What with going off the air being in the air, I thought a look back at the best ever final episodes. 1. M*A*S*H Nothing else is really all that close, and it is doubtfull that any show ever will approach it's status, and the finale epitomized that. 2. Mary Tyler Moore. Never really watched the show myself, but industry people always mention it as the only rival for no. 1. 3. Newhart. Best single concept for a final show ever. 4. Cheers. Although the precedence Kelsey Grammer's character took, and it's obvious motivation, were somewhat annoying, it was sort of a prototype for saying goodbye. 5. Hard to pick one...Guess I'll go with Magnum P.I., simply for the last scene. Your guys lists?
At the very end, he wakes up...in bed with his wife from the Bob Newhart show...and says he'd had this weird dream, and that she should wear more sweaters. Recreated the set from the 70's show and everything.
since you said the finale epitomized it, are you saying no show will ever approach M*A*S*H's status as a show or just talking about the final (which makes the epitomize comment weird)? i've never seen the finale so it may be the best ever even though i hate the show (the viewership certainly indicates it was good) but i'm thinking M*A*S*H isn't the unrivaled best/highest status show ever. i can't comment on best last show ever cuz i can't really think of that many. i thought the way Cheers brought Diane back in was fairly cool but it wasn't the greatest show, though it was better than Seinfeld's. as for best first show (since last night my roommate and I were watching the That 70's Show pilot and discussing how first shows always make you wonder how the series ever got picked up), in terms of already being all in sync and having the characters down and looking like a show in "midseason form" has to be Scrubs.
1. I meant both, to a degree, but I'm full of weird comments. Bugs don't dance on tapioca like they did before rock and roll. 2. Cheers was sort of like " Hit all the buttons, get all the characters to say typical things." etc., but ot worked. 3. Seinfeld was notable by it's ommission. The last show sort of demonstrated all the rasons the show should have ended earlier. As for first shows, the ones I remember really hooking me were Twin Peaks, Murder One, MI-5, Coupling, and a few mysteries.
The correct term in this case is "its" not "it's." It's is a contraction of it is. (ie: It's a wonderful day) Its signifies possession. (ie: No show will approach its status) Nothing personal. I just get tired of seeing this over and over, and it is an error that is easily correctable. As for final shows, I can't think of a single one that really wowed me. The final episode of the first season of '24' was pretty great, with the death of Jack's wife and all. I'm not sure if that counts, though.
I don't know about all those shows, but as a young man in the 70's, I was devastated when Charlie’s Angels went off the air.
Stranger with Candy They blow-up Flat point High School to make room for a strip mall. "Strip Mall" was the name of the show replacing SWC. Kids in the Hall The Office Ladies and... "Ah...This is not the end...This is not even the beginning... of the end...But, it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."
I have to say 1. Newhart 2. Little House... - I can't believe that I would vote for this since I didn't ever watch this show, except maybe twice. The last episode they blew up the entire town of Walnut Grove. I think the idea of the show being over so mass destruction of the town is great. I really thought the Mash episode was little sappy. I never liked Friends so I won't watch it tonight to know where it rates.
I thought the IDEA for the last show of Seinfeld was great, but the execution just didn't seem to be there. I mean, it was clever, and it was an intriguing way to bring back characters and relive funny moments in the past, but it just didn't come across as funny for a show that so often had be laughing to the point of tears. I agree with most others, though- I haven't seen that many series finales.
The 4 you listed, MacBeth, are probably the cream of the crop. IMHO The Mary Tyler Moore final was the best. Here are some others that I enjoyed. WKRP in Cincinnati The ending of WKRP In Cincinnati: WKRP becomes the number one station in Cincinnati and Mama Carlson announces that she's going to change the format to news-talk. Johnny Fever confronts her at her house and gets her to admit that the station is a tax dodge, and it's supposed to lose money. He asks her what her son would feel like if he knew that and she relents, keeping the station like it is. Brilliantly done. The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Even though rumors had flown for years about Johnny's retirement, the audience (and the network) was shocked and surprised when he made the official announcement in May of 1991 at a network affiliate meeting in New York. He repeated the announcement that night when he appeared on Late Night with David Letterman. Johnny Carson had decided to leave The Tonight Show in May of 1992. NBC had been preparing for this day. Jay Leno, the permanent guest host, had been offered a contract with NBC long before Johnny made his announcement. That contract promised The Tonight Show to Jay Leno upon Johnny's departure. Robin Williams and Bette Midler were Johnny's last guests on May 21, 1992. But Johnny's final show featured no guests at all. Johnny, with Ed McMahon and Doc Severinsen, talked about their favorite Tonight Show memories and showed clips from previous shows to an audience estimated at 50 million viewers.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Sunnydale completely collapses into the Hellmouth, Spike saves the day, and EVERY potential slayer becomes endowed with slayer powers. Pretty cool ending. Not the BEST last episode ever, but pretty damn good. Star Trek: TNG's "All Good Things..." episode was amazing. A very fitting end to the series.
I stopped watching Star Trek:TNG after the first season. How did the finale go? I'm not sure if I've seen the last episode of any show on TV except The Critic (via DVD with a whimper) and Sex and the City (someone else's cable, almost the entire 1.5 last seasons were a let down ).
I was a huge ST:TNG fan and loved the series finale. Whatever happened to Q after TNG? He was one of my all time favorite tv characters.
