10 TV Series Finale Episodes That Made Sure A Revival Couldn't Happen

July 7, 2024, 12:50 p.m.

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10 TV Series Finale Episodes That Made Sure A Revival Couldn't Happen

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Summary The Sopranos (1999-2007): The series ends with a hotly debated cliffhanger. The creator of The Sopranos, David Chase, has said that his intentions were always clear for the finale.

Mad Men (2007-2015): The period-piece drama sticks the landing with an iconic ad to close out the story. Mad Men season 7 was split into two parts by the creators, so audiences had to wait a long time to find out what would happen to Don Draper (Jon Hamm).

The series finale of a TV show says a lot about the story, and certain shows end in a certain way to ensure that a revival of the series can never happen. This could happen for many reasons, but usually, writers and creators format a finale to close the book on a show forever because the story is complete. There are plenty of grounds to revive a show, but few are strong enough to justify bringing back a series that reached its natural conclusion. It's often the most critically acclaimed shows that tie a tight bow on their story.

Looking toward the future, many audience members appreciate original IP and unique stories rather than a rehashing of long-gone series that are no longer relevant.

While some ended TV shows could realistically get revived at any time, others are clearly never meant to get another outing. Revivals and reboots are a lucrative proposition, but they can also destroy the legacy of an amazing series that was well-loved on its own. Looking toward the future, many audience members appreciate original IP and unique stories rather than a rehashing of long-gone series that are no longer relevant. Additionally, the series finales that are formatted to be definitive are frequently ranked as the strongest episodes of the show.

Related 10 Recently Ended TV Shows That Are Unlikely To Ever Be Revived It’s natural for viewers to want a TV show to continue beyond its ending, but these recently concluded series are unlikely to ever get a revival.

10 Killing Eve (2018–2022)

Enemies-to-lovers was taken to new heights in Killing Eve, and the finale shows how much love blossomed.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge's follow-up to her major success with Fleabag was the espionage-thriller turned psychological romance, Killing Eve. The series stars Sandra Oh as the titular Eve, a spy on the trail of the notorious killer, Villanelle (Jodie Comer). However, the chase between them is made even more interesting because they are obsessed with each other. Their relationship soon turns into a twisted but compelling romance. However, for a spy and a killer, the course of true love can never run smoothly and is ultimately doomed.

Villanelle's death angered many fans, as they felt that the pair deserved to have a happy ending and that the death of queer characters onscreen happens too often after they find love.

This comes to a head in the series finale, in which Eve lives, but Villanelle is killed. Villanelle's death angered many fans, as they felt that the pair deserved to have a happy ending and that the death of queer characters onscreen happens too often after they find love. While this backlash makes sense in the context of TV trends, for Killing Eve, it's been teased from the beginning that these women are playing a game that no one can win. Additionally, as Eve and Villanelle's relationship is unique, the stories can't be repeated with other characters in the future.

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buy Not available Not available Not available Killing Eve is a black comedy thriller series starring Sandra Oh as British intelligence officer Eve Polastri who is assigned to track and capture a dangerous assassin named Villanelle, played by Jodie Comer. Bored with her life, Eve finds herself hired by an undercover MI6 division tasked with tracking down Villanelle - who, after just a brief time studying and following her, she becomes obsessed with her. However, the obsession becomes mutual as soon the two enter a game of cat and mouse that deviates them from their missions as they venture to learn more about one another. Cast Adrian Scarborough , Sandra Oh , Nina Sosanya , Edward Bluemel , Kirby Howell-Baptiste , Danny Sapani , Fiona Shaw , Kim Bodnia , Harriet Walter , Steve Pemberton , Sean Delaney , Henry Lloyd-Hughes , David Haig , Jodie Comer , turlough convery , Raj Bajaj , Gemma Whelan , Camille Cottin , Darren Boyd Owen McDonnell Release Date April 8, 2018 Seasons 4 Network BBC Writers Phoebe Waller-Bridge Directors Lisa Brühlmann Showrunner Phoebe Waller-Bridge Expand

9 The Young Ones (1982–1984)

The little-known British comedy went out with a bang and dark finality.

Though it only ran for two seasons, The Young Ones made quite an impact and is an excellent example of the core tenets of British comedy in the 1980s. The series is deeply in conversation with the disaffected nature of British youth in the 1980s, and Margaret Thatcher's tenure as Prime Minister is frequently mentioned. Pushing boundaries by utilizing surrealist imagery and comedy in the episodes and poking fun at the conservative social rules of the upper class, The Young Ones pushed boundaries for sitcoms and has become a cult hit.

