Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with TV

Samuel L. Jackson - Best Damn Sports Show

slowtree — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:54:40 -0800

Looking for a video of Samuel L. Jackson from when he was on Best Damn Sport Show. In video he says, "Keep your eyes on the ball until it is in your hands Motherf***er!" I just happened to catch this clip when flipping through channels. I am dying to show this to my brother. I have looked everywhere. Please help!

Help me bring my living room into the future!

COBRA! — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:14:04 -0800

My wife and I are finally getting around to getting an HDTV soon. When we do that, we want to adjust the setup in our living room to reflect the way we consume entertainment these days. Part of this means the VCR gets chucked, of course. But more
importantly, we're trying to figure out the most cost-effective way to
get content from our 2 main online sources, iTunes and NetFlix, onto
the screen. And be able to run DVDs, and have a
basic-cable-for-the-broadcast-channels hookup.

The options, as I see them (and part of the reason I'm asking this
question is that I assume I'm missing something):

- Roku + basic cable. Great, except we can't buy shows from iTunes.

- AppleTV + basic cable. Opposite problem. Can't stream from Netflix.

- Cheap, web-connected computer + basic cable. Seems like a winner,
but involves more of an outlay (this is more or less what we do now,
except that it's my wife's laptop that gets laboriously hooked up
every time we want to watch something). Plus then there's a desktop
box sitting in our living room. And, assuming the setup wound up like
our current laptop hookup, we don't have remote control of the sound.

Is there an angle I'm missing? A way to optimize one of these options? Help!

how to get sound from tv's built-in speakers

anonymice — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:51:54 -0800

How do I set up my home theater to let me use my tv's built-in speakers? I normally use a Bose 5.1 surround speaker system, but would sometimes like to use my tv's internal speakers instead.

My main home theater components -- all connected by HDMI -- are:
-- Onkyo TX-SR674 Receiver
-- Tivo Series 3 HD, and
-- Panasonic TH-42PX60U Plasma TV

The tv's speakers definitely work. I've tested them by connecting a VCR directly. But I've never been able to get any sound from them when I use the receiver. So I figure either the receiver or the tv is cutting off the audio signal.

The TV automatically shuts off its speakers when it detects that external speakers are connected. But the TV's set-up menu has a setting to turn the speakers on. I've done that, but no success.

I've also screwed around with the receiver settings, like turning on HDMI audio out. I've even tried running composite audio cables from the receiver to the tv. Still no luck.

Any suggestions?

How do I sell my cable access show to a network?

apiaryist — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:13:29 -0800

How do I sell my cable access show to a major network? I've been working on my show for the past 5 years. I think it's good and would like to either sell the old episodes or the concept to a network. I don't the first thing about doing this. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

My new thinking technique is unstoppable!

infinitewindow — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:21:01 -0800

Recuperating from a head injury. How can I entertain myself with brain damage as a motif? Lots of stress going on right now in life, and to make matters worse I hit my head last night pretty bad. Right now I'm in the hospital under observation, and I have internet access to keep me entertained. When I get home for a day or two of bed rest, I will have no direct Internet access. I will have access to a PS3 with the Playstation Store.

Can you suggest interesting and not-stressful things to watch, read or listen to that

a. don't cost money
b. don't involve direct PC-type computer use
c. involve head or brain injuries in some way?

I have been promised a trip to the local public library, so books, audio or otherwise, are good ideas. You can check out my personal library from the LibraryThing link in my profile if you want to be a hella good AskMe citizen. Blindsight would be a great answer because the protagonist had part of his brain taken out in childhood (and because it's a kickass novel). This essay would be a bad answer because it would totally stress me out even more.

Opening credits costume

painquale — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 04:49:55 -0800

For Halloween, I want to dress up as the opening credits sequence to some TV show. But which show? My Halloween costumes are always built last minute around some item that I've decided I am going to use. This year, I realized that I have an iPod and a portable speaker, so I can incorporate audio! Looking through my iTunes list, the songs I have that would make for the funniest costume are TV show themes. So there we go. There's my starting point.

