Worst Television Series Finales of All Time?

[P.J.]

Granted. MASH is the yardstick, and kind of went out of its way to be depressing. But MASH and The Simpsons are in an entirely different category than HIMYM, which I love, but has never been a ratings powerhouse or even the most watched sitcom on it's own network.

LOST is a double-edged sword. It was wildly successful, but drown in that success as the sum of it's parts became more than the whole. It paved the way for "mini-seasons" and LONG breaks between episodes that ultimately really drove the audience away.

Khan, I think you're right, it's never a good idea to kill off the central character. I think renewals were handled different back in the days of Magnum, weren't they? I think Magnum was on the bubble by that time, having really been killed by Cosby, and Bellsario wrote Thomas' "death" angling for some kind of reprieve from the network.

I think what Bob Newhart did for Newhart was brilliant. I suppose some people were even pissed that Larry, Darryl and Darryl were supposedly all a "dream"---but it ended on such a hilarious note (with Suzanne Pleshette) that it didn't feel like a slap in the face, it felt like you were "in" on the joke.

[ChitHappens]

How did W & G end? I can't imagine it was great as the final seasons were abysmal!

The show should have been called Karen & Jack!

[Khan]

If that is the case, then hats off (sort of) to Donald Bellisario for rolling the dice. Because CBS could have easily nixed another season for the series. They were not obligated to give him or "Magnum" anything.

Frankly, I never had much of an issue with the finale of "M*A*S*H." The series, after all, was supposed to depict the costs, both emotional and physical, that the Korean War had exacted on these individuals' lives. Was it too long? Probably. But to have a finale that was all cheers and laughter would have been dishonest to everyone who had ever spent time in combat.

But I totally agree with you, P.J., about the ending for "Newhart." A series that was so surreal deserved an ending that was EQUALLY surreal.

[Khan]

Speaking of MacGuffins, lol. No one will ever convince me that "Will & Grace" was supposed to be about, well, Will and Grace. From beginning to end, that show belonged to Karen and Jack, and whoever says otherwise is kidding himself.

[Khan]

Q: How do those who have watched the final episode of "Moonlighting" feel about it?

[dm.]

I didn't like the ending of Roseanne either, but personally loved Alias and Lost. To each their own, I suppose.

Also, I would have loved if Angel and Gilmore Girls had more time to prepare better finales.

[Soapsuds]

Dallas and Dynasty

[Khan]

Contrary to what Roseanne herself has insisted time and time again since that episode originally aired, I do believe those last moments were her way of backing out of the alarmingly bad final season. She could protest until she's on her deathbed that the Conners' winning the lottery was a figment of her imagination, and I'll still call b.s.

But, even if she had left it at that, I would have been fine with how the series ended. Where I think she went really off-track was the further suggestion that everything from the second or third season forward was, in fact, her own creation. Roseanne, whose enormous ego is matched only by her persecution complex, could not resist taking one last shot at her perceived enemies, people behind-the-scenes who, to quote Miss Paula Abdul, did not appreciate the gift that was her.

In her eyes, "Roseanne" was the ground-breaker it was because of her, and her vision. She triumphed in spite of all those "mediocre" and "sexist" writers, producers and even network executives who dared to silence her or muddy her vision in the name of doing "what's best for the show." If anyone with good ideas managed to seep through the proverbial cracks, well, that was just coincidental. She was Roseanne, and everything good about "Roseanne" was all her doing.

The problem with that notion, of course, was that not only was Roseanne taking credit for other, smarter writers' efforts, she was ignoring (or choosing to ignore) what was bloody obvious to most, if not all, of her audience: the more power she exerted over the creative direction of her series, the more that resulted in diminishing returns for the audience. Say what you will about Matt Williams, about Jeff Harris, about Jay Daniel and Bruce Helford and every other show runner there, but the later years of "Roseanne," when Roseanne effectively controlled the show, both with Tom Arnold and without, were a far, far cry from earlier ones, when the show seemed to have its' blue-collar audiences and their values foremost at heart.

[alexisfan07]

Dexter was the worst I've personally seen. Dear god. I have noticed, if the series finale basically eradicates all storytelling from the final season and does its own thing, it gets the most hate. This is what happened with Dexter in many respects and I believe what happened with HIMYM.

[P.J.]

I know I watched Moonlighting, but I can't recall the ending.

It's not that I didn't understand MASH incorporated the costs of war into its storylines---but Hawkeye's stay at the asylum seemed more like one more last, grandiose nod to Alda's ego than was necessary. Plus the subplot about Father Mulcahy losing his hearing and Charles' little band that all died or whatever, seems really harsh looking back on it.

Shoot me---I remember liking the Facts of Life and Nanny endings.

[Vee]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure Roseanne was lying about the dream ending. She didn't plan it; she was backing out because she had to admit it was awful, but on her way out she tore the whole show down and rewrote great swaths of it to better correspond to her master "vision". And vindictively killed off John Goodman's Dan after wrecking the character, as they'd been apparently having issues for the final two seasons. That whole finale was godawful, the cap to a terrible final season. I just ignore it all.

[YRBB]

Thank you! LOST's finale was brilliant.

Finally, someone who agrees with me about the awesomeness of Season 4. My favorite season, by far.

[ellabelle]

Will & Grace was always the Karen and Jack show for me. They were the best part about that show.

Sadly, I can't remember most primetime series finales, usually because the shows tend to go into decline for a season or two (or more) before they're canceled, and I end up become a more sporadic viewer as I lose interest.

The Friends finale was the only primetime finale I can recall watching in a very long time that I didn't completely hate.

[Khan]

Another so-so series finale: the last episode of "Who's the Boss?". According to an E! "True Hollywood Story" interview with one of the show's co-creators, the plan had been to tie up all loose ends and have Tony and Angela marry. However, the production company (Sony, I think) prevailed upon them, explaining that such a move might hurt syndication sales (or something to that effect). Subsequently, Blake Hunter, Martin Cohan and the rest of the team altered their plans to what became the final product.

If you ask me, though, it was a bit of a cheat to have Tony and Angela go through some contrived conflict (he graduated from college and accepted a teaching position out of town; the long distance put a strain on their romance) but reunite at the end without actually tying the knot. Even if the final scene -- Angela, clad in a bathrobe with a towel wrapped around her head, opens the front door to Tony, dressed in a tuxedo and inquiring about a job as her housekeeper -- was a callback to their initial meeting.

[DRW50]

I liked The Nanny finale too. It's actually a great little ending. It ties up everything, and the scene where CC has to help Fran when her water breaks in the elevator is an all time classic. I didn't like some of the Nanny seasons that became so much about the guest star of the week, but the last one wasn't bad at all.

I haven't seen the Facts of Life finale in a long time, but I thought it was decent.