History LampshadeHanging / LiveACtionTV

** CreepyMortician Sid Hammerback is forever finding weird things in or on corpses. In "Nine Thirteen," the team is called to the scene of yet another suspicious death at Building 913; 37 people have died in various ways there since the original owner committed suicide by jumping decades before. The victim is wearing a steampunk-type mask and has a lipstick kiss on one cheek. Then Don realizes something:

** Late in season 9, some of the team lampshade the QuipToBlack puns that are so prevalent in the franchise. Sheldon has placed some evidence in the super glue chamber:

** And another involving puns, from even later in season 9, where what was first believed to be a brick of coke turns out to be some mozzarella:

--->'''Sheldon:''' [groans] I thought I said "don't.

*** Referred to as "Hanging a lantern on it" in, "200", as the characters discuss an unlikely escape in a film script. An example of a show lampshading ''the act of lampshading.''
*** One of O'Neill's [[CatchPhrase Catch Phrases]] is to lampshade CaptainObvious moments with a [[DeadpanSnarker deadpan]], "Ya think?"
*** Sergeant Harriman (Walter) lampshades his ''own'' CatchPhrase in one episode where he's describing his job to a filmmaker.
---->'''Sgt. Harriman:''' “Basically, when the ’Gate is dialing, I say ‘Chevron One, engaged; Chevron Two, engaged’ and so on, incrementally, until the seventh chevron, which is a little different because that’s when the wormhole connects. When that happens, I like to change things up a little bit and just say ‘Chevron Seven, locked.’”
*** In the original movie, O'Neill's name only had one "L" in it. After the change was noticed, the TV O'Neill would occasionally make a point of the spelling of his name, as if he's been annoyed by having it misspelled before, also providing a {{Retcon}} by implying that the single-L version from the movie was just a mistake.

*** In season 6 episode "Disclosure", during a review of the Stargate operation, Senator Kinsey remarks: "Face it, General, under your command, the Stargate program has lurched from one crisis to the next. Never averting disaster by anything more than the skin of its teeth." Which is completely true, since that's what makes for thrilling TV.
*** "Wormhole X-Treme" and "200", the 100th and 200th episodes, respectively, basically exist to lampshade everything. This includes: the Zats originally vaporizing on the third shot, Daniel being able to sit down when he was out of phase, the ridiculousness of occasionally having touching scenes surrounded by carnage, the introduction of Cam Mitchell, Vala's entire backstory, and even how the 'gate works. And more.

*** In season 3, episode 9, "Demons", upon emerging from the Stargate onto yet another heavily forested planet that looks suspiciously like British Columbia, O'Neill remarks "Trees, trees, and more trees. What a wonderfully green universe we live in."
*** In "Failsafe", O'Neill has to disarm a nuclear bomb. Upon being told to [[WireDilemma cut the red wire, he discovers that they're all yellow.]] He proceeds to cut them one by one, hoping that it's not the wire that will set off the bomb. When it comes down to the final two wires, he's about to cut one, but stops.
---->'''O'Neill''': I'd just like to take this moment to point out that this is a very poorly designed bomb, and we should say something to someone when we get back.\\
'''Carter''': Noted, sir.
*** An amusing scene from "Off the Grid" finds [=SG1=] once again captured by bad guys and lampshades both the frequency of such situations and the flimsy [[HandWave handwaves]] that often get them into (and out of) said jams.
---->'''Daniel''': Oh, I have a question. Why would we make the gate magically disappear ''before'' we had a chance to escape through it?\\
'''Worrell''': Bad timing?\\
'''Daniel''': That's gotta be the single stupidest thing I've ever heard.\\
'''Worrell''': Do things always go according to plan in your world, Doctor Jackson?\\
'''Daniel''': No, not usually, no.\\
'''Worrell''': Then I would guess this is another one of those times.\\

*** In "A Matter of Time", after throwing around a lot of information about black holes and how they are affecting the wormhole, Carter literally says, "according to everything I thought I knew about relativity, that is just not possible." Astrophysicist Dr. Becky Smethurst mentions this on her [=YouTube=] review of the episode.
*** Crossover with ''Series/StargateAtlantis'', Ronon points out that Teal'c says '[[CatchPhrase Indeed]]' a lot.
---->'''Teal'c''': Do I? I had not noticed.

