As noted, we’ve had to say goodbye to two staple powerhouses this month: Lost and 24. Neither came even close to garnering the high ratings of these Top 10 classic finales. Let’s put this shit into perspective, shall we?
The top 10 most-watched series finales are:
1. M*A*S*H: 105.9 million
2. Cheers: 80.4 million
3. Seinfeld: 76.3 million
4. Friends: 52.5 million
5. Magnum, P.I.: 50.7 million
6. The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: 50 million
7. The Cosby Show: 44.4 million
8. All in the Family: 40.2 million
9. Family Ties: 36.3 million
10. Home Improvement: 35 million
Thoughts:
1. How does 105.9 million viewers even happen!? It’s also sort of unfair – DVR is clearly affecting numbers today. Too bad DVR is like crack and we’re all addicted. Also to note: I don’t think I’ve ever seen a full episode of M*A*S*H. Wah, wahhhh.
2. Friends is one of the most overrated shows ever. Lame that it’s #4.
3. How the shit is Home Improvement on this list? I liked it when it was on, but really? It was a show about a guy who grunts all the time while getting hurt on his cable access show. Nothing beat it for the 10-spot? Ooof.
4. I miss Family Ties.
the older shows had a ton of people watching because it was pre-cable, they only had a few other channels to compete with. seinfeld finale was a big deal because it still had huge numbers despite being up against more than 5 or 6 other options.