TV Series Finales: Ends of Eras- Page 4

[Trekkie2]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 1:27pm

Yes, Newhart was the best. VERY clever, and it's also fantastic in that it seized an opportunity that only Newhart had. Instead of trying to end it in a "real" way, which probably would have been fine, it found a way to be special until the end. I can't think of many other shows where the most memorable scene of the series is the last one

[Kasie]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 1:27pm

I liked the Six Feet Under finale a lot. And of course Golden Girls. Friends was tough, but to me it seemed to be getting less and less funny throughout the last couple of seasons, so I wasn't too devestated.

[DayDreamer]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 1:29pm

Did I read somewhere that ER is finally coming to an end next season?

[DG]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 1:30pm

"By the time M*A*S*H had its last episode, I had LONG since stopped watching it. I only occasionally watched it after Larry Linville left and was replaced by David Ogden Stiers, and once Gary Burghoff's Radar left the show, I thought it went straight into the toilet and completely ceased to by even slightly funny." - Margo

I had the exact opposite reaction. I thought the show kept getting better and better over time, and the finale still ranks near the top of my list of best time spent in front of a TV.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 1:50pm

This is sort of lame, but in 1995, I was devastated when Full House ended. Actually, I know a lot of people were. But now that I look back at the series finale, it was aweful. I think they should have killed Michelle in that episode because she just became stupid in the last couple of seasons.

7th Heaven-Yes, I watched up until the horrid 11th season, although it was pretty bad from season 4 or 5 on. I only watched the series finale in season 11, just to see how it ended. Personally, I like to believe all one million of them on the RV went crazy and died going over a cliff with it. Yes, I am very morbid, but that's all that was left to do with them, and they left it open to our imaginations.

Now Friends was a little weird for me. It happened to air the very last night I was at school, my freshman year of college. There was nobody around, so I ended up watching it all by myself in my dorm room. It was also weird too because it was the last time I really saw either of my roommates. One transferred, and the other I just don't talk to, and haven't since then.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 1:53pm

"I can't think of many other shows where the most memorable scene of the series is the last one"

St. Elsewhere did the same thing as Newhart. The last scene was taken completely out of the context of the show.

[nitsua]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 2:02pm

DD: ER's 15th season is the last, and Angela Basset joins the cast.

Third Watch had a horrible series finale.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 2:06pm

Yup, ER will be having a new season and apparently one of the regulars will be leaving the show... in a body bag.
I still think WILL & GRACE had one of the most disappointing series finales. FRIENDS was way too much about Ross and Rachel, instead of...friends!

[Trekkie2]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 2:07pm

Anyone hoping next season's Law and Order is the last? Now that Jesse L. Martin is gone, it's feeling more and more like it's just on a death march.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 2:23pm

"I still think WILL & GRACE had one of the most disappointing series finales. FRIENDS was way too much about Ross and Rachel, instead of...friends!"

For two very popular shows, these were hugely disappointing.

Will & Grace was like the writers couldn't come to agreement on how it would end so they put in everybody's idea.

The entire final season of Friends was a disgrace (almost as bad as Roseanne). Suddenly Joey falls in love with Rachel? What a joke!

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 2:29pm

See, the final epsiode of "Friends" seemed level on Ross and Rachel (they HAD to wrap that up), and Monica and Chandler and Joey. It was just Phoebe that I felt was left out, since they had wrapped her storyline up three episodes earlier.

I always thought Joey and Phoebe should get married...

Will and Grace had a good idea, with bad execution.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 2:43pm

Am I the only one who saw the season finale of ELLEN? With Ellen going through television eras (including hosting a 50's game show called "Name That Commie" sponsored by a tobacco company "Now with even more nicotine for that extra pep!" and an early seventies sitcom "Right on! I just had an abortion!")with special guest appearances by Bea Arthur, Dihann Carroll and others. It was very, very smart and incredibly funny...and touching without pushing it.

[blueroses]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 2:51pm

Remember when the actors were all choked up after the final taping of Family Ties?

I loved that show.

[madbrian]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 2:54pm

Here's a link to the brilliant final few minutes of Newhart:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSuN4kYt6Sg

[thatgirl712]

Posted: 5/2/08 at 4:41am

Great finale for Newhart.

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 5/2/08 at 5:26am

Updated On: 2/21/09 at 05:26 AM

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 5/2/08 at 9:18am

I was sad when The Mary Tyler Moore Show ended. That's about it.

[Albin]

Posted: 5/2/08 at 10:00am

The Golden Girls finale. I still get a lump in my throat when I watch it.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 5/2/08 at 10:08am

Actually Joey fell for Rachel in season eight. It was the end of season nine that Rachel started having feelings for him.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 5/2/08 at 10:12am

Speaking of NEWHART, has it ever been in syndication? They don't show it on Nick At Nite...they don't show it anywhere!

[Elphaba]

Posted: 5/13/08 at 10:19am

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

naw, Bob Newhart Show took the prize.....and Mary Tyler Moore

[Elphaba]

Posted: 5/13/08 at 10:21am

mad, they took that clip down...no longer available ;o(

[Jon]

Posted: 5/13/08 at 12:22pm

The two WORST series finales were for the same show - 7th Heaven (after announcing the series was ending, they changed their minds and brought it back for one more year).

The first supposed series finale had three couples all announcing they were pregnant - WITH TWINS! The final shot had a chubby woman singing at a wedding reception. This actress was listed in the end credits as "fat lady". It ainT over till the fat lady sings - GET IT????

A year later, the actual real series finale had the entire extended family piling into an RV to drive to... who knows where?

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/13/08 at 1:06pm

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

"naw, Bob Newhart Show took the prize.....and Mary Tyler Moore"

While those shows were quite respectable, creativity goes to St. Elsewhere. The details are below.

***Spoiler Alert***

***You've been warned***

The ending of the show made the whole series take place in the mind of an autistic child.

[Trekkie2]

Posted: 5/13/08 at 1:20pm

Borstalboy, I saw that Ellen finale! Very smart and funny.