26 Larry David’s Real-Life Seinfeld Inspiration
The Seinfeld episode “The Revenge,” where George quits his job and then shows back up to work as if nothing happened in hopes of keeping it, drew inspiration from Larry David’s real-life experience of quitting and returning to his job at SNL.
27. The X-Files episode “Home” was so disturbing that Fox aired it only once and banned it from reruns, and it remained unseen until the show re-aired on the cable channel FX.
28. Three 13-year-old girls submitted a script for “Tiny Toon Adventures.” Impressed, producer Steven Spielberg invited them to Hollywood to work on the episode and paid them $3,000. This event later inspired a Simpsons episode where Bart and Lisa write an Itchy & Scratchy cartoon.
29. A 2002 episode of “The Twilight Zone” explored the Novikov self-consistency principle of time travel. Katherine Heigl’s character travels back in time to kill baby Hitler, but his mother adopts another child who grows up to become Adolf Hitler.
30. After the South Park episode “Chef Aid” aired, the term ‘Chewbacca Defense’ entered the legal lexicon. The strategy aims to deliberately confuse juries rather than refute cases. Although widely used by lawyers before, South Park popularized the term.
31 Police Woman Sparks Hiring Surge
The NBC TV show “Police Woman” (1974-1978), starring Angie Dickinson as a female cop, sparked a surge of job applications from women to police departments across the U.S. It was also President Ford’s favorite show; he even canceled a press conference to avoid missing an episode.
32. The “Seinfeld” episode “The Pen,” where Jerry and Elaine visit his parents in Florida, is unique for not featuring Jason Alexander. After the table read, Alexander threatened to quit if they ever wrote another episode without his character, George.
33. Mel Blanc, the voice of Barney Rubble, continued recording for “The Flintstones” from his hospital bed after a car crash during Season 1. The cast gathered around him to record, while producers directed via a built-in speaker. They recorded around forty episodes this way.
34. In a 2009 episode of BBC’s “Top Gear,” Michael Schumacher appeared as the Stig. Jeremy Clarkson hinted, and the BBC confirmed, that Schumacher was not the regular Stig. Ferrari insisted only Schumacher could drive the Ferrari FXX featured on the show.
35. Band of Brothers aimed for historical accuracy by flying in multiple World War II veterans from around the world to advise on weaponry, battle tactics, and combat scenarios. The veterans also screened previews of each episode before release as a final accuracy check.
36 Pinky and the Brain’s Third Wheel
When Warner Bros. executives suggested adding a third character to “Pinky and the Brain,” the writers responded with the episode “Pinky & The Brain And…Larry.” It featured an unnecessary third mouse, Larry, who added nothing to the plot but repeatedly saying, “I’m Larry.”
37. Starting with Season 2, “The Simpsons” created three variations of its opening theme: a full 1-minute-15-second version, a 45-second version, and a 25-second version. This allowed editors flexibility to adjust episode lengths and include more footage.
38. The unaired Sesame Street episode “Snuffy’s Parents Get a Divorce,” produced in 1992, was shelved after tests showed young viewers were confused about divorce concepts. Despite the investment, producers decided not to air it.
39. The “Breaking Bad” team declined a $75 million offer to produce three additional episodes after the final season. This amount exceeded their five-year profits, but the team believed the final episodes didn’t lend themselves to more installments.
40. Nickelodeon almost canceled “Hey Arnold’s” Christmas episode due to concerns kids wouldn’t relate to its Vietnam War portrayal. An executive reversed the decision after her nine-year-old son watched a rough cut and asked, “Mom, is that what Vietnam was all about?”
41 SpongeBob Episode Removed in 2018
In the 2003 SpongeBob episode “Mid-Life Crustacean,” Mr. Krabs joins SpongeBob and Patrick in a panty raid. In 2018, Nickelodeon, Paramount+, and Amazon removed this episode from streaming services.
42. In the third episode of Game of Thrones’ fourth season, the Meereenese rider challenges Daenerys’ champion with insults. These insults are Low Valyrian translations of the French character’s taunts from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which included “your mother was a hamster.”
43. The titles of Breaking Bad Season 2’s 1st, 4th, 9th, and 13th episodes form the phrase “Seven Thirty-Seven Down Over ABQ,” foreshadowing the season-ending plane crash. Each of these episodes features a teaser with a scorched pink teddy bear floating in Walt’s pool.
44. The Simpsons episode “Itchy and Scratchy Land” was created in response to new censorship laws. Fox attempted to block the inclusion of Itchy and Scratchy cartoons, prompting the writers to make the episode as violent as possible.
45. The Simpsons’ episode “Bart Gets an Elephant” is inspired by a “The Price is Right” episode. As a joke, the show offered an elephant as a “bonus prize.” Although the real prize was $4,000, the contestant chose the elephant, which was then delivered to him from Kenya.
15 Most Controversial & Costly Blunders in History
46 Pedro Pascal’s Mandalorian Collaborations
While Pedro Pascal consistently voices the Mandalorian, he does not always portray the character physically. He often collaborates with doubles Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder to bring the character to life.
47. Simpsons Director David Mirkin attempted to leak fake endings for the two-part episode “Who Killed Mr. Burns.” However, news outlets rejected his attempts, arguing it would be unethical to air spoilers.
48. Monty Python sued ABC for censoring their show’s fourth season by cutting punchlines and characters. The judge and jury watched two versions of a season 4 episode: a BBC one they laughed at and an edited ABC one, which no one laughed at. Nevertheless, the judge ruled in favor of ABC.
49. Mr. Rogers composed over 289 songs for Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. Additionally, his mother knitted his iconic sweaters.
50. SpongeBob producers initially used royalty-free marching music for “Band Geeks,” but found it unsatisfactory. They chose David Glen Eisley’s “Sweet Victory” instead, propelling the song from obscurity to 300,000 iTunes downloads within a year of the episode’s airing.
RE: Fact #6 (VeggieTales Creator’s Restrictions) – Back when I was a kid, my dad was super strict about this show. He wouldn’t let me watch it at all, and if we were at a friend’s place and it was on, I had to change the channel. So, I honestly thought it was some grown-up thing, like Family Guy or whatever. There was this one time we went to a funeral, and it was playing in the kids’ room, and I was like, “Seriously, what is this doing here???” Didn’t figure out what the show was actually about until way later, haha.
