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Pick: Which classic TV show had the most satisfying series finale?
Do you prefer tears or a twist?
Spring is the season of rebirth, of new life. Well, in nature. On television, it's when everything traditionally ends. All shows have to come to an end sometime. (Except The Simpsons, it seems.) The only question is whether a series ends on its own terms… or unceremoniously comes to halt thanks to the network.
With some huge TV shows wrapping up their runs at the moment, series finales are once again a point of pop-culture discussion. And debate. So it begs the question: Which TV finale is your favorite?
Whether they tugged on our heartstrings or served up a twist, these finales stuck in our mind. We stuck to shows that ended in the 20th century.
Did we overlook your favorite? There were a lot of sleepers we didn't include. (China Beach!) Tell us in the comments.
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Pick your favorite TV series finale from the following memorable list:
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Pick: Which classic TV show had the most satisfying series finale?
Your Result...
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Nostalgia
122 Comments
MASH finale is one of,if not the worst, finales ever shown on television. Don't care that it got great ratings. So sappy, boring and even worse, shockingly unfunny. Thought it was supposed to be a COMEDY! At least that what we got in the first six seasons and then the show started to go downhill. Last crop of mediocre writers kind of forgot that the last few seasons I suspect so it's no wonder we got what we got in finale. Wish Ferrell would've at least shaved that stupid stache. Then at least we would've been reminded the night the finale originally aired
that the show was funny pre-stache. No "Breaking Bad" on the list? Incredibly written, produced and directed. I will watch anything Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould have on. Maybe even " Better Call Saul" and it's terrific finale? Just saying...
that the show was funny pre-stache. No "Breaking Bad" on the list? Incredibly written, produced and directed. I will watch anything Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould have on. Maybe even " Better Call Saul" and it's terrific finale? Just saying...
I loved mash, but that ending scene where Bob wakes up Emily to tell him about his dream was one of the funniest and most creative endings to a series. I laughed for so long.
"I Married Dora" was The Best!
The show was not a "Hit", but, the ending was perfect! I remember watching it..."emotional scene at the airport, kids & Dora saying goodbye to the father as he goes away on a long business trip...then he comes back from the airport terminal..
Dora, "What happened"?
Dad, "It was cancelled".
Dora, "Your flight was cancelled?"
Dad, "No, our show was cancelled!"
Then they all got out of character and thanked everyone...it was perfect. :)
The show was not a "Hit", but, the ending was perfect! I remember watching it..."emotional scene at the airport, kids & Dora saying goodbye to the father as he goes away on a long business trip...then he comes back from the airport terminal..
Dora, "What happened"?
Dad, "It was cancelled".
Dora, "Your flight was cancelled?"
Dad, "No, our show was cancelled!"
Then they all got out of character and thanked everyone...it was perfect. :)
I became so sick of Mash constantly preaching to the viewers as if we were stupid. Yes, war is bad, who knew?? Sure glad they beat that into us each week. It became tiresome very quickly the first season. It's viewers were probably all the cowards who ran to Canada before Vietnam ended. This nation was founded on revolution and fighting wars is what kept us free. I think we all understood it was not a pleasant business but a necessary one.
It seems to me that it was the start of the main stream media deciding how we should think. You know, their way.
It seems to me that it was the start of the main stream media deciding how we should think. You know, their way.
Wow talk about painting with broad strokes! That's quite a sweeping overgeneralization about who watches MASH?! Get over yourself.
While I often felt Alan Alda was a little too full of himself, I NEVER felt I was being treated as stupid. Everyone I knew watched M*A*S*H. No one I knew went to Canada, which was not cowardly. It must have taken those young men great courage to make the very difficult decision to risk never again seeing their family and friends. It was never just a matter of cowards who did not want to get shot. Our nation was not founded on revolution. Our nation was founded on the principles of freedom of religion, etc., and we fought a revolution to achieve that end. We do not ALL understand war to be a necessary business, so I'll thank you not to speak for me. I'm still not convinced we should have been sending our sons, brothers, husbands and fathers to their deaths in South Korea and Vietnam, nor will I even discuss the wars since then with a fool. If you found a TV shoe so tiresome, all you ever had to do was change the channel. M*A*S*H did not last 11 seasons because it was tiresome. Nor does mainstream media decide how we should think. If you're that easily swayed, so be it. I think and decide for myself. I wholeheartedly agree with David above when he says GET OVER YOURSELF.
