Let’s list ‘em. I’ll start with the excessively shirtless opening of last Friday’s Moonlight (below). Not that I — or Slezak — minded. (And, hello: according to our Hollywood Insider blog, it might’ve just helped earn the vampire drama a second season.)
Your turn. Name your favorite gloriously gratuitous scenes. I imagine with Sweeps, the list will only be growing…
It’s not a TV show, but Halle Berry in “Swordfish.”
Her topless scene had nothing to do with the plot of that lackluster film, and was pretty much there because for “hey, here are my breasts! you’ve always wanted to check them out. Here they are”. Then again, I haven’t seen the film in years (in all of its subsequent FX airings). Maybe that scene (which can’t be in the FX version) actually taught us something about the character that I missed.
Everybody and their mother having to show their butt in a shower scene on NYPD Blue
As for TV, I’d go with Mario Lopez’s shower scene in the fourth season of “Nip/Tuck.” It was Cinemax-esque in the way it was photographed and scored.
Also, the opening credits of any season of “Baywatch”. I mean, honestly, you can just watch the opening credits, and you’re good.
Two instances come to mind. The episode “Go Fish” on Buffy. Xander was supposed to be a geeky teen, and suddenly he’s in a speedo trying out for the swim team and…GOOD LORD. Footage that good had to make it into the opening credits, naturally. The other instance is a bit more recent. New Amsterdam is a terrible show (is it still on?) but the dude is HOT. First episode, they have him swimming in a pool…for absolutely no other reason than for his new cop partner to track him down at the pool and witness him in all of his soaking wet glory. GOOD LORD AGAIN!
How about HBO’s late, great series “Rome”? That show was the definition of gratuitous.
Pretty much everything that’s shown on Nip/Tuck. Sometimes I can’t believe that the stuff they show is okay for TV…not that I’m complaining!
the L word…those ladies are hot!
I remember a few episodes of “Alias” that had scenes that existed simply to get Jennifer Garner in as little clothing as possible… the Super Bowl episode comes to mind.
the episode of baywatch where cj goes to some fortune teller on the beach and a tarot card gets swept up by the wind and lands on her chest and the camera lingers like 5 seconds and the fortune teller peels it off to tell pamela her fate. even as a kid i rolled my eyes as how blatant that was.
The infamous Grey’s Anatomy shower scene after the Super Bowl. “Yo, testosterone-filled men watching football – look at this! Three women showering together! Please watch this show!”
Kate and Juliet wrestling in the mud while handcuffed on Lost.
The famous Quentin Tarantino episode of ER, with the long walk down the hallway in shades by Julianna Margulies and Shelley Stringfield.
Any number of Grey’s Anatomy scenes (McSteamy in a towel, anyone?)
And, while not gratuitous, we have to give a special mention to Jack Bauer and the excesses of 24 – Kim & the cougar; Jack cutting off Chase’s hand; Jack cutting off the snitch’s head and bringing it to infiltrate the terrorists….the list of gratuitous ridiculousness goes on and on.
The Apollo towel scene on Battlestar Galactica… you know the one I’m talking about!
That one scene in “Supernatural” when Dean and Sam are fighting demons with no shirts on….
oh wait, that actually has never happened. Producers, let’s get on that, shall we?? Thanks.
Haha Kerri – What about the scene in the first season of Supernatural where Sam comes out of the shower with just a towel on? Definitely pointless, but so awesome!
Good call, Melanie. Lee Adama, barely in a towel.