Apr 28 2008 06:32 PM ET

TV's most gloriously gratuitous scenes ever!

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…

Comments (1-30) of 61 Add your comment

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  • Ceballos

    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.

  • Oola

    Everybody and their mother having to show their butt in a shower scene on NYPD Blue

  • Ceballos

    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.

  • Nat X

    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!

  • Laura M

    How about HBO’s late, great series “Rome”? That show was the definition of gratuitous.

  • Meghan

    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!

  • Anonymous

    the L word…those ladies are hot!

  • Devin

    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.

  • LaTanya

    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.

  • mscisluv

    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!”

  • Chaddogg

    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.

  • Melanie

    The Apollo towel scene on Battlestar Galactica… you know the one I’m talking about!

  • Kerri

    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.

  • Vicky

    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!

  • Tamara

    Good call, Melanie. Lee Adama, barely in a towel.

  • Snarf

    The episode of Supernatural in which Sam answers the phone dripping wet fresh out of the shower with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.

  • Catherine

    LOOOVE that Lee Adama scene!!!! Excellent call!

  • jr

    NatX, you are sooooooooo right about New Amsterdam. The show is terrible. Could be better w/ a better cast (keeping the lead of course!) & a better script. Still, the pool scene was just…. r u kidding!? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

  • Lauren

    Eric Mabius’ oh-so-nice bare behind in one of The L Word’s few hetero love scenes.
    And yeah, The L Word always has gratuitous gettin’-on, but for me one of the most provocative was the recent episode “Liquid Heat.” Pretty much every main character involved in giving or receiving, um, pleasure. Plus everyone was sweaty because of the heat wave. This straight girl nearly converted because of that scene. Wow.

  • Kerri

    Vicky, I just watched it on YouTube. Thank you!!

  • MsDaisy

    Eric Dane (McSteamy) exiting a steamy bathroom wearing nothing but a towel (almost) around his waist…nice shot of leg and hip!

  • t3hdow

    HAHAHAHAHA Lauren. Your last line was priceless.
    Honestly, I don’t have much to add besides South Park and reality TV, which are always gratuitous to begin with, and the Kate-Juliet mud wrestling bout on Lost was already mentioned. I guess two moments with Gretchen/Susan on Prison Break, season three: the forced bisexual overtones when she speaks to Whistler’s girlfriend & the scene when she’s pants-less with LJ. It’s not nearly as unnecessary compared to some of you guys examples, but none of that was really necessary.

  • Melanie

    For those of you that want to see the BSG towel scene, here it is: http://video.aol.com/video-detail/the-famous-towel-scene/2649385333

  • Cece

    How about the season opener of Sex and the City when Carrie talks about her love affair with New York. The ladies go to a Fleet Week party and both Samantha and Charlotte flashed their boobs. This followed, of course, Miranda’s scene when she was trying to breast feed Brady and the camera was plastered to her chest.

  • Anonymous

    Lauren – I’m with ya. If i knew women like that, my life could seriously have gone in a completely different direction. Eric’s behind was also pretty nice to look at :)

  • Jon

    Any sex scene between Buffy and Spike in season 6.

  • JohnO

    The episode of 90210 where Dylan tries to rescue his stepsister…that ends with Val wearing a skimpy bikini while holding a gun.

  • ecjb

    Lauren – you took the words right out of my mouth. That elevator scene had this straight girl questioning a few things too!

  • evie

    I’ll never forget the first 2 seconds of the first Grey’s episode ever, where you get to see Patrick Dempsey’s bare butt.

  • christy
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