When you turn on the news most days, you tend to forget that, often enough, you will see real, live footage broadcast through your screen. A developing story can quickly turn into something you will end up remembering forever.
A netizen asked the internet “What is the scariest/weirdest/most mysterious thing to ever happen on live television?” and people share their best examples. We also got in touch with obsessed_with_dogs who made the initial post. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorite examples, and share your own experiences in the comments.
When the sky opened up and started raining while Prince played Purple Rain at the Superbowl halftime show. Sent chills down my spine.
Bored Panda got in touch with obsessed_with_dogs who originally posed this question to the internet and they were kind enough to share their thoughts. Firstly, we were curious to hear their reasons for asking this question in the first place. “So much has happened in the world that has been lost to time, but in these cases, they’re cemented forever because they just so happened to occur while someone was filming. The live aspect just adds to it as it connects millions of strangers by showing just one moment in time,” they shared with Bored Panda.
I know the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen was a guy throwing his shoes at the President.
We also wanted to know if obsessed_with_dogs had any strange or scary live TV experiences themselves. “The only shocking thing I’ve ever seen live was watching the news here in Ireland during a snowstorm. Some poor man slipped on the ice and was caught alive. The poor man goes viral every winter, and this was back in the early 2000s.” As some readers may have noticed, most of these examples are older, as modern “live TV” often actually has a slight delay to help avoid the very situations listed here.
u/fhrblig added:
Opening Al Capone's vault.
Oh man, there was so much buildup to it, too. Then they opened it and it was just full of dirt
colagirl52 , David Gideon Report
The Station nightclub fire is the reason why I case every single room/building I walk into and make sure there are multiple exits, and that I know where they are. That video was horrifying and terrifying in equal measure.
revanhart , Fascinating Horror Report
We were curious to hear obsessed_with_dogs’ thoughts on the thread’s popularity. “I think some people just want to share something they’ve personally witnessed to connect with others who have witnessed it too. It could be like group therapy, especially when it’s something dark. Others just like reading about historical events, or macabre topics.”
Seeing that dye drip down Giuliani's face. Bonkers that would ever happen. Plus the Four Seasons Landscaping thing...
wkd_cpl , The Independent Report
I remember the tanks rolling in on Tienanmen Square. The bravery of those people protesting for democracy was astounding. But knowing what was coming was horrifying.
doublestitch , CBS News Report
“I myself love the history aspect. I was alive for many of the “main” topics featured but some were from before I was born. It’s interesting to learn - and actually see - things that happened that I wouldn’t have known about otherwise. As well as that, when it comes to the more horrible things caught on live TV, it gives people a chance to see the good that comes from the bad. With 9/11 coverage, the scenes were just awful. Absolutely heartbreaking.”
“But in the middle of it all, there were strangers rushing to help strangers. People of different cultures, people who couldn’t speak each other’s languages, hugging and offering shelter. Firefighters, paramedics, and police officers all rushed into the chaos, most knowing they were likely to die, but doing it anyway because that’s the right thing to do. Through the devastation, there was compassion, humanity, courage. Things that we as viewers would have never seen had it not been caught live. 9/11 coverage in particular is bittersweet - it contains the worst of humanity and the best of humanity all in one.”
The Balloon Boy Hoax of 2009. Specifically when the kid unintentionally outed his parents for orchestrating the whole thing.
I remember watching Malice in the Palace live. It was terrifying while it was happening because it seemed like the entire stadium was brawling.
elmatador12 , Netflix Report
I was up at 2 or 3am or whatever it was when the tsunami hit Japan in 2011. They had live footage from a helicopter and you could see the water destroying everything in it's path.
FearTheKeflex , NHK WORLD-JAPAN Report
All so long they built up the suspense. When the time came for the feat, the trigger was pulled and the show immediately cut to commercial. When they came back, they said there was an unfortunate accident.
An old TV show called ‘That’s Incredible’ had a guest on that claimed he could catch bullets with his teeth.
jrworthy , Karolina Grabowska Report
Not really crazy or out there, but I remember watching the live updates on TV about Steve Irwin’s condition after coming home from school. Seeing them update the headlines from things like accident, to serious, to fatal followed by non-stop news and reflections on his life for the next few days. The world lost a legend that day.
xfalinex , Bernard DUPONT Report
WWE (then WWF) wrestler Owen Hart dying during a live pay-per-view. He was supposed to be lowered into the ring with a harness. The harness failed and he fell 80 feet into the ring. The cameras wound up panning away before he hit the ring, but they announced his death later in the same broadcast.
Seashellcity , thenameisAbishek Dhyani Report
It was so surreal and I knew a lot of people there (running and spectators). The timing was seriously scary as the Sox game had let out and I couldn't get a hold of family members who had gone to Fenway and planned to walk to the finish line. They decided not to, but our neighbors were directly impacted. That and the next few days were wild, to say the least.
Boston Marathon Bombing
ATPVT2018 , Vjeran Pavic Report
It was a terrible, terrible crowd crush that was caused by poor policing and poor stadium management. 97 people unnecessarily lost their lives while going to see a sporting event. The worst part is the absolutely fuckery that the victims’ families went through (and still fight) for justice.
The scariest is the Hillsborough disaster as it unfolded during the FA Cup semi final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in April 1989.
speech-geek , On Demand News Report
But the booth didn't and the guy shooting himself in the head was broadcasted live on Fox News. [Heres the whole story](https://youtu.be/tCqZE5nuJp4) semi NSFL.
Fox News was showing a car chase live narrated by Shepard Smith...
The driver gets out of the car with a shotgun; Smith knew something bad was going to happen so he started yelling at the booth "Get off it!" "Get off it!"
PreferenceKindly6287 , ABC News Report
The night princess diana died. The Simpsons used to come on at 11pm, I was watching one night and they interrupted the broadcast to show the paris crash scene. I had no idea who she was at the time and I kept waiting for the Simpsons to come back on. It was all over the news the next day
ghostfaber , John Mathew Smith Report
He was famous for hosting variety shows, which were huge draws attracting massive viewing figures every week. One night in 1984, he was up on stage doing his act, about halfway through, he went to put on a cloak as part of his act. After this, he promptly slumped to the floor and people proceeded to laugh, thinking it was part of his act. Even after a few minutes of this people we still laughing until they realised that it was not intended. Long story short, Tommy Cooper had a heart attack in front of 12 million people, many of whom thought it was a joke for the first few minutes of it happening and died on that April night in 1984.
Tommy Cooper was one of the most high profile and loved comedians in England during the 1970s and early 80s (and possibly all-time). He was famous for his slapstick, irreverant humour and for his 'failures' in magic - which took incredible skill and he was one of the higher ranked members of the Magic Circle.
geordiesteve520 , Thom Goddard Report
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