What do you consider to be television's finest moment?

[DerekG]

I'll go first.

Despite the fact I agree with Harlan Ellison's assertion that television is a "wasteland of shit," I think the BBC production of Robert Graves' I, CLAUDIUS damn near redeemed the medium. I haven't been witness to such sweeping drama, and sublime acting, since The Godfather Saga.

"Don't eat the figs."--Livia

[punpirate]

1. Edward R. Murrow's...

... political destruction of Joseph P. McCarthy. If the media had been as cowed then as it is now, there might never have been even a brief return to sanity in this country.

[FreedomFry]

27. Absolutely agree with punpirate.

Many times these past four-plus years, I've thought that brave Ed Murrow must be spinning in his grave. He set a standard for honesty and excellence in journalism, and the media -- with the help of corporations and political deregulators -- have let him, and all of us, down.

[Zorro]

2. 1973 Senate Watergate hearings

It was riveting television and provided the real service of informing the public.

[jaysunb]

5. I agree on Watergate, but

I want to add, the 1962/63 news broadcast coverage of the Civil Rights protests. These few minutes were largely responsible for changing-- at the very least, "the perception of what segregation and racism meant."

[CubsFan1982]

3. I don't know.

I'll let you know when I see one. :D

[rfranklin]

4. Nixon's resignation....

only Bush can top that.

[CO Liberal]

6. November 22, 1963

The round-the-clock coverage of JFK's assassination on all three networks. It continued for four days, until his funeral on Monday, November 25th.

[tigereye]

8. hmm either the 911 coverage

horrifying, but powerful.

or the 2000 millenium programming around the world. That was amazing.

Maybe the man on the moon in the 70s.

[KitchenWitch]

16. I was but a large lump in my mom's abdomen for that one

So I have to say the Apollo 11 landing. (for a moment within my lifetime anyway).

[CO Liberal]

18. When You Consider...

...that TV satellites were in their infancy in 1963, they did a very good job of connecting Dallas to the network centers in NYC via phone lines. Today (with dozens of geosynchronous satellites and instant hookups virtually anywhere in the world), it's a lot easier than it was in 1963.

And they had months to plan the Apollo 11 broadcasts. They had no advance warning when JFK was shot.

[KitchenWitch]

20. very true

Just was not out yet!

[General Zod]

7. Apollo 11's Moon landing

[bowens43]

10. I'm with you.

[cruadin]

14. Agreed---everything else, both before and since, has been...

relegated to a distant second place.

[derby378]

25. Can't argue with that one

The Friends series finale shrivels up and blows away like dust in comparison.

[Deja Q]

9. 1963. November 23. United Kingdom. 5:15-5:40PM.

The very first episode of "Doctor Who" is aired. And despite being 41 years old, it holds up far better today than most modern-day sci-fi series can even hope to match. (IMHO...)

[two gun sid]

11. Cronkite's admission that the Vietnam War could not be won.

Walter changed the minds of a helluva lot of people that day. From that point on it was no longer a matter why we stay but, when we leave. We will never see a news anchor change public opinion like that again.

[autorank]

12. The moment I turn it off! I can't think of one for the life of me.

[muriel_volestrangler]

13. David Attenborough wildlife documentaries

in particular, "Life On Earth". The finest science teaching there's ever been, artistically told. The sequence with him and Diane Fossey's gorillas show you everything you ever need to know about evolution.

[DemoTex]

15. JFK assassination coverage.

World-class, wall-to-wall. You had to be there.

[Floogeldy]

17. At the ending of the last episode of "Newhart"

When Bob wakes up in the middle of the night in bed and tells his wife that he just had a dream that he had moved to Vermont to run an Inn.

His wife turns over from under the covers and its Emily (Suzanne Pleshette) from the original Bob Newhart Show, who tells him, "Go back to sleep, Bob."

[yellowdogintexas]

24. "that 's the last time you have Japanese food for supper, Bob"

I nearly killed myself laughing over that one

[Floogeldy]

28. Is that what she said?

That's fantastic.

[BiggJawn]

19. What happens right after the engineer pushes the "Beam Power Off" button

Blessed Silence.

[Wapsie B]

21. Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon

and the coverage of the JFK assassination.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

22. Luna!

[lpbk2713]

23. "Roots" was pretty much a phenomanon when it was first aired.

It was much more than just another mini-series.

[Jack Rabbit]

26. Edward R. Murrow takes on McCarthy

!!