When the topic turns to terrible television series, we often find ourselves walking a tightrope of wet tissue. Some would argue for Cop Rock (1990), Steven Bochco’s musical police drama.

Others contend that the undisputed winner is The Flying Nun (1967–1970), which featured diminutive Sally Field as Sister Bertrille in a Puerto Rican convent. Thanks to brisk island winds and her starched cornette, she defied the laws of aerodynamics.

See Also: 10 Failed TV Shows That No One Should Have Approved

But certain shows are light-years beyond the average syndicated coprolite produced by the world of television. In fact, their horrendous quality approaches the sublime.

10 Heil Honey, I’m Home!
1990

Purporting to be a recently rediscovered “lost sitcom” from the 1950s, this British series was an effort by writer and producer Geoff Atkinson to parody American sitcoms “that would embrace any idea, no matter how stupid.” Atkinson captured the dullness of his intended target right down to the inane theme music and obligatory applause greeting every character’s entrance.

The premise of the series, set in 1937, has Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun as a typical suburban couple living in Berlin. Much of the comic misadventure arises from their next-door Jewish neighbors, Arny and Rosa Goldenstein.^[1]

However, the Holocaust and the estimated 70–85 million total deaths from World War II proved tough material for punch lines. This horribly inappropriate sitcom was canceled after one episode.

9 You’re in the Picture
1961

Jackie Gleason (1916–1987) was an extraordinary talent, as shown in his classic TV sitcom The Honeymooners and his performances in memorable films like The Hustler (1961), Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962), and Soldier in the Rain (1963).

However, no career of any longevity can escape the scarring of a major debacle. For Gleason, it came on the game show You’re in the Picture.

The format of the show involved a panel of four celebrities inserting their heads into holes cut out in life-size pictures depicting well-known song titles, historical events, or popular expressions. Unable to see the illustrations, the panel would try to guess the content of the pictures based on questions directed at Gleason.

Part of the problem was the illustrations themselves. While one tableau depicted the popular song “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini,” another represented “The Burlesque Beef Trust Girls,” a vaudevillian chorus line of beautiful women. That last one left the celebrities and home viewers scratching their heads.

Still, the major problem was Gleason. For all his talent, he lacked the folksy demeanor of Garry Moore or the comic sensibilities of Groucho Marx. Critics roasted the debut episode unmercifully, with Cecil Smith of the Los Angeles Times calling it “an insult to the audience.”^[2]

The criticism was not lost on Gleason. Those who tuned in for the second episode found Gleason sitting on a bare stage where he spoke directly to the camera:

There’s nothing here, except the orchestra and myself. [ . . . ] We have a creed tonight, and the creed is honesty. [ . . . ] Last week, we did a show that laid the biggest bomb—it would make the H-bomb look like a two-inch salute.

According to Time magazine, You’re in the Picture proved that the 1960–61 season was the “worst in the 13-year history of U.S. network television.” In 2002, TV Guide “honored” You’re in the Picture with the number 9 ranking on its list of the “50 Worst TV Shows of All Time.”

8 The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer
1998

Efforts by American television executives to refashion successful British series for U.S. audiences have produced some spectacular successes. However, UPN’s The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer, although inspired by BBC’s Blackadder the Third, managed to provide viewers with a first-class window seat on the Hindenburg.

Through a series of misadventures, Pfeiffer (Chi McBride), a black British aristocrat, finds himself employed as Abraham Lincoln’s manservant. However, Lincoln and the members of his cabinet are such twits that they couldn’t win a game of checkers if they were playing against a dead hamster. So the business of beating the South, saving the Union, and ending slavery is left to Pfeiffer.^[3]

Even before the show aired, the network drew criticism for trivializing the issue of slavery. Protests organized by the NAACP were held in front of Paramount Studios.

For the show’s creators, Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan, the issue wasn’t race. Instead, it was sex and politics with an eye toward Bill Clinton’s presidency, then in his second term.

The result was scenes like the one in which Pfeiffer chides Lincoln for “acting no better than a horny hillbilly from Arkansas” when Pfeiffer discovers the “Great Emancipator” trying to meet strange women for “telegraph sex.” The episode was titled “A.O.L.: Abe On-Line,” a sly reference to the sex opportunities on the Internet.

UPN both debuted and dropped the series in October 1998. In 2002, TV Guide ranked The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer as the 11th-worst TV series ever.

7 Casablanca
1955

Adapting cinematic blockbusters for television audiences seems a surefire way for producers and networks to hedge their bets in the battle for market share. However, except for rare successes like M*A*S*H (1972–1983) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003), it usually doesn’t work out well.

Case in point: the two attempts at repackaging the 1942 film classic Casablanca for American TV sets. The first undertaking was an effort by Warner Bros. Studios to gain a foothold in the “new” medium of television.

During the 1955–56 season, the studio broadcast three different series in rotation under the heading of Warner Bros. Presents. The concept was dubbed a “wheel program.” Two series were based on films produced by the studio—Kings Row and Casablanca.

In the 1955 Casablanca TV series, the role of “Rick,” played by Humphrey Bogart in the film, nearly went to a rising young star named Anthony Quinn. But the studio refused his salary demands. Instead, “Rick” was played by Charles McGraw, who is best remembered today as the contrarian fisherman in the diner from Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds (1963).

Returning to Casablanca, the decision was made to “update” the action to set it in the “present day” of the 1950s. As a result, the ruthless Nazis of World War II became the ruthless communists of the Cold War.^[4]

Casablanca (1955) was canceled after its first season.

6 Casablanca
1983

It took almost 30 years for Warner’s second attempt at relocating Rick’s Cafe Americain to TV screens in the United States. The second series returned the action to the early days of World War II, and this time, care was taken in the casting.

The role of Captain Renault was ably filled by Hector Elizondo, Ray Liotta tended the bar as Sacha, and Scatman Crothers played the piano as Sam. David Soul, who had become a TV icon in Starsky and Hutch, was cast as the brooding Rick.

Still, the NBC series never succeeded in freeing itself from the shadow of the original movie, and the show was pulled after three episodes. The last two unaired episodes were burned off during the summer.^[5]

5 Manimal
1983

Manimal featured Simon MacCorkindale as crime-fighting New York University Professor Jonathan Chase. Remarkably, the mysterious Chase could change himself into any animal.

Due to budget constraints in the eight episodes that aired before the series’s cancellation, Chase’s shape-shifting was limited mainly to a sizable black panther.^[6]

Considered one of the worst science fiction shows of all time, Manimal had the dubious honor in 2004 of being ranked by the British trade magazine Broadcast as the fifth-worst television program ever exported by the U.S. to the UK. It was beaten out by Baywatch, The Anna Nicole Show, The Dukes of Hazzard, and Wild Palms.

Despite its infamy, or perhaps because of it, there have been persistent rumors of Manimal receiving the big-screen treatment as a possible Will Ferrell project.

4 My Mother the Car
1965–66

1965 saw the premiere of some of television’s best-remembered and most far-fetched series: Hogan’s Heroes (1965–1971), O.K. Crackerby! (1965–66), The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1965–66), I Dream of Jeannie (1965–1970), Green Acres (1965–1971), and F Troop (1965–67).

The NBC series My Mother the Car fit right in. When attorney David Crabtree (portrayed by Jerry Van Dyke, Dick’s brother) goes shopping for the family’s second car, he finds himself inexplicably drawn to a dilapidated “1928 Porter” touring car.

