TV Meme: Day 22 - Favorite Series Finale

This was difficult. I have a handful of shows that I have watched over the course of their run that had great and meaningful finales.

Just in the past couple of years shows like Scrubs (the main series) and Lost ended their runs with great finishes. But, this blog has been pretty heavy on the Scrubs (thanks, Mrs. Kano) and Lost I feel has been written about to death over the past few months since it ended.

For this category, I decided to go with a show and its finale that I blogged about when it happened right here and that show is ER.


A show that can run for 15 years, more than half my life at this point, must have been doing something right. So, it had to have a great finale to usher it out the door. Over the top, right? Nope, ER played it perfectly.

The show brought back a handful of the shows original members in small storylines throughout the final season - including heavy hitter George Clooney, and a touching flashback episode of Mark Edwards' Dr. Green. A handful of the other cast returned as Noah Wyle's Dr. Carter was opening up the Carter House - but that was really all of the fanfare.

Like I said in my previous installment - there wasn't a wedding, the hospital wasn't shutting down and people weren't coming together for a funeral, or any other cliche you can come up with for a season (series) finale. These peoples' lives will go on (technically speaking) without us watching.

The final scene had the camera pulling away from the hospital as an ambulance was pulling in - a great nod to say that life goes on, and we will be here saving lives even if you aren't seeing it.

I thought it was a pretty special finale - and although I didn't stay with the show through its entire 15 year run, I did manage to stay around for most of it. And I felt the finale was fitting to a pretty groundbreaking show.

Farewell, ER!

Yes, I do have a pair of movies that I was able to see this weekend, which I will be posting about later. And yes, it is the start of the baseball season and I have to make my horrendous selections.

But, ER closed its doors for the last time on Thursday and I thought it deserved a small blog today.


ER began way back in 1994 with the likes of George Clooney, Anthony Edwards, Eriq La Salle, Noah Wyle, Julianna Margulies, Sherry Stringfield and William H. Macey patrolling the hallways. Not a single one was still around Chicago's County General, even though Wyle returned in a brief stint as the season concluded.

This show began when I was just 13 years old and has been on more than half my life - 15 years. I have to admit, I didn't watch each and every season. I believe I started watching the show and had a pretty large gap somewhere in the middle before finishing up with probably the last 5-or-6 seasons.

A lot of people say the show sort was a "spin-off" in itself as members of the original cast slowly left and were filled in with other cast members. But, in my opinion, it is sort of like a real ER - not very often do you have the same exact doctors and nurses aroudn for 15 years. There are bound to be new people, and ER continued on just like if nothing had changed.

The finale on Thursday proved that the most, as we said goodbye to the show, the show showed us that these people will continue on - without us. There were many subtle hints that reminisced about shows in the past - including the arrival of a new Dr. Greene, as Mark's daughter Rachel is all grown up and about to become a Med student.

There was no wedding, birth or funeral for everyone to come back to - the hospital wasn't closing. The finale brought back a handful of people from the original cast as Dr. Carter opened up the Carter Institute - and the ER continued on as usual behind the scenes.

I may not have stuck with the show through its entire run, but I was around for most of it. And I can tell you this, it will be very difficult not seeing it in its regular 10 p.m. slot on Thursday nights.

Thanks for the run.

Cancellations/Renewals

It's that time of year again, when television networks begin to pick and choose as to which shows are drawing a large enough audience to keep and which ones are about to get axed.

I follow a great number of television programs, probably too many, but with the conclusion of this season many of the programs that I watch will be going the way of the dodo.

Already, ER and Scrubs are ending their runs at the conclusion of the season. ER has been on for a staggering 15 seasons - and although there has been rumors that another network may pick it up for a 16th season, I think it's pretty safe to say that this will be its last. Scrubs was rescued from a dismal farewell on NBC last year to give its parting shot on ABC for its eighth and final season. Another show that had rumors of being renewed if it developed more of a following on ABC - but I am guessing that with the departures of Zach Braff, Bill Lawrence and Judy Reyes that the show will end after the season. And Lost only has one more season remaining after this one.

A new show that I had gotten into was Life on Mars starring Jason O'Mara, Harvey Keitel and Michael Imperioli. It was an interesting show that was fixed in the year 1973, but ABC canceled the show this week. Luckily, we may be given a proper send off as the shows producers were given enough of a heads up.

The new Dollhouse and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles have been bordering on horrible ratings - and due to the cost of production could also hit the scrap heap.

It's not all bad news, however, as Survivor, The Big Bang Theory and Heroes have all been renewed - Survivor and The Big Bang Theory for two new seasons.

As of now that is all that I have found to be announced from the shows that I watch. I am excited for yet another Survivor and I am happy they are giving Heroes another chance - it seems to be picking up again in its third season, hopefully season four will be even better. I am very happy to see The Big Bang Theory return as it is one of only a few comedy shows that regularly have me laughing - and I am already losing one in Scrubs.