Some of the small screen’s most beloved and influential programs have left an immeasurable mark on television history, both in viewership and content. Many of these fan-favorite, classic shows delivered jaw-dropping numbers during their tenures, with their series finales attracting a staggering audience that remains unbeatable to this day. In today’s world, the kind of ratings these sitcoms and dramas served up and the passionate fanfare they were given when they signed off for the last time is almost unimaginable.
Loyal watchers of the ‘90s beloved staple Friends eagerly tuned in to see if the notorious will-they-won’t-they couple Ross and Rachel would finally reconcile in the finale, just like viewers were given an emotional goodbye from the lovable Bunker clan in the concluding episode of the ‘70s smash hit All in the Family. With so many memorable and beloved shows out there, it is interesting to figure out which programs attracted the biggest numbers when it came to their respective endings.
Updated May 10th, 2023: To keep this article fresh and engaging, additional television finales have been added to this list.
Some of the biggest television shows will air their final episodes in 2023. Ted Lasso, Barry, Succession, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and The Flash will all be airing their final episodes in the same week. However, the days of culturally shared watercooler moments of massive season finales watched by a third of the country simultaneously are over as streaming enables viewers to watch whenever they want. Looking back, these are the most-watched TV finales of all time.
14 Star Trek: The Next Generation (31 Million)
In the final days of May 1994, millions of Americans tuned in to watch the end of an era: the last episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the beloved sci-fi series that had captivated audiences for seven seasons. The show, a spin-off of the original Star Trek from the 1960s, followed the exploits of the USS Enterprise-D, a sleek and futuristic starship that explored the farthest reaches of the galaxy under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, a dignified Frenchman, played by the iconic Patrick Stewart. Apart from Stewart, the cast featured LeVar Burton, Marina Sirtis, and Wil Wheaton
The show was more than just a space opera; it was a thoughtful and provocative examination of the human condition, tackling themes such as war, social injustice, love, and loss. The two-part finale, titled "All Good Things...", was a fitting tribute to the show's legacy, as it featured Picard traveling through time to prevent a cosmic catastrophe that threatened to erase all existence. Along the way, he revisited his past and future selves, as well as his loyal crew. The episode was a masterful blend of drama, humor, suspense, and nostalgia, and it left fans with a sense of closure and satisfaction. It was also a ratings smash, drawing in 31 million viewers that made it one of the most-watched finales in television history. The story of Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-D would continue on in Star Trek feature films and the three-season run of Picard on Paramount+.
13 Everybody Loves Raymond (32.9 Million)
The final episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, the hit American sitcom starring Ray Romano as a hapless sportswriter and family man Ray Barone, aired on 16 May 2005 and drew a record audience of 32.9 million viewers. The show, which ran for nine seasons and won 15 Emmy awards (after being nominated for a whopping 69), was known for its realistic and witty portrayal of the everyday conflicts and frustrations of the Barone family living in suburban New York. The show also starred Patricia Heaton, Brad Garrett, Madylin Sweeten, Doris Roberts, Peter Boyle, and Monica Horan.
The finale, simply called "The Finale," didn’t offer any dramatic twists or resolutions and instead dished a subtle variation on a familiar theme: Ray had minor surgery to remove his adenoids but briefly faced complications while under anesthesia. His family, who got a scare, decided not to tell him or his meddling mother, Marie. He eventually figures out something is up when they all tried to be nicer to him, and they confess everything to him and Marie. The episode ended with them all eating breakfast together and bickering as usual.
12 Dallas (33.3 million)
Dallas, the long-running soap opera about the many feuds and fortunes of a wealthy Texas family, ended its 14th and final season on 3 May 1991 with a two-hour special episode called "Conundrum." The episode was watched by 33.3 million viewers, making it the most-watched TV show finale of the year. The episode featured the show's main character, JR Ewing (Larry Hagman), a ruthless oil tycoon who had made many enemies over the years, contemplating suicide after losing his business, his family, and his friends.
He was visited by a mysterious figure named Adam (Joel Grey), who claimed to be an angel (but was later revealed to be from hell) and showed him what life would be like if he had never been born. JR saw that some people were better off without him while others were worse off. He realized that, ultimately, he could not earn love from anyone. He decided to shoot himself, but it was left ambiguous whether he died or not. The episode ended with a gunshot and his brother Bobby (Patrick Duffy) finding him in his room. The cast was extensive and featured actors like Barbara Bel Geddes, Jim Davis, Patrick Duffy, Larry Hagman, Victoria Principal, Charlene Tilton, Linda Gray, Steve Kanaly, Ken Kercheval, Susan Howard, Howard Keel, Priscilla Beaulieu Presley, Donna Reed, among others.
