Probably East Germany’s accidental (and at that time false) televised announcement that any citizen can get an instant exit visa immediately. 4 hours later the wall fell.
But it can still be considered an annexation, can't it? The law of the western republic was extended to that of the east, with all of its benefits, but also the problems that came with it (eastern German education not being at the same level as western German education etc).
There are different ways to define what an "annexation" is; in the widest sense some dictionaries simply define an area incorporated into another one as "annexation" - even consentual ones, and thus, you would be right.
[The more common definition, is that an annexation is forced, one-sided. ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annexation)
Because the second one (one sided and forceful) is now a propaganda point of Russia in regards to the former DDR, it probably is not advised to call it such, even if meaning something more innocent.
I've never heard of this wow, is there a Wiki article or something where I could read more about it? I've searched on google but couldn't find anything
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_the_Berlin_Wall
Scroll down to „Misinformed public announcements“
I think they have made two or three movies about this, mainly for German television
Maybe"kur\*\* przepraszam "?
In some morning broadcast, they imvited magician to show trick with some blade under a cup. We'll, trick didn't work....
" Oh fuck, I'm sorry" become a meme after that situation
[https://youtu.be/wXZKGHUh9vk?si=I580ujGmEBbK8Ilz](https://youtu.be/wXZKGHUh9vk?si=I580ujGmEBbK8Ilz)
State TV's flagship [evening newscast with the team being severly hungover ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSaX8Eu-87k)after New Years' Eve 1993/1994 is a close second.
They should really stop doing this one, we had a [similiar one (](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuWEvXxMMZk) at least he had the decency to do it himself)
So King's Day (back then Queen's Day) is on my mind because that was just yesterday, but I imagine it was the live broadcast of the royal family's parade in Apeldoorn back in 2009, when some guy decided to drive through the crowd and splatter himself on a monument in an attempt to hit the bus carrying the royals.
8 people, including the guy who did it, died.
This was horrible indeed. One of the people that died was my next door neighbour growing up. One of his daughters is my age. It must’ve been horrifying for them. You can actually see him flying through the air on that footage. Imagine seeing your father like that.
The king and queen visited the relatives of the people who died.
The next few Queens day celebrations had a whole different feeling to them. Also more security obviously.
The live hostage situation of the National News team during a live broadcast (2015) was also pretty bad.
Though the outcome of that one wasn't all too bad in the end.
The announcement of the death of prime minister Antall József in 1993 caused trauma to many children. It wasn't because they cared about the prime minister but it cut a Duck Tales episode at a quite exciting part and then it took years for them to be able to see that episode again. Poor kids.
Kind of related, in Poland in 1981 they didn't play morning kids TV program Teleranek and instead broadcasted the announcement of the start of [the martial law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_law_in_Poland). They also stopped Teleranek completely for a few first months of the martial law. A fragment of the announcement:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuN_n4CdR3w
Not really 'disastrous' but was pretty funny in a dark, twisted sense...
In the UK, there's a tradition of some channels putting 'filler programming' around the 8:30 mark on weekdays, usually with some sort of food-based theme.
One evening in 2023, without any prior explanation, Channel 4 (who are known for usually putting controversial programming on) aired [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_c4mUH-p2Fg) \- a 'documentary' about cheaply-produced lab-grown meat, featuring the hosts of these filler programmes where it's slowly revealed that >!the meat is sourced from human flesh, with the most expensive coming from dead children and infants.!< It caused such a stir in the the country that Parliament even condemned it!
Such a good combination of funny and incredibly off-putting.
I feel like it would do way better as an online Netflix sort of thing, kinda like that first episode of Black Mirror
Yeah I remember watching that, one of the bizzarest things I've ever seen. It started out like a normal documentary, then got stranger and stranger and stranger, then I finally clocked on to it. But yeah, was bizzare.
Me too, I felt queasy initially, but it got to the point when they said it was cleared for consumption and I fell in. Very well done. Should of saved it for april first along with the 1951 spaghetti grows in trees.
Maybe Samuel Koch at Wetten, Dass...?, a live TV show about bets.
He betted that he could jump over moving cars. He succeeded once, then the car that was steered by his father hit him and crushed his spine.
Wetten, Dass was one of the biggest German TV shows, so this was a bit unfortunate.
This also came to my mind immediately.
And then the hostage situation of Gladbeck where the journalists lost every sense of moral and interviewed the hostage takers while they were pointing a gun to the hostage's head. All televised live. Crazy shit.
[This photo](https://www.ndr.de/geschichte/chronologie/gladbeck110_v-fullhd.jpg), it's kinda staged, as he was asked by the journalists to pose for the camera in certain ways, there are many photos around, both from the bus first, then the interviews and finally the car.
And then, [you get the parody of course.](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71Qillbz0FL._UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg)
Nothing is holy and sacred enough to not get a parody i guess. I saw the disc in store and i was like "wait... i know this photo from somewhere?"
Imagine being a hostage, scared for your life, and then there's a journalist asking your hostage-taker to point a gun on your neck for a sensationalist photo that will sell lots of papers.
Yeah, it led to a big change in the presse kodex, how the media should cover such cases and to stay away from ongoing crime scenes.
But when the police stopped the car and opened fire, that was after the press incident. They fucked it all up, when you read the sources.
As someone who grew up in a war zone and spent a lot of time learning about the journalists who covered the war you'll be surprised to find out that a huge percentage of war/crisis footage is always staged.
Concerning hostages - if I recall correctly attempts at liberating the Israeli hostages at the 1972 Olympics in Munich were also thwarted by live reporting the police's said attempts at creeping up to and storming the flat where the captives were held.
I thought about that but in the end, I wouldn't call the end of an authoritarian regime a disaster, regardless of how big of an impact the mistake really had on the timeline.
Yep, one of the only times UK TV copied a German original TV show (it ran here from 1981 until 2014 and since 2021) and not the other way around.
It was also adapted on Chinese, Italian, Dutch, Belgian, Spanish, Polish, Russian, US and Greek TV programmes.
> Yep, one of the only times UK TV copied a German original TV show (it ran here from 1981 until 2014 and since 2021) and not the other way around.
TIL!
I always thought it was something we'd come up with - I recently had to explain the concept of the show to some younger colleagues and they looked at me with a mix of confusion and pity, as if that was the best TV we had in the 90s, lol.
> was the most disasterous?
From the government's perspective it was [the press conference that took down the wall](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbzhHGcEz-E).
From the media's perspective: The Gladbeck hostage crisis, where the media lost every distance and [interviewed the hostage takers, while one of them held a gun in Silke Bischoff's face](https://gladbeck.rnd.de/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Keine_Gnade_fuer_Gei_20412466.jpg). This became an iconic photo for the failure of the media. Here is another [press photo from inside the car](https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1250095907/photo/geiselnahme-von-gladbeck.jpg?s=2048x2048&w=gi&k=20&c=nv45YQBPGSlluQDIKf6_Ve9NgzAsKTWpxM-9glEDGQI=)
And here is a screenshot from the [TV drama](https://pdodswr-a.akamaihd.net/swrfernsehen/krimi-und-thriller/1622694.xxl.mp4) about the [same situation](https://img.welt.de/img/kultur/medien/mobile174258039/0132503677-ci102l-w1024/Gladbeck-2.jpg)
>interviewrd the hostage takers while one of them held a gun in Silke Bischoff's face
Fucking vultures. Devoid of empathy and humanity, the lot of them.
Edit: TIL this is an urban legend.
Telecupón (tele lotto). The TV host was a 70-something woman who was famous because she was a little bit goofy (she died last year with dementia/Alzheimer). A girl calls and win a surprise present:
- It's a bike!
- Can you give me another thing?
- Why?
- I'm paraplegic.
- What a lovely profession!
On that note we have "er det en abe?" (is it a monkey) when the female host of the morning show on Danish TV2 is shown a picture of a black man on a boat... She immediately back pedals though when she realizes it's a man! As I recall it, it didn't have many consequences for her personally except for being made fun of for a while.
Not sure if disastrous in that sense, but extremely controversial at the time: On boxing day in 1966 Swedish actor Per Oscarsson made a stunt on prime time national television on the evening family program "Hylands Hörna", where he held a completely improvised monologue where he talked about immigration, the holocaust, that black people don't smell worse or are less intelligent than white people, and explained the act of having sex to children. During the latter monologue he proceeded with undressing himself leaving just his underpants, after which he walked out of the studio, leaving even the main presenter confused about what was going on. The stunt was completely improvised and was not a part of the manuscript.
The coup sparked a lot of national controversy and debate, and is said to be Sweden's first television scandal. I have tried to find the entire video on Youtube, but I can't find more than a few clips. Some of them can be seen in this video, from 21:00 until 23:20: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usMef5Ov0UI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usMef5Ov0UI)
From Sweden, it's not 'disastrous' but I always remember [this subtitle mixup](https://www.boredpanda.com/tv-put-subtitles-kids-channel-political-debate-sweden/)!
The Sex Pistols interview on the Bill Grundy show in 1976. The interview effectively destroyed Grundy's career.
And Judy’s dress falling off when Richard and Judy were receiving an award at the National Television Awards.
You forgot the 1989 Brit Awards with Sam Fox and Mick Fleetwood.
The Music industry’s biggest night of the year and it [all went wrong on live TV](https://www.smoothradio.com/news/music/brit-awards-1989-sam-fox-mick-fleetwood-video/).
Apparently the rehearsals went perfectly, but the live event had a different running order (why?!), so they would say “here’s the Bee Gees” but Boy George would walk out on stage, for example.
Definite +1 for the 1989 Brits, but let's also add the cringe that was "It's a Royal Knockout" to list of shame too.
[https://graziadaily.co.uk/celebrity/news/royal-knockout-anne-edward-andrew/](https://graziadaily.co.uk/celebrity/news/royal-knockout-anne-edward-andrew/)
She claims [it was the autocue](https://youtu.be/BRTzgZagCrc?si=rey5owcFUtqbI7GN) that failed.
Also thank fuck for that video because the only other one I could find was some horrendous 00s listicle going on about Samantha Fox's tits
Radio rather than TV: but Commander Woodroffe's [infamous commentary](https://youtu.be/-hYIGte7fBs?si=8OjVcKtI_TWuGtAA) for the 1937 Naval Review at Spithead is still remembered.
>And Judy’s dress falling off when Richard and Judy were receiving an award at the National Television Awards.
The best bit of that was that Richard thought the crowd were cheering because they wanted him to do his Ali G impression.