After purchasing the aged jalopy and driving it home, he is thrown into a stammering, wide-eyed fluster when the antique auto begins speaking to him via its dashboard radio. The Porter turns out to be the reincarnation of Crabtree’s deceased mother, Gladys. And that was pretty much the comedic benchmark for the show.^[7]

Car enthusiasts were quick to point out that Van Dyke’s four-wheeled costar, for which Ann Sothern provided the voice, was actually a Model T touring car.

The sitcom took a detour to cancellation after a single season.

3 Cavemen
2007

We are used to seeing Hollywood pictures revamped and rebooted for the small screen as TV series. These programs are interrupted by commercials filled with slogans and mascots pitching their products and services to the American consumer. Occasionally the characters in these commercials trade their humble 30-seconds for an expansive 30-minute sitcom.

This was the journey taken by the cavemen made famous in a series of commercials for GEICO insurance, which gave rise to the series Cavemen. The cavemen were first introduced in a 2004 commercial which claimed that Geico’s website was so easy to use, “a caveman could do it.” The success of that 15-second spot spurred GEICO to air additional commercials featuring two cavemen who took offense at GEiCO’s slogan. The commercials were so popular that the ad agency pitched the idea for a sitcom.^[8]

Set in San Diego, Cavemen showcases the lives of three—you got it— cavemen: Joel (Bill English), Nick (Nick Kroll), and Andy (Sam Huntington). Living among homo sapiens for the first time, they face racial prejudice and pressure from the rest of society. Even though they are ordinary guys with regular jobs and girlfriend troubles, their comments about and efforts to experience the modern world fall short, leaving behind few laughs and further cemented stereotypes.

ABC canceled the series after only six episodes.

2 The Hathaways
1961–62

Walter Hathaway (Jack Weston) and his wife, Elinore (Peggy Cass), help out family friend and theatrical agent Jerry Roper (Harvey Lembeck) with an unusual problem. Soon to be off on an overseas tour, Jerry needs to find a home for his “kids.”

So, Walter and Elinore eagerly sign on as foster parents to Candy, Charlie, and Enoch. The fact that these children are chimpanzees doesn’t seem to matter in the least.

The ABC series only lasted one season.^[9] But it began a long tradition of orangutans, chimps, and monkeys on television, including Daktari (1966–69), Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp (1970–71), Me and the Chimp (1972), B.J. and the Bear (1978–1981), and Mr. Smith (1983).

1 Star Wars Holiday Special
1978

Directed by Steve Binder, the Star Wars Holiday Special is the tale of Chewbacca and Han Solo trying to return to Chewbacca’s homeworld, Kashyyyk, in time to celebrate “Life Day” (their version of Christmas). In this universe of schmaltz, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher find themselves in the same galaxy as Diahann Carroll, Art Carney, Bea Arthur, and Harvey Korman.

For the first time, we meet Chewbacca’s wife, Malla; his son, Lumpy; and his aged father, Itchy, back on Kashyyyk. Some of the original Star Wars characters are seen in archival footage of the movie. But it is the injection of the veteran television personalities that adds a surreal gloss to the whole enterprise.

It starts when Saun Dann (Carney), a family friend, arrives with Life Day gifts in hand. Itchy receives a computer disc that offers a performance by Diahann Carroll singing “This Minute Now.”

Other weirdness follows, including Korman as a four-armed alien cook. There are additional musical interludes, including a music video by Jefferson Starship. The special concludes with Chewbacca back in the arms of his loved ones as Princess Leia (Fisher) gives a short speech on the meaning of Life Day. It ends with her singing a celebratory song.

The special was called “the worst two hours of television ever” by David Hofstede, author of What Were They Thinking?: The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History. George Lucas denied any involvement with it.^[10]

I happen to be fanatical about comedy; until I stopped watching TV and movies entirely, it was my genre of choice. I could binge-watch for days on end. So this list is tainted by my personal tastes but also by bingeability. It also keeps very current with all shows running (even if just for a short time) this century. I have made a few choices that may be controversial but I think, in general, having shaken up the pot, the greatest greats have floated to the top.

Top 20 Greatest Movies Of All Time

Before beginning I would like to mention that I have made a couple of references to politics in the list. But . . . and it’s a big “but” (that’s what she said!) . . . the mentions are not at all inflammatory or controversial. Under normal circumstances it wouldn’t be necessary, but comedy, more so than any genre, has, in the last ten years, become tainted with political opinions, and outside of Washington pundits, who needs that?! A few shows on the list are vaguely political, but when they are it is done for the sake of comedy. In all cases, the laughs are the number one priority.

10 30 Rock, 2006–2013

This underrated comedy held some incredibly funny moments, one of which is apparent in the clip above. One of the main stars Jenna Maroney has starred in a film with such a bad title no one else is able to work out what it is called and they can’t say anything in case they offend her. It’s hilarious. She sings about the film in a later episode too: the opening line: “The Erma Mermin-Lermin murder, turned the Bird’s world lurid,” and it gets worse from there. Great stuff from the very talented actress Jane Krakowski who was Emmy nominated for the role.

The show is named for 30 Rockefeller Plaza, where the NBC studios are found, and is about an NBC comedy show and the goings on of the cast and crew. It stars the brilliant Tina Fey of SNL fame (who also wrote the show) and Alec Baldwin as the witty and quirky manager of the team who comes up with many hilarious conservative quips that cause much double-taking from the rest of the cast. He is, truth be told, the best part of the show. He sums himself up in one quote: “business doesn’t get me down . . . business gets me off.”

9 How I Met Your Mother, 2005–2014

Neil Patrick Harris. That’s reason enough to watch How I Met Your Mother. In this incredibly popular comedy, the characters who aren’t Neil Patrick Harris spend the show hanging out and doing the things that friends do: getting drunk, getting laid (true for Neil Patrick Harris, less so for the others), and generally being awesome. Neil Patrick Harris plays a suave smooth talking womanizer who usually gets the girl and tries to help his best-friend, Ted, do the same—mainly by recommending he wear a suit and mimic . . . none other than Neil Patrick Harris.

The show was nominated for an amazing 30 Emmys and won ten. Neil Patrick Harris won the award for Favorite TV Comedy Actor. Really . . . they should have just called it the Neil Patrick Harris show. Was anyone else even in it?! Funniest line: “What do you expect? To meet some cute travel agent while you’re reading a newspaper at a bookstore? None of those things exist anymore!” Truer words were never spoke! If the clip above isn’t enough, here are some of Neil Patrick Harris’s best bits. And here are some more best bits from Neil Patrick Harris. And here are a few other best bits from Neil Patrick Harris.

8 Portlandia, 2011–2018

This is a comedy skit type show created by and starring Fred Armisen (from Saturday Night Live fame) and Carrie Brownstein (mainly a musician before the show aired). The show is one long relentless deadpan mockery of the alternative lifestyles which have made the city of Portland, Oregon, famous. The skits cut right to the bone when it comes to social issues, courageously making fun of many current social mores and sacred cows. The last season aired in 2018 and demonstrates how great talent can make political and social comedy work these days.

