TV Guide and TV Land Join Forces To Count Down The 100 Most Unexpected TV Moments(List included)

PR Newswire ^ | 12/01/05

[Dane]

NEW YORK, Dec. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- From the "Heidi-Bowl" to Muhammad Ali raising the torch at The 1996 Olympics to Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction at The Superbowl, television has provided some of the most significant and surprising moments in history. Building on the success of 2004's 100 Most Memorable TV Moments, TV Land will premiere TV Guide and TV Land Present: The 100 Most Unexpected TV Moments on Monday, December 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. This five-part special -- which coincides with the December 1 publication of TV Guide's editorial feature -- looks at some of the most unexpected milestones in television history. Topics to be covered will range from the Al and Tipper kiss to Frank Sinatra being surprised by the appearance of his new bride, Mia Farrow, on What's My Line?

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100 HOGAN'S HEROES THE UNLIKELY POW CAMP COMEDY. (9/17/65)

99 SNL DEBBIE DOWNER CRACK UP (5/1/04)

98 BATTLESTAR GALACTICA IN THE FIRST SEASON FINALE, BOOMER IS REVEALED AS A CYLON, LEAVES ADMIRAL ADAMA FOR DEAD. (1/24/05)

97 ROSEANNE IN "A STASH FROM THE PAST," ROSEANNE FINDS POT AND LECTURES DAVID, THEN PARTAKES WITH DAN AND JACKIE. LATER THEY REALIZE THE STASH WAS THEIR OWN FROM YEARS AGO. (10/5/93)

96 YOU'RE IN THE PICTURE JACKIE GLEASON'S GAME SHOW BOMB, MAKES APOLOGY. (1/27/61)

95 FAMILY GUY FOX'S FAILED SERIES ARE SPOOFED IN THE EPISODE "NORTH BY NORTH QUAHOG." (5/1/05)

94 VH1 FASHION AWARDS JIM CARREY INTRODUCES ROLLING STONES WEARING A FIG LEAF. (10/28/97)

93 SOUTH PARK THE S*** SHOW. 162 UTTERANCES IN EPISODE "IT HITS THE FAN." (6/20/01)

92 THE FLYING NUN SALLY FIELD SERVES GOD, TAKES FLIGHT. (9/7/67)

91 SEX AND THE CITY -- IN SERIES FINALE, BIG'S NAME REVEALED ON CARRIE'S CELL PHONE. (2/22/04)

90 WILL & GRACE OVER CENSORS' OBJECTIONS, KAREN ADVISES LORRAINE: "EAT ME." (5/8/03)

89 VMAS COURTNEY LOVE CRASHES MADONNA'S INTERVIEW. (9/7/95)

88 SOAP JESSICA EXORCISES THE DEVIL FROM GRANDSON WITH IMPASSIONED SPEECH. (3/15/79)

87 DAYTIME EMMYS SUSAN LUCCI WINS EMMY AFTER EIGHTEEN LOSSES. (5/21/99)

86 STEAMBATH -- BILL BIXBY & VALERIE PERRINE IN THE NUDE, SLIPPED BY CENSORS (5/4/73)

85 2003 VMAS THREE-WAY KISS: MADONNA, BRITNEY, & CHRISTINA. (8/28/03)

84 THE DATING GAME PAUL LYNDE IS BACHELOR #1. CONTESTANT: "I'VE JUST GIVEN YOU BACHELOR #2. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH HIM?" LYNDE: "GO DANCING!" (6/1/68)

83 THE SURREAL LIFE TELEVANGELIST TAMMY FAYE MEETS PORN STAR RON JEREMY. (1/11/04)

82 MATCH GAME PANEL REVOLTS: STOPS THE SHOW WHEN THEY DON'T AGREE WITH JUDGES. LEGENDARY "SCHOOL RIOT." (7/8/77)

81 DUKES OF HAZZARD COUSINS "COY" AND "VANCE" REPLACE ORIGINAL "BO" AND "LUKE" AFTER CONTRACT DISPUTE. (9/24/82)

80 AMERICAN IDOL WILLIAM HUNG'S "SHE BANGS" (1/27/04)

79 20/20 STOSSEL SLAPPED BY WWF CHAMP 'DR. D'. WRESTLER BANNED, STOSSEL COLLECTS. (2/21/85)

78 SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE LORNE MICHAELS OFFERS $3000 TO BEATLES FOR REUNION. (4/24/76)

77 FAMILY FEUD FRED BAEDEKER BOMBS OUT ON THE BIG BOARD WITH INSANE ANSWERS. (8/9/76)

76 1977 SCIENCE FICTION FILM AWARDS HOST WILLIAM SHATNER SINGS "ROCKET MAN." (1/21/78)