But which show? Ideally the song will be instantly recognizable and catchy, and it will provoke a cool costume idea. I don't want to just dress up as a character from the show, but if forced I could do that and tack a caption like "Starring Mark-Paul Gosselaar" on my chest. A show with an abstract sort of opening (like Mad Men) would work well.

So far I am leaning toward either Law & Order or Murder, She Wrote. I know that a few other friends will be Twin Peaks characters...

(Other audio-based costume ideas would also be appreciated.)

Examples of image zooming/enhancement cliché from movies/tv.

dunk — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:30:01 -0800

I'm looking for examples of the film and tv cliché where images from surveillance video or photos are magnified and enhanced (usually to a ridiculous degree). I know about Enemy of the State and this clip from CSI (I'm guessing one of many examples from that show) is what made me think of compiling a list. They don't necessarily have to be things that are impossible in the real world, I'm more interested in the dialogue than the image being enhanced. If I get enough good ones I may make a supercut.

Quien Es Mas Macha?

The corpse in the library — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:28:04 -0800

While on my nice, safe treadmill at the pleasant, well-lit gym, I like to watch dramatic, character-driven documentaries like Deadliest Catch, Ice Road Truckers, and Carrier. Any suggestions for other nonfiction TV shows like that, with women in the starring roles? Preferably the shows would be available on iTunes or DVD in the US. I want danger, adrenalin, good stories, interesting locations, dramatic weather, adventure. The cast doesn't have to be entirely female, but there should be a significant female presence.

Need cable tv in Toronto (Bell and Rogers need not apply).

jmmpangaea — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:27:06 -0800

Torontofilter: Can anyone recommend a good cable tv provider that is not Bell or Rogers? I've finally had it with Rogers and Bell. Their customer service is appalling. I did a metafilter search on internet providers and found a good company, now I need to find someone that can handle cable tv.
HD, is not necessary, but would be a bonus if they provide it.

What is the REAL name of the Japanese pranks show people are calling "Panic Face King"?

phonepimpster — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:19:57 -0800

There is a video making the rounds that is supposedly from an extreme Japanese pranks show called "Panic Face King." I have been unable to find any additional information on this show, which leads me to believe this is not the real name (or not the correct translation). There is often a picture-in-picture of people in the studio audience laughing while the prank is being shown. I do not know if this is a device used on many Japanese prank shows, or if it's unique to the show I'm asking about (for instance, this article on Japanese Prank Shows seems to all be from this same show -- but they may be different).

At any rate, I'm trying to find the name of the show that aired this clip. Any help you can give would be appreciated!

Do you remember this series?

moorooka — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 06:23:14 -0800

What was the name of the British stop-motion/claymation series that was on Comedy Central about ten years ago, featuring vulgar, working-class type characters?

Help me trick a chinese website into thinking I live there instead Missouri

carefulmonkey — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:01:23 -0800

How can I get this website to think that I'm living in China ? I was poking around on http://www.youku.com/ this morning after I saw a link on the blue and I noticed that they had Seinfeld and Big Bang Theory among other shows I enjoy and they were ready to watch in a youtube style. I attempted to watch them and I couldn't because of a dastardly 'this clip is blocked in your region' placard, is there anyway to get past and let me watch my stories ?

Specifics: I'm using Firefox 3.5.3

What TV character to be for Halloween?

just_ducky — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:00:27 -0800

HalloweenCosutmeFilter: I'm tall blonde girl...help me come up with a TV-themed Halloween costume idea! I'm going to a Halloween party with a TV theme, and I don't have any good costume ideas. I was thinking about going as Number 6 from Battlestar Galactica, but I'm not sure that enough people will get the reference, and there is nothing worse than having to explain your costume to everyone. Any ideas, hivemind? Bonus points for an idea for my boyfriend (other than Gaius Baltar!).

Someday we'll find it, the USB connection...

Doctor Suarez — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:21:59 -0800

Help me build a laptop puppet My friends/coworkers and I are about to start a video project and our idea involves a talking laptop puppet. Not an animated screen, mind you, but a mouth-flapping laptop.