The show is so on point it may one day be shown in universities to illustrate the curious progression of political discourse in the US over the years it was running. Case in point: the most popular skit involves the owners of a feminist book store (the owners are both women but one is played, unconvincingly—on purpose—but hilariously, by Armisen). The show used a real feminist bookstore in Portland with the blessing of the feminist owners . . . until a couple of years ago when, after six years of being okay with it, the owners of the store “realized” that it was “transphobic” and mocking feminism (how it took them six years to realize that is anyone’s guess!) Best line: “Every time you point I see a penis!”

Whether you are left or right, you will love this show. It teases both sides in ways that offend none (except feminist book store owners!) It is brilliant and different. If the clip above isn’t enough, here’s a hilarious one showing what happens in Portland if you don’t bring a reusable bag to the grocery store, and here’s an Allergy Pride Parade.

7 Schitt’s Creek, 2015–2020

The sun dimmed the day that the last episode of Schitt’s Creek aired. It was a light, fluffy, fun, and additive comedy and I dare you to find a single thing wrong with it. Created entirely during the years in which binge-watching was the norm, this show ticks every box; and it knew when it was time to turn out the lights (a principle lacking in most TV programs these days). It stars the very recognizable Eugene Levy (the dad from American pie) as Johnny, and his real life son Daniel (who plays his show-son, David) and daughter Sarah (who plays local waitress, Twylar).

The show starts with the family losing all of their vast wealth due to tax non-payment. The judge who bankrupts them leaves them one asset: Schitt’s Creek, a decrepit town which Johnny bought as a joke for David’s birthday years earlier. It is a story of riches to rags (in the monetary sense), then rags to riches (in the moral sense). Please find time to watch this series: it really is such a wonderful breath of fresh air in today’s world. Best line: “Oh my God! Eww David!”

6 Will and Grace, 1998–2020

The original series of Will and Grace was delightful though its appeal is not as broad as most on this list. And sadly they damaged the brand by bringing it back from the dead after 15 years to make a long political rant of the show. That said, I am including it mostly for the first run as it really does need to be mentioned. The real highlight of the show was the interaction between Will’s gay friend Jack and Grace’s “receptionist” Karen (who was filthy rich and did the job for fun not money). Forget Will and Grace, it should have been the Jack and Karen show. In fact, while I think that Julia Louis-Dreyfus is the best comedy actress of our time, in my view, Karen from Will and Grace (Megan Mullally) is a very close second. Here is a reel of her funniest moments.

The show, for those who live under a rock and don’t know it, is about Will (a gay lawyer) and Grace (a straight interior designer) who live together in Will’s apartment as friends but with a bond closer to that of a married couple (giving rise to many amusing situations). The show was a hit though less-so the political revamp from a couple of years ago. It is still a great “slice of life” type comedy worth watching.

5 Arrested Development, 2003–Present

This show is just lovely. It is full of insane and colorful characters, from the crazy Gob (pronounced “Job”) who wants to be a magician, to Tobias (the mismatched husband of Portia de Rossi’s character, Lindsay, who is a “never nude” and is clearly as gay in the show as his wife is in real life). The quirkiness of the family is amplified through the eyes of the rational “straight man” character (the awesome actor Jason Bateman, as Michael) who is father to George Michael, the horny teen who falls in love with his cousin Maeby. The family is led by the narcissistic mother Lucille and the businessman father George who is on the run due to selling model homes to Saddam Hussein when trade with Iraq was illegal.

The basic premise is that the family members screw up and Michael runs around trying to fix things. Many episodes revolve around the family’s second business, a banana stand, and their awkward association with their Mexican servants. The cast is really quite brilliant together and the show is a total hit you’ll want to go back to again and again. It was so popular in fact, that it has been revived not once, but twice: in 2013 for one season and again from 2018 to the present. Even The Fonz turns up as the family’s bumbling questionably sex-criminal lawyer! Ayyy!

10 Historical Events With Hilarious Forgotten Details

4 Veep, 2012–2019

A comedy show about Selina Meyer the Vice President of the United States of America . . . that no one really likes. Republican? Democrat? who cares?! In Veep, they’re all a disaster and the show intentionally does not brand the Vice President with a party affiliation. With Seinfeld over, Julia Louis-Dreyfus needed a new vehicle for her amazing talent . . . she found it in Veep. She is bumbling, rude, politically incorrect. In one episode, her staff list all of her nicknames from the internet: “Grizzly Madam, She-Ra, Meyer the Liar, The Batcave, Pissface… The Wicked Witch of the West Wing, Veep Throat, Voldemeyer, Dickless Van Dyke, Tawdry Hepburn, Blunder Woman, Vaselina, Betty Poop…”

The awkwardness of Selina really shows most clearly in the hilarious interactions between her and the Prime Minister of Finland, Minna Häkkinen who, in all honesty, should have won am Emmy for her recurring role on the show. On the other hand, Louis-Dreyfus’ performance won her six consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Critics’ Choice Television Awards, a Television Critics Association Award, and five consecutive Golden Globe nominations. If you’ve watched the show, you’ll know why. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is perhaps the most talented female comedy actress of our time.

3 Friends, 1994–2004

I had to include it didn’t I? It’s not my favorite but Friends stole the heart of millions (and maybe even billions) of people around the world. The “Ross and Rachel” saga kept people talking at the water cooler, and time after time the silly comments or mannerisms of the characters entered real life and influenced how we all spoke and behaved with each other. It is true to say that Friends, more than any other entry here, defined a generation.

The inclusion was, surprisingly, not that easy as I was very close to including Frasier instead, another favorite that at least gets a bonus spot below. But there is no denying it: a list like this without Friends on it is not a list worth reading.

2 The Office (US version), 2005–2013

Ricky Gervais? Meh. He’s okay . . . I mean, when he’s going off, half drunk, at the rapey Hollywood celebrities at the Golden Globes he’s great, but otherwise: so-so; And I know I am going to upset a lot of people here—but the US version of the Office is simply better than the British one. It follows the exploits of the staff of Dunder Mifflin, a fictional paper company led by the indomitable Steve Carrell in his best role ever.

There is little more to be said of this show: it is the one series that most of you will have expected to see on this list because most of you will agree that The Office (in one of its national forms at least) deserves to be on a list of the best comedy TV series. Oh, and if you want to experience a moment in which two worlds collide, here’s a clip from The Office in which Ricky Gervais (David Brent) bumps into Steve Carrell (Michael Scott) outside the elevator.

1 Curb Your Enthusiasm, 2000–Present

Take a neurotic Jew who can’t get anything right (despite every attempt to do so), a happy-go-lucky best-friend with a foul-mouthed ranting wife, and a group of great (but faded) comedy actors from the ’80s and ’90s (I’m looking at you Ted Danson, Jason Alexander, and Paul Reiser) and you have Curb Your Enthusiasm. Created by Larry David (he’s the neurotic Jew and he plays a fictionalized version of himself) who created Seinfeld (and clearly based much of the character of George on his own real life exploits and foibles), Curb Your Enthusiasm is largely ad-libbed with the storyline being put together in advance. The acting ability of the amazing cast makes this work so well that you simply can’t tell it isn’t all brilliantly scripted. The show is witty, cringey, dense, and thick will cultural humor.

