After delivering five seasons of surreal, satirical, innovative, and often bonkers television, Community looked set to lock shut Greendale's doors for the final time after its fifth season, and echo Alice Cooper's iconic cry 'School's out for summer, School's out forever'. But with the catchy rallying call of #SixSeasonsAndAMovie, Community's fans certainly weren't ready to bow out and clear out their lockers, demanding the show be bought back for a sixth instalment. This wasn't the first time Community's fan base has made their voice heard through the chatter of cyberspace. When Dan Harmon was replaced as showrunner for series four, they established themselves as one of the most effective fan base's out there, relentlessly badgering the studio until Harmon returned. Playing on the constant nods to pop culture the show is so renowned for, the fans proved a twitter hashtag was the perfect way to resurrect the show, resulting - fittingly - in its new life online.

And whilst the US enjoys its new online incantation, British fans can enjoy the show on Sony Entertainment Television, airing just 24 hours after its US debut. But if this is - as the hashtag promises - Community's final ever season, what can we expect from its closing moments? Will Jeff choose Annie or Britta? Will The Dean's increasingly incompetent rule finally see the college burned to the ground? And how will it weigh up against history's other finales?

In other much-loved, critically acclaimed series, the final season can often offer its defining moment - determining if the show is destined for greatness or ultimate failure. Breaking Bad's status as one of the all-time greats was confirmed by its sensational final three episodes, as Walter White finally got his comeuppance, while How I Met Your Mother arguably tainted its own legacy with a misjudged final few moments. The makers of Mad Men will be desperately hoping they haven't taken any missteps, as the world anxiously awaits Don's fate over the coming weeks, and as the darlings of Downton Abbey announce they are too set for their last curtain call, the questions remain: will Mary choose one of her suitors? Can Edith find happiness? Will the Dowager Countess of Grantham stage an uprising and become the new monarch? We wish…

So to mark the upcoming final seasons and Community's own exclusive sixth season UK premiere, we're casting an eye over the television series that went out with a bang. Taking a look at some iconic series endings, old and new, we delve into the highs of series goodbyes and explore the perfect finishing formula in television. Here are the ten series finales that shook the world…

Watch the UK Exclusive Premieres of Community Season Six on Sony Entertainment Television (Sky 157, Virgin 193, BT and TalkTalk 454) every Wednesday at 10.30pm.

1. The Sopranos

Some argue it's the best series of all time, giving us with one of the biggest and most controversial characters on television, Tony Soprano. Taking the drama of Italian-American mobsters to television, creator David Chase stamped the series with complete originality, exploring the complex psychology of a gangster in constant battle with his role as murderer, family man and human being. In what must be the most-talked about and ambiguous finales of all time, the viewer is left in complete limbo between life and death. As each family member arrives for dinner in a diner as 'Don't Stop Believing' plays, suspense becomes unbearable when a couple of shifty men eye up the family, as if planning their hit. But with a flash to Tony's daughter coming into the diner and a camera shot of Tony's face, the screen suddenly cuts to black and silence, cutting off the song's chorus to 'Don't Stop - '. The shocking end polished off the final season by representing what the series was always about: the fragility of time and the thin line between reality and dream. Did Tony live or die? The answer doesn't really matter. The originality and intrigue of the finale just secures The Sopranos the top spot in our closely contested countdown.

2. Six Feet Under

Acclaimed series after series for its in depth and truthful portrayal of people coming to terms with their own lives amongst death, creator Alan Ball had a tough task at hand when drawing the series to a close at season five. It is often said that after following a series for several years and investing time and energy into its characters, the end can come as a bad breakup or even a death. The saying surely doesn't ring truer than here, as Ball managed to subtly combine the shifting of family dynamics in all its buzz and instability with the affecting sense of loss as people say goodbye; for the Fisher family and the Six Feet Under family. The final episode of season five, and particularly its closing scenes, has gone down in television history as one of the most powerful and beautiful moments on the small screen. Moving in writing, directing and acting, Ball bought the closure we needed in their lives and, after each episode exploring how death affects us, we finally got to experience death ourselves.

3. Breaking Bad

Ex-chemistry teacher Walter White and bad-boy dropout Jesse Pinkman, schooled us all in what great television should be in one of the most talked about series of the generation, Breaking Bad. Vince Gilligan's multi-award winning critical masterpiece has been hailed since its premiere for its originality and cinematic flair. Despite the reservations on how the final season may tie up the loose-ends and complex storyline, the final season was universally praised for its continual pace and intrigue. It picked up pieces from past seasons and most importantly, guided the viewer to unnerving truths about their own relationships with the characters. We were not allowed to get out of Walter

White's game easily, maintaining the addictive and uneasy tone of the series. Creatively split into two parts, shown a year apart from each other, the season delighted in the language of iconic directors and genres, breaking the boundaries of what television should be. And who could ever forget the moment when, in true western style, Walter White's remote controlled pivoting machine gun, sliced through the house and killed Jesse's captors? A final season that achieved absolute and powerful resolution.

4. M*A*S*H

It used to hold the title of most watched finale in history and 30 years on 'Goodbye, Farewell and Amen' is still considered the most emotional and spectacular television event ever, raising the bar for every series to follow. Set in South Korea during the Korean War, the show followed a group of doctors and nurses treating the wounded at the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. One defining aspect of the show was not just its compelling and harrowing subject matter, but its exceptional ensemble cast. Filled with cinematic character and dark comedy, the show captured a truly international following. The finale took place in a special two and a half hour viewing and in a perfect finishing touch, the final scene shows Hawkeye and B.J part ways. As Hawkeye pulls away in the helicopter, he sees B.J. has arranged a large cluster of stones on the ground, reading "GOODBYE". Iconic and dignified, this was the image of a perfect series goodbye.

