Inspired by Maccagirl: Greatest ending in TV series history?

[Floogeldy]

A lot of you will be too young to remember, but, Bob Newhart had a long running sitcom called "The Bob Newhart Show" with Suzanne Pleshette as his wife, among other characters. He played a psychiatrist.

After that show ran its course and some years passed, he started a new show where he and his wife (different actress) leave New York to buy and run an Inn in Vermont. Well, this show ran for about eight years and Bob decided to end it. The last episode was one of the most closely guarded secrets in TV history.

The final scene was Bob waking up in the middle of the night after having a nightmare, dreaming that he was the owner of an Inn in Vermont with a wife. The lady in bed with him comes out from under the covers, reveals herself, and it is Suzanne Pleshette, from the first show. And she just says something like, "Go back to sleep, Bob."

Maybe you had to be there.

Greatest ending in TV series history?

Know what I am talking about?

[Blue-Jay]

1. Yeah, Newhart. Also M*A*S*H.

Good stuff.

I'm not sure if Carson's last night on the Tonight Show counts, but I cried anyhow.

[Floogeldy]

5. I cried, too.

I want to cry now. Johnny cried.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

2. Sounds funny...

I never saw the show; but if you were a fan, I'm sure it was hilarious!

[LTR]

3. Here's one: "SOAP"

The show ended its run with a massive amount of cliffhangers, never to be resolved.

I heard later that this was not intended, that the show was cancelled before they could tie up all the loose ends. But it was fitting, given that the show was basically a parody of soap operas.

The "Newhart" one was great, and I'll actually say I liked the "Seinfeld" finale, even though nobody else did. At least they didn't make it all sappy like other shows.

[Floogeldy]

7. Soap was GREAT.

For some reason, I missed the ending. Thanks for the explanation. :)

[ForrestGump]

4. "The Prisoner" was a classic,

even if nobody -- including Patrick McGoohan -- really knows what it was about. Far out.

All you need is love...

[Bucky]

6. ALF, which ended on a never-resolved cliffhanger

According to Wiki a half-assed resolution was filmed for the German market, which took to Alf long before they knew the bliss of Hasselhoff. But it was generally panned since they didn't bother to hire any series regulars except for the guy who did Alf's voice. And what's Alf without Willie Tanner to kick around?

By the way, the person who said "Mash" is wrong. Mash ended awfully and about three years too late.

[Blue-Jay]

9. Just because you called me "wrong", ALF sucked.

nyah.

[AmericanErrorist]

21. It was seen on US television

several years later.

[qnr]

8. I didn't actually see it happen, but I've seen it in one of those Best of

television specials.

[KeepItReal]

10. Dunno about the best...but the WORST was "Martin"...Hands Down!

How you gonna have a TV show where the 2 main characters (who are a couple) are *never* in the same scene at the same time? By that last eposode Martin Lawrence was all red and teary-eyed and barely made it through.

They should have just pulled the plug early, instead of insulting fans of the show for weeks on end.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

19. Apparently, Martin was sexually harassing Tisha Campbell.

That's what I heard at the time.

[trackfan]

11. The Fugitive

[unsavedtrash]

12. six feet under n/t

[begin_within]

13. Yes the "Newhart" ending was the most clever and funniest of all. Also,

the last episode of The Mary Tyler Moore show was pretty good.

[Floogeldy]

14. I don't remember!

What happened at the end of the Mary Tyler Moore Show?

I liked it. :)

[begin_within]

15. I don't remember the whole episode, but the station was bought by a new

owner, who fired everyone except Ted Baxter (the least competent employee). Right now I can't remember too much of the episode, except the final scene where they all have to leave and are too sad to leave, they end up in a group hug, and the phone rings, nobody leaves the hug to answer it, so the whole group moves over to the phone as a unit so that someone can reach the phone. It was a combination sad and funny episode. One which was hilarious and perfectly acted is when Chuckles the Clown died, and everyone goes to his memorial service, and Mary can't stop giggling throughout the service. Everyone keeps glaring at her, then finally the priest or minister stops and says, "Go ahead laugh... Chuckles would have wanted us to laugh!" and that makes Mary burst out in tears. Superb acting from everyone espeically Mary.

[RoyGBiv]

17. IIRC ...

It seems I remember seeing this on a special about best sitcoms of all time. Either that, or it's a really vivid dream.

That "group hug walking" thing was improved on the spot, again IIRC. It was supposed to break apart with one of the characters picking up the phone, but the hug was real and full of emotion, and they just sorta started moving. Or maybe the script had called for the hug to break with the actors altering it as they shot the scene purposely.

It was perfect either way.

[MnFats]

27. and they all leave singing "It's a long way to Tippararri

which i am sure i have misspelled.
MTM was great....all half hour sitcoms since have been influenced by it.
i guy i went to high school with almost burned down the MTM house in Kenwood section of MPLS.
was part of a renovation crew and accidentall started a fire. MFD got there in time to knock it down but in another two minutes it would have gotten away..

[RoyGBiv]

16. Yes ...

...and that was the first thing that popped into my head when I read the thread title.

Others come close. That was simply the best I can remember.

[Kat45]

18. Yes, that Newhart ending was excellent.

Never would have predicted it.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

20. Twin Peaks.

It wasn't supposed to end like that, but it didn't get renewed, so it had a brilliant cliffhanger.

SPOILER
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Agent Cooper was possessed by "Bob," which was revealed in the final moments for the first time as the possessed Cooper smashes his head against the mirror and says in Bob's demonic voice, "'How's Annie? How's Annie?'" while laughing maniacally.

:toast:

[Evoman]

22. Full House

Any ending to that piece of shite show is a Great Ending. Now if we can find the vault where they keep the shows for syndication, and somehow destroy those tapes, I can die happy.

[mduffy31]

23. Maybe it is because I have been watching the DVDs

But I like the way that Sports Night ended. A rival company bought the show and the new owner gave a little "fuck you" to ABC saying that anyone who can't make money with Sports Night shouldn't be in the business in the first place. It is shows like that are too smart for the Joey audience to make it. Of course if had been picked up, we may have not had the wonder that is The West Wing.

[sakabatou]

24. Cowboy Bebop

*spoilers*
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Spike gets fataly wounded by Vicious' katana. However Spike also got one last shot off from his Jericho. Spike leaves Vicious and goes back down the stairs to the main floor of the Red Dragons building. He limps clutching his ribs and abdomen. He stops midway down the last flight of stairs. He rasies his hand in a mock gun pose. Struggling to smile, he says "Bang," and collapses. Pan out with credits while the song "Blue" is playing.

[u4ic]

25. BlackAdder Goes Forth

Just...brilliant.

[liberalhistorian]

26. That was, indeed, a great ending.

So many good endings to good shows, many of them very emotional. The absolute worst one, however, has to be the last episode of Little House on the Prairie. Talk about horribly bad, unbelievably stupid, and incredibly disappointing! I'd watched the show from the beginning, I was eight years old when it started and nineteen when it ended, so you could say I grew up with it.

I'd always loved the Little House books and had lived in SD for a few years as a child. But that last show-GOD, what a horrible stinker! Every single writer and producer responsible for that ridiculous POS ending should have been fired and forbidden to ever work in the business ever again.