Finale FinalityList about TV season finales, series finales, cancelations, remakes, revivals, adaptations, and everything else you need to know for tomorrow morning's discussions at the water cooler.
Updated August 31, 2023 28.5K votes 8.6K voters 710.6K views
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Vote up the final scenes in childhood shows that gave you one last gut punch.
Heartbreaking moments from kid shows can include the death of a character, but also the final scenes of a series. Children understand narrative differently than adults, so it's extremely important for these programs to wrap up in a way that leaves younger audiences with a sense of finality.
Some popular programs have said goodbye in a satisfyingly bittersweet way, while others have filled their farewells with so much emotion they've become the saddest kid show endings ever.
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood first hit the air so long ago that the first couple of episodes were in black and white. The show began airing in 1968 and came to end after 31 seasons in 2001. It is not often you see a series last multiple generations, especially with the same host, but Fred Rogers was there every step of the way - a calm and gentle presence in everyone's lives, no matter their age.
When the final episode aired in August 2001, many tears were shed (even though the show stayed in syndication for several years after). At the end, Mister Rogers offers one last piece of advice on how to be better humans, sings a song about how proud of us he was, then waves to the camera and says, "Be back next time." He passed two years later from stomach cancer.
Photo: Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie / Nickelodeon
The conclusion to Hey Arnold! was left on a cliffhanger after "The Journal," the last episode produced for the series. It was supposed to lead into Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie, but the film was canceled after the poor theatrical performance of Hey Arnold!: The Movie. Finally, in 2017, Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie was released as a TV movie and fans got the closure they needed - especially the long-awaited reveal of the whereabouts of Arnold's parents.
After finding out his parents (along with everyone else's) were under a 10-year spell of "sleeping sickness," Arnold cures them all and brings his parents home. The final scene of the movie (and the series) features Arnold's parents walking him to his first day of sixth grade. They agree to meet outside the school at 3:30 pm, and Arnold can't help but smile as the doors close.
Blue's Clues didn't end with the Season 4 finale "Steve Goes to College," but it did include many "final" moments for the series, such as Steve's final episode as the host, the final "We Just Figured Out Blue's Clues," and the final episode to use the original opening sequence. Blue's Clues went on after Steve Burns left, and "Joe" hosted the show until it bowed out just two seasons later and was never given a proper finale.
Steve's final episode is emotional because he was like a teacher and friend to viewers. Losing him was a huge blow to kids everywhere. In the final moment of the episode, Steve (having just left for college) calls Blue and asks to speak to the audience, and delivers one final message: that he misses us. Many kids cried that day, and maybe some adults too...
Doug has an unusual history. The original series ran from 1991 to 1994 on Nickelodeon before going off the air. Disney brought it back in 1996 for three more seasons, then it finally ended for real (if you don't count the subsequent movie).
In the finale, Patti asks Doug out and they agree to go on a "date date," which leads to Doug recording the encounter in his journal, filling the final page. It took almost a decade and two different incarnations of the series, but Doug finally filled up his beloved journal. The series closes with Porkchop replacing Doug's old journal with a new one for all his new adventures.
The series finale of Teen Titans is complex and heartbreaking. The show, a big hit in the wake of Justice League, was praised for combining American cartoon elements with anime style. Teen Titans ran for five seasons from 2002 to 2006 and even spawned a spinoff called Teen Titans Go! with most of the same voice cast as the original.
In the final episode titled "Things Change," Beast Boy spots his former love interest Terra back in her human form (she had previously been turned to stone during Season 2), but she has no memory of him or any of the Titans. Frustrated and desperate, Beast Boy tries to jog her memory to figure out if she really is Terra. After he spends the entire episode trying to bring her back, Terra reminds him that things change and claims that she just wants to be normal. The episode ends with Beast Boy tearfully watching her fade away as he decides to let her go.
Kim Possible, which ran for four seasons from 2002 to 2007 (with two made-for-TV films in between) ended with a two-part finale called "Graduation Day," which takes place during Kim and Ron's high school graduation. In the episode, Kim and Drakken are taken captive, and it's up to Ron and Shego to save their friends. After successfully beating the aliens (thanks to Ron for once), Kim and Ron get to finally graduate with their friends.
It's a happy ending for everyone, even the show's main antagonists Drakken and Shego, who get to help save the world. In the final scene, Kim and Ron attend a graduation beach party before hopping into Kim's flying car. They passionately kiss and ride off into the sunset (or moon-set). Now that high school is over and the world no longer needs saving, Kim and Ron can finally be together and enjoy the rest of their lives.
