Today most television talk seems to circle around serialized drama (it's a year later and the Internet is still obsessed with Game of Thrones). But NBC used to be home Thursday night "Must See TV" including classic sitcoms Friends, Seinfeld, and Frasier.
Recently television viewers said goodbye to long-running sitcom, Modern Family. But how did the ABC show stack up against sitcom conclusions of the past? Below are the top ten sitcom season finales of all time according to IMDb.
Seinfeld - 7.7
Seinfeld went off the air in May of 1998 and fans (and pop culture aficionados) have not stopped talking about it since. The ending of the beloved program divided fans and continues to confuse many people to this day.
Yet, the original run brought in 76 million viewers to say goodbye to Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer. Having gone off the air over two decades ago the show continues in reruns for new and old fans alike. The finale may have been decisive, but it was legendary.
Arrested Development - 8.1
The finale to the original run of Arrested Development aired in 2006 (this does not count the sequel seasons that recently aired on Netflix). There was no way for the Bluth family to go but with utter chaos, which all took place on the RMS Queen Mary, with another scandal and possible arrest as the police once again close in on the Bluths.
Luckily Michael, and his son George Michael, getaway on another yacht. Fans hoped for the best for both of them, and that they would stay far far away from the rest of their family for good.
I Love Lucy - 8.4
The classic sitcom went off the air in May of 1957 after six incredibly successful black and white seasons on television. While Lucy and Desi had left their apartment behind, there was no small amount of trouble Lucy could get into in her own large neighborhood.
In fact, she almost gets the family kicked out of their new home before the show comes to a funny, and safe, conclusion. The show set the stage for most of the sitcoms that would come after it.
Modern Family - 8.5
Modern Family ended its run on this April, after eleven seasons on ABC. Though some viewers thought the show had overstayed its welcome, stretching storylines in later seasons, its conclusion was wholesome, heartfelt, and funny as well.
Its rating is recent, but also decent. With an 8.5 it may also stand the test of time like Seinfeld and I Love Lucy in perpetual reruns on streaming channels and other cable networks.
The Office (British Version) - 9.5
In 2003 Ricky Gervais and his crew called it quits on their Christmas Special episodes on the original version of The Office. The specials were written instead of a full third season of the program and, it seems, they were worth it.
One of the highest-rated series finales of all time, The Christmas Special: Part 2, which sees Brent trying to find a date for the Christmas party. It's all par for the course where the show's humor is concerned, and a very likable send off for the show as a whole.
Community - 9.6
Community, the offbeat comedy that aired on NBC for six seasons, and introduced Donald Glover to a much wider audience, came to a close in 2015 (on Yahoo rather than on NBC). Still, fans were pleased with how the program kept its cast and its humor in its final transplanted season.
The show ends much like college does, without it being clear who is graduating, which friends will actually see one another again, or if it's all just been one big waste of time. In other words, it was the perfect way to send everyone off-screen.
The Big Bang Theory - 9.6
The Big Bang Theory said goodbye to its fans after twelve seasons (making it the longest-running sitcom in television history). That wasn't all the history it wanted to make, it also wanted to be quality until the very end.
With a 9.6 on IMDb, Sheldon's pursuit of the Nobel Prize is only the icing on the cake of a very heartfelt, and still laugh-filled, send off for one of the longest working casts ever on sitcom TV.
Friends - 9.7
Friends took its final bow back in May of 2004 and fans have been rewatching all ten seasons over and over again ever since. Fans got to watch everyone grow up on the show (from unemployed youngsters to married with children) and then go to watch them all move on. The Friends not only left the series, but they also left what was once Monica and Rachel's apartment behind.
Fans could never imagine anyone else living there, so that's one detail no one ever sees. What's the last thing they all talk about on their way out? Where it started, getting coffee.
Parks and Recreation - 9.7
The curtain went down on Parks and Recreation at the end of season seven in 2015. Fans got to see not only the Parks department's last mission together but also got to see a glimpse into everyone's future (the far-flung 2017).
Everyone is just fine, maybe better, and still connected (whether they like it or not). Parks and Rec was the perfect balance of the show's sense of humor and the heartfelt moments that fans needed as the show came to a close at last.
The Office - 9.8
In the end, it was Steve Carell who was better than Ricky Gervais. The series finale of the American version of The Office has a 9.8 rating on IMDb. Like Parks and Rec, The Office gives fans a glimpse into the future as the documentary crew comes to film some extra footage for bonus features.
Dwight and Angela get married, Michael gets to give a speech, and everyone gets to laugh for forever after.