History Main / BigDisasterPlot

* The ''Series/WKRPInCincinnati'' episode "In Concert" centered around the real-life [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Who_concert_disaster The Who concert disaster of 1979]]. While the actual events of the crush aren't shown, most of the cast had attended and witnessed what happened, with the latter half of the episode devoted to them trying to process what happened. The episode served as [[VerySpecialEpisode an indictment of festival seating, which was considered to be a contributing factor to the disaster]].

Common in the MedicalDrama and CrimeAndPunishmentSeries. Compare BigStormEpisode. For plots that could be described as disastrous, see DarthWiki/SoBadItsHorrible.

* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'' episode "April 9th," acted as the series response to the September 11th [[WarOnTerror terrorist]] [[PostNineElevenTerrorismMovie attacks.]] It tells of Lakewood Elementary catching fire during one day and how all the different people involved are affected by it. The story is spread across the entire episode unlike the usual two 11-minute episodes that most of the rest of the series has. It was also substantially [[DarkerAndEdgier much more serious and somber]] than the series normally is, showing the very real symptoms of PTSD that can occur such as Arthur constantly stressing over his father, who was trapped in the building longer than everyone else (a family-friendly surrogate of the people who died in the 9/11 attacks), Sue Ellen suffering over losing her diary that she'd kept for years (symbolizing the memories that were destroyed when the attacks occurred), Mr. Morris suffering injuries that cause him to retire, and Binky being so traumatized by it that he pulls the fire alarm for no reason as an outlet for his fear.

* ''Series/GreysAnatomy'' has one almost every season. Some notable examples include:
** Season 2, Episode 5, "Bring The Pain": A big storm hits Seattle Grace Hospital and a power-outage traps George O'Malley, Alex Karev, and a patient in the elevator. The pair then perform a impromptu heart surgery on a critical patient.
** Season 2, Episode 6, "Into You Like a Train": A train crash with multiple ensuing casualties.
** Season 2, Episodes 16 "It's The End of the World", and Episode 17 "As We Know It": A man arrives at the hospital with a bomb lodged in his chest.
** Season 3, Episode 15, "Walk on Water": A barge crashes into a ferry boat with many casualties, and Meredith Grey drowns (it's okay, she gets better).
** Season 4, Episode 9 "Crash Into Me -- Part 1", and Episode 10 "Crash Into Me -- Part 2": An ambulance collision in the ER bay leaves multiple paramedics in critical condition fighting for their lives and others trapped in the wreckage.
** Season 6, Episode 14, "Valentine's Day Massacre": The roof collapses on a popular restaurant on Valentine's Day and the doctors must treat dozens of injured patients.
** Season 6, Episode 23, "Sanctuary": The husband of a deceased patient enters the hospital heavily armed and goes on a shooting rampage.
** Season 7, Episode 18, "Song Beneath the Song": Callie Torres and Arizona Robbins get into a car crash en route to a romantic weekend getaway, moments after Arizona proposes, that leaves Callie suffering from severe injuries and their unborn child in danger.
** Season 8, Episode 23 "Migration", and Episode 24 "Flight": Doctors Meredith, Cristina, Derek, Mark Sloan, Lexie Grey, and Arizona board a flight to Boise, ID to take part in a surgery on conjoined twins that ends up crashing in the woods.
** Season 9, Episode 23 "Readiness Is All", and Episode 24 "Perfect Storm": A major storm threatens the newly renamed Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. Meredith goes into labor as the hospital loses power for the second time in nine seasons, and a packed school bus flips over right outside of the hospital.

** Train crashes were also the subject of an earlier episode, "Sabotage", though none of those incidents were of the same scale [[spoiler:although the bomber's planned finale probably would have been.]]

Common in the MedicalDrama and CrimeAndPunishmentSeries. Compare BigStormEpisode. For problems that may ''cause'' literal trainwrecks, see TrackTrouble. Not to be confused with TranslationTrainWreck or an episode that's DarthWiki/SoBadItsHorrible.

* Pretty much every PoliceProcedural ever, to show that it's not all about PerpSweating and arguing with DaChief or the judge every day.

* Pretty much every PoliceProcedural ever, to show that it's not all about PerpSweating and arguing with DaChief or the judge every day.

* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'' episode "April 9th," acted as the series response to the September 11th [[WarOnTerror terrorist]] [[PostNineElevenTerrorismMovie attacks.]] It tells of Lakewood Elementary catching fire during one day and how all the different people involved are affected by it. The story is spread across the entire episode unlike the usual two 11-minute episodes that most of the rest of the series has. It was also substantially [[DarkerAndEdgier much more serious and somber]] than the series normally is, showing the very real symptoms of PTSD that can occur such as Arthur constantly stressing over his father, who was trapped in the building longer than everyone else (a family-friendly surrogate of the people who died in the 9/11 attacks), Sue Ellen suffering over losing her diary that she'd kept for years (symbolizing the memories that were destroyed when the attacks occurred), Mr. Morris suffering injuries that cause him to retire, and Binky being so traumatized by it that he pulls the fire alarm for no reason as an outlet for his fear.
* ''Series/SilentWitness'': "Body 21" and [[spoiler:a later episode involving a Chinook crashing into a refugee detention centre]].
* ''Series/{{Lost}}'': The pilot episode shows the crash of Oceanic flight 815 and deals with the aftermath.

