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{{Short description|Final installment of an episodic entertainment series}}
'''Series finale''' is a promotional/advertising term used to describe the final episode of a [[television series]], usually a [[sitcom]] or a [[drama]].
{{For|the ''[[WandaVision]]'' episode|The Series Finale}}
{{Redirect|Final Episode|the song|The Final Episode (Let's Change the Channel)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{global|date=April 2023}}
 
A '''series finale''' is the final installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often a [[television series]]. It may also refer to a final theatrical sequel, the last part of a television miniseries, the last installment of a literary series, or any final episode.
The term came into use in American Television in the early [[1990s]], as a variation of the term [[season finale]], which indicated the end of a television [[season (television)|season]]. Prior to that, ending episodes were referred to simply as the final episode or last episode. As a common use term, the term "series finale" does serve to distinguish between a planned final episode (one which includes resolution) and the last episode of a show which was cancelled after the last show was filmed. The majority of television programs are cancelled with little advance warning, so the occurrence of a series finale is relatively rare in comparison. In some cases, (''[[Jesse (TV series)|Jesse]]'', for example) a network buys a show, puts it on a hiatus, and then decides to cancel it; if any remaining episodes from the original production order make it to air, the last one is billed as a series finale.
 
==Origins in television==
A planned series finale often occurs only for shows that have distinguished themselves, developed an audience, and persisted for at least several seasons. Shows cancelled after two or three seasons rarely get such honors. However in some circumstances, if an unexpected cancellation is announced long enough ahead of time, writers can rewrite the last episode scheduled for production to give the series some degree of closure, creating a series finale. A recent example of such would be the [[2005]] finale of ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]''.
Most early television series consisted of stand-alone episodes rather than continuing story arcs, so there was little reason to provide closure at the end of their runs. Early comedy series that had special finale episodes include ''[[Howdy Doody]]'' in September 1960, ''[[Leave It to Beaver]]'' in June 1963, ''[[Hank (1965 TV series)|Hank]]'' in April 1966, and ''[[The Dick Van Dyke Show]]'' in June 1966. One of the few dramatic series to have a planned finale during this period was ''[[Route 66 (TV series)|Route 66]]'', which concluded in March 1964 with a two-part episode in which the pair of philosophical drifters ended their journey across America and then went their separate ways.
 
Considered to be "the series finale that invented the modern-day series finale,"<ref name="MSN">{{cite web|url=http://tv.msn.com/tv/BestFinales-1|title=TV's All-Time Best Series' Finales|access-date=14 July 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070703031935/http://tv.msn.com/tv/BestFinales-1|archive-date=3 July 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> the August 1967 final episode of [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]'s ''[[The Fugitive (1963 TV series)|The Fugitive]]'', "The Judgment: Part 2", attracted a 72% audience share when broadcast.<ref name="Top 100 TV Shows of All Time">{{cite news|url=http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=chart_pass&charttype=chart_topshowsalltime|title=Top 100 TV Shows of All Time|access-date=14 July 2007 | work=Variety}}</ref> This remained the highest viewership percentage in American television history until the 1977 finale of the TV mini-series ''[[Roots (1977 miniseries)|Roots]]'' (on the same network) and later the 1980 [[Who Done It (Dallas)|resolution episode]] of the internationally prominent "[[Who shot J.R.?]]" cliffhanger of [[CBS]]' ''[[Dallas (TV series)|Dallas]]''.
Finales started becoming popular in the 1970s, after <i>[[The Fugitive (TV series)|The Fugitive]]</i>'s closing episode became one of the most highly-rated of all time. Prior to that, most series consisted of stand-alone episodes without continuing story arcs, so there was little reason to provide closure. Today, a series finale is an event for both fans and creators of the show and always draws higher ratings.
 
==Notable television series finales==
Usually, a series finale is a dramatic conclusion to the basic premise of the series. Final episodes frequently feature fundamental changes in the central plot line, such as the union of a couple, the resolution of a central mystery or problem, the separation of the major characters, or (frequently) the sale of a home or business that serves as the series' primary setting. Indeed, in a final episode it is also possible to do things that would be considered [[jumping the shark]] at any other point in the series' run. (In fact, this is usually what happens when the show is continued in a continuation [[spin-off]] done after the finale of the original series.)
 
===Most-watched American series finales===
Another trend involves acknowledging the fundamental unreality of the series, as ''[[St. Elsewhere]]'' and ''[[Newhart]]'' did.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! {{Abbr|No.|Number}}
! Year
! Title
! Views
|-
|style="background:#B0C4DE;" |1 || 1983 || ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H]]'' || 105 million
|-
|style="background:#B0C4DE;" |2 || 1993 || ''[[Cheers]]'' || 93 million
|-
|style="background:#B0C4DE;" |3 || 1967 || ''[[The Fugitive (1963 TV series)|The Fugitive]]'' || 78 million
|-
|style="background:#B0C4DE;" |4 || 1998 || ''[[Seinfeld]]'' || 76.3 million
|-
|style="background:#B0C4DE;" |5 || 2004 || ''[[Friends]]'' || 52.5 million
|-
|style="background:#B0C4DE;" |6 || 1988 || ''[[Magnum P.I.]]'' || 50.7 million
|-
|style="background:#B0C4DE;" |7 || 1992 || ''[[The Cosby Show]]'' || 44.4 million
|-
|style="background:#B0C4DE;" |8 || 1979 || ''[[All in the Family]]'' || 40.2 million
|-
|style="background:#B0C4DE;" |9 || 1989 || ''[[Family Ties]]'' || 36.3 million
|-
|style="background:#B0C4DE;" |10 || 1999 || ''[[Home Improvement (TV series)|Home Improvement]]'' || 35.5 million
|-
|style="background:#B0C4DE;" |11 || 2004 || ''[[Frasier]]'' || 33.7 million
|-
|style="background:#B0C4DE;" |12 || 1991 || ''[[Dallas (TV series)|Dallas]]'' || 33.3 million
|-
|style="background:#B0C4DE;" |13 || 2005 || ''[[Everybody Loves Raymond]]'' || 32.9 million
|-
|style="background:#B0C4DE;" |14 || 1994 || ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' || 31 million
|-
|style="background:#B0C4DE;" |15 || 1975 || ''[[Gunsmoke]]'' || 30.9 million
|-
|style="background:#B0C4DE;" |16 || 1984 || ''[[Happy Days]]'' || 30.5 million
|-
|style="background:#B0C4DE;" |17 || 1990 || ''[[Newhart]]'' || 29.5 million
|-
|style="background:#B0C4DE;" |18 || 1992 || ''[[The Golden Girls]]'' || 27.2 million
|-
|style="background:#B0C4DE;" |19 || 1995 || ''[[Full House]]'' || 24.3 million
|-
|style="background:#B0C4DE;" |20 || 1988 || ''[[St. Elsewhere]]'' || 22.5 million
|-
|}
 
The most watched series finale in American television history remains the 1983 finale of the [[CBS]] war/medical dramedy ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H]]'', titled "[[Goodbye, Farewell and Amen]]". Viewed by 105.9 million viewers and drawing 77% of those watching televisions at the time, the finale of ''M*A*S*H'' held the record for most watched telecast of all-time for decades until 2010's [[Super Bowl XLIV]] edged it out with 106 million viewers, which coincidentally also aired on CBS. However, ''M*A*S*H'''s final episode remains the all-time most-watched U.S. television episode (and so far, the only single television episode in American history to be watched by at least 100 million viewers for a single telecast).<ref name="businessinsider.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/highest-rated-tv-finale-episodes-2012-3?op=1|title=Highest Rated TV Finale Episodes|date=19 March 2012|work=Business Insider|access-date=19 June 2015}}</ref>
Final episodes often include looks into the future or detailed looks into the series' past, or sometimes both (as in <i>[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]</i>'s finale). Characters who have left the show often return. Characters may finally accomplish things they have never done, running gags are brought to an end, and [[unseen characters]] are revealed. There may also be allusions to other shows that have gone on into television history, and sometimes a character or two may be set up for a sequel series (i.e., ''[[Cheers]]'' begetting ''[[Frasier]]''; or ''[[Friends]]'' begetting ''[[Joey (sitcom)|Joey]]'') in which characters from the series being concluded just might show up from time to time for a visit. Shows that feature a character who confronts villains on a regular basis often build their finales around a final, no-holds-barred confrontation between the hero and the most notorious villain he or she has faced.
 
The second-most-watched series finale in American television history was the 1993 finale of the [[NBC]] comedy ''[[Cheers]]'', titled "[[One for the Road (Cheers)|One for the Road]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/top-rated-tv-finales-time/story?id=20419312#1|title=Top-Rated TV Finales of All Time|author=ABC News|work=ABC News|access-date=19 June 2015|date=30 September 2013}}</ref> "One for the Road" was watched by between 80.4 million and 93.5 million viewers (estimates vary) while drawing 64% of TVs turned on at the time. To date, "One for the Road" remains the most watched American TV series finale following the rise of [[cable television]], and in terms of sheer viewership numbers for non-sports programming, sits second only to the aforementioned finale of ''M*A*S*H''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eightiesclub.tripod.com/id13.htm|title=Television in the 1980s|work=tripod.com|access-date=19 June 2015|archive-date=18 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090318100759/http://eightiesclub.tripod.com/id13.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Series finales for shows that are cancelled suddenly are sometimes seen as making relatively haphazard or rushed conclusions, or sometimes having merely reflective feeling rather than tying up loose ends.
 
With only slightly fewer viewers than the series finale of ''Cheers'' was the finale of its one-time follow-up on NBC's "[[Must See TV]]" Thursday night line-up, the absurdist NBC comedy ''[[Seinfeld]]''. The third most-watched American TV series finale in television history, ''Seinfeld''{{'}}s controversial 1998 episode "[[The Finale (Seinfeld)|The Finale]]" was watched by 76.3 million people, drawing 67% of all televisions turned on at the time – as the ''[[New York Times]]'' put it, "grazing Super Bowl country" in terms of viewership.<ref name="mentalfloss.com">{{cite web|url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/24673/10-most-watched-series-finales-ever|title=The 10 Most-Watched Series Finales Ever|work=Mental Floss|access-date=19 June 2015|date=28 February 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/16/arts/rating-for-seinfeld-finale-grazed-super-bowl-country.html|title=Rating for 'Seinfeld' Finale Grazed Super Bowl Country|first=Bill|last=Carter|date=16 May 1998|access-date=18 March 2018|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>
Some [[feature film]] series have had the equivalent of series finales in which the producers claim would be the final film. However, often times if that supposedly final film is particularly successful, the series will continue regardless.
 
With the shift away from network television viewing toward cable television viewing (and later, internet use) that occurred during the decade between the finales of ''M*A*S*H'' (1983) and ''Cheers'' (1993) – and continued unabated until and beyond the finale of ''Seinfeld'' (1998) – it remains debatable which of these three "event" series finales accomplished the most impressive viewership numbers.<ref name="businessinsider.com"/> Moreover, a large gap in viewership numbers exists between the Super Bowl-sized audiences of the ''M*A*S*H'', ''Cheers'' and ''Seinfeld'' finales, and the fourth and fifth most watched series finales in television history – respectively, those of the comedy ''[[Friends]]'' (2004, NBC, 52.5 million viewers) and the detective procedural ''[[Magnum, P.I.]]'' (1988, CBS, 50.7 million viewers). The ''Friends'' finale's ("[[The Last One (Friends)|The Last One]]") viewership numbers dwarf those of all finales since the start of the new millennium and seem particularly impressive in light of the increased media options since the 1990s "event" finales of ''Cheers'' (1993) and ''Seinfeld'' (1998).<ref name="mentalfloss.com"/>
Since the 1980s, series finales for especially popular programs are often much longer than a regular series episode, in anticipation of higher ratings as former viewers who may have stopped watching the show return one last time and people who never really watched do so.
 
