I haven't seen many of the things mentioned here....possibly thankfully! But reading this spoiler gave me the shivers. I actually wouldn't dream of watching Tales of the Unexpected these days but often did when they were first broadcast. God knows why, many were fine and quite harmless, but others were quite nightmare inducing. Never saw this episode and am not sure I want too either!
It's worth a shot, but possibly not before bed. Here it is:
The evening news which announced Tommy Cooper's death - meaning that the earlier "weird ending" to his appearance on live TV wasn't just him messing about.
It went from a rather uncomfortable feeling of "I hope he's alright" to a gutwrenching "we literally saw the final moments of his life".
The attempted rape of Lol in This Is England 86. I remember watching it at the time and wanting to throw up. Vicks McClure played the part amazingly well.
A young girl (age 10 or 11) killed her younger sister (age 8 or 9) so that she could become a zombie (setting her free in the older girl's eyes) and the older girl was then shot in the head by their female carer as she was always going to be a danger to whoever she was with.
I think it was more her attitude that was shocking. Completely oblivious to what she had done (stabbed her sister to death), and the fact that she was then intending on doing the same to a baby until she was talked out of it because "the baby cant even walk yet".
I think it was the lack of emotion that she could stab her sister multiple times without feeling any remorse for it.
And then of course her being killed, even though you knew it was coming and she did too.
For me what i remember as being shocking was a show years ago called richard is my boyfriend. It was a one off drama about two adults with severe learning disabilities falling in love and getting pregnant resulting in the mother giving her daughter illegal abortion drugs without her knowing.
I remember that being shocking because at the time there werent really any shows with characters with learning disabilities so for it to go so deep was just unreal.
The attempted rape of Lol in This Is England 86. I remember watching it at the time and wanting to throw up. Vicks McClure played the part amazingly well.
It was Trev who was raped by Lol's father, which led to Lol killing him.
Reality issues aside this was the one single thing I have watched on any TV drama that rocked me to the core. It was powerful stuff.
On seeing the title of the thread my first thought was the woman having her head deep fried in Spooks, when her hand was put in I had to look away but the head dunking caused me to stop watching Spooks for a whole season and I had previously loved that show. I'm not usually squeamish but it was very out of context for that show.
I am pretty sure that this was the very first episode of Spooks so your memory may be playing tricks on you. I remember it being particularly notable that no-one thought they woud cast Lisa Faulkner, then kill her off in episode one.
My most shocking moment was during a phone in on domestic violence on This Morning with Richard & Judy. They were talking to a woman who was experiencing horrific abuse alongside her children, and they were advising her that she had to leave right now. Then she said she couldn't because she was locked in. Richard, Judy & Denise were absolutely go smacked for a second, you just felt the whole viewing public take a sharp intake of breath. It was so much more real than anything anyone was expecting.
South Vietnamese general shoots prisoner in the head. I watched it when it was broadcast 40-odd years ago and have never forgotten it.
BTW, it wasn't drama. It happened and was shown on british TV. I won't post a link as people who have only seen sanitised, fictional violence probably couldn't cope with the real thing.
Yes I remember that, but TV news and documentary being able to show that kind of thing uncensored is important and something we've lost. There is absolutely no danger of confusing that with fictionalised film violence, however graphic, because the reality is clear. Todays sanitised and blurred news only makes the enormity of what happened seem somehow less. Sometimes the public needs to be see the full aftermath of terrible events. Imagine what present day TV news coverage of the liberation of the Nazi death camps would be like and how much less impact it would make as a result.
I also remember the assissination of Anwar Sadat being shown on TV news which was equally shocking. Some of the footage from the Falklands War in 1982 was similarly graphic, the evacuation of the Sir Galahad landing ship particularly. It's only comparatively recently that TV news has been edited in this way.
I believe such coverage should not be censored, censoring it means people can avoid thinking about the truth. Obviously you wouldn't show graphic details of every piece of news, but momentous events should be shown uncensored. I don't think it's harmful to do so.
