The 17 most jaw-dropping moments on TV in 2018

STEVE SMITH’S EMOTIONAL BREAKDOWN

Australia vs South Africa Test Match

Australia was shocked to learn that three of its cricket heroes – captain Steve Smith, vice-captain Dave Warner and Cameron Bancroft – were involved in a ball-tampering incident in a Test match in South Africa in March.

Yet you couldn’t help but feel for an ashamed Steve as he broke down at a media conference on his return from the disastrous tour. Steve and David were suspended from the game for 12 months, Cameron for nine.

ROCKED BY A HARROWING SEASON OPENER

The Handmaids Tale

It’s the water-cooler show that’s gripped the world. Season one proved both riveting and difficult to watch − it ended with Offred (Elisabeth Moss) in the back of a van, unsure what would happen next after she refused to kill Janine (Madeline Brewer). We were dreading her fate and bracing for a shock.

The shock came in the opening minutes of season two. When the doors of the van open, a muzzled Offred and other terrified handmaids are led into a ballpark filled with several gallows.

When, just moments before their feared hanging, Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) cruelly reveals their lives will be spared, Offred can’t help but blurt out, “Seriously?!”.

Her reaction was what everyone watching was thinking. And Elisabeth’s extraordinary performance in this episode – and throughout season two – earned her a Golden Globe For Best Performance

“YOU ARE EXCUSED FROM THE TABLE!”

My Kitchen Rules

In a My Kitchen Rules first, best friends Sonya and Hadil were asked to leave after an epic showdown with their rivals, Jess and Emma, at an ultimate instant restaurant.

Judges Manu Feildel and Pete Evans watched in disbelief as the teams traded insults, before Sonya pointed at all the contestants and declared: “I’ll come for you, because you’re all disrespectful a–holes.”

Manu later told TV WEEK “There was a time we were sitting around the table that was uncomfortable. We have been judging MKR for a long time and there’s always a bit of fighting, but this was just taking it too far.”

Sonya and Hadil later apologised on Instagram.

“We take full responsibility for the words that came out of our mouths,” they wrote, but also slammed the show’s editing, which they claimed “twisted, provoked and fuelled” the confrontation.

In yet more dramatic scenes, Russian pair Olga and Valeria took it upon themselves to challenge the expert advice Pete and Manu dished up at the dinner table. Eek!

A KNIGHT HAS FALLEN

Doctor Doctor

Unlike previous seasons, where viewers were kept in fits of laughter, Doctor Doctor began its third season on a sombre note.

Patriarch Jim Knight (Steve Bisley) died suddenly of a heart attack, and Hugh’s (Rodger Corser, right) world imploded.

The family gathered in Whyhope and downed shots, while The Angels’ hit “Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again” played.

It was a shock plot twist that meant Hugh was unable to return to the city. He had to support his grieving mum, Meryl (Tina Bursill), and deal with the farm’s $3 million debt.

For fans, it was nice to see the doc dealing with something other than a bruised ego. Bring on season four!

HAPPILY NEVER AFTER

Bachelor In Paradise

Viewers couldn’t get enough of Sam Cochrane and Tara Pavlovic’s sweet love story in the debut season of Bachelor In Paradise.

Sam even got down on bended knee and popped the question during the season finale!

“Our personalities gel so well,” a smitten Tara, 27, told TV WEEK at the time.

But the fairytale quickly soured. Just three months after the April finale, Sam and Tara announced their separation on Instagram – and things took a nasty turn.

“The relationship was the most toxic thing,” Tara later said.

“I feel the biggest sense of relief now that it’s all over.”

LOVE TRIANGLE

Married At First Sight

Viewers were shocked when Dean Wells and Davina Rankin met up in secret to explore their feelings – despite being “married” to other people.

But that was nothing compared to what went down at the next commitment ceremony, when Dean blindsided Davina by opting to stay with his wife, Tracey Jewel, after they’d shared a night of intimacy.

Meanwhile, Davina’s husband, Ryan Gallagher, had no idea this was all going on. Watercooler TV at its finest.

Dean infuriated viewers when, during a boozy boys’ night, he began discussing a potential wife swap, offering up Tracey to the other grooms.

Charlene Perera called out his behaviour at the next dinner party and her revelations left the other wives disgusted. It wasn’t pretty, but it was pretty incredible drama.

Troy Delmege’s vigorous teeth brushing will go down in MAFS history. But his bizarre behaviour only intensified – to the point viewers asked if he was an actor!

Troy did find love, but not with wife Ashley Irvin. He ditched Ashley for Carly Bowyer.

SO LONG, WELD

800 Words

When 800 Words came to an end, those who’d loved the show were disappointed. None more so than leading man Erik Thomson.

“It could have run for more seasons,” Erik, 51, told TV WEEK.

“The plan was to jump ahead a year to see how things panned out, but that’s not going to happen, unfortunately.”

Luckily for us, the Logie-winning drama, which debuted in 2015, went out with a series of happy endings.

