21 of the Most Shocking Moments of Live Television People Have Ever Watched

Live TV may seem like a modern phenomenon, but in truth, it’s pre-recorded media that’s the broadcasting baby. Before TV, entertainment was almost always live, whether on the radio, on the stage or in front of the glow from the fire on the cave wall. Those hand puppet shows must have been off the chain.

That means there was always a chance things could get wild. In fact, it’s the ability to cut the feed that makes it feel all the more special, like something you’re not supposed to see. That’s made a lot of live TV moments stick out in Redditors’ minds, which they catalogued when user groovetrain_ asked r/AskReddit, “What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen unfold live on television before it could be taken off-air/censored?”