"gets off soapbox*
Regarding dramatic shocks on TV shows, I think the Spooks deep fat fryer scene is the one I most remember, even though the scene wasn't graphic. It was Alfred Hitchcock style violence, with details left to the imagination. In this case it was surprise as main characters aren't usually thrown away so casually.
Surely if we're putting (some) real events, the two planes crashing in to the twin towers has to be the most shocking thing ever.
Yes, the first plane had already crashed into one of the towers. But the second one happened "live"..it was both surreal and shocking. Then there was the collapse of the towers, I'll never forget that day as long as I live. I don't think anything fictional comes even close.
South Vietnamese general shoots prisoner in the head. I watched it when it was broadcast 40-odd years ago and have never forgotten it.
BTW, it wasn't drama. It happened and was shown on british TV. I won't post a link as people who have only seen sanitised, fictional violence probably couldn't cope with the real thing.
Do you know - that's exactly the first thing that came into my mind when I saw the thread title.
I think if you saw that, it remains with you for ever.
South Vietnamese general shoots prisoner in the head. I watched it when it was broadcast 40-odd years ago and have never forgotten it.
BTW, it wasn't drama. It happened and was shown on british TV. I won't post a link as people who have only seen sanitised, fictional violence probably couldn't cope with the real thing.
Your second paragraph is rather needlessly patronising. However, I take your point. It's somewhat ironic that people complain about TV violence yet we are fed edited pieces of real news events (although IIRC 9/11 was shown pretty much as it all happened).
The anti-Vietnam war movement rose at least in part due to the unflinching news coverage of the horror of what was going on there on both sides. By contrast the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11 have been largely cleansed of anything which might implicate allied or defending armies in participating in acts of gut-churning brutality. Instead we are told our troops are all heroes deserving of charity while the opposition are cowardly murderers intent on dragging the Middle East back in to the Stone Age.
I think the unfolding Lee Rigby murder was quite shocking also several football stadium disasters the IRA funeral and 2 soldiers, they were covering the funeral on the news, of course 9/11 and the breaking news of the Haiti earthquake, my husband was working there at the time and I had ,had phone call 1 min prior to Sky's breaking news and then the phones went down, so for 3/4 days that was a very personal and real shock
The attempted rape of Lol in This Is England 86. I remember watching it at the time and wanting to throw up. Vicks McClure played the part amazingly well.
Donita Sparks from L7 took out her tampon and threw it into the crowd during a performance at Reading Festival in 1992, apparently in protest at people throwing mud onstage after they had to pause their set.
She was relatively well-behaved on The Word, where she appeared naked on her bottom half.
Blimey, you weren't kidding, that's dark. Even darker knowing that, sadly, as we are all aware, things like this have and do happen
As a child I'd be traumatised by that (though it's incredibly 'educational', but in that old, mentally-scar-children-for-life way that the old 'infomercials' did too).
Donita Sparks from L7 took out her tampon and threw it into the crowd during a performance at Reading Festival in 1992, apparently in protest at people throwing mud onstage after they had to pause their set.
She was relatively well-behaved on The Word, where she appeared naked on her bottom half.
Thanks for reminding me, couldn't remember L7's name. Probably erased them from my memory.
My most shocking moment was during a phone in on domestic violence on This Morning with Richard & Judy. They were talking to a woman who was experiencing horrific abuse alongside her children, and they were advising her that she had to leave right now. Then she said she couldn't because she was locked in. Richard, Judy & Denise were absolutely go smacked for a second, you just felt the whole viewing public take a sharp intake of breath. It was so much more real than anything anyone was expecting.
I remember how horrified I was watching this. It was so sad. A long time after I contacted the programme to ask what happened and Denise emailed back to say that they had got her help and that she was now safe and happy.
Comments
It's worth a shot, but possibly not before bed. Here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V40FT_NWCw
Thanks, I think!
the rape scene by the prison guard to the male prisoner in Silent Witness
Buffy clawing her way out of her coffin..Buffy The Vampire Slayer
It went from a rather uncomfortable feeling of "I hope he's alright" to a gutwrenching "we literally saw the final moments of his life".