*** Statistically, there is no way the [[Series/StargateAtlantis Atlantis]] expedition should have so many impossibly good-looking men and women in one place. It's neatly lampshaded when a couple characters explain TV to the non-Terrans on their team.
---->'''Sheppard''': There are lots of programs on lots of channels, every day, all day.\\
'''[=McKay=]''': And most of them are fictional representations of ridiculously attractive people in absurd situations.
*** In "Doppelgänger", the Atlantis team are sent to what appears to be an uninhabited planet and question why they would be sent on such a foolish mission in the first place.
--->'''Sheppard''': I don't know. It's almost as if somebody in a warm, cozy room typing onto their computer sent us here for their own amusement.
*** While Stargate does not always return to the [[StatusQuoIsGod Status Quo]] at the end of each episode, any major assets gained are frequently lost within the next few episodes. [=McKay=] lampshades it in ''Submersion'', when discussing whether to salvage a Wraith cruiser:
--->'''[=McKAY=]''': Hmm, I’d have to assess damage to primary systems, but it’s not completely out of the question. Of course, you’d probably just go and blow it up or slam it into a hive ship or something, and all that work’d be for nothing.
*** The following conversation from the Season Five episode "The Prodigal", which highlights the vast number of times Colonel Sheppard has apparently gone on suicide missions, only to be rescued, have the plan change at the last minute:

* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' and unspecified Star Trek Universe:
** "Bread and Circuses" contained some choice lampshades about television production and sportscasting. "You bring this network's ratings down, Flavius -- and we'll do a ''special'' on you!"
** "Heisenberg compensators" are used to explain how [[{{Teleportation}} transporters]] work in spite of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle.
** Someone asked ''Star Trek'' scientific advisor Michael Okuda how the Heisenberg compensators worked. He replied, "[[MathematiciansAnswer They work very well, thank you]]."
** In the episode "Operation Annihilate," a RedShirt stares at [[SpecialEffectsFailure the mutant alien brain cells killer pancakes]] and cries "They don't even look real!" Took the words right out of my mouth, honey.
* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'':
** In "Samaritan Snare", Worf asks Riker why they are sending the chief engineer, Geordi, without guard, to fix a simple problem, to which Riker says there is nothing to worry about. Of course as we know, [[spoiler:Geordi gets captured and held for "ransom". In fact, it is the sending of such an important officer over in the first place that allows him to be captured]].
** In "Fistful of Datas", Jean-luc Picard, who is portrayed of course by Sir Creator/PatrickStewart, a highly acclaimed and beloved actor, and well trained in both film and stage drama, declines an invitation by Beverly Crusher to be a part of an Enterprise play on the reason that he is "not much of an actor."
* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'':
** In "Trials and Tribble-ations", members of Deep Space Nine go back in time and encounter the events of the original series episode "The Trouble with Tribbles".
*** When they are in the space station bar, Worf is asked why he looks different than the Klingons of that era, lampshading the [[SeriesContinuityError radical changes]] in Klingon appearance over the years. The [[WordOfGod writers said]] ''any'' answer -- along the lines of genetic engineering or viral mutations or environmental catastrophes -- would be trite and cheesy to the audience, who would know the changes were solely as a result of improved budgets across the shows, so they decided to lampshade the issue with humour. The characters themselves debate the scenarios the writing staff had discarded as trite, until Worf shuts the lid on the discussion by growling out that Klingons "don't talk about it with outsiders".\\