I’d probably feel the same way your dad does. Kids can totally be swayed into believing stuff.
Yeah, I’ve been an atheist forever, even though my parents tried when I was a kid. It just never clicked for me. My brother and I watched tons of VeggieTales, knew all the songs by heart, and checked out every movie from the library. It didn’t change anything for us, we just thought it was a fun show.
From my perspective, Bible stories are just stories with simple moral lessons if you don’t believe in God.
Veggie Tales was totally my jam growing up, and honestly, I didn’t even catch all the religious bits for ages 😂. My family was Catholic, but they weren’t using it to teach me about God or anything, they just let me watch it ’cause I was into it.
My cousins, though, were pretty strict growing up. They weren’t allowed to watch anything other than Veggie Tales or movies their parents had already checked out until they were teenagers.
My mom wouldn’t let me crash at friends’ places, but she was totally cool with me scarring myself silly watching The Ring when I was ten, which is why I still hate having a TV in my room at thirty.
So, are we related? My parents were the same way. No magic stuff, no swearing, no disrespectful kids to their parents. That pretty much left only Christian media, which was totally awful.
RE: Fact #5 (Byker Grove’s Surreal Finale) – So, there was this sitcom back in the 80s, right? Called “I Married Dora.” Anyway, it got canceled, and the very last episode had everyone at the airport, trying to catch a flight. The dad checks his ticket and goes, “It’s canceled.” Then someone asks, “The flight?” and he’s like, “Nah, the show!” And then they all turn to the audience, wave, and say thanks.
I can totally imagine the Byker Grove fans being bummed out, but their ending actually sounds pretty neat.
RE: Fact #33 (Mel Blanc’s Bedside Voice Acting) – This guy was seriously a genius. There’s this awesome clip where he does the Bugs Bunny voice, then Daffy. Then he does Bugs doing Daffy’s voice and Daffy doing Bugs’s voice. The fact that you can still totally tell who’s who just blows my mind.
Honestly, Seth MacFarlane is one of the few voice actors out there who can really pull off something similar. All the other cast members talk about how tough it is to voice just two characters during table reads, but he’ll be doing like half a dozen. Even if I’m not into his shows anymore, I’ve gotta admit, he’s seriously talented when it comes to voice acting, and it’s a bummer about what happened with his shows.
Billy West from Futurama could totally pull that off too. I saw some videos of him doing tons of voices for fans at a comic con. It’s wild how talented those guys are.
So, other voice actors are giving him props for this, ’cause apparently, it’s super tough to pull off voicing one of your characters doing the voice of another one of your characters.
So, Hank Azaria mentioned that he and the other Simpsons voice actors gave it a shot with their characters and it just didn’t work out. And honestly, I think he’s the top voice actor out there right now.
RE: Fact #1 (Scrubs Filmed in Real Hospital) – After spending over ten years in a hospital setting, I’ve found scrubs to be the most accurate portrayal I’ve encountered.
So, my wife’s a nurse, and she totally freaks out watching medical stuff on TV ’cause they get so much wrong. But she’s always blown away by how good *Scrubs* is at showing what it’s actually like working in a hospital and how they nail the medical procedures.
So, the guy who makes the show, Bill Lawrence, went to college with a doctor who said he’d help out with all the medical details for the show, but only if they made sure the medicine in the show was spot on.
RE: Fact #13 (Boba Fett Scene Inspired by Oswalt) – Honestly, I mostly liked the show. The Mod crew was way over the top, but other than that, I didn’t think it was too much.
Honestly, I felt like the show made Boba too much of a good guy out of nowhere. He just didn’t give off those crime lord vibes anymore.
That bit of the show was a total miss for me. The colors and how their bikes looked just didn’t match the scene or the overall vibe of the show. The actors were pretty bland too, it all felt really out of sync.
RE: Fact #29 (Twilight Zone’s Time Travel Paradox) – I guess she should’ve gotten rid of the mom
RE: Fact #13 (Boba Fett Scene Inspired by Oswalt) – Boba was supposed to be a crime lord, but he didn’t actually do much crime in the show.
RE: Fact #23 (Sopranos Filming Permit Denied) – My favorite episode, and Steve Buscemi directed it.
RE: Fact #18 (“You’re in the Picture” Cancelled Quickly) – What made it so awful?
So, I ended up watching way more than I planned because I’m all about those old speech patterns. The actual game, though? Total rubbish. It’s basically four people sticking their heads through holes in some cheesy “make your kid look like a lion at the zoo” setup. The whole game is just them taking turns guessing who they are for about 30 seconds each, and then it switches to the next person.
Even though the whole idea was pretty weak, I thought Jackie Gleason was really engaging as the host. It’s a cool peek into the past. I’d never seen ads that were done live before. Jackie would just grab a box of corn flakes and go on about how awesome they are for a whole minute. Honestly, I kind of dig that kind of advertising. It definitely got me thinking about corn flakes way more than a bunch of those super short car commercials ever made me think about buying a car
It’s kind of like YouTube sponsorships
RE: Fact #26 (Larry David’s Real-Life Seinfeld Inspiration) – That episode was super awkward, makes sense since it’s based on Larry’s real life.
I always figured I could turn all the awkward stuff in my life into a stand-up bit.
“Wasn’t that totally awkward and embarrassing for you?”
“That was just research.”
While they were shooting that episode, Jason Alexander told Larry that it just wasn’t believable, like, no way that could happen in real life. Larry was like, “What do you mean? That totally happened to me!”
That wasn’t on this episode, that was from “The Phone Message,” which was a few episodes back.
RE: Fact #2 (Westerns Dominated 1959 TV) – Then after Sputnik went up, all the kids were obsessed with playing with space toys.
A replica of Sputnik actually crashed right in the county where I grew up, Manitowoc, Wisconsin! They’ve got a replica of it chilling in a museum there.
So, “Sputnik” basically means “satellite” in Russian, which is why you see it everywhere in space talk and it can get confusing. When people say “Sputnik did this” or “Sputnik did that,” they’re usually talking about Sputnik I, the very first satellite. It eventually burned up in the atmosphere.
The thing that actually crashed in Manitowoc was Korabl-Sputnik 1. That was a completely different mission, testing out the first design for a space capsule that people could eventually travel in. Sometimes, people in the West mistakenly call this “Sputnik 4,” but by then, they’d changed how they numbered their missions.
