From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A series finale is the very last installment of a television series, usually a sitcom or drama. The term is typically used to refer to a planned ending, as opposed to the more common final episode that results from a series being suddenly cancelled by its network. Something labeled as a "series finale" is usually a high-profile event for a show's creators, fans, and sponsors.

An anticipated series finale will often wrap up loose plot threads that have lingered throughout a show's run, or at least its final seasons. It is very common for actors that have long since left a series to return for one last appearance, as did Shelley Long of Cheers, Kristy McNichol in Empty Nest, Tisha Campbell in Martin, David Duchovny in The X-Files, Topher Grace and Ashton Kutcher in That '70s Show, Jessica Biel in the "intended finale" 7th Heaven, Linda Gray and Steve Kanaly in Dallas, Denise Crosby in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Joan Van Ark, Donna Mills in Knots Landing, and David Boreanaz in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series finale.

Occasionally a show is cancelled without warning, but its last two or three episodes are simply combined to comprise something billed as a "series finale" - as has happened to one-time hits such as Married with Children and Full House, both of which became too expensive to produce and thus ended on an anti-climatic note.

Contents 1 Origins 2 Typical formats 3 Notable series finales 4 Notable animated shows that ended with a finale 5 Notable shows that ended without a series finale 6 External links

Finales started becoming popular in the 1970s, after The Fugitive's closing episode in August 1967 became one of the most highly rated episodes of all time. Prior to that, most series consisted of stand-alone episodes without continuing story arcs, so there was little reason to provide closure.

Usually, a series finale is a dramatic conclusion to the basic premise of the series. Final episodes frequently feature fundamental changes in the central plot line, such as the union of a couple, the resolution of a central mystery or problem, the separation of the major characters, or the sale of a home or business that serves as the series' primary setting. Indeed, in a final episode it is also possible to do things that would be considered jumping the shark at any other point in the series' run.

Another trend involves acknowledging the fundamental unreality of the series, as St. Elsewhere and Newhart did.

Final episodes often include looks into the future or detailed looks into the series' past, or sometimes both (as in Star Trek: The Next Generation's finale). Characters who have left the show often return. Characters may finally accomplish things they have never done, running gags are brought to an end, and unseen characters are revealed. There may also be allusions to other shows that have gone on into television history, and sometimes a character or two may be set up for a sequel series (e.g., Cheers begetting Frasier) in which characters from the series being concluded might show up from time to time. Shows that feature a character who confronts villains on a regular basis often build their finales around a final, no-holds-barred confrontation between the hero and the most notorious villain he or she has faced.

Series finales for shows that are cancelled suddenly are sometimes seen as making relatively haphazard or rushed conclusions, or sometimes merely having a reflective feeling rather than tying up loose ends.

• Buffy The Vampire Slayer- Chosen - Buffy, with the aid of Angel (Buffyverse), finishes off the sadistic Caleb (Buffyverse) and has a small conversation with him before he departs for L.A at her insistence, in case her final assault on the Hellmouth results in her death. She begins preparations at her home, where she is taunted by The First in her guise. The First's words unintentionally give Buffy a daring new idea, and she leads her army of potential Slayers and friends into Sunnydale High, and from there, the Hellmouth beneath it, to combat the rising armies. Spyke's mysterious amulet (given to Buffy by Angel, who in turn got it from Wolfram & Hart) begins irradiating, and the vampire is pinned to the rocks in pain. Willow Rosenberg, left behind to conduct a spell, uses an ancient Slayer weapon to activate every potential slayer in the world, giving the army the chance to fight back and win as Spyke's amulet tears the Hellmouth apart, and him with it. Causalities of the battle unfortunately also include Anya, who is spliced in half. The team of slayers and Scoobies escape Sunnydale by bus as it completely disintegrates and falls into a crevasse. Buffy's sister Dawn asks Buffy what they should do after this, and all Buffy can do is smile.