* ''Series/{{House}}'':
** The Season 4 premiere depicted an office building collapsing, whereas the Season 6 finale depicted the process of a crane collapsing and crashing into an apartment building.
** Let's not forget the bus crash at the end of season 4. It's a while before we actually see the bus crash, but when we do, it's all slow-mo, heart-wrenching-ness.
* Pretty much every PoliceProcedural ever, to show that it's not all about PerpSweating and arguing with DaChief or the judge every day.
* ''Series/LawAndOrder'' over its run has featured a ferry boat crash, an arson at a packed nightclub, a car-bombing and an actual train wreck.

* The premiere of ''Peter Benchley's Amazon'' included a plane crashing in a jungle with the main characters - some of the crash is seen from different passenger perspectives throughout the first three episodes. Interestingly, this also predate ''Series/{{Lost}}'''s plane-crash scenario by two years
* ''Series/{{CSI}}'' had a bus crash version, which was caused by shoddy materials. It was Greg's first time in the field, too.
* ''Series/ColdCase'': An arson fire set in a disco to cover up a murder ended up killing almost a dozen more.
* ''Series/ForeverKnight'' had Black Buddha, where a plane crashed outside Toronto. It happened to be carrying Nick's partner, who died.
* A number of episodes of ''Series/BabylonFive'' have plots kicked off by docking accidents, most particularly ''By Any Means Necessary'', which centered more on the concerns of the dockworkers (obsolete or faulty equipment, insufficient manpower to keep up with the high flow of shipping traffic in and out of the station, etc.) and Earth's attempts to put an end to their strike.
* A second season episode of ''Series/EliStone'' deals with a major earthquake which Eli had had a vision of early in season one.
* ''Series/{{Casualty}}'' has these every now and then, often when a member of the regular cast is on-board. A few examples include:
** A bombing in a busy shopping centre
** A chemical leak on a housing estate
** A collapsed block of flats full of immigrants and refugees and surrounded by protesters
** Part of a school collapsing
** Season 18 opened with a train derailment two-parter, that resulted in the death of one of the nurses who was on the crashed train.
** Season 28 has a two-parter with a helicopter crash in the first part and a train crash, caused by metal thieves, in the second.
* ''Series/LondonsBurning'' generally ended each SeasonFinale with one of these. Memorable examples include a fairground ride collapse, a fire in a builder's yard with about a hundred gas cylinders and a fire engine plunging down an embankment.

* ''Series/LondonsBurning'' generally ended each season with one of these. Memorable examples include a fairground ride collapse, a fire in a builder's yard with about a hundred gas cylinders and a fire engine plunging down an embankment.

This is any episode of a show that focuses around a big disaster. Frequently used as a season opener (or finale), this will usually involve the creation of a spectacular crash scene and may well get covered in ''RadioTimes'' or another such publication.

* ''Series/GreysAnatomy'' has a few, such as a train accident in Season 2 and a ferry crash in Season 3.

Common in the MedicalDrama and CrimeAndPunishmentSeries. Compare BigStormEpisode. Not to be confused with TranslationTrainWreck or an episode that's DarthWiki/SoBadItsHorrible.

* The ''FinalDestination'' movies all open with a elaborate 'anatomy of an accident' scene.

* ''LawAndOrder'' over its run has featured a ferry boat crash, an arson at a packed nightclub, a car-bombing and an actual train wreck.
* ''Crossing Jordan'' had a subway derailment and an office building bombing that both created mass-casualties.

* ''ForeverKnight'' had Black Buddha, where a plane crashed outside Toronto. It happened to be carrying Nick's partner, who died.

* ''LawAndOrder'' over its run has featured a ferry boat crash, an arson at a packed nightclub and a car-bombing.

* ''LawAndOrder'' over it's run has featured a ferry boat crash, an arson at a packed nightclub and a car-bombing.

Common in the MedicalDrama and CrimeAndPunishmentSeries. Not to be confused with TranslationTrainWreck or an episode that's DarthWiki/SoBadItsHorrible.

* ''{{CSI}}'' had a bus crash version, which was caused by shoddy materials. It was Greg's first time in the field, too.
* ''ColdCase'': An arson fire set in a disco to cover up a murder ended up killing almost a dozen more.

* ''Series/{{Casualty}}''has these every now and then, often when a member of the regular cast is on-board. A few examples include:

* ''SilentWitness'': "Body 21" and [[spoiler:a later episode involving a Chinook crashing into a refugee detention centre]].

* In the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' episode ''[[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesTheClockKing The Clock King]]'' this trope is: subverted by the ClockKing, who organizes a subway crash just because WeNeedADistraction to kidnap someone.