Top 10 Live TV Events Gone WRONG
#10: Earthquake Ends a Baseball Game Early
1989 World Series While inclement weather is a regular disrupter of sporting events, a game is rarely paused because of an earthquake. Just minutes before game 3 of the 1989 World Series was set to begin, commentators were conducting a live pregame analysis with the nation watching. The hosting venue—Candlestick Park in San Francisco—was filled with people who were stunned by what would happen next. The Loma Prieta quake hit and cut out live coverage and audio. Luckily, everything was restored after the initial shock and no one was hurt. But the game was called off. The baseball championship was fittingly dubbed the “Earthquake Series”—the setting of the United States’ first major quake shown to live audiences.
#9: The “Balloon Boy” Stunt
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“Larry King Live” (1985-2010) In 2009, Richard and Mayumi Heene claimed their six-year-old son was stuck inside a helium-filled balloon that flew thousands of feet up in the air for 90 minutes. The shocking ordeal instantly caused “balloon boy” and his family to gain global attention. But when all was said and done, it was revealed the kid had never gone airborne in the first place. It turns out he’d be hiding on the ground the entire time. After this revelation, The Heenes then appeared in a damning interview on “Larry King Live”. WhenWolf Blitzer asked “Balloon Boy” about the story, the youngster dropped a huge bomb. (insert broll of ‘for the show” here”) His offhand comment seemed to confirm the entire thing was staged while the world was watching.
#8: Miss Universe Blunder
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“Miss Universe 2015” As the host of the live 2015 Miss Universe Pageant, Steve Harvey had one of the event’s most important jobs—announcing the big winner. His years of hosting experience on shows like “Family Feud” gave audiences a ton of faith in his skills. But he wound up failing in the most awkward way possible when he announced the incorrect winner in front of the world. AFter Colombia’s Ariadna Gutiérrez became basking in the moment of receiving her crown, Harvey realized his error. He apologetically explained that the Philippines' Pia Wurtzbach was the actual Miss Universe. Things couldn't have been more uncomfortable for all parties involved. As the de-crowned Gutiérrez cried, the rest of us at home tried to pick up our jaws from the floor.
#7: Bill Gates’ Windows 98 Freezes
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CNN One of the most memorable product demo fails of all time happened in 1998 thanks to Bill Gates. And we’re still thankful for the live evidence that captured it. While showing off the Windows 98’s new software, the famous “Blue Screen of Death” popped up on large monitors for attendees—and the world—to see. While the launch had been going well before this moment, the screen’s unfortunate emergence put a stop to the success. Gates ran with it and cracked a joke that was admittedly pretty funny. However the quip hasn’t erased anyone’s memory of this epic fail.
#6: The 2014 Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting
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NBC Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting The annual Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting is typically a joyous occasion that runs smoothly. But the light nature of this 2014 event televised by NBC was overshadowed for a couple significant reasons. The ceremony occurred shortly after it was announced that a local officer would not face charges for the death of NYC resident Eric Garner. In the wake of the controversial decision, a viral hashtag pushed for people to protest the lighting in Manhattan. Outside of the social tension, the event was also overshadowed by an uncharastically poor Mariah Carey performance. The singer wound up bombing and missed many notes in “All I Want For Christmas is You”. Between the performance and real-life issues, viewing this tree lighting was uncomfortable from start to finish.
#5: Poker Tournament Robbery
N-tv German Poker Tournament A German poker tournament in Berlin served as the scene for a televised heist in 2010. While the players are working through a hand, panic ripples through the area without warning. The live coverage showed members of the audience screaming and fleeing the venue. The tournament’s players also left the table soon after. It was later revealed that armed and masked men had robbed the place and escaped with a large portion of the jackpot. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured during the incident. While the police focused on finding the culprits responsible, the tournament eventually continued.
#4: Milli Vanilli’s Lip-Sync Fail
Club MTV After earning a Grammy for Best New Artist, Milli Vanilli took to the stage for a live MTV concert. In the middle of performing their song, “Girl You Know It's True” in 1989, the track jammed and caused one of the lines to repeat again and again. The award-winning duo quickly rushed off the stage during this huge error. However, they managed to return and finish the show. Although many people didn’t immediately realize the gravity behind what had happened, it would later become part of a shocking confession. In 1990, it was officially revealed that the singer's vocals weren't actually showcased on their records. Anyone who was unsure about that confession only needed to look at this live fail to believe it.
#3: The 2000 Presidential Election
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Various The 2000 Presidential race between Al Gore and George W. Bush was extremely close—one of the closest in American history. It was also one of the most controversial due to a MAJOR announcement error. News networks including CNN, NBC, and ABC declared to the world that Gore had won Florida. This huge news tidbit seemed to all but guarantee that the democratic candidate would be president. However, they called it a bit early. After more results poured in, it was revealed that the votes were actually leaning in Bush’s favor. To say that those watching were stunned and perplexed would be a huge understatement.
#2: Geraldo Finds Nothing in Al Capone’s Vault
“The Mystery of Al Capone’s Vaults” (1986) Since Al Capone was a quite notorious gangster, a two-hour live special dedicated to revealing more about him was highly anticipated. Hosted by Geraldo Rivera in a hotel once owned by the crime lord, the special racked in approximately thirty million viewers. They were especially eager to see what the gangster’s secret vault held. After Rivera and his team got inside, they found absolutely nothing. As much as a letdown it was, we can’t deny that the blunder is hysterical to look back on. While we might not have found the juicy details we sought, we got a treasure trove of pop culture spoofs about a live TV mishap we won’t soon forget.
#1: Super Bowl XLVII Power Outage
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Super Bowl XLVII If there’s one sporting event fans expect a lot from, it's the Super Bowl. Those tuning in for the 2013 game were ready to see the players get fired up on the field. But the exact opposite happened…literally—well, at least for about a half hour. Shortly into the second half, a partial power outage in the Superdome disrupted the game and halted play for 34 minutes. After the power was restored, the 49ers, who had been trailing the Ravens, made a huge comeback. But the Ravens narrowly secured a win in the end. In the aftermath of the incident, Super Bowl XLVII was appropriately dubbed “The Blackout Bowl”. It’s arguably one of the oddest situations to occur in Super Bowl history.
