TVSquad

...two perfect series finales.

As TV viewers, we've been conditioned to not let ourselves get too attached to good shows because more often than not, good shows get canceled early. Or, on the flip side, they go on far too long beyond their prime and the series finales end up falling short as unsatisfying afterthoughts.

So it's always a breath of fresh air when a truly quality program ends not only at its peak, but it ends with a series finale that does the entire run of the show justice. It doesn't happen often, and this year we were fortunate to say good-bye on a high note to two of the greatest cop dramas ever made, The Wire and The Shield.

• On the cover: a rundown of all the season and series finales, including an interview with CSI: Miami star David Caruso.
• Matt Roush loves this season of The Sopranos, but NBC's 10.5: Apocalypse? Not so much.
• A look back at Malcolm in the Middle.
• In the print edition: a visit to the set of How I Met Your Mother as they tape the season finale; a guest column from Megan Mullally; another guest column, this time from writer David Mamet (The Unit); and a visit to the set of That 70s Show, which is ending after eight years.

Ah, spring! Warm days and cool nights, the sounds of children playing. Short pants and short dresses as the first wisps of summer arrive. It is a time of renewal; except, of course, for the television networks. For them, spring, and particularly the month of May, represents one thing only: season and series finales.

Yep, after a long, hard year it's time to say good-bye to some of your favorite characters and shows as they leave for the summer, or perhaps for good if they are not renewed or are ending their series runs. In place of them will be endless reruns, summer replacements, and Big Brother. May the Lord help us all!

Being the networks, who want to maximize the most viewership and advertising dollars, these finales are not just during one week in May, but are staggered throughout the whole month. Some even leak into the first week of June. This can be very confusing to keep track of and may cause your DVR to have a meltdown. However, fear not true TV Squad readers, because we are here to list the finales of the shows you watch the most. I mean, gosh, we would be remiss if we didn't provide information on the last episode of Lost for the year (May 24th) or the series finale of Alias (May 22nd). It would be just scandalous.

Oh, one more thing before you make the jump . . . if you don't see your favorite show on this list, or want to see when some of the famous May special events are being broadcast (such as The 41st Annual Academy of Country Music Awards) click on this link for a full listing from AOL Television. Okay, all ready? Then, let's get this show on the road.