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* ''Series/TheGoodPlace'': Michael says a "Class 5 Doomsday Scenario" is simply a minor inconvenience.
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* ''Series/TheGoodPlace'': Michael says a "Class 5 55 Doomsday Scenario" is simply a minor inconvenience.
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* ''Series/TheGoodPlace'': Michael says a "Class 5 Doomsday Scenario" is simply a minor inconvenience.
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* ''Series/{{Angel}}'': In the episode "Sanctuary," following on from the ''[[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy]]'' episode "Who Are You," Buffy has chased Faith all the way to Los Angeles on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge, since Faith had used a device left behind by Mayor Wilkins to pull a GrandTheftMe on her and [[PowerPerversionPotential used the situation to sleep with Buffy's new boyfriend Riley]]. When the crisis is resolved after Faith turns herself in, Buffy insists to Angel that she came because he was in danger (Faith ''had'' initially been hired by [[AmoralAttorney Wolfram & Hart]] to assassinate Angel), but Angel doesn't by it for a second, knowing that Buffy just used it as an excuse to come to L.A. for revenge; Buffy doesn't deny it.
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* ''Series/AdamTwelve'':
** An old lady pulled over for traffic violations claims to be thirty-four.
** A child molester who left a six-year-old girl in critical condition claims she wanted what she got. [[PoliceBrutality This turns out to be Malloy's]] BerserkButton, and WhatTheHellHero ensues.
** An old lady pulled over for traffic violations claims to be thirty-four.
** A child molester who left a six-year-old girl in critical condition claims she wanted what she got. [[PoliceBrutality This turns out to be Malloy's]] BerserkButton, and WhatTheHellHero ensues.
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** The above is challenged pretty much anytime [[AxCrazy Ramsay Bolton]] refers to himself as "merciful" in anyway. One would rather be outright killed than face his "[[FateWorseThanDeath mercy]]".
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* ''StrangerThings'': Lucas somehow gets away with this lie at Will's "funeral" despite Dustin's comment:
--> '''Lucas''': We're... in mourning...
--> '''Dustin''': ''*at the buffet table*'' Man, these aren't real Nilla Wafers!
--> '''Lucas''': We're... in mourning...
--> '''Dustin''': ''*at the buffet table*'' Man, these aren't real Nilla Wafers!
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* A poignant version on ''Series/{{ER}}''. After Carter and Lucy are stabbed by a deranged patient, Lucy dies from her injuries. In the next episode, Lucy's mother visits him in the hospital and asks what it felt like when he was attacked. Carter looks her in the eye and declares, "It was very fast. No pain", knowing full well that she needs to believe that her daughter didn't suffer. In a subversion, it seems obvious that she doesn't believe him, but she clearly appreciates his efforts at making her feel better..
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* ''Series/TheSarahConnorChronicles'': [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots Cameron]] can't get through the metal detectors in the school she attends. John explains this away by saying she's got a metal plate in her head, and is believed because of Cameron's...odd behavior (it's even technically true, though John neglects to mention that her ''entire head'' is metal plates). Later on, when a guidance counselor calls Sarah to comment on Cameron's demeanor, Sarah explains that [[AWizardDidIt a tornado did it.]] Probably a rather subtle ''[[Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz Wizard of Oz]]'' reference on Sarah's behalf. The series is peppered with them.
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** In plain view of Lucifer, Castiel forces the ArchangelMichael to teleport away by throwing a flaming bottle of holy oil at him (while [[CrowningMomentOfFunny calling him an "assbutt"]]).
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** In plain view of Lucifer, Castiel forces the ArchangelMichael to teleport away by throwing a flaming bottle of holy oil at him (while [[CrowningMomentOfFunny calling him an "assbutt"]])."assbutt").
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* ''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles'': [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots Cameron]] can't get through the metal detectors in the school she attends. John explains this away by saying she's got a metal plate in her head, and is believed because of Cameron's...odd behavior (it's even technically true, though John neglects to mention that her ''entire head'' is metal plates). Later on, when a guidance counselor calls Sarah to comment on Cameron's demeanor, Sarah explains that [[AWizardDidIt a tornado did it.]] Probably a rather subtle ''[[Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz Wizard of Oz]]'' reference on Sarah's behalf. The series is peppered with them.
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wrong character. sent to his shrink, not captain.
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** Then there's "Mr Monk and the Garbage Strike," in which Monk denies sending his trash to Strottlemeyer in spite of a) his hatred of garbage, b) his handwriting on the packages, and c) the fact that said trash is sorted and color-coded.
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** Then there's "Mr Monk and the Garbage Strike," in which Monk denies sending his trash to Strottlemeyer Dr. Kroger in spite of a) his hatred of garbage, b) his handwriting on the packages, and c) the fact that said trash is sorted and color-coded.
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* ''Series/{{Supergirl 2015}}'': During the crossover with ''Series/TheFlash2014'', Cat Grant asks who Barry is. Kara (an orphan), Winn (an only child), and James (a black man) all claim he's their cousin at the same time. Kara then tries to cover by claiming they're so close he feels like family.
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* ''Series/{{Supergirl 2015}}'': During the crossover with ''Series/TheFlash2014'', Cat Grant asks who Barry is. Kara (an orphan), Winn (an only child), child with no family), and James (a black man) all claim he's their cousin at the same time. Kara then tries to cover by claiming they're so close he feels like family.
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* ''Series/{{Supergirl 2015}}'': During the crossover with ''Series/TheFlash2014'', Cat Grant asks who Barry is. Kara (an orphan), Winn (an only child), and James (a black man) all claim he's their cousin at the same time. Kara then tries to cover by claiming they're so close he feels like family.
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** FridgeLogic if the only difference between Data and Lore is programming, then why abandon Lore and create a brand new android, rather than reprogram the old one. The same appears to go for B4 even more so.
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Top Gear Hidden Stig example
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** Then there's the Australia Special where James May claimed to have had The Stig hidden in his car boot (trunk to Americans) all along. This is in outback Australia where anyone in an unventilated metal box would almost certainly have died, and certainly wouldn't have been in condition to win a mine race. The Stig then drives in the mine race, wins, and James May claims that he won it.
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** Common in this show.
** The Dead Parrot sketch.
** The Dead Parrot sketch.
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* ''Series/MadamSecretary'': Russian Foreign Minister Anton Gorev claiming [[RippedFromTheHeadlines there are no Russian troops in Ukraine]] in "The Rusalka". His expression makes clear he's just repeating the party line and knows full well it's total BS, and Liz calls him on it with a sarcastic remark about how many coffins are being snuck back into Russia in the dead of night.
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* ''Series/BeingHuman'': Mitchell and George's landlord wonders why their flat is almost entirely empty, the real reason being that George is a werewolf and accidentally destroyed most of the furniture when he transformed the night before. Eager to make up an excuse, George gives a long rambling explanation about minimalist living. The landlord says he would have just figured they were redecorating.
to:
* ''Series/BeingHuman'': ''Series/{{Being Human|UK}}'': Mitchell and George's landlord wonders why their flat is almost entirely empty, the real reason being that George is a werewolf and accidentally destroyed most of the furniture when he transformed the night before. Eager to make up an excuse, George gives a long rambling explanation about minimalist living. The landlord says he would have just figured they were redecorating.
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* ''Series/Yes Minister'': Whenever the Sir Humphrey Appleby says they will do anything.
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* ''Series/Yes Minister'': ''Series/YesMinister'': Whenever the Sir Humphrey Appleby says they will do anything.
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* ''Series/{{Primeval}}'': In one episode, Jenny "explains" a [[http://en.wikipedka.org/wiki/Pristichampsus prehistoric crocodile]] on a rampage in central London as a charity fun-run gone wrong. This is one of her more plausible explanations.
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* ''Series/{{Primeval}}'': In one episode, Jenny "explains" a [[http://en.wikipedka.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pristichampsus prehistoric crocodile]] on a rampage in central London as a charity fun-run gone wrong. This is one of her more plausible explanations.
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* ''Series/TheSketchShow'': One sketch involves Tim, who's standing on the other side of a fence, boasting to Karen about all his achievements, including owning the Ritz hotel, marrying Claudia Schiffer, and giving Bill Gates his first job. Then we see a warning sign that reads "Beware of the Bull".
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** In the season 1 episode the benders, Dean enlists the help of a cop to help him find Sam by pretending to be a cop. Unknown to him the cop ran the number on the badge Dean gave her and this happened.
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** In the season 1 episode the benders, "The Benders", Dean enlists pretends to be a police officer to enlist the help of a real cop to help him find Sam by pretending to be a cop. in finding Sam, who's been kidnapped. Unknown to him the cop ran the number on the badge Dean gave her and this happened.happened:
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** Castiel forces the ArchangelMichael to teleport away by throwing a flaming bottle of holy oil at him (while [[CrowningMomentOfFunny calling him an "assbutt"]].
--->'''Lucifer''': Did you just ''molotov my brother with Holy Fire''?\\
--->'''Lucifer''': Did you just ''molotov my brother with Holy Fire''?\\
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** In plain view of Lucifer, Castiel forces the ArchangelMichael to teleport away by throwing a flaming bottle of holy oil at him (while [[CrowningMomentOfFunny calling him an "assbutt"]].
"assbutt"]]).
--->'''Lucifer''': Did you just ''molotov my brother withHoly Fire''?\\holy fire''?\\
--->'''Lucifer''': Did you just ''molotov my brother with
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* ''Series/TheSarahConnorChronicles'': [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots Cameron]] can't get through the metal detectors in the school she attends. John explains this away off-handed by saying she's got a metal plate in her head, believed because of Cameron's odd behavior (it's technically true, though John neglects to mention that her entire head is metal plates). Later on, when a guidance counselor calls Sarah to comment on Cameron's... ''odd'' behavior around the campus, she explains that [[AWizardDidIt a tornado did it.]] Probably a rather subtle ''[[Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz Wizard of Oz]]'' reference on Sarah's behalf. The series is peppered with them.
to:
* ''Series/TheSarahConnorChronicles'': [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots Cameron]] can't get through the metal detectors in the school she attends. John explains this away off-handed by saying she's got a metal plate in her head, and is believed because of Cameron's Cameron's...odd behavior (it's even technically true, though John neglects to mention that her entire head ''entire head'' is metal plates). Later on, when a guidance counselor calls Sarah to comment on Cameron's... ''odd'' behavior around the campus, she Cameron's demeanor, Sarah explains that [[AWizardDidIt a tornado did it.]] Probably a rather subtle ''[[Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz Wizard of Oz]]'' reference on Sarah's behalf. The series is peppered with them.
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** On one occasion when Teal'c did leave the base, O'Neill explained him away as "a simple technical sergeant." When asked what Teal'c specialty was, O'Neill responded: "speech writing." In a later episode, he moves out of the Cheyenne base and attempts to set up a civilian life. When anyone asks about his manner of speaking, or why he's ignorant of customs, or the inlaid gold tattoo on his head, he tells them he's from "Mozambique." He explains the gold tattoo as "a tribal mark from his homeland", people at the very least buy it enough to move on.