In [[Great Britain|Britain]], the most-acclaimed series finale of sitcoms was from ''[[Blackadder]]''. In 1989, the Britcom, starring [[Rowan Atkinson]] as a Blackadder in 1917 [[World War I|WW1]], goes "over the top" with his regiment, leaving their fate unknown as fade to a field of poppies. The finale was praised as a "perfect end-of-show finale".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cromwell |first=Rob |date=2011-10-06 |title=Six to watch: perfect end-of-show finales |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2011/oct/06/six-to-watch-show-finales |access-date=2024-01-24 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-11-02 |title=The brilliant but sad end to Blackadder thirty years on |url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/18010087.brilliant-sad-end-blackadder-thirty-years/ |access-date=2024-01-24 |website=The National |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-02-20 |title=25 years later, Blackadder's finale is still devastating |url=https://www.avclub.com/25-years-later-blackadder-s-finale-is-still-devastatin-1798266444 |access-date=2024-01-24 |website=The A.V. Club |language=en}}</ref>
==Notable series finales==
{{spoiler}}
 
=== Reception ===
===[[1963 in television|1963]]===
{{excessive examples|section|date=August 2022}}
* '''''[[Leave It to Beaver]]''''' – June brings out the family scrapbook, and the Cleavers recall memories and lessons learned via [[clip show|clips]] from previous episodes.
No matter how critically lauded during their respective runs, relatively few popular television series finales end up pleasing critics and audiences universally or escaping controversy. Prominent examples of controversial series finales include the final episodes of the comedies ''[[Roseanne]]'' ("[[Into That Good Night]]", 1997), ''[[Seinfeld]]'' ("[[The Finale (Seinfeld)|The Finale]]", 1998), ''[[How I Met Your Mother]]'' ("[[Last Forever]]", 2014), and ''[[Two and a Half Men]]'' ("[[Of Course He's Dead]]", 2015), and those of the dramas [[The Prisoner]] ([[Fall Out (The Prisoner)|Fall Out]] ,1968) , ''[[Game of Thrones]]'' ("[[The Iron Throne (Game of Thrones)|The Iron Throne]]", 2019), ''[[True Blood]]'' ("Thank You", 2014), and ''[[Dexter (TV series)|Dexter]]'' ("[[Remember the Monsters?]]", 2013).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/seinfeld-the-finale-1798172472|title=Seinfeld: "The Finale"|work=The A.V. Club|date=19 April 2012 |access-date=January 19, 2022}}</ref> The final episodes of ''Dexter'', ''How I Met Your Mother'' and ''Game of Thrones'', in particular, triggerred massive backlash from both fans and critics upon airing, and are often regarded as the worst finales in recent memory.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newsweek.com/game-thrones-ending-worst-dexter-lost-twitter-1430358|title=Twitter curates lineup of TV endings worse than 'Game Of Thrones'|author=Kelly Wynne|date=May 20, 2019|work=Newsweek|access-date=January 31, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-19 |title=Why the Game of Thrones Finale Is Still Inexcusably Bad, Explained |url=https://collider.com/game-of-thrones-ending-bad-explained/ |access-date=2022-03-14 |website=Collider |language=en-US}}</ref>
 
Some series endings have proved divisive among viewers immediately on airing, leading to extensive discussions online, but ended up being generally lauded by critics. Notable examples of this trend are the finales of ''[[The Sopranos]]'' ("[[Made in America (The Sopranos)|Made in America]]", 2007), ''[[The Wire]]'' ("[[-30- (The Wire)|-30-]]", 2008), and ''[[Lost (2004 TV series)|Lost]]'' ("[[The End (Lost)|The End]]", 2010).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Herman |first1=Alison |title=Ten Years Later, the 'Sopranos' Finale Is Still Revolutionary |url=https://www.theringer.com/2017/6/9/16038326/sopranos-finale-influence-10-years-later-d0571c03f088 |website=The Ringer |access-date=January 19, 2022 |date=June 9, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Lost the Morning After: Critics face "The End" |url=https://cultural-learnings.com/2010/05/24/lost-the-morning-after-critics-face-the-end/ |website=Cultural Learnings |access-date=January 19, 2022 |date=May 24, 2010}}</ref> For example, ''The Sopranos''<nowiki/>' finale caused millions of viewers to temporarily believe they had lost cable service due to an abrupt blackout.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2014/05/sopranos-creator-david-chase-discusses-the-unknown-facts-of-the-show-and-its-infamously-ambiguous-finale-27145/|title='Sopranos' Creator David Chase Discusses the Unknown Fact|author=Ziyad Saadi|date=May 2, 2014|work=Indiewire|access-date=January 19, 2022}}</ref> All three episodes were also nominated for multiple [[Primetime Emmy Awards]], including [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series|Outstanding Writing]], with ''The Sopranos''<nowiki/>' finale winning.
===[[1966 in television|1966]]===
* '''''[[The Dick Van Dyke Show]]''''' - ''The Last Chapter'' - Rob Petrie has finally finished his [[memoir]], and gives it to his wife Laura to read. Laura's reading and reminiscing provides the excuse for [[clip show|clips]]. At the end of the show, Rob's boss, Alan Brady, offers to buy the rights to Rob's book. He wants to use it as the basis of a television series starring himself. (This twist is a marvelous bit of self-reference, since [[Carl Reiner]], who played Alan Brady, had created ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' based upon his own life as a comedy writer.)
 
Several television series have, however, managed to produce final episodes that lived up to both critics' and audiences' expectations. Examples include the twist endings that concluded both the ''[[Newhart]]'' and ''[[St. Elsewhere]]'' finales, the mixture of comedy and resonance that wrapped up ''[[The Mary Tyler Moore Show]]'', ''[[Friends]]'', ''[[Everybody Loves Raymond]]'', and ''[[Brooklyn Nine-Nine]]'' and the redemption arc that concluded ''[[The Fugitive (1963 TV series)|The Fugitive]]''.<ref name="nypost.com">{{cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2014/03/26/the-7-greatest-series-finales/|title=The 7 greatest TV series finales|work=New York Post|access-date=19 June 2015|date=26 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20593459_20387623_20789048,00.html#20603513|title=Entertainment Weekly|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=19 June 2015|archive-date=12 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012025834/http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20593459_20387623_20789048,00.html#20603513|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===[[1967 in television|1967]]===
* '''''[[The Fugitive (TV series)|The Fugitive]]''''' - Dr. Kimble finally catches up to the one-armed man. The two of them do battle atop a water-tower. Kimble prevails, and the one-arm man finally confesses to the murder of Kimble's wife. He then catches Kimble in a surprise attack, but before he can kill Kimble he is shot and killed by Lt. Gerard (who finally believes Kimble's story). Kimble is cleared of his wife's murder, he and Gerard make their peace, and Kimble's days of running are finally over.
 
Several more series finales have received unanimous critical and popular acclaim and are often considered as benchmarks for great TV endings. Recent examples include the finales of ''[[Breaking Bad]]'' ("[[Felina (Breaking Bad)|Felina]]", 2013), ''[[Community (TV series)|Community]]'' ("[[Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television]]", 2015), ''[[The Good Place]]'' ("[[Whenever You're Ready (The Good Place)|Whenever You're Ready]]", 2020), ''[[Better Call Saul]]'' ("[[Saul Gone]]", 2022),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-62574267|title=Better Call Saul: Critics hail 'masterful' finale|date=17 August 2022|website=[[BBC Online]]|access-date=20 June 2023}}</ref> and ''[[Succession (TV series)|Succession]]'' ("[[With Open Eyes]]", 2023).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2018/05/31/series-finales-10-best-and-five-worst-all-time-americans-breaking-bad-mash-lost-himym-newhart-cheers/636504002/|title = The 10 best (And five worst) TV series finales of all time|website = [[USA Today]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/best-tv-finales-of-all-time-the-americans-30-rock-breaking-bad-2018-6#the-americans-season-6-episode-10-start-17|title=The 17 best TV series finales of all time, from 'The Americans' to '30 Rock'|website=[[Business Insider]]}}</ref>
===[[1975 in television|1975]]===
* '''''[[The Odd Couple (television)|The Odd Couple]]''''' – Felix and his ex-wife, Edna, [[reconciliation|reconcile]] and announce plans to re-marry. Felix moves out and bids his longtime roommate, Oscar, farewell. Once Felix walks out the door, Oscar gleefully celebrates by messing up the tidy apartment.
 
Examples of universally acclaimed finales from earlier in the millennium include those of Britain's ''[[The Office (British TV series)|The Office]]'' ("Interview", 2002), ''[[The Shield]]'' ("[[Family Meeting]]", 2008), and ''[[Six Feet Under (TV series)|Six Feet Under]]'' ("[[Everyone's Waiting]]", 2005), the last of which ''[[TV Guide]]'' ranked at No. 22 on their list of "TV's Top 100 Episodes of All Time".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvguidemagazine.com/feature/tvs-top-100-episodes-of-all-time-40-21-1441.html?page=2 |title=TV's Top 100 Episodes of All Time |publisher=TV Guide Magazine |access-date=24 October 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100409183339/http://www.tvguidemagazine.com/feature/tvs-top-100-episodes-of-all-time-40-21-1441.html?page=2 |archive-date=9 April 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.tvguide.com/special/best-of-decade/galleries.aspx?gallery=Moments-Decade-1012504&page=11|title=Top Moments of the Decade|magazine=TV Guide|access-date=17 October 2010}}</ref>
===[[1977 in television|1977]]===
* '''''[[The Electric Company]]''''' – The finale of this [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] children's show was most notable for its closing skit. The cast gathers to sing, "That's All," which acknowledged this would be the final new episode. Reruns would continue on many PBS stations for the next decade.
* '''''[[Mary Tyler Moore (TV series)|Mary Tyler Moore]]''''' - The new executive staff at WJM announces sweeping changes at the TV station. In an effort to improve its newscast's struggling ratings, everyone in the news department loses their jobs. That is, except for Ted Baxter, in a bit of irony since he had been blamed in the past for the station's lethargic ratings. After one last emotional gathering in the newsroom – punctuated by a great big group hug – Mary and Lou thank everyone for all the good times. Everyone then leaves singing, "It's a long, long way to Tipperary" before heading off their separate ways.
 
==Plot devices==
===[[1978 in television|1978]]===
* '''''[[The Bob Newhart Show]]''''' - Bob sells his Chicago-based psychiatrist's practice to take a teaching job at a college in Oregon.
 
Television series finales frequently feature fundamental deviations from the central plot line, such as the resolution of a central mystery or problem, (e.g. ''[[Dallas (TV series)|Dallas]]'', ''[[Two and a Half Men]]'', ''[[Full House]]'') the separation or return of a major character (e.g. ''[[Cheers]]'', ''[[That '70s Show]]'', ''[[The Office (American TV series)|The Office]]'') or an event signifying the end of an era, such as a change to primary setting for the series (e.g. ''[[The Mary Tyler Moore Show]]'', ''[[Boy Meets World]]'', ''[[Martin (TV series)|Martin]]'', ''[[Liv and Maddie]]'')
===[[1979 in television|1979]]===
* '''''[[Good Times]]''''' - The long-struggling Evans family and their friends finally have some good fortune: J.J. sells a comic strip to a publisher, Keith gets a pro football job, and Willona gets a promotion.
 