• M*A*S*H (TV series)- Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen- Hawkeye Peirce slowly recuperates from a traumatic experience in a Military sanitarium, whilst the 4077th find themselves pinned down by heavier casualties and tremendous firepower as the final days of the war approach, with both sides struggling for final claim of territory. Hawkeye returns, slightly more erratic than usual, and drives a parked enemy tank out of the camp. The 4077th commence a temporary bug-out and retreat elsewhere until the peace talks finally end. Upon the war's conclusion, everyone departs through a different form of transport, until Hawkeye and B.J are the only two left in the deserted camp. B.J takes Hawkeye to his own helicopter transport on his bike. As Peirce leaves the 4077th forever, he notices B.J, who had avoided saying the words "goodbye" for much of the story despite Peirce's insistence, had arranged on the hill over the camp, a set of rocks forming the words "GOODBYE".

This is perhaps the most significant series finale of all time, as it achieved the highest ratings in American Television History, a record it still holds to this very day.

• Knight Rider- Knight Rider 2000- In the year 2000, a movement to ban handguns from use has driven several Law Enforcement Officers and City Officials to release a known Mercenary from Cryogenic imprisonment to aid in spreading a crime spree with the forbidden weapon. A victim of the conspiracy is Shawn, a female cop who is betrayed by her friends and left for dead, her life saved only by installing a computer chip in her head during a revolutionary surgery. This chip, however, is soon revealed to belong to the Knight Industries 2000's Micro Processor, K.I.T.T. K.I.T.T's old partner, Michael Knight, is recruited by old friend Devon Miles to return to active duty to investigate the murders, and he enlists the aid of Shawn. After the conspiracy murders Devon Miles, Michael and Shawn install K.I.T.T in the untested Knight Industries 4000 and brings the group to justice.

• Superman: The Animated Series - Legacy - Superman, brainwashed by Darkseid (thereby flying under the radar of New Genesis), attacks Earth. There, after causing considerable damage, he manages to break free of Darkseid's control just as Lex Luthor and General Hardcastle take the opportunity to incapacitate both him and Supergirl with a Kryptonite missile. They are captured and taken to a military complex, but escape to STAR Labs with Lois Lane's help, although Supergirl is badly injured in the process. Determined to end Darkseid's reign of terror, Superman takes a Mother Box and goes to Apokolips, where he systematically disposes of Darkseid's minions. Finally, he defeats Darkseid himself in combat, leaving his fate to his people. A recovering Supergirl brings him back to Earth, where most of the populace now fears him after his rampage as Darkseid's pawn. The series closes with him kissing Lois, vowing to win back the planet's trust.

• Beast Machines - End Game - Megatron transfers his spark into a specially constructed body modeled on Optimus' "Optimal Optimus" form. Megatron then absorbs the sparks of every living transformer into himself, turning himself into a massive god-like being. Only Optimus is left to oppose him, and the two of them engage in a final battle across the face of Cybertron. Realizing that he cannot outfight Megatron, Optimus instead hurls himself and Megatron into the planet's core. The two of them are absorbed into Cybertron, which re-formats the planet into a techno-organic paradise, and releases all the sparks trapped by Megatron, who are all reincarnated on the surface as techno-organic beings. Thus far, this is the finale of the original Transformers timeline.

• Daria - Is it College Yet? - Daria and her classmates prepare for graduation while Daria decides to end her relationship with Tom (but they remain friends) and Quinn faces her own problems which she deals with an unexpected maturity. Daria and Jane both go to Boston-based colleges (Raft and Boston Fine Arts College, respectively). Tom goes to Bromwell, where many members of his family were alumni. The Fashion Club (all of whom advance to senior year at Lawndale High as do Joey, Jamie, and Jeffy) breaks up, but they continue to be a social circle. Mack goes to Vance, while Jodie goes to black-dominated Turner. Brittany goes to Grand Prairie State, while Kevin flunks senior year and has to take it again.

• Hey Arnold! - The Journal - Arnold finds a journal describing the adventures of his parents in the jungle, from which he learns that he was born during a volcano eruption and that his pig was a present to his parents. Later, he finds a map in the back of the book. This hour-length episode was to serve as the prologue for a second Hey Arnold! theatrical film, which may (probably) never see the light of day. The second movie had also been initially scheduled to be the first, with "Arnold Saves The Neighbourhood" (which eventually became the first movie) serving as the series finale, allowing the Jungle movie to tie up everything.

