My Favorite Sitcom Series Finales (Hint: It’s Not ‘How I Met Your Mother’)

I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am that "How I Met Your Mother" is ending in a few short weeks. If I did begin, I'd probably never end, so let's focus on the positive and deal with three of my favorite sitcom finales.

Newhart

"Newhart" from May 21, 1990. This is the all-time finale winner for me. An 8-year long bad dream from a 6-year long show that ended 12 years prior? And it was completely unexpected too, nowadays the spoiler alert clowns would have ruined it.

Everybody Loves Raymond

"Everybody Loves Raymond" from May 16, 2005. I could only find the entire episode, but if you skip ahead to 20:15, the final scene seems like it was done in one take, half improvised and really heartwarming because it's not trying to be.

Cheers

"Cheers" from May 20th, 1993 I thought that since Norm left his beer unfinished that it was a code that he would get a spinoff. I was wrong! Sam straightens the portrait of Geronimo in honor of Nicholas Colasanto who played "Coach". "Sorry, we're closed"...a simply great final line.

At the point Sam said that, I had this panicked feeling that he would be shot and killed by the guy that was knocking on the door at that late hour. It occurred to me in the middle of the night last night that the other two lead characters lives were threatened in my favorite finales too. Could it be that what makes me like a finale is if the lead character escapes death? That's it, no more Japanese food right before I go to bed.