11 Frasier (33.7 Million)
The long-running sitcom Frasier is the highly-successful spin-off of the beloved show Cheers and focuses on psychiatrist-turned-radio-host Frasier Crane as he reconnects with his brother Niles and father Martin in Seattle after moving back home from Boston. The series featured a superb cast led by Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, and John Mahoney, and during its eleven-season run, was the recipient of a whopping thirty-seven Primetime Emmy Awards (setting a record at the time); Frasier also won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series for five consecutive years, an impressive feat for any program.
During its enduring tenure, Frasier was lauded for its wit and scene-stealing performances and is one of the most successful spin-offs in television history. More than 33 million viewers tuned in to say goodbye to the Crane clan, and fans of the show are in for a treat as a sequel series is currently in the works on Paramount+ and recently finished filming.
10 Home Improvement (35.5 Million)
Tim Allen starred as Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor in the '90s smash hit sitcom Home Improvement, leading the series with his on-screen wife Patricia Richardson as they juggled raising three rambunctious boys in a suburban Detroit neighborhood. Passionate about sports, power tools, and cars, Tim was constantly getting into hilarious misadventures with his spouse Jill, best friend/coworker Al, and mysterious, wise neighbor Wilson. The program was famous for igniting J.T.T. Mania, as young teen heartthrob Jonathan Taylor Thomas was a breakout on the show, as was Tool Time girl Pamela Anderson.
Though it was never a critic's darling during its eight-season run, Home Improvement became a staple sitcom for the decade and won numerous accolades, including People's Choice Awards, a Golden Globe, and multiple Primetime Emmy nominations. Home Improvement aired its final episode on May 25, 1999, and drew in 35.5 million viewers.
9 Family Ties (36.3 Million)
Michael J. Fox shot to superstardom when he starred in the 1982 sitcom Family Ties, portraying the ambitious and money-loving conservative Alex P. Keaton, with the series chronicling his suburban upbringing with his liberal, former hippy parents Steven and Elyse Keaton (Michael Gross & Meredith Baxter) during the Reagan Administration.
Fox would go on to win three consecutive Emmy Awards for his portrayal of the Young Republican, and the show went on to run for seven successful seasons before concluding in 1989. 36.3 million people tuned in to say goodbye to the Keatons and bid adieu to Alex as he headed off to New York City after landing his dream job.
8 All in the Family (40.2 Million)
Lauded for tackling controversial issues once widely thought to be unsuitable for a network comedy like racism, homosexuality, and abortion, the beloved sitcom All in the Family centers on the lovable bigot and working-class man Archie Bunker as he lives day-to-day alongside his sweet wife Edith, spirited daughter Gloria and opinionated son-in-law Michael (played by the wonderful future director Rob Reiner).
Heavily regarded as one of the greatest television shows in history, All in the Family aired from 1971 to 1979 and was a highly-influential comedic program that never shied away from depicting realistic and topical moments into storylines. The series finale attracted 40.2 million viewers, ultimately leading to the spin-off series Archie Bunker’s Place.
7 The Cosby Show (44.4 million)
Focusing on the African-American upper-class family the Huxtables as parents Cliff and Clair raise their five children in Brooklyn Heights, New York, the 1984 series The Cosby Show was based on Bill Cosby’s comedy routines in his stand-up acts and ran for eight celebrated seasons. The two-part series finale aired on April 30, 1992, and drew 44.4 million viewers. Notably, the finale aired on day two of the Los Angeles Rodney King riots, and Cosby appeared on television and, in an attempt to calm down rioters, pleaded with viewers to watch the finale instead.
Before the disgraced comedian’s downfall in the twenty-first century, Cosby had a reputation as “America’s Dad” due to his portrayal on the program, with TV Guide calling The Cosby Show, in retrospect, “TV’s biggest hit in the 1980s, and almost single-handedly revived the sitcom genre and NBC’s rating fortunes.” Throughout its tenure, the series was the recipient of numerous accolades, including Emmys, Golden Globes, and NAACP Images Awards, though now most people rightfully don't want to talk about Cosby.
6 Magnum P.I. (50.7 million)
CBS Studios
The great Tom Selleck brilliantly portrayed the mustached, macho private investigator Thomas Magnum in the critically-acclaimed ‘80s staple Magnum P.I., which follows the Hawaii-based private eye as he takes on colorful cases, both big and small while enjoying the finer things in life. Selleck was famously unable to don Indiana Jones’ iconic fedora due to his commitment to the series, but nonetheless, his role as the wise-cracking P.I. has become one of his most memorable and revered.
