Saddest sitcom moments

[BYH]

I'm sure there's some I missed, but as a child of the '80s, these are the ones off the top of my head at 5:45 in the morning.

My vote goes to Sandy dies, but there are a lot of tear-jerkers here.

Edit: The Boner one was a joke. But it was touching.

I wrote boner and touching. Nice way to lighten the mood, dumbass.

 

[pallister]

Jesus Christ, that's one hell of a sitcom memory.

 

[mpcincal]

"Good Times," James Evans dies. The family's all ready to move away to where James got a good job, they're at the going-away party with all their friends, Florida reads aloud what she thinks is a congratulatory telegram, and it's a wire informing them that James was killed in a car accident.

 

[BYH]

Jesus Christ, that's one hell of a sitcom memory.

Well, most of them were mentioned on the Futurama thread.

I'd say that Coach one is second. Player (think he was played by Bob Golic) comes to Coach and tells him he's dying of cancer he got from roid abuse. Coach is inconsolable and his wife/girlfriend says there was nothing he could have done about it, he didn't know.

"I did," Coach says. Fade to black.

Also forgot the Jeffersons where Martin Luther King Jr is assassinated. Powerful scene of George screaming in his apartment.

 

[boots]

"Good Times," James Evans dies. The family's all ready to move away to where James got a good job, they're at the going-away party with all their friends, Florida reads aloud what she thinks is a congratulatory telegram, and it's a wire informing them that James was killed in a car accident.

Without a doubt a very sad moment. All Florida could say is "Damn! Damn! Damn!"

 

[alleyallen]

"Good Times," James Evans dies. The family's all ready to move away to where James got a good job, they're at the going-away party with all their friends, Florida reads aloud what she thinks is a congratulatory telegram, and it's a wire informing them that James was killed in a car accident.

Yeah, I'm going to have to go with that one, too. And the follow-up episode in which she holds up for several days before finally losing it and screaming, "Damn! Damn! DAMN!"

 

[poindexter]

Chuckles the Clown dies on Mary Tyler Moore.

While dressed as Peter Peanut, he was stampeded by a rogue elephant.

 

[Huggy]

I remember seeing the episode of MASH when Henry died. I was probaby eight or nine and it was shocking. TV characters didn't die in those days. Saw a great feature on the making of the classic scene when Radar gives everyone the news.

I'll also cast a vote for Edith's death in All In The Family.

 

[poindexter]

The "menopause" episode of Maude.

 

[Dirk Legume]

The MASH episode did it for me, because, when watching it in syndication, when you would see it two or three times a year, it would still make me cry everytime Radar walked into the operating room. And i KNEW what was coming...didn't matter.

By the way, I interviewed Gary Burghoff once and was told that if I asked any MASH questions, he would get up and leave. I was only to ask him about his art. He had two paintings in a local art show. So after the questions about the art...there wasn't much left.

Pretty short interview.

 

[poindexter]

The MASH episode where they showed a close-up of Gary Burghoff's fingers.

Bree Walker said later that was the episode that inspired her to get into television broadcasting.

 

[Rosie]

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who still comes to tears when watching the Henry dies episode of MASH. I also cried all the way through the last MASH episode. :'(

One of my alltime favorite shows.

 

[Football_Bat]

FWIW ... "Saddest moment in sitcom history" in quotes gives you zero hits on Google.

We're breaking new ground here.

 

[Dirk Legume]

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who still comes to tears when watching the Henry dies episode of MASH. I also cried all the way through the last MASH episode. :'(

One of my alltime favorite shows.

Yep, as the helicopter lifts up and you see the rocks on the ground...well then it gets tough to read what they say.

 

[slappy4428]

Henry Blake dying was one of the saddest.
So was the 8 Simple Rules where John Ritter died.

 

[Double J]

What about that time on "South Park" when Kenny died?





Sorry. Had to do it.

And wasn't Sandy played by Matthew Perry? (Hi, Sandy!)

 

[Freelance Hack]

Not sure I'd call MASH a sitcom. It really was more of a dramedy, but I'm parsing words there.

Henry Blake's death is by far the saddest. Who knew, however, it was a harbinger for the rest of McLean Stephenson's career?

 

[The Big Ragu]

The MASH episode did it for me, because, when watching it in syndication, when you would see it two or three times a year, it would still make me cry everytime Radar walked into the operating room. And i KNEW what was coming...didn't matter.

By the way, I interviewed Gary Burghoff once and was told that if I asked any MASH questions, he would get up and leave. I was only to ask him about his art. He had two paintings in a local art show. So after the questions about the art...there wasn't much left.

Pretty short interview.

Those types of interviews always crack me up. Fred Gwynne, who played Herman Munster was like that. He fancied himself a Shakesperian actor, not Herman Munster. Same exact situation... About 15 or 20 years ago, Howard Stern sent Stuttering John out to interview Gwynne. Gwynne had some paintings showing somewhere. He was an artist. They didn't realize John was from Howard Stern. They just thought he was from a radio station. They told him before the interview, if he asked about Herman Munster, the interview was over. First question:

"Do you sign you paintings 'Fred Gwynne' or 'Herman Munster?' "

 

[hondo]

Can't believe no one has mentioned when Ricky wouldn't let Lucy be in the show.

 

[slappy4428]

Not sure I'd call MASH a sitcom. It really was more of a dramedy, but I'm parsing words there.

Henry Blake's death is by far the saddest. Who knew, however, it was a harbinger for the rest of McLean Stephenson's career?

What was wrong with Hello, Larry?