** Daniel Jackson, upon meeting an oncoming Goa'uld ship, identifies himself as "The Great and Powerful Oz".
** Daniel Jackson, upon meeting an oncoming Goa'uld ship, identifies himself as "The Great and Powerful Oz".
to:
** On one occasion when Teal'c did leave the base, O'Neill explained him away as "a simple technical sergeant." When asked what Teal'c specialty was, O'Neill responded: "speech writing." In a later episode, he moves out of the Cheyenne base and attempts to set up a civilian life. When anyone asks about his manner of speaking, or why he's ignorant of customs, or the inlaid gold tattoo on his head, he tells them he's from "Mozambique." He explains the gold tattoo as "a tribal mark from his homeland", and mostly people at the very least buy it enough to move on.
on. (It actually ''is'' a tribal mark, since it's the symbol of the System Lord he used to work for...)
** Daniel Jackson, upon meeting an oncoming Goa'uld ship, identifies himself as "The Great and Powerful Oz". In Goa'uld, no less.
** Daniel Jackson, upon meeting an oncoming Goa'uld ship, identifies himself as "The Great and Powerful Oz". In Goa'uld, no less.
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** Castiel forces ArchangelMichael to teleport away with a flaming bottle of holy oil right in front of Lucifer, while calling him an "assbutt".
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** Castiel forces the ArchangelMichael to teleport away with by throwing a flaming bottle of holy oil right in front of Lucifer, while at him (while [[CrowningMomentOfFunny calling him an "assbutt"."assbutt"]].
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* ''Series/Yes Minister'': Whenever the Sir Humphrey Appleby says they will do anything.
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* ''Series/BattlestarGalacticaReimagined'': And they have a plan. Damn open credits.
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* ''Series/BattlestarGalacticaReimagined'': ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'': And they have a plan. Damn open credits.
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** When Ser Jaime Lannister asks Loras if he is looking forward to his wedding to Cersei Lannister, Loras hesitates for a moment before replying, "Yes, very much."
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** When Ser Jaime Lannister asks Loras Loras[[note]]the late Renly's lover[[/note]] if he is looking forward to his wedding to Cersei Lannister, Loras hesitates for a moment before replying, "Yes, very much."
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'''Jeff:''' [''DopeSlap'']] Stop letting him make you realize stuff!
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'''Jeff:''' [''DopeSlap'']] [''DopeSlap''] Stop letting him make you realize stuff!
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'''Jeff:''' Stop letting him make you realize stuff.
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'''Jeff:''' [''DopeSlap'']] Stop letting him make you realize stuff.stuff!
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* ''Series/HogansHeroes'': Commandant Klink gets so many Blatant Lies fed to him by Hogan that he should just put on a bib every time the colonel comes into his office.
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* ''Series/HogansHeroes'': Commandant Klink gets so many Blatant Lies fed to him by Hogan that he should just put on a bib every time the colonel comes into his office. Hogan gives them to Sergeant Shultz too, although Shultz doesn't seem to truly believe them - he just [[MinionWithAnFInEvil chooses to ignore what Hogan and his men are doing.]]
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* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': In one episode, Data, having been transported back through time to 1893 San Francisco, explains his uniform and skin color with the excuse that he's French. The fact that he can speak French fluently helps. Another ''TNG'' episode has Data in the holodeck in a pastiche of the 1920s or thereabouts; this time, he explains his skin tone with "I am from South America."
to:
* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'':
** In one episode, Data, having been transported back through time to 1893 San Francisco, explains his uniform and skin color with the excuse that he's French. The fact that he can speak French fluently helps. Another ''TNG'' episode has Data in the holodeck in a pastiche of the 1920s or thereabouts; this time, he explains his skin tone with "I am from South America.""
** Data's EvilTwin Lore lied frequently, not just about his motivations, but about their history. One of his cruelest lies was that Data was built by Dr. Noonien Soong after Lore was because the colonists on Omicron Theta demanded a "less perfect" android. Soong himself later dismissed this claim as absurd, telling Data the only real difference between them was some programming.
** In one episode, Data, having been transported back through time to 1893 San Francisco, explains his uniform and skin color with the excuse that he's French. The fact that he can speak French fluently helps. Another ''TNG'' episode has Data in the holodeck in a pastiche of the 1920s or thereabouts; this time, he explains his skin tone with "I am from South America.
** Data's EvilTwin Lore lied frequently, not just about his motivations, but about their history. One of his cruelest lies was that Data was built by Dr. Noonien Soong after Lore was because the colonists on Omicron Theta demanded a "less perfect" android. Soong himself later dismissed this claim as absurd, telling Data the only real difference between them was some programming.
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* ''Series/AlloAllo'':
** Used as a RunningGag, where Rene was frequently surprised by his wife while making out with one of his cafe's hot waitresses. After an initial moment of confusion, he would roll his eyes and tell her a blatant lie ("You stew-pid woman! Can you not see that ..."). She always fell for it.
** SubvertedTrope in the ReunionShow:
--->'''Rene:''' You stew-pid woman! Can you not see that I'm eloping?
* ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'':
-->'''G.O.B.''': Lindsay's been staying at the Four Seas for, like, a month. She's probably charging the company.\\
'''Michael''': Lindsay's been in town for a month?\\
'''G.O.B.''': I don't think so.
* ''Series/{{Arrow}}'':
** Nearly every word Oliver says to Felicity, up until the point where she learns his secret identity.
--->'''Oliver''': I was at my coffee shop surfing the web, and I spilt a latte on it. [a laptop he's asking her to get information off of]\\
'''Felicity''': Really. ... 'Cause these look like bullet holes. \\
'''Oliver''': My coffee shop is in a bad neighborhood.
** The time he needed her to track a drug was bad enough that [[CallBack it was brought up for the rest of the season as an example of how he's terrible at lying]].
--->'''Felicity''': If it's an energy drink, why is it in a syringe?\\
'''Oliver''': I ran out of sports bottles.
* ''Series/BattlestarGalacticaReimagined'': And they have a plan. Damn open credits.
* ''Series/BeingHuman'': Mitchell and George's landlord wonders why their flat is almost entirely empty, the real reason being that George is a werewolf and accidentally destroyed most of the furniture when he transformed the night before. Eager to make up an excuse, George gives a long rambling explanation about minimalist living. The landlord says he would have just figured they were redecorating.
-->'''George''': ... That would have made more sense.
* Many eccentric news pundits will feed this trope into their ChewbaccaDefense generator to fill some airtime or to shut up an opponent that they couldn't defeat otherwise. One mildly funny example is a segment Bill O'Reilly did about a shooting in a Washington DC Holocaust Museum. He said that since his guest/opponent was a democrat, and that democrats were, in some way responsible for the shooting, that his guest had blood on her hands. He then said that she had different beliefs than he did, that he respects that and would never cast judgment upon her for that, and then screamed "BUT YOU HAVE BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS."
* ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'': Happens too many times to count throughout this show, but some of the more memorable are when Blackadder single-handedly rigs an election in the third-season opener.
-->'''Announcer''': The Acting Returning Officer, Mr. E. Blackadder, of course. And we're all very grateful, indeed, that he stepped in at the last minute, when the previous Returning Officer accidentally brutally stabbed himself in the stomach while shaving.\\
''[and again, moments later...]''\\
'''Blackadder''': I took over from the previous electorate when he, very sadly, accidentally brutally cut his head off while combing his hair.
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'':
** This show was full of this: "gangs on PCP" (group of vampires); "slipped and fell on a barbecue fork" (vampire bite resulting in loss of blood, consciousness, and memory); "office broken into by a pack of wild dogs" (students possessed by hyenas eating the principal); "neck rupture" (vampire bite); "gym full of asbestos" (full of recently-dusted vampires)... By the sixth season, it's gotten to the point where the official line is "[[LampshadeHanging Mayhem caused;]] [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial monsters definitely not involved.]]"
** It was on fullest display during Anya and Xander's wedding, where the various demons sitting on the bride's side were explained as being "circus people".
** Non-"[[WeirdnessCensor Sunnydale Syndrome]]" example: during the episode where Buffy turns invisible, Xander goes to Spike for information and walks in on the two of them having sex. Spike's explanation is that he's exercising...naked...in bed. Xander seems to buy it, possibly for the sake of his sanity. "You know, jokes aside, [[YouNeedToGetLaid you really should get a girlfriend]]."
** Giles apparently used to tell girls he helped to found Music/PinkFloyd. He probably didn't mention that this must have been when he was 11.
** Buffy catches herself almost talking about her sex life to her mother:
---> '''Buffy''': And I'm sure he'll come over later looking for a little... Bible study.\\
'''Joyce''': Well, good. I mean just as long as two of you are spending some quality time with... the Lord.
** In the Season 2 episode "Lie to Me":
---> '''Giles:''' Yes, it's terribly simple. The good guys are always stalwart and true, the bad guys are easily distinguished by their pointy horns or black hats, and, uh, we always defeat them and save the day. No one ever dies, and everybody lives happily ever after.
** Season 9: "I've been over Buffy since the first time we brought down a house." Yeah Spike, sure you were.
** Buffy seems to subliminally ''want'' to be caught out in her Slayer duties, but the adults around her are too wrapped up in denial. In ''Buffy'' season 4/''Angel'' season 1, when she chases Faith to L.A. and is arguing with Angel after Faith turns herself in, Buffy insists to Angel that she came because he was in danger (Faith was previously trying to kill him under Wolfram & Hart's employ), but Angel doesn't buy it for a second and accuses her of only coming for vengeance; Buffy doesn't even try to deny that.
* ''Series/{{Castle}}'': Most criminals lie to some degree, but one episode have Beckett/Castle interrupt the Irish mob in the process of beating a rival gang member to death, resulting in this (paraphrased) exchange with the victim:
-->'''Victim''': Can I be real with you detective?\\
'''Beckett''': Oh, please do.\\
'''Victim''': The truth is, I fell, and they were just helping me up.\\
'''Castle''': And your head?\\
'''Victim''': Before I fell, I hit my head on the wall, which is why I fell.\\
'''Beckett''': And the burns on your hands?\\
'''Victim''': After I hit my head... and I fell.. I put my hand out onto the grill, you know, to catch my fall.\\
'''Castle''': Thanks for keeping it real.
* ''Series/{{Chuck}}'': In one episode, Devon has to explain a day's absence to Ellie. He decides to go with the story that he was jogging in the park when he noticed a cat in a tree, which turned out to be a bear, which then attacked him, leaving him with no choice but to decapitate it. When, surprisingly, Ellie doesn't buy it, Chuck leaps in with the no less blatant but slightly more believable lie that Casey had been arrested for public intoxication, and Devon had spent the day trying to get the charges dropped.
* ''Series/{{Community}}'':
** One example occurs in the episode "[[Recap/CommunityS1E11ThePoliticsOfHumanSexuality The Politics Of Human Sexuality]]" after Troy 'wins' his race with Abed:
--->'''Troy:''' ''[Breathless and exhausted]'' "How'd you like... ''those'' apples?"\\
'''Abed:''' ''[Clearly ''not'' breathless and exhausted]'' "I don't like those apples. I'm so upset. It was clearly a fluke that I won those other games."
