6 Shows On The Road To A Series Finale Heading Into Fall 2021 TV Premiere Season And Beyond

Fall is almost here and with that comes a parade of new TV series and seasons to dig right into. Unfortunately, all good things always come to an end, and the same is true for several network and streaming favorites that have kept fans' attention for years. Sure, there will be new shows that will try and step up to fill the void left in viewers' lives, and some of these retirees could even be moving in the spin-off direction with fan favorites staying on board, but saying goodbye is hard.

Here are six popular TV series that will air their final season in 2021-22:

"The Walking Dead" – Season 11

AMC’s beloved zombie apocalypse series is coming to an end with its eleventh season which started airing on Aug. 22. Filming for "The Walking Dead" final season was set to start last year but the COVID-19 pandemic pushed it back to February 2021. The pandemic’s effect still lingers for "TWD" from the film style to even the length of the season.

According to AMC, Season 11 will be its longest yet with 24 episodes spread across the next two years, partly to lay the groundwork for a new spin-off series starring fan favorites Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride in their roles as Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier.

The last season of "TWD" picked up with only a few members left from the original cast. Season 9 saw long-time protagonist Rick Grimes, played by Andrew Lincoln, leave the show in mystery. Is he dead or out there somewhere in zombie land? Michonne (Danai Gurira) went off to go find out at the end of Season 10.

Now the show is continuing with Reedus’ Daryl Dixon in the lead alongside Carol, other survivors Maggie Rhee (Laura Cohan), and antagonist turned anti-hero Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), among others.

"Black-ish" - Season 8

ABC’s sitcom is approaching its ending now with its eighth and final season. "Black-ish," the brainchild of director Kenya Baris, began in 2014 and was announced to be entering its last season in May. Eight years is a long stretch for any show, but "Black-ish" lives on in spirit through two spin-offs; "Grown-ish" and "Mixed-ish."

The latter was canceled in the same month that the "Black-ish" final season was announced, but it is still rumored that two new spin-offs are planned called "Old-ish," starring Laurence Fishburn and Jessica Lewis, and another called "Brown-ish" featuring Eva Longoria. Neither has had a pilot officially announced, but as ABC head Craig Erwich put it, "It's really up to Kenya.”

"Black-ish," a sitcom revolving around the Johnson family, has won its share of acclaim for its humor and portrayals of real-life social problems from systemic racism to the COVID pandemic. Unfortunately, the Emmy-winning series did not earn more than modest ratings in its seventh season, prompting rumors that it was ending as a result.

"Better Call Saul" - Season 6

The successor to another AMC classic, "Breaking Bad," "Better Call Saul" is reaching its endpoint too with its sixth and final season. Like its AMC sister series "The Walking Dead," Saul’s last season will be larger than usual with 13 episodes over the usual 10.

The last season of "Better Call Saul" was delayed like many others because of COVID-19, but filming was set to begin in March. Unfortunately, Saul’s start date may be pushed back further after Bob Odenkirk, who plays the titular character, collapsed on set in July after he suffered a heart attack. Filming for scenes without him went ahead, but Odenkirk has not yet received a clearance from his doctor to continue filming. The final start date for the last season has remained up in the air as a result.

"Brooklyn Nine-Nine" - Season 8

NBC’s "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" is not exactly a stranger to being taken off the air. In May 2018, Fox canceled the series after five seasons but after the police sitcom’s fans took to social media to campaign for its return, "Nine-Nine" was given a new lease on life by finding its way to NBC.

Unfortunately, "Nine-Nine" is suffering from the same problem it has had since joining the NBC line-up. When it was on Fox, the series seasons went for 22 to 23 episodes, but that number has steadily fallen while on NBC. The most recent season was only 13 episodes and the final season has only been approved for 10. Season 8 already kicked off with its premiere on Aug. 12 and its series finale is fast approaching with the aptly titled “The Last Day” set to air on Sept. 16.

"Lucifer" - Season 6

Yet another adopted child from the Fox network is reaching the end of its line. "Lucifer," starring actor Tom Ellis, is set to premiere on Sept. 10 with its sixth and final season, bringing an end to the crime-solving spree of Netflix’s devilish anti-hero.

Unlike other series on this list, "Lucifer" began filming parts of its final season before COVID-19 struck. In October 2020, Lucifer’s co-showrunner confirmed that filming for the final season began almost immediately after the fifth season’s conclusion. Yes, fans are sad to see "Lucifer" go off the air, but the bright side is that he’s moving up in his world to rule over Heaven.

"Ozark" - Season 4

Netflix’s "Ozark" has had a good run. After three seasons, "Ozark" has walked away with 32 Emmy nominations and six Golden Globe nods, thanks to the acting of lead actor Jason Bateman. Sadly, Netflix has announced that the upcoming fourth season of the crime drama will be its last one.

"Ozark" was not immune to the production delays caused by COVID-19 with production not beginning until around November 2020. Lead actress Julia Garner told W Magazine in an interview released on Aug. 26 that filming would be done by October.

Like "The Walking Dead," the last season will be cut in two with seven episodes in each season. The "Ozark" finale has not received an air date just yet, but it was previously suggested that it would kick off at the start of 2022.