the finale for the first time, about half a year ago

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

What habppened in the ALF final? I never saw it.

 

[Don Black]

TNG
MTM
Cheers
Newhart

Quantum Leap - How was this a feel good one though? He never returned home if I remember correctly.