The program ran for eight seasons, with its finale featuring Magnum deciding to return to active duty in the Navy, with the character turning to the camera and telling audiences goodnight. The finale aired on May 1, 1988, and drew in an impressive 50.7 million viewers.
5 Friends (52.5 million)
The ‘90s lightning-in-a-bottle sitcom Friends famously followed six unique pals as they navigated both their personal and professional lives while living in Manhattan, with entertaining hijinks naturally ensuing. Throughout its ten-season tenure, the adored series garnered widespread acclaim and helped establish its talented cast as Hollywood heavy hitters, paving the illustrious careers of its leads like Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox.
Famous for its iconic will-they-won’t-they couple, Ross and Rachel, as well as the endearing romance between Monica and Chandler, Friends is without-a-doubt one of the most popular shows of all time. The gang took a final trip to Central Perk as they tearfully said goodbye to fans, with the characters embarking on their own exciting new journeys and most of the cast moving on to better, bigger things more diverse than Friends. The series finale drew 52.5 million viewers when it aired on May 6, 2004, and is the most recent television series to join this list.
4 Seinfeld (76.3 million)
Fondly described as “the show about nothing,” Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld created the revered 1989 sitcom Seinfeld, which centers on a fictionalized version of the comedian and his three quirky friends in New York City: George Costanza, Cosmo Kramer, and ex-girlfriend Elaine Benes. Co-starring the sensational Jason Alexander, Michael Richards, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the lauded and celebrated series depicts the neurotic misadventures of the bickering gang and was a favorite among critics throughout its nine hilarious seasons.
The notorious two-part series finale of Seinfeld attracted a whopping 76.3 million viewers and showcased the foursome fittingly sitting in a jail cell and hilariously arguing amongst one another, ultimately garnering a mixed response from fans. The closest fans have gotten to a revival or continuation is a season of Curb Your Enthusiasm that makes a meta-joke about a Seinfeld revival. Despite a rocky finale, in hindsight, Seinfeld was philosophically brilliant even at the end.
3 The Fugitive (78 million)
David Janssen headlined the thrilling 1960s crime drama series The Fugitive, appearing as Dr. Richard Kimble, a man who is wrongly convicted of his wife’s murder and is forced to go on the run in an effort to track down her real killer. Kimble is not only pursued by the relentless Police Lieutenant Philip Gerard but also battles it out against the dangerous figure known as “The one-armed man.”
Audiences eagerly waited four seasons to discover who truly killed Kimble’s wife, watching in awe as the menacing man tumbled to his death and the good doctor was finally given his life back. The Fugitive is one of the most influential television series of all time and has inspired series ranging from The Incredible Hulk to Monk. The Fugitive went on to spawn the Harrison Ford-led 1993 remake and multiple short-lived spin-offs. The final episode aired on August 29, 1967, and drew in 78 million viewers.
2 Cheers (80.4 million)
The 1982 feel-good sitcom Cheers famously takes place at the eponymous Boston bar “where everybody knows your name” and features a group of locals who come together for drinks and conversation with proprietor and bartender Sam Malone (Ted Danson). The star-studded Cheers touted an impressive ensemble cast including Shelley Long, Rhea Pearlman, Kelsey Grammer, and Woody Harrelson, and its popularity led to Grammer receiving his own prominent spin-off, Frasier.
After 11 seasons of watching the lothario Sam woo both Diane and Rebecca, the sitcom closed its doors for good and ended with Sam returning to his favorite place, single and finally content with his life. The series finale image of Sam turning the lights off on the bar is iconic and has been referenced in series like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The final episode aired on May 20, 1993, and drew in an astounding 80.4 million viewers.
1 M*A*S*H (105 million)
Providing a fascinating look at the colorful doctors and staff at the 4077th Mobile Surgical Hospital during the Korean War, the groundbreaking 1972 war dramedy series M*A*S*H follows surgeon Benjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce (Alan Alda) and his buddies such as Trapper John McIntyre, Klinger, and Radar as they embrace humor as a way to cope with the harsh realities of the war.
Praised for its inclusion of both comedy and tragic drama, the program addressed heavy topics during its award-winning run, including PTSD, death, homosexuality, and psychological problems. The series finale of M*A*S*H was the most-watched American TV broadcast in history until the 2010 Superbowl, with its final episode, “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen,” airing on February 28, 1983, and attracting a staggering 105 million viewers, almost half the entire U.S. population at the time. This is a record that likely will never be topped.