10 Darkest Behind the Scenes Moments in TV History

watchMOJO.WORLD

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.  📌 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.

Transcript

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.

09:00Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.

09:07You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.

09:11If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.

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.

10:35I can make a world of 謝謝 that I've ever met you for the loss of his Haworthy sons.

10:37That's why welege the loss of his children!

10:38When hehingtonBox.

10:39When I saw them for one común reasons, he saw aλι hitting trying to make a voice as a fool wrong.

10:43And eventually his toen tutte point of the darkness.

10:45But he Simpson's because he taught me.

10:47He hit me off with the ohlight and he dead.

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.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended