Top 40 Explosive Cliffhangers in a Primetime Soap (1979-2017)

[@plutoamor]

You left out Falcon Crest Season 4 cliffhanger which was literally explosive with Richard's house blown up!!

[@voldeficient]

Despite what others say I still love the Moldavian Masacre and happy to see it on nr 2 !

[@paulvoorhies8821]

I loved it to. But the first episode of the next season. Not so much. It kinda jumped the shark a bit there.

[@Aarona13760]

Thanks. This was great Love that Melrose was included. Just my opinion, but I would have put Season 1 instead of Season 4. The buried alive one was so silly. Amanda buying the complex was a great cliffhanger and set the stage for Season 2. Season 3 cliffhanger was so exciting- I was in College watching with friends!

[@susanpolice8465]

Thanks for the GREAT work! LOVE THIS CONTENT! Only main one I loved was Knot's Landing! I have the first 2 seasons...but I just had my Birthday on the 18th and was hoping for the COMPLETE SET before I perish.....EXCELLENT JOB!!!!💕☮🕊🍞🌹🌹

[@jennysparksnride1031]

Thanks a lot. Nice to put in Revenge and Flamingo Road too. I miss Savannah and Central Park West, but can’t remember if they had great cliffhangers. I feel a bit disappointed to see you put Sue Ellen departure in Season 12 as dishonorable mentions. I loved especially this scene and the final revenge of the character. Anyway, great work as always. And I’m happy to have Empire to watch now. Thanks again.

[@brianstamper7711]

Thank you Toni! Another awesome video! Excited to see your next new video series!

[@albertlyons1042]

KNOTS LANDING had the very best cliffhangers.

[@nadavno]

@@albertlyons1042 the one with Gary in jail makes me tear up every time. The music is amazing

[@sally_campbell]

Brilliant compilation 😀

[@ceddd91]

That Knots Landing Season 12 finale was such a shoker !

[@EWollberg]

Well, if we're talking cliff-hangers, it's a shame Sid Firgate driving over a cliff (Knots Landing's season 2) wasn't in it...

[@supersoaps]

I had to leave some good ones out, of the 4 shows, to include new series too. Loved that cliffhanger too! Toni

[@parkhurst5739]

Very good work! 😀 But for me the Season 2 Cliffhanger of "The Colbys" is definitely noteworthy (Fallon abducted by an UFO). Plus the Season 1 Cliffhanger of the "Dynasty" reboot was good too.

[@radrobd123]

well they said no series finales and the UFO of The Colbys was the series finale

[@bonghunezhou5051]

@@radrobd123 Some might say it was not, since Dynasty had not ended (The Colbys being a West Coast branch/extension of the main series) 📺🤔

[@gildan958]

​@@bonghunezhou5051 les colbys furent une catastrophe, le dernier épisode avec fallon et les extraterrestres furent un véritable four, dans la série dynasty le retour de fallon et de Jeff durent inclure le cliffhanger des extraterrestre mais cela n à convaincu personne, c était hors sujet avec le thème de la série, on a eu dans côte ouest un épisode de la saison 3 avec les trois sœurs, trois petits spectres qui voulurent tuer valene, donc la aussi du surnaturelle, dans dallas un démon envoyé par le diable essaye de convaincre jr de se suicider, dans hôpital central on parle du viol de mickael en prison très bien construit dans coronation street la c est le viol de David par josh, dans d autres series c est le viol féminin les colbys fallon, côte ouest une femme, dallas jr viole aussi, dans côte ouest effectivement karen fairgate tue involontairement un jeune homme, tous les thèmes sont presque abordés

[@kekwayblaze3176]

Who Shot J.R. is the still the gold standard for cliffhangers for the soaps.

[@MichelRudas]

Car c'est l'un des tous premiers, si ce n'est le premier

[@chrismcevoy2503]

Sid Fairgate’s car accident at the end of Season 2 Knots Landing left viewers on the edge of their seats.

[@paulac2006]

And the aftermath of that was so sad! I always wonder surely audiences in the 80s knew these finales where the main stars are going down in a plane or trapped in a fire are surely gonna come out alive 😂 Sid one was brutal though, but they’d have brought him alive had he wanted to stay.

[@cobaltmidnightoilamp6748]

Even in a great age, J.R. Ewing still looks ever more THREATENING. 😨😰 That character of J.R. was a frigid 🥶 chiller.

[@JulianLopez-re4ql]

Dynasty's massacre was a great cliffhanger. The outcome was not a cliffhanger which of course was another story.

[@c71score]

My favorite is still the Southfork fire.