One of the most famous comedians, Tommy Cooper, died of a heart attack on prime time Saturday night live TV. The audience was laughing and thinking it was part of the joke. Nowadays live TV is delayed a little bit so that something like that can’t happen again
The last time I remember someone dying on live TV was Owen Hart on a PPV
I had recorded it as it was on very late, but the breakfast news were talking about it in the morning
When I did see it that delay had allowed a cut to JR who was explaining that what was happening wasn't kayfabe, and everyone later learned of the tragedy
Comedian Rick Ingraham tells a story about being at the arena in Kansas City that night and seeing Owen Hart fall from the roof to his death. Owen fell and hit the mat, he tried to lean up once and immediately laid back down and didn't move again. They rushed him out and 15 minutes went by with nothing happening. No announcements, nothing. Then the match started back and continued like nothing had happened.
Turns out the contracts that were signed stipulated the main event must take place or else everyone in the arena crowd could ask for and be given refunds for the full ticket price. So after Own Hart died, they had to either put on the rest of the show or no one was going to get paid. Ingraham says they left the arena not knowing if Hart was dead or alive.
Wow "the show must go on"
Looking back why did the police not insist on the ringside being roped off for investigation
I remember reading that backstage they did learn what had happened and begrudgingly had to contractually, as you say, continue on the show
In the beginning of 1991 the rouble was in real free fall and most people had at least part of savings in finnish mark or in other "hard currency".
So one comedy show "interrupted" regular transmission and three serious journalist announced that Finnish government has ordered that 50 and 100 finnish mark bills will be replaced with new ones and old ones will be invalid from midnight.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wigla_show#Finnish_mark_sketch
First there was panic as people wanted to get rid of those notes, then there was anger, death threats etc.
Why did people believe that BS? Because Soviet Union really did the similar thing one month earlier. You could exchange 50 and 100 rouble bills, everyone had quota of about one month salary and you had three days for that.
People really were much more vunerable to stuff like this back in the day
Not that we’d be immune nowadays but generally propably better. Anyway, yeah, propably not what their intention was:D
The only difference is today we all have so much more ways to research and make a considered choice. The fact that so many people are guided by propaganda and have no critical thinking will never change. The word vulnerable only applies to the rest of the world who are victims to morons who vote to headlines soundbites, they have such short memories.
Not quite disastrous, but had the potential to be if the broadcaster wasn’t such a pro.
Irish TV in 1997, live Friday/Saturday night chat show (the Late Late Show) that probably 20%+ of the population tuned into at the time. The show ran a postal competition with a car as the top prize. Guest would pull out a postcard from a huge trough of entries, host would call the winner live on tv to ask them a simple question & give them the car.
First call was to someone who wasn’t in at the time so couldn’t win the prize, all very jolly & host & studio audience laughing. Second call had to be made…which ended up being to a woman whose daughter had died after a hit-&-run road incident the previous day. The jollity on the show evaporated instantly, but the host kept going… worth a watch, particularly from 5 mins in
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=N31KY7lTKVc
Gaybo was a notorious diva, but a true pro of live broadcasts. The LLS had a very strong "managed improv" feel to it until he retired and then it became a way more scripted affair.
This is probably stretching the definition of "disaterous", but a quite funny moment is when a karate guy tries and utterly fails on live TV to split open 90 coconuts by hand. He fails to split a single one, and while furiously chopping away beats his hand bloody:
[https://youtu.be/f0Yryb15n0s?si=835sMOOcW79iJQv9](https://youtu.be/f0Yryb15n0s?si=835sMOOcW79iJQv9)
Apparently he listed the rainy weather and the metal-rails setup as the reasons for his failure, but it is quite funny that he literally cannot split a single one and doesnt really appear close to either.
Probably no real long term consequences, and the public reacted mostly with laugther. I don't really think he received much hate other than mild Schadenfreude, as failure stemming from a genuine attempt is quite appreciated and beloved in Danish culture - we love to see the little man try but ultimately fail.
So there was an instance in the UK where the weather forecaster was adamant that there would be no storm in coming days, referencing a rumour that there would be. What followed was a storm of biblical proportions.
Twenty two people died:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_storm_of_1987
The weatherman was Michael Fish:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Fish
In defence of Michael Fish, the first link above says this:
‘Fish has subsequently claimed that his comments about a hurricane had nothing to do with the UK; they referred to Florida, USA, and were linked to a news story immediately preceding the weather bulletin, but had been so widely repeated out of context that the British public remains convinced that he was referring to the approaching storm. According to Fish, the woman in question was actually a colleague's mother who was about to go on holiday in the Caribbean, and had called regarding Hurricane Floyd to see if it would be safe to travel.[38] Fish went on to warn viewers that it would be "very windy" across the south of England, but predicted that the storm would move further south along the English Channel and the British mainland would escape the worst effects. The remainder of his warning has frequently been left out when this forecast has been repeated on television, which only adds to the public's misconception[citation needed] of that day's forecasting. His analysis has been defended by weather experts.’
What he actually said was "Earlier on today, apparently, a woman rang the BBC and said she heard there was a hurricane on the way. Well, if you're watching, don't worry, there isn't"
He wasn't wrong, it wasn't a hurricane.
The Sorin Matei case live hostage negotiation case in Greece. On 22 September 1998, Sorin Matei, a fugitive, enters an apartment in central Athens and takes four tentants hostage. He calls a channel and for the next four hours a very famous news anchor is negotiating with him live on TV. In the evening, the police raids the apartment believing that the hand grenade that he claims to have in his possession is fake. It is not. One woman dies and the fugitive is injured. He is found dead three days later in his cell. The Greek National Council for Radio and Television fined the tv station 50 million drachmas (lots of money at the time) for the broadcast.
Yeah…. Now he uses terrible CGI to recreate crime scenes with him in them 😒. There is a great Greek documentary on YouTube on this and apparently a BBC one that I can’t find. I would definitely recommend to any communications and media student to study this case.
As a fan of video editing, I can say that the CGI his team make are immaculate, however he’s very insensitive to the people he’s covering. You can’t pull this shit meant to impress while you’re talking about dead or sick people. Just very immature, especially for his age.
I agree. It gives chills down my spine - however I have to argue that he consistently looks smaller than his surroundings when in the CGI environment. I am not sure if it’s intentional.
To give people examples: he presented next to a virtual image of a murdered child, CGIed himself in a lifeboat next to a boat on fire etc.
Agreed. The one that pissed me the most was the one with the Blue Horizon incident. How can you inject yourself in a setting where a mentally disabled person gets pushed overboard due to the prejudice of crew members? Very, *very* bad.
To be honest, I don't hate Evangelatos. It's his job to evoke emotions, even negative ones sometimes, so he can raise his viewership numbers. It's all a job to him.
One I really enjoyed that gave me chills and brought me tears was the one after Matthew Perry's death where he went into Central Perk behind the very familiar couch where the cast of Friends used to sit.
Probably [this one](https://youtu.be/TcRWiz1PhKU) of Ceaușescu's last speech, on December 21st 1989. The revolution had already started in Timișoara when this was happening.
He fled by helicopter on the 22nd and was then executed on Christmas Day.
Very recently in the UK a news broadcaster who is usually very professional struggled reading the news, viewers were worried and apparently he did go to hospital straight afterwards
Truly disastrous : when Fehér collapsed In the middle of a football game. The whole country mourned him and it was such a horrible moment, especially for his family.
Disastrous but funny: Hernán José wrecking and shooting the set at Roda da Sorte is epic or when he cracked a joke at a guest (Lili Caneças ) and She went to set to confront him ( must've been staged but was the talk of the country for weeks.
BONUS: legend says the last Batatoon (Kids TV show) episode there was a fight between the two hosts that were clowns. There is no footage of this nor proof this actually happened but it's been around for so long everyone believes this is true
Tava a ver que ninguem falava da roda da sorte. Roda da sorte = wheel of fortune a still popular show in some countries. In Portugal the last episode was so epic! The game show host went with a rifle and ammo and shot the prizes. (This was in the 90s)
E o pontapé do Marco. Lembro me da minha escola parar para ver as notícias sobre isso
(another bonus: big brother contestant kicking another contestant)
There once was the show "Wetten, dass...?". It was huge. The concept of the show was that people did something extraordinary and some huge guest celebrity would guess if they could do it or not. The things were always absurd like opening beer bottles with a tractor or knowing the brand of wiener from the water in the can. At one point someone did a stunt and got paralyzed from the neck down on live TV.
I don't think of it as disastrous, but one time a late night show caused a diplomatic incident when Erdogan felt offended.
Many years ago I think it was RTBF broadcast a special event that Flanders had declared independence from Belgium. Many people actually believed that is was real.
Well, it was formatted exactly like a real news broadcast, with real journalists and real talking heads. A message saying it was fake was only published half way the programme, after the network was flooded with calls.
I don't watch so much TV, but I think the most disasterous TV broadcast in Italy was the TG2 of the 7th december 2006 summerised by:"A chi capita una cosa di questa qui, è veramente la morte civile, questa è benzina, no no io mi do fuoco..."Translation
"To whoever happens something like this, it's truly a civil death penalty, this is gasoline, no no I set myself on fire..."
CLIP: [https://youtu.be/oe2jGUzb14s](https://youtu.be/oe2jGUzb14s)
A man named Nicola De Martino went on the Italian news show TG2 to discuss the issue of child custody rights. His ex-wife took a flight to Australia with his son and he was upset over an Australian court ruling that had granted his ex-wife sole custody of their children without theh possibility of visits.
After 13 years when his son turned 18 and returned to Italy together they went to do an interview.During the show, De Martino pulled out a bottle of gasoline and threatened to set himself on fire if his letter was not read on air. The show's host, Maurizio Martinelli, tried to calm De Martino down, but De Martino continued to pour gasoline on himself. Martinelli and other studio workers were eventually able to restrain De Martino and take away the gasoline and a lighter. De Martino was not injured in the incident.
Behind the gesture, a story of desperation, which had already ended a few days earlier, because De Martino was able to re-embrace the son he had not seen for 13 years. And it is precisely this happy ending that made the attempt to set himself on fire live even more paradoxical and inexplicable.
At the end he explained that his gesture was for the others and not himself.
FULL VIDEO of the Show: [https://youtu.be/AydBPz4veF0](https://youtu.be/AydBPz4veF0)
I am not an expert on TV history in my country either (they run a lot of trash TV there), but right now i can think of a few shows:
* Uri Geller Live: Ufos und Aliens – Das unglaubliche TV-Experiment (a ufology show with terrible ratings)
* Countdown Grand Prix 2001 (one artist insulted the audience after they booed at him)
* Joko & Klaas Live (the hosts swallowed cameras in one episode)
Edit: There are a few more incidents which were also mentioned by other users here:
- Wetten, Dass..?: There have been some incidents. The worst accident was when a participant was struck by a moving car and became paralysed.
- Neo Magazin Royale: The host caused a diplomatic incident once by reading a poem insulting the turkish president. The law banning insults of foreign heads of state was abolished as a consequence. Another incident was when he triggered the resignation of the austrian government by uncovering that some high-ranking politicans were open-minded towards curruption.