• Dexter's Laboratory - Garage Sale - Dexter's parents accidentally sell his newest invention to Mandark. Note: This was the next-to-last episode of the series to be produced, but in the United States it ended up the last episode aired. The last episode produced was "Tea Party/Dexter's Wacky Races," which in many countries was the last one aired.

• Futurama - The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings - Fry continues to try to convince Leela of his feelings for her by composing a holophoner opera dedicated to her. Frustrated by the complexities required in playing the instrument he makes a deal with the Robot Devil by trading his own hands for the Devil's robot ones. However, when the Robot Devil claims Leela as his bride after she sells her soul to him for robot ears (in order to listen to Fry's opera, having been previously deafened by Bender), Fry is forced to give back the Robot Devil's hands. The episode ends with the end of the opera, Fry and Leela finally together. Note: The episode was made with the future of the show still not known, so it was made to be both a series finale and a season finale, so it could give an end to the series, though still leaving the door open for continuation. This episode is no longer the series finale since Comedy Central ordered 13 more episodes to air in 2008 and 4 direct-to-DVD films are in production.

• X-Men: Evolution - Ascension Part Two The X-Men must work together to try and stop the rise of the evil mutant Apocalypse, who plans to transform every human being on earth into a mutant. To do this, the X-Men gather teams of every mutant they could recruit, whether friend or foe, and unite against Apocalypse and his Four Horsemen (Professor X, Storm, Magneto, and Mystique), all of whom were mind-controlled by Apocalypse. In the final scene, Professor X explains a vision he had while in the mind of Apocalypse, which strongly hints at plotlines that would have been explored further had the show continued. Highlights include:

• Batman Beyond- Return of the Joker - Bruce Wayne's eternal nemesis, The Joker, returns through a leftover sleeper program left within the mind of Tim Drake, transforming the former Robin into The Joker, complete with his memories. He terrorizes Gotham with the aid of a new gang, and a corrupt business rival of Wayne's. It is revealed through flasbacks to Terry McGinnis that the original Batman's identity was compromised by The Joker years ago when he captured and brainwashed Tim Drake, turning him into a junior version of the sadistic crime clown, and the experience drove Drake to eventually kill him. Bruce forbade Tim to be Robin again, and the two fell out. After Wayne is almost killed by The Joker, McGinnis slowly manages to put the pieces together and defeats him, curing Drake in the process.

• DC Animated Universe- Epilogue (JLU)- Terry McGinnis, the Batman of the future, discovers that he is in fact the genetic son of Bruce Wayne. Believing that his life was set up, he contemplates leaving Bruce, the Justice League, and even his girlfriend Dana. But before he does, he confronts Amanda Waller, a former government agent and liaison to the League, who's had dealings with Batman before. She admits that it was she who set up his birth without Bruce Wayne's knowledge, altering the genes of Terry's father in a plan to create a new Batman to replace the aging Bruce. When the assassin hired to kill Terry's parents, actually an old flame of Bruce's, refused to carry out the deed, the plan was aborted, until several twists of fate occurred, resulting in Terry becoming Batman anyway. Waller tells Terry that he is still his own person, and his own Batman, not a pawn of Bruce, herself, or Fate. Terry then reaffirms his relationship with Bruce, plans to propose to Dana (who by now knows that he's Batman), and returns to his duties as the Dark Knight.

• Teen Titans - Things Change - Terra returns - how is never made clear - but seems to have developed amnesia. Beast Boy spends most of the episode trying to make her remember her past. He is ultimately forced to give up, and rejoins the other Titans to battle a mysterious shapeshifting creature. This episode leaves many mysteries in the show still unrevealed (such as Red X and Slade's identities). Some fans have argued that this finale was meant to emulate the downbeat, interpretive final episodes of such classic anime series as Neon Genesis Evangelion and Cowboy Bebop, based on the show's anime-style animation. The series was given a direct to DVD movie "Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo", which although not providing any answers, resolved Robin and Starfire's relationship.

