News flash: There's going to be a death on House that will be completely unexpected.

We have our doubts.

E!'s Kristin Dos Santos always gives good gossip, so her tip this week about the demise of an important character isn't in question. No, it's the idea that any hit could surprise us. It's been a while since we've been truly stunned by bucket kicking on the tube.

On her blog, Kristin says it's not the most likely candidate, not someone rumored to be leaving; it will be shocking and there's no lead-up to the death.

Could it be Cameron (Jennifer Morrison), Chase (Jesse Spencer), Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein), Foreman (Omar Epps), Kutner (Kal Penn), Taub (Peter Jacobson), Thirteen (Olivia Wilde), or Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard)? Only House (Hugh Laurie) could create a real shocker at this point. And some fans would pay big bucks if Thirteen, who has a terminal illness, would go gently into that good night.

And while House has jumped on the death wagon recently, a slew of shows from Chuck to Lost are touting the deaths of major characters before the end of the season.

Forgive the yawn. But for all the hype, we've seen plenty of characters killed off over the years.

Still, there are some that stick with us forever. Here's a list of our top 10 TV deaths. Feel free to add your own.

10. Boone, Lost: Boone was a key player from the beginning, so when he died after going into a plane teetering on a cliff, we knew this series wouldn't shy away from knocking off main characters. But the more dramatic death was Charlie, perhaps paving the way for the theory that those Losties who are redeemed get to pass on to the next world.

9. Col. Henry Blake, M*A*S*H: Henry's on every shocking TV death list because it came out of nowhere and was played to haunting perfection. Henry finally got his ticket home from the war, only to be killed when his plane was shot down. "There were no survivors," says Radar.

8. Byers, Frohike, and Langly, The Lone Gunmen: Really, did they have to cut down all three of these guys? Death by toxic virus. Boys, you deserved better.

7. Jen, Dawson's Creek: Did not see this one coming. The beautiful Jen dies in the series finale of a heart condition, passing her baby on to her best buddy Jack to raise.

6. Kate, NCIS: There were no spoiler alerts on this memorable takedown. Fans were outraged when Special Agent Kate Todd was gunned down in the 2005 season finale. Turned out that the actress, Sasha Alexander, had requested to leave the show.

5. Nate, Six Feet Under: In a show known for a weekly dose of death, there was still a shock factor when Nate collapsed after having sex with his stepdad's daughter. He later died of complications. And no, Brenda didn't kill him, although she had every right to do the deed.

4. Ralph Cifaretto, The Sopranos: Good ol' Tony Soprano, the gangsta you loved despite his sadistic streak. Could he really be all that bad? Look no further than the episode in which he brutally kills, then dismembers, Ralphie. Ralph had it coming after incinerating Tony's beloved race horse to claim the insurance money, but the brutality stood out even on a show known for casual violence.

3. Ben, Scrubs: Although not a main character, Brendan Fraser played Dr. Cox's best pal and brother-in-law Ben. Ben's got leukemia, but Dr. Cox assures him he can beat it. In the beginning of the episode, Dr. Cox asks Ben if he's always going to carry that camera around his neck. "Until the day I die," he says. Few viewers noticed until the end that he didn't have the camera on during all the scenes between Ben and Dr. Cox. Ben had died.

2. Rosalind Shays, L.A. Law: Has there ever been a more inspired death in the history of TV? One minute wicked Roz is chatting with another attorney waiting for the elevator. The door opens, she steps in -- to nothing. Drops down the shaft to her death.

1. Chuckles the Clown, The Mary Tyler Moore Show: One of the greatest comedy episodes ever. Period. End of discussion. Chuckles dies after leading the circus parade as Peter Peanut and an elephant shucked him. As Murray points out, it was a lucky thing no one else was injured because you know how hard it is to stop after just one. Ted said it best: "He died a broken man."

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