Live-Action TV/Tear Jerker/Series that need Works Pages

12 Dias que estremecieron a Chile

 * 90% of times, the Chilean TV series "12 días que estremecieron a Chile" ("12 days that shocked Chile to the core") was a huge, giant tear: not only the terrible things that are told happened in real life, but the mixture of fiction and real life montages was incredibly effective. The crowner was the episode touching the horrifying incident known as "caso degollados" aka "case of the slit throats", specially two scenes: the one  and the one where   The latter is made worse/better due to

Adam (1983 film)

 * Adam, the 1983 made for TV movie about the kidnapping and death of Adam Walsh. The scene where Jon Walsh learns of his son's death and starts tearing up a room while cursing the world is arguably the most gutwrenching scene in television history.

The American Music Awards

 * As if "Isn't She Lovely"--a song where a blind man rhapsodizes about his newborn daughter's beauty--weren't enough of a tearjerker, it went to a whole new level at these awards when they did a tribute to Stevie Wonder. The segment ended with an ensemble singing "Isn't He Lovely" and the camera turned to Stevie in the audience. If you didn't know already, blind people can cry.

Animal Cops

 * Animal rescue shows can be heartbreaking when it comes to animals having to be put to sleep or seeing really bad neglect or cruelty.
 * Wildlife SOS, when CT the Badger was put down. Gracie Lizzie cried, not so much for CT herself but from watching her being cradled in her last moments by a heartbroken Simon Cowell (no not, that, Simon Cowell - this Simon Cowell).
 * Oh, God. One particular episode of Animal Cops. A breeder of shi tzus had been injured and more or less confined to her bed, and enlisted the help of her daughter and grandsons to care for several of the dogs, who lived outside where she couldn't get to them. They didn't, but told her they did. Watching that poor little old lady cradle the miserably neglected creatures and sob when the SPCA officers brought the dogs inside and she saw their real condition for the first time and realized her family had been lying to her for months... Almost as bad as the old lady's grief was the pitiful little noise of agony the oldest dog (who'd never recovered from a broken back and had gone blind in the kennel) kept making during the examination, and the revelation that she'd have to be put down, because there was nothing else the vets could do to spare her more pain.
 * On the opposite end of the tear spectrum, another episode featured a dog who officers found almost frozen to death in his owner's back yard. They had to pick him up, as he couldn't even move, and take him to an ASPCA vet. Cut to the next day... where he's begun to recover. Cut three months later, where he's running around in his new owner's yard and playing with her and her other dog. * Sniff*

Bulgaria's Abandoned Children (Documentary)
"DiDi: Todor, you are my friend, because you're very nice and you love me. If I had stayed in Pazardjik and not come here, I would have got married. I would be a good mother. I would look after my children very well. If I had children, even if they weren't my own, I would never send them to such a place. What have I done so wrong...that made Mummy send me to an institute. I didn't want to be sent here. I wanted to live in Pazardjik forever. (pause) I don't think I will become crazy like the others. I don't want to stay here any longer. I am missing my Mummy. I love you very much, Todor. You kiss me and hold my hand..."
 * Bulgaria's Abandoned Children which is not only heart breaking, but is a heartbreaking documentary. A young girl named DiDi, who can only cling to the belief that her mother is coming to pick her up from the Mogilno children's home (even though DiDi's mother abandoned her, and never wants to talk to her again). She makes the following speech to her friend, Todor:


 * One of the final scenes, where a young boy, almost too crippled to walk, gives the journalist covering the story a hug, and he has to be held up as he slowly walks over to her.

Charlie Daniels' Volunteer Jam

 * January 1979: The surviving members of Lynyrd Skynyrd performs for the first time since the plane crash that killed Ronnie Van Zant and Greg and Cassie Gaines (with the exception of bassist Leon Wilkeson, who was still too injured to play, but was backstage). With Daniels and his band sitting in, they played an instrumental version of their signature song, "Free Bird". The kicker: a lone spotlight, shining on an empty mic stand, where Van Zant would've been. Daniels himself later said there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

Einstein and Eddington

 * Einstein and Eddington, anyone? Eddington's best friend, William, is about to go off to fight in WWI and Eddington almost misses the train. Just when you think he's about to say goodbye to William, he's caught by a colleague seeing his son off and forced to make small talk. He cycles to the next station, but doesn't quite catch the train - he sees William on board, but William doesn't look out of the window. Later, inevitably, William dies at Ypres. Finally, Eddington breaks down and admits to his sister that he loved William, which is what he wanted to tell him at the station...and a few scenes later, to highlight the poignancy, the aforementioned colleague accuses Eddington of knowing nothing about grief.