Similar to Portlandia, this show has a fairly politically outspoken creator but, also like Portlandia, it just doesn’t spoil the comedy; Larry David is that good. This is how you make comedy that doesn’t need preach. The show is certainly no friend to every political position, but it is also not vituperative. It is getting harder to find good comedies that don’t take cheap shots; Curb Your Enthusiasm is the best—it will go down in history (in my opinion) as being better than Seinfeld and the best comedy TV series ever contrived.

Best moments: when Larry hires an orchestra to play Wagner hits outside an Orthodox Jew’s house because the man had argued with Larry earlier in the episode and his daughter toilet-papered Larry’s house on Halloween after he refused to give her candy because she wasn’t in a costume.

+ Frasier, 1993–2004

This one is a little old for the main list but it’s worth mentioning. It did, however, run for four years into the new century and is being picked up for a new series (yay!). This is a spin-off from the hit show Cheers and follows the exploits of Frasier Crane, a radio psychologist, and his family: an ex-cop dad who is a man’s man, and a brother Niles who steals the show . . . constantly. Niles is married to a very wealthy woman who we never see (but know to be thinner than a pin from the constant jokes about her weight) but falls in love with Frasier’s father’s live-in physiotherapist, Daphe.

The Niles and Daphne storyline is a bit of a cerebral “Ross and Rachel”. In fact, the show, on the whole, is quite cerebral and high brow. The humor was never dumbed down for the audience and the result is one of the classiest and funniest comedies peeking into the new millennium. If you want more than just a general “best of”, here’s a compilation of Niles Crane’s best bits.

++ Seinfeld, 1989–1998

Leaving this off the list is almost a mortal sin as it is considered by many to be the very best comedy show in television history (across all nations and periods). It happens to be one of my favorites. However, it didn’t even make it to the 21st century so it misses out by not being recent enough. But the show is so huge it can’t go without a mention. I still recommend it for when you get through the others here. But whatever you do, don’t watch the real life racist rant on YouTube that basically ended the career of one of the stars of the show (and I don’t throw around the word “racist” casually).

10 Comedy Acts That Went Horribly Wrong

Fictional TV series have long been a beloved medium for fantasy, allowing audiences to immerse themselves in enthral narratives filled with adventure, mystery, and interest. From terrifying futures to fantastical realms, these shows have redefined storytelling on the small screen. Here, we present the top 10 best fiction TV series that have left an ineradicable mark on audiences worldwide.

Top 10 Best Fiction TV Series Ever

Black Mirror:

Unnervingly credible and thought-provoking, Black Mirror explores the dark side of technology and its impact on society. Each standalone episode presents a chilling vision of the future, examining themes such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and social media obsession.

The Twilight Zone:

A timeless classic, The Twilight Zone continues to captivate audiences with its tales of the bizarre and supernatural. Created by the legendary Rod Serling, this anthology series delves into the realms of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, offering poignant commentary on the human condition.

Stranger Things:

Set in the 1980s, Stranger Things pays homage to the pop culture of the era while delivering a gripping supernatural thriller. With its blend of nostalgia, mystery, and supernatural elements, the series has garnered a dedicated fanbase and critical acclaim.

Star Trek:

A cultural phenomenon that has spanned generations. Star Trek follows the adventures of the starship Enterprise as it explores the vast reaches of space. With its optimistic vision of the future and exploration of complex moral dilemmas, the series has become a cornerstone of science fiction television.

Westworld:

Set in a futuristic theme park populated by lifelike androids, Westworld explores themes of consciousness, free will, and the nature of reality. With its stunning visuals, intricate storytelling, and philosophical undertones, the series challenges viewers to question the boundaries of humanity.

Doctor Who:

With its iconic time-traveling protagonist known simply as the Doctor, Doctor Who has been a beloved fixture of British television for decades. Spanning multiple regenerations and adventures across time and space, the series embodies the spirit of exploration and adventure.

Firefly:

Despite its short-lived run, Firefly has achieved cult status thanks to its unique blend of science fiction and western genres. Created by Joss Whedon, the series follows the motley crew of the spaceship Serenity as they navigate the lawless frontier of outer space.

Dark:

A mind-bending German series, Dark weaves a complex narrative of time travel, family secrets, and existential dread. With its intricate plot and multi-layered storytelling, the series keeps viewers guessing until the very end.

Altered Carbon:

Set in a future where consciousness can be transferred between bodies, Altered Carbon explores themes of identity, mortality, and power. With its stylish visuals and cyberpunk aesthetic, the series offers a thrilling and thought-provoking glimpse into a dystopian future.

See also: 10 Less Known Facts About Sherlock Holmes

Babylon 5:

A groundbreaking space opera, Babylon 5 follows the inhabitants of a space station as they navigate political interest, interstellar conflict, and cosmic mysteries. With its epic scope and richly developed universe, the series remains a beloved classic among science fiction fans.

See also: Most Popular TV Channels of The World

Game of Thrones: Best Fiction TV Series Ever

Based on George R.R. Martin’s epic fantasy novels, Game of Thrones has become a cultural phenomenon. Best known for its sprawling narrative, complicated political interest, and unforgettable characters.

Set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos. The series follows the power struggles among noble families vying for control of the Iron Throne. With its epic battles, shocking plot twists, and moral ambiguity, “Game of Thrones” define again the fantasy genre and captivated audiences worldwide.

See also: 10 Villainesses in Literary Works for Young-Adults

These are some of the best fiction TV series. Representing the height of storytelling in the medium, pushing the boundaries of imagination. And, also enthral audiences with their compelling narratives and unforgettable characters.

Related

When watching or re-watching a horror movie or scary series, most fans can’t wait to get to the creepy stuff, after wading through the talking and other mundane activities that push the story along. This includes Regan’s famous head spin in The Exorcist and Annie literally cutting her own head off with a piano wire in Hereditary. And who could forget Leatherface’s skin mask scene? Creepy is what horrors are about after all, and while some horror movies and series are definitely better than others, most of them have that one chill-inducing scene that hardcore fans can’t wait to watch over and over again. Spoilers ahead.

Warning: Some of these clips are not suitable for sensitive viewers.

Top 10 Creepy Scenes In Movies

10 mother! – Baby scene

First off, mother! is not a movie for everyone. Javier Bardem and Jennifer Lawrence star in this insane film as a married couple whose lives are upended by the arrival of several uninvited guests at their home. While the house is systematically destroyed, viewers are shown a beating heart inside the wall (which seems to indicate that the house is alive). As the film progresses, there are several shocking scenes, including some kind of bloody organ inside the toilet, extreme sibling rivalry and a woman shooting people point blank.

The most unsettling scene however is the one after Lawrence’s character gives birth and her husband basically lets the newborn crowd surf through the throng of weird looters in their house. Lawrence tries her best to get her baby back but to no avail. The climax of this scene is nauseating and extremely shocking.

9 Lovecraft Country – Ghost with baby head

From one shocking baby scene to another: Lovecraft Country is not short on scares and has several terrifying scenes. This horror drama series is a continuation of the novel by the same name and does for horror what Riverdale is desperately trying to do for dark teen drama. Lovecraft Country is named after horror writer H.P. Lovecraft and breathes fresh life into old horror tropes.

There are some truly weird scenes and monsters in this series, but the one that will haunt your nightmares is the adult ghost sporting a baby’s head. This freaky-looking ghost is part of an exorcism scene and chases off some home invaders who probably will never break into a house again as long as they live after seeing it. The creator of the series, Misha Green, revealed that the inspiration for the ghost came from the infamous Tuskegee experiments.

