# What TV series had the biggest body count? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 10, 2014, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-series-had-the-biggest-body-count/706894 "2014-12-10T23:04:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![zoog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7ea924/32.png) [@zoog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoog)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-series-had-the-biggest-body-count/706894/21 "2014-12-11T03:34:20Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > I think the OP should either clarify the question or start a new thread: there are multiple types of body counts–ranging from the SF shows where civilizations are destroyed to shows where there a lot of individuals with speaking parts who are killed individually. The discussion can go anywhere people want to take it. What I specifically had in mind was actual on screen deaths, so a lot of the sci-fi shows where entire planets get wiped out weren’t what I was going for (but enormous in terms of body count). Hadn’t thought about Gunsmoke, that’s got to be a contender just based on longevity. I’d forgotten about 24 - even leaving out the nuke that’s got a pretty serious carnage rate. Still, on a per episode basis of people actually being shown getting killed, it’s going to be hard to top SOA. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-series-had-the-biggest-body-count/706894/22 "2014-12-11T03:36:28Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > Since there are lots of TV series that have millions, if not billions of implied deaths, I think it would be more fun to count only on screen deaths where you see either them die or the body of a victim. By that criteria I would guess maybe Law & Order where there is a dead body every episode. “Revolution” had hundreds of deaths in every episode. If things had been that way in the whole 15 years since the lights went out, I couldn’t believe anyone would be remaining. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-series-had-the-biggest-body-count/706894/23 "2014-12-11T03:44:43Z")
_Quincy_ and _Murder She Wrote_ had dead bodies every episode. Why anyone ever invited Jessica Fletcher to a dinner party is a question that will never be answered. Someone (or more) was going to DIE! ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-series-had-the-biggest-body-count/706894/24 "2014-12-11T03:57:25Z")
Twelve O’Clock High would be a high one. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-series-had-the-biggest-body-count/706894/25 "2014-12-11T04:57:45Z")
In murders _per capita,_ I’d look at Cabot Cove, Maine, and Absaroka Co., Wyoming. ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-series-had-the-biggest-body-count/706894/26 "2014-12-11T08:56:44Z")
I don’t think _ **Buffy** _ approaches Gunsmoke levels, but between the deaths of the monster of the week and their victims I’m sure it’s several hundred on screen deaths. ETA: It wasn’t called Buffy the Vampire Slayer for nothing. It had to earn it’s title. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-series-had-the-biggest-body-count/706894/27 "2014-12-11T10:14:18Z")
Don’t forget **Combat!** starring Vic Morrow. ---
**Author:** ![Art\_Rock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/art_rock/32/525_2.png) [@Art\_Rock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Art_Rock)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-series-had-the-biggest-body-count/706894/28 "2014-12-11T10:34:51Z")
Sticking to earth, Sledgehammer blew up NY City with a nuke. ---
**Author:** ![Malden\_Capell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malden_capell/32/5274_2.png) [@Malden\_Capell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malden_Capell)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-series-had-the-biggest-body-count/706894/29 "2014-12-11T11:28:02Z")
How many times has Doctor Who showed whole races being destroyed by the Doctor or one of his adversaries? And that show’s got 50 years of such a fine tradition. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-series-had-the-biggest-body-count/706894/30 "2014-12-11T12:51:26Z")
> [@Malden\_Capell](#): > > How many times has Doctor Who showed whole races being destroyed by the Doctor or one of his adversaries? And that show’s got 50 years of such a fine tradition. Doctor Who was going to be my answer because it depicts the complete end of the universe with the complete extinction of all life everywhere. Can’t be any more deaths than that. ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-series-had-the-biggest-body-count/706894/31 "2014-12-11T13:13:03Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > Doctor Who was going to be my answer because it depicts the complete end of the universe with the complete extinction of all life everywhere. Can’t be any more deaths than that. And the universe ends _multiple times_ in that show. Although, then you have to ask if it counts as a death if the Doctor is able to recreate the planet and all the people in it, memories intact. Or does it count if he warps to he future and checks out a planetary graveyard. I mean, of course those people were going to die. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-series-had-the-biggest-body-count/706894/32 "2014-12-11T13:17:57Z")
South Park, if Kenny’s deaths are each counted separately. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-series-had-the-biggest-body-count/706894/33 "2014-12-11T13:25:51Z")
_Highlander_ has got to be up there for on-screen deaths. An immortal gets beheaded in nearly every episode, and that’s not even counting the collateral damage of mortals. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-series-had-the-biggest-body-count/706894/34 "2014-12-11T13:28:15Z")
Proportionally, I think the _Blackadder_ series does. In several of the entries (not in all, I think) _everybody_ dies. It’s worse than _Hamlet_. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-series-had-the-biggest-body-count/706894/35 "2014-12-11T15:32:55Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Proportionally, I think the _Blackadder_ series does. In several of the entries (not in all, I think) _everybody_ dies. It’s worse than _Hamlet_. Oooh, ooh, that reminds me: _Dinosaurs_, for the same reason. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-series-had-the-biggest-body-count/706894/36 "2014-12-11T15:57:47Z")
> [@Art\_Rock](#): > > Sticking to earth, Sledgehammer blew up NY City with a nuke. He said he knew what he was doing! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-series-had-the-biggest-body-count/706894/37 "2014-12-11T16:09:06Z")
According to [this site](http://www.riflemanconnors.com/casualtylist.htm), _The Rifleman_ showed 245 killings over 168 episodes. According to Wikipedia, Lucas McCain was responsible for 120 of them. So, not the most by any stretch, but notable for the high rate at least. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-series-had-the-biggest-body-count/706894/38 "2014-12-11T16:36:27Z")
> [@Wolverine](#): > > I don’t think _ **Buffy** _ approaches Gunsmoke levels, but between the deaths of the monster of the week and their victims I’m sure it’s several hundred on screen deaths. > > ETA: It wasn’t called Buffy the Vampire Slayer for nothing. It had to earn it’s title. A goodly number of her victims were, as you say, vampires, so they were already dead and shouldn’t count. What she was mostly doing was littering. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-series-had-the-biggest-body-count/706894/39 "2014-12-11T17:22:58Z")
Probably the original Law & Order. It’s been on forever. Edit: dang, \*\*Quimby \*\*beat me to it! 🙂 ---
**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:** [December 11, 2014, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-series-had-the-biggest-body-count/706894/40 "2014-12-11T18:11:08Z")
What was the body count on _ **The Sopranos** _? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-series-had-the-biggest-body-count/706894.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-series-had-the-biggest-body-count/706894.md?page=3)