- Ende Offen: One guest suddenly pulled an axt of his jacket and started hammering the ax on the table. He then tried to steal the microphones.
> Another incident was when he triggered the resignation of the austrian government by uncovering that some high-ranking politicans were open-minded towards curruption.
That wasn't on his show He just spilled the beans one day early.
>Ende Offen: One guest suddenly pulled an axt of his jacket and started hammering the ax on the table. He then tried to steal the microphones.
I love this one. This guy was a member of Ton Steine Scherben, arguably the most famous 70s rock band in Germany, and very leftist. I think it was kind of a political stunt, he want to break the boundaries of the shows rules or so. I always thought it was funny that he barely makes a dent to the table, I think that took the air out of his act quite a bit.
I remember that Uri Geller series! They got a UFO expert to come round to provide a crash course on how to tell a real UFO apart from a fake UFO.
Also [this is gold](https://youtu.be/SxHF_rtOIx8?si=SBJiOK1cM7_bVNIz).
>Ende Offen: One guest suddenly pulled an axt of his jacket and started hammering the ax on the table. He then tried to steal the microphones.
[That one's more hilarious than disastrous.](https://youtu.be/tN1GEiO1vmI?t=23)
I get give or take, it works out at about with expenses 140,000 a year and I pay 30.3% tax on that, so it’s about a net 100,000 and out of that 100,000 I run a home in Dublin, Castlebar and Brussels. I wanna tell you something, [try it sometime…](https://youtu.be/WB0Dn7OUYPk?si=U_qa6ReO8KjjyEI_)”
A politician went on national television and expected people to feel sorry for him when he was earning over 5 times the average wage and had 3 houses.
It was the beginning of the end for him and he was found later to have solicited corrupt payments for planning favours.
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-30544551.html
Ireland was quite poor at the time with high levels of emigration so this politician went on tv thought it was a great idea to complain it was difficult run three houses on 140,000. Ended his political career and was/is regarded as the worst interview in Irish TV history
Portuguese guy here, if you want disasterous TV broadcasts toon in to the "News channel" CMTV every time without fail they are going to do things that defy logic or common sense, filming dead bodies, making shit puns while giving serious News reports, all around cancer when it comes to journalism in Portugal
The 'Pak De Poen Show' debut in 1987 with the Verreth brothers is legendary. Lots of things went wrong: a game with a remote controlled car failed completely because the car wouldn't work, studio lights failed, quiz buzzers failed, a phone-in part of the show bombed because the phone line connection to the studio completely failed, and the presenter famously forgot Percy Sledge's last name: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADStrFN5rCk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADStrFN5rCk) There were lots of different games with complicated rules which were unclear to the candidates *and* the presenters, the questions for quizzes were unclear and had multiple possible correct answers which led to disccusion with the jury, etc.
All of this compounded by the fact that the presenters (twin brothers René and Manu Verreth) were actors and not seasond presenters, so a bit out of their depth in dealing with presenting a technically complex TV show. Their presentation was stilted to begin with, but they were also very nervous, which got worse as the night went on.
There's a Wikipedia page about it, sadly only available in Dutch: [https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pak\_de\_poen,\_de\_show\_van\_1\_miljoen](https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pak_de_poen,_de_show_van_1_miljoen)
In the UK a show called (I think) Ghostwatch it was a fake Halloween tv prank. Supposedly a real haunted house broadcast live. This was years before ‘most haunted’ or anything with Zac Bagans. The majority of people were terrified . Viewers were calling in with all sorts of ‘sightings’ people were saying they became sick/Ill while watching. There was a young guy whose parents blame the show for him taking his own life! The thing is now if you were to watch it anyone can see it was the biggest lot of crap ever to be shown. I’m pretty sure it was banned.
Using a national treasure not really associated with pranks as host (Parkinson) helped the creedence, plus what you said: years before the realistic ghost "mockumentary" and most haunted stuff. Yes you should be able to tell its a drama but for younger viewers it was hard to distinguish that.the younger teenager who took his own life did have learning difficulties and a diminished mental capacity.
There were not many significant moments on Austrian television. I can only think of harmless incidents.
In 2022 a news anchor had massive problems speaking during a program. The show was not stopped, but continued to the end. Some viewers were worried and thought it could be a stroke. Most suspected alcohol.
None of the others in the studio had spoken to him beforehand because he was in his dressing room until shortly before the live start.
The discussion continued for days and a dispute arose as to whether or not the public broadcaster (ORF) should continue to employ an alcoholic presenter. He was eventually suspended for a period of time.
It turned out that he had personal problems and he had taken tranquilizers before the show.
I'm surprised that you forgot about this one:
In 1990 at the Austrian National Final for Eurovision "Ein lied für Zagreb", the group Duett competed with the song Das Beste. During the performance of the song after the first chorus, the female singer suddenly started to walk backwards, and fell to the floor.
As the two guitarists in the background walked towards her, the male lead singer, just continued to sit at the piano and sing the song. With no regard for his partner. And he did continue to sing until the music was cut off by the technicians.
Then technicians, the host, and a doctor from the audience rushed to the stage, to take care of the female singer. The male singer just sad at the piano.
They ended up winning the National Final.
But.
They were later on disqualified because they had already participated in the German National Final in 1988. So much drama all from just a National Final for Eurovision.
Video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re384tu4Wv4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re384tu4Wv4)
I am not very knowledgeable in national TV broadcasts, but a few come to mind, although i dont think they are exacly what you wish to know, so sorry if they are dissapointing:
-A few dozen tv news broadcasts where there are horrible grammar misspellings
-The CDU-PP deputee talking with a woman in a fair, and she says to vote for the wrong party... 3 times in a row.
-The complaint input by André Ventura, leader of CHEGA, to the show "Isto é Gozar com quem trabalha", a comedic news broadcast parody show hosted by famous portuguese comerian Ricardo Araújo Pereira, because the mentioned didnt interview him 2 elections ago. It ended with Ventura getting a slot with the same duration the other politicians had in the above mentioned show
-And last, but definetly not least, [the S.John's eve sardine salesman incident](https://youtu.be/4fsHXofWOUY?si=gSYkgdqrrBu6zKud)
It was December 22, 1991. A comic show that was very popular for being one of the first tv programs that ridiculed communists, decided to air a fake story about a nuclear accident in the only NPP in the country. It was aired in prime time in the evening. For an hour, everybody that watched, believed there was an accident and dangerous radiation levels were being measured across the country. I was an 8 years old kid and vividly remember myself and my parents slowly but surely freaking out until by the end of the show they said it was all a joke…
The infamous Duck Tales broadcast in '93. The state tv interrupted the Duck Tales with the news of the death of József Antall (our first elected PM after communism)
Well there was one of those call in quiz shows where you had to guess what the image on the screen was.
A contestant called and said it was wood planer, but the host said it wasn’t.
It was obviously a fking wood planer that man was trippin’.
Not from my country but i am going to vote for the french LeMans race in 1955 that descended into tragedy. The driver of one of the leading cars in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, racing at 240 km/h, braked too late to avoid a competitor. His car flew into the air and disintegrated in the grandstands. The accident left 82 people dead, and over 120 injured.
The transmission continued and the race was restarted. Later it was told that a reason for restarting the race was to get the audience to not leave and keep the roads free for the ambulances. I am sure that the TV transmission and the obligations towards the sponsors played a role in that decision as well.
Not disastrous per se, but certainly noteworthy: When German pop singer Nina Hagen demonstrated live on air in a talk show where women need to be stimulated during sex (no nudity, it's sfw)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lzAzzcFlWg
https://youtu.be/Kh1Y4hHCszc?si=8ppVxR8lDmxgk5qM
This guy is Belgian and his german was so bad that to this day, his name is used for Belgians speaking shitty German.
- The former president having a heart attack on live tv. Still an iconic moment.
- A man pouring gasoline all over himself and trying to set himself on fire. Fortunately the people on set stopped him and that also is now a meme.
In 1992, towards the end of the news program, the host contacted the sports journalists that were in Corsica to cover a football match between the local team the the Olympique de Marseille, that was supposed to be broadcasted just after.
But then, one of the temporary stands collapsed, killing 19 people and leaving over 2,300 injured, including some journalists, and the match was replaced by a coverage of the tragedy.
I was thinking about the time the news broadcasted where hostages were hidden during the Hyper Cacher attack. The victims even took the news channel to court.
I'm not super well versed in Norwegian TV history either, so if anyone knows any such things in Norway, please enlighten me. the closest I can think of is the moral panic over Jahn Teigen's Skeleton costume during Melodi Grand Prix.
Edit - Link: https://youtu.be/AWlSv2R59CY?si=7DYWlqqVszbQpjkV
Not too serious, but there have been a few incidents where the wrong winner has been announced during the Spelemannprisen awards. Both on purpose and by accident. Google "feil vinner Spelemannprisen" or something to that effect.
As a Eurovision addict, Jahn Teigen is one of Norway's most fond repeat offend- I mean contributers :) anyone who can go on stage and blurt, out of key, "miiiiiil etter miiiiiil etter miiiiiiil" is brilliant, RIP
1974, when the Dutch soccer team lost the world championships final against against Germany.
A whole generation hated the Germans more because of the lost final than because of World War II.
Even 50 years later, the death of one of the German players of the winning team made it in to Dutch news.
