ABC aired a one-hour 20/20 special looking back on the celebrities we lost in 2017, called The Year In Memoriam 2017. Twitter tuned in, sharing their emotions as they watched the stars they loved remembered.
The special focused on a handful of celebrities, including Don Rickles, Mary Tyler Moore, Glen Campbell, Tom Petty and David Cassidy. At the end, ABC showed a montage of more actors, comedians and musicians who died in the past 12 months.
Videos by PopCulture.com
If ABC intended to make viewers cry, the network succeeded at that. Although not every celebrity death could be fit into the one-hour block, many were thankful that ABC offered such a special hour.
“Some of the best living is done through the people that have been left behind.”
This year it seems like so many greats have passed on.@ABCNetwork what a lovely special this evening.#TheYear#InMemoriam#InMemoriam2017
โ Cal Gaines (@CalGainesPhoto) December 19, 2017
Heartwarming and heartbreaking. So many lost this year. #TheYear
โ ๐จ๐ฆAdele๐โ๏ธ๐ (@adeleatplay) December 19, 2017
The special made it clear that while the stars are gone, their work still lives on.
Grateful that their work lives on. Our heroes are never gone๐โค๏ธ #TheYear @ABC2020 @ABC
โ Patricia Makris (@PMCastle) December 19, 2017
@ABCNetwork I am loving #TheYear! Only three stories in, and every one has been wonderful and handled beautifully! Looking forward to whatโs coming up!
โ Lisa Nesbit Reuss (@randgmom) December 19, 2017
Some were surprised to see how many stars died in the past year.
Watching #TheYear. Lost a lot of great ones this year, but this is SO GOOD! #theyear @ABCNetwork
โ Amanda Burton (@Funny_burt) December 19, 2017
@ABCNetwork breaking my heart tonight with their segment for @DonRickles on #TheYear special. I miss him so much
โ Gertie22; (@BabyBlueEyes130) December 19, 2017
Some fans were particularly heartbroken about the deaths of Petty, Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington.
Oh the feels when @RobinRoberts got to Glen Campbell, Tom Petty, Chris Cornell, & Chester Bennington ๐ข๐ญ๐ #TheYear
โ โโฃ๏ธMยฐGยฐPยฐโโฃ๏ธ (@Mperales1127) December 19, 2017
Oh Chester, I wish you were still here #TheYear
โ Merry Spacegirl (@TeamTardis11) December 19, 2017
One fan would have preferred a two-hour In Memoriam instead of a two-hour Christmas light contest.
Dear @abcnews,
Next year, cut out the two-hour Christmas light contest show, and give those two hours to #TheYear.
โ Chase Carter (@loyalandtrue86) December 19, 2017