- 9 months ago
Not everything in television is as glamorous as it looks on screen. In this countdown, we uncover 10 shocking and disturbing behind-the-scenes moments from TV history.
From on-set accidents and toxic work environments to tragic real-life events that changed shows forever, these stories reveal the dark side of television production.
๐ For TV fans, pop culture lovers, and true crime enthusiasts, this list pulls back the curtain on the moments networks never wanted you to know.
From on-set accidents and toxic work environments to tragic real-life events that changed shows forever, these stories reveal the dark side of television production.
๐ For TV fans, pop culture lovers, and true crime enthusiasts, this list pulls back the curtain on the moments networks never wanted you to know.
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TVTranscript
00:00What's your best time?
00:03The best time is at night, nighttime.
00:07Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're taking a look at the most tragic stories that happened behind the scenes of the television industry.
00:15After Brian was arrested, Dan called and asked me, does this have anything to do with you?
00:26The Poor Horses
00:27The HBO horse racing drama Luck had a slew of talent behind it.
00:37It was created by David Milch of Deadwood fame, and the pilot was directed by Michael Mann, and it starred Dustin Hoffman in the lead role.
00:46Yet it only lasted nine episodes.
00:48The show was actually picked up for a second season, but it was then revealed that the show's racehorses had suffered numerous tragedies.
00:56Two horses had died during production of the first season, as they suffered fractures during runs and were subsequently euthanized.
01:04A third horse died while filming the second season, prompting HBO to suspend production and launch an investigation.
01:11The show was then canceled, with HBO claiming that they didn't want any more accidents to occur.
01:16The Mysterious Death of George Reeves
01:25Before Christopher Reeve donned the red and blue of the Man of Steel, George Reeves played him on the syndicated Adventures of Superman.
01:33The first Superman television show, it ran for six seasons between 1952 and 1958.
01:40The next year, Reeves died of a mysterious gunshot wound.
01:45Reeves had supposedly taken his own life inside his L.A. home, the result of depression and feelings of failure.
01:52But this finding has long been contested and debated.
01:56Some have theorized that famed Hollywood fixer Eddie Mannix was involved.
02:00Others point to Reeves' fiancee, Leonore Lemon.
02:03We'll likely never know what truly happened, and for now, we just have to accept the potentially bogus self-harm theory.
02:11And now, another exciting episode in the Adventures of Superman!
02:15The Cancelled Makeover of Deleese Williams
02:18Tonight, a My Fair Lady makeover, more extreme than any done before.
02:23I would just love to be able to look at myself and see a whole different person.
02:29Extreme Makeover was an ABC program that saw ordinary people undergoing plastic surgery to attain their dream appearance.
02:37Needless to say, the show garnered much controversy in its day, and it even resulted in a death.
02:43A Texas woman named Deleese Williams was slated to appear on the show.
02:47Producers arrived at her hometown and goaded family members into saying awful things about Williams' physical appearance.
02:55She was in the next room listening in for reaction shots.
02:57But Williams' spot was cancelled at the last minute, owing to scheduling conflicts.
03:03And she had already heard the nasty things that were said about her.
03:07Williams' sister, Kelly McGee, was so distraught and guilt-ridden over what she had said, that she took her own life.
03:15The Demise of Phil Hartman
03:17Hi, I'm Troy McClure.
03:18You may remember me from such films as The Greatest Story Ever Hooled, and they came to burgle Carnegie Hall.
03:24A television legend, Phil Hartman drew widespread acclaim for his work on shows like Saturday Night Live, News Radio, and The Simpsons.
03:33But throughout the 1990s, Hartman was in a strained relationship with Brim Omdahl, his third wife.
03:39Known for heavy substance use, Omdahl would often behave erratically, sometimes even violently.
03:46While Hartman was advised to leave Omdahl, he never did so.
03:51Tragically, in the early morning hours of May 28, 1998, an inebriated Omdahl shot and killed Hartman while he slept.
03:59After confessing to numerous people and drawing police attention, Omdahl locked herself in the bedroom and took her own life as well.
04:07The unsolved murder of Bob Crane
04:10We're running a little bit behind times, pass the word around, football game is off.
04:14Oh no, Colonel, I was supposed to play fullback today.
04:19Fullback? Now I know we've got to get the game canceled.
04:22After running a successful radio show, Bob Crane moved on to acting, and found work on Hogan's Heroes.
04:28The popular sitcom ran for six seasons, with Crane playing the titular Colonel Robert Hogan.
04:35But when the show came to an end in 1971, Crane struggled to find work and began doing dinner theater.
04:42By 1978, Crane was living in Arizona and doing a show called Beginner's Luck.
04:47On June 29th, Crane missed a meeting, prompting one of his co-stars to visit him at his apartment.
04:53There, they found Crane's dead body, which had been both bludgeoned and strangled.
