Most Watched Series Finales
(Sources: WikiPedia, Reuters, Variety, Nielsen Media Research, ratings data from USA Today weekly ratings charts)
This page was last updated 12/3/09.
| Rank | Series | Number of Viewers (in millions) |
Percent of Households | Share | Date | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | M*A*S*H | 105.9 | 60.2% | 77% | February 28, 1983 | CBS |
| 2 | Cheers | 80.4 | 45.5% | 64% | May 20, 1993 | NBC |
| 3 | Seinfeld | 76.3 | 41.3% | 58% | May 14, 1998 | NBC |
| 4 | The Cosby Show | 44.4 | 28.0% | 45% | April 30, 1992 | NBC |
| 8 | All in the Family | 40.2 | 26.6% | 43% | April 8, 1979 | CBS |
| 9 | Family Ties | 36.3 | 20.8% | 35% | May 14, 1989 | NBC |
| 10 | Home Improvement | 35.5 | 21.6% | 34% | May 25, 1999 | ABC |
| 11 | Dallas | 33.3 | 22.0% | 38% | May 3, 1991 | CBS |
| 12 | Everybody Loves Raymond | 32.9 | 20.2% | 29% | May 16, 2005 | CBS |
| 13 | Gunsmoke | 30.9 | ? | ? | March 31, 1975 | CBS |
| 14 | The Fugitive | 30.0 | 45.9% | 72% | August 29, 1967 | ABC |
| 15 | Newhart | 29.5 | 18.7% | 29% | May 21, 1990 | CBS |
| 16 | Star Trek: The Next Generation | 27.8 | 20% | 34% | May 23, 1994 | Syndication |
| 17 | The Golden Girls | 27.2 | 18.9% | 38% | May 9, 1992 | NBC |
| 18 | Frasier | 25.2 | 16.3% | 25% | May 13, 2004 | NBC |
| 19 | Night Court | 24.6 | 16.5% | 26% | May 13, 1992 | NBC |
| 20 | Full House | 24.3 | 14.6% | 25% | May 23, 1995 | ABC |
| 21 | St. Elsewhere | 22.5 | ? | ? | May 25, 1988 | NBC |
| 22 | MacGyver | 22.3 | 13.8% | 26% | May 21, 1992 | ABC |
| 23 | Miami Vice | 22.2 | 14.7% | 23% | May 21, 1989 | NBC |
| 24 | L.A. Law | 22.1 | 15.9% | 27% | May 19, 1994 | NBC |
| 25 | ALF | 21.7 | 13.1% | 24% | March 24, 1990 | NBC |
| 26 | Growing Pains | 21.1 | 13.3% | 24% | April 25, 1992 | ABC |
| 27 | The Wonder Years | 21.0 | 13.9% | 23% | May 12, 1993 | ABC |
| 28 | Quantum Leap | 20.6 | 13.7% | 23% | May 5, 1993 | NBC |
| 29 | Who's the Boss? | 20.5 | 12.7% | 24% | April 25, 1992 | ABC |
| 30 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | 19.9 | 13.1% | 22% | May 20, 1996 | NBC |
| 31 | Mad About You | 19.8 | 13.6% | 20% | May 24, 1999 | NBC |
| 32 | Knots Landing | 19.6 | 13.9% | 22% | May 13, 1993 | CBS |
| 33 | Bonanza | 19.3 | ? | ? | January 16, 1973 | NBC |
| 34 | Designing Women | 18.8 | 14.2% | 22% | May 24, 1993 | CBS |
| 35 | Matlock | 18.7 | 13.2% | 20% | May 7, 1995 | ABC |
| 36 | Will & Grace | 18.4 | 11.7% | 18% | May 18, 2006 | NBC |
| 37 | The Facts of Life | 18.2 | 13.2% | 29% | May 7, 1988 | NBC |
| 38 | Jake and the Fatman | 18.1 | 12.9% | 20% | May 6, 1992 | CBS |
| 39 | Major Dad | 17.9 | 12.6% | 20% | April 16, 1993 | CBS |
| 40 | Murphy Brown | 17.5 | 12.3% | 19% | May 18, 1998 | CBS |
| 41 | Roseanne | 16.6 | 11.6% | 19% | May 20, 1997 | ABC |
| 42 | Murder, She Wrote | 16.5 | 12.3% | 21% | May 19, 1996 | CBS |
| 43 | ER | 16.4 | 10.4% | 17% | April 2, 2009 | NBC |
| 44 | NYPD Blue | 16.1 | 10.4% | 17% | March 1, 2005 | ABC |