• The Fairly Oddparents and The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius - The Jimmy Timmy Power Hour 3: The Jerkinators In the third and final part of the crossover trilogy between The Fairly OddParents and The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius Timmy wants to become friends with Jimmy Neutron. While they are friends, they battle each other's enemies, and they create a new villain that they don't like. So they abandon him, but that makes him super evil now, and he takes Cosmo and Wanda's wands and Jimmy's brains. With their wands back in their possessions, Cosmo and Wanda become fairies again and Timmy is able to wish that the villain had no strength. Jimmy and Timmy later tell everyone that it was really their fault that the villain became evil and apologize to him. As a result of their apology, the villain fixes both dimensions and restores peace. As a gesture of thanks, Jimmy and Timmy give him a pizzeria of his own in Dimmsdale. Finally, Cindy then tells Jimmy to say that she is smarter than him a couple of times before Timmy wishes Jimmy's brains back.

• Justice League Unlimited - Alive!/Destroyer - In the first part of the finale, Lex Luthor, in one last attempt to resurrect Brainiac leads the Legion of Doom into space to the only known remnants of the computer. Gorilla Grodd leads a mutiny against Lex with the support of most of the Legion, who have come to doubt Luthor's sanity. As the villains battle amongst themselves, Luthor is able to turn Grodd's psychic abilities against him and forces him out an airlock, and the other rebels quickly surrender. Reaching the remains of Brainiac, Luthor's machine accidentally resurrects not Brainiac but Darkseid (thought killed along with Brainiac in the episode Twilight), who vows to destroy Earth.

A few of the Legion manage to escape warn the Justice League of the coming threat. The heroes and villains band together against Darkseid's forces, and Superman takes on the now more powerful Darkseid personally. In a final, desperate measure, Metron assists Luthor in retrieving the Anti-Life Equation, giving it to Darkseid just before he can kill Superman; the resulting blast appears to kill both of them. Darkseid's forces leave and though the League celebrates, they expect they'll see both Darkseid and Luthor again. As thanks for their help, the other villains are given a "five minute head start." The episode concludes with Leaguers grouped in various generations running down the stairs to begin the chase with the classic three, separating left and right, save for Green Lantern and Hawkgirl, who both fly in the same direction (together in spite of John's attempts to defy fate), Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman bringing up the rear. Batman is in the middle of this threesome, with the camera set so that as he runs towards it, his chest logo fills the screen just as it fades out, ending the DC Animated Universe as it began fourteen years ago with Batman: The Animated Series

The following is a list of de facto series finales for shows that ended prematurely. As such, these final episodes do not display the unique characteristics of a formal, planned series finale, in which the entire plot of the series is resolved or concluded in some manner.