** In a later episode, a therapist attempts to convince the gang that their entire time at Greendale College was a shared delusion. This would be a lot more believable to take in if their wasn't certain evidence to the contrary, such as pictures on a phone, families who have been to college, and Annie ''wearing a Greendale backpack during this whole conversation.'' Needless to say, the therapist turned out to be a fraud.
** His next attempt to fool them, claiming that Greendale was purgatory and he was the Devil, was even less successful. Mostly.
---> '''Troy:''' I knew it!\\
'''Jeff:''' Stop letting him make you realize stuff.
* ''Series/TheDailyShow'' and ''Series/TheColbertReport'': At least one third of these two shows are dedicated to exposing the prevalent lies spewed by politicians and the media, frequently by showing clips one after the other, where whoever they are targeting says exactly the opposite of what they are currently saying. The fact they have enough material to fill out about 10 minutes of their show every day is depressing.
* ''Series/DeadLikeMe'': Has George using every excuse she can to get out of work for her reaps. Plausible the first few times I am sure but it is a very consistent thing for years. (Trying to see an executive, she claims that it's "about his son, who drugged me, and then videotaped it while homeless people had sex with my unconscious body.")
* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** In the new series, it's stated at the end of "World War Three" that Blatant Lies are used at first, along with people's natural WeirdnessCensor, by the British government and UNIT to paper over the Doctor's various adventures. In a later subversion of the trope, it's ultimately shown that no one in London is buying what Downing Street is selling anymore, to the point where the city is nearly deserted on Christmas Eve in ''Voyage of the Damned'' due to a sudden pandemic of GenreSavvy.
** Twice, when the Tenth Doctor is grieving, on being asked if he's okay replies, "I'm always alright." {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d by Donna when she asks "Is 'alright' a special Time Lord code for 'really not alright at all'?"
** The Doctor himself does this to Amelia in "The Eleventh Hour."
--->'''Doctor''': You know when grown-ups tell you, "Everything's gonna be fine" and you think they're probably lying to make you feel better?\\
'''Amelia''': Yeah.\\
'''Doctor''': Everything's gonna be fine.
** And another one from "The Beast Below":
--->'''Doctor''': Remember, we are observers only, no matter what happens. In all my travels, that's the one rule that I've always stuck to.
** In "[[Recap/DoctorWho2010CSAChristmasCarol A Christmas Carol]]" the Doctor tries to pull his [[BavarianFireDrill psychic paper trick]] with the line, "I am universally acknowledged as a mature and responsible adult." [[CrowningMomentOfFunny It shorts out the paper]].
---> '''Doctor''': Finally, a lie too big.
** Used as a {{Tearjerker}} in ''A Good Man Goes To War''. Upon meeting a dying girl who met the Doctor when she was younger, and expects the Doctor to know who she is, the following exchange takes place:
-->'''Lorna:''' Doctor...\\
'''The Doctor:''' ''[smiling delightedly]'' You helped my friends. Thank you.\\
'''Lorna:''' I met you once. In the Gamma forest... You don't remember me.\\
'''The Doctor:''' Of course I do, Lorna. I remember everyone. Hey, we ran - you and me!\\
''[Lorna smiles weakly and dies. The Doctor composes himself.]''\\
'''The Doctor:''' ...Who was she?\\
'''Vastra:''' I don't know, but she was very brave.\\
'''The Doctor:''' ...They are always brave. ''[swallows his own shame]'' They are always brave...
** In the original series "Dalek Invasion Of Earth" story, Barbara convinces the Daleks that the resistance forces are attempting an immediate assault... working together with the Boston Tea Party, and General Lee and Hannibal are poised to perform a synchronized cavalry strike on the Dalek base. The Daleks, having never heard of those, assume the worst.
** From the same era, we get:
--->'''Doctor:''' I've learned to stay out of the affairs of others years ago.\\
'''Ian:''' ''[laughs]''\\
'''Doctor:''' Don't be absurd. I'm not the least bit curious.\\
'''Barbara:''' ''[laughs]''\\
'''Doctor:''' ''[is ''already'' pressing the guy who'd just told them to leave while they still could for more information]''
** A rare instance of the audience being let in on the joke, but the characters are not, occurs in "Pyramids of Mars". The BigBad has to navigate a DeathCourse and complains when a particular puzzle looks complex, but is actually simply a "find the different one" match game. (The audience is shown how easy the puzzle actually is.) When the Doctor and Sarah Jane arrive later, the Doctor weaves an elaborate commentary on the puzzle involving scale, ratios, and physics while measuring with his scarf. He then solves the puzzle while making a show of protecting Sarah in case there is an explosion.
* ''Series/EverybodyLovesRaymond'': If Ray even ''suspects'' that Deborah (or anyone else, for that matter) will be unhappy about something he did/n't do, he will immediately begin lying, often continuing long after it's obvious they've figured it out. He will do this even in situations where he really should know that telling the truth is the best option.
* ''Series/{{Farscape}}'': "My name is [[MagnificentBastard Scorpius]]. I am here to serve you."
* ''Series/{{Firefly}}'': AvertedTrope. In the first episode, Jayne, the ship's resident [[TokenEvilTeammate amoral mercenary]], mouths off and is told to leave the room. He claims that "[He] isn't paid to talk pretty", but leaves. Simon asks what Jayne does, and [[TheCaptain Capt. Reynolds]] responds: "Public Relations." Given the kind of public the crew is used to dealing with, Jayne [[MoreDakka deals with them]] [[ICallItVera pretty well]]. Especially if the public involves whores.
* ''Series/ForeverKnight'':
** Nick Knight tells his coworkers he has an unfortunate combination of light sensitivity and food allergies to explain away why he's [[OurVampiresAreDifferent/LiveActionTV never seen during the day and doesn't eat... food]].
** One episode features the other characters finding wine bottles full of blood in Nick's refrigerator. He claims he uses the blood to thin paint.
* ''Series/{{Friends}}'': Phoebe's song "Two Of Them Kissed Last Night" about Betty (Rachel), Neil (Ross) and [[LameRhymeDodge Loolie]] (Julie).
* ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'':
** There's a classic episode where Will pretends he's Ashley's father (complete with pipe and fake moustache) and goes to her Parent-Teacher conference so that Ashley wouldn't have to tell her parents she transferred to public school. Later the Teacher meets Phil. Will spends the whole scene saying things like "[[MostDefinitelyNotAVillain Nice meeting you for the first time ever in my life.]]"
** When the teacher uncovers Will's deception, the following exchange takes place:
--->'''Teacher''': That's a fake mustache!\\
'''Will''': No it's not!\\
'''Teacher''': ''[rips mustache off]'' Yes it is!\\
'''Will''': No it's not!\\
'''Ashley''': Will!\\
'''Will''': No it's not!
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
** When King Robert Baratheon (who is ignorant of his youngest brother's homosexuality) asks him, "Have you ever fucked a Riverlands girl?", Renly's vague response is "Once, I think." Renly's annoyed facial expression indicates that he often uses this line whenever someone inquires about his sexual conquests.
** In "What Is Dead May Never Die," Renly blames the wine for his [[TheLoinsSleepTonight inability to perform]], but his wife [[TheBeard Margaery]] sees right through his charade.
** Margaery Tyrell telling King Joffrey in "Dark Wings, Dark Words," "The subtleties of politics are often lost on me."
** When Ser Jaime Lannister asks Loras if he is looking forward to his wedding to Cersei Lannister, Loras hesitates for a moment before replying, "Yes, very much."
** Arguably the biggest piece of bullshit in the series' history, Grand Maester Pycelle at one point describes [[TheCaligula Joffrey]] as "the most noble child the gods ever put on this good earth."
* ''Series/{{Glee}}'':
** Half the things Sue says are funny because of this trope.
--->'''Sue:''' You know, William, that's what one Hubert Humphrey said back in 1968 at the start of the Democratic National Convention. But then hippies put acid in everyone's bourbon, and when an updraft revealed Lady Bird Johnson's tramp stamp, and tattoos above her ovaries, Mayor Richard J. Daley became so incensed with sexual rage that he punched his own wife in the face, and spent the next hour screaming 'sex party' into the microphones of all three major networks.
** Kurt claiming to be [[CampGay straight]] for the first few episodes of season one. No one [[TransparentCloset believed him.]]
* ''Series/GoodnightSweetheart'': The main character constantly switches between 1941 and the modern day, meaning that he often ends up in the past with technology that shouldn't exist in that time. When anyone asks him about it, he invariably claims the gadget comes 'from America'. Everyone believes this without question, which is probably TruthInTelevision.
* ''Series/HannahMontana'': Like they live and breathe, they use Blatant Lies in this show. Even lampshaded on occasion (usually by Lilly).
* ''Series/HappyEndings'':
** Season 2, episode 6 Brad needs Max to come help him when he's supposedly in Michigan.
---> '''Max:''' In Michigan? I don't know where that is.\\
'''Brad:''' You absolutely know where Michigan is. You were an extra in the movie ''Film/EightMile''.
** Later on,
---> '''Max:''' Your apartment? I don't know where that is.
* ''Series/HogansHeroes'': Commandant Klink gets so many Blatant Lies fed to him by Hogan that he should just put on a bib every time the colonel comes into his office.
* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'':
** Barney breathes this trope. He generally targets these lies to very stupid women, and has successfully used lies to the following effects:
** Claimed to be Neil Armstrong (bonus points for the "Cosmic radiation caused me to age backwards" excuse for why he clearly wasn't old enough to have even been born at the time of the moon landing).
** Claimed to be Barack Obama.
** Pretended to be black ("Barnell").
** Convinced a woman he was a famous person she hadn't heard of before.
** Pretended to be a genie whose penis granted wishes.
** As he was having a competition with Lily and Robin to see if he could pick up any potential girl in the bar, Robin convinced a random woman that if she waited she would get together with Ryan Gosling. Barney simply walked up and stated that he was Ryan Gosling and slept with her.
* ''Series/HumanTarget'': Winston is faced with disarming a remote timer, which will trigger enough C4 to level the building around him. Faced with two wires and no clue, his only hope is Geurerro, a seedy freelance agent he calls over the phone... who doesn't have a clue either.
-->'''Winston''': ''[hearing something 'plink' in the background]'' Did you just flip a coin?!\\
'''Guererro''': ...No.
* ''Series/TheITCrowd'':
** In this British comedy series, Blatant Lies are featured several times. Some notable examples:
** In "Yesterday's Jam" Jen, the new manager of the IT department, lied in her application, saying she had "a lot of experience with computers", and is successful with these lies just because her new boss doesn't know a lot about computers either. During that episode, she gets caught a few times more (pretending to talk on a disconnected phone, or typing on an unplugged PC).
** In "Calamity Jen" Jen lies about her shoe size so she can buy a nice pair of shoes (destroying her feet). When a fire breaks out in the IT office, they put an old hollowed-out monitor in front of it just before the boss enters the room, making him shout "nice screensaver!".
** "The Haunting of Bill Crouse" is almost completely based on a Blatant Lie told by Moss when he was supposed to get rid of an annoying coworker for Jen. He tried making up excuses and finally settled for "She's dead", making him believe he's being haunted by Jen whenever he sees or hears her.
