Yeah. Or the one where Maggie says, “Daddy” when Homer leaves the room.
When I was little, oh probably seven or eight, I would cry when Pee-Wee’s Playhouse was over. Because it was over, see. I’m kind of embarassed by that, now, but it’s true.
Quantum Leap: The Leap Home - 2 parter.
When he convinces his sister that he is from the future and that John Lennon dies tragically by playing “Imagine” on the guitar (a John Lennon song she never heard because it wasn’t written yet). And the whole idea that he is spending his life helping people all over the world and all over time, and yet he can’t even help his own family. I’m gonna cry just typing it. What a wonderful show Quantum Leap was. You rarely see science-fiction that is able to pull on the heartstrings, make you laugh, and be so cool at the same time.
4 words: Quantum Leap: The Movie
WTF. Get to it already.
DaLovin’Dj
Northern Exposure … the episode where we go back in time and meet Cicely and Rosylyn and learn about the founding of the town. I’ve seen it a hundred times and the ending never fails to bring me to tears.
ER – “Love’s Labor Lost” That’s the one where the pregnancy and birth go sour and Greene loses the patient after something like a 5-hour battle. I choked up pretty badly over that one and physically had to help Mrs. Kunilou leave the room.
I also teared up a little during “The Body” episode of Buffy. Not during Anya’s speech, though it was good, but when Willow promised Tara she would be “strong like an Amazon.”
Apart from that, sadness on TV doesn’t often make me cry. But occasionally happiness does. I got a little misty in the episode of Friends where Ben was born. Specifically when Monica holds him for the first time.
And I’m man enough to admit it, dammit!
As much as I like Buffy, I didn’t tear up at “The Body” because it was a little too over the top for me. Joss was trying a bit too hard for his Emmy, I thought. Anya’s speech might have been powerful if it had made sense - she doesn’t understand death? She was human, and when she was a demon, she killed people. What’s to not understand? I liked when Willow was upset that all her clothes were stupid (they are, whoever dresses her on that show needs a little taste) but that was undercut when she put on one of her throw rugs before leaving.
I dunno, call me heartless or whatever, but it was all just too calculated for me.
ER got me twice. The episode were Dr. Benton’s nephew was killed. When he walked out of the treatment room covered in blood and his sister looked at him and just. . . wailed. I’m getting choked up just thinking about it.
And when Lucy died. Dr. Romano lost it and I did too.
Not cried, but I felt the strings being effectively pulled:
When Hawkeye sees that BJ has spelled out “Goodbye” with the stones.
When Sam says to Al’s wife (who believes Al to be dead in Vietnam): “Al’s coming home,” and whoever that amazing actress was, she smiled and started to tear up at the same moment (a brief expression, but it wasn’t dwelt on in a maudlin fashion), it definitely got me.
Sir Rhosis
Northern Exposure
The last episode with Joel. At the end.
The puppet show, where Shelly explains how she sees Holling.
The Christmas episode, where Chris explains to Maurice that prejudice is learned behavior.
And there was an episode of Outer Limits, a Christmas episode, starring, if I’m not mistaken, Rebecca DeMornay.
I’ve got a pretty good handle on my emotion… I only ever cried for a movie once… The 1st rugrats movie… It was rather sad when the monkeys took Dil… anyway that doesn’t count
The only T.V. show that made me cry was that one episode of Whose Line Is It Anyway when they were doing the 3 headed broadway start with Drew… and drew accedentially sung a hole line instead of 1 verse…
Laughed so hard I cried and I was drinking Sprite at the time… carbonation and nasal tisue does not mix!
DS9’s “The Visitor,” when the future version of Jake dies. sniffle!
(BTW, I really want to see “Blackadder Goes Forth” but haven’t had the chance yet…stupid BBC America!)
Uh, not exactly what I was going for.
My husband has forbidden me from watching Animal Planet’s Emergency Vet show. Said it was ruining his sex life cause it was on right before bed time.