No better ending to a sitcom EVER than Newhart. Creatively mind-blowing no one saw it coming.
Debate is now over.
Debate is now over.
That's *your* opinion, which you *are* entitled to. "Newhart" was very *dumb* and unconvincing, and so was the finale (which seemed to have been quickly thrown together).
Although I'm glad the "MASH" finale was the most popular, I chose "Happy Days." And although this is *my* opinion also, I thought it was a nice ending to one of my favorite shows during my teen years.
Although I'm glad the "MASH" finale was the most popular, I chose "Happy Days." And although this is *my* opinion also, I thought it was a nice ending to one of my favorite shows during my teen years.
A bit of tongue and cheek in the review is all!
The first two seasons of Happy Days were an excellent slice of nostalgic 50s decade.
After that the show slowly went downhill fast as Fonzie started to morph into a Super Hero and defying the common sense of the viewer.
After that the show slowly went downhill fast as Fonzie started to morph into a Super Hero and defying the common sense of the viewer.
Agreed! Loved the ending - can't think of a better wrap up other than the Monk series, where everyone lived happily ever after.
My choice would be a tie between Newhart and The Fugitive. In its day, The Fugitive finale had the highest number of viewers. Still, I'll never forget the Newhart finale.
While it wasn't my choice as best finale, I certainly agree that the "happily ever after" aspect of the ending was wonderful. Especially the idea of Sharona and Randy.
I remember some friends preferring to go out rather than watch the MASH finale. So I sat alone in the dark & actually cried. The show ran the gamut of emotions and as a 21yr old heading into the crazy world, I felt, in some way, the show helped prepare me for some of the joys and sorrows I'd be facing.
I like multiple choice!!!
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I thought the Perry Mason finale was cool, having the behind the scenes crew appear in front of the camera for a change.
* Gilligan's Island should've ended like Newhart with Maynard G. Krebs waking up from a dream! * This list failed to include Hawaii 5-O finale when McGarrett finally captured the ever elusive Wo-Fat and booked him himself! ☺
I am a big Seinfeld fan but I thought their finale show could have being a lot better. I would say it was one of the worst shows. It was too much crammed into an hour. I don't even bother watching it when it it is aired. They should have followed the same format that made the show popular, it should have being a show about nothing.
In contrast, actually the more I watch it the more I like it - bringing together all the characters from the show was great idea I think and the courtroom scene is hilarious.
I see that most people voted like they felt everyone else would so they didn't feel excluded.
70% similar to the most popular responses
I picked "Star Trek: The Next Generation" just out of a personal preference, although I really liked the M*A*S*H finale too.
Pick: Which classic TV show had the most satisfying series finale?
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100% similar to the most popular responses
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The final episode of "M.A.S.H." gets my vote every single time. It's a "WIN-WIN" scenario, you might say.
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100% similar to the most popular responses
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The final episode of "M.A.S.H." gets my vote every single time. It's a "WIN-WIN" scenario, you might say.
Happy Days - Joanie and Chachi get married :)
I did NOT vote for MASH even though it has always been in my wheelhouse and seems to be always on. My problem with it was that when it went up to 2 1/2 hours I felt they should have followed the characters home so we could see them reacclimate themselves to their real lives (Margaret I'm guessing would have stayed in the Army and been reassigned somewhere like Walter Reed or Lanstuhl). But I wanted to see Hawkeye's Dad, Mildred, Klinger's parents etc. So I found it a little disappointing.
So I went with Newhart even though I didn't watch it regularly I DID happen to see the finale and couldn't stop laughing.
So I went with Newhart even though I didn't watch it regularly I DID happen to see the finale and couldn't stop laughing.
I picked Seinfeld because of the way it came full circle back to the beginning of the pilot episode. It was like saying "We want to leave before we end up repeating ourselves". Plus you can look at it as the whole "I could not get arrested" actor thing.
Yeah, I went with Newhart because it stayed in line with a sitcom. It was a huge surprise. St. Elsewhere was similar. Mash was sooo long, and sappy.
I agree. I do not know why these sitcoms that have being popular by following a certain format all of a sudden go away from that on their finale episode. I hate the sappy endings where everyone is hugging and crying.
I saw the M*A*S*H Finale many, many times over the years, and it is my favorite of all. A lot of these I never saw. Or knew about even.