Top Ten: Best Series Finales

Every Worst list needs a Best list so that is why I asked Amy to also do a Best of list. Coming up with this list was a lot easy the  the Worst list. I came up with ten choices within a few minutes and felt no need to search for any I might have missed. It would have been wasted time since I really like the ten I chose. 

The hard part was ranking them but I got through it and they are below.

A great series finale needs to make you feel like you didn't waste years of your life watching a show only to get stuck with a lot of questions (see Lost). It also has to leave you satisfied with where the characters end up. A great montage reminding you of all the great moments also does not hurt.

You can find Amy's list here: Absolutely Amy

Honorable Mention:

Newhart

I was never a big fan of the show but I always loved the ending. Waking up to the woman who played your wife in your first series was genius.

10. Fresh Prince of Bel Air

I was a huge fan of Fresh Prince growing up. It's still one of my all time favorite sitcoms. The end didn't pack a huge emotional punch but it ended at the right time for a sitcom.

9. Friday Night Lights

With the ratings we were lucky to get a second season. Then we were lucky to get three more seasons so while I think the show could have gone on I can't be greedy and need to appreciate the five seasons the show had. What made this show great was that it was able to basically recast the show as the cast graduated high school and it still kept the great show telling. It had a lot to do with Coach and Tami as the anchors of the show. They were the two characters that were irreplaceable.

The finale did a good job of closing the book on the series. It gave some older characters a chance to come back and say goodbye while staying true to the characters who grew on you over the last two seasons. I also loved the direction that the Coach/Tami story took at the end. I won't say to keep from spoilers.

8. Being Erica

This show could have lasted another season story wise with Erica as a doctor but it still ended the story well. All the characters made decisions for their futures and it all tied together nicely.

7. Dawson’s Creek

I chose two scenes for this one because I couldn't decide between the two. I liked the fact that the finale jumped ahead to finish off the story. It gave the characters time to figure out what most people knew about them without having to drag on the series. Also the Pacey vs. Dawson dilemma landed on the side I wanted.

6. Everwood

I also chose two scenes for Everwood because I loved the montage used but couldn't leave out the final scene. I almost never gave this show a real chance but Amy convinced me to give it a second try and I ended up loving the show. I still think this show should have made the CW over Veronica Mars or that lame show called Runaway.

5. Cosby Show

The first TV show I loved watching. The show balanced comedy with reality so well. They did it all so well and I loved the way it ended for Cliff and Clair walking right off the stage so you can see the audience.

4. Saved By The Bell

I spent a lot of Saturdays watching Saved By The Bell. I always wanted to be able say Time Out and freeze everyone around me. I also always wanted Zach's phone. Sure this was not technically the last episode of Saved by the Bell but was actually part of the poor attempt at a primetime show called Saved by the Bell: The College Years but really that one season of college blends together with the rest of the show.

3. Greek

Easily the only good show on ABC Family. I liked that the show ended before it got pathetic that Cappie was still an undergrad. I loved the show because it reminded me of my time in college. But like real life college ends and people need to move on.

2. Smallville

A great Clark montage can be find here:  Clark Flies

I thought I would end up being disappointed with the finale after 10 seasons of loving the show but the writers did a great job of ending the series with everything viewers wanted. I mean it would have been cool to see Tom Welling in the full Superman suit and not CGI the suit on him but I can appreciate that with a new Superman movie coming they couldn't get the suit.

1. Scrubs

I just couldn't put this one lower then number 1. Sure there was lack of a montage but I can forgive that since it had a great JD/Cox moment at the end and finished with one of the series best JD fantasies. Also using"Book of Love" as the last song was a great choice.