I think it was more her attitude that was shocking. Completely oblivious to what she had done (stabbed her sister to death), and the fact that she was then intending on doing the same to a baby until she was talked out of it because "the baby cant even walk yet".
I think it was the lack of emotion that she could stab her sister multiple times without feeling any remorse for it.
And then of course her being killed, even though you knew it was coming and she did too.
For me what i remember as being shocking was a show years ago called richard is my boyfriend. It was a one off drama about two adults with severe learning disabilities falling in love and getting pregnant resulting in the mother giving her daughter illegal abortion drugs without her knowing.
I remember that being shocking because at the time there werent really any shows with characters with learning disabilities so for it to go so deep was just unreal.
It was Trev who was raped by Lol's father, which led to Lol killing him.
Reality issues aside this was the one single thing I have watched on any TV drama that rocked me to the core. It was powerful stuff.
I am pretty sure that this was the very first episode of Spooks so your memory may be playing tricks on you. I remember it being particularly notable that no-one thought they woud cast Lisa Faulkner, then kill her off in episode one.
My most shocking moment was during a phone in on domestic violence on This Morning with Richard & Judy. They were talking to a woman who was experiencing horrific abuse alongside her children, and they were advising her that she had to leave right now. Then she said she couldn't because she was locked in. Richard, Judy & Denise were absolutely go smacked for a second, you just felt the whole viewing public take a sharp intake of breath. It was so much more real than anything anyone was expecting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rjJ51N7qZY
I know he raped Trev but he also tried to rape Lol.
I also remember the assissination of Anwar Sadat being shown on TV news which was equally shocking. Some of the footage from the Falklands War in 1982 was similarly graphic, the evacuation of the Sir Galahad landing ship particularly. It's only comparatively recently that TV news has been edited in this way.
I believe such coverage should not be censored, censoring it means people can avoid thinking about the truth. Obviously you wouldn't show graphic details of every piece of news, but momentous events should be shown uncensored. I don't think it's harmful to do so.
"gets off soapbox*
Regarding dramatic shocks on TV shows, I think the Spooks deep fat fryer scene is the one I most remember, even though the scene wasn't graphic. It was Alfred Hitchcock style violence, with details left to the imagination. In this case it was surprise as main characters aren't usually thrown away so casually.
Yes, the first plane had already crashed into one of the towers. But the second one happened "live"..it was both surreal and shocking. Then there was the collapse of the towers, I'll never forget that day as long as I live. I don't think anything fictional comes even close.
Do you know - that's exactly the first thing that came into my mind when I saw the thread title.
I think if you saw that, it remains with you for ever.
Your second paragraph is rather needlessly patronising. However, I take your point. It's somewhat ironic that people complain about TV violence yet we are fed edited pieces of real news events (although IIRC 9/11 was shown pretty much as it all happened).
The anti-Vietnam war movement rose at least in part due to the unflinching news coverage of the horror of what was going on there on both sides. By contrast the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11 have been largely cleansed of anything which might implicate allied or defending armies in participating in acts of gut-churning brutality. Instead we are told our troops are all heroes deserving of charity while the opposition are cowardly murderers intent on dragging the Middle East back in to the Stone Age.
Didn't realize they were on youtube. I know what I will be doing today
I'd go with both of these, for me personally. It stuck with me for a long time afterwards.
Two incidents in one by there.
Donita Sparks from L7 took out her tampon and threw it into the crowd during a performance at Reading Festival in 1992, apparently in protest at people throwing mud onstage after they had to pause their set.
She was relatively well-behaved on The Word, where she appeared naked on her bottom half.
Blimey, you weren't kidding, that's dark. Even darker knowing that, sadly, as we are all aware, things like this have and do happen
As a child I'd be traumatised by that (though it's incredibly 'educational', but in that old, mentally-scar-children-for-life way that the old 'infomercials' did too).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporals_killings
Thanks for reminding me, couldn't remember L7's name. Probably erased them from my memory.
I remember how horrified I was watching this. It was so sad. A long time after I contacted the programme to ask what happened and Denise emailed back to say that they had got her help and that she was now safe and happy.
But not the incident!