Erik’s character George found love with Katie (Anna Jullienne); Shay (Melina Vidler, above) found new purpose with a move on the horizon; and Arlo (Benson Jack Anthony, above) came into his own as a young man.

WAITING TO EXHALE

Bodyguard

When the Brits began to rave about their new BBC thriller Bodyguard, the rest of the world wanted in – and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

When the six-part series finally dropped on Netflix in Australia, it kicked off with a white-knuckle 20-minute opening scene in which police officer and war veteran David Budd (Richard Madden) tries to talk a terrorist out of detonating a bomb on a packed commuter train.

JACK’S DEATH IS FINALLY EXPLAINED

This Is Us

If there was a TV scene that made us ugly-cry more than Jack’s (Milo Ventimiglia) death on Network Ten series This Is Us, we don’t know what it is.

The Pearson patriarch had just heroically rescued his family – and pet dog Louis – from a catastrophic house fire caused by the faulty crock-pot, only to succumb to a massive heart attack shortly afterwards.

Rebecca’s (Mandy Moore) shock upon learning the news was utterly devastating. Pass the tissues!

MEET THE IN-LAWS FROM HELL

Bride and Prejudice

Stunned viewers saw Seyat’s mum Fatima (right) brand her son’s fiancée, Jess, a “whore” – and later offer her a bribe of $10,000 to leave him.

“It brings up a lot of anxiety,” Jess, 21, told TV WEEK at the time.

“But I know it’ll make me a stronger person.”

Meanwhile, Hank’s parents Terry and Margaret came under fire for their narrow views on race, feminism and sexuality, and describing Hank’s fiancée Lily as a “controlling, feminist vegetarian”.

“I was shocked by the things Terry said,” Lily, 23, told TV WEEK.

“I wouldn’t speak up to begin with because I didn’t want to cause any issues. But I can’t just sit there!”

GOODBYE KAT, HELLO JASMINE

Home and Away

The death of pregnant Kat (Pia Miller) sparked a year of emotional chaos in Summer Bay. The policewoman was killed in a car crash when trying to flee with wanted crim Robbo (Jake Ryan).

In heartbreaking scenes at the funeral, Ash (George Mason) carried a small white casket to represent his unborn child.

But as one door closed, so another opened. Newcomer Jasmine (former Bachelorette Sam Frost), the driver of the other vehicle in the accident, decided to stay in the Bay and make a fresh start.

The bubbly blonde has since stolen hearts in Summer Bay, especially Robbo’s.

Fans thought they’d seen the back of the infamous River Boys when Brax (Stephen Peacocke) left Summer Bay, but a new generation of toughs roared into town to help Ash in his quest for vengeance.

Led by Dean (Patrick O’Connor), they soon caused trouble – including a fight on the beach with new cop Colby (Tim Franklin). Dean also caused strife for Summer Bay’s hot couple, Willow (Sarah Roberts) and Justin (James Stewart) – who are dating in real life!

Clever teasers by Channel Seven led many to believe veteran character Alf (Ray Meagher) was about to be killed off. He wasn’t, but after becoming trapped in a sinkhole with Roo (Georgie Parker), he was in a poor way and his health declined rapidly. Then, Alf revealed a 30-year-old secret: Roo’s mother was alive. Whoa!

There were tears when Brody (Jackson Heywood) and Ziggy (Sophie Dillman) tied the knot this year. But their joy was tinged with sadness when Ziggy’s mum Maggie (Kestie Morassi), who’s battled cancer, collapsed at the reception!

Cops always get their man – which is precisely what Chelsea (Ashleigh Brewer) planned to do when she arrived in town looking for her ex-fiancée Colby (Tim Franklin). The former Aussie star of US soap The Bold And The Beautiful proved an exciting addition to the cast.

REIGN SUPREME

The Royal Wedding

Royal fans worldwide were glued to their screens on May 19 as Prince Harry exchanged vows with Meghan Markle at St George’s Chapel in England.

All eyes were on former Hollywood actress Meghan as she walked down the aisle in a boat-neck Clare Waight Keller gown topped with a diamond bandeau tiara, loaned to her by the Queen. An emotional Harry had hearts melting as he whispered to his bride: “You look amazing.”

The passionate address by Reverend Michael Curry proved a highlight of the ceremony. But the pinnacle came when the newly named Duke and Duchess Of Sussex kissed on the chapel staircase in front of well-wishers.

Royal fever then hit Oz in October when Harry and Meghan arrived for the 2018 Invictus Games. We were also the first to congratulate the pair when they announced their happy baby news!

NICK CHOOSES… NO-ONE

The Bachelor

Bachelor Nick Cummins broke the hearts of Brittany and Sophie when he held onto his final rose and didn’t pick a winner.

But while Nick chose to lie low after the October finale, the girls emerged closer than ever.

“Australia really just wanted a happy ending,” Brittany, 30, told TV WEEK afterwards.