5. Seinfeld

With a finale attracting over 76 million viewers, Seinfeld was one of the most watched TV shows of the 90s and enjoyed a consistently positive critical reception. Centring on the antics of Jerry and his friends, each episode covered the hilarious real life experiences of writers Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. Although the final episode was quite an opinion divider, most agreed that it was a clever and fitting way for the characters to go out, as the group were put on trial for doing nothing when witnessing a carjacking. The courtroom format allowed the return of several of the gang's acquaintances, giving the loyal viewers time to reminisce over seasons past. Their criminal charge was also genius, in its self-referential irony: the whole show was about nothing. And in a fitting metaphor for the show's ending, the closing shot showed Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer sitting in their jail cell. Although we could see that they were sectioned off and cut out from the real world, they would probably keep chatting away forever.

6. Friends

Friends is undeniably a series with a legacy that will never die, paving the way for comedy series for generations to come. With one of the best binge-ability ratings, Friends also allowed us to pick it up bits and pieces at a time, without having to rely on complicated story lines. Although Friends revelled in light-hearted one-liners and sometimes hilariously improbable physical comedy (we're looking at you 'Joey getting a turkey stuck on his head' storyline), by the time the tenth season came around we could see the characters moving onto new chapters in their lives, growing up and making big decisions. Hints that things were changing fast were dropped in and out throughout the season, gaining gradual momentum until the finale, where they all came to a head. We were every bit as reluctant as they were to leave the well-loved apartment. In Rachel's iconic line, 'I got off the plane', we were all there with her, getting off the amazing ride we'd all been on. But as they handed in their keys, there was time for one last cup of coffee in their favourite place, just as there always should be.

7. The Wire

An ambitious project from the outset, The Wire tackled everything from the war on drugs, police corruption, the education system and class. With powerhouse acting debuts, The Wire interacts with a wide range of characters in the style of a modern day Dickens, making sure the audience invests emotion in every one of their stories. In an interesting twist, the final season didn't tie up loose-ends and give all the characters the resolutions we might have expected, but it offered up reincarnations of the characters - passing the torch on to the next generation. But at least lovable Bubbles was given his chance at a new life... Always showing up a mirror to the spectrum of society in Baltimore, the show didn't shatter but was left hanging, intact and brilliantly reflective, as a series should be. Worthy of a place on this list purely for living up to the hype of the previous four imperious seasons.

8. Sex and the City

A defining series that celebrated womanhood, friendship, female sexuality and a great pair of shoes, Sex and the City and its fabulous foursome had the world at its feet. Showcasing the Big Apple through the eyes of single thirty-somethings, the series navigated the world of dating with lashings of wit and charm and became a cultural touchstone for women everywhere. Season six was decidedly the most grown-up of the series, as the four women each managed their own big decisions in the style you'd expect. Although they were undoubtedly a solid group of friends coming full circle, they were also established as well-rounded and individual characters in their own right. Carrie's move to Paris made the series memorable, not just because of her amazing Parisian wardrobe, but as it gave us a taste of a city that wasn't quite Carrie's. The unfamiliarity made Paris the perfect place for her to reconcile with the familiar and unmasked Mr Big - a story-book moment that intentionally fell out the pages of Carrie's down-to-earth writing. The reveal of Big's real name is still enough to stop Carrie-wannabes in their tracks even today.

9. Cheers

The Boston bar Cheers was the nation's favourite watering hole, which finally closed its doors after 11 successful years. With more awards than could fit on the counter, Cheers toasted a great cast and quirky comedy, following multiple storylines of the staff and regulars of the bar. The final season had a slightly different cast than the original line-up, but they proved to be just as an effective ensemble, with interesting character developments. In the finale, Sam and Diane had their moment of reunion after six years apart, but when confronted with the choice between his two loves, it was inevitable he would choose his true great love: the bar. With the last play of the cheesy and heart-warming theme-tune 'Where Everybody Knows Your Name', to the closing shot of Sam walking through the empty bar, lights off, Cheers went out in the wonderfully modest style the bar always had.

10. Lost

Proving that life isn't in fact a beach and rather a bit of a strange, inexplicable, shipwrecked nightmare, Lost had one of the most exciting premises for a television series. As survivors from a plane crash come to terms with their lives stranded on a remote island with no contact from the outside world, they form interesting relationships and wage war against the mysterious island habitants. But as the series began to introduce an increasing number of supernatural elements (such as apparent time travel) the unanswered questions began to quickly tot up, giving the sixth and final season a hefty challenge. Although there were a couple of questions still left open, the final season had elements of closure amongst the mystery, captivating the tone of the series. In the emotional final scene the survivors are happily reunited and Jack walks towards his final resting place, to close his eyes for the last time in the place where he first opened them in season one. In this moment we understand what Lost was - a moment in time, removed from everything else, which would be gone in the blink of an eye. Controversial, not universally loved, but about as satisfying an ending as we could really expect from a show that thought nothing of mixing evil black fog with polar bears.

Watch the UK Exclusive Premieres of Community Season Six on Sony Entertainment Television (Sky 157, Virgin 193, BT and TalkTalk 454) every Wednesday at 10.30pm.