Known for violence, slapstick comedy, and unexpected plot twists, there was only ever one way that The Young Ones could conclude. After a typical episode of mayhem and destruction, the core characters commandeer a bus and are driving it off when it suddenly plummets off a cliff, ending all of their lives. With all the main characters dead and such a dark ending, The Young Ones was sending a message that its time had come to an end and that it had no plans to return in the future.

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8 Battlestar Galactica (2004–2009)

A reboot itself, the 2004 Battlestar Galactica went out on a definitive note.

Battlestar Galactica sees its protagonists land on an Earth-like planet and decide to give up their advanced technology to start fresh.

The 2004 Battlestar Galactica is one of the SyFy Channels' best original shows and sees a new generation of human survivors fighting off the Cylons in a new adaptation of the 1978 series. Though the original show only ran for one season, it made an impact on science fiction fans and was the perfect show to revive in the 21st century. In 2004, Battlestar Galactica pushed itself to be a dark and more complex version of the story, as sci-fi has evolved to be taken seriously as a genre within the past twenty years.

Watch Battlestar Galactica on Prime Video.

It was sad to see Battlestar Galactica and the beloved characters say goodbye in the series finale. However, it was a bittersweet ending as the Galactica crew settled on ancient Earth. The finale was a three-part event and included many flashbacks, as well as a culmination of the fight against the Cylons. Battlestar Galactica sees its protagonists land on an Earth-like planet and decide to give up their advanced technology to start fresh. This comes full circle, as it's shown that the planet truly is Earth and that their actions will eventually lead to another modern human society.

Battlestar Galactica The 2004 science fiction TV series Battlestar Galactica is a reimagining of the 1978 series of the same title. Created by Glen A. Larson, the original Battlestar Galactica features a fictional human civilization living in a distant star system called the Twelve Colonies. They are in constant battle against a cybernetic race called the Cylons, who want to exterminate the human race. A massive attack was launched, and only those who made it onboard the Battlestar Galactica and its fleet survived. They navigate space in search of the mythical 13th colony called Earth. Battlestar Galactica is under the command of President Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell) and Colonial Fleet Officer, Admiral William Adama (Edward James Olmos). Cast Grace Park , Katee Sackhoff , Mary McDonnell , Tahmoh Penikett , Tricia Helfer , Edward James Olmos , Aaron Douglas , James Callis , Alessandro Juliani , Michael Hogan , Jamie Bamber , Kandyse McClure Release Date October 18, 2004 Seasons 4 Network SyFy Franchise(s) Battlestar Galactica Directors Michael Rymer , Michael Nankin Showrunner Ronald D. Moore Expand

7 The Sopranos (1999–2007)

After a nearly flawless run of seasons, The Sopranos ends with a hotly debated cliffhanger.

The creator of The Sopranos, David Chase, has said that his intentions were always for the audience to interpret the final black screen as Tony's (James Gandolfini) death. After becoming truly irredeemable in season 6, Tony sits down for dinner with Carmela (Edie Falco) and AJ (Rober Iler) and is shot by what can be assumed to be the disciple of one of the many people he's wronged. While The Many Saints of Newark, the 2021 prequel film, expanded upon the story of The Sopranos, it never attempted to assume what would happen in the wake of Tony's death.

Many Sopranos finale theories explain Tony's death, but it's mostly agreed upon that the show's final moments should be taken at face value. The show could only end with Tony either dead or in prison, and Tony had evaded prison and the FBI so many times that seeing his downfall in this way would be incongruent with the rest of the story. There's no way that a revival of The Sopranos could ever come close to the magic of the original series, making it a good thing that Tony can't come back, as no one could do the character justice.

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buy Not available Not available Not available Considered to be a quintessential drama series to watch, The Sopranos is a crime-drama series that follows Tony Soprano, who tries to manage the expectations of an Italian-American patriarch while acting as the head of a prolific New Jersey crime family. Burdened by the stress of the expectations thrust upon him, Tony regularly visits a therapist throughout the series run. This helps give context to Tony's actions as a ruthless boss with violent tendencies. Cast James Gandolfini , Lorraine Bracco , Edie Falco , Michael Imperioli , Dominic Chianese , Steven Van Zandt , Tony Sirico , Robert Iler , Jamie-Lynn Sigler Release Date January 10, 1999 Seasons 6 Network HBO Max Streaming Service(s) Max Showrunner David Chase Expand

6 Mad Men (2007–2015)

The period-piece drama sticks the landing with an iconic ad to close out the story.