Here's what I have figured so far:

-Buy a plastic dummy laptop like they use in furniture stores/model homes. (actually, buy two)
-modify/replace the hinges so that it moves really quickly. This would either involve new hardware or simple tape-hinges.
-mount on a cheap, thin coffee table (or substitute)
-drill through both laptop base and table
-mount push-rod through hole and connect to upper "jaw" of laptop
-hide puppeteer under table.
-install two blue LEDs to top front of laptop for eyes. (I was lucky enough to work with Muppeteers in the past, and I learned that puppets need eyelines)

Is there anything I'm forgetting? What is the best color laptop body for filming? I was thinking the silver model.

Currently, I can buy the dummy laptop at this site, but if I could buy one locally that would be a big help as time is short. (I live in LA. Does anyone know a local shop where such a thing could be purchased?)

"He said I had a furry face. That can't be a good thing, can it?"

Ziggy500 — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:57:59 -0800

Please help me find more comedies to fill the spectacular void that Green Wing has left in my TV viewing. There are some great Ask Mefi posts about TV comedy, and I've read through lots of them. So I don't think I'm repeating a previous question.

Essentially, I am looking for comedies like Green Wing - absurd, surreal comedy which has strong characters, and is heavily improvised and occasionally (gasp!) moving. While the comedy was often dark (incest and murder come to mind) it wasn't really disturbing. Here's a clip. The audio is NSFW.

I'm not an expert on comedy, and I haven't seen too many other shows like Green Wing. I enjoy the usual British comedy standards - Peep Show, Father Ted, Blackadders 3 and 4, The Office, Extras, The Inbetweeners and The IT Crowd off the top of my head. American comedies I like are 30 Rock and Arrested Development. What am I missing?

Cheers all

1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics on TV in the USA

alicat — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 05:26:33 -0800

Were the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics broadcast on tape delay in the United States? How can I figure out the TV schedule? Anecdotes of events you remember watching would help. I found this schedule of the Sarajevo Olympic events, but I want to know what time the events were shown on TV in the US (specifically, in the Eastern time zone). The broadcasting network was ABC.

Were all events tape-delayed or only some? Which ones? Did anyone get up early to watch Bill Johnson win a gold medal in the Men's Downhill, for instance?

This is research for a kids' novel I'm writing, so if anyone has memories of watching the Sarajevo Olympics on TV (especially if you were 8-10 years old at the time) I would love to hear them.

How does Scare Tactics Work?

mazniak — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:49:35 -0800

How does Scare Tactics work? I find the show Scare Tactics fascinating, but I can't determine if it is legit. It seems to be a huge liability scaring people like that, especially in the States' litigation happy society. Also, if a person does not like how they reacted to the scare, can they refuse to sign over their right to have their likeness broadcast? I would imagine it would be a very risky procedure to set up and execute the scare if there was a possibility that something might go wrong or the target would refuse to sign over their likeness. Anyways, anyone has any other insider knowledge about the show I would love to hear it.

Under the Milky Way song on TV

ecollie — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:35:13 -0800

Who is the artist performing the song "Under the Milky Way" by The Chuch on the new Lincoln-Mercury ads? Saw the ad on "Fringe" and "House". Good viewings selections, heh?

Television advertisement showing the stock market as a frenzied sideshow

drdanger — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:10:10 -0800

Saw a television ad several years ago with fantastic art direction depicting the stock market as a circus or similar frenzy of colorful, somewhat frightening characters. Can anyone help me track it down? I'm guessing I saw this ad on American television about five years ago, but it could have been as early as 2000. The imagery and intensity struck me more like a Fellini movie than like a typical advertisement. It was colorful, kinetic, and showed a shouting, frenzied sideshow of crazy characters. There was the two-faced broker who yelled, "Buy! Buy! Buy" until he did a 180 and his other face yelled, "Sell! Sell! Sell!" There were carnival barkers and blimps and I can't remember what all else. The point, of course, was that the sponsor (Schwab? Ameritrade?) would offer you a refuge from the hysteria. I would love to find a video of this, but alternatively enough information to track it down in the real world (sponsor? agency?) would be enough for my eternal gratitude.