** In "The Speech" Roy and Moss explain to Jen that the internet is a small black box with a blinking red light on top. When she later explains this in a speech, none of the listeners seem to suspect anything. When the box is destroyed, a panic breaks out.
* ''Series/KitchenNightmares'': Has this in full spades. Gordon Ramsay visits a restaurant that is in need of serious help and in nearly every episode, the owner, the chef, or just ''anybody'' working in the place will lie to Gordon's face whenever he asks something that is related to their problems, such as if the food is made fresh or is frozen. (One actually tried to claim it was "fresh frozen"!) This is usually the people trying to hide a bigger problem or downplay them.
* ''Series/KnightRider'':
** Happens somewhat. Michael Knight made up various stories about who/what both KITT and himself are during the run of the show. On the other hand, a surprisingly large number of guest stars, after displaying initial shock and surprise, accepted the idea of a talking, sentient supercar surprisingly quickly. Far better than Michael himself did despite being hand-picked for the job.
** Several villains even point out "Up until X years ago, Michael Knight didn't exist". They don't really find this too terribly odd beyond the mention, but given the frequency this happens you'd think The Foundation would have found a way to fix that in the background check systems.
* ''Series/{{Leverage}}'': While you would expect a lot of blatant lies from a show about con artists like this one, one exchange between the team members fits this trope perfectly: Eliot called Sophie to ask for advice while she was on vacation, and asked her not to tell Nate he'd called. Parker, who'd just done the same thing, asked Eliot who it was. His reply: "cable company."
* ''Series/LieToMe'': Every episode is full of them. One hilarious example, however, is a known drug dealer saying: "All I told them to do was run product... and by product I mean chewing gum."
* ''Series/LizzieMcGuire'': Matt [=McGuire=] ends up faking a lot of his genealogy report due to jealousy towards his mute friend Lenny for being related to someone famous (in Lenny's case: Crispus Attucks, the first casualty of the Boston Massacre). He does this by claiming to be related to George Washington, Davy Crockett, and Elvis. Although everyone else didn't see through the lies about Washington and Elvis (except for Lenny), one person besides Lenny did in regards to Crockett.
* ''Series/{{Lost}}'': Benjamin Linus does this almost constantly. If you listen to Ben a lot you realize that he lies just for the hell of it, such as when he tells Jack his mother taught him to read or said he was a Pisces. Even when the truth would be fine, he lies anyway.
* ''Series/TheMiddleman'': Used to explain away both their identity and any of the situations they get into.
* ''Series/{{Miranda}}'': There is at least one in every episode, who often then {{lampshade|Hanging}}s it by turning to the camera to contradict herself. In the Christmas episode, she's sharing a bed with Gary, and rolls over, doing the dreaded 'breast clap'. Her response to him wondering what it was? "A duck quacking."
* ''Series/{{Misfits}}'': The Christmas episode has this gem from Nathan:
--> '''Nathan:''' We may have done sod all with our powers, but we never abused them. We never raped or murdered anyone.\\
'''Curtis:''' [Alisha] raped me, and we killed loads of people.
* ''Series/{{Monk}}'': Specifically the episode "Mr. Monk and the Leper," Randy pulls an old photo of his off the wall of his dermatologist's waiting room, taking a piece of wall with it... right as the doctor is coming in. "This fell off the wall."
** Then there's "Mr Monk and the Garbage Strike," in which Monk denies sending his trash to Strottlemeyer in spite of a) his hatred of garbage, b) his handwriting on the packages, and c) the fact that said trash is sorted and color-coded.
* ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'':
** Common in this show.
** The Dead Parrot sketch.
** The Argument Clinic too, especially when Creator/JohnCleese's character starts to spew lies in order to scam more money out of his client.
--->'''John Cleese''': Not necessarily. [[MetaphoricallyTrue I could be arguing in my spare time.]]
* ''Series/PennAndTellerBullshit'': The 'Bible: Fact or Fiction?' Episode - "Elvis didn't do no drugs!" Blatant Lies by any other name...
* ''Series/{{Primeval}}'': In one episode, Jenny "explains" a [[http://en.wikipedka.org/wiki/Pristichampsus prehistoric crocodile]] on a rampage in central London as a charity fun-run gone wrong. This is one of her more plausible explanations.
* ''Series/{{Psych}}'': Uses this trope frequently. The lyrics to the theme song even point out that "I know you know that I'm not telling the truth." The premise of the series is founded on this trope as Shawn is a fake psychic detective. In the pilot, when Shawn is pressed by the police to explain how he solved a crime, Shawn lies, "Okay, okay. Fine, you win. I got the information, because...I'm a psychic."
* ''Series/PushingDaisies'':
** When Olive questions Chuck about why she and Ned don't touch each other (because Ned brought her BackFromTheDead, and she would die again if he did):
--->'''Olive''': Do you have some kind of deadly food allergy to Ned?\\
'''Chuck''': [[SureLetsGoWithThat I'm going to say yes.]]
** In "[[Recap/PushingDaisiesS1E1Pielette Pie-lette]]", some time after Ned visited the morgue posing as a dog expert, he visits again:
--->'''Coroner''': Aren't you the ''dog'' expert?\\
'''Ned''': No.
** Every lie Ned tells.
* RealityShow: Almost any competitive show of this kind will have at least someone lying through their teeth if it means getting them an advantage over the other people. Depending on the show, people can [[KarmaHoudini get away with it]] or [[LaserGuidedKarma suffer for their actions with interest]].
* ''Series/RedDwarf'':
** Kryten makes this a SubvertedTrope somewhat by audibly engaging his "Lie Mode" software:
--->'''Rimmer''': Kryten -- will this work?\\
'''Kryten''': Lie Mode. ''[pause]'' Of course it will work, sir. No worries. ''[winks to Lister]'' Hook, line, sinker, rod and copy of ''Angling Times'', sir.
** On another occasion:
--->'''Kryten''': Are you of the school that, when faced with bad news, prefers to hear that news naked and unvarnished, or are you of the ilk that prefers to live in happy and blissful ignorance of the nightmare you're facing?\\
'''Rimmer''': Ignorance, every time.\\
'''Kryten''': Congratulations sir! You've come storming through your medical with flying colors! See you next time.
** He also plays it straight in the episode "Camille", which is when he first gains the ability to lie. He actually says (while lying himself blue in the face): "You have to believe me! I'm a mechanoid! Mechanoids can't lie!"
** He does it again the "The Last Day", where he shuts down the replacement robot by telling it that there is no Silicon Heaven and no afterlife for androids. When the rest of the crew question Kryten about why the "newer model" couldn't handle that revelation and his could, this happens:
---> '''Kryten''': Well, I knew something he didn't.\\
'''Lister''': What?\\
'''Kryten''': I knew I was lying! No Silicon Heaven? Preposterous! [[RunningGag Where would all the calculators go?]]
* ''Series/{{Revolution}}'': In the episode "[[Recap/RevolutionS1E7TheChildrensCrusade The Children's Crusade]]", Randall Flynn says "I just want us to be friends," to two different people. Given that those two people never got anything good by working with him, and that his ultimate plan is to [[spoiler: launch Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles at Philadelphia and Atlanta]], he was either lying through his teeth, or he has a very twisted definition of the word "friend".
* ''Series/TheSarahConnorChronicles'': [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots Cameron]] can't get through the metal detectors in the school she attends. John explains this away off-handed by saying she's got a metal plate in her head, believed because of Cameron's odd behavior (it's technically true, though John neglects to mention that her entire head is metal plates). Later on, when a guidance counselor calls Sarah to comment on Cameron's... ''odd'' behavior around the campus, she explains that [[AWizardDidIt a tornado did it.]] Probably a rather subtle ''[[Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz Wizard of Oz]]'' reference on Sarah's behalf. The series is peppered with them.
* ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'':
** Some sketches hinge on the trope for comedy:
** The classic Coneheads sketches feature the eponymous aliens making transparent lies to hide the obvious fact that they're not human. "We are from France" was their BeamMeUpScotty catchphrase, originally said to explain why they hadn't paid taxes. Amusingly, though there's no actual city or village by this name, "Remulak" sounds plausible as a town name from southwestern France (but it would be likely spelled "Rémulac").
** The John Belushi sketch "Don't Look Back In Anger" is a big lie that shows him as the only surviving member.
** Jon Lovitz's recurring character "The Liar" makes obvious lies in a cartoonish manner, following each with, "Yeah, that's the ticket!"
* ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'':
** The AlmightyJanitor ''loves'' this trope. One of the most memorable, when he was explaining how he knew sign language:
--->'''Janitor''': I used to hang out at the zoo a lot, and there was this one gorilla who knew sign language. I learned it so I could talk to him. Well it turned out he only knew a few words. Big. And boobs. He liked 'em big and hairy. But I always remembered him, because he inspired me.\\
'''J.D.''': Was ''any'' of that true?\\
'''Janitor''': Someone would have to read it back to me.
** This happens a whole lot in ''Scrubs'', since a lot of the dialogue is improvised. There are a ton of outtakes where the actors are just making crazy stuff up, getting progressively more ridiculous, and then one of them comes out of character and goes 'ha, no, there's no way we can use that'.
* ''Series/{{Selfie}}'': In one episode, right after Eliza tells Henry she won't text her sex-buddy/co-worker Freddy as an attempt to have interests outside of casual sex, Henry walks away from Eliza. She then starts taking pictures of her cleavage and when Henry spots her, she says they were for her mom.
* ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'': PlayedForDrama in "The Reichenbach Fall". Sherlock tells John that [[spoiler: he's a fraud, and faked all of his deductions, in particular those he made upon first meeting John (the lies being part of a {{Batman Gambit}} to save John's life)]]. Considering the time John has spent with Sherlock, and the numerous cases they've been on together, Sherlock's statements are nothing short of [[ImplausibleDeniability completely ridiculous]], and John is simply left knowing what he said wasn't true and totally bewildered as to why he said it.
* ''Series/{{Sliders}}'': Whenever the team lands on a new world and has to explain why they don't know what's going on, they use the excuse "We're from Canada." We've hardly ever seen it fail. Although one time they had to pretend to be illegal immigrants from Canada the entire episode, who had snuck south into Mexico for work. (Thanks to the non-existence of America in the middle, and Mexico ending up with California.)
* Used often on ''Series/{{Smallville}}'':
** During the earlier seasons, when any questions Clark Kent was asked about his interest in the caves or any Native American symbols that were related to his Kryptonian heritage were met with "It's for a term paper" -- to the point where Lex Luthor himself actually {{lampshade|Hanging}}s it later.
** At one point Clark uses it as an offensive tool, saying he wanted to write a term paper on a project Lex was funding, which ''Lex'' had lied about earlier prior to Clark's finding and dismantling it.
** Also used whenever Clark, Lana and Chloe say they are JustFriends.
--->'''Chloe''': My feelings for Clark are so ancient, they're... they're fossilized!
** When it comes to his big secret, however, Clark usually evades the question. It gets funnier when he uses more and more lies when [[spoiler:Chloe already knew his secret]], though...
