TV's Biggest Surprises

[TnAdct1]

With AFI not doing anymore Top 100 specials at the moment, I thought this would be something to replace that void.

Tonight, CBS ran a special in which they counted down the Top 30 biggest surprises in episodic television history (i.e. TV shows, not real life events like 9/11). The list was sanctioned by The Paley Center of Media. The following is the list from 30-1:

30. Kris Allen beats Adam Lambert (American Idol)
29. Tina Fey as Sarah Palin (Saturday Night Live)
28. Newhart is revealed to be a dream of Bob Hartley from the Bob Newhart Show
27. Ellen comes out of the closet (Ellen)
26. Bobby Ewing in the shower (Dallas)
25. George’s fiancé dies of stamp adhesive poisoning (Seinfeld)
24. Lucy gets into a wine vat wrestling match (I Love Lucy)
23. The pilot for All in the Family
22. The twist to Eye of the Beholder (The Twilight Zone)
21. Dr. O’Malley gets hit by a bus (Grey’s Anatomy)
20. Monica hides under the covers of Chandler’s bed (Friends)
19. The Petries' “switched at birth” situation (The Dick Van Dyke Show)
18. Johnny Carson cameos on the Late Show with David Letterman
17. Col. Blake dies on his way home from the Korean War (M*A*S*H)
16. “Johnny Fairplay” and friend lie about his grandmother’s death (Survivor)
15. Michael Scott runs over Merideth (The Office)
14. Sam reveals he wears a hairpiece (Cheers)
13. Janice pistol whips Ritchie (The Sopranoes)
12. A contestant curses out Chef Ramsey (Hell’s Kitchen)
11. Omar Little is shot to death by twelve-year old Kenard (The Wire)
10. Bill Clinton on The Arsenio Hall Show
9. Marie crashes her car through the Barones’ house (Everybody Loves Raymond)
8. Dr. Romano suffers from two copter related accidents (ER)
7. The first $1,000,000 winner on Deal or No Deal
6. Rosalyn falls down the elevator shaft (L. A. Law)
5. John Carpenter's phone call to his father (Who Wants to be a Millionaire)
4. Simon Donovan shot to death by a convenience store thief (The West Wing)
3. Marie Osmond passes out on Dancing With the Stars
2. Caitlin Todd is killed by a sniper (NCIS)
1. Oprah gives her entire audience a Pontiac G6 (Oprah)

The special also mentions a few moments that were unable to make the list, including the Island vanishing in the season four finale of Lost and Capt. Picard being turned into a Borg in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Comments are welcome.

[Tobias]

A few I can agree with (Newhart's ending, The M.A.S.H entry), but I will never - EVER- accept anything from reality television onto any television list.

Biggest surprises for me?

- The revelation (and quick dispatching within the same episode) of the 3rd Winchester brother on Supernatural.
- Saying the word 'hell' in a Disney Cartoon (Gargoyles, Awakening Part)
- Bloodshed in a Disney cartoon (Once again, Gargoyles)
- Rex Van DeKamp's death on Desperate Housewives
- ALF being captured by the Alien Task Force at the end of the series
- The final episode of Out of this World's cliffhanger
- Shredder blowing up the Channel 6 Building on the 80's TMNT series (and having it stay destroyed for the rest of the series)

There are more, but I just can't think of them at the moment.

[Michael24]

For me, ST:TNG's "Best of Both Worlds, Part 1" will always stand out. Such a great cliffhanger ending. I remember my friends and I buzzing all summer long about how it was going to play out in Part 2. For me, it's a cliffhanger than remains unrivaled.

Another one for me was the murder of Evan Cortez at the end of Nash Bridges' fifth season. Unlike today where a character's death seems to be promoted weeks or months in advance of someone leaving the cast, I had no idea the actor playing him was leaving. Adding to the turn of events was that Cortez had been on a very rocky and emotional journey that season, struggling to regain and turn around his life and earn back Nash's trust, and right when he was just about fully back--BOOM! He gets shot and killed in the season finale. Was a total shock.

[Gatomon41]

For me, ST:TNG's "Best of Both Worlds, Part 1" will always stand out. Such a great cliffhanger ending. I remember my friends and I buzzing all summer long about how it was going to play out in Part 2. For me, it's a cliffhanger than remains unrivaled.

Agree. To this day the end in which Picard is assimilated by the Borg was quite the shocker. Seeing that the first time totally took me for a surprise. Too bad Part 2 was something of a let down.

(Yes, I'd think people should know this by now, but just in case :p)