15 Greatest Final Shots In TV Shows Ever

11. St Elsewhere

St Elsewhere Ending
NBC

St Elsewhere, which ran for 6 seasons on NBC in the 1980s, ended on a shot of a snowglobe. It seems simple enough, but in truth the image makes for one of the most controversial, daring, and memorable endings in TV history.

The episode builds to this moment by showing us Tommy Westphall staring into the snowglobe, with his father commenting: "I don't understand this autism thing, Pop. Here's my son. I talk to him. I don't even know if he can hear me, because he sits there, all day long, in his own world, staring at that toy. What's he thinking about?"

When we then focus on the snowglobe at the end, it's revealed to contain a replica of St Eligius hospital, meaning that the entire series had taken place in the imagination of one autistic boy - a ridiculously bold move, a twist on the 'it was all a dream trope', and as we stare at that globe and realise its true meaning, something utterly unforgettable.

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Contributor
Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.