Series finales will sometimes include clips or characters from the series' past (e.g. ''[[Seinfeld]]'', ''[[Suits (American TV series)|Suits]]'', ''Martin'', ''Star Trek: The Next Generation''), and the ending moments of the episode often take place in the show's primary setting.
===[[1980 in television|1980]]===
* '''''[[Hawaii Five-O]]''''' - After years of eluding Det. McGarrett's capture, criminal genius Wo Fat is finally brought to justice. This happens during McGarrett's investigation into the disappearance of three scientists. McGarrett disguises himself as a scientist, springing a trap that finally captures his longtime [[nemesis]].
 
==Premature series finales==
===[[1981 in television|1981]]===
In some cases, a TV series finale proves [[Unfinished creative work#Television|premature]], as was the case with ''[[Here's Lucy]]'', ''[[7th Heaven (TV series)|7th Heaven]]'', ''[[Charmed]]'', ''[[Babylon 5]]'', and ''[[Arrested Development]]'' to name but a few.<ref name="writing">{{cite web | title= From jms re: yr 4/5 | author=J. Michael Straczynski | author-link=J. Michael Straczynski | date=18 December 1996 | publisher=[[Compuserve]] | url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-6929 | access-date=8 November 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=How will this play out | author=J. Michael Straczynski | date=21 May 1997 | publisher=Compuserve | url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-2847 | access-date=8 November 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930181417/http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-2847 | archive-date=30 September 2007 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Some shows that have constantly been in danger of cancellation wrote every [[season finale]] with the idea that the episode would serve as a quality series finale if the network decided not to bring it back; in recent years from NBC's Thursday night comedy lineup, ''[[Parks and Recreation]]'' used this formula for the season finales for Seasons 3–6, before getting a renewal for a seventh and final season where the series finale was planned in advance, and ''[[Community (TV series)|Community]]'' wrote its fifth-season finale with the notion that whether the show found new life elsewhere or not, it would definitely not be returning to the network (while NBC did indeed cancel the show, it was renewed for a sixth season by [[Yahoo! Screen]], where the season, and sure enough, series finale was once again scripted as a potential last episode ever; the final image is that of text reading "#andamovie", a reference to the show's recurring [[catchphrase]] "[[six seasons and a movie]]"). The series finale of ''[[Dr. Ken]]'', a fictionalized sitcom based on the life of doctor-turned-actor [[Ken Jeong]], features the title character trying out for a fictional version of ''Community'' (Jeong was a cast member in real life).
* '''''[[Blake's 7]]''''' - After being absent for two years, Blake returns and has apparently turned traitor (though this is in fact a ruse). In a misunderstanding, Avon shoots Blake dead, then the rest of the crew are gunned down by Federation troopers. The final shots show Avon surrounded by troopers and raising his gun, then gun shots are heard...
 
The medical comedy ''[[Scrubs (TV series)|Scrubs]]'' aired its two-part finale episode billed simply as a "My Finale" in May 2009 as the show's renewal or cancellation had not been decided as of its airing, and so it was not known whether the episode would conclude just the season or the entire series; ''Scrubs'' would eventually be renewed for one additional season, which became a de facto spin-off series titled ''[[Scrubs (season 9)|Scrubs: Med School]]''.
===[[1982 in television|1982]]===
* '''''[[Barney Miller]]''''' - Wojo unwittingly unearths an antique weapon in the 12th Precinct headquarters. Further research reveals that the precinct house was once the headquarters of [[Theodore Roosevelt]] (when he was president of the New York Police Board nearly 90 years earlier). As a result, the building is placed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] and the precinct is ordered to vacate. The gang is left to reminisce about good (and not-so-good) times, remember friends that have since departed and ponder their futures in new assignments. Barney was named deputy inspector, while Officer Levitt was promoted to sergeant.
* '''''[[WKRP in Cincinnati]]''''' - WKRP rockets to sixth place, but Mr. Carlson's Mom, the owner of the station, decides to convert 'KRP into an all-news station. The plot is foiled when Johnny Fever discovers the station was a tax writeoff, designed to fail. Fever convinces Mama Carlson to let the station try to succeed, rather that have her son find out.
 
The cartoon ''[[Futurama]]'' has had four designated series finales, due to the recurringly uncertain future of the series. "[[The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings]]", "[[Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder|Into the Wild Green Yonder (Part 4)]]", "[[Overclockwise]]", and "[[Meanwhile (Futurama)|Meanwhile]]" have all been written to serve as a final episode for the show.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ifmagazine.com/feature.asp?article=3955 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100907171942/http://ifmagazine.com/feature.asp?article=3955 |archive-date=7 September 2010 |title=Exclusive Interview: 'FUTURAMA' CO-CREATOR DAVID X. COHEN BLOWS OUT THE 100TH EPISODE CANDLE AND TALKS ABOUT THE SEASON SIX FINALE |work=If |date=1 September 2010 |access-date=19 March 2012 |author=Cortez, Carl |url-status=dead }} Archived by [[Wayback Machine]] from on 7 September 2010.</ref><ref name="Exclusive Page 3">{{cite web | url=http://www.ugo.com/tv/futurama-david-x-cohen-interview?page=3 | title=Exclusive: Futurama Creator Spills on Special Last, Last Episode! (Page 3) | work=UGO | date=22 June 2010 | access-date=25 August 2010 | author=Zalben, Alex | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615043537/http://www.ugo.com/tv/futurama-david-x-cohen-interview?page=3 | archive-date=15 June 2011 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>
===[[1983 in television|1983]]===
* '''''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H]]''''' - ''Goodbye, Farewell & Amen'' - As the [[Korean War]] draws to a close, the crew of the 4077th ponder their respective futures. [[Hawkeye Pierce|Hawkeye]] has been committed to a [[mental hospital]], attended by [[Sidney Freedman]]. [[Major Charles Emerson Winchester III|Charles]] teaches a group of Chinese musicians to play Mozart, but the group is killed en route to a prisoner exchange. [[Father John Patrick Francis Mulcahy|Father Mulcahey]] is deafened by a mortar explosion. [[Maxwell Q. Klinger|Klinger]] marries Soon-Lee, and decides to stay with her in Korea. As the camp is dismantled following the [[armistice]], the recently-cleared Hawkeye and [[B.J. Hunnicutt|B.J.]] find it difficult to say goodbye to each other. Charles leaves on a garbage truck, and [[Colonel Sherman T. Potter|Colonel Potter]] takes Sophie for one last ride. When Hawkeye lifts off in the final helicopter to leave, he sees "GOODBYE" written on the ground in white stones.
 
The series ''[[American Dad!]]'' had two possible finales, the season premiere of [[American Dad! (season 8)|the eighth season]], "[[Hot Water (American Dad!)|Hot Water]]" was written due to the uncertainty from the staff of the show getting picked up. The [[wikt:penultimate|penultimate]] episode [[American Dad! (season 19)|of Season 19]] was also intended as a series finale, as revealed by showrunner and executive producer [[Matt Weitzman]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Sarrubba |first1=Stefania |last2=Patel |first2=Tanavi |date=2022-08-04 |title=American Dad! bosses discuss final episode plans |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a40811352/american-dad-final-episode-plans/ |access-date=2022-09-06 |website=Digital Spy |language=en-GB}}</ref>
===[[1984 in television|1984]]===
* '''''[[Happy Days]]''''' – After years of dating, and then not dating, Joanie and Chachi get engaged. With Fonzie and Jenny Piccalo serving as the best man and matron of honor, Father Delvecchio (Al's twin brother) marries the couple in the Cunninghams' back yard. Richie and Lori Beth arrive just before the ceremony begins. Meanwhile, Fonzie – who has become busy with the [[Big Brothers Big Sisters of America]] program – decides to adopt his "Little Brother," an orphaned boy named Danny. However, the adoption may not take place since Fonzie is a bachelor, leading Howard to give a passionate speech at the adoption agency about how the rules stink. Eventually, Fonzie is allowed to adopt Danny. After the wedding, Howard toasts the newlyweds and – perhaps in stepping out of character – the series, thanking everyone for sharing years of good times together. The episode ends with a montage of [[clip show|clips]] from the series, set to [[Elvis Presley]]'s "Memories."
* '''''[[Little House on the Prairie]]''''' (actually the telefilm sequel ''Little House: The Last Farewell'') – In 1901, the citizens of Walnut Grove try to thwart a land tycoon's efforts to obtain Hero Township to build a railroad. When their efforts fail, the townspeople decide to blow up the entire town, forcing the tycoon to rebuild everything. This two-hour movie was the second and final special to air during the 1983-1984 season, a year after "Little House" had officially been cancelled by [[National Broadcasting Company|NBC]]. Although "The Last Farewell" was billed as the series' finale, a "Little House" Christmas movie (filmed in 1983) didn't air until December 1984.
* '''''[[One Day at a Time]]''''' – The last two episodes saw the lives of two of the show's most important characters – Ann and Schneider – take different directions. In the next to last episode, Ann announces she and Sam will be moving to [[London, England|London]] when she accepts a job offer. In the finale, Schneider's brother passes away, leaving behind a son and daughter. Schneider takes custody of his nephew and niece, and accepts a new job as maintenance supervisor for a children's amusement center.
* '''''[[Three's Company]]''''' - The three roommates find themselves going their separate ways: Janet gets married and moves in with her new husband, Terri goes to Hawaii to work with children, and Jack moves, along with his girlfriend Vicky, to the apartment above his restaurant.
 
The series finale of ''[[The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour]]'' (itself an epilogue to ''[[I Love Lucy]]'') was unintentionally fitting: stars [[Lucille Ball]] and [[Desi Arnaz]] were about to divorce and end the show, a fact that the show's guest star for what would be the final program, [[Edie Adams]], did not know when she chose the song she would sing on the program. Prophetically, the song was named "That's All."<ref>{{Citation|editor-last=Kanfer|editor-first=Stefan|title=Ball of fire: the tumultuous life and comic art of Lucille Ball|publisher=Alfred A. Knopf|year=2004|page=384|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j66uvWzubRwC&q=edie+adams&pg=PA214|isbn=978-0-375-72771-9|access-date=12 January 2012}}</ref> The series also ended with Lucy and Ricky making up and kissing, while in reality Ball and Arnaz would not (the two would eventually reconcile later in life, although both would go on to marry other people). The last produced half-hour episode was titled "The Ricardos Dedicate a Statue" which included real-life kids [[Lucie Arnaz]] and [[Desi Arnaz Jr.]] in the final scene where Ricky unveils what he thinks is a [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] statue only to find out that it is Lucy.
===[[1985 in television|1985]]===
* '''''[[Alice (television)|Alice]]''''' – Mel sells the diner to a land developer, leaving the gang to reminisce (thanks to a healthy dose of [[clip show|clips]] of the series' highlights). Just before everyone departs, Mel gives each of his waitresses a $5,000 farewell bonus, and everyone announces their plans. Jolene plans on opening a beauty salon, while Vera plans to be a full-time mother. As for Alice, after nine years of trying, she finally secures a Nashville recording contract.
The aforementioned ''[[Magnum, P.I.]]'' had a premature series finale, as well. At the end of the seventh season, protagonist Thomas Magnum was to be killed off, which was intended to end the series. The final episode of the season, "Limbo", after seeing Magnum wander around as a ghost for nearly the entire run-time, closes with him appearing to walk off into heaven. However, following outcry from fans, who demanded a more satisfactory conclusion, an eighth, final season was produced, to bring Magnum "back to life", and to round the series off.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080240/trivia?tr=tr0733474|title=Magnum, P.I. (TV Series 1980–1988)|work=IMDb|access-date=19 June 2015}}</ref> The mystery of whether Higgins was Robin Masters, or not, was a highly anticipated series finale reveal. The mystery still has yet to be revealed. A number of other episodes also make reference to supernatural occurrences and the seeming existence of ghosts.
*'' '''[[The Dukes of Hazzard]]''''' – [[Boss Hogg]] reluctantly decides to participate in [[Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane]]'s magic act during a talent show at the Boar's Nest, but only because his wife Lulu had threatened him. Boss uses the "disappearing box" trick to sneak away for an appointment, but is kidnapped by two escaped felons he had put away on his testimony. Rosco fears he may have caused Boss to actually disappear into thin air, but Bo and Luke immediately suspect foul play and are left to search for their long-standing adversary. After the Duke boys defeat the criminals and rescue Boss, they return him to the Boar's Nest. Boss wants to walk in, but after seeing Rosco tearfully reflect on their friendship, he decides to recreate the second half of the act.
* '''''[[Family Feud]]''''' – Although mostly an ordinary episode, the final episode of the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] version of the game show was most notable for its final segment, wherein [[Richard Dawson]] tearfully thanked a number of people and the viewers for making the show a huge success.
 