• I Love Lucy (1957) – Lucy joins a community effort to establish a Revolutionary War monument. She manages to shatter any dreams she may have had of becoming a community leader when the statue is broken. Her efforts to undo the damage put her in a unique position when the time comes to unveil the statue.
• The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (1960) – Ricky is depressed because he hasn't gotten any movie or television offers lately. Lucy wants to cheer him up, and remembers that Ernie Kovacs and his wife, Edie Adams, live nearby -- and they have their own television show. Lucy invites them to dinner, and Ernie ends up inviting Ricky to appear on his TV show. Little Ricky, that is. Trying to make Ernie invite Ricky to appear as well, Lucy goes to his home, but there she only makes herself unwelcome in his eyes. Desperate, Lucy dresses up as Kovacs' chaueffer. She finds, however, that Ernie and Ricky are now discussing their plans for what Big Ricky will do on the former's show. Lucy is happy, but Ernie gets a phone call (in the car) from Edie, who unknowingly tips him off to Lucy's scheme. The two men decide to have a little fun with Lucy. They decide it's too late to go all the way home, and so they'll stay overnight at a hotel. In one room...
• The Twilight Zone (1964) - The Bewitchin' Pool - Two neglected children find a portal to another, better world in their pool. Their bickering parents file for divorce, and the children run away to the pool and the other world to live with a mysterious woman named Aunt T. Come Wander With Me was the last episode to be filmed, but Twilight Zone episodes were almost never shown in sequence of filming, and Bewitchin' Pool became the last episode of the series.
• The Addams Family (1966) – Ophelia arrives in tears as usual, as she's been jilted again. Morticia thinks she should take up a career to distract her from her bad track record with men. Chemistry is a failure, so Cousin Itt offers to teach her singing. This doesn't work too well, and she sings like he talks. Gomez hires Signor Bellini to help with the effort. He gets furious with her and threatens to quit. Ophelia tries singing choral music; in a chorus of voices she is fabulous, which stuns Bellini. Six months later, she's auditioning for Signor Rudoipho, the great impresario. Fester tries to calm her nerves by giving her a throat tonic, which ruins her voice. Morticia tries to console her sister by writing a new opera for her, 'Afternoon In A Swamp'. Ophelia tries singing again and even cuts a record, which she sends the Family. She now has a two-tone voice, singing in alto and bass.
• The Munsters (1966) – When Eddie reads a school composition entitled "My Parents - An Average American Family" to his class, his teacher believes the boy is exhibiting symptoms of an overactive imagination. The school principal suggests that Eddie's wild exaggerations might be motivated by an underprivileged home life. It is decided that a visit to the Munster home is in order.
• Gilligan's Island (1967) – King Killiwani searches the island for a White Goddess who will marry a volcano and be a sacrifice to it. To save the women, the men try out for White Goddess and Gilligan wins. "Gilliana", the new White Goddess in heels, can't take the charade and removes his dress and wig. King Killiwani thinks White Goddess evil, take henchman and leave island!
• The Monkees (1968) – The Monkees encounter a pulsing eye that freezes people to their television sets.
• Star Trek: The Original Series (1969) – A mind-swapping device causes Kirk and his former lover to switch bodies. The first six of the Star Trek films would continue the storylines of the crew, concluding with Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Star Trek: Generations, the seventh film, concludes the story of Captain James T. Kirk.
• I Dream of Jeannie (1970) - Tony's cousin comes to visit and convinces Jeannie to put Tony's face on cans of chili and market them so they can supposedly become rich.
• Petticoat Junction (1970) - Betty Jo starts a day nursery to augment the family income.
• The Beverly Hillbillies (1971) - Fortune hunter Dick Bremerkamp schemes to marry Elly May.
• Green Acres (1971) - Oliver is looking through his old Christmas Cards to find the return address of an ex-secretary of his who had moved to California. He wants to contact her because when his watch broke before, his secretary at the time found a repair shop that was able to fix it. The secretary, Carol now works for a Realtor who she ends up saving from being coned out of $10,000 from a con man that her former boss, Mr. Douglas had tried to indict back in New York. By episode end, Carol remembers the name of the watch repair shop on Madison Avenue.
• Mayberry R.F.D. (1971) - A large company wants to buy the rights to Emmett's old invention.