Be warned, the end of this clip contains a very graphic and gruesome scene.

8 The Orphanage – Tomás

The Orphanage is a Spanish horror movie that centers around the inhabitants of an abandoned orphanage; both alive and dead. This film is a rare entity that builds suspense and fear without overreliance on cheap jump scares. At the end, viewers are left to wonder about what they’ve actually seen and whether the ghosts are actual ghosts or illusions. One of the spookiest scenes is also one of the simplest: it features a child in a sack-cloth mask who likes staring and locking people in rooms. See it for yourself here:

7 Channel Zero – Tooth Child

Channel Zero aired briefly on Syfy in 2016 and 2017 before being renewed for 2 more seasons. The show was finally cancelled in January 2019. This horror anthology series is based on creepypastas made extremely popular by the internet, including Candle Cove, No-End House, Slender Man, The Dream Door, and a whole lot more.

Candle Cove is one of the series’ most popular episodes and tells the story of a cursed children show that haunts a small town. Throughout the episode a chilling atmosphere reigns and the monster viewers are introduced to, is bound to hover in one’s mind for a while. The Tooth Child is unlike any other horror series monster, made completely from hundreds of teeth and has no discernible facial features other than a small gap for a mouth and two hollows for eyes. In this scene the toothy one puts a living person’s fingers in his ‘mouth’.

You will never think of the toothfairy the same way again.

6 Paranormal Activity 2 – Exploding kitchen

Toby is the main creepy thing in Paranormal Activity and is instrumental in quite a few unsettling scenes. He sets a Ouija pointer on fire while the house is empty, creeps toward characters while they are sleeping, kills a man by bending him over backwards, makes the Xbox Kinect something people will be reluctant to use after watching the movie, and even bites people.

Toby seems most active in the kitchen for some reason. It is here that a sheet, seemingly with someone underneath it, falls into a puddle on the floor as the camera pans from side to side. It is also in the kitchen, in the second movie, that all the cabinet doors suddenly fly open at the same time, scaring one of the characters half to death.

Top 10 Lamest Horror Movies That Should Have Been Terrifying

5 The Haunting of Hill House – Horror in the dumbwaiter

In 2019, Netflix introduced one of the best horror series to grace screens in a long time. Viewers binge-watched all 10 episodes, and excitedly posted their ‘reviews’ on social media. Most were impressed and many were freaked out by the horde of ghosts, the most infamous being the Bent Neck Lady who was introduced in the first episode during a truly terrifying scene.

As the episodes progress, the ghosts become apparent as they crawl out of their hiding places, horrifying the living. One of the creepiest scenes happen in a dumbwaiter, with a messed-up looking ghost crawling towards the exit. The scene relies on atmosphere and choppy light to get the job done and the result is goosebump inducing.

4 The Conjuring 2 – The nun comes to life

In The Conjuring 2, there are a lot of hints as to the presence of the ugly nun, Valak. There are also a whole lot more jump scares than in the first movie, some successful, some hokey. Demonologist Lorraine Warren encounters a little ghost boy, a whole ghost family and of course, the aforementioned Valak in a scary sequence.

The nun’s scenes are the scariest in this particular film and freaked many moviegoers out solidly the first time they watched it. The part with Valak coming to life from the painting is very well done and still holds up against newer horror movies. Warren is wandering around when she spies a covered mirror (after running into the little ghost boy and family). Uncovering the mirror, looking over her shoulder and back at the mirror sees Valak materialize behind her. What ensues is the stuff of nightmares.

3 The Haunting of Bly Manor – Boy with no face

The follow up to Hill House is arguably less scary than its predecessor but it is the hallmark of fantastic storytelling (the accents aside). Sure, it starts off slow with just a couple of scary moments, but there are some frightening scenes including a silent man with shining glasses haunting an au pair, wheezing ghosts in period clothing and a lady in the lake that grabs whoever crosses her well-worn path.

Adorable 8-year-old Flora has a massive doll house that adds to the eeriness of the overall story, but things get truly weird after she sees a little boy playing with the doll house. One time she follows him and approaches him only to discover that he has no face. The story behind the faceless ghosts is eventually revealed but nothing is creepier than Flora ‘giving the boy a story’ and putting a new face on him. Which just so happens to be the face of a nightmarish-looking doll.

2 The Visit – Crawling grandma

Comedy horrors can have scary scenes too as proven in The Visit by M. Night Shyamalan. Two siblings go to their grandparents for a week, to meet them for the first time and spend some time with them. Once there, things get weird when their grandparents start acting strange. There is gross projectile vomiting, requests for one of the siblings to climb into an oven and a dirty diaper smeared over the face of the other sibling.

Things are kicked up a notch in the scary department when it is revealed that the two old people are not the siblings’ true grandparents but insane imposters. Comedy flies out the window for a few moments when the old woman follows her ‘grandchildren’ around in a cramped crawl space beneath the house. The scene features her gallop-crawling towards them and makes for some anxiety-inducing viewing.

1 American Horror Story – School shooting

One of the best words to describe the American Horror Story series is ‘bonkers.’ The various seasons have given us a whole new meaning of the words “white wedding”, corpses turned into life-sized toys, a lizard girl, Mr Guinea Pig, exorcisms, and the controversial Addiction Demon.

Even more controversial than this demon, however, was the ‘Piggy Piggy’ episode that aired during season 1 in 2011. The inspiration for the episode is believed to have been taken from the real-life tragedy at Columbine and came a mere year before the Sandy Hook massacre. Controversy aside, some fans agree that the depiction of the school shooting in the episode is one of the truest depictions on TV. It also features a plot twist, in that the gunman is a character well known by fans.

15 students lose their lives in one of the most chilling scenes on TV.

Top 10 Scariest Lists for Halloween

It’s pretty common for Hollywood to get the rights for books to then adapt them into what they hope to be hit films. With the likes of Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Twilight and The Hunger Games becoming worldwide box office successes, it’s understandable that more book series have been adapted in the hope of being the next big hit. If Twilight and The Hunger Games have shown us anything, it’s that Young Adult (YA) novels can build a dedicated fanbase, meaning that if the first film is done right, a strong case can be made that the rest of the franchise will do well. But what about the first instalments that flopped? Below we’ve got 10 popular YA series that never made it passed the first film. Whether it was bad writing, poor acting or staying too far from the beloved books, these series deserved better.

Top 10 Unsettling Scenes From Horror Movies And Series

10 Beautiful Creatures (2013)

Hot on the heels of the Twilight frenzy, Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl’s Caster Chronicles seemed like the perfect “next big thing.” A similar central plotline to Twilight, you’ve got a human whose romantically involved with a supernatural creature, in this case a “Caster” who will be claimed by either the Light or Dark by her 16th birthday. One review of the 1st book of the series said ‘there’s plenty teens will like: romance, magic, hauntings, and the promise of more to come’ and Publishers Weekly stated that it had a ‘compelling and dimensional mythology.’

Unfortunately, this didn’t translate onto the big screen. Grossing at only $60.1mill on a budget of $60mill, the film bombed. It was even listed in Variety Magazine as ‘one of Hollywood’s biggest box office bombs of 2013’. Sadly, Garcia & Stohl’s work falls victim to Hollywood trying to replicate another film’s success rather than explore and celebrate the unique aspects of the Caster Chronicles that separate it from others in the overpopulated genre.