So yeah, it’s true that an early Russian mission with “Sputnik” in the name crashed in Wisconsin, but just saying “Sputnik crashed here” isn’t the whole story and can be a bit misleading.
So, Roddenberry pitched Star Trek as something like “Wagon Train in space.”
RE: Fact #9 (South Park’s Animation Evolution) – So, to double-check, you gotta read the article.
Turns out, South Park’s made using Maya. This software was actually developed around 2000 for that animated movie Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, and people think it’s the most powerful animation tool out there. Trey Parker, who co-created South Park, even said it’s like “using a bulldozer to build a sand castle.”
So, I used to chat with a Maya developer, and get this – he told me it actually takes a ton of computer power to get that smooth animation that looks like it’s made from construction paper, the kind that’s all stop-motion like.
RE: Fact #1 (Scrubs Filmed in Real Hospital) – Dr. Cox’s place was basically a hospital room he’d fixed up to feel more like home.
Once you notice that the scenes in his apartment are actually shots of an old hospital room, it becomes pretty clear.
I figured that was just his style. He’s really into what he does.
He couldn’t ditch a spot that felt that cozy!
RE: Fact #40 (Hey Arnold’s Christmas Episode Saved) – So, Hey Arnold started airing 21 years after Vietnam wrapped up. It’s pretty wild to think about recent conflicts like the one in Afghanistan kicking off more than 24 years ago. Makes me feel ancient!
RE: Fact #40 (Hey Arnold’s Christmas Episode Saved) – Seriously, that episode was amazing, maybe even the best one ever.
That and the veterans day episode were totally awesome.
Turns out Gerald’s dad, who was in Vietnam, was just a clerk, not a regular soldier, so Gerald got a bit bummed out by that.
But then, while Gerald’s checking out the Vietnam Wall memorial, this guy spots him and shares how Gerald’s dad actually saved his life. He was delivering papers when he found him all wounded in a ditch and patched him up using file folders.
The guy then introduces his wife and kids, telling them that Gerald’s dad is the reason he’s alive and that he’s a real hero.
Super touching episode.
Funny thing, that Tim Allen show, Last Man Standing, had a plot twist like that too.
From what I remember, one of the guys was super quiet about his army days, and everyone figured it was because he’d been through some rough stuff. Turns out, he was just a desk jockey who never saw action and felt like a total phony. But the episode wraps up showing how his meticulous work actually looked out for the healthcare and safety of thousands of soldiers.
Not quite as involved, but still pretty impactful.
Awesome scene! But we gotta give a shout-out to Grandpa Phil for totally owning the fuhrer.
The son’s salute to Gerald’s Dad after finding out he saved his dad’s life, with him saying “It’s an honor Sir,” is a really cool moment.
RE: Fact #37 (The Simpsons’ Flexible Theme Variations) – I’m pretty sure they squeezed in some 5-second openings because the episode totally ran over.
Pretty sure there’s an episode where it jumps straight from the clouds to the living room TV.
A bunch of the new episodes do that, and they skip the couch gag entirely.
RE: Fact #32 (Seinfeld’s Unique Episode Absence) – So, for Alexander, who could have gone elsewhere since he’s a Tony winner, this was the last straw. After they read the script for the episode, he pulled David aside and said, “If you’re gonna write me out again, do it for good.” David started to explain how tough it is to give every character equal time each week. But Alexander cut him off, “Don’t tell me about your issues. If you don’t really need me, I don’t want to be here.”
What if Jason Alexander was about to pull a Larry David move?
Larry David could’ve just been like, “Yeah, go ahead and quit,” and then acted like it was no big deal when he wanted back in.
RE: Fact #20 (Seinfeld’s “Chinese Restaurant” Triumph) – Larry David mentioned before that they pitched the show as being “about how comedians get their material,” which is why it used to have those stand-up bits at the beginning and end. The whole “show about nothing” thing was just something they came up with for the show itself.
That’s a much better way to put it than calling it a show about nothing.
Plus, since the show actually had a point, you could totally break down what happened in each episode and explain the storyline.
RE: Fact #8 (Writers in The Office Annex) – So, those three were pretty much the creative brains behind a bunch of the writing. Mindy Kaling churned out 22 episodes, B.J. Novak wrote 15, and Paul Lieberstein penned 13. Now, that might not seem like a ton, but it’s actually more than a quarter of the show’s 188 episodes. And get this, because they were also acting in it, their writing really helped define the show’s vibe and its sense of humor.
Even though it seems like the internet isn’t a fan, Mindy Kaling has totally built an empire with her TV shows and production work, and she’s killing it right now. She’s like, way more successful than most folks in Hollywood, seriously rivaling someone like Chuck Lorre.
Most folks dislike her for the Velma role, and honestly, I can’t really argue against that.
RE: Fact #25 (Breaking Bad’s Delayed Credits Impact) – I totally think Vince Gilligan picked up on how to pace those opening scenes from watching The X-Files. A lot of the beginnings of Breaking Bad, and then how they’d cut to the theme song, totally gave me X-Files vibes. That opening was incredible though – cutting back to where Walt and Jesse first cooked, showing how Walt was already getting comfortable with his double life, lying to his wife, and taking that first step into becoming Heisenberg… then BAM, they all fade out and we’re in the shootout that’s gonna mess up his family even more. What a series!
RE: Fact #37 (The Simpsons’ Flexible Theme Variations) – Some episodes really stretch out that couch gag, like they’re just trying to fill time.
When it was shorter, I’d be like, “Ooh, this is gonna be a good one.”
So, if they do that bit where they start dancing and the wall slides open to a huge stage show, it just means the episode didn’t quite fill the time.
I always figured there had to be a shorter version out there, I just figured it was for, like, the big broadcast ads. Pretty neat thing to find out!
RE: Fact #7 (Affleck’s Ancestral Controversy) – Guess it was ’cause he figured out Matt Damon isn’t actually his brother.
So, turns out he’s like, an 11th cousin to Obama, which is pretty wild.
RE: Fact #5 (Byker Grove’s Surreal Finale) – So, it’s basically a show like Degrassi, One Tree Hill, iCarly, or Glee, but the final episode had the fourth wall totally shattered and a dinosaur fight? I’m totally down to watch that, but I feel like I wouldn’t get it as much if I hadn’t seen the whole series.