• Bewitched (1972) - Endora tries to test out Darrin's honesty by giving him a pin with a spell that makes him tell the truth. Darrin learns that honesty is not exactly the best policy when he jeopardizes an important account. It seems as though he may have lost the account, but the client likes the honesty between Darrin and Larry and gives them a break. As the series ends, Samantha and Darrin tell each other how much they love each other, without the magic of the truth pin.
• Bonanza (1973) – Little Joe tries to elude a war-deranged soldier, who plays a human hunting game for his amusement. In the end, Joe — whose supplies and horse have been stolen by his adversary — must rely on his wits to overcome his predicament (which he does in the end by locking the villain in a ghost town jail).
• The Brady Bunch (1974) – A non-FDA approved hair dye turns Greg's hair orange just hours before graduation; of course, Greg is able to get the tonic washed out before graduation. Robert Reed refused to appear in the episode because he thought the plot was unbelievable (an in-joke in the final scene has Carol telling Greg that it was too bad "Dad had to miss graduation," alluding to Reed's absence).
• Here's Lucy (1974) – When a middle aged waitress is fired solely based on her age, Lucy and Kim scheme to cause chaos for the restaurant manager.
• Gunsmoke (1975) – Festus does his best to help a sharecropper farm his land.
• Phyllis (1977) – Feeling that he cannot support Bess with his struggling singing career, Mark leaves. Phyllis then runs after him, and tells him to return because Bess has a surprise -- she's pregnant.
• Rhoda (1978) – When Benny starts to feel down-and-out, Brenda tries to cheer him up by catering to his every whim.
• Fawlty Towers (1979) - The hotel staff are frantic to prevent a snooping health inspector from finding out that Manuel has been keeping a pet rat at the hotel.
• The Ropers (1979) - Helen's mother gives herself a wake (complete with presents) at the Ropers' house so she can discuss her will with her daughters.
• Welcome Back Kotter (1979) - Washington gets an after-school job that Juan Epstein felt was rightfully his, cultimating in a feud. Many fans of the show were upset that there was no official finale in the form of the long-awaited graduation of the Sweathogs.
• What's Happening!! (1979) - During a charity benefit to raise money for a youth center, Rerun claims he has persuaded Sammy Davis, Jr. to emcee, which he hasn't.
• Soap (1981) - One of the most famous unresolved cliffhanger episodes in history: a suicidal Chester prepares to kill Danny and his second wife after catching them together in bed (the night before his duel with El Puerco); Burt is about to walk into an ambush set up by his political enemies; and Jessica is heard being shot by a communist firing squad as the credits roll. In the spin-off Benson, the spirit of Jessica appears to Benson and reveals her to be in a coma as a result of the failed execution.
• Lou Grant (1982) - It may be routine for Charlie when he has to fire two incompetents, lend a sympathetic ear to Donovan and consider assignments for Billie and Rossi, but for a cub reporter, the story he's working on is anything but routine.
• Laverne & Shirley (1983) - Rhonda enters Cowboy Bills to tell Frank that she suspects Carmine is about to commit suicide. She tells Frank that he's packed all his stuff, turned off the gas, and disconnected his phone. Just as the two of them are about to run to try to save Carmine, he walks in and tells them that he's decided he's getting nowhere fast and that he wants to move to New York to try his luck on Broadway. Rhonda and Frank lend him money as he doesn't have quite enough to get there yet. He says his goodbyes to Frank and Rhonda and he goes to tell Laverne. When he walks into Laverne's apartment to tell her his news, Laverne tells him that after weeks of saving she can finally afford to buy a water bed that she's been after. Carmine then tells her that he's sick of being a singing telegram boy and that he's moving to New York but he's $100 short. At this point Laverne offers to loan Carmine the $100 from her bed money. Eventually he takes it and says goodbye to her, too. Carmine arrives in New York and attends a casting call for the musical Hair. He makes friends with a black man who he goes "halfsies" with on a room, so they now become roomies. A large part of the remainder of the show is taken up with Carmine and the rest of the dancers doing their musical number for the show. In the end we see them both checking the part list to see if they got the jobs, which they both did.
• Archie Bunker's Place (1983) - Billie and Gary agree to be friends, but this is tested when Billie falls for Rick Baxter who unknowing to Billie is an old friend and childhood rival of Gary's. Billie and Rick start dating neither knowing about others relationship with Gary, nor Gary knowing that they are dating. All is let out in the open when Archie tries to clear up the situation.