Three bachelorettes dubbed the “Tripod” – Alisha, Romy and Cat – were clear villains this season.

“I’ll speak out if someone annoys me,” Romy, 29, said. “If that makes me the villain, then fine.”

When rival contender Tenille told Nick of their bitchy behaviour, he confronted ringleader Cat and told her to pack her bags.

“Chuck 25 women in a house together and you’re going to butt heads with a few,” Cat, 24, said.

“But it was a shame I was shown in a negative way.”

In a launch-night twist, Cass Wood revealed she knew Nick in real life – but her strong feelings for the former rugby star saw her regarded as a “stage-five clinger” from the get-go.

She later said she’d been portrayed unfairly.

“All we saw [early on] was me being very into Nick,” Cass, 23, told TV WEEK.

“A lot of the conversations between us weren’t shown.”

For a moment, we thought we were watching scripted drama UnREAL when producers were forced to step in during Tenille’s on-screen meltdown.

When Romy called out the brunette for kissing Nick on their date, the flight attendant first tried to defend herself, before storming off into the darkness. She even tried to tear off her dress to remove her microphone.

“I’m not having it − get those cameras away from me,” the 25-year-old yelled, while running off into the bushes as a producer followed and tried to calm her down.

GRANT WINS BIG WITH AN EMOTIONAL SPEECH

2018 TV WEEK LOGIES

In his 21-year TV career, Grant Denyer (right) has often wished for a Logie victory. But after eight nominations without a result, he told TV WEEK Close Up* “To be honest, the last couple of years, I think I was afraid to win it.”

So nothing prepared Grant for taking home the Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality On Australian TV, as well as the Most Popular Presenter honour.

It was a delightful surprise, especially considering Family Feud, the show he hosted, had only just been cancelled by Network 10.

Grant, 41, dedicated his statuette to his wife, Cheryl, in a raw, tearful acceptance speech where he also revealed: “Family Feud came along at a time when I needed it. I was very unwell and Family Feud gave me a ladder out of that hole.”

Grant then offered hope to those who have faced similar struggles.

Among those he reached? Most Popular Actress winner and fellow Gold Logie nominee Jessica Marais, 33, who was unable to attend the Logies as she was focusing on her mental health.

“Moved me to tears,” Jessica said on social media about Grant, “and gives me strength. Courage in the quiet battle. Congrats, mate.”

SARA AND HAYDEN QUIT.. THEN WIN!

The Block

In a Block first, two tradies were arrested on site – with one being convicted of credit card fraud and deported while the other was released.

“It had everyone second guessing themselves,” contestant Jess Eva, 33, whose Block-issued team credit card had been swiped, told TV WEEK.

“Whenever something went missing, it had people wondering if it had been stolen.”

That wasn’t the only Season 14 drama on the St Kilda set of Nine Network’s The Block. There was a clear divide between the Penthouse Alliance (Jess and Norm Hogan and Carla Dziwoki and Bianca Chatfield) and the remaining Old Gatwick crew, ensuring fierce rivalries.

However, it was Sara and Hayden Vale that were at the centre of the most drama.

The tension boiled over after a string of low room scores and poor feedback over a bathroom that featured an $11,000 brass bathtub. The fiery duo then sensationally walked off the show.

“It got to the point where there was no constructive criticism,” Sara, 31, told TV WEEK.

After cooling off, the couple opted to return – and even ended up having the last laugh come auction day after walking away with the highest profit margin – and the news that they were expecting a baby boy!

AARON & DAVID’S WEDDING

Neighbours

We all love a soap wedding but when it’s Australia’s first same-sex soap wedding – officiated by Magda Szubanski’s character Jemima Davies-Smythe – it’s even more exciting.

Aaron (Matt Wilson) and David’s (Takaya Honda) heartfelt union was worth the wait and the actors themselves say they’re proud to have been a part of an iconic television moment.

“It’s a huge milestone for Neighbours and my career,” Matt, 30, told TV WEEK.

“It was an honour and a privilege,” added Takaya. Congrats!

UNEARTHING THE FREAK

Wentworth

Joan ‘The Freak’ Ferguson’s (Pamela Rabe) fate was teased throughout Foxtel drama Wentworth‘s sixth season.

But when prison guards Will (Robbie Magasiva), Vera (Kate Atkinson) and Jake (Bernard Curry) dug up the crate in which Will had buried her alive at the end of season five, we were all biting our nails.

Would the coffin contain The Freak’s remains?

“You never see Ferguson die,” Bernard, 44, told TV WEEK.

“There has always been varying degrees of potential outcome of that situation so it all comes down to this one moment.”

The tension was almost as unbearable as the smell that greeted Will when he finally prised opened the coffin to find a decomposing body in a teal tracksuit inside.

It seemed as if the trio’s question had been answered – but was it really the Freak?

Wentworth never takes the obvious plot pathway and the ambiguity over who was in the coffin raised even more questions than it answered.