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The Best Series Finales
This list of the best series finales in television is a somber reminder that no matter how much you love a TV character or a show, in time, they all will end. Your favorite TV couple, your favorite TV villain, and even your favorite TV businesses will all close up shop at some point, and these are the best final episodes of those TV shows that are no longer on the air. And believe it or not, some of the best TV shows ever didn't make the list because they were great TV shows with bad finales.
This list includes the greatest television series finales in the history of television, ranked by TV viewers who had a strong reaction- good or bad- to the final episodes of their favorite shows. Some of these TV shows had the highest ranked series finales of all time while others are on the list simply for resonating with their fans. Some series finales, like the final episode of Newhart, are still talked about because people can't believe the show actually ended that way. Others, like M*A*S*H, rank high because they were emotionally fulfilling to the fans who had turned on their TVs and opened their lives to those most loved TV characters week after week right up until the end.
What TV series had the best series finale? That's what this list is here to decide. Remember, the top series finales both wrapped up the storylines AND left viewers wanting more. Go easy on the series finales that came as a result of a show being cancelled, and make sure to add your favorite TV series finale if it's not already on the list.
This list includes the greatest television series finales in the history of television, ranked by TV viewers who had a strong reaction- good or bad- to the final episodes of their favorite shows. Some of these TV shows had the highest ranked series finales of all time while others are on the list simply for resonating with their fans. Some series finales, like the final episode of Newhart, are still talked about because people can't believe the show actually ended that way. Others, like M*A*S*H, rank high because they were emotionally fulfilling to the fans who had turned on their TVs and opened their lives to those most loved TV characters week after week right up until the end.
What TV series had the best series finale? That's what this list is here to decide. Remember, the top series finales both wrapped up the storylines AND left viewers wanting more. Go easy on the series finales that came as a result of a show being cancelled, and make sure to add your favorite TV series finale if it's not already on the list.
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- 1Up 142Down 7Beth Riesgraf, Gina Bellman, Timothy Hutton Moreadded by: Ann-CatrinJansson
- 2Up 106Down 42Mike Farrell, Loretta Swit, Jamie Farr More
- 3Up 75Down 43Peter Scolari, William Sanderson, Tom Poston More
- 4Up 66Down 47John Ratzenberger, George Wendt, Kelsey Grammer More
- 5Up 79Down 59James Michael Tyler, Allisyn Ashley Arm, Jennifer Aniston More
- 6Up 51Down 41Johnny Carson
- 7Up 31Down 33Amy Acker, Mercedes McNab, Vincent Kartheiser More
- 8Up 47Down 40Danny Strong, Nicholas Brendon, Emma Caulfield More
- 9Up 46Down 54Dan Lauria, Danica McKellar, Fred Savage More
- 10Up 46Down 40Jonathan Frakes, Whoopi Goldberg, Brent Spiner More
- 11Up 51Down 70Dominic Monaghan, Kiele Sanchez, Tania Raymonde More
- 12Up 38Down 45Dan Butler, Peri Gilpin, Kelsey Grammer More
- 13Up 38Down 49Joseph C. Phillips, Lisa Bonet, Erika Alexander More
- 14Up 37Down 44Anthony Edwards, Eriq La Salle, Julianna Margulies More
- 15Up 28Down 46Taran Noah Smith, Earl Hindman, Jonathan Taylor Thomas More
- 16Up 36Down 40Rachel Griffiths, Lauren Ambrose, Freddy Rodriguez More
- 17Up 20Down 35Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Michael B. Jordan More
- 18Up 36Down 42Idris Elba, Aidan Gillen, Frankie Faison More
- 19Up 29Down 20Eric Dane, Holly Marie Combs, Julian McMahon Moreadded by: Dismalhead
- 20Up 35Down 34Kwan Hi Lim, Roger E. Mosley, Larry Manetti More
- 21Up 15Down 20Randy Vasquez, Catherine Bell, Trevor Goddard More
- 22Up 34Down 42Edie Falco, Dominic Chianese, Steven Van Zandt More
- 23Up 19Down 33Vik Sahay, Bonita Friedericy, Zachary Levi Moreadded by: WarrenMitchell
- 24Up 34Down 47Alfonso Ribeiro, Joseph Marcell, Tatyana Ali More
- 25Up 0Down 0Leven Rambin, Richard T. Jones, Summer Glau More
- 26Up 43Down 56Larry David, Liz Sheridan, Estelle Harris More
- 27Up 17Down 30Scott Bakula, Dean Stockwell, Deborah Pratt
- 28Up 32Down 37Katee Sackhoff, Peter MacNicol, Carlos Bernard More
- 29Up 7Down 12John Noble, Kirk Acevedo, Mark Valley Moreadded by: averagej123
- 30Up 17Down 33Grace Park, Kandyse McClure, Lucy Lawless More
- 31Up 3Down 10Enver Gjokaj, Amy Acker, Eliza Dushku More
- 32Up 15Down 30Don Johnson, Michael Talbott, Saundra Santiago More
- 33Up 23Down 45Michael J. Fox, Justine Bateman, Brian Bonsall More
- 34Up 27Down 32Aloma Wright, Travis Schuldt, Christa Miller Moreadded by: KennySlattery
- 35Up 13Down 23Marion Ross, Anson Williams, Scott Baio More
- 36Up 19Down 44Bert Remsen, Susan Howard Chrane, Ian McShane More
- 37Up 19Down 26Keiko Agena, Liz Torres, Scott Patterson More
- 38Up 5Down 13Erica Durance, Cassidy Freeman, John Schneider More
- 39Up 20Down 34Estelle Getty, Betty White, Beatrice Arthur More
- 40Up 19Down 32Jacqueline Scott, Barry Morse, Bill Raisch More
- 41Up 17Down 21Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Des Barres, Dana Elcar More
- 42Up 23Down 27David Rees Snell, Benito Martinez, Catherine Dent Moreadded by: Dismalhead
- 43Up 10Down 13Betty White, Gavin MacLeod, Ted Knight Moreadded by: BrianSkeith
- 44Up 10Down 21Rachel Bilson, Melinda Clarke, Benjamin McKenzie More
- 45Up 10Down 29Norman Lloyd, Christina Pickles, France Nuyen More
- 46Up 18Down 39Danielle Brisebois, Sally Struthers, Carroll O'Connor More
- 47Up 14Down 32Blake and Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit, Bob Saget, Scott Weinger More
- 48Up 5Down 18John Lutz, Kevin Brown, Tracy Morgan More
- 49Up 5Down 22Maitland Ward, Rider Strong, Will Friedle More
- 50Up 13Down 20Cynthia Harris, Tommy Hinkley, Leila Kenzle More
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