*** At one point in the original episode, Kirk is half-buried in an avalanche of tribbles. The scene is concluded while he stands there with occasional tribbles still falling on him. It's [[SpecialEffectsFailure obvious]] that these tribbles are actually being dropped on him by someone above. In the ''Deep Space Nine'' version we see that this is because [[spoiler:Sisko and Jadzia are desperately searching for the fake tribble containing the bomb]].
** In one episode Rom tries to point out the inconsistencies of the Mirror Universe, such as how there doesn't seem to be any difference between their Chief O'Brien and his Mirrorverse counterpart, and gree worms aren't poisonous in either universe. Quark tells him to shut up.
** The episode "The Way of the Warrior" lampshades The Next Generation. Worf reminisces about their victory over the Borg at Wolf 359, saying "We were like warriors from the ancient sagas; there was nothing we could not do," to which O'Brien rejoins, "Except keep the holodecks working right!"
* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'':
** In "Deadlock", Harry tries to talk about how confusing it is that his [[spoiler:real self just died and now his duplicate (created by a NegativeSpaceWedgie) has taken his place.]] Janeway cuts him off, telling him to accept that when you're in Starfleet 'weird is part of the job."
** "Shattered" had Janeway from first season time travel into the current season, with different segments of the ship taking place at different times during the series. Naturally, each segment just ''had'' to be a time during one of their many adventures in the Delta Quadrant.
-->'''Janeway''': It sounds like it's going to be one disaster after another on this ship.
*** More to the point, the disasters were clearly observable. As Chakotay later points out, most of the positives that took place on ''Voyager'' were the kinds of things you couldn't observe in the "snapshot in time" view she was getting.
** In the later seasons, they actively poked fun at several of their own mistakes and repeated lines, such as the trouble with finding deuterium or [[CaptainEthnic Chakotay]]'s "my people used to call [traditional thing] a 'words'":
-->'''Paris''': Why would anyone steal deuterium? You can find it anywhere.\\
'''Chakotay''': It's a thing my people used to call "a monkey wrench".
* ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'':
** During the episode "Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad":
-->'''Harry Mudd''': There really are so many ways to blow up this ship. It's almost a design flaw.
** In the Season Two premiere episode, "Brother", shortly after Captain Pike beams over with two of his officers, Michael Burnham is a bit disappointed that Spock is not one of the officers with him. Pike says "Sometimes it's wise to keep our expectations low, Commander. That way we're never disappointed." This could be a bit of a [[DoubleMeaning hint at the audience]] as Discovery has been divisive among the Star Trek fanbase.

** Towards the end of the series, Jordan also lists all the things that tv dramas do to boost sagging ratings -- a difficult birth where the mother's life is in danger, an unanswered marriage proposal, characters in danger of losing their lives/jobs/loved ones, etc., etc. - every single item on her list is currently occurring in the storyline, in a massive TakeThat from Creator/AaronSorkin, since by this point the show was already cancelled. It works, though - even after the shameless manipulation of it is pointed out, you still care what happens...

** The Season 2 episode "Hollywood Babylon" mocked several of the show's flaws/deliberate stylistic choices, including this exchange between an actress and two Hollywood producers:

** In the Season 2 episode "Heart", Madison comments that the [[CoolCar Impala]] is a pretty conspicuous car to have for a stakeout.
** The Season 4 episode "The Monster at the End of this Book", in which a "prophet" is discovered to have been writing stories about the brothers' adventures, is dizzyingly self-referential. While most of the gags poke fun at the writers and fans, several major Lampshade Hangings occur:
*** Chuck the prophet specifically mentions "Bugs" and "Red Sky at Morning" -- two real episodes that the show's fan community generally rates as the series' worst -- apologizing to Sam and Dean for being "forced to live bad writing... if I would have known it was real, I would have done another pass."

** In "Changing Channels", the Trickster [[spoiler: (aka Gabriel)]] says that he wishes they were in a TV show, complete with easy answers and simple endings. Later, Dean says something to the same effect.

** When Supernatural was still airing on Thursdays, Crowley mentions that if they don't do something soon, the entire town will be overrun with zombies "by this time next Thursday." Castiel also happens to be an "angel of Thursday."
** In the sixth season episode, "The French Mistake". Sam and Dean get sent into an alternate reality where they find themselves inserted into the lives of their actors in what is a close approximation of the real world. The rest of the episode from there is basically one continuous string of lampshades being hung over the real lives of the two lead actors and the series itself.

'''Dean''': Is that in the show?\\
'''Marie''': No, Rebecca and Kristen are a couple in real life. Although we do explore the nature of [[FanPreferredCouple Destiel]] in it too …\\
'''Dean''': I'm sorry, what?\\
'''Marie''': It's just subtext. But the again you can't spell "subtext" without S-E-X...\\

* On ''Series/TeenWolf'', courtesy of Kate Argent, who does not approve of her stooge's lame jokes.

* In the season 6 ''Series/TheXFiles'' episode ''Field Trip'', Scully asks Mulder if he cannot for once come up with a scientific explanation for a mystery. To which Mulder replies that, although she tells him again and again that he is "off [his] nut", he has almost always been right -- alluding to the almost comical amount of skepticism Scully still displays in every episode, despite having witnessed numerous inexplicable events by now.

* The first season finale for ''Series/{{SheHulkAttorneyAtLaw}}'' uses a [[BreakingTheFourthWall 4th wall break]] in which the main character marvels at how poorly written the climax is, asks the audience whether this is the kind of story they want, and then tracks down the writers and berates them, then tracks down the show's producer and asks for it to be changed.

* The first season finale for ''Series/{{She-Hulk: Attorney at Law}}'' uses a [[BreakingTheFourthWall 4th wall break]] in which the main character marvels at how poorly written the climax is, asks the audience whether this is the kind of story they want, and then tracks down the writers and berates them, then tracks down the show's producer and asks for it to be changed.