• The Jeffersons (1985) - George is eyeing to win the Dry Cleaner of the Year award but finds he's short on the community service portion. This leads him to take over as "nest mother" of Jessica's Red Robin troop where he gives the girls irresponsible tips on how to sell candy.
• Three's a Crowd (1985) - Jack has stardom go to his head when Vicky is chosen to be in a Trans-Am commercial with him as a passenger in the commercial. Turbulence occurs on the set when the commercial's temperamental director and Jack get into a fight.
• Diff'rent Strokes (1986) - Arnold's feature story about his high school football team threatens to turn into a controversial expose for the school newspaper when he witnesses team members buying steroids.
• Centurions (1986)- The Centurions successfully defeat the alien computer Gog after a climatic showdown in New York City. The newest additions to the team, John Thunder and Rex Charger, are honoured for their efforts. (This five part story was produced and aired last, but chronologically, this only introduced two Centurions that would appear in episodes preceding this)
• Gimme a Break! (1987) - Nell learns that Mama is dating an old flame.
• Yes, Prime Minister (1988)
• M.A.S.K (1989) - The second season of M.A.S.K attempted to expand many of the character's personal histories, such as revealing Matt Tracker and Miles Mayhem co-founded M.A.S.K together, in the final episode, an attempt was made to give Brad Turner and Vanessa Warfield a competitive and tempered rivalry undertoned with a mild attraction, what could have led to more was ended when M.A.S.K was canceled, although the toyline would continue on, and the comics produced carried their own story arcs
• Webster (1989) - In a crossover with Star Trek: The Next Generation, Webster dreams he is on the Starship Enterprise and tries to explain the concept of feelings to Worf, as demonstrated in clips of past episodes. Both shows were produced by Paramount Television.
• The Hogan Family (1991) – David does a documentary film on the last months of his friend Rich, who has AIDS.
• Darkwing Duck (1992) - This is one of the most notable shows with no series finale, as most of the conflicts that occurred in the last season were never resolved.
• The Golden Palace (1993) – Aging Blanche agrees to marry Bobby Lee, her beau, and have his children... so she hits up her daughter, Rebecca, for an egg. Meanwhile, Roland agrees to hold a self-defense course for Sophia and her friends, and he enlists Chuy's aide.
• seaQuest DSV (1996) - The final episode aired was entitled "Weapons of War" in which Lieutenant O'Neill's on-line romance turns out to be a defector for an elusive Asian power that soon attacks both the UEO and Macronesia; putting the life of a seaQuest crewmember in extreme jeopardy. Several more episodes had been planned, some of which reached script stages, however, NBC canceled the series before they could be produced.
• Rocko's Modern Life (1996) - The last episode, "Turkey Time" / "Floundering Fathers", was aired as a Thanksgiving Special in 1996. The show was put on hiatus for a week and then canceled.
• Duckman (1997)- The last episode entitled "Four Weddings Inconceivable" ended with a major cliffhanger where Duckman's dead wife Beatrice returns.
• Now and Again (2000) - The Eggman Cometh - For a brief period, Michael Wiseman is without a tracking device and he is now more determined than ever to flee and take his family with him. Meanwhile, the Eggman (from the series' earliest episodes) is plotting to escape from prison and start his threats on the city again. Lisa discovers more information than she expected about Dr. Morris and Michael Newman (a.k.a. Michael Wiseman) and, determined to prove what she believes, decides to confront Michael. Michael escapes from government custody, reunites with his wife and daughter in their home, and flees with them, with Dr. Morris and the military only minutes behind them.
• Sports Night (2000) - Continental Sports has been sold to Quo Vadimus. At the end of the episode, Dana discovers that the company's head, one Calvin Trauger, fully intends to keep Sports Night, saying that "Anyone who can't make money off of Sports Night should get out of the money-making business". Delirious with joy, Dana runs out of the bar shouting "my show is ON!"
• Strip Mall (2001) - Tammi Takes a Dive Barry throws Tammi off an airplane. As Tammi is hurled--and screaming--to her possible death, Barry yells, "Goodbye Tammi Tyler!"
• Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (2001) - After a series of Starcruizer malfunctions, XR meet robot controller 42 which he falls in love with.
