MAD ABOUT YOU – Best final episode ever!!!
Futurama, for bender’s “another classic science fiction show cancelled before its time.” And the execution of the trekkies “in the manner most befitting virgins.”
Star Trek TOS.
No conclusion to a series-spanning story arc, true. But it didn’t leave any hanging and unresolved, either.
Just the end of that weeks adventure, same as always, and the good ship Enterprise just keeps flying…
While that was funny it wasn’t the final episode. It went on for another season.
Wasn’t the last episode of Futurama the one where Fry writes the opera for Leela? While not technically a “series finale” I thought it was a good episode to end the series on.
And my favorite finale would also be Newhart. I also like the ending to the first season of Sledgehammer, unfortunately(?) they were renewed the show at the last minute so the ending wasn’t actually the end.
another vote for Blackadder Goes Forth. Although I didn’t think it was that unexpected – the first Blackadder ended with everybody dying, too. And the second, if you count the “trick” ending after the credits.
Also liked the finale for Quantum Leap.
I also vote for Black Adder Goes Forth . While I wasn’t particularly surprised by all the death, I was surprised by how serious the ending was for a comedy program.
I also liked the final program of Newhart .
There was a sitcom in the late 80s. It was about a hispanic maid for a motherless upperclass family. The last episode had the dad in the family being sent to Saudi Arabia for work in the oil business. The last scene was at the airport with the family saying goodbye. He boards the plane and the remaining characters (the maid and the kids) talk for a minute. Then the dad comes back out.
Maid: Did your flgiht get cancelled?
Dad: No. We did!
The camera pans back revealing the set and the studio audience and the cast thanks everyone for coming and waves goodbye.
A cool way to end a series.
My favorite series finales are as follows:
Quantum Leap
Magnum P.I.
M.A.S.H
The finale of The Larry Sanders Show was great. It wasn’t often you felt true sympathy for Larry, but you did on this night: when he confesses to the audience, “I don’t know what I’m going to do without you,” or when he tells producer Artie that he can’t get up from his stool to leave the stage. Then as the credits rolled, Shawn Colvin sang a lovely version of “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” … perfect.
Newhart was inspired. (Actually, until the last few minutes, it was only so-so, but the ending made up for it)
Sledge Hammer – though the show was renewed.
There’s an old Hollywood story that the writers for Designing Women had actually concepted out a final episode where Suzanne and Anthony ran off and eloped. They got toally crossed up by Delta Burke’s leaving the show two years before it actually ended and never got to write the final script.
As for the best finale that actually made it to air, it’s Newhart by a mile.