The [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]] series ''[[Californication (TV series)|Californication]]'' was designed from start to make any season finale work as a series finale, in case of early cancelling the show. It is seen most primarily at the end of the first and fourth season.
===[[1988 in television|1988]]===
* '''''[[The Facts of Life]]''''' — Blair buys her financially devastated alma mater, Eastland Academy; Tootie goes to London to study acting, Natalie moves to the Soho district in [[New York City]], and Jo gets married to her boyfriend, Rick.
* '''''[[I Married Dora]]''''' - This short-lived series (about a single father named Peter Farrell who marries his housekeeper, Dora, an [[illegal immigrant]] from [[Central America]], in an effort to avoid her [[deportation]]) was most notable for the final scene of the finale. Peter receives a lucrative two-year contract in Bahrein and is about to leave Dora and his family. He says his good-byes to Dora and his family and gets on the plane ... only to get off again. Peter tells Dora, "It's been cancelled." Dora questions whether he meant the flight, to which Peter says, "No, our series!" The cameras immediately pulled back to show the stage and everyone coming out for their curtain call.
* '''''[[St. Elsewhere]]''''' – In the final scene, a father places a [[snow globe]] of St. Eligius on the TV set and summons its owner – an [[autism|autistic]] 6-year-old boy – to dinner. Seems the entire series had been but a figment of the youngster's [[imagination]]. During the finale's closing credits, [[Mimsie the Cat]] (the mascot of [[MTM Enterprises]], the show's production company) is hooked to life support, [[flatline]]s and dies; this was a reference to the cat's real-life death earlier that year.
 
After its fifth season, the sitcom ''[[Reba (TV series)|Reba]]'' was in danger of being cancelled as a result of its original home, [[The WB]], being replaced by [[The CW]] in September 2006, and the resulting uncertainty over which WB series (as well as which series from CW co-predecessor [[UPN]]) would be carried over to the new network. (''Reba'' would be renewed by The CW for an additional season as one of the holdover WB series.) The sixth (and final) season's finale episode was written to serve as a series finale, in which Brock and Barbara-Jean come to a reconciliation and Van and Cheyenne move back in with Reba, bringing the show to a full wrap.
===[[1989 in television|1989]]===
* '''''[[Family Ties]]''''' - Alex moves to New York, having been offered a financing job there.
 
A series finale may not be the last aired episode of a show, such as ''[[King of the Hill]]'', which produced "[[To Sirloin with Love]]" as its series finale, though four more episodes produced before it were aired after in syndication.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-10-30 |title=King Of The Hill's Finale Finally Revealed Boomhauer's Job |url=https://screenrant.com/king-hill-show-boomhauer-job-finale-texas-ranger/ |access-date=2022-05-01 |website=ScreenRant |language=en-US}}</ref>
===[[1990 in television|1990]]===
* '''''[[Mama's Family]]''''' - Naomi finally gives birth to her baby, a beautiful girl. They name her Tiffany Thelma Harper so that both Naomi and Thelma will be happy about the name. Iola gives up her long-standing passion for [[felt]] handicrafts and begins making masterpieces out of dryer lint.
* '''''[[Mr. Belvedere]]''''' - Mr. Belvedere meets a woman at the [[Laundromat]], and after the two have a whirlwind courtship, announce their engagement. Shortly before the wedding, Mr. Belvedere has serious reservations about getting married, but everyone assures him things will turn out fine. At the altar, Mr. Belvedere's bride tells him she's been called back to her job in Africa. Belvedere decides to follow her, and says his final farewells to the Owens family, whom he had worked for during the past five years.
* '''''[[Newhart]]''''' - Everyone in Stratford, Vermont - save for Stratford Inn owners Dick and Joanna - sells their real estate holdings to [[Japan|Japanese]] [[investor]]s, who plan to turn the town into a golfing resort. Everyone takes their payoffs and leave Stratford - and Dick and Joanna - behind. Five years later, a huge reunion is held at the Stratford Inn, with everyone richer and odder than before. Most notable: Larry, Darryl and Darryl have married chatterboxes, and the two Darryls scream "QUIET!" - the only spoken line either of them had during the series entire run - to order them into silence. Even Joanna's changed, now dressing in Geisha attire and playing the part perfectly (to the delight of the town's eccentric owners). Things quickly become chaotic, and Dick - the only one who has never changed - loses his temper and decides to leave. On the way outside, he is struck by a wayward golf ball and is knocked unconscious. The screen goes black, only for a light to turn on in a bedroom. "Dick" awakens his wife to tell about the weird dream he just had. The other light comes on, and it's [[Suzanne Pleshette]], reprising her role as Emily Hartley from *'''''[[The Bob Newhart Show]]'''''. It turns out that the entire eight years were but a recurring nightmare for psychiatrist Bob Hartley (Newhart's character from the earlier series). An annoyed Emily, after listening to Bob describe the dream, tells him to go back to sleep. During the closing credits - which featured Newhart and the entire cast making their final curtain call and expressing their appreciation for making the show such a huge hit - the closing [[MTM Enterprises]] logo features the two Darryls screaming "QUIET!"
 
Another instance of premature endings was with the [[Rural Purge]] of 1971 where networks (notably [[CBS]]) axed still-popular TV series in an effort to move to more sophisticated programming. Shows were ''[[The Beverly Hillbillies]]'', ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]'', ''[[Petticoat Junction]]'' and ''[[Green Acres]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/new-york-stories-back-archie-bunker-old-block-article-1.2701529 | title=NEW YORK STORIES: Archie Bunker would still fit in on the Queens block he called home in 'All in the Family' | website=[[New York Daily News]] | date=8 July 2016 }}</ref>
===[[1991 in television|1991]]===
* '''''[[Dallas (TV series)|Dallas]]''''' – J.R., having lost Southfork to Bobby over the course of the season, finally loses control of Ewing Oil as well. Depressed and drunk, he contemplates suicide. He is stopped by a character played by [[Joel Grey]], who, in the tradition of ''[[It's A Wonderful Life]]'', shows him what would have become of most of the show's characters had he never existed, and then at the end urges him on to suicide as his eyes glow red. The last scene is Bobby walking in on J.R. and a gunshot sounding off-camera (Viewers were led to believe J.R. had indeed shot himself, but a later reunion movie revealed that he had instead shot his own image in the mirror).
* '''''[[Twin Peaks]]''''' - Agent Cooper pursues his former-partner-turned-killer Windom Earle into the extradimensional Black Lodge, leading to a final confrontation with the evil entity BOB. BOB is confirmed as the killer of Laura Palmer, and proceeds to kill Earle and launch a psychological attack against Cooper. In the end, Cooper is unable to prevail against BOB, and his soul is trapped in the Black Lodge while his evil BOB-controlled doppelganger takes his place in the real world. Cooper nonetheless manages to score a small victory, in that his sacrifice allows Annie's soul to be set free.
 
==Finales launching spin-offs==
===[[1992 in television|1992]]===
Series finales are sometimes used as a [[backdoor pilot]] to launch [[Spinoff (media)|spin-off]] series. Two well-known examples include ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]''{{'}}s series finale, which launched the spin-off ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]'' and ''[[The Practice]]''{{'}}s series finale, and much of its final season was used as a launching pad for ''[[Boston Legal]]'', starring James Spader and William Shatner. ''[[The Golden Girls]]'' series finale was set up to lead into a new series with most of the remaining cast, ''[[The Golden Palace]]'', ''[[Three's Company]]'' transitioned more or less seamlessly into ''[[Three's a Crowd (TV series)|Three's a Crowd]]'', the ''[[Henry Danger]]'' finale served as a pilot to ''[[Danger Force]]'' while ''[[The Fosters (American TV series)|The Fosters]]'' series finale acted as an introduction to its spin-off series ''[[Good Trouble (TV series)|Good Trouble]]''. ''[[The Closer]]'' was spun off into a new series, ''[[Major Crimes (TV series)|Major Crimes]]'' the same night that the original ended, after star Kyra Sedgwick chose, as producer, to end the series.
* '''''[[The Cosby Show]]''''' - Theo – who is employed at a community center for inner-city youth – graduates from New York University. Cliff recalls how it once appeared Theo would never live up to his potential, and both he and Claire tell him how proud they are for overcoming so many obstacles (including his poor scholastic performance in [[secondary education|high school]] and [[dyslexia]]). Meanwhile, Denise announces she is pregnant, and Olivia plans to join both her and Martin in Singapore. Also, Vanessa and her boyfriend, Dabnis, rekindle their relationship. In the final scene, as Cliff and Claire think about everything that's happened, the two share a dance in the night ... and then walk back stage. '''''Note''': In some markets where "The Cosby Show" was airing in reruns, the first episode – where Cliff confronts Theo about his poor grades – was broadcast on the night of the finale.''
* '''''[[The Golden Girls]]''''' — As a practical joke, Dorothy pretends to be in love with Blanche's uncle, Lucas Hollingsworth ([[Leslie Nielsen]]). Ironically, they really do fall in love and get married, and Dorothy moves to [[Atlanta, Georgia]] with him, but her mother, Sophia, stays behind.
* '''''[[Growing Pains]]''''' - Maggie Seaver is offered - and accepts - a prestigious reporting job in [[Washington, D.C.]]. The Seavers' [[Long Island, New York]] home is sold, but before the family hands over the keys to its new owner, they share one last meal and reminisce with [[clip show|clips]]. Carol, who had been away for months (series star [[Tracey Gold]] had been absent to battle her eating disorder), arrives home to be with the family on their last day in New York.
* '''''[[MacGyver]]''''' - MacGyver teams up with his long lost son, Sam-Sean MacGyver, to help a fugitive Chinese dissident. In the end, MacGyver thanks everyone for their support, then leaves the Phoenix Foundation in order to spend time with his son. MacGyver also receives a phone call from his long-thought-dead arch-nemesis Murdoc, who laughs maniacally.
* '''''[[Night Court]]''''' – While various characters ponder some wild offers (e.g., court [[bailiff]] Bull Shannon moving to a distant planet to live with his alien friends; Assistant [[District Attorney]] Dan Fielding becoming engaged to a wealthy bride), Harry contemplates a variety of offers ... and finds his place in the world is being a justice of the [[Manhattan]] arraignment courtroom where he's worked alongside all these loonies for all these years.
* '''''[[Who's the Boss?]]''''' – Tony accepts a job teaching at a college in Iowa, and moves out of his upper Connecticut home he shared with Angela for eight years. Angela soon misses Tony and begins looking for work in Iowa, but she is dissatisfied and soon moves back east, into her old home. It appears that Tony and Angela's relationship will be a thing of the past ... until one morning, when a bathrobe-clad Angela answers the door to find job-seeker Tony. The dialogue is identical to the first episode (when they first met), until they both admit that they missed each other and need to be together.
 