Were the writers out of their minds? Or was it a protest because the show got canceled? Or maybe it was a commentary on how ridiculous TV plots have become? Did they mess up and let a contest winner write the ending? I really need to know how they landed on that ending!
RE: Fact #32 (Seinfeld’s Unique Episode Absence) – He totally pulled a George on us.
George threatened to quit if they did another episode without him, but then he just showed up to film the next one without a peep.
RE: Fact #28 (Young Writers Impress Spielberg) – Did you know that Budnik from Salute Your Shorts actually voiced Montana Max?
He also played Jack Spicer in Shaolin Showdown.
RE: Fact #3 (“Dallas” Mystery Intrigued Leaders) – President Ford: “Seriously, it’s all about national security! I *have* to find out who shot J.R.!”
RE: Fact #34 (Michael Schumacher’s Top Gear Cameo) – So, it turns out Top Gear was into the whole anonymous racer thing because they could easily switch drivers if, say, a car company wanted someone specific or the regular driver had other commitments.
RE: Fact #9 (South Park’s Animation Evolution) – They only did the first episode by hand. After that, starting with episode two, they’ve been using computer animation for everything.
So I just caught that “6 Days to Air” documentary. It’s seriously wild how they pull it off. I guess Matt mentioned it used to take them like, two weeks back in the day, but their creative stuff got quicker and the animation crew became super speedy. Back then, computer setups were crazy expensive, like $30k, but by 2011, when they filmed the doc, they were just using regular Apple desktops you could buy anywhere.
So, the first episode, the one that got them banned, was where Jesus and Santa had a boxing match. Even though they got picked up, they had to ditch that first episode and create a new one, the anal probe one. They actually made both that pilot and episode 1 using paper.
So, a pilot episode is basically the first episode they make, hoping it’ll get a whole TV show going.
The whole South Park TV show idea really only popped up after they made “Jesus vs. Frosty” and saw how much people liked it.
The first real episode of South Park was “Cartman Gets an Anal Probe.”
When I was a kid, I saw the first episode when it first came out and it totally blew me away. It wasn’t the animation that did it for me, though.
RE: Fact #15 (Bob Odenkirk’s Absence Creates Mike) – Wild how that temporary character became a major player for the rest of the show’s run, and then basically a main character in Better Call Saul. That scheduling issue was a massive win for Jonathan Banks.
Didn’t Jesse have a story like that too? I swear I heard they were gonna get rid of his character super early.
So, the initial idea was to bump him off at the end of the first season, but folks dug Aaron Paul’s acting so much they figured, “Why not keep him?”
So, they totally worked it out with Hank. And they were gonna keep Tuco around for a while longer, but the guy playing him just wasn’t feeling it anymore.
Honestly, the guy really earns his keep with every part he plays. He’s a total workhorse.
RE: Fact #22 (Sideshow Bob’s Rake Scene Origin) – Family Guy totally does that sometimes. Jokes go on forever, and I’m pretty sure they do it on purpose.
Sometimes, the humor is that it’s ridiculously long, like that whole knee bit.
So there was this one episode where Brian was dating Cheryl Tiegs, and Peter just yells “Light the Beacons!” And then, for like, three whole minutes, it’s just a bunch of old soldiers lighting beacons. Haha!
That was hilarious the first time. But after doing it 400 more times? Total overkill.
Isn’t it like, 30% story and 70% totally random jokes in Family Guy episodes?
It’d be okay if the joke wasn’t drawn out for like, 10 to 15 seconds before the punchline.
RE: Fact #46 (Pedro Pascal’s Mandalorian Collaborations) – I totally knew it! His butt kept changing from plump to just okay. It turns out a body double isn’t always a booty double!
RE: Fact #14 (Writers’ Strike Alters Breaking Bad) – Plus, *My Name is Earl* got left in the lurch. One day they’ll all return and have to spill the beans on how Randy ended up all beat up.
RE: Fact #27 (X-Files Episode “Home” Banned) – I first saw it when I was around 14 or 15. It’s the one that really gets to me, but it’s also super well-made. I still have that mental picture of the brothers in the Cadillac with the music playing, and it still gives me goosebumps.
I’ll definitely never hear Johnny Mathis the same way after this.
So, it wasn’t really Johnny Mathis, he actually said no because of what happened in the episode, so they had to use someone who sounded a lot like him.
And now I’ve got this weird song stuck in my head for a few days!
RE: Fact #20 (Seinfeld’s “Chinese Restaurant” Triumph) – So, this was actually the 11th episode of the second season, which is pretty wild considering the first season only had 5 episodes and honestly, it’s the weakest season out of all of them. It wasn’t exactly a smash hit rating-wise, but it was good enough to lock down a second season.
This second season is where Larry David really hit his stride, and Seinfeld blew up, becoming a household name with ratings through the roof.
I can totally see why the execs were a bit hesitant back then because Seinfeld was unlike anything else on TV, and on paper, it probably seemed like a bit of a gamble.
It totally blew up in season 4. Seasons 1 to 3 were pretty tough for them to get people watching.
Seriously, it feels like Netflix should let their shows breathe a bit, you know, let them find their groove and a fanbase before they pull the plug.
RE: Fact #35 (Band of Brothers’ Veteran Advisors) – There’s a guy out in Utah, and he’s got a bunch of hangars packed with all sorts of restored vehicles from World War II. Turns out, he rents them out for props for pretty much all the WWII movies being made. Oh, and I heard he might have moved over to Wyoming.
RE: Fact #11 (Tragic Outcome of 1995 TV Show) – Seriously, it totally reminded me of this Jerry Springer thing. Like, this woman thought her ex wanted to get back with her, but turns out he’d found a new girlfriend and they ended up murdering her after the show. Wild, right?
Hold up, is Jerry Springer *actually* real? I’m not from the States.
Yeah, like half of it’s true. Mostly it was just scummy people trying to score a free trip and some quick fame. They totally pumped up their stories and even faked some stuff. It’s a shame, though, because a decent chunk of it was actually real.
I knew this guy who was on Jerry Springer. His wife actually left him for his brother, and they all went on the show and had a big old fight and everything. But the funny thing is, in real life, the guy divorced his wife, and he was totally chill with her dating his brother. He even said they got free travel, hotel stays, and two grand to blow for the whole week. Apparently, they had a pretty sweet vacation all together.
RE: Fact #44 (Simpsons’ Response to Censorship Laws) – Itchy and Scratchy Land, the place where things absolutely, positively *can’t* go wrong. Except, apparently, that’s the *first* thing that went wrong.
Seriously had me laughing my head off. Best episode ever. We definitely need more of those bort license plates!
Seriously, this quote is one of my all-time favorites! And that license plate joke? I felt that so hard. They never had my name on anything either, haha.
Hey Marge Simpson, just so you know, we also nabbed your older, balder, and fatter son.
Seriously, that episode was packed with hilarious moments.
RE: Fact #27 (X-Files Episode “Home” Banned) – Anyone wanna jot down a quick summary of the episode for me?
So, some kids stumble upon a baby buried in a field, and this baby’s really messed up. Turns out, from the autopsy, the baby was buried alive and had some serious disfigurement from, well, you know, inbreeding.
Then, Mulder and Scully head over to Home, PA, where the baby was found, to poke around a bit. They end up finding the five Peacock brothers, who are also pretty disfigured. The local sheriff even tells the FBI that these brothers live out in a house without any running water or electricity.
When the lab tests show that the dead baby is actually related to the Peacocks, Mulder and Scully decide to sneak into the brothers’ place. They think these guys might have kidnapped some woman and are holding her captive, messing with her.
While they’re checking out the house, they find a bedroom, and under the bed, there’s this roll-out frame. They pull it out and find a woman with no arms or legs, all strapped down. It’s Mrs. Peacock, the boys’ mom.
It turns out the sons and their mom, who’s a quadruple amputee, have been inbreeding and having seriously disfigured babies for years. And get this, it was all voluntary.
Some other wild stuff happens – the boys end up killing a few people, and Mulder and Scully take down some of the sons.
But the episode wraps up with the oldest son putting his mom in the car and they both make a getaway. The mom tells him they’re going to start a new family somewhere else.
Thanks for this! Ugh, that’s seriously gross.
So why’d they bury the kid? Wasn’t it messed up enough already?
RE: Fact #14 (Writers’ Strike Alters Breaking Bad) – Man, I’d totally dislike Hank if I met him in real life, but as a character? He seriously spiced up the show, and honestly, he’s a big reason I kept watching. It was like, “Ugh, I can’t stand this dude,” and then I’d be rooting for him the next minute. It really kept you on the edge of your seat having someone close to Walt figuring things out. When I first saw that book scene with the “W W” signature, for some reason, I was pulling for both of them. Makes you wonder what their whole scheme would have been if they’d actually gone through with it, right? They would have had to figure out how to cover that whole thing.
RE: Fact #12 (Metalocalypse Petition Lands in Trash) – When it first came out, it shot up to become the most successful show ever, like, ever.
It wasn’t just about viewership; they were breaking records, touring, and selling tons of merchandise. Dethklok even hit the road with Mastodon and opened for Metallica. The game Brutal Legend had their songs in it, and there was even a cartoon promo with Eddie and the band. It was a huge, huge brand.
They dropped the highest-charting melodic death metal album in history.
But, the head of the network back then, Mike Lazzo, and the guy who created the show, Brendon Small, didn’t exactly get along. The show started out pretty straightforward and made good money, but by the fourth season, it got super complicated with this ridiculous, intricate storyline.
It wasn’t making as much cash, but it was still bringing in a lot, and Brendon really wanted to go big and do some ambitious, expensive stuff, like the Doomstar Requiem.
It premiered to amazing reviews… and I was one of about 80 people who watched it live when it first aired.
Lazzo wanted it to wrap up for good, so Brendon agreed to a shorter, more focused fifth and final season. Lazzo basically told him to shove it. Brendon remembers the last time he talked to Lazzo on the phone, he just hung up on him.
So, the show ended on a cliffhanger, and since the network owned all the music and rights for Dethklok, it just tanked right then and there.
There was a whole thing where people were trying to get the network to sell the rights to Hulu. They totally ignored that.
Then, we get to this whole situation. Lazzo really disliked Brendon, people kept hounding them, and in a move that was so typical, they live-streamed what looked like letters being faxed in to save the show, and those faxes just went straight into a recycling bin.
The only reason we’re even getting a movie to finish the show is because Lazzo retired, and the new boss at the network realized how dumb it was to just sit on such a successful thing. It’s also why new movies for ATHF and Venture Bros. are showing up on HBO Max.
I saw Dethklok when the show was actually on. Absolutely incredible show, I’ve never quite recovered from how awesome it was.
Seriously, this whole thing was so wild I thought people were going to end up body-slammed onto a table!
RE: Fact #48 (Monty Python’s Lawsuit Against ABC) – This is totally giving me Monty Python vibes.
And Americans tend to cut out the naughty bits, by the way.
RE: Fact #40 (Hey Arnold’s Christmas Episode Saved) – That show really helped kids become better people.
Totally get that kids’ stuff doesn’t have to be all clean and simple. I’m really glad I grew up with stories like that, myself.
Honestly, I think it’s the other way around. It should be as complex and interesting as possible, not boring and simple. Kids’ shows shouldn’t just be mindless stuff to keep them glued, just because it’s for kids. They should actually make kids think and see the world differently. They don’t need to dodge tough topics, and they should encourage kids to ask even more questions. A curious brain is a smart brain, and it’s super important for not getting stuck in a rut.
Seriously, I’m so glad I saw that episode with Pigeon Man when I was a kid. It really hit me. The whole idea that everyone’s got something to say just stuck with me.
It got kids into Jazz.
Basically, being a go-getter and trying to help everyone out can land you in sticky situations.
If I ever have kids, I’ll make sure they know they really need to watch who they hang out with. If someone’s got a lot of problems, they’re way more likely to drag you down than for you to pull them up.
Don’t ask me how I figured that out.
I’m fine with taking a bit of a hit if it helps nudge someone in the right direction. If you can hold your ground, there are tons
RE: Fact #4 (Margaret Cho’s Health Crisis) – Dropping 30 pounds in just two weeks is totally wild.
RE: Fact #10 (MTV’s *Ridiculousness* Marathon) – Does anyone even care about MTV anymore?
Seriously, does anyone actually find that stuff funny? Every time I’ve checked out MTV lately, it’s always been Ridiculousness.
My old mom’s a big fan of Ridiculousness, so that’s one person who likes it.
My mom’s totally into Ridiculousness, and she’s 73! It’s like modern America’s Funniest Home Videos, which she was hooked on back in the 90s too. Plus, she catches every single season of The Challenge. I figure the typical MTV viewer these days is just whoever’s still tuning into The Challenge.
RE: Fact #8 (Writers in The Office Annex) – That was a neat trick for the story, too, it really helped keep Toby around as a symbolic bad guy…
It’s still funny to me that I knew Michael’s “No… noooooo!” meme before I even watched the show, and I totally thought it was some really awful thing that happened. Turns out it was just his reaction to Toby returning to work. So silly, and so perfectly him!
You can’t get rid of Toby unless you have a good reason.
I’ve got a reason! It’s beCAUSE I can’t stand the guy!
Toby just casually asking for Michael’s diary was the best revenge.
Toby was a great balance to Michael’s crazy antics. He was a really good guy, just trying his best and catching all the flak.
So, on a less important note, it also helped stir up the drama between Kelly and Ryan, and kinda explained how Ryan zoomed up to corporate.
Toby really shines in this part, but honestly, all three characters were handled really well, especially with them being “in the annex” and all separate.
RE: Fact #36 (Pinky and the Brain’s Third Wheel) – Pinky, Elmyra, and the Brain were on.
I used to watch it and wonder, why bother with Elmyra? Pinky already messes up the Brain’s schemes…
I only caught a few episodes before I was done.
RE: Fact #7 (Affleck’s Ancestral Controversy) – Huh. Turns out a lot of people discover they have slave-owning ancestors on that Finding Your Roots show. Ben clearly hasn’t seen it.
My mom really wanted to be special, you know? She kept getting more and more annoyed as her family tree kept turning up more and more regular folks and poor people.
Turns out, my whole family line is just straight-up poor, as far back as we could track. It’s like poverty is in my DNA.
So, I had this aunt who was digging into her family tree in the States. The further back she went, the more pumped she got, totally convinced she was related to the original settlers! Turns out, she was right. Her earliest ancestor here showed up way before the whole Revolution thing. She actually got sent over from England because she was caught stealing and, well, was a prostitute.
RE: Fact #45 (Bart Gets an Elephant’s Real-Life Inspiration) – On one show, the prize was a circus trip. The producers put a live elephant in front of a circus backdrop. When the camera focused on the elephant, it started pooping. Cullen joked, “Come back Monday, and we’ll have the Democratic Party get equal time!” In another episode
RE: Fact #21 (Simpsons Writer’s Lollapalooza Inspiration) – So about four years back, my girlfriend was planning to hit up a concert with her friends. She needed someone to drive, and honestly, she wasn’t too sure about the whole vibe, so she asked if I’d tag along. Her thinking was, if it ended up being a bust, she’d have a built-in excuse to bail. Even though it wasn’t really my kind of thing, I was like, “Sure, why not?” It wasn’t messing with any of my own plans.
I ended up chilling by myself in the back, glued to my phone, probably looking pretty out of place. Then, this young dude walks up and goes, “Hey, what precinct do you work for?” Totally caught off guard, I just looked at him blankly and said, “Huh?” He immediately shot back, “Yeah, that’s how I know you’re a cop.”
I really wanted to hit him with, “Wouldn’t a non-cop also say that if they were confused?” but I just shrugged it off and went back to my phone. Gotta keep up with those daily quests, you know?
Every now and then, I still crack up thinking about that time some 20-year-old seriously believed the local police force had nothing more important to do than stake out some kids smoking weed and jamming out, all while I was rocking my incognito streetwear.
It’s pretty standard for the cops to show up at raves, actually. I don’t get why he thought the guy on his phone in the back was one of them, but they’re there a lot. So, nope, turns out they don’t have anything more important to be doing.
So, I wasn’t at a concert or anything, just chilling in the city center, killing time and people-watching. Anyway, some folks who were having drinks approached me and asked if I was a cop. I told them no, I was just soaking up the sun, but one of the women insisted I had to tell them if I was, claiming it was the law. It’s wild how people fall for those urban legends! Like, undercover work would be a joke if you could just blow it by asking. I think I basically said something like “Nope, definitely not, so you’re all good,” and then just waited until they chilled out before I casually moved on, just in case they started getting wigged out again.
RE: Fact #29 (Twilight Zone’s Time Travel Paradox) – Seriously, if you just got rid of all the kids in Austria back then, you could’ve stopped the Holocaust from happening.
RE: Fact #16 (Bryan Cranston Cast After Rejections) – So, that X-Files episode, the one called “Drive”? Turns out it was written by Vince Gilligan, the same guy who created Breaking Bad.
RE: Fact #12 (Metalocalypse Petition Lands in Trash) – That’s totally on brand.
The absolute worst is that they dropped all but the final episode.
Getting a peek at an outline for the last one, supposedly from a writer, was kind of a relief. It explained pretty much everything. Honestly, I’m not even sure if it was real or just some fan-written stuff. But I’m pretty sure we’ll never get the real ending.
It’s pretty tough to get too upset about this one. It feels like all their shows from back then are just sort of fading out, you know?
RE: Fact #4 (Margaret Cho’s Health Crisis) – That joke she told about them telling her to slim down so she could play herself cracked me up!
RE: Fact #46 (Pedro Pascal’s Mandalorian Collaborations) – It happens a lot, you know, because of union rules and scheduling stuff. Usually, it’s someone else, like a body double or the stunt double, for shots where you don’t actually see the actor’s face.
They use them for all sorts of things. I bet a bunch of those scenes where Mando’s masked aren’t actually the main actors we’re seeing.
RE: Fact #47 (Simpsons Director’s Failed Spoiler Leak) – So, this episode was actually split across two seasons, and they really went all out to hide the solution, even animating a bunch of different endings.
Turns out, someone actually figured out the right answer for all the right reasons and posted it online. They didn’t officially enter the contest, and nobody could find them, so the prize ended up going to some random wrong answer they picked from the submissions. Oh, and yeah, I know a lot of this is in that blurb, and the rest is probably in the article, but I figured I’d give you the quick rundown.
It’s wild how people are cool with leaking the names of folks who haven’t even been convicted, but spoiling a popular animated show is where they draw the line.
They likely didn’t want to upset their viewers by giving away plot points for a super popular show, which would hurt their profits. Sharing the names of people not yet found guilty could actually bring in more money because it’s a unique story the public would find intriguing.
