“Bonkers That Would Ever Happen”: 29 Live TV Moments People Just Can’t Forget

Bored Panda got in touch with obsessed_with_dogs who originally posed this question to the internet and they were kind enough to share their thoughts. Firstly, we were curious to hear their reasons for asking this question in the first place. 

“So much has happened in the world that has been lost to time, but in these cases, they’re cemented forever because they just so happened to occur while someone was filming. The live aspect just adds to it as it connects millions of strangers by showing just one moment in time,” they shared with Bored Panda. 

We also wanted to know if obsessed_with_dogs had any strange or scary live TV experiences themselves. “The only shocking thing I’ve ever seen live was watching the news here in Ireland during a snowstorm. Some poor man slipped on the ice and was caught alive. The poor man goes viral every winter, and this was back in the early 2000s.” As some readers may have noticed, most of these examples are older, as modern “live TV” often actually has a slight delay to help avoid the very situations listed here. 

We were curious to hear obsessed_with_dogs’ thoughts on the thread’s popularity. “I think some people just want to share something they’ve personally witnessed to connect with others who have witnessed it too. It could be like group therapy, especially when it’s something dark. Others just like reading about historical events, or macabre topics.”

“I myself love the history aspect. I was alive for many of the “main” topics featured but some were from before I was born. It’s interesting to learn - and actually see - things that happened that I wouldn’t have known about otherwise. As well as that, when it comes to the more horrible things caught on live TV, it gives people a chance to see the good that comes from the bad. With 9/11 coverage, the scenes were just awful. Absolutely heartbreaking.”

“But in the middle of it all, there were strangers rushing to help strangers. People of different cultures, people who couldn’t speak each other’s languages, hugging and offering shelter. Firefighters, paramedics, and police officers all rushed into the chaos, most knowing they were likely to die, but doing it anyway because that’s the right thing to do. Through the devastation, there was compassion, humanity, courage. Things that we as viewers would have never seen had it not been caught live. 9/11 coverage in particular is bittersweet - it contains the worst of humanity and the best of humanity all in one.”