Iconic TV shows coming to an end: Brace yourself for what will be the most memorable finales of 2018-2019
Whether it is HBO's fantastical realm of Seven Kingdoms, replete with fire-breathing dragons and Dothraki warriors, or the more-realistic setting of 'Homeland' in modern America, where CIA operative Carrie Mathison is on a continuous lookout for miscreants - small screen entertainment has almost become synonymous with the long-running TV series.
Some of these shows, in fact, have been on air for nearly a decade now, entertaining fans with intriguing plot twists, nail-biting cliffhangers, and above all performances that have kept loyal viewers on their toes throughout. Spanning across genres and networks, the best of television, however, also makes it necessary to make room for newer content and talent. Meaning, it is about time some of the iconic shows call it a wrap, ending on a high or low - as the showrunners would have it.
From 'Game of Thrones' to comedies such as 'Veep', here's a low-down of all the fan-favorite shows coming to an end in 2018-2019. In other words, this is a cheat-sheet of all the series finales that should be on your must-watch list.
Season 8, Game of Thrones
The bad news is, the breakout HBO series, based on George RR Martin's books, is nearing its end and the good news is season 8 won't be the last of the Westeros-set series. Before getting into the details of the upcoming spinoffs and the prequels, it should be made known that a definitive return date for 'Game of Thrones' last season is yet to be announced and HBO has so far only confirmed the show's return in 2019.
“David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have to write the episodes and figure out the production schedule. We’ll have a better sense of that once they get further into the writing,” HBO programming president Casey Bloys had said back in January, teasing the long hiatus between season 7 and 8.
The eighth and final season of the series will also be shorter in length, with just six episodes wrapping up the fate of the warring lords and queens. Following the season finale - which is a must-watch on our list - though, fans can expect to be transported back in time again, with the network strenuously churning out more content based on Martin's plot.
Season 6, House of Cards
Winter is almost here, and following closely behind is Netflix's critically-acclaimed prestige drama series, 'House of Cards'. Having courted controversy for the better half of 2018, the politically-charged show will be taking a completely new direction in the sixth season with Robin Wright-played Claire Underwood assuming an integral position both in the oval office and in the overall plot of the series.
Apart from the changes brought about by the first female president in Netflix-imagined America, the final season of House of Cards is also noteworthy because of the definitive plotline, performance by Wright and the finale that is expected to strongly resonate with the real-life political climate. HoC final season is expected to air in fall 2018.
Season 7, Veep
Another politically-driven series that is closing towards an end is the Emmy-winning comedy, 'Veep'. Over the years, the Julia Louis-Dreyfus-starring show has not only emerged as a strong contender during the awards shows but also a platform for all kinds of time-relevant commentary. But with the series lead's personal health struggles - back in September Louis-Dreyfus had disclosed that she has breast cancer - production on season 7 of Veep was automatically delayed.
Now that the actress is on her way to recovery, it won't be long before 'Veep' filming goes full steam into it's seventh and last season. “We’ll start filming in August and it will air in 2019,” confirmed co-star Matt Walsh.
Season 8, Homeland
Amongst one of the long-running shows on TV, the political-thriller i.e. 'Homeland' is also inching closer towards a wrap. And interestingly enough, the news comes not from the showrunners or the network but from a hesitant Claire Danes, who sort of, answered in affirmative when prodded by Howard Stern about the final season of Showtime drama.
“Now we’ve got one more season after this and then we’re wrapping it up,” Stern mentioned to Danes on an episode of 'The Howard Stern Show' recently, to which the actress responded, “Yeah.”
With season 7 of the espionage thriller having aired its final episode on April 29, the upcoming eighth season is being touted as the final run for 'Homeland' by the showrunner as well. Expect a time-jump when the show returns with most of the action taking place overseas, teased Alex Gansa.
“We get to play this last season in D.C with the intention of taking us overseas for one last chapter. Season 8 will be overseas somewhere. We get to play a story with larger national stakes in season 7 and we’ll go back to a smaller intelligence-based season in 8. We get to pull out all the stops this year and then get to the emotional heart of things in season 8.”
Season 5, Gotham
Fox's 'Gotham' might have survived the reshuffling spree the network has embarked on, giving a boot to major shows in the process. And yet, despite a renewal, the upcoming fifth season of the Batman prequel series is going to be the final one. Expected to premiere at midseason, the Bruce Wayne final transformation saga would also be shorter in length with just 10 episode, confirmed Selena aka Camren Bicondova.
To say, that the titular city was left in utter chaos is perhaps an understatement while describing the fourth season of the Fox show. When 'Gotham' returns with season 5, however, the action will pick up at No Man's Land. It will almost be like a post-apocalyptic scenario - buildings and bridged collapsed, city isolated, and villains reigning supreme.
As far as the comic arc is concerned, executive producer John Stephens hints that 'Gotham' final season would feature traces of the Batman: Zero Year. This means fans will finally get to see a young Batman lock horn with The Riddler. The wait is until January 2019, the tentative date of 'Gotham' season 5 premiere.