9 Inkheart (2008)

Beloved German author Cornelia Funke is ‘called the German answer to J.K. Rowling’ with both creating magical worlds an audience can’t help but fall in love with. With a book that sold 3 million copies worldwide, the 2008 film is simply a disappointment. Barely a financial success (a budget of $60mill only grossed $62mill), the main issue with this adaptation is the cutting of a lot of backstory. Naturally, there’s always going to be cuts in book-to-movie adaptation, but the choice of cuts here makes it a confusing film. For an audience who have read the books and familiar with the backstory, the film makes sense. But for anyone who watches the film without this knowledge, it just misses the mark.

The magic that is translated so well in the Harry Potter franchise is not mirrored here. The general consensus on Rotten Tomatoes is that the film is ‘heavy on clichés and light on charm’ and ‘this kid lit fantasy adventure doesn’t quite get off the ground.’ Sadly, author Cornelia Funke has the same thought on the adaptation, saying on reflection that ‘a book is like a flying carpet, you give it to the movies and they hand you a napkin and say, “this is the same thing, Cornelia!” but it’s not!’

8 The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013)

In the overpopulated world of YA fantasy, it is crucial for a film to find its own unique take when using a popular trope. Unfortunately, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones doesn’t quite manage to find its place. Referred to by The Telegraph as ‘one of the most disastrous page-to-screen adaptations in memory’, the film was panned by critics despite its box office success. Critics generally agreed that there was no originality to the film. Rotten Tomatoes states that it ‘borrows ingredients from seemingly every fantasy franchise of the last 30 years- but can’t seem to figure out what to do with them’ whilst The Hollywood Reporter states it ‘seldom feels like anything more than a shameless, soulless knockoff.’

A sequel never happened, but clearly the strong potential of The Mortal Instruments series was too good of an opportunity to waste. It was announced in 2014 that the books would be made into a TV series. Shadowhunters premiered in 2016 and ran for 3 series until its cancellation in 2019.

7 Cirque de Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant (2009)

A key problem with making the first film of a franchise is the balance between the ability for it to work as a standalone film and setting it up for a sequel. If you look at Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone or Twilight, if for some reason the production of their follow up films were discontinued, they would still work (and make sense) on their own. Where Cirque de Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant fails is the introduction of several characters that have no purpose in the film except to set it up for a sequel- a sequel that never happened because the film made a financial loss (grossing at $39.2mill on a $40mill budget).

Cirque de Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant combined all 3 books of Darren Shan’s Vampire Blood Trilogy (of the wider series The Saga of Darren Shan) into one film. This has been proven to work with the likes of A Series of Unfortunate Events which was a box office hit. Unfortunately, in this case they focussed too much on the potential future films than the one facing them. As The Hollywood Reporter summarises perfectly ‘one of the film’s biggest burdens is to establish characters and subplots for potential sequels […] the trouble is, too many characters must be introduced in the interest of future episodes without having much to do with this one.’

6 Fallen (2016)

With a devoted fanbase behind the 6-book series, the film adaptation of Lauren Kate’s first instalment made every mistake we’ve mentioned so far. Considering Fallen reached #3 on The New York Times’ Best Seller List of Children’s Books in Jan 2010 (and remained there until April 2011), there was a lot of great source material to work with. Yet it was barely a box office success. Whatever was popular in the book did not translate to the film, with critics labelling it ‘an eye-rollingly predictable romance’ and ‘nothing but a weaker version of everything that came before it.’

Not only did it come across as unoriginal, but it also fell into the trap of focussing too heavily on the set up for future films over the content of the film at hand. Unsurprisingly, no sequel has been confirmed, although there are still some rumours floating about that one may be in the works.

5 Eragon (2006)

Box office success does not guarantee a hit franchise, and nothing proves that more than Eragon. Grossing at $250.4mill, Eragon was the 31st highest grossing film of 2006. On the flip side, it was the 10th worst reviewed film of 2006 by Rotten Tomatoes. There was a worldwide consensus that the film was bad across the board- acting, visuals, writing and faithfulness to the book. Considering the first two books of The Inheritance Cycle were New York Times Best Sellers, there was a wealth of source material to work with. Yet instead reviews labelled it as ‘amateur writing and borrowing from Lord of the Rings’ and the world of Eragon as ‘without much texture or depth’.

Originally, Eragon was supposed to be the first of three films, with the next two to be filmed back to back, but because of negative reviews the rest of the series was cancelled.

4 I Am Number Four (2011)

As the first novel of the Lorien Legacies, I Am Number Four reached #1 on the New York Times Best Seller List in Children’s Chapter Books and stayed there for 7 consecutive weeks. Despite the 7-book series having a loyal following, the sci fi film adaptation was written off as unoriginal, with ‘bland archetypes and listless recycling of elements from countless other YA titles.’

Although it’s not necessarily considered a box off flop (it grossed at $150mill on a budget of $50mill), any sort of sequel was cancelled. There was clearly hope for a sequel, with reviews stating that the first instalment was ‘loaded with plot devices […] that aren’t fully explained or were seemingly included so they could play a more important role in the followups.’ Despite this, screenwriter Noxon said in 2011 that plans for a sequel were cancelled because of how poorly I Am Number Four was received.

3 Vampire Academy (2014)

Proof that you can’t just stick vampires in a film and expect success, Vampire Academy is nothing short of a flop. With a $30mill budget, the film only grossed $15.4mill and Rolling Stones gave it brutally said the film ‘needs a stake in the heart’. Although many of the adaptations on the list include supernatural creatures, most of them- including this one- fail in their originality. It’s easy for critics and viewers to spot not only similarities but replications of successful series, which is never going to guarantee success. The beauty of series like Harry Potter and Twilight is that they are the first of their kind in a generation.

Whilst the book was voted #4 in ALA’s Teens Top 10, the film only has a 16% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with the general consensus being that it ‘borrows lazily from its predecessors and offers few laughs or thrills to complement its overstuffed backstory’.

2 City of Ember (2008)

The biggest financial flop on the list, City of Ember had a budget of $55mill and only grossed $17.9mill. The saving grace of City of Ember was Saoirse Ronan in the main, heroine role. Critics praised the young actress but found little else about the film to compliment. New York Times writer Stephen Holden said that the ‘talents of Saoirse Ronan […] wasted in the science-fiction juvenilia of City of Ember’ whilst Katey Rich from Cinema Blend said that ‘Saoirse Ronan is a fantastic heroine, but the story and the rest of the cast can’t keep up with her lively pace.’

You only have to compare the book reviews to reviews of the film to see just how much the films lacked the excitement of Jeanne DuPrau’s series. Where the book was described as having ‘full-blooded characters as every bit as good as the plot which would hook readers until the end,’ the film was labelled as a ‘simple minded exercise in juvenile dystopia’ that ‘had been shredded in the editing room.’

1 The Golden Compass (2007)

The #1 spot could only go to the 2007 film adaptation of Phillip Pullman’s Northern Lights, The Golden Compass. Pullman’s series tackles themes of religion and control in a world that is overpowered by The Magisterium (also referred to as ‘The Church’). Although there was some critical debate regarding Pullman’s criticism of Christianity, notable figures such as Rowan Williams (former Archbishop of Canterbury) support the novel and recommended the series for discussion in R.E lessons.

