When it comes to memorable TV endings, I'm sure we've all got an opinion.
Some TV show endings are controversial and leave viewers divided, like Lost. Others are considered by fans to be perfect way for the show to say goodbye, like Friends. And others are considered outright disasters, like Dexter.
However, when it comes to the most heartbreaking TV show finales of all time, you'll have to cast your mind back to the 1990s.
Dinosaurs was the quirky ABC sitcom produced by Jim Henson Productions that I'm sure many millennials will fondly remember.
The show introduced the world to the Sinclair family, a group of anthropomorphic dinosaurs navigating life in 60,000,003 BC. With its mix of humor and family dynamics, Dinosaurs wasn't just a typical sitcom — it was a show ahead of its time, as it would often tackle social and environmental issues with a clever, prehistoric twist.
The show, which aired from 1991 to 1994, followed Earl, the not-so-sharp Megalosaurus, his wife Fran, and their children, Robbie, Charlene, and the unforgettable Baby Sinclair. The show was also set a world where dinosaurs lived a modern, suburban life, complete with jobs, clothes, and all-too-human problems. Think The Simpsons... but they're all dinosaurs.
The final episode of the hit show, titled 'Changing Nature', aired in July 1994. Watch the final scene below (grab the tissues):
And despite being a sitcom, this finale opted to address an environmental catastrophe, depicting the Sinclairs and their world facing extinction due to corporate greed and environmental neglect.
In the episode, the actions of the WESAYSO Corporation lead to widespread environmental destruction, setting off a chain reaction that causes an ice age and spells doom for the dinosaurs. It's a grim narrative, as viewers watch the once vibrant world of the Sinclairs descend into a cold, irreversible winter.
The end of the show sees Earl and Fran being forced to accept their family's fate, as they try to ease their children's worries, with dad Earl saying: "I'm sure it will work out okay. After all, dinosaurs have been on this earth for 150 million years. and it's not like we're going to just disappear." Yeesh.
In the series' final moments, the Sinclair family huddles together in their home as news reports indicate the worsening conditions outside. Earl also takes responsibility for his part in the events, having worked for the corporation that caused the environmental collapse.
After a poignant "Good night. Goodbye" from the news anchor, the show fades to black, as viewers are left with the knowledge that the laughter has come to an end, and the entire Sinclair family probably died shortly after.
The tear-jerking ending is still remembered today, as social media users across several platforms have hailed the final episode TV's "saddest ending ever".
Over on Reddit, one person writes: "I just finished binging this on Hulu after not watching since it originally aired and I'm glad I didn't get the ending back then because I might have needed therapy. It really is one of the most depressing TV scenes that I've ever watched."
"Surely, this has to be the winner in the 'bleakest ending to a sitcom' competition," another person added.
Over on X (formerly known as Twitter), one person tweeted: "Honestly, Dinosaurs is one of the funniest shows. But yet had the saddest ending."
A second X user added: "This was such a good show. I still cry just thinking about the ending it’s so sad."
And over on YouTube, one person commented on a clip of the finale: "This is honestly one of the darkest things I’ve ever seen in fiction." With a second YouTuber user adding: "
Unlike the Sinclair family, thanks to social media, the legacy of Dinosaurs lives on.
Fans of the show don't just remember it as a not fun, family-friendly sitcom, but as a series that wasn't afraid to address serious issues.
Dinosaurs is now available to stream on Disney+
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