** In a recent episode, Sue tells Will "You haven't had a good idea since Madonna week." which could be interpreted as a dig at the lazy writing the show is steadily becoming known for.

* In nearly every episode of the 1970's show ''Isis'', somebody points out to Andrea (Isis's mundane identity) that she misses Isis every time.

* In the ''Series/NewsRadio'' episode "Stocks", Jimmy James gives Beth a stock ticker and then says, "It's just like television, except without all those people doing stupid things to a fake laugh track."
** In the episode ''Kids'' Jimmy James is given a [[FiveFiveFive 555 phone number]] by a potential date, only to read the number after she's gone and proclaim, "Wait a minute, 555...that's one of those fake TV numbers!"

** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E7TheUnicornAndTheWasp "The Unicorn and the Wasp"]], the Creator/AgathaChristie episode, Donna notices immediately, saying "There's a murder, a mystery, and Creator/AgathaChristie. That's like meeting Creator/CharlesDickens, [[Literature/AChristmasCarol and he's surounded by ghosts]], at ''Christmas''!", which had happened in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E3TheUnquietDead "The Unquiet Dead"]]. The Doctor, hilariously, looks guilty and goes "''Well...''"

--->'''Sheldon:''' [wincing] I asked you not to.

* ''Series/CriminalMinds''
** In "The Fisher King" (Part 1), when the team sets up a sundial in a crime scene with a spotlight set to find a hidden spot on a wall, Elle says "What is this? An Indiana Jones movie?"
* The ''Series/{{CSI}}'' episode of 2008-05-08, "Two and a Half Deaths," was one long series of lampshades being hung.
** Which is no surprise, considering that the writers of ''Two and a Half Men'' were doing the episode. The ''Series/TwoAndAHalfMen'' episode that week was also full of lampshade hangings, a result of the ''CSI'' guys doing that episode.

-->'''Flack:''' Hey, Sid, how come they only ever call you out for the really strange ones?
-->'''Sid:''' They...didn't call me. But, uh, this was one I was not going to miss.

-->'''Jo:''' I think your cake is done.
-->'''Sheldon:''' Then let's hope it'll be the icing on the case.
--> Danny and Lindsay moan, make faces, say "Ew" and such.
-->'''Jo:''' [off camera, as Sheldon grins] I dunno, I kinda liked that one.

* The ''Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent'' episode "Icarus" is clearly inspired by the almost-disastrous Broadway production "Spiderman: Turn off the Dark." The fact that the fictional musical "Icarus" and "Spiderman" are so similar behind the scenes was lampshaded when Goren specifically mentioned Julie Taymor, Spiderman's ousted director.

** As early as 1968's [[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E6FuryFromTheDeep "Fury from the Deep"]], when the Doctor, Victoria, and Jamie land on Earth in England yet again, Victoria points out that they're always landing on Earth — while Jamie points out it's always in England. This happens again during 2005's first season of the revived series, which had not yet had any stories set beyond Earth and its immediate satellites — at the beginning of [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E9TheEmptyChild "The Empty Child"]], the Doctor says to Rose, "Know how long you can knock around space without happening to bump into Earth?" Rose responds, "Five days. Or is that just when we're out of milk?"

[[folder:A]] In the opening episode Marvel's ''Series/{{AgentsOfSHIELD}}'' a swordfish is found atop a bottle near a bootlegger in 1931. This reminds [[spoiler: LMD]] Coulson of a speakeasy near a future SHIELD safehouse and that 'Swordfish' is the password. Enroute to the speakeasy it is mentioned that ''Film/Horsefeathers'', from which '[[ThePasswordIsAlwaysSwordfish]]' sprung wouldn't be released until the following year.

** WordofGod from the original staff on the matter, Hibiki was not meant to be a mass-merchandising cash-cow For Bandai and Toei like others Series of its kind infrequently are where it's mostly-focused on telling interesting stories that'll engage people with only a minoirty of attention paid to making toysales so the production could maintain funding...like most film and television actually is. Hibiki in particular was trying to work to rebuild the audience for the franchise that had been lost in prior years from bad storytelling caused by the mismanagement of the property by Toei, in particular Producer Shinichiro Shirakura, so they could make the NEXT series have a lot of tie-in merch after the viewers came back. But Toei got impatient, thus compromises were made until the entire staff got booted when Shirakura offered Toei's higher ups what they wanted with no strings if they handed the show back to him. Before he took over and booted the prior staff though, Hibiki had many examples of throwing shade at the executives in this manner.

