I’m not super interested in stories about local bank holdups or how the contents of my medicine cabinet could kill me, so I almost never stick around for any of my local network affiliates’ 11 p.m. newscasts. That said, last night’s post-Bachelor tease — "See which celebrity collapsed during Dancing With the Stars!" — had me glued to my set, and gasping with astonishment. My first response, "Yikes! Poor Marie Osmond!" Which was quickly followed by, "Sympathy votes!" And then my mind jumped to the time that dude fell hands-first into a bonfire on Survivor.
So, once you’ve read Annie Barrett’s always hilarious TV Watch and watched the embedded clip of Osmond’s collapse, riddle me this: What are the most shocking moments you’ve ever seen during a live television (or reality television) broadcast?
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Gotta go with that one girl passing out during the 4th season of America’s Next Top Model. Eyes rolled back in her head and bwap. It was like a felled tree.
How sad that the audience laughed as Marie fell to the floor. Thank goodness she was okay afterwards.
“George Bush doesn’t care about black people”
People fainting on live TV is hilarious!!
I agree with Crystal about the ANTM moment.
Also, in 1996, we were watching the opening day game for the Reds when the home plate umpire collapsed. He wound up dying that day due to a heart attack. It was awful – I’ll never forget that.
The most shocking moment I’ve seen on live television is Martin Lawrence talking about nasty kitty on SNL. I was about 15 and was watching this with my Mother and Father. We all sat there with our mouth wide open. It’s funny now, but awful back then. I never doubted that show was aired live ever again.
Milli Vanilli gettin’ busted was pretty shocking!
Definitely Jenah’s weave – that thing has a mind of its own! haha
Hey Michael – I’m going to a costume party this weekend and I’m trying to think of some good celebrity costumes (other than the obvious Britney) got any ideas?
i really enjoyed ashlee simpson’s snl moment. it was pure pleasure.
Marie is always doing something goofy on the show. the audience, in all fairness, thought she was doing a pratfall at first.
Definitely Sue Hawks legendary final speech at tribal council on the first season of “Survivor”. Her vicious “snakes and rats” rant was jaw-dropping for both its unheard of (at that time) vitriol on reality TV and the icy, calm way she delivered it. Shocking!
The most shocking moment on TV? Granted it was only broadcast in Pennsylvania, but Budd Dwyer’s suicide will be forever etched in my memory. Please don’t google him, it’s disturbing.
We were watching the 49ers play at Candlestyck Park when the earthquake hit. The camera and everything else was shaking and weaving. Gave us goosebumps!
1) Jay Leno interviewing the cast of CHEERS after the final show…they were all three sheets to the wind drunk
2) Bill Maher last Friday kicking the nuts out of his studio
3) Last night I was flipping and caught WWE RAW. Two females were fighting and one took a header off the to rope and knocked herself out. I know it was not an act, cause the whole time she was doing the tough girl talk, after hurting herself (and thinking the mic was off) she was saying “ow” and crying.
I’m not sure if anything can top Nipplegate… I’m surprised it hasn’t been mentioned yet. A little obvious, but definitely the most shocking TV moment I’ve seen.
As for Marie’s fall last night, the funniest part of the clip is the audience’s laughter as she faints. Thinking it another silly “Marie moment,” it’s funny to see the laughter die after about 3 seconds.
Randy Johnson hitting that bird with his pitching was pretty crazy.
Sinead O’Connor ripping the Pope’s photo on SNL. And Elvis Costello stopping in mid-song and apologizing before performing “Radio, Radio”, also on SNL.
One more classic, from Survivor: “Grandma’s home watching Jerry Springer.”
I was going to say Budd Dwyer as well. It was a horrible situation.(For those who aren’t from Philly area or know, he killed himself live on tv news)
Also, while watching an Eagles/Saints game. A girl in the audience had a “F*** the Eagles” t-shirt on. It made me do a “did I just see what I thought I saw” double take. And that was what I saw.
I have to agree with the nameless poster below – Kanye calling out the President was jaw-dropping. Priceless was Mike Meyers’ deer-in-headlights committment to the Teleprompter script.
Budd Dwyer is on my list too. I was 12 and it was horrible.
Also, the Space Shuttle Challenger Exploding. It was such a shock.
Just flipping through the channels, and saw Dale Earnhardt crash. Later, we saw on the news that he had died. Don’t even watch NASCAR, but I cry just thinking about it.
First, there was “Another World” suddenly being interupted by men in suits wrestling on a city street – that was NBC news breaking in with coverage of the Reagan assassination attempt at the scene, with no explanation.
Then in 1984, there was the much-publicized showdown with Zola Budd and Mary Decker – it was shocking when Decker stumbled and fell.
Jack Ruby shooting Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas the Sunday morning after JFK was killed. As far as I know, this remains the only actual murder televised live on network tv. I was a 10 year old kid at the time, but after 44 years, the shock of knowing I had just seen someone killed is a vivid memory.
I saw the space shuttle explosion live because a teacher was on board, and they let us kids watch (I was in fifth grade). It was really, really horrible.
Watching the 2001 Daytona 500 and seeing Dale Earnhardt crash on the last lap. I thought it was just a little crash like all the other hundreds he’d been in and couldn’t believe my ears when the newsguy said Dale had died.
I think Marie should have complete doctor’s visit. People do not just “pass out” if they breathe too hard or get too excited. It could possibly be a prelude to a stroke ect….
ANY racing incident where there is a violent crash. Though we knew that John Force was in a crash it was horrific to see the actual crash, Adam Petty car catching fire on National TV, he did not make it
SOOO many.
When I was a kid, it had to be Apollo 13, tv on all the time jsut hopping they would make it home safe.
Watched the Pistons-Pacers brawl live on T.V. Very crazy…
Definately Ashlee Simpson’s horrible SNL debut… and then the awkward dance she did after… then blaming it on her band… it was just a trainwreck!