TV Series Finales: Ends of Eras

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 5/14/07 at 10:14pm

Every once-in-a-while comes a season where the "stalwarts" end.

In 1999, it was Mad About You, Home Improvement, and The Nanny.

In 2004, it was Frasier and Friends.

Now, it's King of Queens, The Sopranos, Gilmore Girls, 7th Heaven, George Lopez....

Sad to think of what all of these are being replaced by....Heroes 2....Grey's Anatomy 2....Caveman...and a remake of The Bionic Woman.
Updated On: 5/14/07 at 10:14 PM

[Kringas]

Posted: 5/14/07 at 10:52pm

Friends was hard one for me. I was a sophomore in college when it premiered and for the next ten years it was one of the one constants in my life. I lived in several states and at many addresses during that time, but always knew that Thursdays at 8 (7 central) was my time to spend with television characters to whom I had way too much attachment.

[deadparrot]

Posted: 5/14/07 at 11:13pm

Losing The West Wing last year was tough. I know that the quality of the show had decreased in recent years, but it was still tough.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 5/14/07 at 11:21pm

To me, it was ALIAS, even if the show had jumped the shark. It premiered the fall I moved to the United States and it was kinda surreal to see it end and see how different things were for me.
I agree with Yankee though, that it is sad to see these shows that were classics and defined a generation (shows like FRIENDS, SEX & THE CITY, MAD ABOUT YOU, et al) go and be replaced by spin-offs and less-than-stellar TV shows.

[DayDreamer]

Posted: 5/14/07 at 11:35pm

The end of Seinfeld was truly the end of an era for me.

[Jane2]

Posted: 5/14/07 at 11:55pm

Now we have a plethora of oh so real reality shows.

[DG]

Posted: 5/14/07 at 11:56pm

The only series finale that counted for me was M*A*S*H - all the rest have been pretenders.

[Kringas]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 12:09am

I was too young to get the impact of Mash's finale.

[DG]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 12:10am

Kringas - please understand when I call you a BITCH

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 12:12am

Kringas is that young? The MASH ending was great! Hawkeye in the helecoptor over the camp.

[Kringas]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 12:18am

Well, I was alive for the finale, but really young. The show started before I was even born.

I was sad when The Facts of Life ended, too.

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 12:20am

We had a great Cheers ending finale party!

Fact of Life was a horrible that lasted for years.

[AC126748]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 12:21am

Don't forget Sex and the City for the 2004 bunch.

[Kringas]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 12:24am

Fact of Life was a horrible that lasted for years.

You know, I've been watching the early seasons on dvd and they really did seem to try and be presenting the characters as positive role models for teen girls. It got really crappy around season six or so (whatever season it was when Edna's Edibles burned down and they rebuilt as that awful "Over Our Heads."

[mattonstage]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 12:30am

M*A*S*H was a great ender, but I'm still most broken up, was is it now, 30 years later, over the ending of the Mary Tyler Moore show.

[NCGuy]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 12:31am

I don’t know about “the end of an era,” but I had a serious lump in my throat the last fifteen minutes of King of Queens tonight.

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 12:32am

K, you may be correct, I only recall the show as annoying. My kids love Full House. I guess that show also tried to portray the kids in a positive light!

[RadiGal2]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 1:06am

The recent series finales that truly marked an end of era were Six Feet Under and The West Wing.

[Kringas]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 1:08am

Newhart had a great finale.

Roseanne's was a head scratcher.

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 1:17am

The only series finale that truly affected me was the end of ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT.

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 1:17am

I could also say THE OFFICE but I didn't watch it when it aired.

[DayDreamer]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 1:27am

I wish I'd had the M*A*S*H finale experience. Alas, not growing up in this country...

Too bad that Seinfeld's finale is only memorable in how much of a let down it was.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 1:46am

I think it must be so hard to write a successfull series finale.
I was quite pleased with the SIX FEET UNDER final episode, but in the past few years I can't think of any other series finale that has been satisfying.
Let's see, WILL & GRACE had one of the worst finales of a show I can remember. I thought the FRIENDS finale was too Ross and Rachel-centered instead of ensemble-driven. SEX & THE CITY was fine but not as great as it could have been, IMO. ALIAS was okay at times, kinda annoying at others, especially what they did with Lena Olin's character. Oh, and I won't even get started on CHARMED.

Updated On: 5/15/07 at 01:46 AM

[Liverpool]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 3:03am

ok, so the first series finale I remember (cause i know i watched the cheers finale but was too young to really remember it) was Ally McBeal.

as for "end of era" things, Obviously Seinfeld (despite being a crappy episode). Buffy, and more so Angel cause it marked the end of 8 years of Joss Whedon's godlike abilities being put to use. "Oz" pretty much HBOs catylast show. The reason they have become such a powerhouse of primetime Drama. and of course, "The West Wing". God did i cry like a bitch during that one.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 6:55am

I read Caveman is dead as the pilot was absolutely beyond bad