75 1994 VMAS MICHAEL JACKSON AND BRIDE LISA MARIE PRESLEY "KISS." (9/8/94)

74 '01 INAUGURAL BUSH DANCES WITH RICKY MARTIN. (01/18/01)

73 MARRIED ... WITH CHILDREN BUNDY'S ADOPT NEPHEW, WHO PROMPTLY DISAPPEARS. MONTHS LATER, PICTURE APPEARS ON MILK CARTON. (4/24/94)

72 HARDBALL BLUE DOG DEMOCRAT ZELL MILLER CONFRONTS CHRIS MATTHEWS DURING THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION IN NEW YORK CITY. (9/1/04)

71 MARY HARTMAN, MARY HARTMAN DROWNING BY CHICKEN SOUP. (3/4/76)

70 NEWLYWEDS: NICK & JESSICA JESSICA SIMPSON'S "CHICKEN BY THE SEA" MOMENT. IS IT CHICKEN OR FISH? (8/19/03)

69 '00 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION, LOS ANGELES AL KISSES TIPPER. (8/17/2000)

68 THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW ROB OPENS CLOSET DOOR; WALNUTS AND LAURA SPILL OUT. (2/6/63)

67 THE MIKE DOUGLAS SHOW -- JOHN LENNON & YOKO ONO CO-HOST. MUSICAL GUEST CHUCK BERRY PLAYS "JOHNNY B. GOODE," ACCOMPANIED BY WAILING ONO. (2/16/72)

66 FELICITY THE HAIRCUT. (10/3/99) - USING ONLY STILLS AND NEWS FOOTAGE

65 GET CHRISTIE LOVE! IN THE ORIGINAL MOVIE OF THE WEEK, CHRISTIE POSES AS HOOKER, CALLED "N*****." "NO, N***** LOVER." (1/22/74)

64 THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW PHYLLIS'S BROTHER IS GAY. (1/13/73)

63 2005 MASTERS TOURNAMENT TIGER WOODS' TRULY AMAZING SHOT. (4/10/05)

62 EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND MARIE'S VAGINA SCULPTURE. (10/22/01)

61 DYNASTY THE MOLDAVIA MASSACRE. (5/15/85)

60 THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW AFTER AN OVERLY-FRIENDLY ENCOUNTER, LARRY QUESTIONS DAVID DUCHOVNY'S SEXUALITY IN THE EPISODE "EVERYBODY LOVES LARRY." (11/13/96)

59 THE STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL THE LEGENDARY CBS GALACTIC SPECTACULAR. (11/17/78) PHOTOS ONLY

58 FRIENDS AT ROSS'S WEDDING IN LONDON, MONICA AND CHANDLER IN BED. (5/7/98)

57 HERE'S LUCY JACKIE GLEASON'S SURPRISE CAMEO AS RALPH KRAMDEN IN EPISODE #2, "LUCY VISITS JACK BENNY." (9/30/68)

56 SOPRANOS "LONG TERM PARKING": ADRIANNA GETS WHACKED. (5/23/04)

55 JIMMY SWAGGART TELECAST SWAGGART TEARFULLY CONFESSES TO ADULTERY BEFORE A NATIONAL AUDIENCE. "I HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND I BEG YOUR FORGIVENESS!" (2/21/88)

54 WHAT'S MY LINE A BLINDFOLDED FRANK SINATRA IS ONE OF THE PANELISTS WHEN MIA FARROW, HIS NEW BRIDE, IS INTRODUCED AS MYSTERY GUEST. (11/27/66)

53 COP ROCK STEPHEN BOCHCO'S MUSICAL SALUTE. (9/26/90)

52 TEXAS AT CLEVELAND JOSE CANSECO'S INFAMOUS "HEAD-BALL" HOMER. (5/26/93)

51 DINAH! ANDY KAUFMAN AS "TONY CLIFTON" SAYS BULL****. (9/19/79)

50 PASSWORD JACK BENNY GIVES CLUE "ME" TO PASSWORD "MISER" (5/29/62)

49 I MARRIED DORA FINAL EPISODE ACKNOWLEDGES SHOW'S DEMISE: "IT'S BEEN CANCELLED." "WHAT, THE FLIGHT?" "NO, THE SERIES." (12/18/87)

48 DIANA ROSS - CONCERT IN CENTRAL PARK STORM RAGES, FANS RAMPAGE, LIVE. (7/21/83)

47 MORTON DOWNEY JR. SHOW AL SHARPTON/ROY INNIS FIST FIGHT AT THE APOLLO. (8/30/88)

46 '68 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION, CHICAGO RIOTS; MAYOR RICHARD DALEY MOUTHS OBSCENITIES. (8/29/68)

