PART OF A CONTINUING SERIES.In light of The Sopranos finale last night, here are my Five Favorite TV series finales of all time.
I was fortunate enough to see each show live the night of its last first-run episode, except for my tentative pick for Number 5, The Fugitive. The night it aired, Aug. 22, 1967, I was too busy soiling my diapers to worry much about what the one-armed man was up to.
Here's my favorites:
1. Newhart. (1990)
2. Mary Tyler Moore Show. (1977)
3. St. Elsewhere. (1988)
4. The Tonight Show (1992)
5. I'm leaning toward The Fugitive (1967). But I'm taking nominations (and reminders) for No. 5 in the comments. After I rewatch the episode, I may even consider .... The Sopranos.
3 comments:
Whereas I understand what you mean...technically "The Tonight Show" is still on the air. Although I'll accept most arguments contrary to the previous statement based on the drivel of a show it has been since Jay Leno took over. It's easy to forget, and even easier to deny that the show still exists.
I'm sorry to see that the final, powerful, touching espisode of M*A*S*H was ont on your list. Who could forget some of Hawkeye's final lines of dialogue...."It was a baby....not a chicken....a baby!"
O.K... thinking about it, that should make your top 5 worst list.
Tough one! Give Carson all the props you can, but I thought his finale was a letdown. I can't help comparing it to the week-long parade of guest stars that led up to it, or to Letterman's last NBC show, with Tom Hanks's story of caddying for Slappy White: "stop bending the shafts!"
I have to agree with you on Newhart, and maybe St. Elsewhere IS second (either it is or it was a total copout; I still can't decide). But no MASH? No Cheers? How about the British version of The Office? True to the rest of the series, it gave each individual storyline an ending that had absolutely no satisfying resolution to it.
Or another dark horse candidate from an underrated series: "I'll Fly Away." Even though they didn't really have to kill anybody.
"Newhart" was classic. "I'll Fly Away" was one of the most underappreciated shows ever as were "Homefront" and "China Beach." "Mash" finale sucked--but so did the entire last season.
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