The powerful themes and statements were diluted and redirected the corrupted power away from any religious connotations. The film was a hugely edited down version of the book with ‘focus upon the bare bones’ and ‘removes the very purpose and soul of Pullman’s books.’ Despite moving away from the corrupted Church, the Catholic League called for a boycott of the film, as watching the film would lead to reading the books, which promote atheism. The film was not successful, and star Sam Elliot blamed the discontinued trilogy on censorship and the Catholic Church. All is not lost for adapting Pullman’s trilogy. In November 2019, His Dark Materials TV series was released, which is much more loyal to the trilogy and doesn’t hide the connection between the Magisterium and the Church. Season 3 is currently in the works and the series has an 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Top 10 Movies That Helped Ruin Filmmaking

Saying goodbye to a long-running TV show is tough for viewers and even tougher for writers. Concocting a satisfying sendoff without devolving into a sappy, syrupy mess can be exceedingly difficult. Many a strong show has been blemished by a weak final episode, with Seinfeld and Game of Thrones perhaps the most glaring examples.

Fortunately, several terrific shows managed to successfully stick the dismount. The following are ten, in chronological order.

[SPOILERS AHEAD!]

Related: Top 10 TV Shows That Predicted the Future and Got It Right

10 The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1977)

The easiest way to end a show about a show, of course, is to cancel the fake show that the real show is about. The final episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, aptly named “The Last Show,” stays true to the program’s feminist themes without getting overly preachy—a balance it struck for seven acclaimed seasons.

As the final installment begins, something is clearly up at WJM-TV. A new station manager, Mr. Coleman, is dismissing long-term employees and has his sights set on Mary’s six o’clock news team. At this point, the finale could have gone off the rails. Had Coleman fired only Mary, the scene would have been too on-the-nose politically. It would have seemed hackneyed, even in 1977.

Instead, Coleman cans Mary… and Lou, Murray, and Sue Ann. Two gals, two guys. That Coleman doesn’t ax the vain, buffoonish Ted Baxter is enough to showcase the undo preference males often enjoy in the workplace, especially back in the 1970s.

After sitting through a bumbling on-air farewell from Ted, Mary and her dismissed colleagues huddle up in a group hug. Teary-eyed, they won’t let go of each other—to the point that they stay attached as they collectively shuffle toward a box of tissues. The message is clear: this is sad for everyone, not just the women. As the scene closes, Mary looks back at the camera for one last smile, letting viewers know that she’s gonna make it after all.^[1]

9 M*A*S*H (1983)

Set during a real war, M*A*S*H was a fictitious show… that Americans paid more attention to than the actual war. America’s anti-Communist foray into the Korean Peninsula lasted just three years, from 1950 to 1953. Less than a decade after the largest armed conflict in world history, Americans were war-weary personally and disinterested generally.

By contrast, a show about a mobile army surgical hospital—a MASH unit—behind the Korean front lines ran for 256 episodes over 11 seasons, starting in the early 1970s. Somewhere between a sitcom and a dark comedy, the show broke ground despite a laugh track that today seems dated at best and inappropriate at worst. What hasn’t staled is Alan Alda’s multiple Emmy-winning performance as chief surgeon Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce, an incredibly well-acted role for its time period.

Despite continuously high ratings, by season 11, it was time for the three-year Korean War to conclude. Showcasing its ability to drag something out while remaining compelling, M*A*S*H shut down the unit with a 2½-hour television movie watched by 106 million people—which remains the most watched series finale of all time.

The most bittersweet moment is saved for the final scene. Hawkeye says his farewells and boards a helicopter to begin his journey home. As the unmistakable instrumental theme song wells up in the background, he gazes down to see that his closest friend, Mike Farrell’s B.J. Hunnicutt, has spelled out “goodbye” in stones.^[2]

8 Cheers (1993)

On May 20, 1993, 93 million people tuned in to see America’s favorite bartender announce last call for the last time. By comparison, the highest-rated show in the U.S. currently, Paramount’s Yellowstone, attracts 11 million viewers.

The two-hour Cheers sendoff did something few series do: implicitly admitted the show wasn’t what it once was. It had been six long (and mediocre) seasons since Sam’s original love interest, Diane (Shelley Long), had left. Then Sam sees her accepting an award on TV for (a poke at the finale’s length) Outstanding TV Movie writing.

Sam sends congrats.. and Diane shows up, albeit with her husband. Only it’s actually her gay friend acting as her husband. Her cover is blown when his partner shows up, and she and Sam rekindle their own flame.

At this point, the end of Cheers is in sight: viewers start to surmise that the return of this character—a far better one than Kirstie Alley’s Rebecca—would mean the end of Sam’s bartending days. The two announce their engagement, and Sam says his goodbyes despite his barroom buddies’ protests.

Then, the payoff: With their plane delayed, Sam and Diane realize they were glorifying their past at the cost of their present. Smartly, their breakup both acknowledges the abruptness of the popular character’s departure several seasons back while trolling the audience a bit about what her staying may have meant. In the end, Norm knew Sam would “always come back to her”—her being Cheers.^[3]

7 The Larry Sanders Show (1998)

Okay, channel surfing is now permitted. Aptly named “Flip,” the final episode of The Larry Sanders Show, starring Garry Shandling as a neurotic yet arrogant late-night talk show host, managed to do the stellar program justice while spoofing the overdone, fake-tearjerking finales of other variety shows.

One of HBO’s first Emmy-caliber efforts, The Larry Sanders Show was the perfect vehicle for two established stars—Garry Shandling and Rip Torn, as Larry’s foul-mouthed producer—as well as several up-and-coming ones. Jeffrey Tambor and Bob Odenkirk gained traction there, as did Janeane Garofalo. While featuring an endless parade of celebrity cameos, the show offered a behind-the-scenes look at the pettiness and backbiting that occur backstage and during commercial breaks.

The last episode put this motif on steroids, as former show employees profanely confront Larry before the show and, once the cameras roll, a who’s who of 1990s celebrities give sappy farewells that are quickly reneged at each commercial break. Jim Carrey performs an outrageous song praising Larry… then tells him to go screw. Carol Burnett brings out Ellen DeGeneres to settle a long-running disagreement with Larry. Tim Allen tells him they should hang out on-camera, then to piss off off-camera.

Finally, the one person whose farewell is sincere—Larry’s co-host, “Hey Now” Hank Kingsley—is interrupted by a surprise pop-in from Jerry Seinfeld. All the while, a pre-Daily Show Jon Stewart feigns gratitude as he waits in the wings to take over Larry’s time slot.^[4]

6 Six Feet Under (2005)

The five-season saga of the Fishers, an adult family of funeral directors in Los Angeles, broke ground for several reasons. For one, David Fisher, played by future Dexter star Michael C. Hall, was among the first non-cartoonish portrayals of a gay person (and a gay couple—an interracial one, no less) on television.

But the show’s signature was that each episode opened with a death, typically of someone who ended up at Fisher Funeral Home. Suicides, car crashes, cancer, household accidents… each show started with sorrow and either ascended or descended from there.