Will Satellite work with leaves off trees?

priested — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:09:23 -0800

Will a Hi-Defintion Satellite Signal go through tree branches in the winter months? Just moved and found out the trees in my backyard will interfere with a Direct TV or Dish Signal (my request for them to move the satellites went ignored). Now I have cable and am just not a big fan as I don't get the international sports channels Direct TV offered (namely Gol TV) or the NFL package for free as Direct TV offered. It is also really expensive.

A Direct TV technician came out and said the trees in the back yard would've needed to have been cut back about 8 feet or cut down. This was in mid-Summer. I don't believe in cutting down trees for the boob tube (yeah, my relationship with TV is dynamic).

Here's the question... When the leaves fall off the trees (in about a month in my area), can a Hi-Def signal get through? My plan is to get Direct TV for about 4 months a year and possibly got on TV sabbatical for the other 8 or switch between cable and Direct TV. Any experience with this? Thanks in advance.

Physical Challenge!

RingerChopChop — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:03:26 -0800

What was all the slimy, fluffy, gooey material on the popular TV game show Double Dare made out of? I have no reason for wanting to know other than pure curiosity. I recall especially in the obstacle course at the end that the kids would get absolutely smothered in all matter of "stuff," designed to look at times like boogers, an ice cream sundae, a pizza, etc. It was sometimes goopy, sometimes fluffy, sometimes liquidy, almost always slimy. But what was "IT"?

Some of my co-workers suggested that it could've been dyed whipped cream, but that seems outrageous to me. I assume it's some awful synthetic chemicals.

Does anybody know? Did any contestants develop rashes/allergic reactions that we know if? What did it smell like?

Is there a good third-party TV guide website that interfaces with DirecTV?

nitsuj — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:48:55 -0800

Is there a good third-party TV guide website that interfaces with DirecTV? I have DirecTV, and currently use their website's TV guide to see what's showing, and schedule stuff to record directly to my (DTV-provided/branded -- not Tivo) DVR. Problem is, their guide mostly sucks -- I can't specify which channels I want to see; the default shows all channels, most of which I don't care about.

Is there a good third-party TV guide website that will allow me to customize the list, as well as set programs to record directly to my DVR?

Help me find these awesome 1960s-style shades!

ishotjr — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:28:13 -0800

Can anyone ID the sunglasses Betty Draper wears in the Mad Men episode that aired on Sept. 27 or suggest similar ones? Photo link inside. I don't actually watch Mad Men (yet), but I read the blog Project Rungay and one of the shows they recap is Mad Men. The picture at the top of this blog entry shows the sunglasses I'm looking for. I know it's very likely that they're vintage. If anyone either knows the brand of the sunglasses or knows of some similar ones available today, it'd be very helpful in my fashion quest.

Should I buy it filter: Flat Screen floor model.

Mastercheddaar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:58:31 -0800

I am looking for a TV to put downstairs. I was shopping at bestbuy and I found a floor model for sale. It is an LG 37" 1080p 60hz. They are not carrying this model anymore so it was marked down to $499.00. I talked to the manager and she said the lowest she was willing to go was $435.00. This seems like a decent price but my hold ups are that it is a floor model with no in store warranty (all it has is a mfs 1 year warranty.) It has been on all the time and Lord only knows how long it has been there. They also told me that they would have to look for the remote. My question is: Is it a steal for the price? Or should I quit being cheap and spend another 100-200 bucks or so to get a new one in the box? Bonus question: Where could I get a 37-40 inch 1080p 60 hz flat screen for around $500.00 bucks brand new from a good manufacturer?

Who designed these new logos for CW and MTV shows?

D.Billy — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:18:50 -0800

Working on a graphic design exhibition, and trying to source the designer(s) of these logos for Gossip Girl, Melrose Place, 90210, The Beautiful Life, and Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew. This exhibition focuses on design influenced by Herb Lubalin, and these are key contemporary examples. We'd like to go through the proper channels to get vector versions or high-res art to include in the show, and have them properly credited. Attempts to contact the CW and MTV networks have been unsuccessful thus far. Anyone know anyone who knows someone who could help?