# TV series that ended well **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 17, 2003, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-ended-well/169291 "2003-04-17T13:21:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![effac3d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@effac3d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/effac3d)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-ended-well/169291/21 "2003-04-17T16:04:28Z")
On 3rd rock,there were two different endings. The superior one(imho) was broadcast as some kind of syndication special. I made a realmedia file of it a while back i might be able to find still,if anyone wants to see it its only about ten seconds. ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-ended-well/169291/22 "2003-04-17T16:08:16Z")
I can remember liking the “Wonder Years” wrap up, although at this point, I don’t really recall much about it other than that it revealed that the dad had died shortly after the finale… And I’ll second TNG. “The sky’s the limit”…I thought that was a great note to end on, with Picard finally letting himself get a little chummy with his crew. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-ended-well/169291/23 "2003-04-17T16:15:05Z")
The IMDb has [a summary of the alternate ending](http://us.imdb.com/AlternateVersions?0115082) of “3rd Rock”. That may be why I’m confused regarding if they went back for Mary in the “official” ending or not. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-ended-well/169291/24 "2003-04-17T16:36:15Z")
You young’uns probably haven’t even heard of the show, but in the 50’s there was a kids show called The Howdy Doody Show. Puppets and such. One puppet character was Clarabell…not once did Clarabell ever talk during the long run of the show, until the final episode when she looked in the camera and said, “Bye kids.” Now THAT was an ending. ---
**Author:** ![FairyDust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@FairyDust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyDust)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-ended-well/169291/25 "2003-04-17T16:43:52Z")
Riptide’s final episode was great! [http://www.thrillingdetective.com/riptide.html](http://www.thrillingdetective.com/riptide.html) And thank you, Jeff Olsen and effac3d for the information about the final episode of 3rd Rock From The Sun. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-ended-well/169291/26 "2003-04-17T16:45:47Z")
I’d have to go with **The Wonder Years** , **ST:TNG** and **Dick Van Dyke**. True, the Dick Van Dyke show didn’t have what we’ve come to know as a _traditional_ last episode, in which loose ends are tied, or characters move away or die, but that’s why I like it. It just ended. There could have easily been another season and it didn’t feel contrived and forced like so many others (MASH, Cheers, Mad About You, for Pete’s sake). The Wonder Years was so well done. It was poignant, but didn’t betray the series. NexGen was just enjoyable and also didn’t really **end** anything. You could see the crew calling it a night and the next day getting on with the job just like any other day. I wasn’t a huge fan of **Newhart** , (I much preferred **The Bob Newhart Show** ) but there’s no question the last scene of the last episode is locked in as one of the most memorable ending scenes in TV ---
**Author:** ![Zazie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Zazie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zazie)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-ended-well/169291/27 "2003-04-17T16:46:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lost4life \* > \*\*Didn’t Magnum have a cool ending with him dying and walking into heaven, then they renewed it for another season? \*\* MAGNUM DIED??? whaoo, I need to know exactly what happened here! I am shocked! ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-ended-well/169291/28 "2003-04-17T16:50:36Z")
Just to add a point about **The Wonder Years** , few episodes of any show have been as moving as that last one. I still remember how actually shocked I felt when Kevin said that his brother had taken over his dad’s business a couple of years later when his dad died. And when we learned that he hadn’t married Winnie, I wasn’t really surprised, but I was saddened a little. Though the way they handled it was right on. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-ended-well/169291/29 "2003-04-17T16:52:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DMark \* > \*\*You young’uns probably haven’t even heard of the show, but in the 50’s there was a kids show called The Howdy Doody Show. Puppets and such. One _puppet_ character was Clarabell…not once did Clarabell ever talk during the long run of the show, until the final episode when she looked in the camera and said, “Bye kids.” > > Now THAT was an ending. \*\* Nitpick to self: Clarabell was not a puppet. Clarabell was a clown who only made faces and honked a horn when he wanted attention. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-ended-well/169291/30 "2003-04-17T17:11:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DMark \* > \*\*Nitpick to self: Clarabell was not a puppet. Clarabell was a clown who only made faces and honked a horn when he wanted attention. \*\* And who was originally played by Bob “Captain Kangaroo” Keeshan, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![NutMagnet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@NutMagnet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutMagnet)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-ended-well/169291/31 "2003-04-17T17:32:00Z")
