Everyone loves lists, and everyone has an opinion, so it's not always nice or productive to point out that another person's list might be lacking in some way. Having said that, let's talk about how this list is lacking in some way.
It's a list of the 10 best series finales of all-time. I'll get right to the point: Newhart should be on this list.
I mean, come on, how can Bob waking up in bed next to Suzanne Pleshette, one of the great, most unpredictable, most satisfying endings in TV history, not make it somewhere on this list? And it's not like the author chose only recent shows, because the M*A*S*H series finale from 1983 is one there. Though it is really heavy on recent shows. The finales of Battlestar Galactica, The Sopranos, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Oz all made the top 10.
The number one series finale of all-time? Six Feet Under. The fans of those shows can argue the merit of the list, but I have to take exception to his reasoning for including M*A*S*H. Not that it was a bad finale, but to say the reason that the last episode remains the highest-rated television program in history is because "it's one of the most satisfying, gut-wrenching finales ever" doesn't make any sense. It's highly rated because it was the last episode of M*A*S*H. It could have been terrible and still gotten the same ratings. After all, it's not like viewers knew it was going to be great beforehand and that's why they tuned in.
So, besides Newhart, what else should be on this list (shows that actually had a chance to do a proper series finale and didn't just "end"). Maybe The Fugitive?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
3-30-2009 @ 12:41PM
Ryan said...
I pretty much agree with them on which finales they included on their list. But yeah, it's a little narrow in terms of timeline. Maybe they should've specified in the past 10 years or something. Also Angel as #2? Hm. Maybe #9.
Though people like to rag on it, I still thought the Friends finale was pretty good. And while the show was pretty much dreck and it got even worse in its final two seasons, the finale for Dawson's Creek really catered to the fans and was quite effective emotionally.
Looking forward to the ER series finale this week. I haven't watched in YEARS but I've been watching the last four or so episodes and now I'm pumped to see the finale.
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3-30-2009 @ 10:40PM
Alfonsina said...
As a fan of both Friends and Dawson's Creek, I totally agree on your take of DC. Unfortunately, not in the case of Friends. I had high hopes and, it was just ok. I also agree with the list on Six Feet Under. It was simply brilliant.
3-30-2009 @ 12:43PM
Kiefer said...
Where's the shield?? the most fitting ending to an extraordinary show ever!
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3-30-2009 @ 12:49PM
Lisa said...
This list is skewed toward recent shows and therefore stinks. Mash is the de facto number one for sure. Others missing, IMO, Cheers should be on there as it was one of the longer running network shows and went out well. I definitely agree on Newhart which I thiink should be number 2 behind Mash.
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3-30-2009 @ 4:21PM
cdawg said...
oh yes agreed.
However, do you think the author took into account the fact that those were simply great moments from a tv show's last episode, and not altogether "best finales" in totem?
Cheers is closed, Newhart was a dream... great moments, but can't remember the rest of the episode...
3-30-2009 @ 1:02PM
Cander said...
I think Black Adder should be on the list. The finale was so surreal.
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3-30-2009 @ 1:12PM
Ðan said...
Hear, hear for the Newhart mention. A very clever finale it had indeed by reviving another show cancelled 12 years previously for a few brief minutes.
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3-30-2009 @ 3:45PM
Jeff said...
The Shield is definitely my favorite series finale. I love when a show stays true to it's roots and doesn't go over the top with it's ending. Another good example of this is The Wire.
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3-30-2009 @ 2:03PM
hecklerz said...
Fully agree. The Shield is a huge omission.
3-30-2009 @ 1:27PM
Steve C. said...
Skewed list. How about the Mary Tyler Moore finale. Cheers was a good one. Has everybody forgotten the ending to St. Elsewhere? The whole show imagined by an autistic child playing with a snow globe?
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3-30-2009 @ 1:32PM
StillBash said...
ER. Trust me :-)
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3-30-2009 @ 1:37PM
mdisloki said...
I'm a huge Buffy and Angel fan and i don't think i'd have either of those in my top ten. Seriously, i wasn't happy with how they ended Angel at all.
How about
Seinfeld
Married with Children
Fraiser
Friends
All in the Family
X-Files
Mighty Max
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3-30-2009 @ 1:56PM
Jennifer said...
Agreed. There needed to be something else with Angel. And why the hell did Wesley have to die, at least in that way? Illyria went in there and kicked that dude's ass in 2.5 secs. They should have switched.
Slightly off topic- And you know what? It'd be nice for Joss to kill off SOMEBODY without impaling them. And dont give me "well what about Tara" It was a bullet. That's still being impaled. How about we try.... Oh idk- how about a heart attack. Havent seen one of those in a while.
Back on topic- what about Star Trek: Voyager? I mean seriously, Janeway kicked ass!
3-30-2009 @ 2:03PM
mdisloki said...
I'm still wiping away tears for Doyle, nevermind Wesley.
Oh ya, Janeway absolutely rocked. Like Hepburn crossed with Shatner.
3-30-2009 @ 4:02PM
Gill said...
I loved the finale of Angel. It was nearly perfect. It was good to see a show not sacrifice the message and moral of the story in place of a happy ending.
3-30-2009 @ 4:12PM
mdisloki said...
Different strokes for different folks. One of my best friends loved it too.
What the hell do I know anyway. I guess I was just looking for something different from Whedon.
3-31-2009 @ 2:20AM
Kevin Gaittens said...
@Jennifer:
Spoilers for Buffy/Angel:
While Joss does like impaling, Jenny Calendar, Cordelia, Fred, and Doyle all died non-impaling.
And Joyce died of an aneurysm, so that's close to your heart attack.
I decided not to include Kendra's sliced throat and Anya's being chopped in half since if you were including gunshots as impalings, you may include those as well somehow.
3-30-2009 @ 1:36PM
Tony said...
Thanks TV Squad for posting this article. Very interesting!
They should have stuck to maybe the last 15 years or something. I do agree with most of the ones on here but to not include Newhart? shame shame
They did get 1 right. Six Feet Unders finale was brilliant. I'm also happy about the Oz mention as it's probably the most underated show on TV in the last 10 years.
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3-30-2009 @ 1:41PM
Zach said...
Cheers anyone?
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3-30-2009 @ 2:20PM
screaminghello said...
Deep Space Nine Had A good ending. Always thought that was an underated Trek. Also the finale/movie for Extras was absolutely perfect.
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