Soon, the doors of Central Perk will close forever, Seattle's most famous radio psychiatrist will be silenced, and four New York City gals will cast aside their Manolos as the last ever, ever, ever series of Friends, Frasier and Sex And The City come to an end (get those hankies at the ready — the final episode of Dawson’s Creek, that aired on E4 last year, reduced even the manliest fan to a quivering girlish wreck).

The end of a long-running series can be a major event. On February 28, 1983, 60% of all televisions in the United States were tuned to _ CBS as nearly 106 million people said a sad goodbye to Hawkeye, Klinger and the rest of the 4077th medics when the hit series M*A*S*H finished after 11 years. (The last episode was so riveting that New York's water companies reported an extra 320m gallons were used as people rushed to the loo once the show had ended.)

Nowadays, no single show can expect such bladder-swelling devotion, but legions of fans will no doubt tune in — and hold it in — as we Say sayonara to Ross and Rachel, Big and Carrie, and even Eddie the dog.