Odds are that one or more of your favorite TV shows is going to get the ax in the next few months. Because, well, that’s always true.
What’s not always true is that some of TV’s most popular, most honored and just plain best series are going away. That’s not altogether bad news: When the producers of a show know they’re putting together a final season, they can work toward a finale that will give viewers a satisfying ending. Give us closure.
Good thing, because if “Game of Thrones” leaves us hanging, I’d probably have some sort of mental breakdown. (Not to worry — we’re promised we’ll get an ending. It won’t make all of us happy, because final episodes never do, but we’ll get one.)
To help you plan ahead, here are shows we know are ending in the next few months:
• “The Affair” (Showtime): It’s been renewed for a fifth and final season, despite having run out of gas. And Showtime has confirmed neither the number of episodes nor a premiere date, other than sometime in 2019.
(Erik Voake | CBS via Associated Press) Kunal Nayyar, from left, Simon Helberg, Melissa Rauch, Jim Parsons, Mayim Bialik, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco appear in a scene from the long-running comedy series "The Big Bang Theory." The popular series will end in 2019.
• “The Big Bang Theory” (CBS): After 12 seasons, 279 episodes — and while it’s still one of the most-watched shows on TV — this sitcom will sign off sometime in May.
• “Broad City” (Comedy Central): This irreverent sketch comedy show returns for its fifth and final season (10 episodes) on Jan. 24.
• “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” (The CW): We’re seven episodes into Season 4, with 11 left to go — so this brave, innovative and captivating series that features original music in every episode should be wrapping up sometime in March.
• “Game of Thrones” (HBO): This show has the most Emmy nominations (132) and wins (47) in history. We know there are six episodes remaining; we know they’re all extra-long (more than an hour each); we know the eighth and final season will begin sometime in April. And I know I’m dying of anticipation.
• “Gotham” (Fox): The abbreviated fifth and final season (12 episodes — 10 episodes fewer than each of Seasons 1-4) of this exceptionally violent series premieres Jan. 3.
• “Homeland” (Showtime): The eighth and final season (12 episodes) of this once-great, now not-so-great show begins in June.
• “iZombie” (The CW): The fifth and final season (13 episodes) will premiere in the spring of 2019. It’s past time for this to go.
• “Jane the Virgin” (The CW): The fifth and final season (19 episodes) will air in the spring of 2019, on Wednesday nights. And they’re going to have to explain how Michael is back from the dead.
• “Orange Is the New Black” (Netflx): The seventh and final season (13 episodes) of one of Netflix’s first successful original shows will stream sometime in 2019.
• “Mr. Robot” (USA): The fourth and final season (12 episodes) of a show that has long since lost its edge will air sometime in 2019.
• “Shadowhunters” (Freeform): The third and final season (12 episodes) will air in the spring of 2019. The fan protests didn’t work; there won’t be a Season 4.
• “Timeless” (NBC): NBC canceled this time-travel series months ago; the last regular episode aired in May. But a two-hour series finale is scheduled to air Thursday, Dec. 20.
• “Transparent” (Amazon): The fifth and final season (10 episodes) won’t have Jeffrey Tambor, who was fired over allegations of sexual harassment, but it will wrap things up with a musical in its last episode. It’s slated to stream in the fall of 2019.
• “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (Netflix): The second half of the fourth and final season (six episodes) starts streaming on Jan. 25. There’s still some talk of a movie, but no confirmation.
• “Veep” (HBO): The seventh and final season (seven episodes — the fewest ever) of this three-time best-comedy Emmy winner will premiere in the spring of 2019.
• “You’re the Worst” (FXX): The fifth and final season (13 episodes) of this mean-spirited comedy premieres on Jan 9.
Among the shows that have been canceled in recent months — without getting pre-announced final seasons — are “Alone Together” (Freeform), “Animals” (HBO), “American Woman” (Paramount), “The Break with Michelle Wolf” (Netflix), “Dietland” (AMC), “Famous In Love” (Freeform), “Good Behavior” (TNT), “The Good Cop” (Netflix), “I’m Dying Up Here” (Showtime), “The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale” (Netflix), “Marvel’s Iron Fist” (Netflix), “Marvel’s Luke Cage” (Netflix), “Outcast” (Cinemax), “People of Earth” (TBS), “Reverie” (NBC), “Salvation” (CBS), “Shooter” (USA), “Six” (History), “Take Two” (ABC), “Teachers” (TV Land) and “Versailles” (Ovation).