Mad Men season 7 was split into two parts by the creators, so audiences had to wait a long time to find out what would happen to Don Draper (Jon Hamm) in the series' final moments. Some believed that Don would die, while others felt he would rise through the ranks of advertising royalty. There are few series finales as well-paced as Mad Men's ending, as the episode sees Don reconcile his mistakes through a spiritual journey and a phone call to the three most important women in his life: Peggy (Elisabeth Olsen), Sally (Kiernan Shipka), and Betty (January Jones).

. It closes with a shot of Don's smiling face and then the iconic Coca-Cola ad from 1971, hinting that Don's emotional work has led him to a creative breakthrough.

Of course, only Don would have a spiritual epiphany that would lead to capital gains, and this is exactly what's implied by the last moments of the finale. It closes with a shot of Don's smiling face and then the iconic Coca-Cola ad from 1971, hinting that Don's emotional work has led him to a creative breakthrough. The other characters in the show get relatively happy endings after the many tragic events of the series, but they all have an air of finality and the sense that their lives will carry on as expected.

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buy Not available Not available Not available Mad Men is the award-winning show created by Matthew Wiener that stars Jon Hamm as Don Draper, a masterful ad man in the high-speed advertising world. Set between the 1960s and 70s; Mad Men explores this "Golden Age" of advertising, where everyone has something to sell, and those who don't score a quick win are out of the game. The series also examines the world from a few other character's perspectives, such as Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss), a young woman who starts as a secretary for Don despite the difficulty for women to be taken seriously in business during this time, rises to the challenge to become an ad woman of her own. Cast Jon Hamm , Elisabeth Moss , Vincent Kartheiser , January Jones , Christina Hendricks , Bryan Batt , Aaron Staton , Rich Sommer Release Date July 19, 2007 Seasons 7 Network AMC Streaming Service(s) AMC Plus Showrunner Matthew Weiner Main Genre Drama Expand

5 St. Elsewhere (1982–1988)

In a shocking twist ending, St. Elsewhere changed the show's meaning in its final moments.

When it first premiered, St. Elsewhere was the touchstone for serious medical procedural dramas and was hailed as a great example of realistic and gritty medicine onscreen. All of this changed in the finale, which has gone down in history as one of the most infamously disappointing and subversive of all time. The ending has been parodied and referenced many times due to how divisive it was for fans of the show, but the writers and creators claim they altered the show's story so dramatically for a reason.

In the St. Elsewhere season finale, the camera pulls back to reveal that the titular hospital never existed. The hospital and all the show's characters were inside the imagination of a young boy, Tommy Westphall (Chad Allen). While this destroyed the stakes, conflict, and emotional resonance of the entire show, it also meant that it could never be rebooted. As the doctors were only a figment of someone's imagination, it would make no sense for them to return in any capacity. However, when watching St. Elsewhere today, it's reasonable to skip the finale.

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4 Six Feet Under (2001–2005)

In arguably the best TV finale of all time, Six Feet Under goes out with a bang.

In a stroke of genius, the Six Feet Under series finale subverts its formula in its final moments.

There was nothing else like Six Feet Under on TV while it was airing, and the show is considered part of the era of peak TV that incorporated many of HBO's best projects. Inextricably linked to death, each episode in the series revolves around the passing of a character who comes through the funeral home the main characters own. This set the stage for plenty of dark humor and dramatic situations in the life events of the constant characters in the story. In a stroke of genius, the Six Feet Under series finale subverts its formula in its final moments.

As it was a show that grappled so heavily with endings, there was pressure for Six Feet Under to deliver an amazing finale, and it's universally agreed upon that it did. The episode sees each of its characters go through major life events and portrays all of their deaths, ending with Claire (Lauren Ambrose), the youngest Fisher sibling. Though Six Feet Under was never the kind of show that would get a reboot, the writers used the conceit of death to maintain that the series' five seasons were all that there should be.

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buy Not available Not available Not available Created by Alan Ball, Six Feet Under is a Black Comedy and Drama series that stars Peter Krause, Frances Conroy, Rachel Griffiths, and Michael C. Hall. Running for five seasons between 2001 and 2005, the plot revolves around a dysfunctional family that owns and operates a funeral home. Cast Peter Krause , Lauren Ambrose Release Date June 3, 2001 Seasons 5 Network HBO Max Directors Alan Ball

3 Parks And Recreation (2009–2015)

The sweet goodbye and flash-forward format serves as a nostalgic farewell to the sitcom.

