TV shows that ended perfectly
Many TV shows don’t get the gift of a perfectly planned ending – too often they’re unceremoniously cancelled, or given the flick prematurely, leaving audiences wondering just what might have been if the writers had been given ample notice that the end was coming. Unfortunately, it’s rare for a TV show’s ending to satisfy, so if you prefer not to be disappointed, then these are the shows you should be adding to your list. Obviously, spoilers abound. You have been warned.
1. Friends
The Friends finale was one of the last big television events. With anticipation high, and tens of millions of people tuning in around the world, the stakes were high. Fortunately, the writers played it perfectly, finding a way to end the series that felt like an ending for us, but a new beginning for the characters we’d loved for 10 years. Gathered in Monica and Chandler’s empty apartment as they all prepare to move on to the next chapter of their lives, the emotion is high, and when all is said and done, we’re left with the poignant shot of six keys left behind – never to be used by our friends again.
2. Six Feet Under
If you’re familiar with Six Feet Under, you’ll no doubt be aware of the familiar episode openers that always feature a death. In keeping with the series’ exquisite style and power to move its audience, the series changed things up for the final episode. Instead of opening with a death, it began with a birth. Then, the final ten minutes were dedicated to showing the deaths of each of the lead characters we’d grown to love – flashing forward into the future in what is one of the most sublime television endings ever aired.
3. The Sopranos
This ending was much discussed and argued in the days and weeks following its airing. Controversial isn’t quite the right word to describe it, but it certainly stirred up passion amongst fans of the mobster drama. A television that made its name with violence and bad language was expected by many to go out with some kind of bang. Instead, the show’s final moments occur in a diner, with Tony Soprano and his family waiting to order. The sound of the diner’s door opening announces the arrival of someone else in the diner, right before a now infamous fade to black. Arguments still rage about whether it was Tony’s daughter, or someone arriving to kill him. The not knowing is what makes this finale so perfect.
And special mention goes to M*A*S*H: The final episode of M*A*S*H was watched by over 120 million people in the USA alone, and millions more around the world, as families gathered around their televisions to say goodbye to this long-running sitcom.
What’s your favourite television ending?