Top 5 TV Moments of 2009

By Amanda Pendolino on December 17th, 2009

5. Jay Leno vs. Conan O’Brien

This may not be one specific moment, but Conan’s takeover of The Tonight Show and Jay’s move to 10 p.m. was a big shakeup for NBC and late night television. Conan has done some funny skits, but The Tonight Show has lost more than half its audience compared with last year, and those lost fans aren’t tuning in for Jay either. The future of these two is very uncertain.

4. Susan Boyle on Britain’s Got Talent

It’s been a hell of a year for Susan Boyle, the middle-aged Scottish songbird whose performance of “I Dreamed a Dream” on Britain’s Got Talent in April made her an instant internet sensation. Since then, she’s gotten a glam makeover, appeared on a variety of shows, and released her debut album, I Dreamed a Dream.

3. Dave Letterman’s Infidelity Announcement

It all seems pretty innocent, now that Tiger Woods has been outed as a Cheetah, but Dave Letterman’s on-air confirmation of his sexual relationships with staff members and the attempted extortion plot against him was shocking. A few of the women came forward, and Nell Scovell wrote an interesting Vanity Fair piece about being a woman in that workplace.

2. Adam Lambert’s Sexy AMA Performance

Who knew that grabbing a guy’s face and shoving it into your crotch would cause such an uproar? After his sexually-charged performance at the American Music Awards, Adam Lambert got kicked off Good Morning America and Jimmy Kimmel. The hype began a conversation about homophobia in the music industry, one that I hope isn’t over.

1. Kanye West vs. Taylor Swift

From YouTube hits to Photoshopped pics, Kanye West’s brash interruption of Taylor Swift’s speech at MTV’s Video Music Awards takes the prize as the biggest TV moment of 2009. But if you look at the years they’ve had, Kanye’s rude stunt may have been the best thing ever to happen to our little country crooner.