| 45 | Miami Vice | 16.1 | 11.0% | 21% | June 28, 1989 | NBC |
| 46 | Married... with Children | 15.2 | 10.0% | 16% | May 5, 1997 | Fox |
| 47 | In the Heat of the Night | 15.0 | 10.9% | 17% | May 16, 1995 | CBS |
| 48 | Kate & Allie | 14.9 | 11.9% | 20% | May 22, 1989 | CBS |
| 49 | Dynasty | 14.7 | 10.8% | 17% | May 11, 1989 | ABC |
| 50 | Monday Night Football | 14.4 | 9.2% | 16% | December 26, 2005 | ABC |
| 51 | Beverly Hills, 90210 | 14.4 | 9.6% | 15% | May 17, 2000 | Fox |
| 52 | Wings | 14.2 | 10.2% | 16% | May 21, 1997 | NBC |
| 53 | JAG | 14.0[29] | 9.0% | 15% | April 29, 2005 | CBS |
| 54 | Mr. Belvedere | 13.8 | 8.5% | 16% | July 8, 1990 | ABC |
| 55 | Evening Shade | 13.5 | 9.6% | 15% | May 23, 1994 | CBS |
| 56 | The King of Queens | 13.5 | 8.8% | 13% | May 14, 2007 | CBS |
| 57 | Doogie Howser, M.D. | 13.4 | 9.2% | 14% | March 24, 1993 | ABC |
| 58 | Providence | 13.3 | 9.0% | 16% | December 20, 2002 | NBC |
| 59 | Life Goes On | 13.2 | 8.9% | 17% | May 23, 1993 | ABC |
| 60 | The X-Files | 13.2 | 7.9% | 12% | May 19, 2002 | FOX |
| 61 | Coach | 13.1 | 9.3% | 16% | May 14, 1997 | ABC |
| 62 | Touched by an Angel | 12.9[31] | 8.9% | 15% | April 27, 2003 | CBS |
| 63 | Amen | 12.9 | 8.3% | 19% | May 11, 1991 | NBC |
| 64 | Falcon Crest | 12.3 | 9.3% | 15% | May 17, 1990 | CBS |
| 65 | 3rd Rock from the Sun | 11.9 | 7.9% | 13% | May 22, 2001 | NBC |
| 66 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | 11.9 | ? | ? | May 29, 2009 | NBC |
| 67 | The Sopranos | 11.9 | ? | ? | June 10, 2007 | HBO |
| 68 | Empty Nest | 11.6 | 8.7% | 17% | April 29, 1995 | NBC |
| 69 | Ally McBeal | 11.5 | 7.5% | 11% | May 20, 2002 | Fox |
| 70 | Homicide: Life on the Street | 11.4 | 8.4% | 15% | May 21, 1999 | NBC |
| 71 | Without a Trace | 11.2 | 7.3% | 12% | May 19, 2009 | CBS |
| 72 | The Nanny | 11.1 | 8.1% | 14% | May 12, 1999 | CBS |
| 73 | Picket Fences | 11.1 | 8.2% | 14% | April 24, 1996 | CBS |
| 74 | The Practice | 10.9 | 7.5% | 13% | May 16, 2004 | ABC |
| 75 | Walker, Texas Ranger | 10.8 | 6.8% | 13% | May 19, 2001 | CBS |
| 76 | Judging Amy | 10.8 | 7.6% | 12% | May 3, 2005 | CBS |
| 77 | Sex and the City | 10.6 | ? | ? | February 22, 2004 | HBO |
| 78 | Becker | 10.6 | 7.3% | 11% | January 28, 2004 | CBS |
| 79 | Grace Under Fire | 10.5 | 7.4% | 11% | February 17, 1998 | ABC |
| 80 | Highway to Heaven | 10.5 | 7.1% | 16% | August 4, 1989 | NBC |
| 81 | Melrose Place | 10.4 | 7.3% | 12% | May 24, 1999 | Fox |
| 82 | Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman | 10.2 | 6.7% | 15% | May 16, 1998 | CBS |
| 83 | Sisters | 10.1 | 7.1% | 14% | May 4, 1996 | NBC |
| 84 | The West Wing | 10.1 | 6.2% | 10% | May 14, 2006 | NBC |
| 85 | That '70s Show | 10.0 | 6.0% | 10% | May 18, 2006 | Fox |
| 86 | Boy Meets World | 10.0 | 6.1% | 12% | May 5, 2000 | ABC |
| 87 | Boston Legal | 9.9 | 6.2% | 10% | December 8, 2008 | ABC |
| 88 | Ellen | 9.9 | 7.1% | 11% | May 13, 1998 | ABC |
| 89 | The Unit | 9.6 | 5.8% | 10% | May 10, 2009 | CBS |