45 LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN SONNY AND CHER: "I'VE GOT YOU BABE." (11/13/87)

44 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER MUSICAL EPISODE "ONCE MORE WITH FEELING" HAS TOWNSFOLK REVEALING THEIR INNERMOST THOUGHTS-IN SONG. (11/6/01)

43 MTV TOWN HALL MEETING - 17 YEAR-OLD LAETITIA THOMPSON FAMOUSLY ASKS PRESIDENT CLINTON, "BOXERS OR BRIEFS?" (4/19/94)

42 '92 VICE-PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE PEROT RUNNING MATE ADMIRAL JAMES STOCKDALE ASKS, "WHO AM I? WHY AM I HERE?" (10/13/92)

41 SURVIVOR RICHARD HATCH SLITHERS HIS WAY TO THE MILLION - IN THE NUDE. (7/5/2000)

40 THE JERRY LEWIS TELETHON TELETHON SHOCKER! AFTER TWENTY-YEAR FEUD, JERRY LEWIS AND DEAN MARTIN REUNITED BY FRANK SINATRA. (9/6/76)

39 TWIN PEAKS FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE DANCING DWARF. (4/19/90)

38 GIMME A BREAK! JOEY LAWRENCE APPEARS IN BLACKFACE AT NELL'S CHURCH BENEFIT. (12/8/84)

37 THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW - ELVIS SINGS TO HOUND DOG (7/1/56)

36 THE WEST WING LEO NOMINATED FOR V.P. (MONTHS AFTER MASSIVE HEART- ATTACK). (4/6/05)

35 VMAS DIANA ROSS GRAB'S LIL' KIM'S BOOB. (9/9/99)

34 '72 OSCARS SACHEEN LITTLEFEATHER ACCEPTS FOR MARLON BRANDO. (3/27/73) - PHOTOS

33 MELROSE PLACE KIMBERLY PULLS OFF WIG. (4/27/94)

32 24 IN FIRST SEASON FINALE, JACK'S WIFE KILLED AS CLOCK RUNS DOWN. (5/21/02)

31 WKRP IN CINCINNATI LIVE TURKEYS DROPPED FROM COPTER. (10/30/78)

30 THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON ED AMES AND THE TOMAHAWK CHOP. (4/29/65)

29 '84 SUMMER OLYMPICS, LOS ANGELES MARY DECKER/ZOLA BUDD BUMP IN 3000 METER RUN. DECKER DECKED, BUDD BLAMED. (8/10/84)

28 STAR TREK "THE CITY ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER" - JOAN COLLINS. (4/6/67)

27 THIRTYSOMETHING GAY COUPLE IN BED. (11/7/89)

26 '68 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION, CHICAGO RIOTS; WILLIAM F. BUCKLEY BATTLES GORE VIDAL. (8/28/68)

25 LAW & ORDER WHEN ASSISTANT DA SERENA SOUTHERLYN IS FIRED BY HER BOSS, SHE SHOCKS BOTH HIM AND THE AUDIENCE WITH HER REVELATION, IN THE FORM OF A QUESTION: "IS IT BECAUSE I'M A LESBIAN?" (1/12/05)

24 THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN DREW BARRYMORE'S TOPLESS BIRTHDAY SALUTE. (4/12/95)

23 SURVIVOR MICHAEL SKUPIN BURNED, MEDIVAC'D. (3/1/01)

22 '88 VICE-PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE BENTSEN TO QUAYLE: " ... AND SENATOR, YOU'RE NO JACK KENNEDY." (10/5/88)

21 CBS EVENING NEWS WITH WALTER CRONKITE - WALTER CRONKITE PRONOUNCES THE VIETNAM WAR A STALEMATE. (2/27/68)

20 SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE BARBARA STREISAND CRASHES COFFEE TALK. (2/22/92)

19 THE PRICE IS RIGHT YOLANDA BOWERSLEY COMES ON DOWN, FALLS OUT OF TOP. (9/14/77)

18 SIX FEET UNDER NATE DIES (7/31/05)

17 OAKLAND AT PITTSBURGH "IMMACULATE RECEPTION" CONSIDERED GREATEST PLAY IN NFL HISTORY. (12/23/72)

16 CAL/STANFORD BIG GAME WILD ENDING, BAND ON FIELD. (11/20/82)

15 M*A*S*H RADAR ANNOUNCES COL. BLAKE'S DEATH. (3/18/75)

14 THE DICK CAVETT SHOW GEORGIA GOVERNOR LESTER MADDOX WALKS OFF. (12/18/70)

13 1996 SUMMER OLYMPICS MUHAMMAD ALI MAKES A SURPRISE APPEARANCE WITH THE OLYMPIC TORCH. (7/19/96)