The ''[[Steven Universe]]'' finale "[[Change Your Mind (Steven Universe)|Change Your Mind]]" served as not just a conclusion to the original series and its overarching plot, but helped pave the way for ''[[Steven Universe: The Movie]]'', and eventually the limited epilogue series ''[[Steven Universe Future]]''.
===[[1993 in television|1993]]===
* '''''[[Cheers]]''''' - Diane receives an award for a screenplay she has written. Sam and Diane lie to each other about having spouses and families, until, in a moment of weakness, Sam invites her back to Boston. Before long the passion between Sam and Diane is back on and they are on a plane headed for California. At the last minute, however, Sam realizes that he is happy working at the bar and gets off the plane. The episode finishes as Sam is closing down Cheers for the night; someone knocks at the door, and Sam calls out “We’re closed”.
* '''''[[Knots Landing]]''''' - Valene is reunited with her family and friends in the cul-de-sac. She and Gary renew their relationship. Nick, Anne, and Claudia move to Monaco. Greg and Paige become an item. Abby takes over The Sumner Group and moves back into the cul-de-sac, much to the surprise of Val, Gary, Karen, Mac, and all the others, who realize that it will be 'just like old times.'
* '''''[[Quantum Leap]]''''' - Sam Beckett leaps to a strange bar at the moment of his own birth, and in his real body. Here Sam meets individuals he's previously encountered throughout his various leaps, although they have different names and do not remember him, and a mysterious bartender called Al who seems to know a lot about Sam’s leaping (whether or not the bartender is in fact God is left ambiguous). Al asks Sam to remember why he made the Quantum Leap Project, and Sam said he “wanted to make right what once went wrong”. Al then asks Sam what he wants to do next; Sam wants to go home, but he must help a friend. Sam then wills himself to leap to Beth’s living room, as she finishes dancing (at the end of the episode ''MIA''), and tells her Al is alive and will come back from Viet Nam. As a result, in the present day, Al is still married to Beth, and they have five children. Sam, however, never came home.
* '''''[[The Wonder Years]]''''' – Reflecting on how everyone eventually grows up and how childhood comes to an end, Kevin and his longtime childhood sweetheart Winnie have one last passionate day together before going their separate ways once and for all. Winnie goes to Europe to study art, while Kevin stays in the States, gets married, and has a son. In his postlogue, Kevin mentions he writes Winnie for eight years. Kevin's father dies of a heart attack, and his brother takes over the family business. The fates of many supporting characters are resolved, and the narrator (adult Kevin) tells us that no matter what happens, his memories of his childhood will always be with him.
 
Some planned spin-offs that influenced series finales, however, never materialized, as in the case of the proposed ''[[Laverne & Shirley]]'' spin-off for Carmine that never came into fruition, or ''Posse Impossible'', a proposed spin-off of ''[[Hong Kong Phooey]]'' that, instead of getting its own show, aired as an interstitial segment on ''[[CB Bears]]''. ''[[Arrow (TV series)|Arrow]]'' used its penultimate episode of its final season, "[[Green Arrow & The Canaries]]"'','' as a backdoor pilot for a potential spin-off series based on the characters Mia Smoak, Laurel Lance and Dinah Drake, however, the series was ultimately not picked up.
===[[1994 in television|1994]]===
* '''''[[Dinosaurs (television series)|Dinosaurs]]''''' - The corrupt WeSaySo Corporation's environmental exploitation results in ecological imbalance. The Dinosaur society's attempts to solve the problems only create new problems (i.e. breeding a plant to solve severe mosquito overpopulation results in a weed that ends up covering entire cities). Finally, WeSaySo bombs every volcano on the planet in order to wipe out the annoying species, only to create a [[nuclear winter]] that slowly kills off all life on Earth. The final scene shows the Sinclair family barricaded inside their house, as the world outside is covered in constant snowfall. Baby asks Earl if they're going to die, and Earl tries to reassure his son that dinosaurs have always been and will always be the world's dominant species. ('''''Note''': Although filmed, the last seven episodes of the series, including the series finale, were never syndicated or shown on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]].'')
* '''''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]''''' - [[Captain Picard]] learns that the [[Q Continuum]]'s trial to justify the existence of humanity did not end at Farpoint, but has been on-going for all these years. Picard's omnipotent nemesis Q presents him with one final challenge, warping Picard to 3 different time periods (the Enterprise's first voyage, the present, and several years in the future where the crew has gone their separate ways) to see if he can prevent humanity from never having existed. Picard ultimately triumphs thanks to a mental revelation that allows him to think in 4 dimensions, and Q reveals that it is the enlightenment of the human mind, and not the exploration of space, that is the true "final frontier".
 
===[[1995 in television|1995]]===
* '''''[[Full House]]''''' – Michelle suffers a concussion – and temporary amnesia – during a horse-riding accident. Everyone helps jog her memory, via past clips. Michelle eventually recovers, and Jesse tells her that everyone felt like a part of them was gone while she had lost her memory. Also, D.J. worries about not having a senior prom date, until the man of her dreams – her old boyfriend, Steve – shows up; and Jesse and Joey audition for their own late-night television show, but ultimately decide against it for the sake of their extended family.
 
===[[1996 in television|1996]]===
* '''''[[Forever Knight]]''''' - Nick's cop friend Tracy dies in the line of duty. Faced with her own mortality, Natalie asks Nick to turn her into a vampire by making love to her. Nick does so, but changes his mind later and stakes Natalie before she can rise so she won't have to live the cursed life of the undead. Nick then has his master and nemesis LaCroix stake him, finally bringing Nick's suffering to an end, and leaving LaCroix as the last (and only) man standing.
* '''''[[The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air]]''''' - The Banks clan decides to move back east, and they sell their house to George and Louise "Weezie" Jefferson. Hilary and Ashley move to New York, Geoffrey is released of his duties as the Banks' butler, and Carlton finally gets his wish to attend Princeton. Even Will gets a place of his own.
* '''''[[Picket Fences]]''''' - Carter and Sue, and Kenny and Max get married. Waumbaugh and his ex-wife end up getting re-married. The triple wedding creates a bond between Jimmy and Jill Brock, and reverses the breakdown of their disintegrating marriage. All the surviving townspeople who managed to avoid dying a bizarre death over the course of the series get together for one last group photo.
 
===[[1997 in television|1997]]===
* '''''[[Married... with Children]]''''' - After a prolonged hostage stand-off against Bud's prison pen-pal, Kelly ends up getting engaged to one of the hostage takers. Determined to stop his daughter's marriage, Al ruins the wedding, leaving the Bundy family with a $10,000 wedding debt.
* '''''[[Roseanne]]''''' - Roseanne's monologue reveals that her husband Dan had actually died from the heart attack at the end of the eighth season (1995-1996), and the ninth season was mostly her imagination. In fact, none of the people we've known for all these years are actually real, but rather characters in Roseanne's book meant to help her deal with the events of her life.
 
===[[1998 in television|1998]]===
* '''''[[Due South]]''''' - With the help of the Canadian mounties, Fraser and Kowalski save the world from Cyrus Bolt's militia and Muldoon's nuclear submarine. In a final confrontation, the ghost of Fraser's father actually takes physical form to help Fraser defeat Muldoon. As a result, Fraser's father is finally put to rest after father and son team up to arrest Muldoon, the man who betrayed the mounties and killed Fraser's mother.
* '''''[[Family Matters]]''''' – Steve Urkel, finally engaged to Laura Winslow (they became boyfriend and girlfriend after a years-long unrequited relationship), is invited by [[NASA]] to participate in a space mission to demonstrate his latest invention: an artificial gravity device. However, the spacecraft is damaged in a collision with a wayward satellite, and Urkel is pressed into the hero's role. In the subplot, Eddie ssems to be doing well as a trainee police officer, but Harriet becomes very worried for her son's safety. So, behind Carl's back and without Eddie's knowledge, she pulls a few strings and has Eddie reassigned to meter maid. Both of them become very angry when they learn about what happened, but Harriet's fear still comes true. Eddie, while trying to foil an armed robber, is shot, although he turns out to be OK (the bulletproof vest protected him); Eddie proves his worth by capturing the criminal.
* '''''[[Highlander]]''''' - When an Irish terrorist endangers the lives of his friends, Duncan starts to question whether any of his efforts over the years have had any effect at all. He is then treated to an [[It's a Wonderful Life]] vision by the ghost of Hugh Fitzcairn, showing Duncan what the world would be like if he had never existed. In this dystopian alternate reality, Duncan's arch-foes Horton (the extremist Watcher) and Kronos (the evil Immortal horseman of the apocalypse) are alive and well and have plunged the world into havok and suffering. Horton has taken over the Watchers and Kronos has seized control of the Immortals, and the two are waging a destructive war against each other. Without Duncan's positive influence, his friends have taken a turn for the worse: Amanda seduces and kills men for profit, Methos reunits with Kronos and returns to being the horseman of Death, Joe Dawson has left the Watchers and become a drunk, Richie joins Methos and Kronos and is killed by them when he refuses to kill Joe. As the vision ends, Duncan realizes that he has made a difference. He vows "never again" to give in to despair, kills the terrorist, and saves his friends.
* '''''[[Murphy Brown]]''''' – Murphy announces her resignation from "FYI" and plans on having another mammogram. The results detect another tumor, requiring exploratory surgery. While succumbed to the [[anesthesia]], Murphy interviews [[God]], who advises her to use her gifts wisely. The surgery reveals the tumor to be benign, and after the group gathers to recall Murphy's years with FYI, she rescinds her resignation. With her future now secure, Murphy returns home to find Eldin, in need of a job ... and a wife. She turns down his marriage proposal, but offers to let him work as her handyman. Also, [[Mike Wallace]] tells Jim that he is dull, while Frank pursues a date with [[Julia Roberts]].
* '''''[[Seinfeld]]''''' - After a mid-air brush with death, the Seinfeld gang end up in a small town and mock a man who is being robbed on the street, rather than help him. They are arrested (due to the town's [[Good Samaritan Law]]), and a lengthy trial follows in which all the people whose lives their self-centeredness have ruined over the years (ranging from the [[Soup Nazi]] to [[Teri Hatcher]]) all appear to testify as to what lousy human beings they've been. In the end, they are sentenced to one year in prison... for doing nothing.
* '''''[[Step by Step]]''''' – Frank and Carol contemplate selling the house to a snobbish yuppie couple, particularly since the Lamberts still have a large family living in their undersized home. However, they have second thoughts when they see how much the house means to their youngest daughter, Lily, and pull the house off the market at the last moment.
 
