Most Shocking TV Moments

[Oxynia]

9/11, hands down...we were out of the country and turned on CNN just in time to see the second plane hit live on camera. Horrifying. The other terrible moments of that day: watching people jumping from the windows and seeing the towers collapse in a cloud of dust. We were frozen, it just seemed surreal.

We couldn't return to the states for another week because of the flight prohibitions, time just seemed completely suspended. We couldn't phone our friends in NY to see if they were OK, so we just had to replay those images in our heads until we were able to make contact days later. I don't think anything on television has upset me as much as those images. I'm sure lots of people feel that way.

[pepper67]

Yeah, 9/11 was the most shocking TV image I can think of. When I saw the second plane flying in, I thought they were re-running footage of the first plane...then I realised they weren't and it was happening live.

[Deleted]

january said:

This is really a shocking sports moment, I guess, but I finally saw the footage from Monday Night Football where Joe Theisman's leg was broken in a tackle (I think I saw it on "I Love the 80s 3-D," but I can't remember...I know it was on Vh1), and...dude. Sure, I'm probably the last person in the world to finally see it, but still. OUCH.

You're not the last one. I've never seen it and I want to! Somehow, despite being a Washington fan, I missed that game, every recap show, every year-in-sports clip show, Fox tv's When Shinbones Attack, everything. And my internet skillz are so pathetic that I haven't had luck finding it there. Can someone help a girl out with some linkage?

Ashlee Simpson's SNL meltdown/hoedown was shocking as hell. I've never ever seen a performer walk out on a live performance on tv. I don't think I've ever even heard of it happening, at least not on a big network show. The whole thing, from audio glitch, to cotton-eyed-joe, to her slinking off while her band members played along to the tape: WOW.

ETA: Thanks, roisin54!

[Deleted]

I'd never seen the Joe Theisman thing until a couple minutes ago, when I managed to find this. So yeah: OUCH!

[redpanda]

I don't know what year this took place but I as a child (born in 1979). Some people were being held hostage in a plane, they hung one of the hostages from the window of the plane.

Challenger blowing up

The Berlin wall coming down and people partying on top of the wall and cheering.

[Deleted]

redpanda said:

The Berlin wall coming down and people partying on top of the wall and cheering.

O/T, but I can't think about the Berlin Wall coming down w/o this surreal image of David Hasselhoff in a leather jacket and speedo. *shudder* I wonder what this says about my mental health?

[tamaradixon]

For some reason this popped into my head today. But do any of you remember when Sandy (Matthew Perry) died on "Growing Pains". I cried so hard! I loved his character and Carol's reaction was so heart breaking. Ya, I'm a sap.

[Wenton]

For me, "24" owns this thread:

(spoilers)

Nina killing Teri to end season one.

Jack killing Nina in the middle of season three, cutting of Chase's hand at the end, and then his crying jag at the end. Also Sherry Palmer's sudden dispatch and the virus bomb going off right in Gael's face. Season three was when the show went full bore from top-notch drama to top-notch blood-and-gore, visceral TV noir.

Tony returning to save Jack in season four and then Michelle's death to start season five and the kicker of Christopher Henderson killing Tony so quickly and efficiently.

Love that 24.

[Ella]

Speaking of sports, I remember seeing when goalie Clint Malarchuck had his throat slashed by a skate. I think it was in the early 90's and it was an accident. The guy was down and he skated into the goalie, cutting his throat. I remeber him cluching his throat and going down on his knees and the blood was pumping out bad. In fact, if he hadn't been on this certain side of the arena where a DR was, he would have died. I've read that there was someone in the crowd who had a heart attack because it was so upsetting. Not sure if it was true.
About September 11th, That is proabably the most shocking for sure. It still haunts me. As well as the Columbine shootings. My son was the same age as the young man that shot on the outside of the building, and that's haunted me ever since. I will never forget that young man.

[CAgirl]

On Lost, when we find out that Locke was actually in a wheelchair up until the plane crash. I remember that I was completely shocked at that revelation.

But I agree that 9/11 is the one that's most shocking.