8. Fraiser - 'Goodnight Seattle Parts 1 & 2'
On paper, Frasier delivered all the qualities we want from a series finale. A wedding? Check. A birth? Check. A character getting that promotion they always wanted? Check. Our central character moving on to bigger things and/or finding love? Check. In terms of closure, 'Goodnight Seattle' certainly delivers. By the end, every character is embarking in a new chapter in their lives. It's the heart that goes into the final story that makes this finale so great. There are great moments of humour that the show does best. The 'accidental' booking of the wrong date for Martin's wedding to Ronnie, leading to Frasier and Niles at their very best, planning a lavish wedding in eight days. And inevitably, in true Fraiser-slapstick style, Eddie digests the rings. There is a great sentimentality as Martin marries Ronnie in the vets and Daphne gives birth, brining her romantic journey with Niles to completion. And Frasier's final broadcast (above), watched on by all our main characters (and many cast and crew too) is funny and heart-warming. Perhaps Roz finding herself the station manager of KACL is a bit on the nose, but its still a great end point for a character who had already embraced motherhood and is now set to see her career skyrocket. For me, the most interesting (and surprising) moment is the very end. Throughout the final two episodes Frasier talks to a female passenger as (we assume) he jets off to a great television opportunity in sunny California, courtesy of the manic, hilarious she-devil agent Bebe. But the twist at the end, that he has gone to join the woman he has fallen in love over the latter half of the season, is wonderful. I loved the Frasier and Charlotte dynamic. Laura Linney and Kelsey Grammer shared some great chemistry, and to see our main character follow her to new possibilities is an interesting choice. You could think this undoes the decision to leave his job at KACL...does he have anything lined up in Chicago? Well the finale is all about hope and new chapters. Martin has found love again. Daphne and Niles have their own family. Roz has that promotion. Having watched everyone move on to bigger things, we know that Frasier will do the same. And that's a great place to end. At its greatest, Frasier is one of the best sitcoms ever made. It may have lost it in later series (one character - Daphne's mum!!!) but it came out strong in season 11. And while that's a massive achievement, you can't help and wonder, what happened next? Ponder that why you relive the final moments of Frasier Crane below...