===[[1999 in television|1999]]===
* '''''[[Babylon 5]]''''' - In 2281, President John Sheridan prepares for his expected day of death at the expiration of the twenty year lifespan extension by Lorien. As he visits his old friends, they gather to witness the scheduled demolition of the now vacated Babylon 5 station.
* '''[[Hercules: The Legendary Journeys]]''' - Hercules and his long-time nemesis Hera end up unintentionally helping each other save Olympus from the invincible titan Atlas. Zeus and Hera kiss and make up, and Hercules and the alternate-universe Iolaus walk off into the sunset, much to the chagrin of the war god Ares.
* '''''[[Home Improvement]]''''' - Tim records his final ''Tool Time''. Morgan offers Tim more money and an executive producer credit to stay with the show, but Tim rejects the offer so that Jill can take her dream job in Indiana. Wilson and Tim take down their fence to make room for Al and Trudy's wedding. '''''Note''': This was actually the final story of the series; the true series finale was a retrospective look at 8 years of the show, complete with cast interviews, never-before-seen [[blooper]]s and ultimately the revealing of Wilson's face.''
* '''''[[NewsRadio]]''''' – Jimmy James sells WNYX and asks his entire staff to come work for him in New Hampshire. Everyone accepts the offer except Dave and, as Dave discovers to his horror when he returns to his office, Matthew.
* '''''[[Red Dwarf]]''''' - The Red Dwarf is destroyed by a living blob of acid, and the main cast, with no place to escape, disappear in the chaos. Only Rimmer remains, collapsed on the floor and awaiting the inevitable end. But when the Grim Reaper arrives for him, Rimmer musters enough strength to kick Death in the groin and proclaim that "only the good die young".
* '''''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]''''' - The final battles of the war with the Dominion are fought, and many dangling storylines are resolved. The Alpha Quadrant alliance eventually wins, thanks to a last minute change of sides by the Cardassians after the Dominion destroys one of their cities in a failed attempt to instill obedience. Odo merges with the Founder Leader to give her the cure to the Section 31 plague, and convinces her to end the war. Meanwhile, unbeknowst to either side, Captain Sisko has his final battle with Gul Dukat, who is attempting to revive the Pah Wraiths and destroy the galaxy. Their opposing energies eventually cancel each other out, foiling Dukat's plan and causing Sisko to ascend to live with the Prophets while Dukat is imprisoned alongside the Pah Wraiths. Many of the remaining characters move on to new things, continuing arcs that began over the course of the series.
 
===[[2000 in television|2000]]===
* '''''[[Boy Meets World]]''''' – Cory and Topanga announce their plans to move to [[New York City]] (for her internship), while the rest of the gang announces big plans of their own. Mr. Feeney – who has been there for them all since [[elementary school]] – gives them some sage words of advice before all of them emotionally bid farewell and strike out on their own. This episode also replayed [[clip show|clips]] from the series' past seven seasons.
* '''''[[Sliders]]''''' - Rembrandt goes off to his homeworld with a virus to finally defeat the Kromaggs. Diana, Maggie, and Mallory are stranded in a parallel earth where the Sliders are celebrities. Their only hope of finding out what happened to Rembrandt disappears when the Seer dies. The remaining Sliders have no way of knowing whether the Seer's prophecy of their next slide causing their deaths has been changed or not.
 
===[[2001 in television|2001]]===
* '''''[[3rd Rock from the Sun]]''''' - The mission to study Earth ends, and the Solomons are forced to return home. Even though Mary has finally discovered the Solomons' secret and actually finds the idea of dating an alien to be kinky, she ultimately can't bring herself to follow them into space, so Dick eases her pain by erasing her memory of him with a karate chop to the head. Later in syndication an extended version was shown with Dick, who couldn't stand the loss of Mary, returning moments later in the nude and abducting the quite alarmed Mary.
*'' '''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]''''' - The series finale begins more than 10 years in the future. Voyager finally returned to the Alpha Quadrant after a decades-long journey, but many crewmembers (including Chacotay and 7-of-9) died during the voyage. Admiral Kathryn Janeway makes a bold decision to change the past in an attempt to undo the toll taken on the crew during their arduous journey home. She travels back in time, and provides the present Voyager crew with advanced technology that allows them to combat the Borg. Future Janeway leads the Voyager crew in a final assault on the Borg's homeworld, where they ultimately make use of the Borg's trans-warp technology to return home. Meanwhile, Future Janeway stays behind and sacrifices herself to destroy the Borg Queen and the Borg's inter-galactic trans-warp network. Voyager destroys a final Borg vessel sent to stop them, and is then escorted back to Earth by a Starfleet Armada which was assembled to combat a possible Borg invasion.
* '''''[[Walker, Texas Ranger]]''''' – The ruthless supervillain Lavocat – whose gang Walker had imprisoned several years earlier for their roles in a bank robbery and Ranger-killing spree – returns to exact his revenge. Lavocat - whom Walker had long assumed had died in a [[mental institution|mental hospital]] - stages a major prison break, in which his criminal associates are freed, and they begin their search for Walker and his partners in Company B. Walker investigates the autopsies of several Rangers, which have been killed in the villain's latest rampage; the shooting style matches Lavocat's shooting style. Walker and Trivtte find a note telling them to dig up the body of C.D. Trivette, and both of them realize that their friend has died. An autopsy determines C.D.'s death to be the result of poisoning. Later, Trivette survives a brutal confrontation with Lavocat, and before long, Walker realizes that his sworn enemy is still alive. Eventually, Walker captures one of the villain's cronies, who immediately lets slip of his boss' whereabouts. Walker eventually gathers a small army of Rangers, which are able to capture all the rest of the bad guys before Walker's one-on-one battle with Lavocat. All this was going on while Walker's pregnant wife, Alex, is about to go into labor (she eventually gives birth to a baby girl, which she names Angela). Also, Trivette proposes marriage to an old flame, and the full story of Hayes Cooper is revealed.
* '''''[[Xena: Warrior Princess]]''''' - Xena dies in order to defeat a Japanese demon lord. While she has died before and been brought back to life this time she cannot as that would condemn to eternal torment a few thousands souls she killed back when she was still evil. Her partner Gabrielle sails off into the sunset alone to continue the work, although Xena's spirit stands beside her. Almost all of series' re-occurring characters had died prior to the finale and did not make reappearances.
 
===[[2002 in television|2002]]===
* '''''[[Ally McBeal]]''''' - Ally leaves Boston and the law firm to go to New York and start a life with her newly discovered daughter. Tears are shed and many goodbyes are exchanged between Ally and her friends. Ally concludes that some of the saddest times in her life were also the best.
* '''''[[Earth: Final Conflict]]''''' - Agent Sandoval is fed up with serving the deranged alien overlord Howlyn, but goes after Renee anyway, for personal revenge. Renee and Sandoval have their final showdown, in which Sandoval is killed. As he dies, Sandoval tells Renee that he has no regrets and would gladly do the past 5 years all over again. Meanwhile, Howlyn attempts to activate the Atavus mothership to attack Earth, but his impatience results in the engines overheating and exploding. Howlyn's warriors ''finally'' realize what an idiot he is, and their leader fights and kills him, only to be killed by Renee who shows up a few seconds later with a huge energy cannon that conveniently vaporizes the previously invincible Atavus. Howlyn's son vows to return his people to their homeworld, where they won't have to feed on humans. In the end, Howlyn's son, Renee, Liam Kincaid, and Ra'jal (the last Taelon) leave aboard the Taelon mothership to explore the universe together.
* '''''[[The X-Files]]''''' - Mulder uses a keycard to break into [[Mount Weather]] and learns the date of the alien invasion using a misappropriated password. He is attacked by his indestructible alien nemesis Rohrer, but manages to fight him off with Krychek's help. Mulder is later captured and put on trial by the government, and his surviving allies (including Skinner, Scully, Spender, Doggett, Reyes, Marita, and the Gibson boy) come together to testify on his behalf (providing a brief overview of the entire series). The trial is rigged, however, and Mulder is ultimately sentenced to death. Director Kersch has a last minute change of heart, and helps Mulder and Scully escape. Meanwhile, Reyes and Doggett return to [[Washington]] to discover that the X-files have been closed once and for all. Mulder and Scully go to a [[New Mexico]] arroyo in search of a wise man who knows the final truth. That individual turns out to be Mulder and Scully's old arch-nemesis, [[Cigarette Smoking Man]], who supplied the keycard and password to Mulder so that he could learn the date of the alien invasion. Doggett and Reyes also show up at the arroyo and are confronted by Rohrer, who intends to kill everybody but is destroyed by some natural mineral in the arroyo walls (suggesting there may be hope against the aliens after all). Black helicopters ultimately arrive and vaporize the entire arroyo, including the Cigarette Smoking Man. The agents escape, and Mulder and Scully hold each other and ponder the future.
 
===[[2003 in television|2003]]===
* '''''[[Brookside]]''''' – Drug dealer Jack Michaelson gets killed by a number of regular characters, who had been at the receiving end of his vile ways in previous episodes, an idea subtly suggested by Barry Grant, who makes a return to the Close along with Lindsey Corkhill. The final shots show Jimmy Corkhill adding a 'd' to the street sign, so that it read 'Brookside Closed'.
* '''''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]''''' - Buffy leads her great alliance of friends and former foes for one final assault on the Hellmouth and [[The First Evil]]'s army of uber-vampires. In the final confrontation with the First Evil, Buffy learns that she can 'activate' each the hundreds of girls with the potential to become Slayers, creating a small army of Slayers. As a result, she no longer has to be the only active Slayer, allowing her to realize her dream of a somewhat normal life. This act tilts the balance of power drastically back towards Good, allowing the First Evil's assault to be defeated. The First Evil cannot be destroyed, but it is unlikely to be active for some time. The Hellmouth is sealed once and for all, destroying the corrupted town of Sunnydale. A couple of the recurring characters died in the final assault on the Hellmouth (Anya gets stabbed by one of the bringers, and Spike sacrifices himself to seal the Hellmouth), but a surprising number survive to move on to new things. A few details of their continuing lives are revealed during season 5 of the ANGEL spinoff series, which spike joins as a regular after being resurrected.
* '''''[[Dawson's Creek]]''''' - Jen dies, leaving her daughter to be raised by Jack and his boyfriend - Pacey's cop brother, who turned out to be gay after all. Joey takes Pacey back to New York with her, leaving Dawson back in LA producing his autobiographical series, "The Creek".
* '''[[Touched by an Angel]]''' - Monica has her final assignment which will lead to her promotion taking over Tess' position.
 