Nightly Scenario
Hubby, entering bedroom: Dear God, Lisa, what’s wrong?!
Me (bawling): Barney the beagle has cancer (gasping for breath), and it costs $3,000 for chemo (gasp) and now his mom has to put him to sleep!
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Okay, WLIIA has caused me to cry numerous times. I know this wasn’t what the OP asked for, but I had to comment. Ryan Stiles was playing someone whose head kept getting stuck to things, and at one point, he pretended his head was getting stuck to the front of the desk that Drew sits behind. When he hit the desk with his head, he hit it pretty hard, and broke the little neon tube that goes around the front of the desk. I laughed so hard I fell off the couch.
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I didn’t actually cry (ok, I MIGHT have) but I got teary-eyed when Rachel and Ross kissed for the first time on Friends, and also during the episode where they find the videotape of Monica and Rachel getting ready for the prom, when she kissed him again after viewing that tape. I got teary eyed when Monica and Chandler got engaged, and again when they got married (and crap, I don’t even watch the show much anymore…usually the season opener and season finale is about it…) I DID cry when Phoebe had the triplets.
Gee, it sure takes a lot for me to get all emotional eh?
Man, I loved Northern Exposure. The episode that got to me was the one in which Ed, seeking to buy a unique present for Ruth Ann’s 70-something birthday, bought her a grave plot on the side of the mountain. She was upset about it until he explained why: he had done it so she would have the opportunity to dance on her own grave! And, at the end of the show, they did…
On the last episode of Cheers both me and the ex-Mrs. Gorewonfla were bawling our eyes out. She started sobbing, then I did too. To this day when I watch Jeopardy! I still say, “He’s got it locked up unless he pulls a Cliff” or answer, “What is a guy that has never been in my pantry.” That was the greatest sitcom of its era.
The Fresh Prince of Belair finale. Grew up watching that show, and seeing them leave an empty house really got to me for some odd reason.
That episode of Punky Brewster when Cherry was locked in the freezer. I was 8 at the time, but still, it was tremendously traumatizing.
The Christmas episode of Pinky and the Brain where, at the end, Pinky is traumatized because he couldn’t give Santa his letter. Believe it or not, I got all misty at that. Poor Pinky. sniff
The series finale of MASH got me all choked up, where Hawkeye realized that the lady on the bus had choked her kid and not a chicken got me, as well as the episode shortly after Radar left where BJ got drunk and emotional because he wanted to go home too. Actually, several MASH episodes got me like that…the one where Henry got shot down on his way home…The Interview…the one where they had to look for a new place to put the 4077th (the one where Clinger had to give his wardrobe to the prostitutes).
I cried the season finale of Buffy too. Also the episode of Pokemon where Ash releases Butterfree, and the one where Pikachu almost left him.
Like MrAtoz, I find I cry more often from moments of great happiness than grief or sadness. But what really gets me are the rare and sublime moments of profundity or deep recognition of emotional realities. Such moments really start the waterworks!
Regrettably, I can’t seem to recall the details of most of these events. It must be premature brain death or something…
But one example of what I’m talking about was the speech delivered to Agent Cooper in Twin Peaks, about the time of the climactic revelation, by the FBI forensics expert played by Miguel Ferrer about doing whatever was necessary to find the killer of Laura Palmer. “Go and do your dance…”
Even more memorable was the incredible scene in Twin Peaks of father-son love between the rebellious Bobby and the reserved but profound Colonel Briggs about the elder man’s dreams for his son! I’m crying right now as I recall it…
As for sadly moving scenes, one that hasn’t been listed yet that springs to mind was the roll call announcement of the sudden death of the sergeant (Phil?) on Hill Street Blues required by the sudden death of the actor playing him. What an understated but affecting moment!
I seem to recall I’ve experienced similar moments from shows like Hill Street Blues, Picket Fences, Twin Peaks, Northern Exposure, Homicide, West Wing, and - Bob help me – Doogie Howser, M.D.!
As such, it occurs to me that American television isn’t as hopeless as it is often made out to be…