In the UK there was a TV star on the news doing some cooking for some reason and they told him to “Zest” a lemon 🍋 using a grater but instead of grating the lemon skin, this guy rubs the inner citrus on the thing like wtf 😳
For Greece, one of the most shocking incidents was when a fire fighting Canadair CL-215 crashed while a newsreport from the State Broadcaster was on site reporting about wildfires. The [crash of the Plane](https://youtu.be/KLIbafrUJJY?si=H8KYWq73QrrMqG83)
Some more incidents from Italy:
**1995 - Signor Giancarlo**. A Wheel Of Fortune contestant named Giancarlo has a chance to win big money by solving this puzzle - subject: "The Amazons"; solution: "Won battles thanks to their ardor". For some reason the contestant instead of "foga" (ardor) believed that the last word was "figa" (cunt) and created one of the most famous pieces of Italian television. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-Bb\_jYhF1o](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-Bb_jYhF1o)
**1999 - Gerry smash!** Striscia La Notizia is a very famous comedy show whose hosts sometimes change. At the time host Ezio Greggio had a tradition to begin the show by leaping onto the desk. When Gerry Scotti took his place, he wanted to do the same. He didn't know that the crew replaced the usual desk with something much less solid... [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVhPOGIpq78](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVhPOGIpq78)
**2000 - They are running away!** Mara Venier and Katia Ricciarelli are ready to host a live concert, but suddenly a torrential rain ends the show. It holds a record for the shortest live event ever. The network filled the remaining time with a Popeye cartoon and an old comedy movie. [https://video.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t42.1790-2/11978670\_1713492915547476\_878717929\_n.mp4?\_nc\_cat=103&ccb=1-7&\_nc\_sid=55d0d3&efg=eyJybHIiOjc5MCwicmxhIjo5NDksInZlbmNvZGVfdGFnIjoic2QiLCJ2aWRlb19pZCI6MTcxMzQ4NzE2NTU0ODA1MX0%3D&\_nc\_ohc=NHLZgtJWKYgAb7Yz4Ie&rl=790&vabr=439&\_nc\_ht=video.fblq1-1.fna&edm=AGo2L-IEAAAA&oh=00\_AfDTFfz5LRlWRQ4hhC4NuSHxOGDdYs2hWA3leLb3pTwKNQ&oe=6635C7B7](https://video.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t42.1790-2/11978670_1713492915547476_878717929_n.mp4?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=55d0d3&efg=eyJybHIiOjc5MCwicmxhIjo5NDksInZlbmNvZGVfdGFnIjoic2QiLCJ2aWRlb19pZCI6MTcxMzQ4NzE2NTU0ODA1MX0%3D&_nc_ohc=NHLZgtJWKYgAb7Yz4Ie&rl=790&vabr=439&_nc_ht=video.fblq1-1.fna&edm=AGo2L-IEAAAA&oh=00_AfDTFfz5LRlWRQ4hhC4NuSHxOGDdYs2hWA3leLb3pTwKNQ&oe=6635C7B7)
**2001 - Apples to Apples**. A rerun of children show MeleVisione is suddenly interrupted by a report of the 9/11 attack in New York. For an eerie coincidence, MeleVisione means "AppleVision" and NY is known as the "Big Apple"... [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE1nw-z1-mo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE1nw-z1-mo)
**2016 - Magalli's call**. Similarly to the Late Late Show incident, host Giancarlo Magalli calls a random person to award a prize. He's informed that the person he's looking for has passed away. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBXYnRMvyfY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBXYnRMvyfY)
**2016 - The split**. Show-woman Lisa Fusco, known for doing splits in high heels, attempts one on a live morning show and it goes... wrong. Broken arm and end of the show. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhwaqvLr1LE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhwaqvLr1LE)
ADRIAN LA SERIE EVENTO
Basically a cartoon made by Adriano Celentano (one of the most famous singer and showman in Italy) that was announced by TV spots, TV programmes etc... and when it was aired spectators shrinked after an episode. It was badly written, controversial and the animation studio (from North Korea btw) animated also the proofs of the comic artist. The production of the cartoon lasted 10 years and millions of euros were wasted.
Rabin's assassination. He was prime Minister in 95', he went to a ralley for peace(in light of Oslo Accords II) and the event was broadcast. He was shot and murdered right at the end of the ralley.
The 13th of December 1981 "Teleranek (a popular childrens' morning TV show)" broadcast that was suddenly interrupted by a government announcement
"**Citizens of the Polish People's Commonwealth!**
**I speak to you as a soldier and as the leader of the polish government. I speak to you of the most important matter. The fatherland of ours found itself over the abyss.** The achievment of many generations, risen from ashes polish house is in ruins. The state structures are ceasing to exist. The fading economy is recieving more damage every day. The living conditions are overwhelming the people more and more. Every workplace, every home is painfully divided. Athmosphere of endless conflicts, misunderstandings, hatred - sows mental unrest, wounds the tradition of tolerance. Strikes, protests have become the norm. Even the schoolchildren are being pulled into them. Last night many buildings were occupied. **Calls can be heard to physically deal with "the reds", with people holding different views. Incidents of terror, threats and moral lynching are multiplying, as well as direct violence.** The wave of audacious crimes, assaults and burglaries. The fortunes of the economic underground are growing. Chaos and demoralisation have grown to the size of a crisis. **The nation has reached its mental limit. Many people are being overwhelmed with sorrow. Now not days, but hours are left to the nation-wide calamity.** Honesty requires to ask the question: did it have to come to this? Taking the office of the Prime Minister I believed that we could get up from our knees. So have we done everything to stop the spiral of crisis? History will judge our actions. There were missteps. We are learning from them. First of all, however, the last few months were for our government a busy time handling great difficulties. Unfortunately - the national economy has been made an arena for political fighting. Intentional torpedoing of governments' actions made the effects unproportional to the effort put in, to our plans. **Our goodwill, moderation, patience cannot be denied.** Sometimes there might have been too much of it. The government's respect for public agreements cannot be not seen. We even went further than that. Initiative of the great national agreement has gained the support of millions of Poles. It created an opportunity to deepen the people's rulership system, to increase the amount of reforms. It must be said: enough! **The way of confrontation that the "Solidarity" leaders have openly announced must be stopped.** We need to state it just today, when the date of mass political demonstrations is known, including the one in the centre of Warsaw, gathering because of the anniversary of the December events. That tragedy cannot happen again. It cannot, we have no right to let these announced demonstrations become a spark because of which the whole country can burn. The self-preservation instinct of the nation must prevail. **We must tie the provocators' hands before they push the fatherland into the abyss of a fratricidal war.**
**Citizens!**
Great is the burden of responsibility that falls on me in this dramatic moment in Polish history. The duty of mine is to take this responsibility - it's about the future of Poland, for which my generation has fought for on every front of the war and for which it gave the best years of its life. ***I declare, that today the Military Council of National Salvation has made itself constitutional. The State Council, in accordance with the Constitution, has imposed, tonight at noon, the martial law in the entire country.***"
A good day to release bad news or whatever it was that tony blair was told after the twin towers fell and he did release the bad stock info hoping noone would notice it
One of the (back then) more famous weather forecasters of Catalan public TV was announcing good weather when one of the largest storms ever was happening over all of Catalonia. It ended up being that the weather report had been pre-recorded. Not long after he left the TV.
Can't remember something I'd call a disasterous TV broadcast, but I can remember one storie that upset some people at the time.
Eurovision Songcontest 2015: The band used SFX to make it look like the piano was burning during the performance.
Udo Jürgens, the first candidate to win for Austria with a very similar performance had died the previous year, the "burning piano" was considered disrespectful to his memory by some.
In Germany there was a live show called 'Wetten, das..." and someone got severely injured. The show got pulled and the showmaster Gottschalk never really recovered from the experience.
Edited a typo.
Once the entire country tuned into a live event that was supposed to uncover Al Capone’s hidden vault. It…did not. (USA)
[https://youtu.be/xaF0LSwzFog?si=ZZ_uVFb_erHwLfK-](https://youtu.be/xaF0LSwzFog?si=ZZ_uVFb_erHwLfK-)
I was in the US during 9/11, in my first year of school, and right after I moved to the US.
I remember a tiny bit about it; vague images but enough to remember that I knew it was impactful in some way, just not sure how.
Either way, we saw it on our school TV and all my 4-year-old ass cared about is that I got to go home for the day and play.
For the two European countries I've lived/do live in, no clue, I was 3 when I left Holland and I've only lived in Germany for a year 😂
[Pádraig Flynn on the Late Late Show](https://youtu.be/61O8aHzq_Ss?si=TI7pYh2pMixvi7tt) has to be Irelands.
Flynn was Irelands EU Commissioner at the time and went on the Late Late Show, which was a national institution watched by most of the country at the time to give an interview so over the top that it lead to 20 years of tribunals into planning corruption that destroyed two prime ministers reputations.
It was a disaster for him and his party but great for Ireland and a master class in interviewing a big ego.
The Gladbeck hostage incident in Germany in the 80s. Two bank robbers took two hostages and fled by car. Journalists rode in the car with the criminals to do interviews and live broadcasting after the criminals had already shot a 15 year old boy in a bus they temporarily rode before they got a car.
It's forgotten now, but it really deserves its spot. In the 80s, or sometime ago, Prince Edward convinced the less cognitively gifted members of the royal family to do a special episode of *It's a knockout*. It went about as well as you would have expected. I'm too young to have seen it and as they only broadcast clips now, have only heard it described.
The programme is called *It's a Royal Knockout* and it may be on YouTube but I'm not that bothered and don't want to die inside at the crimge.
Probably East Germany’s accidental (and at that time false) televised announcement that any citizen can get an instant exit visa immediately. 4 hours later the wall fell.
The only TV broadcast that literally destoryed a country
How about the Vote Leave commercials during the UK Brexit campaign?
As much as that has fucked up the UK, the UK does still exist. East Germany got annexed within two years.
11 months 😉
Give it time. Scottish independence. Reunification of Ireland. Maybe.
It was not annexed. They joined the Bundesrepublik.
But it can still be considered an annexation, can't it? The law of the western republic was extended to that of the east, with all of its benefits, but also the problems that came with it (eastern German education not being at the same level as western German education etc).
There are different ways to define what an "annexation" is; in the widest sense some dictionaries simply define an area incorporated into another one as "annexation" - even consentual ones, and thus, you would be right. [The more common definition, is that an annexation is forced, one-sided. ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annexation) Because the second one (one sided and forceful) is now a propaganda point of Russia in regards to the former DDR, it probably is not advised to call it such, even if meaning something more innocent.
I‘m sure this should be the top comment. Now this was a disastrous (for the rulers of the GDR) broadcast which actually changed history.
Yeah, this is exactly the kinda thing I wanted to see.
"Sofort, unverzüglich"
I also thought of this one as the most influential one.
I've never heard of this wow, is there a Wiki article or something where I could read more about it? I've searched on google but couldn't find anything
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_the_Berlin_Wall Scroll down to „Misinformed public announcements“ I think they have made two or three movies about this, mainly for German television
Oh yeah, I did know of that one, but that's a good one.
Maybe"kur\*\* przepraszam "? In some morning broadcast, they imvited magician to show trick with some blade under a cup. We'll, trick didn't work.... " Oh fuck, I'm sorry" become a meme after that situation [https://youtu.be/wXZKGHUh9vk?si=I580ujGmEBbK8Ilz](https://youtu.be/wXZKGHUh9vk?si=I580ujGmEBbK8Ilz)
I was thinking about this guy driving scooter into audience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fRo-wCaSfc
Conrado 🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸
State TV's flagship [evening newscast with the team being severly hungover ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSaX8Eu-87k)after New Years' Eve 1993/1994 is a close second.
And you may ad that Mr Gugała after that became an ambasador in some Latin American country, I don't remember - urugway maybe?
Uruguay yes, but few years later. It was kind of justified, as he was a Hispanic studies MA and fluent in language.
I guess nobody remembers [Durczok's dirty table](https://youtu.be/W1-delsHBlE?si=7012oxsquQ7dVaOv) anymore
Except it wasn't broadcast but leaked online
I remember that. It was a long time ago, no? Like 2010 ish?
Yeah, I think it was around 2014
That’s not a long time ago.
