Classic TV Shows That (Almost) Made Me Cry

 

I’ve never been a crier. I don’t say that with either pride or shame – it’s just the way I’ve always been. I feel the emotions I’m supposed to feel if the show has earned its desired response, but I’m no pushover. I’ve watched too much television to not know the difference between a well-crafted scene and one that is shameless in its attempted manipulation. 

 

 

My eyes have watered up a few times, but not for those moments depicting some sort of tragedy, such as on M*A*S*H when Radar announced that Col. Henry Blake’s plane had been shot down over the Sea of Japan. It was shocking and powerful and beautifully performed, and I felt the weight of it, but no tears.

 

But I’ll tell which type of scene is most likely to get to me, starting with the one that hit me the hardest. It’s from the Doctor Who episode “Vincent and the Doctor.” If you’ve seen the episode you already know what it is. If you haven’t please don’t read any more, as I’d rather you discovered the absolute magic of that moment without being spoiled.

 

All clear? OK.

 

This was a show that aired in 2010, but since Doctor Who dates back to 1963 we can grandfather it in as Comfort TV. It opens with The Doctor and his current companion Amy Pond visiting the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, The Doctor notices a strange alien figure in one of Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings, and travels back to the artist’s era to find out how it got there. 

 

They meet the troubled Van Gogh, of course, and eventually resolve the mystery, but The Doctor decides that this tortured genius that rarely sold any paintings in his lifetime should be made aware of his legacy. So they travel in the TARDIS back to the Musée d'Orsay in present day, and Vincent enters a room entirely devoted to his work. 

 

 

These are the moments that, for me, resonate most deeply – when someone who may feel unappreciated, unloved, is shown how much he or she has meant to others, or in this case to the world at large. We’ve all had those misgivings from time to time, and to get that acknowledgement - that we haven’t been forgotten, and that someone recognizes what we do for others and that we’ve mattered in the grand scheme of things – it’s a powerful affirmation.

 

Thinking of other classic TV moments like this, I must begin with  “My Dad” from The Donna Reed Show. The episode opens with Dr. Alex Stone and his son Jeff ready to tee off at a father-son golf tournament, when Alex is paged to respond to an emergency call. As the story plays out we learn this happens often, leaving Jeff accustomed to disappointment and Alex lamenting how he has time to take care of everyone else’s children, while neglecting his own.

 

With Jeff scheduled to perform at a high school concern, Alex gets two other doctors to take his calls so he won’t miss it. But en route to the school he is pulled over by a police officer who tells him there’s been an accident with a child involved that needs immediate help. He gets to the school only after the show is over.  The scene that follows is as memorable as any this wonderful series ever produced.

 

Parental appreciation was also the focus of “Father of the Year” on The Brady Bunch. The episode aired halfway through the show’s first season, when this blended family was still coming together and adjusting to a new normal. That Marcia would already think so highly of her new dad, to nominate him for that honor, is touching in itself.

 

Of course, all does not go smoothly. Marcia realizes too late that entries must be mailed on the day hers is completed, and sneaks out of the house to mail it. That gets her grounded – but it’s all worth it when Mike Brady arrives home to find a camera crew from a local news station, and is presented with the award. The close-up on Maureen McCormick’s face, as Marcia beams with pride, is one of my favorite moments from one of my favorite shows. Robert Reed’s dissatisfaction with the quality of Brady scripts is well known, but I would bet that when he read this one, especially its final moments, he said “That’s more like it.” 

 

 

Teachers are also among our most under-appreciated public servants, as evidenced in the Fame episode “A Special Place,” in which budget cuts at the School of the Arts result in the firing of beloved acting teacher Mr. Crandall. 

 

His students and others gather for a tribute, and perform the song “Starmaker.” I think it’s one of the most popular songs to emerge from that series, though I’ve always been partial to  “Hi Fidelity” and “Mr. Cool.”

 

 

Every good teacher deserves a send-off like that one.

 

Your turn – what classic TV episodes moved you to tears?