| 90 | A Different World | 9.3 | 6.6% | 14% | May 8, 1993 | NBC |
| 91 | Nash Bridges | 9.1 | 6.3% | 12% | May 4, 2001 | CBS |
| 92 | The Pretender | 9.0 | 6.2% | 12% | May 13, 2000 | NBC |
| 93 | Third Watch | 9.0 | 6.1% | 11% | May 6, 2005 | NBC |
| 94 | Star Trek: Voyager | 8.8 | 5.5% | 9% | May 23, 2001 | UPN |
| 95 | Martin | 8.6 | 5.8% | 11% | May 1, 1997 | Fox |
| 96 | NewsRadio | 8.6 | 6.5% | 11% | May 4, 1999 | NBC |
| 97 | Moonlighting | 8.6 | 5.7% | 10% | May 14, 1989 | ABC |
| 98 | Ed | 8.2 | 5.8% | 10% | February 6, 2004 | NBC |
| 99 | Caroline in the City | 8.1 | 6.3% | 10% | April 26, 1999 | NBC |
| 100 | Las Vegas | 8.0 | 5.0% | 9% | February 15, 2008 | NBC |
| 101 | Cosby | 7.9 | 5.2% | 10% | April 28, 2000 | CBS |
| 102 | Malcolm in the Middle | 7.5 | 4.8% | 7% | May 14, 2006 | Fox |
| 103 | Chicago Hope | 7.5 | 5.8% | 9% | May 4, 2000 | CBS |
| 104 | 227 | 7.5 | 5.0% | 8% | May 6, 1990 | NBC |
| 105 | Dawson's Creek | 7.3 | 4.8% | 7% | May 14, 2003 | WB |
| 106 | Profiler | 7.2 | 5.2% | 10% | May 6, 2000 | NBC |
| 107 | Spin City | 6.9 | 4.8% | 7% | April 30, 2002 | ABC |
| 108 | Alias | 6.7 | 4.5% | 7% | May 22, 2006 | ABC |
| 109 | Dharma & Greg | 6.7 | 4.7% | 8% | April 30, 2002 | ABC |
| 110 | The O.C. | 6.6 | 4.2% | 6% | February 22, 2007 | Fox |
| 111 | Diagnosis Murder | 6.6 | 4.9% | 10% | May 11, 2001 | CBS |
| 112 | Party of Five | 6.5 | 4.8% | 8% | May 3, 2000 | Fox |
| 113 | Yes, Dear | 6.5 | 4.4% | 6% | February 15, 2006 | CBS |
| 114 | Living Single | 6.5 | 4.5% | 7% | January 1, 1998 | Fox |
| 115 | Crossing Jordan | 6.4 | 4.3% | 7% | May 16, 2007 | NBC |
| 116 | Family Matters | 6.4 | 4.5% | 8% | July 17, 1998 | CBS |
| 117 | Step by Step | 6.3 | 4.3% | 8% | June 26, 1998 | CBS |
| 118 | King of the Hill | 6.0 | 3.5% | 5% | September 13, 2009 | Fox |
| 119 | My Wife and Kids | 5.9 | 4.2% | 7% | May 17, 2005 | ABC |
| 120 | The Drew Carey Show | 5.4 | 3.7% | 6% | September 8, 2004 | ABC |
| 121 | Angel | 5.3 | 3.3% | 5% | May 19, 2004 | WB |
| 122 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | 4.9 | 2.9% | 5% | May 20, 2003 | UPN |
| 122 | Gilmore Girls | 4.9 | 3.1% | 5% | May 15, 2007 | CW |
| 124 | My Name Is Earl | 4.8 | 3.2% | 6% | May 14, 2009 | NBC |
| 125 | Sister, Sister | 4.7 | 3.3% | 6% | May 23, 1999 | WB |
| 126 | George Lopez | 4.6 | 3.1% | 5% | May 8, 2007 | ABC |
| 127 | Charmed | 4.5 | 2.8% | 5% | May 21, 2006 | WB |
| 128 | Reba | 4.4 | 2.8% | 5% | February 18, 2007 | CW |
| 128 | The Parkers | 4.4 | 2.8% | 5% | May 10, 2004 | UPN |
| 130 | According to Jim | 4.1 | 2.5% | 4% | June 2, 2009 | ABC |
| 130 | Everwood | 4.1 | 2.6% | 4% | June 5, 2006 | WB |
| 132 | Star Trek: Enterprise | 3.8 | 2.2% | 4% | May 13, 2005 | UPN |
| 133 | Felicity | 3.7 | 2.6% | 4% | May 22, 2002 | WB |
| 134 | 7th Heaven | 3.3 | 2.1% | 4% | May 13, 2007 | CW |
| 134 | Prison Break | 3.3 | 2.0% | 4% | May 15, 2009 | Fox |
| 136 | Guiding Light | 3.0 | 2.2% | 3% | September 18, 2009 | CBS |
Last Updated on Friday, 19 March 2010 07:42