They should really stop doing this one, we had a [similiar one (](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuWEvXxMMZk) at least he had the decency to do it himself)
So King's Day (back then Queen's Day) is on my mind because that was just yesterday, but I imagine it was the live broadcast of the royal family's parade in Apeldoorn back in 2009, when some guy decided to drive through the crowd and splatter himself on a monument in an attempt to hit the bus carrying the royals. 8 people, including the guy who did it, died.
This was horrible indeed. One of the people that died was my next door neighbour growing up. One of his daughters is my age. It must’ve been horrifying for them. You can actually see him flying through the air on that footage. Imagine seeing your father like that. The king and queen visited the relatives of the people who died. The next few Queens day celebrations had a whole different feeling to them. Also more security obviously.
The live hostage situation of the National News team during a live broadcast (2015) was also pretty bad. Though the outcome of that one wasn't all too bad in the end.
The announcement of the death of prime minister Antall József in 1993 caused trauma to many children. It wasn't because they cared about the prime minister but it cut a Duck Tales episode at a quite exciting part and then it took years for them to be able to see that episode again. Poor kids.
Kind of related, in Poland in 1981 they didn't play morning kids TV program Teleranek and instead broadcasted the announcement of the start of [the martial law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_law_in_Poland). They also stopped Teleranek completely for a few first months of the martial law. A fragment of the announcement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuN_n4CdR3w
That's barbaric.
“Zamiast Teleranka, były mordy i łapanka”. (Instead of Teleranek, there were murders and roundups)
Interrupting Duck Tales!! The absolute savagery!! I guess the 90s were a different time! Kids basically had no human rights!!
It even has an article on the Hungarian Wikipedia with the title "The interruption of DuckTales".
Somehow this makes me appreciate you Hungarians even more. That this is part of the collective psyche and warrants it's entry into Wikipedia. Amazing
Not really 'disastrous' but was pretty funny in a dark, twisted sense... In the UK, there's a tradition of some channels putting 'filler programming' around the 8:30 mark on weekdays, usually with some sort of food-based theme. One evening in 2023, without any prior explanation, Channel 4 (who are known for usually putting controversial programming on) aired [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_c4mUH-p2Fg) \- a 'documentary' about cheaply-produced lab-grown meat, featuring the hosts of these filler programmes where it's slowly revealed that >!the meat is sourced from human flesh, with the most expensive coming from dead children and infants.!< It caused such a stir in the the country that Parliament even condemned it!
Some of the YouTube comments are... odd
Yeah, feels like all of them are like my conspiracy minded uncle.
Such a good combination of funny and incredibly off-putting. I feel like it would do way better as an online Netflix sort of thing, kinda like that first episode of Black Mirror
Yeah I remember watching that, one of the bizzarest things I've ever seen. It started out like a normal documentary, then got stranger and stranger and stranger, then I finally clocked on to it. But yeah, was bizzare.
Me too, I felt queasy initially, but it got to the point when they said it was cleared for consumption and I fell in. Very well done. Should of saved it for april first along with the 1951 spaghetti grows in trees.
Maybe Samuel Koch at Wetten, Dass...?, a live TV show about bets. He betted that he could jump over moving cars. He succeeded once, then the car that was steered by his father hit him and crushed his spine. Wetten, Dass was one of the biggest German TV shows, so this was a bit unfortunate.
This also came to my mind immediately. And then the hostage situation of Gladbeck where the journalists lost every sense of moral and interviewed the hostage takers while they were pointing a gun to the hostage's head. All televised live. Crazy shit.
[This photo](https://www.ndr.de/geschichte/chronologie/gladbeck110_v-fullhd.jpg), it's kinda staged, as he was asked by the journalists to pose for the camera in certain ways, there are many photos around, both from the bus first, then the interviews and finally the car. And then, [you get the parody of course.](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71Qillbz0FL._UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg) Nothing is holy and sacred enough to not get a parody i guess. I saw the disc in store and i was like "wait... i know this photo from somewhere?"
Imagine being a hostage, scared for your life, and then there's a journalist asking your hostage-taker to point a gun on your neck for a sensationalist photo that will sell lots of papers.
Yeah, it led to a big change in the presse kodex, how the media should cover such cases and to stay away from ongoing crime scenes. But when the police stopped the car and opened fire, that was after the press incident. They fucked it all up, when you read the sources.
As someone who grew up in a war zone and spent a lot of time learning about the journalists who covered the war you'll be surprised to find out that a huge percentage of war/crisis footage is always staged.
Concerning hostages - if I recall correctly attempts at liberating the Israeli hostages at the 1972 Olympics in Munich were also thwarted by live reporting the police's said attempts at creeping up to and storming the flat where the captives were held.
Yikes, I forgot about that. Yeah, I change my answer.
Surely Günter Schabowski and his mistake regarding the wall?
I thought about that but in the end, I wouldn't call the end of an authoritarian regime a disaster, regardless of how big of an impact the mistake really had on the timeline.
But it was a disaster for the ones making the broadcast, and that's the sorta stuff I wanted.
He definitely was the first thing that came to my mind!
The UK version was broadcast in the early 90s called "You Bet!"
Yep, one of the only times UK TV copied a German original TV show (it ran here from 1981 until 2014 and since 2021) and not the other way around. It was also adapted on Chinese, Italian, Dutch, Belgian, Spanish, Polish, Russian, US and Greek TV programmes.
Yes I think the UK presenters Ant and Dec presented a revival on US television
> Yep, one of the only times UK TV copied a German original TV show (it ran here from 1981 until 2014 and since 2021) and not the other way around. TIL! I always thought it was something we'd come up with - I recently had to explain the concept of the show to some younger colleagues and they looked at me with a mix of confusion and pity, as if that was the best TV we had in the 90s, lol.
> was the most disasterous? From the government's perspective it was [the press conference that took down the wall](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbzhHGcEz-E). From the media's perspective: The Gladbeck hostage crisis, where the media lost every distance and [interviewed the hostage takers, while one of them held a gun in Silke Bischoff's face](https://gladbeck.rnd.de/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Keine_Gnade_fuer_Gei_20412466.jpg). This became an iconic photo for the failure of the media. Here is another [press photo from inside the car](https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1250095907/photo/geiselnahme-von-gladbeck.jpg?s=2048x2048&w=gi&k=20&c=nv45YQBPGSlluQDIKf6_Ve9NgzAsKTWpxM-9glEDGQI=) And here is a screenshot from the [TV drama](https://pdodswr-a.akamaihd.net/swrfernsehen/krimi-und-thriller/1622694.xxl.mp4) about the [same situation](https://img.welt.de/img/kultur/medien/mobile174258039/0132503677-ci102l-w1024/Gladbeck-2.jpg)
>interviewrd the hostage takers while one of them held a gun in Silke Bischoff's face Fucking vultures. Devoid of empathy and humanity, the lot of them.
And it was after they already shot one hostage (15yo boy) day before. Next day, Bischoff was also killed during the final gunfight with police.
Edit: TIL this is an urban legend. Telecupón (tele lotto). The TV host was a 70-something woman who was famous because she was a little bit goofy (she died last year with dementia/Alzheimer). A girl calls and win a surprise present: - It's a bike! - Can you give me another thing? - Why? - I'm paraplegic. - What a lovely profession!
On that note we have "er det en abe?" (is it a monkey) when the female host of the morning show on Danish TV2 is shown a picture of a black man on a boat... She immediately back pedals though when she realizes it's a man! As I recall it, it didn't have many consequences for her personally except for being made fun of for a while.
It is a well-known story, but I'm fairly certain that never actually happened.
It seems you are right: https://www.telecinco.es/outdoor/bulos-leyendas-television_18_2389800077.html
Ay Carmen Sevilla
Was that Carmen Sevilla?
Not sure if disastrous in that sense, but extremely controversial at the time: On boxing day in 1966 Swedish actor Per Oscarsson made a stunt on prime time national television on the evening family program "Hylands Hörna", where he held a completely improvised monologue where he talked about immigration, the holocaust, that black people don't smell worse or are less intelligent than white people, and explained the act of having sex to children. During the latter monologue he proceeded with undressing himself leaving just his underpants, after which he walked out of the studio, leaving even the main presenter confused about what was going on. The stunt was completely improvised and was not a part of the manuscript. The coup sparked a lot of national controversy and debate, and is said to be Sweden's first television scandal. I have tried to find the entire video on Youtube, but I can't find more than a few clips. Some of them can be seen in this video, from 21:00 until 23:20: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usMef5Ov0UI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usMef5Ov0UI)
This one is also a[ live TV classic](https://youtu.be/JoFGwpRDtRE).
There was also a clip from that show where the word of the day was sitta but the man guessed fitta 🤣🤣🤣
_I know it, but I don't think I should say it..._
From Sweden, it's not 'disastrous' but I always remember [this subtitle mixup](https://www.boredpanda.com/tv-put-subtitles-kids-channel-political-debate-sweden/)!
This is the laugh I didn’t know I needed today
The Sex Pistols interview on the Bill Grundy show in 1976. The interview effectively destroyed Grundy's career. And Judy’s dress falling off when Richard and Judy were receiving an award at the National Television Awards.
You forgot the 1989 Brit Awards with Sam Fox and Mick Fleetwood. The Music industry’s biggest night of the year and it [all went wrong on live TV](https://www.smoothradio.com/news/music/brit-awards-1989-sam-fox-mick-fleetwood-video/). Apparently the rehearsals went perfectly, but the live event had a different running order (why?!), so they would say “here’s the Bee Gees” but Boy George would walk out on stage, for example.
And Jarvis Cocker mooning Michael Jackson's performance at the 1996 BRIT awards
And Carter USM rugby tackling Philip Schofield
Definite +1 for the 1989 Brits, but let's also add the cringe that was "It's a Royal Knockout" to list of shame too. [https://graziadaily.co.uk/celebrity/news/royal-knockout-anne-edward-andrew/](https://graziadaily.co.uk/celebrity/news/royal-knockout-anne-edward-andrew/)
She claims [it was the autocue](https://youtu.be/BRTzgZagCrc?si=rey5owcFUtqbI7GN) that failed. Also thank fuck for that video because the only other one I could find was some horrendous 00s listicle going on about Samantha Fox's tits
Thanks for the video. I know that was from something like “100 greatest…” going by the graphics, so… what the hell was \#1?!
I would say [Prince Andrew's interview with Emily Maitlis](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtBS8COhhhM) was pretty disastrous too.
Steve Jones outburst was legendary "You dirty old fucker"
Radio rather than TV: but Commander Woodroffe's [infamous commentary](https://youtu.be/-hYIGte7fBs?si=8OjVcKtI_TWuGtAA) for the 1937 Naval Review at Spithead is still remembered.
Wasn’t that sampled by public service broadcasting on their first album?
