# TV Moments That Scarred You For Life **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 9, 2006, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-moments-that-scarred-you-for-life/356051 "2006-05-09T12:30:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-moments-that-scarred-you-for-life/356051/221 "2015-06-25T23:56:37Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > I’ve tried to watch the movie as an older woman and it’s so stuffy and boring that I can’t stick it out. Well, the only thing that really makes Roger Corman films bearable is Joel/Mike and the Bots. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2015, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-moments-that-scarred-you-for-life/356051/222 "2015-06-26T02:28:04Z")
I was flipping through channels in the pre-Tivo days and I caught the last minute of an unknown (to me) Kim Basinger (a very young Kim Basinger) movie. She was talking to a guy (I think a doctor) in a hospital setting, where they walk towards the camera where somebody is lying under a sheet on a gurney. The doctor stops, reveals what’s underneath the sheet, whereupon Kim reacts with horror and screams. End of movie. I don’t really want to watch it either - right now, I can make up any story that has KB doing that at the end (it’s her unknown twin. It’s her dead husband. It’s her dead lover. It’s her dead dog.) and that story will probably be better than the one that was filmed. I think it was [Killjoy](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082616/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_41), but could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2015, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-moments-that-scarred-you-for-life/356051/223 "2015-06-26T12:10:43Z")
> [@BaldDudePeekskill](#): > > The commercial for Dario Dargento’s **Suspiria**.mit begins with a woman slowly brushing her hair in front of a mirror singing, Roses are Red, violets are blue…then she spins around, revealing a skeleton face and screams, “and I’m going to kill you,”. Saw it my grandmas house at about one Am…the same night I accidentally watched the broadcast version of “The Exorcist”. Not a good night. Still vivid forty years later…only thing that made it worse was the long walk down a narrow tenement hallway to use the bathroom. No light switches and I couldn’t yet reach the pull chins to turn on the light… See post #190 on the previous page. You’re welcome :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2015, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-moments-that-scarred-you-for-life/356051/224 "2015-06-26T12:24:48Z")
Speaking of Buck Rogers, there was [one episode](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7klfuM9cFDI) where Wilma Dearing could see the space vampire, but no one else knew it was there. Creeped me out as a kid. When I was about 7, I saw the scene in Nightmare on Elm Street where Johnny Depp gets swallowed by his bed. That gave me some impressive nightmares. ---
**Author:** ![Shockaholics](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Shockaholics](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shockaholics)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2016, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-moments-that-scarred-you-for-life/356051/225 "2016-02-27T01:34:52Z")
The hot sauce drop from the SpongeBob SquarePants episode “Karate Choppers”. Thanks, Tom Kenny! ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2016, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-moments-that-scarred-you-for-life/356051/226 "2016-02-27T03:39:54Z")
I remember watching Logan’s Run on TV in the late 1970s. The Carousel scene in the beginning disturbed me. It still disturbs me. ---
**Author:** ![Shockaholics](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Shockaholics](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shockaholics)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-moments-that-scarred-you-for-life/356051/227 "2016-08-06T01:28:57Z")
My older sister’s friend was TRAUMATIZED by [this guy](http://www.toonami.wikia.com/wiki/Swayzak). She was 8, watching Cartoon Network, and Hamtaro went to a commercial break. All of a sudden, that demonic abomination came on screen. She literally froze in front of the TV, petrified. When he did his infamous laugh, she switched the channel. 14 years later, I bring him up during a discussion about Toonami. She told me she could not sleep after first seeing that guy. When I told her he infected TOM, she said thank God she hadn’t seen that part, or else she would have had nightmares. ---
**Author:** ![Eclipse\_Chaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Eclipse\_Chaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eclipse_Chaser)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-moments-that-scarred-you-for-life/356051/228 "2016-08-06T15:13:16Z")
I remember being really freaked out by a TV movie I saw at least 30 years ago. There was a building, a school or library or something, which had been designed to be completely computer operated, lights, lifts etc. A group of students were in there at night and of course, the computer went BAAAD and started operating stuff to kill them. One girl tried to get out, ran down a corridor to the lifts, the lift (operated by the computer) stopped with its floor a couple of feet above the corridor floor level. Girl tries to climb in the lift, gets her body half way in, and the lift doors close trapping her. Then the lift starts to move up … ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-moments-that-scarred-you-for-life/356051/229 "2016-08-06T15:39:25Z")
The Walt Disney Sunday night series. Week after week, everyone indoctrinated with the mantra “every child must have a puppy”. Resulting in millions of dogs being abused or neglected by children (and their parents) completely unsuited and unprepared to have a healthy responsible relationship with a pet. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-moments-that-scarred-you-for-life/356051/230 "2016-08-07T08:07:30Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I got scarred watching Vic Morrow do the same thing to a little European baby in _Combat!_ Are you referring to “One for the Road” (I think that was the title of the episode)? I don’t remember that happening at all; IIRC, Saunders shielded the baby with his own body when they were shelled. The child was still alive at the end. That episode is on YouTube. I’ll have to watch it again when I have time. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-moments-that-scarred-you-for-life/356051/231 "2016-08-07T08:31:04Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > The _Caligula_ story reminded me of Caligula from _I Claudius_. The scene where Caligula drugs and ties up his pregnant sister Drusilla (it’s implied, but I don’t think directly stated, that he’s the father), tells her the story of Jove eating his sister’s baby before it was born, then pulls out a knife. The scene changes to Claudius pounding on the door of the room while Drusilla screams - and there’s a very brief baby’s scream in there as well. Caligula walks out, with blood smeared around his mouth and dripping down his chin, and says “Don’t go in there.” > > Pretty freaky for a 10 year old who was forced to watch the show by his mother because it would be “educational.” I assume you were watching it in the US? If so, you were lucky; the original version in the UK left nothing out! :eek: (In bowdlerizing the series, PBS also cut out an important scene where the conspirators who are planning to assassinate Caligula agree among themselves that no other member of the Imperial Family has to die; after the conscientious objector leaves the meeting, Cassius Chaerea (the ringleader) basically says “Screw that; we’re killing them all!” Really, \*really \*pissed me off!) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-moments-that-scarred-you-for-life/356051/232 "2016-08-07T08:47:50Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > A little later, the **Johnny Quest** episode with the Energy monster, when you first see it after it had been doused with paint, just scared me more than anything else that show had… Gosh, Dad! You mean it eats _people_?!? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-moments-that-scarred-you-for-life/356051/233 "2016-08-07T08:58:52Z")
> [@tremorviolet](#): > > Mine is kinda a weird one, an old episode of _Space 1999_. The moon base meets some space travelers use suspended animation and they’re heading earth’s way. Rhey agree to take one of the moon base people with them and customize a suspended animation unit. Another moon guy forces his way onto the space ship to take the place of the person who was supposed to go (who was one of the regulars and therefore, it was probably obvious they wouldn’t wind up going). > > After a short sleep, he wakes up, sealing in the stasis unit which doesn’t work for him as it was tuned to the other person. It sounds tame but the whole idea of being trapped in a glass box with no way out completely freaked me out for weeks. The episode was titled “Earthbound,” and was one of the few I liked in the series. Commissioner Simmonds was the A-hole who forced his way onto the alien spacecraft. The selection of who would go was left to the computer, whose decision he wasn’t willing to accept. At the end, of course, the irony of the situation was revealed: Simmonds was the one the computer chose. A synopsis of the episode is **here:** > **[Earthbound (Space: 1999)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthbound_(Space:_1999))** > > "Earthbound" is the fourteenth episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Anthony Terpiloff; the director was Charles Crichton. The final shooting script is undated. Live-action filming took place Friday 15 March 1974 through Monday 1 April 1974. > Gerald Simmonds, former executive of the World Space Commission, stands at a window in John Koenig's office, staring into space. Ignoring the proceedings of the weekly command conference he attends, the politician broods... Christopher Lee was the leader of the aliens. Cool! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-moments-that-scarred-you-for-life/356051/234 "2016-08-07T09:04:04Z")
I didn’t see many episodes of _ **Night Gallery** _, but one I remember well scared the bejeezus out of me. I think it was called “Big Surprise,” and featured the ever-creepy John Carradine. _“Surprise!”_ :eek: ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-moments-that-scarred-you-for-life/356051/235 "2016-08-07T09:12:46Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I assume you were watching it in the US? If so, you were lucky; the original version in the UK left nothing out! :eek: And yes, it was made clear that Caligula was the father. ---
**Author:** ![Shockaholics](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Shockaholics](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shockaholics)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-moments-that-scarred-you-for-life/356051/236 "2016-08-08T00:34:49Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I didn’t see many episodes of _ **Night Gallery** _, but one I remember well scared the bejeezus out of me. I think it was called “Big Surprise,” and featured the ever-creepy John Carradine. > > _“Surprise!”_ :eek: What was it about? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-moments-that-scarred-you-for-life/356051/237 "2016-08-08T04:18:50Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I assume you were watching it in the US? If so, you were lucky; the original version in the UK left nothing out! :eek: Actually, when the series was originally broadcast here in the 1970s, that WAS included. In the later airing (1990s?) it wasn’t. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-moments-that-scarred-you-for-life/356051/238 "2016-08-08T06:14:22Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > Actually, when the series was originally broadcast here in the 1970s, that WAS included. In the later airing (1990s?) it wasn’t. I saw it when it was originally broadcast in late 1976. Britain then was much less of the Nanny State it is today. I actually had a letter published in one paper praising the BBC for having the guts to show something that would never, ever be seen on American TV. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-moments-that-scarred-you-for-life/356051/239 "2016-08-08T06:25:13Z")
> [@Shockaholics](#): > > What was it about? 🙂 John Carradine telling some little boy (10–12 years old) that if he dug deep enough in a certain spot he’d get a “big surprise.” It turned out there was a doorway under the ground. The door opened and Carradine came out with a big grin on his face, while the kid pissed his pants in absolute terror. _“Surprise!”_ ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-moments-that-scarred-you-for-life/356051/240 "2016-08-08T06:37:22Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > Actually, when the series was originally broadcast here in the 1970s, that WAS included. In the later airing (1990s?) it wasn’t. I realize now I should have asked where you’re writing from. If you’re referring to the first time it was shown in the US (a year after I saw it in Great Britain), it was cut. I remember this well, because I phoned into my local PBS station to complain about the censorship. I also had to explain to my brother why Claudius had Cassius Charea but none of the other conspirators executed, since the scene I described above was also deleted for reasons I’ve never been able to fathom. (There was always time, though, for a usually pointless Alastair Cooke commentary at the end of each episode). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-moments-that-scarred-you-for-life/356051.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-moments-that-scarred-you-for-life/356051.md?page=13)