[@nadavno]

Amazing clip, amazing channel, thank you :-) What about Falcon Crest's Maggie drowning in the pool? and as previously mentioned - Season 4 explosion. and if showing Knots cliffs - the one where the doctor informs Val she's lost the babies

[@supersoaps]

@@nadavno Thanks a lot for your kind words. This video is for season finales only. FC's season 4 cliffhanger missing was a huge mistake from my part. More FC videos very soon. Toni supersoap.org

[@twistedhalo759]

I don't remember whether this was for a season finale or just the end of the episode but this should have been on the list: Maggie draining in the pool on Falcon Crest. I still get chills over that scene at the end.

[@nicoleackerman205]

I still can't stop laughing at Blake choking Alexis how fake it look.

[@conscienceetintuition9350]

I was wondering if somebody else had noticed that too 😂

[@robertbanning2135]

And when Blake charges up the stairs, it turns into a faraway shot and you can tell it’s not John Forsythe and Joan Collins.

[@otisroseboro5613]

Primetime Soaps Cliffhangers Are The Best 💯

[@Bandido894]

JR have never cried that we've seen.

[@supersoaps]

He did cry when Bobby died at the hospital

[@johndyslin798]

he cried several times. When they all got back after looking for Jock, when Bobby "died" and the one shown here. He also got choked up when James left in last season.

[@radrobd123]

@@johndyslin798 He also cried when he realized he was John Ross' biological father and not Cliff Barnes. He held the baby and cried

[@Bandido894]

@@johndyslin798 It's more about the way he cried 'openly' at this, bobby died he was more like about breaking, voice shaken etc. 'don't leave me!' (of course they concidered the same thing, don't even remember all).

[@johndyslin798]

@@Bandido894 but you did see tears in JR's eyes and even a tear or two streaking down his face!

[@peterbrogan670]

Where was the Colbys spaceship and Richard and Maggie in the exploding house?

[@GETOSUPASTAR]

So did “Flamingo Road” & “Dynasty” have the same writers? Cause they had the same finale with someone going over the railing on the staircase… 💁🏿

[@supersoaps]

@@GETOSUPASTAR Actually that season Dynasty had the Dallas writer, coincidentally

[@GETOSUPASTAR]

@@supersoaps oh, interesting. Well I know some writers recycle their own work so that’s why I was wondering. Guess it was just a coincidence… 💁🏿

[@reinholdkorner6473]

Dallas the best 👍👍

[@chrismcevoy2503]

I guess my favorite cliffhanger was when Pam Ewing crashed into an oil tanker on Dallas at the end of Season 10.

[@jennifer_m.8613]

Beverly Hills 90210 should be on these lists. I don't think Dallas season 8 counts as a cliffhanger, because everyone knows what happened and who killed Bobby. Dallas (2012) season 3 is a cliffhanger we'll never have solved: Who is JR's daughter?

[@kekwayblaze3176]

The youngest child of J.R's that was canon was the boy she gave birth to when she left Dallas, but they had a son and he was never mentioned again as J.R. decided to leave her alone and let her raise their son by herself.

[@paulvoorhies8821]

Of course Dallas Season 8’s finale is a cliffhanger. Not everyone assumed it was a dream, especially that summer.

[@chrismcevoy2503]

Another one of my favorite cliffhangers was when Sydney was hit by a car and died after her wedding to Craig at the end of Season 5 of Melrose Place.

[@mikedarini6088]

It would have been better with the cliffhanger of Falcon Crest season 4

[@supersoaps]

Totally agree Mike! It actually was in it, but somehow it finally was not (lots of stuff for this video). It certainly belongs here, esp. for the "explosive" part. Thanks for your feedback. Toni from supersoaps.org

[@nicklundy9965]

I love Melrose Place next to Dallas. I always felt Michael was the closest we got to a J.R. like character he's just so slimy and charming at the same time Amanda always gave me Angela Channing vibes tho with a little Abby thrown in.

[@claugusandres582]

Season 4 in MP was dynasty style

[@Basileus84]

Cliffhangers are great for viewers, but I think they were also there to keep the actors from asking for more money. After the Moldavian Massacre, Joan Collins called their bluff. Corporate fought back, and she wasn't in the next couple of episodes of the next season, but she knew her worth, and won.

[@honestreport6448]

I’d say Fallon on the UFO was pretty explosive.

[@rony41165]

Models inc. and savannah ended with characters thought to be dead showing up alive.

[@rony41165]

There are also cliffhangers on sitcoms like cheers the second season when sam and Diane broke up.the fourth when sam was proposing to someone unseen. Big bang theory seasonfour penny spent the night with Raj.

[@rony41165]

grey’s anatomy had some good ones like the first one when derek’s wife showed up. The second wherein meredith was caught between Derek and Finn. The plane crash and the hospital shooting.

