First final episode in 1977?

[James]

I read in a previous thread that Mary Tyler Moore started the series finale in 1977. How did the finale of her show (which I never saw, BTW) stand out from previous ones, like, say, Leave It To Beaver in 1963 when the family looks at the family album and shares memories. (Heck, I'll also include The Brady Bunch in 1974, when Greg graduated, even though it wasn't originally intended to be the series finale!)

[Kristen]

Originally posted by James
I read in a previous thread that Mary Tyler Moore started the series finale in 1977. How did the finale of her show (which I never saw, BTW) stand out from previous ones, like, say, Leave It To Beaver in 1963 when the family looks at the family album and shares memories. (Heck, I'll also include The Brady Bunch in 1974, when Greg graduated, even though it wasn't originally intended to be the series finale!)

It differed because it really was a "farewell" episode, whereas the other episodes you mentioned were more or less just regular episodes that happened to be the last. The cast and the writers of TMTMS knew it was going to be the last season, and they wrote a special final episode to say good-bye. (If you haven't seen it, the new manager of WJM fires the entire news staff, with one notable exception! ;)) It's one of my favorite episodes, actually.

Kristen

[Dean Winchester]

didn't Andy Griffith have a final episode in 1968? Where his term of sheriff was up and him and Opie move away from Mayberry? (I haven't seen the episode but heard of it). Or does that not count since it was making way for the spinoff with Ken (Vint Harper) Berry?