===[[2004 in television|2004]]===
* '''''[[Angel (TV series)|Angel]]''''' - Team Angel (including [[Angel (vampire)|Angel]]'s long-time nemesis Lindsey) plans to defy the Senior Partners by destroying the Circle of the Black Thorn, their prime operatives on Earth. Each Team Angel member is assigned a Black Thorn member to assassinate, while Angel gets into a final bang-up showdown with Hamilton, the Senior Partners' liaison. The team succeeds, but Wesley dies on his mission and Lindsey is killed by Lorne to prevent him from taking the Black Thorn's place. Angel's son Conner shows up at the last minute to help Angel battle Hamilton, and the Wolfram and Hart building crumbles to dust after Hamilton is killed. However, this act of defiance angers the Senior Partners, who finally send their full might against Angel and Co. The final scene is Angel, Spike, Ilyria, and a mortally wounded Gunn about to fight what appears to be a hopeless battle against a massive army of hellspawn, plus assorted giants and one flying dragon. Despite the overwhelming odds, Angel seems hopeful, and his final words (and the final words of the series) are "let's get to work". On the plus side, Lorne the singing demon manages to get away, having left the group earlier for parts unknown, and Angel lives on through his son Conner.
* '''''[[The Drew Carey Show]]''''' - Kellie accepts Drew's marriage proposal and gives birth to a baby.
* '''''[[Farscape]]''''' - Crichton and the crew of Moya discovers that the Scarrans are preparing an invasion of defenseless Earth. Crichton rejects Scorpius' offer of a Peacekeeper alliance and uses his wormhole knowledge to seal up the wormhole leading to Earth forever, holding one last conversation with his father while standing on the moon. A Scarran scout ship heading towards Earth is destroyed as the wormhole tears itself apart. Moya sets down in an ocean on an alien world, and Crichton proposes marriage to Aeryn, who accepts. However, the the last few seconds of the episode, a strange alien craft appears, identifies the pair as "intruders" and reduces them to dust. Although the series ends on a cliffhanger, after several years it finally receives a more concrete resolution to the various plotlines in [[Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars]].
* '''''[[Frasier]]''''' - Ronnie and Martin wed, despite a series of hilarious screw-ups by the Crane brothers during the wedding preparations. Niles worries that his and Daphne's child will take after her loutish brothers rather than his more refined side of the family, but ultimately decides to accept the child for who he is. Daphne gives birth to a son, David Crane. Roz gets promoted to station manager of KACL. Feeling increasingly distant from his family and friends, Frasier accepts a new radio job in [[San Francisco]]. But in the end we see him aboard an airplane flying to [[Chicago]] to catch his new love. The story is somewhat open ended.
* '''''[[Friends]]''''' - Monica and Chandler adopt twins and Rachel and Ross finally get together. Rachel avoids getting a fashion job in Paris so that she can get back with Ross.
* '''''[[The Practice]]''''' – The firm closes.
* '''''[[Sex and the City]]''''' – In Paris with Petrovsky, Carrie comes to realize that his work will always come first and that she misses her friends. Back in New York, Samantha is depressed about the effect of the chemotherapy on her libido and tells Smith he can have sex with someone else while on ___location filming a movie in Canada. Miranda and Steve realize that his mother's mental capacities have taken a serious decline and that she can no longer live alone, so they have her move in with them. After their attempt to arrange an open adoption with a couple from North Carolina falls through because the woman has found out she will be having a daughter, Charlotte and Harry get referred a Chinese orphan girl to adopt. After sending her unbloomed flowers at work, Smith comes home in the middle of the night and tells Samantha he forgot to tell her he loved her on the phone. She tells him not to have sex until he gets back. Carrie finally confronts Petrovsky and after he accidentally slaps her, she goes looking for a hotel room, only to find Big there in the lobby. After talking him out of attacking Petrovsky, they return to New York where she is reunited with her friends. She concludes that happiness in love means that you have to love yourself and find someone who loves that self as much as you do. In the last scene, she is walking along a street when Big calls and the caller ID on her cellphone at long last reveals his name: John.
 
===[[2005 in television|2005]]===
* '''''[[Andromeda (TV series)|Andromeda]]''''' – The crew escape their dimensional prison and return to the known universe, just in time to confront the Nietzschean fleet as it begins its invasion of the Commonwealth. After an extensive battle, the Nietzcheans are eventually convinced to stand down. The Spirit of the Abyss shows up, but is finally defeated. Surprisingly, everyone survives.
* '''''[[Everybody Loves Raymond]]''''' – Raymond undergoes minor surgery, but seems to go into a coma, causing all his family members to gather around him and fear he may die. It all turns out to be a big misunderstanding, however, and Raymond is fine. Ray starts to ponder his own mortality, but that doesn't last very long. The show ends with the entire family arguing around the dinner table, as they always have.
* '''''[[JAG]]''''' - Harm and Mac are told by the general that they have been promoted and assigned to new posts: Harm in London and Mac in San Diego. They are told that they can choose from the JAG staff who they want to go with them. Meanwhile Lt. Vukovic is sent to work on a case involving an underage 16 year old marine who's father died in combat 2 years earlier. In the end the young marine is sent home and told that he can join the marines when he comes of age. Harm offers Bud the chance to go with him to London as his assistant. Bud jumps at the chance. However after a discussion with Harriet they decide that it would be best to stay where they are so Bud declines Harm's offer. Then Harm and Mac finally confront their feelings for each other that they've been avoiding for the past 9 years. They decide to get married. They meet the whole gang at the bar. For the marriage to work however one of them will have to give up their military career and go with the other. Since they can't decide, Bud pulls out the JAG coin that Admiral Chedwiggen gave him when he retired and proposes a coin toss. Mac chooses tails and flips the coin. The final shot is the group looking up at the coin as it spins, and as it fades to black, the coin is left on a black screen, and the coin simply says: "JAG 1995-2005".
* '''''[[NYPD Blue]]''''' - Andy Sipowicz takes over as squad commander and takes the heat from his superiors as he and the detectives press ahead with an investigation of a wealthy and well-connected man for the murder of a prostitute. Greg drops by briefly. Lieutenant Bale stops by to get his things and he tells Andy that he'll be a good squad commander. The rich man gets arrested. Andy gets yelled at by the chief of police who says that if he screws up one more time, he'll "regret it". At the end of the episode Andy is shown sitting at his desk going through paperwork, finally content and happy with his life, as the squad members come one by one telling to congratulate him on his new position and say goodbye. The camera, focused on Andy, slowly moves out from his desk through the empty squadroom and out of the door. Then the screen fades to black, showing that life has not ended at the 15th precinct; we just won't get to visit every week.
* '''''[[Six Feet Under]]''''' - ''Everyone's Waiting''. Brenda delivers early to a premature baby girl named Willa which leads to her thinking negative thoughts about the baby's health due to Nate's spirit being conscious. Willa makes wonderful advances and is sent home in the next few days. Ruth then gives Maya, (Nate's daughter) who had been staying with her back to Brenda promising she will help her raise the two children. Later, Federico makes a down payment on a [[mortuary]] of his own and asks David and Brenda to buy him out. David refuses to sell the business but soon puts the home on the market. Keith then proposes for David, himself and their sons to purchase both Federico and Brenda's halves and move into the funeral home. Ruth then moves out of the funeral home to open a canine retreat with friend, Bettina. Meanwhile, Claire is offered a photographer's assistant job in [[New York City]] which she accepts and at her farewell dinner, the family reminisce on the last 5 years and toast Nate, who had died 3 episodes prior. The final 6 minutes of the episode flash forward to the future showing how each of the main characters will die.
* '''''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]''''' – The series finale is set six years after the two-part season finale, and is in fact a [[holodeck]] re-creation of "historic events" in which "Star Trek the Next Generation"'s Commander Riker and Councillor Troi are taking part. Inside the re-creation, the original Enterprise crew get together to witness the decommission of the Enterprise and the formation of the [[United Federation of Planets]]. We learn that Trip and T'pol broke up their relationship shortly after the events of the season finale. Before going their separate ways, the Enterprise crew embarks on one last mission: to save the daughter of their former nemesis and ally [[Shran]] from Andorian terrorists. During the course of the mission, the Enterprise is invaded by the terrorists, and Trip sacrifices himself to stop them by detonating one of the ship's corridors. Enterprise ends with Captain Archer about to give his historic speech that will bring the Federation together, and Captains Kirk, Picard, and Archer signing off with the famous phrase "to boldly go where no man has gone before."
 
==Notable animated series finales==
 
===[[1988 in television|1988]]===
* '''[[Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears]]''' - "King Igthorne" - Duke Igthorn builds a full gummiberry juice production facility in Castle Igthorne to produce enough juice (which gives Igthorne's troops superhuman strength) to finally conquer the Dunwin Kingdom. To prevent the Gummi Bear family from interfering, he uses special termites to destroy Gummi Glen. He is later successful in conquering Caste Dunwin. Upon learning that the long-lost Great Gummi civilization is finally returning, Igthorne prepares to destroy the fleet. The Gummi Bear family foil Igthorn's plans by warning off the Great Gummis and secretly help the Dunwinnians to retake their kingdom. Meanwhile, another group of the Gummis sabotage Igthron's factory to cause it to overload and literally make the castle shoot away like a rocket to be destroyed, leaving the Duke's power base in ruins. The Gummi Bears relocated in the reestablished Gummi city of Ursalia, giving their trusted human friends directions and free access to it. They also receive a message from the Great Gummis who promise to return to the land soon.
 
===[[1990 in television|1990]]===
* '''[[DuckTales]]''' - "The Golden Goose" - Two-episode story arc. [[Dijon the Thief]] from ''[[DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp]]'' stumbles upon a cult where he meets his long-lost brother, Poupon, and is assigned to guard the Golden Goose, which can turn anything into gold. Unable to control himself, Dijon takes the Goose from its stand, but then loses it, and it ends up being found by [[Scrooge McDuck|Scrooge]]. Scrooge takes it home and wastes no time turning almost everything in his mansion to gold. [[Flintheart Glomgold]], wanting the Goose in his possession, sends [[The Beagle Boys]] to steal it, which they do, during which they turn [[Huey, Dewey and Louie]] into gold. Shortly after Glomgold gets the Goose, though, it comes alive and turns things to gold on its own will, as part of a curse that takes effect when removed from its post. After an unsuccessful chase sequence, the Goose begins to turn the whole world to gold, and soon Scrooge, [[Launchpad McQuack|Launchpad]], and Dijon are the only ones who can return things to normal.
 
===[[1994 in television|1994]]===
* '''[[Doug]]''' - "Doug Graduates/Doug's Bad Trip" - The first 15-minute segment details Doug's fear of graduating from middle school, which he gets over when he discovers his nemesis Roger is going through the same thing. The second segment covers the summer vacation Doug takes which bridges this series and ''Disney's Doug'', which premiered two years later. (This episode is an exception to Nickelodeon's general policy of not producing series finales, allowing for any episode to be aired out of context without confusing the viewer.)
 
===[[1996 in television|1996]]===
* '''[[Gargoyles (animated series)|Gargoyles]]''' (syndicated series) - "Hunter's Moon" - The clan is hunted by the latest generation of Hunters, who are convinced that the Manhattan clan is in league with the renegade gargoyle, Demona. In the conflict, the clan's [[clock tower]] home is destroyed and they are revealed to the public once and for all by the Hunters to create a public panic. In one final battle, the warring groups fight in an abandoned church while Demona attempts her grandest scheme of global genocide in the building. Although the groups make partial peace and stop Demona, the clan is trapped by the [[NYPD]] until their former enemy, David Xanatos, rescues them and takes them to safety. Furthermore, he allows them to live in The Ayrie Building's Castle Wyvern once again with his family as the clan's patrons for their protection operations in gratitude for saving their son from certain death in Demona's scheme.
* '''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]''' - The Turtles pilot [[Krang]]'s giant robot body to defeat Dregg's final mutated form. Having overcome this final challenge, Splinter informs the Turtles that they have finally graduated. They are no longer the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but simply the Ninja Turtles.
 
===[[1997 in television|1997]]===
* '''[[Beavis & Butthead]]''' - "Beavis & Butthead Are Dead" – An erroneous report that Beavis and Butt-head have died causes massive celebration among, teachers, staff and fellow students at their school. Daria even briefly returns. However, when the boys show up, Principal McVicker drops dead of a heart attack.
* '''[[X-Men: The Animated Series]]''' - After an assassination attempt leaves Professor Xavier mortally wounded, the X-Men come together to grieve as he lays dying, and to carry on Xavier's message of peace and tolerance. Even Magneto, their arch-nemesis, gives up his last chance to conquer the world in order to help Xavier, his best and only friend. Ultimately, Magneto uses his powers to summon the alien Lilandra to take Xavier to another world. Xavier gives each of the X-Men a final farewell message.
 