12 ER HELICOPTER BLADE RIPS OFF ROMANO'S ARM; SEASON LATER, HELICOPTER FALLS FROM ROOF, FINISHING HIM OFF. (9/26/02, 11/20/03)

11 NIGHTLINE AL CAMPANIS CLAIMS BLACKS "LACK THE NECESSITIES" FOR BASEBALL MANAGEMENT. (4/6/87)

10 ST. ELSEWHERE FINALE: ENTIRE SERIES IMAGINED BY AUTISTIC CHILD. (5/25/88)

9 '94 WINTER OLYMPICS, LILLEHAMMER TONYA HARDING/NANCY KERRIGAN SCANDAL CULMINATES WITH TONYA PLEADING TEARFULLY TO JUDGES ABOUT A BROKEN SHOELACE. (2/25/94)

8 SEINFELD GEORGE'S FIANCEE LICKS CHEAP ENVELOPES, DIES. (5/16/96)

7 CAMPAIGN '04 DEAN SCREAM. (1/19/04)

6 THE "HEIDI-BOWL" NBC PREEMPTS FINAL 1:05 OF JETS-RAIDERS GAME WITH MOVIE "HEIDI". TWO TOUCHDOWNS WENT UNSEEN BY IRATE FANS. (11/17/68)

5 THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS COMEDY HOUR THE WHO GOES UP IN FLAMES FOR "MY GENERATION" WHEN KEITH MOON OVERLOADS EXPLOSIVES IN HIS DRUMS. THREE INJURED. (9/17/67)

4 SUPER BOWL '04 JANET JACKSON'S "WARDROBE MALFUNCTION" (2/1/04)

3 DALLAS BOBBY EWING ALIVE, SEASON NINE A DREAM. (5/16/86)

2 WBA HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TYSON V. HOLYFIELD. MAN BITES EAR STORY. (6/28/97)

1 NEWHART SERIES FINALE (5/21/90)

[Fledermaus]

Who puts together this junk? "Heidi game" followed by Dean scream?

What criteria do these idiots use? ER finale in top ten? Did anyone watch it?

I'll give them the Newhart #1 though...I laughed when I saw it for an hour! Perfect comedy.

[Fledermaus]

Only if we got so see her from the front that night! lol

[carton253]

Me too...

Even at twelve years old, when McKay said that, it was shocking and incredibly sad...

[carton253]

I guess the Reagan thing would not have been unexpected because it wasn't live... like when Oswald was shot.

[Richard Kimball]

I watched about three minutes of the show on TVLand. It's basically a liberal look at history. When they did the piece on the Chicago riots in 1968, they completely left out the fact that the Weathermen had plants to provoke the police, and that their job was to induce the riot, then get out of the way and let the useful idiots get beaten up. The moments are selected to make liberals look good, and the commentary is designed to make conservatives look bad. Nothing to see here.

[Fledermaus]

I can believe that. Most of these "lists" they do are exactly that.

[carton253]

I laughed so hard my sides hurt...

[tang-soo]

I knew Newhart would be number 1. And the event it spoofed was number 3.

[HungarianGypsy]

Or what about the Challenger falling apart? That was unexpected.

[HungarianGypsy]

Last year TVLand did a similar list I think. I remember hearing about the Olympic hostages. It still gives me chills.

[carton253]

Doesn't it though...

[freedumb2003]

I think they wanted it lighthearted and not News events.

[carton253]

No, news events pepper the list...

[carton253]

No, news events pepper the list...

[HungarianGypsy]

ER had a finale?

[KateatRFM]

Bobby Kennedy was shot live on TV too, as I recall, and so was George Wallace, Governor of Alabama. His shooter remained behind to be captured and inquired, "Will I be on TV?" when captured.

[metesky]

From the "Heidi-Bowl" to Muhammad Ali raising the torch at The 1996 Olympics to Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction at The Superbowl, television has provided some of the most significant and surprising moments in history.

More significant than The American Revolution or more surprising than December 7, 1941?

I can see those new history books now: There's the Kennedy assassinations and Janet Jackson's boob right on the same page! Golly gee!

Self-referential BS. I couldn't get past that first sentence.

[FlyVet]

Scanning the list quickly, I didn't see Sammy Davis Jr's kiss to Archie Bunker.

That was the first one that came to mind when I saw the thread title. "Wardrobe malfunction" should be dropped from the list. Utter phoniness.

[Fresh Wind]

I would suggest the episode of the Dick Van Dyke show in which they just had their baby, and he convinces himself that the hospital switched babies on him. He finally gets to meet the parents of the other baby, and they turn out to be black.

[Wolfie]

I didn't check the whole list, but it seems like John Kennedy getting his head blown off on national television and the Oswald killing should be in the top five.

The premise was "unexpectecd" moments.