Best and worst TV series finales

Definitely. They had a couple in that role for the last season, but I don't remember the finale either.

I liked West Wing since it bought everything to an end for the Bartlett administration and kicked things off for Santos. My only disagreement with the FNL finale was, while it tied up all the loose ends, it was a "everyone lived happily ever after" ending ... but as much abuse as this show took from NBC, it deserved it. ER and Cheers were good as well ...

But Newhart? All-time classic, just because it was so unexpected!

 

While that would have been an amazing finale, it also would have robbed us of many great moments in Season 8 and a few in Season 9. Season 8 highlights include Elaine's dancing, "The Summer of George," cockfighting, yada yada yada and Elaine's Bizarro world.

 

Call it schmaltzy, but I kinda liked the finale for "Happy Days." I enjoyed the small breaking of the fourth wall, when Tom Bosley toasted the camera. Also the surprise return of the mustachioed Ron Howard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO8OpPEEpmI

And here's a wild card for the young'uns like me: For those that remember "Dinosaurs," the ABC/TGIF show produced by Jim Henson Productions in the 1990s. Earl Sinclair gets roped in to having a role in the demise of the dinosaurs' world, and we fade to black with the quasi-CNN (in their world, DNN) anchor saying goodbye as if it was forever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPTUA_wdp78

 

I remember Dinosaurs. Fitting that Earl being stupid would be the end of that world.

Not the mama!

 

That was a great parting line. Allan Arbus was worth every penny during his guest spots as Sidney. He and Alan Alda had strong chemistry.

We'll agree to disagree on the execution. Thing is, my parents loved it, I really enjoyed it and it had been running since before I was born. I knew it was the end of something special. All these years later, that feeling has yet to depart.

Wasn't the biggest fan of "Cheers," but the finale was nicely done. Right down to Sam Malone being alone in the bar.

 

I'd put this one

Right up against the Cop Rock fat lady singing finale as best endings to bad series.

 

Smallville: 10 years of build-up, and Tom Welling wouldn't wear the suit. Major disappointment.

House: Faking his own death, because we wouldn't want to be too subtle with the whole Sherlock Holmes parallel. Lame.

 

I've never even heard of that show, but that's well played.

 

The Seinfeld finale was the biggest letdown in the history of TV.

 

Seinfeld was weird ... it went downhill extremely quickly in the last five or six episodes of the final season. Michael Richards began overacting Kramer to the point where it was unbearable. There was still plenty to like in season 8 and early in season 9, but you could tell they had just flat run out of ideas by the end.

The Wonder Years finale is a great call. That show paralleled my youth. It started with Kevin Arnold in the seventh grade, and I was the in the seventh grade. It's a little weird to watch on Netflix because they don't have some of the musical rights (most notably the opening credits), but it still kind of brings me back to a place whenever I do watch.

 

I have always thought that the Seinfeld finale was a victim of all the hype surrounding it. It was pretty hard to live up to it. I was disapointed the first time I saw it, but have come to think it is one of the all time great finales. Then Curb Your Enthusiasm made a Seinfeld finale (to make up for the first one as they say), that was great too. I also liked the Raymond finale, nothing special really but it ended with the family sitting around the table having breakfast, just a really nice last picture of that family.

 

Wait. Welling refused to wear the suit? You sent me off researching, but so far I only found one article ripping Welling and saying that he insisted on the "No tights, no flight" rule that held for most of the series. That rule was from the original show runners, not Welling. He was a complete unknown who didn't have that kind of control when the show took the air.

It was odd that they never had one good shot of him in costume. Not sure it qualifies as best or worst, though. Was always a decent, but not great show. I thought the finale fit right in.