15 Saddest TV Show Moments Of All Time

Amassing a record-breaking 122 million viewers upon its release, it's hard to imagine a series finale packing as much of a punch with viewers than MASH managed with "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen." Written and directed by star Alan Alda, the episode is a tour-de-force of tear-filled goodbyes and signifies the end of one of TV's greatest shows.

The most shocking, horrific and emotional moment of the episode comes when Hawkeye Pierce, confined to a psychiatric ward after suffering a nervous breakdown, recounts a story in which he was returning to camp from an outing and picked up some refugees and wounded soldiers along the way. On the bus, they were all forced to be quiet, as an enemy patrol was nearby.

Telling a woman to keep her "chicken" quiet, Hawkeye is appalled when she smothers it to death. Questioned by Sidney Freeman, his psychiatrist, Hawkeye reveals that it wasn't a chicken that died, but the woman's baby.

After everything he had gone through, this moment is what shatters Pierce's psyche, and watching him recount the story makes you wonder how many people didn't cry when they first saw it.