RE: Fact #39 (Breaking Bad’s Rejected Offer) – They could have just said Walter wasn’t actually dead and then, bam, piano on his head.
RE: Fact #25 (Breaking Bad’s Delayed Credits Impact) – Did Lucas get hit with a fine when Star Wars skipped the opening credits and just went straight into the story scroll?
So, he actually quit the Directors Guild of America because they nailed him for $250,000. Turns out, it was for not putting the director’s name in the opening of Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back.
RE: Fact #4 (Margaret Cho’s Health Crisis) – Yeah, I liked that show too and it bummed me out when they stopped making it. Back then, TV kind of pushed this idea that women had to be super skinny. Like, remember when Kate Winslet was called fat for playing Rose in Titanic? She totally wasn’t fat at all.
And Margaret Cho had a round face, but I don’t recall her being overweight. Seriously, no one in their right mind would tell her she needed to drop thirty pounds.
Seriously, they made fun of Kate Winslet for her weight in Titanic?
She touches on it a bit in an interview.
RE: Fact #44 (Simpsons’ Response to Censorship Laws) – Just remember, back in the day, The Simpsons were totally the opposite of the mainstream.
So, that whole “dysfunctional family” thing that popped up was basically a reaction to how politically correct everything had gotten back in the early ’80s.
And get this, the original name they were thinking of for Married With Children, the show that kicked off this whole trend, was actually “Not the Cosby’s.”
Haha, the Cosby’s? That’s wild. Makes you wonder what a show like “Married with Children” would be called as a counter, right? I’ll just search for “not married with children.”
/It’s porn.
When famous people played parts instead of just being themselves, and when the topics were stuff everyone could relate to, not just what’s happening right now.
Honestly, after your first ten or twenty years, the themes really start to dry up.
South Park totally shook up what people thought was normal.
RE: Fact #42 (Game of Thrones’ Hidden Monty Python Reference) – What’s also pretty wild is that both Holy Grail and GOT totally botched their endings, like the writers just gave up on figuring out how to wrap things up. The only real difference is that Holy Grail’s ending was actually fun to watch and didn’t leave me feeling completely bummed out.
Holy Grail felt a bit rushed ’cause they didn’t have enough money’
RE: Fact #19 (“Hush” Episode Defies Dialogue Critics) – And folks were saying it was a hit ’cause of the tunes.
So, he went and made The Body.
RE: Fact #1 (Scrubs Filmed in Real Hospital) – So, the wiki page for the hospital building itself mentions that sometimes folks would think it was actually a functioning hospital.
The show’s main guy, Zach Braff, said on the DVD commentary that the hospital still had people coming into the lobby looking for medical advice. They thought it was still open because of the prop ambulances parked outside. And on another DVD commentary, Sarah Chalke remembered a guy and his wife showing up needing medical help. She said the guy’s arm was bleeding, and all they could do was point the couple toward a real hospital.
When you make it look all hospital-like, even from the outside, people will totally go for that, lol
Talk about a rough spot! Picture this: you’re there, all dressed in scrubs, with a bunch of other folks in scrubs, all around medical gear and ambulances. Then you’ve gotta tell someone who’s seriously hurt that they didn’t actually land in a real hospital and might have messed up their treatment by waiting to get actual medical help. You can’t do what they need, even though you look the part perfectly.
RE: Fact #19 (“Hush” Episode Defies Dialogue Critics) – That show’s good purely because it’s well written.
RE: Fact #48 (Monty Python’s Lawsuit Against ABC) – So, ABC decided to chop up season 4 of the show into two big 90-minute specials. They aired the first one, and the Pythons absolutely hated it. They even sued to stop the second one from being broadcast, saying it would trash their rep with American viewers.
The judge sided with ABC, mainly because of copyright stuff and the fact that *not* showing the second episode would hurt ABC’s reputation.
The Pythons appealed to a higher court, but by then, the second special had already aired, and they actually got a better deal out of it:
Judge Morris Lasker initially leaned towards ABC, partly because the network argued they’d lose money if the second part didn’t air, and partly because of some copyright headaches. See, the Pythons owned the scripts, but the BBC owned the rights to how those scripts were performed. However, by the time the case got to the U.S. Court of Appeals, ABC had already aired their second compilation on December 26th, 1975. This pretty much wiped out their argument about potential damages. The appellate judges then focused on the copyright angle – specifically, if ABC showing “Monty Python” was basically passing off shoddy goods, which is illegal under the Lanham Act.
In the end, Python and ABC worked it out. The Pythons got full ownership of all 45 episodes, and the fourth season eventually aired on PBS in the US, with all the original, unedited bits.
Seriously, you went above and beyond what it is said in even the summary for this fact.
RE: Fact #14 (Writers’ Strike Alters Breaking Bad) – Vince, you’re the sharpest guy I know. But seriously, you’re missing the obvious – the writers locked in their decision about 20 episodes back.
RE: Fact #35 (Band of Brothers’ Veteran Advisors) – That was a total masterpiece, and honestly, the way it showed human feelings during such a tough time is the part I’ll always stick with.
RE: Fact #26 (Larry David’s Real-Life Seinfeld Inspiration) – So, David landed a gig writing back in ’84. It was pretty chill, just writing sketches. Thing is, none of his sketches ever actually made it to air. They’d get a laugh during the read-throughs, but the producer, Dick Ebersol, just wasn’t feeling them. David was getting pretty fed up because his sketches kept getting axed – he only had one go to air all year. Then, about six weeks in, late one night, just minutes before the show was about to start, David had another one of his sketches cut. That was the last straw. David said Ebersol had his headset on near the monitor in the back. David walked over, and apparently, he just blurted out something like, “This whole damn show is garbage! It’s awful! I’m out! Screw you!” And that was that, he bounced.
RE: Fact #14 (Writers’ Strike Alters Breaking Bad) – It’s wild how a lot of characters who were meant to die or only have a little screen time ended up becoming huge in Breaking Bad. Seems like most of the side characters fall into that group.
Pinkman was supposed to kick the bucket too! Honestly, I reckon the writer’s strike ended up being a good thing for the show.
Walt Jr. totally felt the same way. R.J. Mitte was begging Vince Gilligan to just off him, haha.
Could you believe Skinny Pete was even supposed to make it through season one? Wild to think about the finale not having him and Badger in it.
