Best TV questions of all time

Please vote as you browse around to help the best rise to the top.

Boy Meets World picture

Janitor Dad - S4-E6

Question: When Chet and Verna are arguing about Chet getting a job, visible in the background is a painting of what I believe is an oak tree on a yellow background. Does anybody know the name and/or artist of this painting? My Grandparents used have a painting similar to it (if not the same one) and it also looks very similar to (and possibly the inspiration for) the cover art for the debut album of the band Days of the New.

Phaneron

Answer: I learned the answer to this one today. It is "Tree of Life" by Garé Barks.

Phaneron

More Boy Meets World questions
Good Times picture

The Gang: Part 1 - S2-E9

Question: According to the credits, the smallest of the three Satan Knights that come over to get JJ is nicknamed "Sweet Pea." However this name is never mentioned by anyone in this episode. The other two are mentioned (Mad Dog and Neck Bone). Why would the credits use a name not used?

Answer: Could have very well been that he did have a speaking part, but ended up on the cutting room floor, and they just didn't fix the credits.

ckbyers

Answer: He did have a speaking part many times throughout the episode, but gang name simply not used (just his real first name by Florida). James even referred to him in the start of the next episode by saying "Neck Bone and that other character."

More Good Times questions

Answer: It's "Leisure Complex" by Dave Gold and Gordon Rees. Can be found on YouTube. The relevant clip is around 25 seconds in.

More Fawlty Towers questions

Chosen answer: That is the song "Open the Door Richard."

More The Cosby Show questions

Chosen answer: "The One Where They Build a House," S2E2.

More Arrested Development questions

Answer: Their affair began in series 1, episode 6 ("Countrycide") and ended in episode 11 ("Combat").

Sierra1

More Torchwood questions
Grounded for Life picture

Jimmy Was Kung-Fu Fighting - S1-E12

Question: How can Sister Helen give Lily detention when she sees Lily's tongue ring? She is at the Finnerty's house. Piercings are often a violation of school dress codes, but Sister Helen has not seen the piercing while at school.

Answer: It happens. One of my middle school/junior high classmates was suspended for fighting another classmate during the weekend, at a location nowhere near the school. Also, after Jimmy and Lily created the fake image of Sister Helen, it's easier for Sister Helen to get away with assigning an unfair detention.

More Grounded for Life questions

Answer: S04e15, "The Kids Rob a Train."

Bishop73

More Bob's Burgers questions
The Facts of Life picture

Shoplifting - S2-E6

Question: Jo, Blair, Natalie, and Tootie look for a birthday present for Mrs. Garrett. When they find a shirt for her, Jo decides to try it on. When she comes out of the dressing room to show it off, why did a security guard immediately walk up to them?

Answer: The dramatic reason is to move the plot along. But in real life, store workers can be suspicious of groups of teens because of the perceived higher risk of Shoplifting. So the security guard may have seen them go into the changing room and decided to see what they were up to.

Answer: To let them know one of the exits was blocked off and told them to use the other one. Oh and Blair wasn't with them - she bought her own gift for Mrs. Garrett.

More The Facts of Life questions

Chosen answer: Bruce has always been the character's middle name. In the comics he is Robert Bruce Banner, here he is David Bruce Banner. Apparently the executives behind the show preferred the name David.

More The Incredible Hulk questions
The Mandalorian picture

Chapter 13: The Jedi - S2-E5

Question: Ahsoka's "head-tails" (called Lekku, technically) seem to have creases in them. Are these meant to be scars from battles, or are they just folds in whatever material was used to make the prosthetics? With all the high production values elsewhere, this would seem to be a fairly ropey oversight if so.

Jon Sandys

Chosen answer: They could be just like wrinkles from age, like the elderly Togruta in the Zygerrian slaver arc in The Clone Wars series, as Ahsoka is considerably older than her animated appearances. I think there is probably a character design/stylisation aspect to it as well - the other Togruta we've seen in live action, Shaak Ti, has four segments or folds in her lekku that were not visible in her Clone Wars appearances, so it would seem the character design in Clone Wars and Rebels reduces such features.

Sierra1

More The Mandalorian questions

Answer: No, he did not. He is seen getting off the bus with a suitcase, so he must have not been home for a few days so there is no way he could have known.

Bowling255

More Hey Arnold! questions
Mork & Mindy picture

Show generally

Question: I may have this scenario slightly wrong, since I haven't seen it since the show was brand-new, but is there a scene in one episode where Mork (just him-no egg) falls from the sky and into a lake or some kind of body of water? I slightly remember this as a kid but wanted to see if I was right. Anyone know what episode this was from?

Answer: Maybe s02e02, "Mork in Wonderland, Part 2"? Mork started shrinking in part 1 and continued till he became microscopic and fell down a space warp into the lake of another world.

