10 Greatest TV Series Finales Of All Time
5. Cheers
Cheers bowed out after 11 seasons with a feature length finale watched by an utterly insane 93 million viewers. Such a number is unthinkable these days with the thousand odd channels out there. Even then, it was an improbable accomplishment. Despite debuting to middling ratings and reviews, Cheers eventually took the land of the silver screen by storm. Of particular note was fans' obsession with the Sam (Ted Danson) and Diane (Shelley Long) pairing.
After a 6 year hiatus to pursue a film career that never quite materialised, Long returned and the stage was set for the last hurrah. Sam agrees to move to L.A. to finally be with his long lost love, much to the chagrin of the supporting cast. Questions revolving around whether or not Sam would ditch his beloved bar dominated the episode. He ultimately returns, single again, to continue the lifestyle we've followed him on from the start.
While some criticism was launched at the staggering length of the series' final instalment, the Charles' brothers' witty writing and elegant closing moments make it a triumph. With a surprisingly emotional return to normalcy, Cheers went out on a high note few sitcoms have ever reached.