RE: Fact #27 (X-Files Episode “Home” Banned) – That sheriff getting offed always sticks with me, especially with that weird, happy Johnny Mathis tune playing. Honestly, I think that’s when I realized how cool it is to flip things around and play happy music during a brutal scene.
“In Dreams,” by Blue Velvet
RE: Fact #37 (The Simpsons’ Flexible Theme Variations) – So, in Season 5, they threw in another option between the 45 and 25-second ones. It’s where you see the chalkboard and then bam, you’re at the driveway.
RE: Fact #17 (Dr. Oz Show’s Dubious Advice) – Seriously, Dr. Oz is a total sham. He pushes bogus, harmful stuff and really shouldn’t be on television.
RE: Fact #17 (Dr. Oz Show’s Dubious Advice) – Oprah hasn’t exactly got the best track record when it comes to picking experts. Think about Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil, or even that book, “A Million Little Pieces,” which was initially pushed as a memoir but later turned out to be fiction after they found out it was pretty much made up.
Remember when she brought in Phil when she got sued? Turns out she wasn’t even found liable. Maybe she’s just good at picking folks she can make deals with and profit from.
Folks on TV don’t need to be experts, they just need to be fun to watch.
Tough issues rarely have simple fixes. But the ones who offer the simplest answers to the hardest questions will grab the most eyeballs, no matter how good those answers actually are.
If Dr. Oz actually put on a show with real medical know-how and all the technical terms… he’d lose his audience. I have to go with my in-laws to their oncologist appointments because they only catch about five percent of what’s said. They actually thought chemo was going to cure her. I was there when the doctor was trying to deliver the tough news that chemo wouldn’t cure her.
It’s pretty rare to find tough problems with simple fixes.
RE: Fact #25 (Breaking Bad’s Delayed Credits Impact) – I remember this episode as me going back and forth with some folks on facebook who just wouldn’t budge on the idea that Walt and Skyler’s fight was fake. They couldn’t grasp that Walt was putting on a show for the cops, knowing they were listening in and it would clear Skyler. It was like they refused to see it.
Didn’t Saul pretty much say in the next episode that this was what happened?
Totally.
He’s like, “That phone call was a good idea,” when they meet up, just to make sure everyone got it.
Seriously, how could anyone miss that? The guy’s openly crying the whole time, almost sobbing. And Bryan Cranston’s performance was just out of this world.
So, the show totally confirms it was just an act the very next episode. They show Saul getting Walt into the vacuum shop safe house, and Saul even tells him how great it was, saying it’d give her some wiggle room legally.
It’s totally understandable why someone might get the wrong idea about that scene; it was just that well-done. A good chunk of what he’s saying actually reflects how Walt felt about Skyler once she started pushing back, especially after they decided to live apart. If you check the script:
“Maybe now you’ll listen. Maybe now you’ll use your damn head! You know you never believed in me. You were never grateful for anything I did for this family. Oh no, Walt, Walt you have to stop. You have to stop this. It’s immoral, it’s illegal. Someone might get hurt. You’re always whining and complaining about how I make my money, just dragging me down. While I do everything. And now, now you tell my son what I do? After I’ve told you and told you to keep your damn mouth shut! You stupid bitch! How dare you.”
Walt’s using his view of how things ended up between them to put on a show. Before he finally admits in the last episode that he mostly did it for himself, that’s how he convinced himself he was acting. His “work” was more important than what anyone thought, more important than the consequences, more important than even how undeniably wrong it all was. He met her criticism with bitterness and kind of developed a “woe is me” attitude because of it.
He’s falling apart partly because he has to swallow his pride and own up to his mistakes to tell that lie and keep his family safe. He’s not just saying goodbye; he’s realizing and recognizing how badly everything went south and what he’s truly done throughout the entire series. In one conversation, he basically spells out his whole character arc.
That scene is just so incredibly powerful, and it’s easily one of the best TV episodes ever. Cranston’s performance is particularly outstanding because he totally nails the scene and manages to show all these different emotions at once.
Sorry for the long comment, but I actually wrote a paper on this episode a few years back, so I’ve thought about it a lot.
Anna Gunn was also incredible in that role. You can totally see the moment Skyler figures out what Walt’s up to and how it hits her.
RE: Fact #31 (Police Woman Sparks Hiring Surge) – Seriously, it’s like “Paramedics” and “EMTs” only became real jobs because of emergencies. Before that show made it a thing, folks would totally give you a weird look if you said some dude in a van was there to help with your medical stuff.
So, I was chatting with my mom the other day and this totally came up. Her dad passed away from a heart attack way back in the early 70s, when she was just a kid. EMTs weren’t really around then, so a family member ended up driving her dad to the hospital. Later on, when EMTs were everywhere, she got kinda mad at her own mom for not calling an ambulance. It just seems so obvious now that she didn’t even think about how new the whole ambulance thing was.
The word “ambulance” just really gets me for some reason. Like, when you’re “ambling,” you’re just strolling along, right? And “ambulating” or being “ambulatory” means you can actually get around. If you can’t, well, that’s what an ambulance is for – it moves you! That whole etymology thing totally clicked for me, and now I get this weird satisfaction whenever I hear or think about it.
RE: Fact #30 (South Park’s Chewbacca Defense Explained) – Hey, something similar happened when I was on a jury before. The guy was up for violating his probation because they found a gun in his car. His lawyer tried to say the story wasn’t dependable because the cop said it was a black car, but it was actually dark green.
But then I thought, hang on, the car’s color is actually beside the point. The guy had a gun in the car.
Was that gun his, though?
His fingerprints were all over it.
Looking at all the stuff in the case, I figured it was a pretty sure thing that he was guilty of having illegal guns, like, no question about it.
RE: Fact #47 (Simpsons Director’s Failed Spoiler Leak) – That episode, and the one where Mr. Burns was an alien, totally freaked me out when I was a kid.
RE: Fact #2 (Westerns Dominated 1959 TV) – So, back in the day, my hometown had this cool amusement park called “Cowboy Town” that was around from the late 50s to the early 70s. It was basically a replica of a western town’s Main Street. They had stuff like a bank, and these rooftops perfect for staged shootouts where actors would pretend to fall. You’d see a stagecoach zooming through, lots of gunfights, and the best part was you could just wander around, chatting with the characters between all the “shows.”