Was it a top-ten all-time show? No. But it might have the best final scene ever. Beginning her journey to the East Coast for a fresh start, youngest sibling Claire pulls out of the driveway to the tune of Sia’s “Breathe Me” (in fact, this scene almost singlehandedly made Sia a star). Her brother Nate, who’d recently died of a brain aneurysm, appears and then fades from the rearview mirror. Claire starts sobbing.

Then, the show fast-forwards through time, showcasing the deaths of each main character. The matriarch, Ruth (1946-2025), passes in a hospital. David’s now-husband, Keith (1968-2029), is murdered in a bank robbery. David (1969-2044) collapses at a picnic. Finally, a centenarian Claire (1983-2085) passes as the credits roll.

Last year, rumors surfaced that HBO would risk grasping defeat from the jaws of victory with a Six Feet Under reboot. Fortunately, the exhumation (2021-22) died in committee.^[5]

5 The Sopranos (2007)

The Sopranos began television’s second Golden Age, one dominated by dramas like The Wire and Breaking Bad. Creator David Chase knew he’d started something big. But he didn’t know how to finish it.

Everyone knows how it turned out. In the final scene of the final episode, “Made in America,” Tony and his family assemble at an endearingly typical New Jersey diner. AJ enters and sits down at the booth as Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” blares. A shady man walks past and goes to the restroom as while Meadow parallel parks. She enters, Tony looks up, and…

… nothing. A black screen so abrupt that many viewers thought their cable went out. What ensued was the most hotly debated series finale in television history. Did Tony die or not?

Chase waited until 2021 to confirm what most long suspected: Yes, Tony is dead. In fact, Chase was surprised at the controversy. Tony was always doomed—just not necessarily that way.

“The scene I had in my mind was not that scene,” Chase said. “At the beginning of every show, he came from New York into New Jersey, and the last scene could be him coming from New Jersey back into New York for a meeting at which he was going to be killed.”

Eventually, Chase realized Tony’s standing as the head of two families—one crime, one nuclear—could be more cathartically concluded at a diner. The eatery, Holsten’s in Bloomfield, NJ, has a plaque commemorating the scene.^[6]

4 Breaking Bad (2013)

Bryan Cranston’s Walter White is likely the most compellingly complex antihero in TV history, nudging out House of Cards’ Frank Underwood, the aforementioned Tony Soprano, and, more recently, Marty Byrde from Ozark.

Given how layered a character White was, an appropriate sendoff was a tall task. Many an antihero-driven series has crashed on its final approach, perhaps Dexter most notoriously. His family estranged, his lungs succumbing to cancer, and with both the law and a drug cartel closing in, Walter needs to settle various scores for his loved ones and his legacy.

More importantly than any guns-blazing action scene, the finale pinpoints Walt’s intentions and motivations. In a farewell pop-in on his estranged wife, Walt confesses that his impetus for becoming the infamous Heisenberg was far more than a dying man’s desperation to secure his family’s financial future. “I did it for me,” he tells Skylar. “I liked it. I was good at it. And I was really… alive.”

The rest of the episode is almost irrelevant but brilliant nonetheless. We see Walt get back at two wealthy former colleagues who’d chiseled him out of millions, finding a means of funneling his illegal earnings to his son in the process. And finally, he rigs a machine gun into his car’s trunk that pops up and blows away the drug gang while he fake-tackles his longtime partner, Jesse. Jesse flees, and Walt dies, gut-shot, as the cops close in and the camera fades. Perfect.^[7]

3 The Americans (2018)

From the start, The Americans had a firm end date: the collapse of the Soviet Union. But could the “Jennings” family, deep-cover Soviet spies in the Washington D.C. metro area, hold out that long?

Set during the 1980s Reagan administration—the beginning of the end of the Cold War—the show portrays the types of incredibly credible spies that both sides employed. But the front careers, convincing disguises, dead drops, and clandestine assassinations are just dressing because the show thrives on the relationship of its married co-protagonists, Phillip and Elizabeth.

Or rather, sort of married. As Soviet plants, they’ve been instructed to act as a married couple, up to and including having kids who think they’re normal Americans. Eventually, that wall is broken with their eldest, Paige, but not their younger child, Henry.

The finale succeeds by resolving exactly none of these complications. So tangled are the Jennings in their constructed American existence that leaving it brings nothing but hanging questions. As their cover is blown—by their friendly FBI agent neighbor, no less—Phillip and Elizabeth flee. Paige decides to stay, possibly to carry on her parents’ work. The FBI agent, Stan Beeman, tells a sobbing Henry about his parents’ true identities.

Will Phillip and Elizabeth’s arranged marriage in America parlay into an actual one in the USSR? We don’t know. What we do learn is they bring home information that prevents an overthrow of then-leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who would be instrumental in the USSR’s dissolution.^[8]

2 After Life (2022)

Written by and starring Ricky Gervais, After Life ran for just three seasons, each with six half-hour episodes. Despite its confounding Emmy Award snubs, the comedian has called it the best project of his career, which says a lot coming from the creator of The Office.

Gervais plays Tony, a local journalist in small-town England who loses his 40-something wife, Lisa, to cancer. As she approaches death, Lisa records a long-goodbye series of videos. During each episode, we find Tony wistfully watching these sentimental snippets, interspersed with clips of their happy pre-diagnosis lives together.

What’s unique about After Life is the elevation of a dog to essentially the primary supporting cast member. Brandy, the couple’s German shepherd, is a living, live-in link between wife and widower. Among other salves, Brandy saves Tony from committing suicide on several occasions.

Brandy also becomes key to the show’s phenomenal final installment. At a local fair, Tony, still deep in grief, performs several niceties for friends gathered there. It seems like the sort of “affairs in order” acts a depressed person might do before suicide. We then see Tony and Brandy ominously walking away. His deceased wife’s ghost joins them momentarily. A question asked 15 years earlier with The Sopranos—”Will Tony die?”—hangs over the scene.

Then, we see Brandy disappear as Tony continues walking. This particular Tony has been spared, showcased by the fast-forward suggestion of his dog’s lifespan naturally expiring before his own. A can’t-miss scene in a can’t-miss series.^[9]

1 Better Call Saul (2022)

Vince Gilligan is the only show creator included twice on this list—once for Breaking Bad, the other for the conclusion to what is easily the greatest spinoff in television history. The six-season prequel slow-leaks the gradual transformation of small-time “Slippin’ Jimmy” McGill into cartel lawyer Saul Goodman.

In some ways, Better Call Saul surpasses its predecessor. For starters, it has two sublime acting performances—Bob Odenkirk’s McGill and love interest Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn)—to Bryan Cranston’s one. It also thrives despite the inherent limitation that we know Jimmy doesn’t die (since Breaking Bad occurs after it).

As the episodes dwindle in the final season, we see the full formation of Saul Goodman into a ruthlessly self-serving con man, able and willing to justify others dying for his financial gain. What the finale does so brilliantly is show us EXACTLY how far Jimmy is willing to go in his selfish interests.

Faced with spending the rest of his life behind bars, Saul once again wriggles himself mostly off the hook by implicating others—including his estranged lover, Kim. He’s set up for an easy stint in a low-security prison. But then, in one last manipulative courtroom monologue, Saul reverts to Jimmy… because he simply cannot harm Kim. He goes away for life; she walks out a free woman. The finale proves Saul a monster with one caveat—a precise answer to the “how far will he go?” motif the series spent six seasons fleshing out.^[10]