12 TV Moments Made Unintentionally Depressing By Real Life Events

Actor and comedian Zero Mostel appeared on The Muppet Show in December 1977, and there's a sketch where he recites a poem to the camera about his fears: being bald, spiders, growing fat, etc. At the end, he reveals that his greatest fear is to disappear forever. "It will count me and compel me," he says. "It will casually dispel me." Just as he says that, he vanishes right there and the scene ends. He's gone.

Not only did Mostel die in 1977, but he actually passed away before this episode even aired. To make matters worse, the disappearing scene is his very last sketch of the night. Imagine how sad it would be to be a huge Zero Mostel fan, tune into The Muppet Show to see his final television appearance, only for the comedian to go on about growing old and disappearing forever. 

The image of him fading away is meant to be a goofy little cap to a lighthearted sketch, and the audience laughs at it, but given Mostel's actual death, it becomes way more emotional than a show about felt puppets has any right to be.