The 2000s were a great period for sitcoms, and Parks and Recreation was one of the best airing on NBC at the time. Starring Amy Poehler as the eternally positive government employee Leslie Knope, the series follows her friends as they navigate trying to get good work done in an eccentric small town in Indiana. Leslie's big ambitions are a recurring theme in the show. The series finale uses flashforwards to showcase each character's happy ending. For Leslie, it's implied that she makes it to a high government office and grows old with Ben (Adam Scott).

Parks and Recreation season 2 saved itself by abandoning its original tone, leading to a string of strong seasons with plenty of heart that differentiated itself from other popular sitcoms. The show was never afraid to be vulnerable and sensitive and pull on the heartstrings of its audience. While it still had plenty of funny moments, Parks and Rec stood apart because of its heart, and the series finale capitalized on this. It's impossible to make it out of the final episode with a dry eye. As each character's life is chronicled, there's no reason to go back to Pawnee.

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buy Not available Not available Not available This political sitcom full of humor and heart follows the adventures of Leslie Knope, deputy director of the Parks Department in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. Every week holds a new crisis of small-town politics, but Leslie and her friends work tirelessly to make Pawnee — and the world — a better place. Cast Amy Poehler , Nick Offerman , Chris Pratt2 , Aubrey Plaza , Adam Scott , Rashida Jones , Retta , Jim O'Heir , Aziz Ansari , Rob Lowe Release Date April 9, 2009 Seasons 7 Network NBC Directors Michael Schur Showrunner Michael Schur Expand

2 Succession (2018–2023)

Though many fans never wanted the series to end, there's no coming back from its finale.

For four seasons, Succession regaled audiences with the most disgusting and deplorable actions from the obscenely wealthy that the writers could think of. While this turned off certain viewers, the dedicated fanbase that was cultivated couldn't get enough of the Roys and the horrible things they did to each other. When Succession season 4 was announced as the last of the show, it came as a shock, as the series had only grown in popularity since its release. However, the final season moved at lightning speed and managed to give each character their due.

The Succession series finale leaves the Roys with everything and nothing, as their wealth remains intact, but the power they craved so desperately has been taken from each of them

Logan's (Brian Cox) death earlier in the season was a strong indicator that the series had every intention of wrapping up the story with this season. Without Logan, the Roy children were left scrambling to fill the massive hole Logan left in the company and attempt to reconcile while simultaneously stabbing each other in the back. The Succession series finale leaves the Roys with everything and nothing, as their wealth remains intact, but the power they craved so desperately has been taken from each of them. The company has been taken from them, and there's no getting it back.

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buy Not available Not available Not available Succession is a Black Comedy and Satire television show created by Jesse Armstrong. It stars Hiam Abbass, Nicholas Braun, Brian Cox, and Kieran Culkin and follows the story of an aging conglomerate owner as he deals with his declining health and the sudden realization that one of his children will soon inherit his position and run his company. Cast Hiam Abbass , Alan Ruck , Sarah Snook , Kieran Culkin , Natalie Gold , Nicholas Braun , J. Smith-Cameron , Matthew Macfadyen , Peter Friedman , Brian Cox , Arian Moayed , Jeremy Strong , Rob Yang , Dagmara Dominczyk Release Date June 3, 2018 Seasons 4 Network HBO Max Directors Mark Mylod Showrunner Jesse Armstrong Creator(s) Jesse Armstrong Expand

Related 10 TV Show Revivals That Released Long After Fans Had Moved On Whether they're welcomed or not, there are plenty of TV shows that come back years after coming off the air, long after fans had checked out.

1 BoJack Horseman (2014–2020)

Netflix's adult animated series evolved with each season, ending with an unforgettable episode.

By the end of BoJack Horseman, the audience's relationship to the titular character was more than complex. The question of Bojack's future and whether he could be redeemed was on everyone's mind, but the show let the audience draw their own conclusions. Though every season of BoJack Horseman is strong, the last few were darker than fans of the early episodes could ever have anticipated. The series became a searing interrogation of fame, power, and generational trauma. In the final moments of the show, a shot from the season 1 finale is paralleled, saying one last goodbye to the audience.

The central characters from the series are scattered, living their own lives, and are brought back together for one final event, which is implied to be the last time they might ever see each other. There is an air of forgiveness after years of BoJack's behavior, but that doesn't mean his relationships will ever be the same or that people will forget. His development is complete, and the characters in the show no longer need each other. Everyone has a new path, and they have diverged forever.