Tuesdays are Top 10 Tuesdays where I count down a topic in the TV realm. This week is Top 10 Sitcom Series Finales!
Close Calls
The Wonder Years "Independence Day"
That 70s Show "That 70s Finale"
Superstore "All Sales Final"
The finale to Happy Days was very sweet. It was an 80s version of a series finale complete with a montage at the end but it also gave happy endings to all the main characters who had grown and changed so much during the 11 year run of the show. And Ron Howard was back, as he needed to be.
9. The Good Place "Whenever You're Ready" (January 30, 2020)
The finale of The Good Place was a fitting end for a very unusual show that dealt with much bigger existential topics than most network sitcoms do. It was an uneven run for the show overall but the finale answered some of the questions about life it had been answering and left others open-ended.
8. New Girl "Engram Pattersky" (May 15, 2018)
By the time the finale for New Girl aired, I had become somewhat disenfranchised with the series so it was such a pleasant surprise how touched I was by the finale. It provided great callbacks while still being quirky. It also ultimately was a storyline for the show's MVP Winston and I can always get behind that.
7. Cheers "One for the Road" (May 20, 1993)
The Cheers finale was a major event that we wouldn't see today. It was an episode that was probably a little longer than it needed to be but it still was pretty satisfying for fans who had watched over 11 seasons. It also had a very simplistic but effective ending to the episode with Ted Danson's Sam saying simply "sorry, we're closed."
6. The Office "Finale" (May 16, 2013)
After two rough post-Steve Carell years, The Office managed to pull things back together for its finale that not only featured a brief but great appearance from Carell but also managed to effectively tie in the documentary element of the show. It ended with a fantastic monologue by Jenna Fischer as Pam and almost made up for all the ills of the final two seasons.
I think Friends perhaps suffered a bit in its finale by being too much of an event. It was one of the last shows where the final episode was truly a nationwide event. As such, they felt like they had to check a lot of boxes but it was still incredibly rewarding. Let's be honest, this is a finale that would not have made us happy if Rachel did not get off that plane so they gave fans exactly what they wanted.
4. The Middle "A Heck of a Ride" (May 22, 2018)
The Middle was such an underrated sitcom of the 2010s and it never got the respect it deserved. The finale was everything a finale should be: it gave callbacks to longtime fans and gave every character a happy ending. It wasn't one of the more ambitious finales but that was very fitting for a show that was always comfortable being the type of show it was. And it was a type of show that wouldn't have a big, grand finale.
3. Parks and Recreation "One Last Ride" (February 24, 2015)
Parks and Recreation had an ambitious finale at the end of a very ambitious final season. The finale jumped multiple years in the future to show where each character ended up. And each one was very satisfying. From big characters to small characters, Parks and Recreation knew exactly where we needed closure with each character and provided it while still providing the trademark heart of the show.
2. Newhart "The Last Newhart" (May 21, 1990)
Without a doubt the most clever sitcom finale in TV history. I know there's some debate about who came up with the idea that the entire series of Newhart was a dream of Bob Newhart's character on The Bob Newhart Show, but whoever it was - it was inspired. This wouldn't have worked for every show, especially ones where the characters feel more real. But Newhart was full of oddities and one final oddity complete with Suzanne Pleshette was just perfect.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show basically created the modern day sitcom finale for shows that are able to go out on their own terms. And over 40 years later, they still did it best. The finale was very sentimental but because it was also mixed with some dark comedy (the entire staff except Ted getting fired), it never got too sappy. And who can forget that final scene in the newsroom? It was a perfect ending.
Tomorrow: A One Season Wonder look at 2000s flop Accidentally on Purpose!
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