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TV'S GREATEST SURPRISES: A PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA SPECIAL (TV)

Summary

This special, produced by The Paley Center for Media, examines the all-time biggest surprises on television. The special, hosted by game show host Jeff Probst, counts down the 30 most shocking surprises in television history as voted on by Nielsen viewers. Clips and celebrity commentary are interspersed throughout. Number thirty is the surprise winner of “American Idol’s” eighth season. Number twenty-nine is Tina Fey’s impersonation of Alaskan governor Sarah Palin on “Saturday Night Live.” Number twenty-eight is a revelation in the last episode of “Newhart.” Number twenty-seven is Ellen DeGeneres’s coming out on the show “Ellen.” Number twenty-six is the entire eighth season of “Dallas,” which turned out to be a dream. Number twenty-five is the episode of “Seinfeld” where George’s (Jason Alexander) fiancée Susan (Heidi Swedberg) dies. Number twenty-four is Lucille Ball’s unscripted brawl in a grape vat from “I Love Lucy.” Number twenty-three is the pilot episode of “All in the Family.” Number twenty-two is the twist ending to the “Twilight Zone” episode “The Eye of the Beholder.” Number twenty-one involves a mystery patients’ identity on “Grey’s Anatomy.” Number twenty is Chandler (Matthew Perry) and Monica’s (Courteney Cox) surprise hook-up on “Friends.” Number nineteen involves a supposed bassinet switch on “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” Number eighteen is Johnny Carson’s surprise guest appearance on “The Late Show with David Letterman.” Number seventeen is Henry Blake’s (McLean Stevenson) sudden offscreen death in “M*A*S*H.” Number sixteen is contestant Jon Dalton’s cruel deception of his fellow castaways on an episode of “Survivor.” Number fifteen is Dwight (Steve Carell) accidentally running over his co-worker Meredith Palmer (Kate Flannery) on “The Office.” Number fourteen is Sam Malone (Ted Danson) revealing his toupee on “Cheers.” Number thirteen is Janice Soprano (Aida Turturro) shooting her fiancée on “The Sopranos.” Number twelve is Chef Gordon Ramsay being confronted by an angry contestant on “Hell’s Kitchen.” Number eleven is Omar Little (Michael K. Williams) being gunned down in “The Wire.” Number ten is then-governor of Arkansas Bill Clinton performing on the saxophone on “The Arsenio Hall Show.” Number nine is a particularly dramatic entrance by Marie Barone (Doris Roberts) on “Everybody Loves Raymond.” Number eight is Dr. Robert Romano’s (Paul McCrane) amputation and later death via helicopter on “ER.” Number seven is the first winner of the million-dollar grand prize on “Deal or No Deal.” Number six is Rosalind Shays’s (Diana Muldaur) unexpected death from walking into an empty elevator shaft in “L.A. Law.” Number five is John Carpenter, first contestant to win a million dollars on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” Number four is Special Agent Simon Donovan’s (Mark Harmon) death on “The West Wing.” Number three is Marie Osmond passing out during an episode of “Dancing with the Stars.” Number two is Caitlin Todd’s (Sasha Alexander) death on the season two finale of “NCIS.” Number one is Oprah Winfrey awarding cars to an entire studio audience on an episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” Commercials deleted.

Details

  • NETWORK: CBS
  • DATE: June 16, 2010 8:00 PM
  • RUNNING TIME: 1:04:14
  • COLOR/B&W: Color
  • CATALOG ID: 102063
  • GENRE: Specials
  • SUBJECT HEADING: Various
  • SERIES RUN: N/A
  • COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

  • Eamon Harrington … Executive Producer, Director
  • John Watkin … Executive Producer, Director
  • Pat Mitchell … Executive Producer
  • Diane Lewis … Executive Producer
  • John Wolters … Executive Producer
  • Astral Finnie … Co-Producer
  • Kate Harrington … Supervising Producer
  • Jeff Probst … Host, Guest
  • Jason Alexander … Guest
  • Tom Bergeron … Guest
  • Julie Chen … Guest
  • Ellen DeGeneres … Guest
  • Tina Fey … Guest
  • Whoopi Goldberg … Guest
  • Larry Hagman … Guest
  • Arsenio Hall … Guest
  • Chris Harrison … Guest
  • Patricia Heaton … Guest
  • Allison Janney … Guest
  • David E. Kelley … Guest
  • Howie Mandel … Guest
  • Paul McCrane … Guest
  • Bob Newhart … Guest
  • Regis Philbin … Guest
  • Rob Reiner … Guest
  • Paul Shaffer … Guest
  • Donald Trump … Guest
  • Aida Turturro … Guest
  • Michael Weatherly … Guest
  • Sasha Alexander
  • Lucille Ball
  • Steve Carell
  • John Carpenter
  • Bill Clinton
  • Courteney Cox
  • Jon Dalton
  • Ted Danson
  • Kate Flannery
  • Mark Harmon
  • David Letterman
  • Diana Muldaur
  • Marie Osmond
  • Sarah Palin
  • Matthew Perry
  • Gordon Ramsay
  • Doris Roberts
  • McLean Stevenson
  • Heidi Swedberg
  • Michael K. Williams
  • Oprah Winfrey