Over at AV Club, they decided to post another one of their "slide show" lists (not linking, for reasons). This time, it's "Best TV Series Finales" (for some reason probably having to do with a current show wrapping up). They are right properly being excoriated in the comments for, as someone put it, making their list "Best Finales of the 21st Century, Plus
Cheers!"
Frankly, ANY discussion of the "Best Finales" has to include these five, which were all landmark episodes from before people thought of making "series finales" as a matter of course.
In reverse chronological order (with air dates):
Newhart, "The Last Newhart" (5/21/90) - A wonderful spoof, that NO ONE expected!
M*A*S*H, "Goodbye, Farewell, Amen" (2/28/83) - What did the other networks bother putting up against this?
Barney Miller, "Landmark Part 3" (5/20/82) - Over three episodes, the 12th Precinct was shut down, and everyone reassigned.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show, "The Last Show" (9/3/77) - GROUP HUG!
The Fugitive, "Judgment Part II" (9/17/63) - The series finale that they all wish they could be.