[@twistedhalo759]

Sidebar: The fire at the cabin in the OG Dynasty and was slightly reenacted in the remake could have been used to explain the recast Cristal rather than have her ( Celia/ Cristal) die and the show brings on the "real" Cristal. Celia could have had some burns and bandages, then when the bandages were removed, we see a " new" Cristal. Simple as that.

[@rony41165]

Shpuld have included the one in revenge when David clarke was revealed to be alive.

[@nicoleackerman205]

The ending to Dallas season 12 was terrible everyone in Texas new that crap about JR agree about dishonorable ones.

[@rony41165]

You omitted knots landing Sid in a-car crash.

[@rony41165]

Night court season four Harry stone getting fired and rehired but left before learning he was rehired.

[@otisroseboro5613]

Dallas Is The Best 💯,Who Shot JR,The Mother Of All TV Cliffhangers, I'm Not Surprised It's Number 1,The Greatest TV Show Of All Time

[@JeffReysofficial]

Nothing from Savannah? Twin Peaks?

[@ginogennaroalonso1067]

Number 22 dinasty the nightmare change dinasty. 2022. 👏🇺🇸👌...FALLONNNN

[@rony41165]

CSI when Warrick was shot

[@johndyslin798]

Overall, very good. Some disagreements, though (and I realize with all the shows over the years, it's not easy to get the top 40) but I'd put Bobby's "death" higher as well as when he got shot and his resurrection! Id put the Dynasty wedding "massacre" much lower because no one really died and it began a ratings collapse for the show. I'd add in the third season cliffhanger, that sadly and much too early ended the new Dallas with Christopher getting blown up. Putting Chase's death on Falcon Crest No. 3 was a master stroke! Oh, and I'd put the final Dallas (first one) episode with did JR shoot himseld or not in the Top 40 as well as James keeping JR in the loony bin. But again, lots to choose from and not an easy task! Overall, bravo!!

[@radrobd123]

they said no series finales and the final episodes of both OG Dallas and the 2012 revival you mentioned were the final episodes

[@johndyslin798]

@@radrobd123 though what became the final episode of the Dallas reboot was not meant to be THE final episode. They were planning on being renewed. And should have been! One of the biggest save our show campaigns took place for Dallas and TNT nor anyone else would keep it or pick it up

[@radrobd123]

@@johndyslin798 I was just explaining the rules of this video, that series finales would not be included. and for the record, the final episode of the original Dynasty was not intended as a series finale and the finale episode of the original Dallas was to be either a series or season finale, depending on whether the network renewed it

[@johndyslin798]

@@radrobd123 I missed that part where series finalies would not be incuded. The original Dallas was its intentional series finale, though, as CBS had announced early on that it would be the last season. The reboot, though, the series ending was not quite expected. They had a blueprint for a fourth season, but TNT had other plans. But all is well and thanks for the replies!!

[@radrobd123]

@@johndyslin798 Actually, that's not quite true. In January 1991, producers of Dallas stated that the finale which was filmed could serve as either a season finale or series finale, depending on whether the show was renewed for another season. Although the prospects of another season were not great, they still held out hope. It was in March 1991, two months later, that CBS officially cancelled the show and the season finale aired in May 1991.

[@mauricioperezdehita8747]

😍😍😍

[@supersoaps]

❤

[@julenpalacios2821]

Lovely que finales de temporada!!!! La piel de gallina 😉

[@rony41165]

scandal wgen the press asked Olivia about her relationship with the president and she said yes.

[@rony41165]

Star trek the next generation when Picard was captured ans assimilated by the Borg and led an attack on the enterprise and the enterprise fought back

[@errolbourgeois8230]

The wedding massacre on Dynasty is the worst cliffhanger of all time.

[@johndyslin798]

it killed the show!

[@radrobd123]

No it was a good cliffhanger. The resolution was what killed the show, but the season of the Moldavian massacre, Dynasty was the #1 show on American television

[@doubleeight5942]

If I understand right, this was done as a way to get rid of some actors for the next season as some of their contracts were up for renewal. Dynasty was #1, but it seems the powers that be knew it wouldn't last very long, so some had to go.

[@radrobd123]

@@doubleeight5942 I disagree. I think TPTB thought Dynasty would continue for a long time. That's why they created the spin-off at the time, to strike while the iron was hot. But, yes, they should have gotten rid of more characters: they could have killed Claudia, Prince Michael, maybe even Dex.

[@damianlatimer6472]

@@radrobd123 Claudia did die and Michael just left town

[@gildan958]

Dommage qu il n y ait pas desperates housewiwes