I don’t know if it was a “good” ending, but the last of episode of **Seinfeld** was at least fitting for the characters. ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-ended-well/169291/32 "2003-04-17T17:46:42Z")
Star Trek: TNG had my favorite ending. Well done, all around and the poker scene at the end was perfect. Of course, the show was in its prime when it left the air, so that helped. I didn’t mind the DS9 ending, thought it was in-line with the rest of the series. ---
**Author:** ![Nangleator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e19adc/32.png) [@Nangleator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nangleator)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-ended-well/169291/33 "2003-04-17T17:59:11Z")
**Babylon 5** had the best ending I’ve seen. Not surprising, since the show was originally conceived to be 5 seasons long, and was very well written anyway. **Quantum Leap** was bittersweet, and pretty much copped out by stating all the unanswered questions were God’s mysterious ways. I loved **Magnum P.I.** until the last episode. The moral of the episode was, “Stop fooling around with that private eye stuff and get back to a real man’s work in the Navy.” I can’t watch the show anymore. The message is clear. Every show (and movie) should be one creative person’s vision from beginning to end. Keep the goddamned money men away from the creative end, for goodness’ sake. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-ended-well/169291/34 "2003-04-17T18:01:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zazie \* > \*\*MAGNUM DIED??? whaoo, I need to know exactly what happened here! I am shocked! \*\* Magnum was in a coma, walking off in the clouds (to John Denver’s “Looking for Space”) and was supposed to die and end the series there. They “brought him back” and they went on to 1 more (short) season which ended with Magnum re-elisting with the Navy, Rick getting married, and Higgins revealing that he wasn’t Robin Masters. Love that show. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-ended-well/169291/35 "2003-04-17T18:03:15Z")
I liked the ending for The Kids in the Hall. In fact, the final season may have been their best. All the major recurring characters were wrapped up (Buddy, the Two Kathies, bathrobed Paul Bellini) and the ending was just magnificent. The Kids were buried alive. By Paul Bellini, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-ended-well/169291/36 "2003-04-17T18:03:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by photopat \* > **I’d have to go with The Wonder Years, ST:TNG and Dick Van Dyke. True, the Dick Van Dyke show didn’t have what we’ve come to know as a _traditional_ last episode, in which loose ends are tied, or characters move away or die, but that’s why I like it. It just ended. There could have easily been another season and it didn’t feel contrived and forced like so many others (MASH, Cheers, Mad About You, for Pete’s sake). The Wonder Years was so well done. It was poignant, but didn’t betray the series. NexGen was just enjoyable and also didn’t really end anything. You could see the crew calling it a night and the next day getting on with the job just like any other day.** IIRC, “Murphy Brown” was another non-ending ending. And **FairyDust** , you’re quite welcome. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-ended-well/169291/37 "2003-04-17T18:48:45Z")
I always thought **Roseanne** finale was pretty good and I also liked the finale of **Mad About You**. Both of them closed things out nicely. I think my favorite series finale was **Cheers**. The final scene was especially good. ---
**Author:** ![ShadiRoxan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@ShadiRoxan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadiRoxan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-ended-well/169291/38 "2003-04-17T19:34:03Z")
i seem to recall the endings of \*\* The Golden Girls\*\* and **Night Court** being pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-ended-well/169291/39 "2003-04-17T19:44:59Z")
I’ll probably get flamed for this, since I seem to be the only person in the world who holds this opinion, but I thought the final episode of _Seinfeld_ was absolutely brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-ended-well/169291/40 "2003-04-17T19:51:30Z")
I’ll probably get flamed for this, since I seem to be the only person in the world who holds this opinion, but I thought the final episode of _Seinfeld_ was absolutely brilliant. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-ended-well/169291.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-ended-well/169291.md?page=3)