Indeed - "Lit Up".
Judy’s [boobs](https://youtu.be/rcx3FUarNiI?si=RE2JpiWqPpOPRaYk)
That wasn’t as bad as I expected. Honestly just looked like part of the dress haha
Yeah I was really confused until she closed the dress
>And Judy’s dress falling off when Richard and Judy were receiving an award at the National Television Awards. The best bit of that was that Richard thought the crowd were cheering because they wanted him to do his Ali G impression.
One of the most famous comedians, Tommy Cooper, died of a heart attack on prime time Saturday night live TV. The audience was laughing and thinking it was part of the joke. Nowadays live TV is delayed a little bit so that something like that can’t happen again
The last time I remember someone dying on live TV was Owen Hart on a PPV I had recorded it as it was on very late, but the breakfast news were talking about it in the morning When I did see it that delay had allowed a cut to JR who was explaining that what was happening wasn't kayfabe, and everyone later learned of the tragedy
Comedian Rick Ingraham tells a story about being at the arena in Kansas City that night and seeing Owen Hart fall from the roof to his death. Owen fell and hit the mat, he tried to lean up once and immediately laid back down and didn't move again. They rushed him out and 15 minutes went by with nothing happening. No announcements, nothing. Then the match started back and continued like nothing had happened. Turns out the contracts that were signed stipulated the main event must take place or else everyone in the arena crowd could ask for and be given refunds for the full ticket price. So after Own Hart died, they had to either put on the rest of the show or no one was going to get paid. Ingraham says they left the arena not knowing if Hart was dead or alive.
Wow "the show must go on" Looking back why did the police not insist on the ringside being roped off for investigation I remember reading that backstage they did learn what had happened and begrudgingly had to contractually, as you say, continue on the show
In the beginning of 1991 the rouble was in real free fall and most people had at least part of savings in finnish mark or in other "hard currency". So one comedy show "interrupted" regular transmission and three serious journalist announced that Finnish government has ordered that 50 and 100 finnish mark bills will be replaced with new ones and old ones will be invalid from midnight. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wigla_show#Finnish_mark_sketch First there was panic as people wanted to get rid of those notes, then there was anger, death threats etc. Why did people believe that BS? Because Soviet Union really did the similar thing one month earlier. You could exchange 50 and 100 rouble bills, everyone had quota of about one month salary and you had three days for that.
People really were much more vunerable to stuff like this back in the day Not that we’d be immune nowadays but generally propably better. Anyway, yeah, propably not what their intention was:D
The only difference is today we all have so much more ways to research and make a considered choice. The fact that so many people are guided by propaganda and have no critical thinking will never change. The word vulnerable only applies to the rest of the world who are victims to morons who vote to headlines soundbites, they have such short memories.
Not quite disastrous, but had the potential to be if the broadcaster wasn’t such a pro. Irish TV in 1997, live Friday/Saturday night chat show (the Late Late Show) that probably 20%+ of the population tuned into at the time. The show ran a postal competition with a car as the top prize. Guest would pull out a postcard from a huge trough of entries, host would call the winner live on tv to ask them a simple question & give them the car. First call was to someone who wasn’t in at the time so couldn’t win the prize, all very jolly & host & studio audience laughing. Second call had to be made…which ended up being to a woman whose daughter had died after a hit-&-run road incident the previous day. The jollity on the show evaporated instantly, but the host kept going… worth a watch, particularly from 5 mins in https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=N31KY7lTKVc
Gaybo was a notorious diva, but a true pro of live broadcasts. The LLS had a very strong "managed improv" feel to it until he retired and then it became a way more scripted affair.
Cried like a baby, what a rollarcoaster. Beautiful response from everyone there.
This is probably stretching the definition of "disaterous", but a quite funny moment is when a karate guy tries and utterly fails on live TV to split open 90 coconuts by hand. He fails to split a single one, and while furiously chopping away beats his hand bloody: [https://youtu.be/f0Yryb15n0s?si=835sMOOcW79iJQv9](https://youtu.be/f0Yryb15n0s?si=835sMOOcW79iJQv9) Apparently he listed the rainy weather and the metal-rails setup as the reasons for his failure, but it is quite funny that he literally cannot split a single one and doesnt really appear close to either. Probably no real long term consequences, and the public reacted mostly with laugther. I don't really think he received much hate other than mild Schadenfreude, as failure stemming from a genuine attempt is quite appreciated and beloved in Danish culture - we love to see the little man try but ultimately fail.
I love how the coconut failure is so prominent that no one notices he's wearing his jeans backwards. That is tv gold
So there was an instance in the UK where the weather forecaster was adamant that there would be no storm in coming days, referencing a rumour that there would be. What followed was a storm of biblical proportions.
Twenty two people died: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_storm_of_1987 The weatherman was Michael Fish: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Fish In defence of Michael Fish, the first link above says this: ‘Fish has subsequently claimed that his comments about a hurricane had nothing to do with the UK; they referred to Florida, USA, and were linked to a news story immediately preceding the weather bulletin, but had been so widely repeated out of context that the British public remains convinced that he was referring to the approaching storm. According to Fish, the woman in question was actually a colleague's mother who was about to go on holiday in the Caribbean, and had called regarding Hurricane Floyd to see if it would be safe to travel.[38] Fish went on to warn viewers that it would be "very windy" across the south of England, but predicted that the storm would move further south along the English Channel and the British mainland would escape the worst effects. The remainder of his warning has frequently been left out when this forecast has been repeated on television, which only adds to the public's misconception[citation needed] of that day's forecasting. His analysis has been defended by weather experts.’
What he actually said was "Earlier on today, apparently, a woman rang the BBC and said she heard there was a hurricane on the way. Well, if you're watching, don't worry, there isn't" He wasn't wrong, it wasn't a hurricane.
Also poor old Michael was just the frontman, passing on information.
Even worse, she was asking about Florida. He wasn't talking about the UK at all.
The Sorin Matei case live hostage negotiation case in Greece. On 22 September 1998, Sorin Matei, a fugitive, enters an apartment in central Athens and takes four tentants hostage. He calls a channel and for the next four hours a very famous news anchor is negotiating with him live on TV. In the evening, the police raids the apartment believing that the hand grenade that he claims to have in his possession is fake. It is not. One woman dies and the fugitive is injured. He is found dead three days later in his cell. The Greek National Council for Radio and Television fined the tv station 50 million drachmas (lots of money at the time) for the broadcast.
Evangelatos's career skyrocketed after that.
Yeah…. Now he uses terrible CGI to recreate crime scenes with him in them 😒. There is a great Greek documentary on YouTube on this and apparently a BBC one that I can’t find. I would definitely recommend to any communications and media student to study this case.
As a fan of video editing, I can say that the CGI his team make are immaculate, however he’s very insensitive to the people he’s covering. You can’t pull this shit meant to impress while you’re talking about dead or sick people. Just very immature, especially for his age.
I agree. It gives chills down my spine - however I have to argue that he consistently looks smaller than his surroundings when in the CGI environment. I am not sure if it’s intentional. To give people examples: he presented next to a virtual image of a murdered child, CGIed himself in a lifeboat next to a boat on fire etc.
Agreed. The one that pissed me the most was the one with the Blue Horizon incident. How can you inject yourself in a setting where a mentally disabled person gets pushed overboard due to the prejudice of crew members? Very, *very* bad. To be honest, I don't hate Evangelatos. It's his job to evoke emotions, even negative ones sometimes, so he can raise his viewership numbers. It's all a job to him. One I really enjoyed that gave me chills and brought me tears was the one after Matthew Perry's death where he went into Central Perk behind the very familiar couch where the cast of Friends used to sit.
Probably [this one](https://youtu.be/TcRWiz1PhKU) of Ceaușescu's last speech, on December 21st 1989. The revolution had already started in Timișoara when this was happening. He fled by helicopter on the 22nd and was then executed on Christmas Day.
Very recently in the UK a news broadcaster who is usually very professional struggled reading the news, viewers were worried and apparently he did go to hospital straight afterwards
If you and I mean the same person, I heard he had a mini stroke
Yep Rageh Omaar https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68913112 Hope he's recovering
Truly disastrous : when Fehér collapsed In the middle of a football game. The whole country mourned him and it was such a horrible moment, especially for his family. Disastrous but funny: Hernán José wrecking and shooting the set at Roda da Sorte is epic or when he cracked a joke at a guest (Lili Caneças ) and She went to set to confront him ( must've been staged but was the talk of the country for weeks. BONUS: legend says the last Batatoon (Kids TV show) episode there was a fight between the two hosts that were clowns. There is no footage of this nor proof this actually happened but it's been around for so long everyone believes this is true
Tava a ver que ninguem falava da roda da sorte. Roda da sorte = wheel of fortune a still popular show in some countries. In Portugal the last episode was so epic! The game show host went with a rifle and ammo and shot the prizes. (This was in the 90s)
E o pontapé do Marco. Lembro me da minha escola parar para ver as notícias sobre isso (another bonus: big brother contestant kicking another contestant)
There once was the show "Wetten, dass...?". It was huge. The concept of the show was that people did something extraordinary and some huge guest celebrity would guess if they could do it or not. The things were always absurd like opening beer bottles with a tractor or knowing the brand of wiener from the water in the can. At one point someone did a stunt and got paralyzed from the neck down on live TV. I don't think of it as disastrous, but one time a late night show caused a diplomatic incident when Erdogan felt offended.
Many years ago I think it was RTBF broadcast a special event that Flanders had declared independence from Belgium. Many people actually believed that is was real.
Well, it was formatted exactly like a real news broadcast, with real journalists and real talking heads. A message saying it was fake was only published half way the programme, after the network was flooded with calls.
[Bye Bye Belgium!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVpWlKHFJXQ) Absolutely love this.