Fridays

 * Fridays is a Saturday Night Live Expy-cum-Dueling Show from the early 1980s that not that many people remember and hasn't been seen on television in a long time (it doesn't even have an official DVD release because Michael Richards signed a deal stating that he didn't want the show to be put out on home video -- even though clips from Richards' days as a Fridays cast member can be found on Seinfeld's third season DVD set). Nonetheless, it still had its Tear Jerker moments:
 * Faced with the daunting task of doing a live comedy show the Friday after John Lennon's death and not making light of the tragedy, Fridays did itself proud. The show went on with no mention of Lennon until just after the "Friday Edition" news segment. Then the screen went blank and the words to "Imagine" scrolled across the screen. It said all that needed to be said.
 * Another episode had a dramatic sketch in which a punk rocker (Michael Richards) returns home to his elderly father, who keeps asking who he is and telling the man that he has no son. The son takes this as a sign that his father wants nothing to do with him because of the generation gap and the fact that the son had been away from home for so long. The son then gives an impassioned speech about loving and accepting him, despite the mistakes he made --.

Un gars, une fille

 * This otherwise hilarious French-Canadian series got a few brilliant tear-jerker moments, all delivered by Sylvie Leonard. The first of the two most notable happens at the end of the episode in which Sylvie's mother dies. She gives a beautiful speech to her mother's grave, and asks her to give her a sign if she heard her. At this point, a pigeon poops on Guy's, her boyfriend, shoulder, turning it into a Crowning Moment of Funny.
 * The second happens during the final episode. After going all the way to Vietnam to adopt a little girl, Sylvie suddenly collapses in the street and wakes up in hospital. Weak and afraid she might die, she tells Guy how much she wanted to see their new child grow up and how much she loves him. The doctor arrives seconds later to inform them that Sylvie is actually pregnant, turning the scene into a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming.

Great Teacher Onizuka (live-action series)

 * The live action Great Teacher Onizuka episode where Tomoko pours her heart out during the public speaking part of the competition.

Hell Girl (live-action series)

 * In episode 2 of the live-action Hell Girl series, Enma Ai's client is a Hikikomori whose father has been murdered. There's a heartbreaking flashback sequence in which we see all the times his father talked to him through the door of his room, patiently trying again and again to reach his son. They love each other, but whatever sorrow has taken hold of the boy won't let go. And now it's too late -- he'll never see his dad again, never get to make things right. You'll need to hug someone you love after watching this.

Kasou Taishou

 * Kasou Taishou, the show that brought you the famous Matrix Ping Pong brings you a tear-inducing number called Friend in the Graffiti.

Los Archivos del Cardenal

 * The Chilean TV series "Los Archivos del Cardenal" ("The Files of the Cardinal"), narrating the struggle of the "Vicaria de la Solidaridad" ("Vicary of Solidarity") during the terrible Chilean dictatorship, is the perfect mix of Tear Jerker and Nightmare Fuel. Maybe the names and some circumstances were changed to protect sensibilities of the victims and their families, but the emotional impact is devastating.

Monkey Life

 * Alison Cronin breaking down in tears on camera, discussing the death of her husband Jim and her intent to carry on running his park the way he wanted.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms (TV series)

 * The opening theme of this live-action version of Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Rough Riders

 * The Rough Riders miniseries. When Tiffany, in one of the battles, shouts out as Roosevelt has charged forward with no one else following, "For God's sake, follow the Colonel!" He stands up to follow his own words and

S Club

 * S Club...a surprising amount of episodes, specials and the movie were very sad, depressing or disturbing. "Boyfriends and Birthdays" in particular, with people dropping hints as gently as they can, and the kid becoming increasingly unable to deny the fact that his father, who has hasn't seen for years, isn't going to come and see him, because he doesn't care. Also, it was a bit jarring to have people making the same jokes as always, only this time no-one is laughing.

The Suite Life on Deck

 * Marcus' goodbye party in "Bon Voyage", especially when he's thanking everyone and telling them how fondly he has always thought of them.
 * The ending of "Computer Date". Poor Callie...


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