• The Lone Gunmen (2001) - Although it originally lacked a series finale, it later received one in the form of the 2002 X-Files episode Jump the Shark.
• 7 Days (2001) - The last episode of the series was titled "Live: From Death Row" and was advertised as a season finale and not a series finale. It did not in any way act as a closure for the plot of the series. In this episode, Frank Parker put the backstep project's actual mission on hold to save a friend of his who was falsely accused of murder and is on death row.
• Popular (2001) - The season starts with Jane going in to labour. It consisted with an argument between Nicole and Brooke, Brooke's father abusing Nicole, Mary Cherry finding out she has a sister,B.Ho, who was in an orphanage and resulting in her mother deciding she likes B.Ho more sending Mary Cherry to the orphanage, Lily and Josh finding out living together is harder than they thought and Brooke and Sam forcing Harrison to choose between them. Although it was never revealed who he picked Brooke ran out of the restaurant on to the road crying. While she is on the road Nicole purposely runs over Brooke. This is one of the few shows that ended with a cliffhanger.
• Firefly (2002) - Was canceled half-way its first season with "Objects in Space", but was revived in the feature-film Serenity in (2005).
• The Big O (2003) - Angel seemingly transforms into the Fourth Big and resets everything except herself and Dorothy to before the first episode. It should be noted that the true "ending" is simply an Unfinished Cliffhanger.
• John Doe (2003) John is nearly captured by the conspirators of the Phoenix Organization. In a cliffhanger, the leader of Phoenix is revealed.
• Sonic X (U.S. version only) (2003) - While many of the show's conflicts are supposedly resolved in the last episode, it was more of a season finale, not a series finale.
• Birds of Prey (2003) - Due to lower than expected ratings on the WB Network, it was canceled before the Birds of Prey could solve the mystery of Batman's disappearance. It was hinted that he might have appeared, but the show was canceled before it could happen.
• Samurai Jack (2004) - While peacefully enjoying a snack of peaches, Jack hears a baby cry and races to find out what's the matter. He rescues Baby from a crew of hungry (baby-eating) monsters. The two then set off to find the baby's mother. Jack makes a great temporary parent, finding food, shelter, dealing with diapers. He tells Baby a bedtime story of Momotaro (Peach-boy, an archetypal Japanese folk-tale). When sick, Baby wants peaches; when they return to the peach orchard, the monsters find them again. After the final defeat of the monsters, Baby's mother is found. When she notices a surprising change in her child, Jack explains the baby has achieved "sakai", the spirit of the samurai.
• Duck Dodgers (2005) - This episode, "Bonifide Hero: Duck Dodgers", isn't technically a series finale yet it brings back some of the old characters and during the credits there are funny "bloopers."
• Boston Public (2005) - The last season was the 2003-04 season of 15 episodes. The 13th episode was aired January 30, 2004, and both the 14th and 15th were not aired until March 1, 2005, more than a year later. The last episode aired was not intended as a closure for the series.
• Joan of Arcadia (2005) - Initially, Joan is simply curious about Ryan Hunter, the charming, wealthy and influential man who revealed to her that he also speaks to God, and who rescued Adam from the woods during a storm. However, she soon discovers Ryan's dark side and is alarmed that he's insinuated himself into the lives of her loved ones, who are quick to dismiss Joan's qualms about him.
• ¡Mucha Lucha! (2005)
• Carnivàle (2005)
• Tru Calling (2005) - Canceled early into production of Season 2 (what would have been the final episode did not even air), leaving many plot threads hanging unresolved and questions unanswered.
• All That (2005)
• Yes, Dear (2006) - Canceled due to low ratings the past 2 seasons. Discovering that Kim listens to Christine and Jimmy listens to Greg, Greg and Christine take advantage and ally themselves to help each other get what they want.
• The Bernie Mac Show (2006) - Bryana causes Bernie to suffer a near-death experience and Jordan takes advantage of the situation. Vanessa deals with her college applications.
• Joey (2006) - Gina and Jimmy get married.
• Two Guys and a Girl - Sharon, Irene, and Ashley all think they might be pregnant and take a pregnancy test. Ashley is the only one who is and tells Pete that he is the father then leaves.

It is notable that the vast majority of shows do not get to have a series finale and often end on either a cliff-hanger or a generally unremarkable episode. Producers rarely get enough notice of a show's cancellation to produce a specific 'finale'.

• TV Series Finale - site devoted to final episodes & life after the shows.