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  1. Home
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  3. The Top 10 TV Stories of 2015

The Top 10 TV Stories of 2015

Lynette Rice
By Lynette Rice Updated December 28, 2015 at 06:18 PM EST
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The Year's Biggest TV Stories

The Year's Biggest TV Stories
Credit: Comedy Central; E!; AP; CBS

It was a year of teary goodbyes (so long, Derek and Luke) and brave appearances (nice to meet you, Caitlyn!). We count down the 10 most-talked about TV stories from 2015.

 

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Viola Davis Wins Her First Emmy

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Credit: Phil McCarten/Invision/AP

Davis made history in September by becoming the first black actress to win in the Emmy's Best Actress category for How to Get Away with Murder. "Let me tell you something: the only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity," Davis said while accepting the award.

 

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Dr. Derek Shepherd Dies on Grey's Anatomy

McDreamy Dies, 'Grey's Anatomy'
Credit: ABC

Many fans of Patrick Dempsey still haven’t recovered from the decision to kill off Dr. Derek Shepherd, aka McDreamy, in a shocking April episode of Grey’s Anatomy.

 

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Transgender Programming

Transgender Programming
Credit: James White/E! Entertainment; Courtesy of OWN

Unscripted and fictional shows that chronicled the lives of transgender women and men were big news in 2015. Besides I am Cait, there was I am Jazz on TLC and Becoming Us on ABC Family, as well as the critically-acclaimed dramedy Transparent on Amazon.

 

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NBC Cuts Back on Comedy

NBC Cuts Back on Comedy
Credit: Ben Cohen/NBC; Paul Drinkwater/NBC

The former home of Must See Comedy began the 2015-16 TV season by programming only one hour of sitcoms on Fridays – Undateable and Truth Be Told (the latter of which has already been canceled).

 

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The Good Wife Manufactures a Goodbye

The Good Wife Manufactures a Goodbye
Credit: CBS

Archie Panjabi's swan song on the CBS drama ended on a sour note when it was clear a pivotal goodbye scene between Kalinda and Alicia (Julianna Margulies) was edited together because the actresses didn’t shoot it together.

 

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Amy Schumer Rules

Amy Schumer Rules
Credit: Comedy Central

The comedienne became the It Girl of 2015 by starring in Trainwreck – a big screen comedy bonanza that she also wrote - and Inside Amy Schumer, a Comedy Central show that garnered an Emmy in September.

 

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David Letterman Bids Farewell

David Letterman Bids Farewell
Credit: John Paul Filo/CBS

After 33 years in late night, David Letterman stepped down from The Late Show gig in May — but he kept his emotions in check. "It's beginning to look like I'm not going to get the Tonight Show," he joked in his opening monologue.

 

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So Long, Luke Spencer

So Long, Luke Spencer
Credit: Craig Sjodin/ABC

In June, Anthony Geary shot his last scene as Luke Spencer on General Hospital — the ABC soap her first joined in 1978. “I’m excited to raise the curtain on act 3,” he told EW.

 

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Giuliana Rancic Apologizes to Zendaya

Giuliana Rancic Apologizes to Zendaya
Credit: E!

Fashion Police got a whole lot of unwanted attention in February when co-host Giuliana Rancic made a crack about Zendaya’s red-carpet style that was deemed racist. She issued an on-air apology a day later. “I just want everyone to know I didn’t intend to hurt anybody. But I’ve learned it is not my intent that matters.

 

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The Puzzling Deaths of Jon Snow and Glenn Rhee

The Puzzling Deaths of Jon Snow and Glenn Rhee
Credit: HBO; AMC

Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead sent fans into a tizzy when they (supposedly) killed off Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Glenn Rhee (Steven Yeun). HBO continues to insist that Jon has met his maker while Glenn, it turns out, is most sincerely alive.

 

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  • By Lynette Rice @LynetteRice

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    1 of 11 The Year's Biggest TV Stories
    2 of 11 Viola Davis Wins Her First Emmy
    3 of 11 Dr. Derek Shepherd Dies on Grey's Anatomy
    4 of 11 Transgender Programming
    5 of 11 NBC Cuts Back on Comedy
    6 of 11 The Good Wife Manufactures a Goodbye
    7 of 11 Amy Schumer Rules
    8 of 11 David Letterman Bids Farewell
    9 of 11 So Long, Luke Spencer
    10 of 11 Giuliana Rancic Apologizes to Zendaya
    11 of 11 The Puzzling Deaths of Jon Snow and Glenn Rhee

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