** Also a ton of it when Lex and Lana start to get close.
--->'''Clark''': Is there something you are not telling me?\\
'''Chloe''': No. Not at all.
** In "Identity", [[spoiler:Clark beats Jimmy to reaching Chloe even though the latter is speeding all the way, and he finds a family photo of Clark wearing red and blue (it is a really dumb idea to wear only two colours, instantly recognizable), but Clark and Chloe still deny everything.]]
** A serious example in "Stiletto". Chloe tells Clark she is fine when she sounds like she's on the verge of tears. [[spoiler:Hard to blame her when Jimmy broke up with her, being taken over by the {{Omnicidal|Maniac}} [[{{Pun}} Brainiac]], and [[BatmanInMyBasement keeping Doomsday in her basement]].]]
** In "Escape": After Lois spots Chloe's SexyShirtSwitch:
--->'''Chloe''': Oliver and I are not a couple. We're... [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything having fun]].
* ''Series/StargateSG1'':
** The Stargate Program and the SGC is officially "Analysis of Deep Space Radar Telemetry". Carter's father, Major General Jacob Carter, obviously didn't believe her in "Secrets". Which leads to the hilarious event where Sam was receiving a medal for saving the world -- with deep space radar telemetry. Carter, being a physicist, is at least plausible. [=O'Neill=], whose explanation for everything is "magnets" makes this even more of a blatant lie when he talks of the cover. The medal they received for saving the world was the Air Medal. Which is awarded "for meritorious achievement while participating in ''aerial flight''." A reporter approaches Jack to ask about a comment he'd overheard to the effect of "I can travel through the Galaxy without getting lost..." Jack explains his comment away by talking about a very large class of airplane called a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_C-5_Galaxy Galaxy]]. The reporter clearly doesn't buy it.
** On one occasion when Teal'c did leave the base, O'Neill explained him away as "a simple technical sergeant." When asked what Teal'c specialty was, O'Neill responded: "speech writing." In a later episode, he moves out of the Cheyenne base and attempts to set up a civilian life. When anyone asks about his manner of speaking, or why he's ignorant of customs, or the inlaid gold tattoo on his head, he tells them he's from "Mozambique." He explains the gold tattoo as "a tribal mark from his homeland", people at the very least buy it enough to move on.
** Daniel Jackson, upon meeting an oncoming Goa'uld ship, identifies himself as "The Great and Powerful Oz".
** Lampshaded in "Off the Grid", after SG-1 is kidnapped:
--->'''Worrell''': I don't want to torture you. In fact, if you tell me the location of the Stargate, I'm prepared to release you.\\
'''Mitchell''': No, you are not! ''[to Daniel]'' Can you believe he just said that?
* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': [[ConsummateLiar Garak]] is always very adamant that he didn't have anything to do with all those murders at the Romulan embassy. He was really just a gardener who just worked there purely by coincidence. He also makes it clear with his first introduction that he's just "plain, simple Garak", a tailor on ''Deep Space Nine'', and definitely not a spy. Oh, and he was definitely exiled for tax evasion and, no, he'd never lie about that because it's something he's not at all proud of. It becomes rapidly apparent that ''most'' of what he says is a lie of some sort. In fact, his lies are so blatant, he doesn't simply cross the line into SelfProclaimedLiar, he sets up house and home there and has even planted a flag.
-->'''Bashir''': What I want to know is, out of all the stories you told me, which ones were true and which ones weren't?\\
'''Garak''': My dear doctor... they're all true.\\
'''Bashir''': Even the lies?\\
'''Garak''': ''Especially'' the lies.
* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': In one episode, Data, having been transported back through time to 1893 San Francisco, explains his uniform and skin color with the excuse that he's French. The fact that he can speak French fluently helps. Another ''TNG'' episode has Data in the holodeck in a pastiche of the 1920s or thereabouts; this time, he explains his skin tone with "I am from South America."
* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'': In the famed episode "The City on the Edge of Forever" where Kirk and Spock travel back to the Great Depression, Kirk tries to explain Spock's vaguely alien appearance by saying he's from China; then he has to justify his pointed ears by claiming he got his head stuck in a "mechanical rice picker" as a child.
** Not to mention [[Recap/StarTrekS2E1AmokTime Spock's attempt]] to convince Kirk, Chapel, and [=McCoy=] that his near-outburst upon finding out that Kirk wasn't KilledOffForReal was merely "quite logical relief that Starfleet had not lost a highly proficient captain." [=McCoy=] makes it clear that the lies were far too blatant for him.
--->'''[=McCoy=]:''' Of course, Mr. Spock, your reaction was quite logical... in a pig's eye!
* ''Series/TheState'': In one sketch, a husband denies he's cheating on his wife, even as he is talking to his mistress. He also tells his mistress that his wife (still in the same room) is dead. Avoids ImplausibleDeniability because his two-faced fast talk actually ''works''.
* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'':
** In the season 1 episode the benders, Dean enlists the help of a cop to help him find Sam by pretending to be a cop. Unknown to him the cop ran the number on the badge Dean gave her and this happened.
--->'''Cop''': It says here your badge was stolen. And there's a picture of you. ''[she turns the computer to reveal a heavy-set African American man]''\\
'''Dean''': I lost some weight. ''[laughs nervously]'' And I got that Michael Jackson skin disease...
** Castiel forces ArchangelMichael to teleport away with a flaming bottle of holy oil right in front of Lucifer, while calling him an "assbutt".
--->'''Lucifer''': Did you just ''molotov my brother with Holy Fire''?\\
'''Castiel''': Umm... no?
* ''Series/TopGear'':
** In the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkE029a8bys truck driving challenge]], Richard Hammond's cargo (a small car) had fallen out of the trailer during the alpine course. Afterwards, when Jeremy Clarkson showed up:
--->'''Jeremy Clarkson''': This is totally... so anyway, how was your car?\\
''[beat as May and Hammond exchange glances]''\\
'''James May''': Car's...\\
'''Richard Hammond''': ''[interrupting May]'' ''Stolen!'' That's what it is, I've just thought of it now: stolen. The damnedest thing.
** This show throws out lies like this on a regular basis, especially if a host thinks it'll make their car (or cars in general) sound better. After one challenge where a train, bike and motorboat beat a car across London during rush hour, all three hosts banded together to claim that the footage had been edited, going so far as to claim that the Thames didn't exist and Jeremy Clarkson had died violently during the race (stated by Clarkson himself).
** This exchange between Jeremy and Cameron Diaz.
--->'''Jeremy''': What do you drive?\\
'''Cameron''': A Prius.\\
'''Jeremy''': Oh, I love the Prius.\\
(Studio audience cracks up)
** In the Albania special, the hosts claimed to have received a request from the Albanian mafia to test a Rolls-Royce against a Mercedes and a Bentley. However, Bentley pulled out at the last second and Jeremy wound up driving a Yugo instead. For the rest of the episode, Jeremy refers to the Yugo as a Bentley and talks about it using the Bentley's specifications.
* ''Series/TheTroop'': Mime club.
* ''Series/VicReevesBigNightOut'': The Living Carpets did nothing but tell each other blatant lies. These included "I colour in the black bits on Frisian cows with a special biro", "Perry Como uses me as a practice pad" and "I live inside a crab with Gunga Din and the Pat-a-Cake man".
* ''Whacked Out Videos'': This is supposed to be what sets this show apart from other, similar shows.
* ''Series/TheWire'':
** Used for dramatic effect in the series finale. Dukie hits up Prez for some money, saying he's going to take a GED. Prez points out that he's too young to take that test but acquiesces anyway, and they part on the unspoken agreement that Dukie is about to spend his life as a homeless drug addict and they will never see each other again.
** Clay Davis was also a frequent source of these. His impassioned speech on the stand while on trial for corruption was perhaps the biggest.
** Bunk's line 'The bigger the lie, the more they believe'.
----
** Used as a RunningGag, where Rene was frequently surprised by his wife while making out with one of his cafe's hot waitresses. After an initial moment of confusion, he would roll his eyes and tell her a blatant lie ("You stew-pid woman! Can you not see that ..."). She always fell for it.
** SubvertedTrope in the ReunionShow:
--->'''Rene:''' You stew-pid woman! Can you not see that I'm eloping?
* ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'':
-->'''G.O.B.''': Lindsay's been staying at the Four Seas for, like, a month. She's probably charging the company.\\
'''Michael''': Lindsay's been in town for a month?\\
'''G.O.B.''': I don't think so.
* ''Series/{{Arrow}}'':
** Nearly every word Oliver says to Felicity, up until the point where she learns his secret identity.
--->'''Oliver''': I was at my coffee shop surfing the web, and I spilt a latte on it. [a laptop he's asking her to get information off of]\\
'''Felicity''': Really. ... 'Cause these look like bullet holes. \\
'''Oliver''': My coffee shop is in a bad neighborhood.
** The time he needed her to track a drug was bad enough that [[CallBack it was brought up for the rest of the season as an example of how he's terrible at lying]].
--->'''Felicity''': If it's an energy drink, why is it in a syringe?\\
'''Oliver''': I ran out of sports bottles.
* ''Series/BattlestarGalacticaReimagined'': And they have a plan. Damn open credits.
* ''Series/BeingHuman'': Mitchell and George's landlord wonders why their flat is almost entirely empty, the real reason being that George is a werewolf and accidentally destroyed most of the furniture when he transformed the night before. Eager to make up an excuse, George gives a long rambling explanation about minimalist living. The landlord says he would have just figured they were redecorating.
-->'''George''': ... That would have made more sense.
* Many eccentric news pundits will feed this trope into their ChewbaccaDefense generator to fill some airtime or to shut up an opponent that they couldn't defeat otherwise. One mildly funny example is a segment Bill O'Reilly did about a shooting in a Washington DC Holocaust Museum. He said that since his guest/opponent was a democrat, and that democrats were, in some way responsible for the shooting, that his guest had blood on her hands. He then said that she had different beliefs than he did, that he respects that and would never cast judgment upon her for that, and then screamed "BUT YOU HAVE BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS."
* ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'': Happens too many times to count throughout this show, but some of the more memorable are when Blackadder single-handedly rigs an election in the third-season opener.
-->'''Announcer''': The Acting Returning Officer, Mr. E. Blackadder, of course. And we're all very grateful, indeed, that he stepped in at the last minute, when the previous Returning Officer accidentally brutally stabbed himself in the stomach while shaving.\\
''[and again, moments later...]''\\
'''Blackadder''': I took over from the previous electorate when he, very sadly, accidentally brutally cut his head off while combing his hair.
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'':
** This show was full of this: "gangs on PCP" (group of vampires); "slipped and fell on a barbecue fork" (vampire bite resulting in loss of blood, consciousness, and memory); "office broken into by a pack of wild dogs" (students possessed by hyenas eating the principal); "neck rupture" (vampire bite); "gym full of asbestos" (full of recently-dusted vampires)... By the sixth season, it's gotten to the point where the official line is "[[LampshadeHanging Mayhem caused;]] [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial monsters definitely not involved.]]"