===[[1998 in television|1998]]===
* '''[[Pinky and the Brain]]''' - "Brainwashed". 3-episode story arc. Instead of trying to take over the world, Pinky and the Brain end up saving it after a popular [[Macarena]]-like dance crazy secretly reducing the intelligence of the world's population and turns them into zombie slaves. Brain is kidnapped and brainwashed by the zombies (Pinky, who's already brainless, is immune to the process). At first, Pinky becomes great friends with the newly stupified Brain, but soon frees him after realizing Brain will never truly be happy unless he's trying to take over the world. Returning to his old self, Brain comes to the conclusion that his arch-nemesis Snowball is responsible, but soon learns that Snowball is another victim of the plot. Pinky, Brain, and Snowball join forces to confront their creator, Dr. Mordough, but in the end find out that it is Mordough's super-intelligent cat, Precious, who is the real mastermind. In the ensuing struggle, Precious and Snowball fall into Mordough's mutation machine and get un-mutated, losing their super-intelligence and becoming regular animals. Having saved the world, Pinky and the Brain return to Acme Labs, to prepare for tomorrow night, "What are we going to do tomorrow night Brain?" "The same thing we do every night, Pinky, try to take over the world!"
* '''[[Spider-Man: The Animated Series]]''' - Spider-Man learns that the destiny Madame Web has been preparing him for all along is to stop Spider-Carnage, a bitter alternate reality version of Peter Parker, from destroying the multiverse. After battling through several realities, Spider-Man realizes he can't outfight Spider-Carnage. Instead, he locates Uncle Ben (who is alive in one of the alternate realities). Uncle Ben convinces Spider-Carnage to let go of his hatred. Redeemed, Spider-Carnage sacrifices himself to stop the Carnage symbiote. Uncle Ben tells Peter Parker/Spider-Man that he's proud of him. Madame Web then takes Spider-Man into "our" reality to meet his "creator", [[Stan Lee]]. The series ends with Web taking Spider-Man to be re-united with Mary Jane.
 
===[[1999 in television|1999]]===
* '''[[Cowboy Bebop]]''' Spike finally defeats Vicious and his syndicate, but at the cost of his own life and that of his former lover, Julia. Jet is left without a partner, and Faye is left an emotional wreck with no purpose in life.
* '''[[Trigun]]''' – Vash defeats his murderous twin Knives, but (despite Knives having killed many of Vash's loved ones) stays true to his code and doesn't kill him. Vash ditches his symbolic red coat, vowing to still look for Rem Saverem, but to live by his own words. The series ends with Vash coming back to Milly and Meryl to stay.
* '''Disney's [[Doug]]''' - Chad Mayonnaise and Miss Kristal get married, after Doug and Skeeter go on an extended chase all over Bluffington to find the wedding ring before the ceremony starts. In the end Judy leaves for College, the Sleetch twins both get dates, Baby Dirtbike says her first word, and Patti asks Doug out on a 'date-date'. This was the shows second series finale.
 
===[[2000 in television|2000]]===
* '''[[Beast Machines|Beast Wars: Beast Machines]]''' - Megatron transfers his spark into a specially constructed body modeled on Optimus' "Optimal Optimus" form. Megatron then absorbs the sparks of every living transformer into himself, turning himself into a massive god-like being. Only Optimus is left to oppose him, and the two of them engage in a final battle across the face of Cybertron. Realizing that he cannot outfight Megatron, Optimus instead hurls himself and Megatron into the planet's core. The two of them are absorbed into Cybertron, which re-formats the planet into a techno-organic paradise, and releases all the sparks trapped by Megatron, who are all reincarnated on the surface as techno-organic beings. Thus far, this is the finale of the original Transformers timeline.
 
===[[2001 in television|2001]]===
* '''[[Big O]]''' – Roger and Big O are unable to defeat Alex Rosewater and Big Fau, but Angel's discovery of her true past and her decision to restart Paradigm City (which is just an empty stage) nullifies the whole thing. The series ends with a restaging of the first scene from the first episode, but with minor differences.
* '''[[Daria]]''' - "[[Is it College Yet?]]" - Daria and her classmates prepare for graduation while Daria decides to end her relationship with Tom (but they remain friends) and Quinn faces her own problems that demand an unexpected maturity. Daria and Jane both go to Boston-based colleges (Raft and Boston Fine Arts College, respectively). Tom goes to Bromwell, where many members of his family were alumni. The Fashion Club (all of whom advance to senior year at Lawndale High as do Joey, Jamie, and Jeffy) breaks up, but they continue to be a social circle. Mack goes to Vance, while Jodie goes to black-dominated Turner. Brittany goes to Grand Prairie State, while Kevin flunks senior year and has to take it again.
 
===[[2003 in television|2003]]===
* '''[[Futurama]]''' - "The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings" - Fry continues to try to convince Leela of his feelings for her by composing a holophoner opera dedicated to her. Frustrated by the complexities required in playing the instrument he makes a deal with the Robot Devil by trading his own hands for the Devil's robot ones. However, when the Robot Devil claims Leela as his bride after she sells her soul to him for robot ears (in order to listen to Fry's opera, having been previously deafened by Bender), a musical showdown between Fry and the Devil takes place, Fry eventually prevailing. The episode ends with the end of the opera, Fry and Leela finally together.
 
===[[2004 in television|2004]]===
* '''[[Home Movies]]''' - After Brendon, Melissa, and Jason decide that their films are unwatchable, Brendon's camera gets destroyed. The show ends with Brendon, Jason, Melissa, Brendon's mom, and Coach McGuirk going to a fast-food place, functioning as if they were a family unit.
* '''[[Static Shock]]''' - The government releases their un-mutating gas upon Dakota, reverting all the Bang Babies back into normal teenagers. Static and Gear manage to avoid the gas. In an attempt to re-mutate the populace, Static's arch-nemesises Hotstreak and Ebon steal some of the Bang Baby mutagen, but end up mutating even further, merging together into a giant fire/darkness hybrid monster. Static unleashes his full power to fight and defeat the creature. The resulting explosion releases a second cloud of mutagen, re-mutating an undetermined number of teens and undermining the government's anti-mutant goals.
* '''[[Teamo Supremo]]''' - "The Gauntlet's New Gloves!" - [[Teamo villains|The Gauntlet]], in a new supersuit, captures [[Level 7#Paulson & Samantha|Paulson & Samantha]], then distracts Teamo so that he can capture [[Governor Kevin]] and [[Chief Epsilon|The Chief]]. Teamo confronts the Gauntlet, who throws the Lobster of Liberty on them, seemingly killing them. But then [[Captain Crandall]]'s previously unseen superpowers show up and allow him to defeat the Gauntlet.
 
===[[2005 in television|2005]]===
* '''[[Kim Possible]]''' - "[[So the Drama]]." Three-episode story arc originally aired as a [[TV movie]]. Kim ends up falling for a new, hunky kid named Erik, causing Ron to feel like he's losing Kim forever. Meanwhile, Kim and Ron attempt to foil a series of seemingly random crimes by Drakken and Shego. In reality, instead of his usual single stupid plan, Drakken has combined several stupid plans into one surprisingly brilliant plan to take over the world (which ultimately boils down to covering the Earth with an army of giant killer robots). Drakken actually almost succeeds, as Kim is demoralized when she is betrayed and captured by Erik, who turns out to be a synthetic drone created by Drakken to seduce and distract Kim. However, Ron finally confesses his feelings for Kim (in his own awkward way), giving Kim the resolve to stop Drakken's plan and defeat him and Shego once and for all. Finally, Kim overcomes her fear of peer pressure and takes Ron to the prom. Surprisingly, everyone (including Bonnie, in her own twisted way) are overjoyed to see that Kim and Ron are finally a couple.
 
==Notable shows that ended without a series finale==
*''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'' ([[1969 in television|1969]]) – An mind-swapping device causes Kirk and his former lover to switch bodies. However, the film [[Star Trek: Generations]] concludes the story of [[Captain James T. Kirk]].
*''[[Bonanza]]'' ([[1973 in television|1973]]) – Little Joe tries to elude a war-deranged soldier, who plays a human hunting game for his amusement.
*''[[The Brady Bunch]]'' ([[1974 in television|1974]]) – A hair dye turns Greg's hair orange just hours before graduation.
*''[[Gunsmoke]]'' ([[1975 in television|1975]]) – Festus does his best to help a sharecropper farm his land.
*''[[All in the Family]]'' ([[1979 in television|1979]]); and the sequel series ''[[Archie Bunker's Place]]'' ([[1983 in television|1983]]). In the "'''All in the Family'''" finale, [[Edith Bunker|Edith]] rents the house next door to a black couple, much to [[Archie Bunker|Archie's]] chagrin. In the last episode of "'''Archie Bunker's Place'''," Gary wants to resume his relationship with Archie's niece, Billie.
*''[[Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers]]'' ([[1989 in television|1989]])
*''[[TaleSpin]]'' ([[1990 in television|1990]])
*''[[Darkwing Duck]]'' ([[1992 in television|1992]])
*''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' ([[1993 in television|1993]])
*''[[Space Cases]]'' ([[1997 in television|1997]])
*''[[Now and Again]]'' ([[2000 in television|2000]])
*''[[The Lone Gunmen]]'' ([[2001 in television|2001]])
*''[[Batman Beyond]]'' ([[2001 in television|2001]]) - Terry tells a young child a story about a previously unseen case in his early days as Batman. Terry's story was eventually resolved in the appropriately titled [[Justice League Unlimited]] episode "Epilogue", which takes place 15 years after the series.
*''[[Firefly (television series)|Firefly]]'' ([[2002 in television|2002]]) critically acclaimed and well-loved by a stack of devoted fans, was cancelled half-way its first season, but will be revived as feature-film ''[[Serenity (film)|Serenity]]'' in ([[2005 in movies|2005]]).
*''[[The Big O]]'' ([[2003 in television|2003]]) - Angel seemingly transforms into the Fourth Big and resets everything except herself and Dorothy to before the first episode. It should be noted that the true "ending" is simply an [[cliffhanger|Unfinished Cliffhanger]].
*''[[John Doe (TV series)|John Doe]]'' ([[2003 in television|2003]])
*''[[Samurai Jack]]'' (2003)
*''[[My Wife and Kids]]'' (2005) - Jay shocks Michael with news that she's pregnant.
*''[[Joan of Arcadia]]'' ([[2005 in television|2005]])
*''[[¡Mucha Lucha!]]'' (2005)
*''[[Carnivàle]]'' (2005)
*''[[Tru Calling]]'' (2005) - cancelled early into production of Season 2 (what would have been the final episode did not even air), leaving many plot threads hanging unresolved and questions unanswered.
 
==See also==
* [[seasonTelevision finalepilot]]
* [[Series premiere]]
* [[Season premiere]]
* [[Season finale]]
* [[List of most-watched television broadcasts#Most-watched broadcasts|Most-watched American series finales]]
 
==References==
== External links ==
{{Reflist}}
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/14/arts/television/14lost.html Anxious to See How It Ends? So Are the Writers.]
 
[[Category:Television series finales| ]]
[[Category:Television terminology]]
[[Category:Last events]]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Series_finale"