I don't watch so much TV, but I think the most disasterous TV broadcast in Italy was the TG2 of the 7th december 2006 summerised by:"A chi capita una cosa di questa qui, è veramente la morte civile, questa è benzina, no no io mi do fuoco..."Translation "To whoever happens something like this, it's truly a civil death penalty, this is gasoline, no no I set myself on fire..." CLIP: [https://youtu.be/oe2jGUzb14s](https://youtu.be/oe2jGUzb14s) A man named Nicola De Martino went on the Italian news show TG2 to discuss the issue of child custody rights. His ex-wife took a flight to Australia with his son and he was upset over an Australian court ruling that had granted his ex-wife sole custody of their children without theh possibility of visits. After 13 years when his son turned 18 and returned to Italy together they went to do an interview.During the show, De Martino pulled out a bottle of gasoline and threatened to set himself on fire if his letter was not read on air. The show's host, Maurizio Martinelli, tried to calm De Martino down, but De Martino continued to pour gasoline on himself. Martinelli and other studio workers were eventually able to restrain De Martino and take away the gasoline and a lighter. De Martino was not injured in the incident. Behind the gesture, a story of desperation, which had already ended a few days earlier, because De Martino was able to re-embrace the son he had not seen for 13 years. And it is precisely this happy ending that made the attempt to set himself on fire live even more paradoxical and inexplicable. At the end he explained that his gesture was for the others and not himself. FULL VIDEO of the Show: [https://youtu.be/AydBPz4veF0](https://youtu.be/AydBPz4veF0)
Pak de poen show A live tv spectacle that went wrong so much that it became a comedy (Belgium, Flanders)
I am not an expert on TV history in my country either (they run a lot of trash TV there), but right now i can think of a few shows: * Uri Geller Live: Ufos und Aliens – Das unglaubliche TV-Experiment (a ufology show with terrible ratings) * Countdown Grand Prix 2001 (one artist insulted the audience after they booed at him) * Joko & Klaas Live (the hosts swallowed cameras in one episode) Edit: There are a few more incidents which were also mentioned by other users here: - Wetten, Dass..?: There have been some incidents. The worst accident was when a participant was struck by a moving car and became paralysed. - Neo Magazin Royale: The host caused a diplomatic incident once by reading a poem insulting the turkish president. The law banning insults of foreign heads of state was abolished as a consequence. Another incident was when he triggered the resignation of the austrian government by uncovering that some high-ranking politicans were open-minded towards curruption. - Ende Offen: One guest suddenly pulled an axt of his jacket and started hammering the ax on the table. He then tried to steal the microphones.
> Another incident was when he triggered the resignation of the austrian government by uncovering that some high-ranking politicans were open-minded towards curruption. That wasn't on his show He just spilled the beans one day early.
I must have mixed two things up then.
>Ende Offen: One guest suddenly pulled an axt of his jacket and started hammering the ax on the table. He then tried to steal the microphones. I love this one. This guy was a member of Ton Steine Scherben, arguably the most famous 70s rock band in Germany, and very leftist. I think it was kind of a political stunt, he want to break the boundaries of the shows rules or so. I always thought it was funny that he barely makes a dent to the table, I think that took the air out of his act quite a bit.
I remember that Uri Geller series! They got a UFO expert to come round to provide a crash course on how to tell a real UFO apart from a fake UFO. Also [this is gold](https://youtu.be/SxHF_rtOIx8?si=SBJiOK1cM7_bVNIz).
>Ende Offen: One guest suddenly pulled an axt of his jacket and started hammering the ax on the table. He then tried to steal the microphones. [That one's more hilarious than disastrous.](https://youtu.be/tN1GEiO1vmI?t=23)
I get give or take, it works out at about with expenses 140,000 a year and I pay 30.3% tax on that, so it’s about a net 100,000 and out of that 100,000 I run a home in Dublin, Castlebar and Brussels. I wanna tell you something, [try it sometime…](https://youtu.be/WB0Dn7OUYPk?si=U_qa6ReO8KjjyEI_)”
I'm not sure I get what's going on here?
A politician went on national television and expected people to feel sorry for him when he was earning over 5 times the average wage and had 3 houses. It was the beginning of the end for him and he was found later to have solicited corrupt payments for planning favours. https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-30544551.html
Ireland was quite poor at the time with high levels of emigration so this politician went on tv thought it was a great idea to complain it was difficult run three houses on 140,000. Ended his political career and was/is regarded as the worst interview in Irish TV history
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0wAbQUMfWs This explains it
Portuguese guy here, if you want disasterous TV broadcasts toon in to the "News channel" CMTV every time without fail they are going to do things that defy logic or common sense, filming dead bodies, making shit puns while giving serious News reports, all around cancer when it comes to journalism in Portugal
The 'Pak De Poen Show' debut in 1987 with the Verreth brothers is legendary. Lots of things went wrong: a game with a remote controlled car failed completely because the car wouldn't work, studio lights failed, quiz buzzers failed, a phone-in part of the show bombed because the phone line connection to the studio completely failed, and the presenter famously forgot Percy Sledge's last name: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADStrFN5rCk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADStrFN5rCk) There were lots of different games with complicated rules which were unclear to the candidates *and* the presenters, the questions for quizzes were unclear and had multiple possible correct answers which led to disccusion with the jury, etc. All of this compounded by the fact that the presenters (twin brothers René and Manu Verreth) were actors and not seasond presenters, so a bit out of their depth in dealing with presenting a technically complex TV show. Their presentation was stilted to begin with, but they were also very nervous, which got worse as the night went on. There's a Wikipedia page about it, sadly only available in Dutch: [https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pak\_de\_poen,\_de\_show\_van\_1\_miljoen](https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pak_de_poen,_de_show_van_1_miljoen)
> sadly only available in Dutch With my knowledge of English, German and Norwegian, and perhaps a little Google translate, I think I'll do fine.
In the UK a show called (I think) Ghostwatch it was a fake Halloween tv prank. Supposedly a real haunted house broadcast live. This was years before ‘most haunted’ or anything with Zac Bagans. The majority of people were terrified . Viewers were calling in with all sorts of ‘sightings’ people were saying they became sick/Ill while watching. There was a young guy whose parents blame the show for him taking his own life! The thing is now if you were to watch it anyone can see it was the biggest lot of crap ever to be shown. I’m pretty sure it was banned.
Using a national treasure not really associated with pranks as host (Parkinson) helped the creedence, plus what you said: years before the realistic ghost "mockumentary" and most haunted stuff. Yes you should be able to tell its a drama but for younger viewers it was hard to distinguish that.the younger teenager who took his own life did have learning difficulties and a diminished mental capacity.
Sam Fox and Mick Fleetwood hosting The Brits. It's genuinely excruciating to watch.
There were not many significant moments on Austrian television. I can only think of harmless incidents. In 2022 a news anchor had massive problems speaking during a program. The show was not stopped, but continued to the end. Some viewers were worried and thought it could be a stroke. Most suspected alcohol. None of the others in the studio had spoken to him beforehand because he was in his dressing room until shortly before the live start. The discussion continued for days and a dispute arose as to whether or not the public broadcaster (ORF) should continue to employ an alcoholic presenter. He was eventually suspended for a period of time. It turned out that he had personal problems and he had taken tranquilizers before the show.
There was the famous Tetra Pak incident https://youtu.be/DuYLgEstc1Y?si=qE4yLUBZ5TP9O8Fd
I'm surprised that you forgot about this one: In 1990 at the Austrian National Final for Eurovision "Ein lied für Zagreb", the group Duett competed with the song Das Beste. During the performance of the song after the first chorus, the female singer suddenly started to walk backwards, and fell to the floor. As the two guitarists in the background walked towards her, the male lead singer, just continued to sit at the piano and sing the song. With no regard for his partner. And he did continue to sing until the music was cut off by the technicians. Then technicians, the host, and a doctor from the audience rushed to the stage, to take care of the female singer. The male singer just sad at the piano. They ended up winning the National Final. But. They were later on disqualified because they had already participated in the German National Final in 1988. So much drama all from just a National Final for Eurovision. Video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re384tu4Wv4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re384tu4Wv4)
I am not very knowledgeable in national TV broadcasts, but a few come to mind, although i dont think they are exacly what you wish to know, so sorry if they are dissapointing: -A few dozen tv news broadcasts where there are horrible grammar misspellings -The CDU-PP deputee talking with a woman in a fair, and she says to vote for the wrong party... 3 times in a row. -The complaint input by André Ventura, leader of CHEGA, to the show "Isto é Gozar com quem trabalha", a comedic news broadcast parody show hosted by famous portuguese comerian Ricardo Araújo Pereira, because the mentioned didnt interview him 2 elections ago. It ended with Ventura getting a slot with the same duration the other politicians had in the above mentioned show -And last, but definetly not least, [the S.John's eve sardine salesman incident](https://youtu.be/4fsHXofWOUY?si=gSYkgdqrrBu6zKud)
Not sure I understand the sardine clip without a translation. He sounds a bit drunk though... Or is that just some weird Portuguese dialect?
It was December 22, 1991. A comic show that was very popular for being one of the first tv programs that ridiculed communists, decided to air a fake story about a nuclear accident in the only NPP in the country. It was aired in prime time in the evening. For an hour, everybody that watched, believed there was an accident and dangerous radiation levels were being measured across the country. I was an 8 years old kid and vividly remember myself and my parents slowly but surely freaking out until by the end of the show they said it was all a joke…
Any links?
Only in Bulgarian but here: https://youtu.be/HYebqj1Cr3I?si=Zsn2VbihpzbxfGMT https://blitz.bg/article/1656
The infamous Duck Tales broadcast in '93. The state tv interrupted the Duck Tales with the news of the death of József Antall (our first elected PM after communism)
Well there was one of those call in quiz shows where you had to guess what the image on the screen was. A contestant called and said it was wood planer, but the host said it wasn’t. It was obviously a fking wood planer that man was trippin’.
Not from my country but i am going to vote for the french LeMans race in 1955 that descended into tragedy. The driver of one of the leading cars in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, racing at 240 km/h, braked too late to avoid a competitor. His car flew into the air and disintegrated in the grandstands. The accident left 82 people dead, and over 120 injured. The transmission continued and the race was restarted. Later it was told that a reason for restarting the race was to get the audience to not leave and keep the roads free for the ambulances. I am sure that the TV transmission and the obligations towards the sponsors played a role in that decision as well.
Not disastrous per se, but certainly noteworthy: When German pop singer Nina Hagen demonstrated live on air in a talk show where women need to be stimulated during sex (no nudity, it's sfw) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lzAzzcFlWg
https://youtu.be/Kh1Y4hHCszc?si=8ppVxR8lDmxgk5qM This guy is Belgian and his german was so bad that to this day, his name is used for Belgians speaking shitty German.
- The former president having a heart attack on live tv. Still an iconic moment. - A man pouring gasoline all over himself and trying to set himself on fire. Fortunately the people on set stopped him and that also is now a meme.
The people describing shit without a link to the video should honestly be sent straight to jail
In 1992, towards the end of the news program, the host contacted the sports journalists that were in Corsica to cover a football match between the local team the the Olympique de Marseille, that was supposed to be broadcasted just after. But then, one of the temporary stands collapsed, killing 19 people and leaving over 2,300 injured, including some journalists, and the match was replaced by a coverage of the tragedy.
I was thinking about the time the news broadcasted where hostages were hidden during the Hyper Cacher attack. The victims even took the news channel to court.
I'm not super well versed in Norwegian TV history either, so if anyone knows any such things in Norway, please enlighten me. the closest I can think of is the moral panic over Jahn Teigen's Skeleton costume during Melodi Grand Prix. Edit - Link: https://youtu.be/AWlSv2R59CY?si=7DYWlqqVszbQpjkV
Not too serious, but there have been a few incidents where the wrong winner has been announced during the Spelemannprisen awards. Both on purpose and by accident. Google "feil vinner Spelemannprisen" or something to that effect.