** It was on fullest display during Anya and Xander's wedding, where the various demons sitting on the bride's side were explained as being "circus people".
** Non-"[[WeirdnessCensor Sunnydale Syndrome]]" example: during the episode where Buffy turns invisible, Xander goes to Spike for information and walks in on the two of them having sex. Spike's explanation is that he's exercising...naked...in bed. Xander seems to buy it, possibly for the sake of his sanity. "You know, jokes aside, [[YouNeedToGetLaid you really should get a girlfriend]]."
** Giles apparently used to tell girls he helped to found Music/PinkFloyd. He probably didn't mention that this must have been when he was 11.
** Buffy catches herself almost talking about her sex life to her mother:
---> '''Buffy''': And I'm sure he'll come over later looking for a little... Bible study.\\
'''Joyce''': Well, good. I mean just as long as two of you are spending some quality time with... the Lord.
** In the Season 2 episode "Lie to Me":
---> '''Giles:''' Yes, it's terribly simple. The good guys are always stalwart and true, the bad guys are easily distinguished by their pointy horns or black hats, and, uh, we always defeat them and save the day. No one ever dies, and everybody lives happily ever after.
** Season 9: "I've been over Buffy since the first time we brought down a house." Yeah Spike, sure you were.
** Buffy seems to subliminally ''want'' to be caught out in her Slayer duties, but the adults around her are too wrapped up in denial. In ''Buffy'' season 4/''Angel'' season 1, when she chases Faith to L.A. and is arguing with Angel after Faith turns herself in, Buffy insists to Angel that she came because he was in danger (Faith was previously trying to kill him under Wolfram & Hart's employ), but Angel doesn't buy it for a second and accuses her of only coming for vengeance; Buffy doesn't even try to deny that.
* ''Series/{{Castle}}'': Most criminals lie to some degree, but one episode have Beckett/Castle interrupt the Irish mob in the process of beating a rival gang member to death, resulting in this (paraphrased) exchange with the victim:
-->'''Victim''': Can I be real with you detective?\\
'''Beckett''': Oh, please do.\\
'''Victim''': The truth is, I fell, and they were just helping me up.\\
'''Castle''': And your head?\\
'''Victim''': Before I fell, I hit my head on the wall, which is why I fell.\\
'''Beckett''': And the burns on your hands?\\
'''Victim''': After I hit my head... and I fell.. I put my hand out onto the grill, you know, to catch my fall.\\
'''Castle''': Thanks for keeping it real.
* ''Series/{{Chuck}}'': In one episode, Devon has to explain a day's absence to Ellie. He decides to go with the story that he was jogging in the park when he noticed a cat in a tree, which turned out to be a bear, which then attacked him, leaving him with no choice but to decapitate it. When, surprisingly, Ellie doesn't buy it, Chuck leaps in with the no less blatant but slightly more believable lie that Casey had been arrested for public intoxication, and Devon had spent the day trying to get the charges dropped.
* ''Series/{{Community}}'':
** One example occurs in the episode "[[Recap/CommunityS1E11ThePoliticsOfHumanSexuality The Politics Of Human Sexuality]]" after Troy 'wins' his race with Abed:
--->'''Troy:''' ''[Breathless and exhausted]'' "How'd you like... ''those'' apples?"\\
'''Abed:''' ''[Clearly ''not'' breathless and exhausted]'' "I don't like those apples. I'm so upset. It was clearly a fluke that I won those other games."
** In a later episode, a therapist attempts to convince the gang that their entire time at Greendale College was a shared delusion. This would be a lot more believable to take in if their wasn't certain evidence to the contrary, such as pictures on a phone, families who have been to college, and Annie ''wearing a Greendale backpack during this whole conversation.'' Needless to say, the therapist turned out to be a fraud.
** His next attempt to fool them, claiming that Greendale was purgatory and he was the Devil, was even less successful. Mostly.
---> '''Troy:''' I knew it!\\
'''Jeff:''' Stop letting him make you realize stuff.
* ''Series/TheDailyShow'' and ''Series/TheColbertReport'': At least one third of these two shows are dedicated to exposing the prevalent lies spewed by politicians and the media, frequently by showing clips one after the other, where whoever they are targeting says exactly the opposite of what they are currently saying. The fact they have enough material to fill out about 10 minutes of their show every day is depressing.
* ''Series/DeadLikeMe'': Has George using every excuse she can to get out of work for her reaps. Plausible the first few times I am sure but it is a very consistent thing for years. (Trying to see an executive, she claims that it's "about his son, who drugged me, and then videotaped it while homeless people had sex with my unconscious body.")
* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** In the new series, it's stated at the end of "World War Three" that Blatant Lies are used at first, along with people's natural WeirdnessCensor, by the British government and UNIT to paper over the Doctor's various adventures. In a later subversion of the trope, it's ultimately shown that no one in London is buying what Downing Street is selling anymore, to the point where the city is nearly deserted on Christmas Eve in ''Voyage of the Damned'' due to a sudden pandemic of GenreSavvy.
** Twice, when the Tenth Doctor is grieving, on being asked if he's okay replies, "I'm always alright." {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d by Donna when she asks "Is 'alright' a special Time Lord code for 'really not alright at all'?"
** The Doctor himself does this to Amelia in "The Eleventh Hour."
--->'''Doctor''': You know when grown-ups tell you, "Everything's gonna be fine" and you think they're probably lying to make you feel better?\\
'''Amelia''': Yeah.\\
'''Doctor''': Everything's gonna be fine.
** And another one from "The Beast Below":
--->'''Doctor''': Remember, we are observers only, no matter what happens. In all my travels, that's the one rule that I've always stuck to.
** In "[[Recap/DoctorWho2010CSAChristmasCarol A Christmas Carol]]" the Doctor tries to pull his [[BavarianFireDrill psychic paper trick]] with the line, "I am universally acknowledged as a mature and responsible adult." [[CrowningMomentOfFunny It shorts out the paper]].
---> '''Doctor''': Finally, a lie too big.
** Used as a {{Tearjerker}} in ''A Good Man Goes To War''. Upon meeting a dying girl who met the Doctor when she was younger, and expects the Doctor to know who she is, the following exchange takes place:
-->'''Lorna:''' Doctor...\\
'''The Doctor:''' ''[smiling delightedly]'' You helped my friends. Thank you.\\
'''Lorna:''' I met you once. In the Gamma forest... You don't remember me.\\
'''The Doctor:''' Of course I do, Lorna. I remember everyone. Hey, we ran - you and me!\\
''[Lorna smiles weakly and dies. The Doctor composes himself.]''\\
'''The Doctor:''' ...Who was she?\\
'''Vastra:''' I don't know, but she was very brave.\\
'''The Doctor:''' ...They are always brave. ''[swallows his own shame]'' They are always brave...
** In the original series "Dalek Invasion Of Earth" story, Barbara convinces the Daleks that the resistance forces are attempting an immediate assault... working together with the Boston Tea Party, and General Lee and Hannibal are poised to perform a synchronized cavalry strike on the Dalek base. The Daleks, having never heard of those, assume the worst.
** From the same era, we get:
--->'''Doctor:''' I've learned to stay out of the affairs of others years ago.\\
'''Ian:''' ''[laughs]''\\
'''Doctor:''' Don't be absurd. I'm not the least bit curious.\\
'''Barbara:''' ''[laughs]''\\
'''Doctor:''' ''[is ''already'' pressing the guy who'd just told them to leave while they still could for more information]''
** A rare instance of the audience being let in on the joke, but the characters are not, occurs in "Pyramids of Mars". The BigBad has to navigate a DeathCourse and complains when a particular puzzle looks complex, but is actually simply a "find the different one" match game. (The audience is shown how easy the puzzle actually is.) When the Doctor and Sarah Jane arrive later, the Doctor weaves an elaborate commentary on the puzzle involving scale, ratios, and physics while measuring with his scarf. He then solves the puzzle while making a show of protecting Sarah in case there is an explosion.
* ''Series/EverybodyLovesRaymond'': If Ray even ''suspects'' that Deborah (or anyone else, for that matter) will be unhappy about something he did/n't do, he will immediately begin lying, often continuing long after it's obvious they've figured it out. He will do this even in situations where he really should know that telling the truth is the best option.
* ''Series/{{Farscape}}'': "My name is [[MagnificentBastard Scorpius]]. I am here to serve you."
* ''Series/{{Firefly}}'': AvertedTrope. In the first episode, Jayne, the ship's resident [[TokenEvilTeammate amoral mercenary]], mouths off and is told to leave the room. He claims that "[He] isn't paid to talk pretty", but leaves. Simon asks what Jayne does, and [[TheCaptain Capt. Reynolds]] responds: "Public Relations." Given the kind of public the crew is used to dealing with, Jayne [[MoreDakka deals with them]] [[ICallItVera pretty well]]. Especially if the public involves whores.
* ''Series/ForeverKnight'':
** Nick Knight tells his coworkers he has an unfortunate combination of light sensitivity and food allergies to explain away why he's [[OurVampiresAreDifferent/LiveActionTV never seen during the day and doesn't eat... food]].
** One episode features the other characters finding wine bottles full of blood in Nick's refrigerator. He claims he uses the blood to thin paint.
* ''Series/{{Friends}}'': Phoebe's song "Two Of Them Kissed Last Night" about Betty (Rachel), Neil (Ross) and [[LameRhymeDodge Loolie]] (Julie).
* ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'':
** There's a classic episode where Will pretends he's Ashley's father (complete with pipe and fake moustache) and goes to her Parent-Teacher conference so that Ashley wouldn't have to tell her parents she transferred to public school. Later the Teacher meets Phil. Will spends the whole scene saying things like "[[MostDefinitelyNotAVillain Nice meeting you for the first time ever in my life.]]"
** When the teacher uncovers Will's deception, the following exchange takes place:
--->'''Teacher''': That's a fake mustache!\\
'''Will''': No it's not!\\
'''Teacher''': ''[rips mustache off]'' Yes it is!\\
'''Will''': No it's not!\\
'''Ashley''': Will!\\
'''Will''': No it's not!
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
** When King Robert Baratheon (who is ignorant of his youngest brother's homosexuality) asks him, "Have you ever fucked a Riverlands girl?", Renly's vague response is "Once, I think." Renly's annoyed facial expression indicates that he often uses this line whenever someone inquires about his sexual conquests.
** In "What Is Dead May Never Die," Renly blames the wine for his [[TheLoinsSleepTonight inability to perform]], but his wife [[TheBeard Margaery]] sees right through his charade.
** Margaery Tyrell telling King Joffrey in "Dark Wings, Dark Words," "The subtleties of politics are often lost on me."
** When Ser Jaime Lannister asks Loras if he is looking forward to his wedding to Cersei Lannister, Loras hesitates for a moment before replying, "Yes, very much."
** Arguably the biggest piece of bullshit in the series' history, Grand Maester Pycelle at one point describes [[TheCaligula Joffrey]] as "the most noble child the gods ever put on this good earth."