Bishop73

Yes, that was it. I found it shortly after submitting the question, but thank you anyway.

More Mork & Mindy questions
Star Trek: Voyager picture

Thirty Days - S5-E9

Question: Was Tom successful in his mission or did the torpedo that was launched by Tuvok from Voyager stop him from succeeding?

Answer: The torpedo stopped him from succeeding.

Bowling255

More Star Trek: Voyager questions

Answer: The transformation twirling was invented for the 1970s TV series only, to explain her quick change from Diana Prince to Wonder Woman. However, it would have been nice to do a little spin homage in the movie.

Answer: She does. However, if she were to use any of her abilities as Diana Prince, everybody, including her enemies would be able to make the connection that Diana Prince and Wonder Woman are the same person which could be used to get revenge on her. By not using her abilities in her civilian disguise, nobody would suspect anything at all and she could keep herself and her friends safe.

So it was more a choice that she decided an Ice Skating move was less conspicuous than say, ducking in a phone booth like Superman? If Clark Kent enters a a phone booth, and Superman comes out, don't you think even the dull of mind would get the connection?

That's because Clark Kent has super speed so he can easily run into a phone booth quickly and leave as Superman as quickly too or whenever Clark does need to change into Superman out in the open, there's never around to see him change. It's a plot device that's really effective.

Could one man or gal. We're supposed to just believe almost everyone these two are around can't figure out of the obvious. Characters like Spider-Man and Batman can do this because of their masks, so these excuses just don't pass with me.

Rob245

Answer: As Diana Prince she didn't have the super powers that Wonder Woman has, although as an Amazon princess she does have greater strength than normal humans. Diana's mom taught her how to transform her ordinary clothes into her Wonder Woman outfit (as opposed to just doing a quick change like Clark Kent does). Her outfit, which her mother gives her when she leaves includes the "golden girdle of Gaea." The girdle provides enhanced strength and heightens her other abilities. As to why she spins, it was a stylized choice to add something extra to the show and hadn't been done in the comics. Although they did change it up a bit due to budget and time. Later, Wonder Woman comic writers would include the spin into the comics, but by then it was generally to put her into her secret identity, not to give her her powers. But as to why Diana Prince doesn't have super powers in the 70's show, as opposed to other incarnations of her; the original TV movie pilot had Diana powerless like the character was during the Bronze Age of Wonder Woman (late 60's) when Diana decided to stay on Earth and became mortal. That series was not picked up, but a 2nd attempt at it, starring Lynda Carter, was and the series loosely based Diana on the first pilot but through magic could transform into the superhero Wonder Woman.

Bishop73

More Wonder Woman questions

Answer: She left to pursue other TV, movie, and commercial opportunities. It's a typical scenario where a breakout star on a hit series leverages their popularity for better roles and more money.

raywest

Answer: I read that Pamela departed the show because she had become pregnant with her second child.

ChristmasJonesfan

More Baywatch questions
Designated Survivor picture

Show generally

Question: Just rewatched the series and in the episode where they are operating on President Kirkman to remove the bullet fragments I noticed what I think was a secret service agent in the background of the OR. Is this normal practice for when a president is under anaesthetic or a medical procedure, or was this just because it was after an attempted assassination?

The_Iceman

Answer: Yes, it's normal. When President Reagan was shot, they were in the OR with him.

Answer: It would be normal procedure, yes. The Secret Service accompanies the president everywhere, except in very limited circumstances (for example, they don't go into the bathroom with him, or stand in his room while he sleeps). When Bill Clinton had an operation to fix a torn tendon, there was an agent in the operating room throughout the procedure.

More Designated Survivor questions

Answer: Coach Sylvester is generally bullying to most staff and students but she particularly dislikes the glee club because they compete with her cheerleading squad for limited school funds.

raywest

More Glee questions
Cheers picture

One for the Road (3) - S11-E28

Question: When I streamed this episode, there were a couple of small scenes missing (Sam explaining that his cigars were a gift from Fidel Castro via Reggie Jackson; Sam kissing Rebecca goodbye). I know they used to cut scenes to cram in more commercials after the initial broadcast, but with a streaming service, you're not limited to a time slot. Why not air the whole thing?

Brian Katcher

Answer: They sometimes acquire episodes from syndicated reruns. The ones with the cut scenes. Sundance channel have some episodes of M.A.S.H. uncut.

More Cheers questions

Answer: Most shows do flashbacks to show how things begin or what circumstances brought them to their current predicament. The modern episodes was to show how their legacies live on. Hercules changing his name to Kevin Sorbo and starring in a series about himself or Xena, her soul being reborn to continue her fight against evil.

More Hercules: The Legendary Journeys questions

Join the mailing list

Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.