The series finale of six feet under inverted the classic format of the show. Below are some of the best and worst tv series finales that have graced viewers tv. Also read time s list of the best movies, movie performances. These tv show finales remain among the most watched ever, with one being the highestrated episode of any television series in u. In honor of the americans, new girl and the middle signing off for good, weve ranked the 10 best and five worst tv finales of all time, from six feet under to how i met your mother. These are not the top 100 with the greatest viewership, but the top 100 ratings. Looking at nielsen ratings, the primary source of tv audience measurement since 1950, weve compiled the top 25 mostwatched series finales of all time. Neither the subject matter or strategy hurt them, and the roots finale is still ranked the 3rd highest rated programepisode of all time.
Walter white bryan cranston had good motivations, but for five seasons he did some very bad things. The best tv shows of all time, according to fans insider. The best tv series finales in history include those of er, the wire, breaking bad, and more. Its far from the mostviewed series finale of all time. In honor of the americans, new girl and the middle signing off for good, weve ranked the 10 best and five worst tv finales of all time, from. Here are the best showtime original series of all time. See which series our survey respondents chose, ranked by popularity, below. With the finale on the horizon, it appeared that don was all but deconstructed, and yet the series final moments suggest that the antihero bounces back, turning his near breakdown into. Not only is the last one one of the mostviewed series finales of all time, but when it aired, it was the most viewed.
To see which series had the biggest turnout, stacker took a look back at the top 50 mostwatched tv series finales, ranked by nielsen ratings. Your favorite tv couple, your favorite villain, and even your favorite television businesses will all close up shop at some point, and. Nearly 40 years after the series went off the air, mashs final episode still holds the record for the most watched television finale of all time. The best series finales of the 21st century, ranked. Check out the top 250 tv shows as rated by imdb users. With once upon a time set come to an end, it is the perfect time to take a look back at the series and rank the seasons from worst to best.
We asked tv fans, what do you think is the best tv show of the past 20 years. List of mostwatched television broadcasts wikipedia. Tv writers have a tough enough job keeping demanding audiences interested in an increasingly competitive landscape, and creating a great series finale is perhaps the most difficult task of all. However, mashs final episode remains the alltime most watched u. They started out strong, but these shows ended with the worst series finales ever. The highest rated episode of sons of anarchy is the season 3 finale, sitting at 9. This list of the best series finales in television is a somber reminder that no matter how much you love a tv character or a show, in time, they all will end. Most watched tv series finales of all time stacker. Shows with the best freakin series finales of all time. Spock, and the rest of the original series for the best star trek show to date.
For the previous season, cbs introduced nine new scripted shows during the regular 201819 season. Its a tricky needle to thread, and some series have undoubtedly done it better than others. The 20 mostwatched tv show finales of all time, ranked business. From lost to the sopranos, here are the best and worst tv series finales of all time. The following table shows the all time highest rating television shows in mega manila as. Most controversial tv finales of all time best and worst. Game of thrones finale hits alltime high and edges. The highest rated broadcast of alltime is the final episode of mash in 1983, with 60. So to honor the best in television, we present to you the 20 greatest tv finales of all time. That is, those with the highest percentage of the us tv households at the time that watched them.
Its hard to watch friends go, especially when they stop by weekly. With hbos game of thrones being the most recent show to deliver a controversial coda, nows a good time to look at some of the worst tv series finales of all time. In a poignant, emotional and still toprated finale, the 11year run ofmasheight years longer than the korean war it depicted came to an end ashawkeye pierce alan alda and most of the. For a writer to say it was all a dream at the end of a story an audience invested a lot of time and emotion in is. The fourth season finale of wkrp wasnt supposed to be the series finale, but cbs canceled the show, so. Top 100 rated tv shows of all time tv by the numbers by. By the end of the episode, the war has drawn to an exhausted close, and.
The 10 mostwatched tv series finales ever mental floss. According to nielsens measurements of the top network telecasts of all time, the top 20 mostwatched tv episodes ever all date back at least a decade for example, the seinfeld series finale. The highest rated series finale to air in the 21st century is still. By the end of the episode, the war has drawn to an exhausted close, and the residents. Best series finales of tv shows of the 21st century. Its not easy to close out a tv show thats meant so many different things to so many people. The wire anyone whos watched hbos the wire knows its an addicting series, and its finale has fittingly been universally lauded as one of the best of its era. The 10 best ever episodes of tv according to imdb joe is. Here are time s picks for the best tv shows of the 2010s, presented chronologically based on the year of their series debuts. According to nielsens measurements of the top network telecasts of all time, the top 20 mostwatched tv episodes ever all date back at least a decade.
While we can bid farewell to characters who have consumed our lives for hourseven yearsnot all final episodes succeed in tying up loose storylines, settling longheld questions or showing us a glimpse of what the. Some of them had died on the island early on in the show. However, mashs final episode remains the alltime mostwatched u. How do the big bang theory series finale ratings rank. The title to the wire s series finale is a reference to a journalist term often used as shorthand to signify the end of a press release. Mashs series finale pulled in more than 125 million viewers in 1983. Its only appropriate that a show set in space landed stellar ratings for its series finale, which aired on may 23, 1994, after seven. Made in america is, infamously, the episode of television that made millions of viewers briefly. Game of thrones series finale sets alltime hbo ratings. Were taking a look at popular tv shows that failed to stick the landing w. The 25 mostwatched tv series finales of all time newsweek.
The highest rated broadcast of all time is the final episode of. After 11 seasons of hilarity and heartbreak, the korean war comedy ended with a twoand a half hour tv movie that aired feb. Read more the best and worst tv series finales of all time. A series finale refers to the last installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often the final episode of a television series.
Ratings game of thrones series finale viewership burns hbo records with all time high. Unsure the mini series would work with white viewers based on the topic. A series finale refers to the last installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often the. The 15 best tv series finales of all time mental floss. Showtimes dexter is the next highest rated nonhbo premium cable show, with the last season averaging 2. The game of thrones series finale on sunday delivered the shows biggest audience of all time, capping a record final season in the ratings for the hbo show. The shows later seasons dropped in ratings on metacritic. Check out photos from tvline s list of the best tv series finales of all time, ranked. Game of thrones ratings hit alltime viewership high. The 20 mostwatched tv episodes of all time the independent. It may also refer to a final theatrical sequel, the last part of a television miniseries, the last installment of a literary series, or any final episode. Showtime shows have a reputation for starting strong and the fizzling out. In honor of both series saying goodbye, we ranked the 10 best and five worst finales of all time, from golden classics mash to recent travesties how i met your mother, and yes, thrones.
The real reason the lost series finale was so controversial. The series follows the title character, dexter, who lives a double life as a blood analyst and a killer who only targets other killers. The first episode of that season is titled so, and the finale is ns, spelling out sons. In household ratings, which measures how many households tuned into the show, bang averaged a 12. The best and worst tv series finales of all time ranked. What actually happened in the finale was that the inhabitants of the island reunited in purgatory. The first season of dexter is among the top rated seasons of television of all time. Looking at nielsen ratings, the primary source of tv audience measurement since 1950, weve compiled the top 25 mostwatched series finales. The network cancelled five of them and renewed just four. The 20 mostwatched tv show finales of all time, ranked. List of most watched television broadcasts in the united. The americans quietly became one of the best shows on tv before finally winning a bunch of awards for its final season, and with good reason. The 1990 series finale of alien comedy alf brought 21. If fans wanted to get closure for their favorite characters, they had to be there when it happened.
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