* ''Series/{{Glee}}'':
** Half the things Sue says are funny because of this trope.
--->'''Sue:''' You know, William, that's what one Hubert Humphrey said back in 1968 at the start of the Democratic National Convention. But then hippies put acid in everyone's bourbon, and when an updraft revealed Lady Bird Johnson's tramp stamp, and tattoos above her ovaries, Mayor Richard J. Daley became so incensed with sexual rage that he punched his own wife in the face, and spent the next hour screaming 'sex party' into the microphones of all three major networks.
** Kurt claiming to be [[CampGay straight]] for the first few episodes of season one. No one [[TransparentCloset believed him.]]
* ''Series/GoodnightSweetheart'': The main character constantly switches between 1941 and the modern day, meaning that he often ends up in the past with technology that shouldn't exist in that time. When anyone asks him about it, he invariably claims the gadget comes 'from America'. Everyone believes this without question, which is probably TruthInTelevision.
* ''Series/HannahMontana'': Like they live and breathe, they use Blatant Lies in this show. Even lampshaded on occasion (usually by Lilly).
* ''Series/HappyEndings'':
** Season 2, episode 6 Brad needs Max to come help him when he's supposedly in Michigan.
---> '''Max:''' In Michigan? I don't know where that is.\\
'''Brad:''' You absolutely know where Michigan is. You were an extra in the movie ''Film/EightMile''.
** Later on,
---> '''Max:''' Your apartment? I don't know where that is.
* ''Series/HogansHeroes'': Commandant Klink gets so many Blatant Lies fed to him by Hogan that he should just put on a bib every time the colonel comes into his office.
* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'':
** Barney breathes this trope. He generally targets these lies to very stupid women, and has successfully used lies to the following effects:
** Claimed to be Neil Armstrong (bonus points for the "Cosmic radiation caused me to age backwards" excuse for why he clearly wasn't old enough to have even been born at the time of the moon landing).
** Claimed to be Barack Obama.
** Pretended to be black ("Barnell").
** Convinced a woman he was a famous person she hadn't heard of before.
** Pretended to be a genie whose penis granted wishes.
** As he was having a competition with Lily and Robin to see if he could pick up any potential girl in the bar, Robin convinced a random woman that if she waited she would get together with Ryan Gosling. Barney simply walked up and stated that he was Ryan Gosling and slept with her.
* ''Series/HumanTarget'': Winston is faced with disarming a remote timer, which will trigger enough C4 to level the building around him. Faced with two wires and no clue, his only hope is Geurerro, a seedy freelance agent he calls over the phone... who doesn't have a clue either.
-->'''Winston''': ''[hearing something 'plink' in the background]'' Did you just flip a coin?!\\
'''Guererro''': ...No.
* ''Series/TheITCrowd'':
** In this British comedy series, Blatant Lies are featured several times. Some notable examples:
** In "Yesterday's Jam" Jen, the new manager of the IT department, lied in her application, saying she had "a lot of experience with computers", and is successful with these lies just because her new boss doesn't know a lot about computers either. During that episode, she gets caught a few times more (pretending to talk on a disconnected phone, or typing on an unplugged PC).
** In "Calamity Jen" Jen lies about her shoe size so she can buy a nice pair of shoes (destroying her feet). When a fire breaks out in the IT office, they put an old hollowed-out monitor in front of it just before the boss enters the room, making him shout "nice screensaver!".
** "The Haunting of Bill Crouse" is almost completely based on a Blatant Lie told by Moss when he was supposed to get rid of an annoying coworker for Jen. He tried making up excuses and finally settled for "She's dead", making him believe he's being haunted by Jen whenever he sees or hears her.
** In "The Speech" Roy and Moss explain to Jen that the internet is a small black box with a blinking red light on top. When she later explains this in a speech, none of the listeners seem to suspect anything. When the box is destroyed, a panic breaks out.
* ''Series/KitchenNightmares'': Has this in full spades. Gordon Ramsay visits a restaurant that is in need of serious help and in nearly every episode, the owner, the chef, or just ''anybody'' working in the place will lie to Gordon's face whenever he asks something that is related to their problems, such as if the food is made fresh or is frozen. (One actually tried to claim it was "fresh frozen"!) This is usually the people trying to hide a bigger problem or downplay them.
* ''Series/KnightRider'':
** Happens somewhat. Michael Knight made up various stories about who/what both KITT and himself are during the run of the show. On the other hand, a surprisingly large number of guest stars, after displaying initial shock and surprise, accepted the idea of a talking, sentient supercar surprisingly quickly. Far better than Michael himself did despite being hand-picked for the job.
** Several villains even point out "Up until X years ago, Michael Knight didn't exist". They don't really find this too terribly odd beyond the mention, but given the frequency this happens you'd think The Foundation would have found a way to fix that in the background check systems.
* ''Series/{{Leverage}}'': While you would expect a lot of blatant lies from a show about con artists like this one, one exchange between the team members fits this trope perfectly: Eliot called Sophie to ask for advice while she was on vacation, and asked her not to tell Nate he'd called. Parker, who'd just done the same thing, asked Eliot who it was. His reply: "cable company."
* ''Series/LieToMe'': Every episode is full of them. One hilarious example, however, is a known drug dealer saying: "All I told them to do was run product... and by product I mean chewing gum."
* ''Series/LizzieMcGuire'': Matt [=McGuire=] ends up faking a lot of his genealogy report due to jealousy towards his mute friend Lenny for being related to someone famous (in Lenny's case: Crispus Attucks, the first casualty of the Boston Massacre). He does this by claiming to be related to George Washington, Davy Crockett, and Elvis. Although everyone else didn't see through the lies about Washington and Elvis (except for Lenny), one person besides Lenny did in regards to Crockett.
* ''Series/{{Lost}}'': Benjamin Linus does this almost constantly. If you listen to Ben a lot you realize that he lies just for the hell of it, such as when he tells Jack his mother taught him to read or said he was a Pisces. Even when the truth would be fine, he lies anyway.
* ''Series/TheMiddleman'': Used to explain away both their identity and any of the situations they get into.
* ''Series/{{Miranda}}'': There is at least one in every episode, who often then {{lampshade|Hanging}}s it by turning to the camera to contradict herself. In the Christmas episode, she's sharing a bed with Gary, and rolls over, doing the dreaded 'breast clap'. Her response to him wondering what it was? "A duck quacking."
* ''Series/{{Misfits}}'': The Christmas episode has this gem from Nathan:
--> '''Nathan:''' We may have done sod all with our powers, but we never abused them. We never raped or murdered anyone.\\
'''Curtis:''' [Alisha] raped me, and we killed loads of people.
* ''Series/{{Monk}}'': Specifically the episode "Mr. Monk and the Leper," Randy pulls an old photo of his off the wall of his dermatologist's waiting room, taking a piece of wall with it... right as the doctor is coming in. "This fell off the wall."
** Then there's "Mr Monk and the Garbage Strike," in which Monk denies sending his trash to Strottlemeyer in spite of a) his hatred of garbage, b) his handwriting on the packages, and c) the fact that said trash is sorted and color-coded.
* ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'':
** Common in this show.
** The Dead Parrot sketch.
** The Argument Clinic too, especially when Creator/JohnCleese's character starts to spew lies in order to scam more money out of his client.
--->'''John Cleese''': Not necessarily. [[MetaphoricallyTrue I could be arguing in my spare time.]]
* ''Series/PennAndTellerBullshit'': The 'Bible: Fact or Fiction?' Episode - "Elvis didn't do no drugs!" Blatant Lies by any other name...
* ''Series/{{Primeval}}'': In one episode, Jenny "explains" a [[http://en.wikipedka.org/wiki/Pristichampsus prehistoric crocodile]] on a rampage in central London as a charity fun-run gone wrong. This is one of her more plausible explanations.
* ''Series/{{Psych}}'': Uses this trope frequently. The lyrics to the theme song even point out that "I know you know that I'm not telling the truth." The premise of the series is founded on this trope as Shawn is a fake psychic detective. In the pilot, when Shawn is pressed by the police to explain how he solved a crime, Shawn lies, "Okay, okay. Fine, you win. I got the information, because...I'm a psychic."
* ''Series/PushingDaisies'':
** When Olive questions Chuck about why she and Ned don't touch each other (because Ned brought her BackFromTheDead, and she would die again if he did):
--->'''Olive''': Do you have some kind of deadly food allergy to Ned?\\
'''Chuck''': [[SureLetsGoWithThat I'm going to say yes.]]
** In "[[Recap/PushingDaisiesS1E1Pielette Pie-lette]]", some time after Ned visited the morgue posing as a dog expert, he visits again:
--->'''Coroner''': Aren't you the ''dog'' expert?\\
'''Ned''': No.
** Every lie Ned tells.
* RealityShow: Almost any competitive show of this kind will have at least someone lying through their teeth if it means getting them an advantage over the other people. Depending on the show, people can [[KarmaHoudini get away with it]] or [[LaserGuidedKarma suffer for their actions with interest]].
* ''Series/RedDwarf'':
** Kryten makes this a SubvertedTrope somewhat by audibly engaging his "Lie Mode" software:
--->'''Rimmer''': Kryten -- will this work?\\
'''Kryten''': Lie Mode. ''[pause]'' Of course it will work, sir. No worries. ''[winks to Lister]'' Hook, line, sinker, rod and copy of ''Angling Times'', sir.
** On another occasion:
--->'''Kryten''': Are you of the school that, when faced with bad news, prefers to hear that news naked and unvarnished, or are you of the ilk that prefers to live in happy and blissful ignorance of the nightmare you're facing?\\
'''Rimmer''': Ignorance, every time.\\
'''Kryten''': Congratulations sir! You've come storming through your medical with flying colors! See you next time.
** He also plays it straight in the episode "Camille", which is when he first gains the ability to lie. He actually says (while lying himself blue in the face): "You have to believe me! I'm a mechanoid! Mechanoids can't lie!"
** He does it again the "The Last Day", where he shuts down the replacement robot by telling it that there is no Silicon Heaven and no afterlife for androids. When the rest of the crew question Kryten about why the "newer model" couldn't handle that revelation and his could, this happens:
---> '''Kryten''': Well, I knew something he didn't.\\
'''Lister''': What?\\
'''Kryten''': I knew I was lying! No Silicon Heaven? Preposterous! [[RunningGag Where would all the calculators go?]]
* ''Series/{{Revolution}}'': In the episode "[[Recap/RevolutionS1E7TheChildrensCrusade The Children's Crusade]]", Randall Flynn says "I just want us to be friends," to two different people. Given that those two people never got anything good by working with him, and that his ultimate plan is to [[spoiler: launch Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles at Philadelphia and Atlanta]], he was either lying through his teeth, or he has a very twisted definition of the word "friend".
* ''Series/TheSarahConnorChronicles'': [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots Cameron]] can't get through the metal detectors in the school she attends. John explains this away off-handed by saying she's got a metal plate in her head, believed because of Cameron's odd behavior (it's technically true, though John neglects to mention that her entire head is metal plates). Later on, when a guidance counselor calls Sarah to comment on Cameron's... ''odd'' behavior around the campus, she explains that [[AWizardDidIt a tornado did it.]] Probably a rather subtle ''[[Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz Wizard of Oz]]'' reference on Sarah's behalf. The series is peppered with them.
* ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'':
** Some sketches hinge on the trope for comedy:
** The classic Coneheads sketches feature the eponymous aliens making transparent lies to hide the obvious fact that they're not human. "We are from France" was their BeamMeUpScotty catchphrase, originally said to explain why they hadn't paid taxes. Amusingly, though there's no actual city or village by this name, "Remulak" sounds plausible as a town name from southwestern France (but it would be likely spelled "Rémulac").
** The John Belushi sketch "Don't Look Back In Anger" is a big lie that shows him as the only surviving member.
** Jon Lovitz's recurring character "The Liar" makes obvious lies in a cartoonish manner, following each with, "Yeah, that's the ticket!"
* ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'':
** The AlmightyJanitor ''loves'' this trope. One of the most memorable, when he was explaining how he knew sign language:
--->'''Janitor''': I used to hang out at the zoo a lot, and there was this one gorilla who knew sign language. I learned it so I could talk to him. Well it turned out he only knew a few words. Big. And boobs. He liked 'em big and hairy. But I always remembered him, because he inspired me.\\
'''J.D.''': Was ''any'' of that true?\\
'''Janitor''': Someone would have to read it back to me.
** This happens a whole lot in ''Scrubs'', since a lot of the dialogue is improvised. There are a ton of outtakes where the actors are just making crazy stuff up, getting progressively more ridiculous, and then one of them comes out of character and goes 'ha, no, there's no way we can use that'.
* ''Series/{{Selfie}}'': In one episode, right after Eliza tells Henry she won't text her sex-buddy/co-worker Freddy as an attempt to have interests outside of casual sex, Henry walks away from Eliza. She then starts taking pictures of her cleavage and when Henry spots her, she says they were for her mom.
* ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'': PlayedForDrama in "The Reichenbach Fall". Sherlock tells John that [[spoiler: he's a fraud, and faked all of his deductions, in particular those he made upon first meeting John (the lies being part of a {{Batman Gambit}} to save John's life)]]. Considering the time John has spent with Sherlock, and the numerous cases they've been on together, Sherlock's statements are nothing short of [[ImplausibleDeniability completely ridiculous]], and John is simply left knowing what he said wasn't true and totally bewildered as to why he said it.
* ''Series/{{Sliders}}'': Whenever the team lands on a new world and has to explain why they don't know what's going on, they use the excuse "We're from Canada." We've hardly ever seen it fail. Although one time they had to pretend to be illegal immigrants from Canada the entire episode, who had snuck south into Mexico for work. (Thanks to the non-existence of America in the middle, and Mexico ending up with California.)
* Used often on ''Series/{{Smallville}}'':
** During the earlier seasons, when any questions Clark Kent was asked about his interest in the caves or any Native American symbols that were related to his Kryptonian heritage were met with "It's for a term paper" -- to the point where Lex Luthor himself actually {{lampshade|Hanging}}s it later.
** At one point Clark uses it as an offensive tool, saying he wanted to write a term paper on a project Lex was funding, which ''Lex'' had lied about earlier prior to Clark's finding and dismantling it.
** Also used whenever Clark, Lana and Chloe say they are JustFriends.
--->'''Chloe''': My feelings for Clark are so ancient, they're... they're fossilized!
** When it comes to his big secret, however, Clark usually evades the question. It gets funnier when he uses more and more lies when [[spoiler:Chloe already knew his secret]], though...
** Also a ton of it when Lex and Lana start to get close.
--->'''Clark''': Is there something you are not telling me?\\
'''Chloe''': No. Not at all.
** In "Identity", [[spoiler:Clark beats Jimmy to reaching Chloe even though the latter is speeding all the way, and he finds a family photo of Clark wearing red and blue (it is a really dumb idea to wear only two colours, instantly recognizable), but Clark and Chloe still deny everything.]]
** A serious example in "Stiletto". Chloe tells Clark she is fine when she sounds like she's on the verge of tears. [[spoiler:Hard to blame her when Jimmy broke up with her, being taken over by the {{Omnicidal|Maniac}} [[{{Pun}} Brainiac]], and [[BatmanInMyBasement keeping Doomsday in her basement]].]]
** In "Escape": After Lois spots Chloe's SexyShirtSwitch:
--->'''Chloe''': Oliver and I are not a couple. We're... [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything having fun]].
* ''Series/StargateSG1'':
** The Stargate Program and the SGC is officially "Analysis of Deep Space Radar Telemetry". Carter's father, Major General Jacob Carter, obviously didn't believe her in "Secrets". Which leads to the hilarious event where Sam was receiving a medal for saving the world -- with deep space radar telemetry. Carter, being a physicist, is at least plausible. [=O'Neill=], whose explanation for everything is "magnets" makes this even more of a blatant lie when he talks of the cover. The medal they received for saving the world was the Air Medal. Which is awarded "for meritorious achievement while participating in ''aerial flight''." A reporter approaches Jack to ask about a comment he'd overheard to the effect of "I can travel through the Galaxy without getting lost..." Jack explains his comment away by talking about a very large class of airplane called a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_C-5_Galaxy Galaxy]]. The reporter clearly doesn't buy it.
** On one occasion when Teal'c did leave the base, O'Neill explained him away as "a simple technical sergeant." When asked what Teal'c specialty was, O'Neill responded: "speech writing." In a later episode, he moves out of the Cheyenne base and attempts to set up a civilian life. When anyone asks about his manner of speaking, or why he's ignorant of customs, or the inlaid gold tattoo on his head, he tells them he's from "Mozambique." He explains the gold tattoo as "a tribal mark from his homeland", people at the very least buy it enough to move on.
** Daniel Jackson, upon meeting an oncoming Goa'uld ship, identifies himself as "The Great and Powerful Oz".
** Lampshaded in "Off the Grid", after SG-1 is kidnapped:
--->'''Worrell''': I don't want to torture you. In fact, if you tell me the location of the Stargate, I'm prepared to release you.\\
'''Mitchell''': No, you are not! ''[to Daniel]'' Can you believe he just said that?
* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': [[ConsummateLiar Garak]] is always very adamant that he didn't have anything to do with all those murders at the Romulan embassy. He was really just a gardener who just worked there purely by coincidence. He also makes it clear with his first introduction that he's just "plain, simple Garak", a tailor on ''Deep Space Nine'', and definitely not a spy. Oh, and he was definitely exiled for tax evasion and, no, he'd never lie about that because it's something he's not at all proud of. It becomes rapidly apparent that ''most'' of what he says is a lie of some sort. In fact, his lies are so blatant, he doesn't simply cross the line into SelfProclaimedLiar, he sets up house and home there and has even planted a flag.
-->'''Bashir''': What I want to know is, out of all the stories you told me, which ones were true and which ones weren't?\\
'''Garak''': My dear doctor... they're all true.\\
'''Bashir''': Even the lies?\\
'''Garak''': ''Especially'' the lies.
* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': In one episode, Data, having been transported back through time to 1893 San Francisco, explains his uniform and skin color with the excuse that he's French. The fact that he can speak French fluently helps. Another ''TNG'' episode has Data in the holodeck in a pastiche of the 1920s or thereabouts; this time, he explains his skin tone with "I am from South America."
* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'': In the famed episode "The City on the Edge of Forever" where Kirk and Spock travel back to the Great Depression, Kirk tries to explain Spock's vaguely alien appearance by saying he's from China; then he has to justify his pointed ears by claiming he got his head stuck in a "mechanical rice picker" as a child.
** Not to mention [[Recap/StarTrekS2E1AmokTime Spock's attempt]] to convince Kirk, Chapel, and [=McCoy=] that his near-outburst upon finding out that Kirk wasn't KilledOffForReal was merely "quite logical relief that Starfleet had not lost a highly proficient captain." [=McCoy=] makes it clear that the lies were far too blatant for him.
--->'''[=McCoy=]:''' Of course, Mr. Spock, your reaction was quite logical... in a pig's eye!
* ''Series/TheState'': In one sketch, a husband denies he's cheating on his wife, even as he is talking to his mistress. He also tells his mistress that his wife (still in the same room) is dead. Avoids ImplausibleDeniability because his two-faced fast talk actually ''works''.
* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'':
** In the season 1 episode the benders, Dean enlists the help of a cop to help him find Sam by pretending to be a cop. Unknown to him the cop ran the number on the badge Dean gave her and this happened.
--->'''Cop''': It says here your badge was stolen. And there's a picture of you. ''[she turns the computer to reveal a heavy-set African American man]''\\
'''Dean''': I lost some weight. ''[laughs nervously]'' And I got that Michael Jackson skin disease...
** Castiel forces ArchangelMichael to teleport away with a flaming bottle of holy oil right in front of Lucifer, while calling him an "assbutt".
--->'''Lucifer''': Did you just ''molotov my brother with Holy Fire''?\\
'''Castiel''': Umm... no?
* ''Series/TopGear'':
** In the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkE029a8bys truck driving challenge]], Richard Hammond's cargo (a small car) had fallen out of the trailer during the alpine course. Afterwards, when Jeremy Clarkson showed up:
--->'''Jeremy Clarkson''': This is totally... so anyway, how was your car?\\
''[beat as May and Hammond exchange glances]''\\
'''James May''': Car's...\\
'''Richard Hammond''': ''[interrupting May]'' ''Stolen!'' That's what it is, I've just thought of it now: stolen. The damnedest thing.
** This show throws out lies like this on a regular basis, especially if a host thinks it'll make their car (or cars in general) sound better. After one challenge where a train, bike and motorboat beat a car across London during rush hour, all three hosts banded together to claim that the footage had been edited, going so far as to claim that the Thames didn't exist and Jeremy Clarkson had died violently during the race (stated by Clarkson himself).
** This exchange between Jeremy and Cameron Diaz.
--->'''Jeremy''': What do you drive?\\
'''Cameron''': A Prius.\\
'''Jeremy''': Oh, I love the Prius.\\
(Studio audience cracks up)
** In the Albania special, the hosts claimed to have received a request from the Albanian mafia to test a Rolls-Royce against a Mercedes and a Bentley. However, Bentley pulled out at the last second and Jeremy wound up driving a Yugo instead. For the rest of the episode, Jeremy refers to the Yugo as a Bentley and talks about it using the Bentley's specifications.
* ''Series/TheTroop'': Mime club.
* ''Series/VicReevesBigNightOut'': The Living Carpets did nothing but tell each other blatant lies. These included "I colour in the black bits on Frisian cows with a special biro", "Perry Como uses me as a practice pad" and "I live inside a crab with Gunga Din and the Pat-a-Cake man".
* ''Whacked Out Videos'': This is supposed to be what sets this show apart from other, similar shows.
* ''Series/TheWire'':
** Used for dramatic effect in the series finale. Dukie hits up Prez for some money, saying he's going to take a GED. Prez points out that he's too young to take that test but acquiesces anyway, and they part on the unspoken agreement that Dukie is about to spend his life as a homeless drug addict and they will never see each other again.
** Clay Davis was also a frequent source of these. His impassioned speech on the stand while on trial for corruption was perhaps the biggest.
** Bunk's line 'The bigger the lie, the more they believe'.
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