04:59Blame fell on his friend, John Henry Carpenter, but he was acquitted in court.
05:04While some continue to point the finger at Carpenter, the murder is officially unsolved.
05:09Hey, you need a ride tomorrow to the airport. I got a luncheon at noon.
05:16John, don't bother.
05:18An unfortunate guest.
05:20And I really didn't want to get in the car, um, but I was raised to respect my elders.
05:27You never know what types of people will show up on game shows.
05:31The dating game typically saw a woman asking questions to three men sitting behind a partition.
05:36She would then pick the man she liked the most, meet him face to face, and then go on a date.
05:42In 1978, a photographer named Rodney Alcala appeared on the show, and won a date with Cheryl Bradshaw.
05:49However, she found him creepy and refused the date, and for good reason.
05:55By this time, Alcala had killed at least four women, and served years in prison for sexual assault.
06:01He would kill even more after his appearance on the dating game, bringing his official body count to eight.
06:07Some believe it could be as high as 130.
06:10I'm called the banana, and I look really good.
06:17The world loses Steve Irwin.
06:22Have a look at this.
06:25What a beautiful lizard.
06:27You're all right, mate.
06:28A popular wildlife expert and conservationist, Steve Irwin found unbelievable success on television as the crocodile hunter.
06:37He hosted the TV series of the same name, but also appeared on other programs, including the nature documentary Ocean's Deadliest.
06:44It was while filming this show that Irwin met his tragic demise.
06:48The host approached a short-tail stingray, which proceeded to sting him in the chest.
06:53Unfortunately, the barb got him directly in the heart, and Irwin quickly bled to death.
06:59The accident was captured on video, but the footage has never been released.
07:04Irwin's memorial service was held two weeks after his death, and was watched by 300 million people around the world.
07:11Today's memorial service is a celebration of a man who's touched our lives and changed the world.
07:18Bill Cosby
07:19Did you ever think that this day was going to come?
07:23I've driven to this day for 32 years.
07:27It's amazing how fast a reputation can plummet.
07:30For many years, Bill Cosby was regarded as America's dad, winning over millions with his work on The Cosby Show.
07:37But allegations of sexual abuse followed Cosby throughout most of his career,
07:40with the earliest instance dating back to the mid-60s.
07:44These allegations continued into the 21st century, with the most legally formidable coming in 2004.
07:51It was then that a woman named Andrea Constand accused Cosby of sexual abuse.
07:57While most of Cosby's crimes fell outside the statutes of limitations,
08:01Constand's did not, and it was her case that briefly sent the comedian to prison.
08:06It is now believed that Cosby had been assaulting women for decades.
08:10Even while serving as America's dad.
08:13Drake Bell
08:13As a teenager, Drake Bell delighted audiences on Nickelodeon classics like The Amanda Show and Drake and Josh.
08:21Yeah, man! Awesome!
08:22In the 2024 documentary Quiet On Set, Bell shared an experience that severely darkened his days as a child star.
08:29The actor said dialogue coach Brian Peck sexually assaulted him on multiple occasions during his years at Nickelodeon.
08:37Years later, at the age of 31, Bell himself was found to have exchanged inappropriate social media messages with a minor.
08:44I accept this plea because my conduct was wrong.
08:49I'm sorry that the victim was harmed in any way, but that was obviously not my intention.
08:54The silver lining in all of this is that following his interview for the documentary, he was able to check himself into rehab.
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09:15Jimmy Savile
09:17British television personality and DJ Jimmy Savile was adored for years as the host of iconic BBC programs Top of the Pops and Jim Will Fix It.
09:27Last week we fixed it for Katie to meet Doctor Who and she sent me a very nice letter to Jimmy.
09:32Thanks for fixing it for me.
09:34Posthumously, several minor abuse allegations spanning decades were made against Savile.
09:40It called into question for many how and why he was never caught while he was still living.
09:45The BBC has also been criticized for turning a blind eye to a monster who one survivor called, quote,
09:51the most disgusting human being I've ever met.
09:54To this day, the total number of Savile's victims is unknown.
09:58The silence has been shattered and more of those who were scared or felt they wouldn't be believed are coming forward.
10:05Karen Ward had told BBC's Newsnight last year of what she saw as a 14-year-old at the BBC, but to her anger, they didn't run it.
10:14Which of these behind-the-scenes stories shocked you?
10:17Let us know in the comments.
10:19Just makes me feel that he deceived me and fooled me the way he fooled everybody else over the years.
10:25Yes, please.
10:27I feel that you see in two different ways.
10:30There are no many other strengets.
10:32Let us know.
10:33Yeah.
10:34No, not a bad rap.
10:34I'll judge anybody else.
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10:50But he did this again later.
10:51Because won't risk.
10:52I Coke was larms with the impersonal knife to the zweite right.
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