Beloved Farewells
Before streaming, DVRs, and even VCRs, missing an episode of television was a crisis — there was no guarantee when or if it would be rerun, and with a series or season that had ended, it might truly be gone for good — or at least, it seemed that way back then. Not surprisingly, hit shows that were also prime watercooler fodder scored big in the ratings. Read on for the most-watched finales in history. Any guesses on No. 1? (Hint: It was spun off from a 1970 movie hit, and the actress who played one of its most beloved characters recently passed away.)