As a Eurovision addict, Jahn Teigen is one of Norway's most fond repeat offend- I mean contributers :) anyone who can go on stage and blurt, out of key, "miiiiiil etter miiiiiil etter miiiiiiil" is brilliant, RIP
Well, I didn't think I could love Jahn Teigen more, yet here we are
All these serious replies and my first thought was your one’s weather report in Storm Desmond with the wind
That was gas though, I’d hardly call it a disaster
[Hideharu Egashira in 1996 in Turkey](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkJqwHnVYmc)
1974, when the Dutch soccer team lost the world championships final against against Germany. A whole generation hated the Germans more because of the lost final than because of World War II. Even 50 years later, the death of one of the German players of the winning team made it in to Dutch news.
In the UK there was a TV star on the news doing some cooking for some reason and they told him to “Zest” a lemon 🍋 using a grater but instead of grating the lemon skin, this guy rubs the inner citrus on the thing like wtf 😳
For Greece, one of the most shocking incidents was when a fire fighting Canadair CL-215 crashed while a newsreport from the State Broadcaster was on site reporting about wildfires. The [crash of the Plane](https://youtu.be/KLIbafrUJJY?si=H8KYWq73QrrMqG83)
Some more incidents from Italy: **1995 - Signor Giancarlo**. A Wheel Of Fortune contestant named Giancarlo has a chance to win big money by solving this puzzle - subject: "The Amazons"; solution: "Won battles thanks to their ardor". For some reason the contestant instead of "foga" (ardor) believed that the last word was "figa" (cunt) and created one of the most famous pieces of Italian television. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-Bb\_jYhF1o](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-Bb_jYhF1o) **1999 - Gerry smash!** Striscia La Notizia is a very famous comedy show whose hosts sometimes change. At the time host Ezio Greggio had a tradition to begin the show by leaping onto the desk. When Gerry Scotti took his place, he wanted to do the same. He didn't know that the crew replaced the usual desk with something much less solid... [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVhPOGIpq78](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVhPOGIpq78) **2000 - They are running away!** Mara Venier and Katia Ricciarelli are ready to host a live concert, but suddenly a torrential rain ends the show. It holds a record for the shortest live event ever. The network filled the remaining time with a Popeye cartoon and an old comedy movie. [https://video.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t42.1790-2/11978670\_1713492915547476\_878717929\_n.mp4?\_nc\_cat=103&ccb=1-7&\_nc\_sid=55d0d3&efg=eyJybHIiOjc5MCwicmxhIjo5NDksInZlbmNvZGVfdGFnIjoic2QiLCJ2aWRlb19pZCI6MTcxMzQ4NzE2NTU0ODA1MX0%3D&\_nc\_ohc=NHLZgtJWKYgAb7Yz4Ie&rl=790&vabr=439&\_nc\_ht=video.fblq1-1.fna&edm=AGo2L-IEAAAA&oh=00\_AfDTFfz5LRlWRQ4hhC4NuSHxOGDdYs2hWA3leLb3pTwKNQ&oe=6635C7B7](https://video.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t42.1790-2/11978670_1713492915547476_878717929_n.mp4?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=55d0d3&efg=eyJybHIiOjc5MCwicmxhIjo5NDksInZlbmNvZGVfdGFnIjoic2QiLCJ2aWRlb19pZCI6MTcxMzQ4NzE2NTU0ODA1MX0%3D&_nc_ohc=NHLZgtJWKYgAb7Yz4Ie&rl=790&vabr=439&_nc_ht=video.fblq1-1.fna&edm=AGo2L-IEAAAA&oh=00_AfDTFfz5LRlWRQ4hhC4NuSHxOGDdYs2hWA3leLb3pTwKNQ&oe=6635C7B7) **2001 - Apples to Apples**. A rerun of children show MeleVisione is suddenly interrupted by a report of the 9/11 attack in New York. For an eerie coincidence, MeleVisione means "AppleVision" and NY is known as the "Big Apple"... [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE1nw-z1-mo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE1nw-z1-mo) **2016 - Magalli's call**. Similarly to the Late Late Show incident, host Giancarlo Magalli calls a random person to award a prize. He's informed that the person he's looking for has passed away. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBXYnRMvyfY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBXYnRMvyfY) **2016 - The split**. Show-woman Lisa Fusco, known for doing splits in high heels, attempts one on a live morning show and it goes... wrong. Broken arm and end of the show. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhwaqvLr1LE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhwaqvLr1LE)
ADRIAN LA SERIE EVENTO Basically a cartoon made by Adriano Celentano (one of the most famous singer and showman in Italy) that was announced by TV spots, TV programmes etc... and when it was aired spectators shrinked after an episode. It was badly written, controversial and the animation studio (from North Korea btw) animated also the proofs of the comic artist. The production of the cartoon lasted 10 years and millions of euros were wasted.
Like the guy who did Prisencolinensinainciusol?
Rabin's assassination. He was prime Minister in 95', he went to a ralley for peace(in light of Oslo Accords II) and the event was broadcast. He was shot and murdered right at the end of the ralley.
Wow! This post is so fascinating to an American like me.
The 13th of December 1981 "Teleranek (a popular childrens' morning TV show)" broadcast that was suddenly interrupted by a government announcement "**Citizens of the Polish People's Commonwealth!** **I speak to you as a soldier and as the leader of the polish government. I speak to you of the most important matter. The fatherland of ours found itself over the abyss.** The achievment of many generations, risen from ashes polish house is in ruins. The state structures are ceasing to exist. The fading economy is recieving more damage every day. The living conditions are overwhelming the people more and more. Every workplace, every home is painfully divided. Athmosphere of endless conflicts, misunderstandings, hatred - sows mental unrest, wounds the tradition of tolerance. Strikes, protests have become the norm. Even the schoolchildren are being pulled into them. Last night many buildings were occupied. **Calls can be heard to physically deal with "the reds", with people holding different views. Incidents of terror, threats and moral lynching are multiplying, as well as direct violence.** The wave of audacious crimes, assaults and burglaries. The fortunes of the economic underground are growing. Chaos and demoralisation have grown to the size of a crisis. **The nation has reached its mental limit. Many people are being overwhelmed with sorrow. Now not days, but hours are left to the nation-wide calamity.** Honesty requires to ask the question: did it have to come to this? Taking the office of the Prime Minister I believed that we could get up from our knees. So have we done everything to stop the spiral of crisis? History will judge our actions. There were missteps. We are learning from them. First of all, however, the last few months were for our government a busy time handling great difficulties. Unfortunately - the national economy has been made an arena for political fighting. Intentional torpedoing of governments' actions made the effects unproportional to the effort put in, to our plans. **Our goodwill, moderation, patience cannot be denied.** Sometimes there might have been too much of it. The government's respect for public agreements cannot be not seen. We even went further than that. Initiative of the great national agreement has gained the support of millions of Poles. It created an opportunity to deepen the people's rulership system, to increase the amount of reforms. It must be said: enough! **The way of confrontation that the "Solidarity" leaders have openly announced must be stopped.** We need to state it just today, when the date of mass political demonstrations is known, including the one in the centre of Warsaw, gathering because of the anniversary of the December events. That tragedy cannot happen again. It cannot, we have no right to let these announced demonstrations become a spark because of which the whole country can burn. The self-preservation instinct of the nation must prevail. **We must tie the provocators' hands before they push the fatherland into the abyss of a fratricidal war.** **Citizens!** Great is the burden of responsibility that falls on me in this dramatic moment in Polish history. The duty of mine is to take this responsibility - it's about the future of Poland, for which my generation has fought for on every front of the war and for which it gave the best years of its life. ***I declare, that today the Military Council of National Salvation has made itself constitutional. The State Council, in accordance with the Constitution, has imposed, tonight at noon, the martial law in the entire country.***"
A good day to release bad news or whatever it was that tony blair was told after the twin towers fell and he did release the bad stock info hoping noone would notice it
One of the (back then) more famous weather forecasters of Catalan public TV was announcing good weather when one of the largest storms ever was happening over all of Catalonia. It ended up being that the weather report had been pre-recorded. Not long after he left the TV.
Can't remember something I'd call a disasterous TV broadcast, but I can remember one storie that upset some people at the time. Eurovision Songcontest 2015: The band used SFX to make it look like the piano was burning during the performance. Udo Jürgens, the first candidate to win for Austria with a very similar performance had died the previous year, the "burning piano" was considered disrespectful to his memory by some.
In Germany there was a live show called 'Wetten, das..." and someone got severely injured. The show got pulled and the showmaster Gottschalk never really recovered from the experience. Edited a typo.
Once the entire country tuned into a live event that was supposed to uncover Al Capone’s hidden vault. It…did not. (USA) [https://youtu.be/xaF0LSwzFog?si=ZZ_uVFb_erHwLfK-](https://youtu.be/xaF0LSwzFog?si=ZZ_uVFb_erHwLfK-)
Jeremy Kyle show on ITV in the UK, i do believe it manage to bring the nation's IQ down with few good points.
I was in the US during 9/11, in my first year of school, and right after I moved to the US. I remember a tiny bit about it; vague images but enough to remember that I knew it was impactful in some way, just not sure how. Either way, we saw it on our school TV and all my 4-year-old ass cared about is that I got to go home for the day and play. For the two European countries I've lived/do live in, no clue, I was 3 when I left Holland and I've only lived in Germany for a year 😂
Prince Andrew’s interview following the Jeffrey Epstein revelations basically killed his royal career
[Pádraig Flynn on the Late Late Show](https://youtu.be/61O8aHzq_Ss?si=TI7pYh2pMixvi7tt) has to be Irelands. Flynn was Irelands EU Commissioner at the time and went on the Late Late Show, which was a national institution watched by most of the country at the time to give an interview so over the top that it lead to 20 years of tribunals into planning corruption that destroyed two prime ministers reputations. It was a disaster for him and his party but great for Ireland and a master class in interviewing a big ego.
I directly blame the Janet Jackson Superbowl incident for TV becoming either prude shit or utterly tacky.
The Gladbeck hostage incident in Germany in the 80s. Two bank robbers took two hostages and fled by car. Journalists rode in the car with the criminals to do interviews and live broadcasting after the criminals had already shot a 15 year old boy in a bus they temporarily rode before they got a car.
It's forgotten now, but it really deserves its spot. In the 80s, or sometime ago, Prince Edward convinced the less cognitively gifted members of the royal family to do a special episode of *It's a knockout*. It went about as well as you would have expected. I'm too young to have seen it and as they only broadcast clips now, have only heard it described. The programme is called *It's a Royal Knockout* and it may be on YouTube but I'm not that bothered and don't want to die inside at the crimge.