All Things Must Pass: These 5 TV Series Are Signing Off for Good

ABC/Michael Ansell

Nothing lasts forever, and that’s especially true of TV shows. These five series have had their seasons in the sun, and they’ll sign off for good this spring:

The Americans
FX (2013)
Like many shows on FX, Cold War spy thriller The Americans wasn’t a huge ratings hit, but it made up for that shortcoming with almost universal critical praise. Showrunners Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields knew long ago how they wanted the saga of Russian spies Philip (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth (Keri Russell) to end, and viewers who’ve followed them through every cloak-and-dagger moment will no doubt be rewarded (and surprised) when the series signs off on May 30. “It feels really good and satisfying what Joe and Joel have created,” Russell says of the finale.

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The Fosters
Freeform (2013)
Since it bowed on ABC Family in 2013, drama The Fosters has been a champion of inclusiveness and an inspiration to people in nontraditional families. Writer-producers Joanna Johnson, Bradley Bredeweg and Peter Paige said in a statement, “It’s been the privilege of our lives to get to shepherd this beautiful family through five seasons of love, laughter, heartbreak, tribulation and triumph — and message to the world that DNA doesn’t make a family, love does.” The Fosters will wrap up with a three-night event June 4-6 on Freeform, though consider it not “goodbye” but “see you later.” Freeform announced Callie (Maia Mitchell) and Mariana (Cierra Ramirez) will be the center of a spinoff series.

The Middle
ABC (2009)
The Middle is probably the best show that you forgot was still on TV. After nine seasons on ABC, the blue-collar comic adventures of the middle-class Heck family conclude May 22. In true Midwestern form, the series was a consistently solid performer, and it will go out on its own terms and at the top of its game. As creators Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline said, “We wanted to go out before too many people knew we were on the air.”

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New Girl
FOX (2011)
New Girl arrived on FOX as a wide-eyed, fresh and funny comedy centered on charmingly quirky Jess (Zooey Deschanel) and her male roommates. It thrived on Friends-style romantic tension, which it broke much too early in the series’ run, and everyone involved seemed to have outgrown the show by Season 3. New Girl got an extended lease on life last year when FOX granted it a shortened final season, which featured a time jump ahead to the characters doing their best at adulting. New Girl will go out with a one-hour finale on May 15, but we hope the True American drinking game will live forever.

Once Upon a Time
ABC (2011)
Storybrooke’s story comes to a close in a two-hour finale on May 18. There’s been a lot of turnover in the principal cast, and Season 7 ratings suffered. But longtime favorites Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin), Prince Charming (Josh Dallas), Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) and Belle French (Emilie de Ravin) will return for the finale. Creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz said in a statement, “We couldn’t think of a more fitting way to say farewell than by reuniting so many of the characters that our fiercely loyal fans spent years with on their adventures. We hope everyone joins our Once family, old and new, for what we hope will be the sendoff of a lifetime befitting this stellar cast and its incomparable fans.”

About Ryan Berenz 2166 Articles
Member of the Television Critics Association. Charter member of the Ancient and Mystic Society of No Homers. Squire of the Ancient & Benevolent Order of the Lynx, Lodge 49, Long Beach, Calif. Costco Wholesale Gold Star Member since 2011.