* Practically the entire series finale of ''Series/TwoAndAHalfMen'' is just one giant series of lampshade hangings, as well as some massive fourth wall [[LeaningontheFourthWall leaning]] and topped off with some literal [[BreakingtheFourthWall breaking]]. After it is discovered that [[spoiler:Charlie is still alive and the main characters believe he is out for revenge against Alan and Walden,]] the pair consult a police investigator (played by [[Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger Arnold]] [[TheCameo Schwarzenegger]]) and relate to him the entire story of their 12-year-run escapades, where he as well as they admit that whatever they have been doing has gone on far too long and needs to just end already. [[BackfortheFinale After Jake briefly returns]] to tell them he turned the $250,000 Charlie willed him into $2.5 million just by continually betting on "come" while playing Craps, Alan and Walden [[ContinuityCavalcade call many of their past girlfriends]] to tell them goodbye, only to believe the investigator arrested Charlie, instead having mistaken Creator/ChristianSlater for him due to their similar playboy antics. Finally, Charlie returns to their front door to confront them in person [[spoiler: only to be immediately killed by a [[MakesJustasMuchSenseinContext piano being suspended by a helicopter]].]] Finally, the camera pans out to show the set and creator Chuck Lorre, who turns to the camera and says "Winning," [[spoiler:[[DeathbyCameo only to be crushed by a falling piano himself]].]]

-->'''Berg:''' again with the well-timed lightning!

** And in a later flashback episode (Debate Camp Season4, Ep05) showing their fifth day in the West Wing, they can't find their offices and they end up meeting on the move.

* In ''Series/wtFOCK'' (the Flemish remake of Norwegian ''Series/Skam'') Robbe jokes in one of the first clips that what's happening between Jana and Britt is a 'high school drama', with which the creators show they're aware they're using tropes common in this genre (to which wtFOCK might be counted).

*** In "A Matter of Time", after throwing around a lot of information about black holes and how they are affecting the wormhole, Carter literally says, "according to everything I thought I knew about relativity, that is just not possible." Astrophysicist Dr. Becky Smethurst mentions this on her YouTube review of the episode.

** Recurring character [[Characters/DoctorWhoBrigadierLethbridgeStewart Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart]] complains in 1975's [[Recap/DoctorWhoS12E1Robot "Robot"]], after seven years of his generally [[MilitariesAreUseless ineffectual military]] force UNIT trying and failing to subdue off-world invaders with FiveRoundsRapid, "You know, just once I'd like to meet an alien menace that ''wasn't'' ImmuneToBullets!" He finally got his wish before the year was out, in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS13E1TerrorOfTheZygons "Terror of the Zygons"]]. A pity they didn't lampshade it then, too.

[[folder:A]] In the opening episode Marvel's ''Series/{{AgentsOfSHIELD}}'' a swordfish is found atop a bottle near a bootlegger in 1931. This reminds [[spoiler]] LMD [[/spoiler]] Coulson of a speakeasy near a future SHIELD safehouse and that 'Swordfish' is the password. Enroute to the speakeasy it is mentioned that ''Film/Horsefeathers'', from which '[[ThePasswordIsAlwaysSwordfish]]' sprung wouldn't be released until the following year.

* In an episode of ''Series/TheNanny'', C.C, played by the then very pregnant Lauren Lane brings up an episode of ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' where writers obviously hid [[Creator/JuliaLouisDreyfus Julia Louis-Dreyfus]]' pregnancy behind large props, while Lane move a giant purse and a potted plant that "needed watering". Later in the episode, she used a giant sign that read "BABY".

** ItsASmallWorldAfterAll: Throughout the series, the gang bumps into Janice (Maggie Wheeler) often. In her final apperance, near the end of the series, Janice makes a cameo in the neighbouring house of the one Monica and Chandler are buying. Chandler lampshades the unlikelihood of bumping into her every now and then.

** The show they were watching was ''Roseanne'' and the characters on ''Game On'' were specifically referring to Roseanne's daughter Becky having been recast. This is notable because when Sarah Chalke replaced Lecy Goranson as Becky on Roseanne, Roseanne had the exact same gag.

* The title hero in ''Series/KamenRiderHibiki'' receives his first major SuperMode near the midpoint of the series. The in-universe reasoning behind needing the power-up is that monsters get stronger during the summer months, and Hibiki wants to be able to save time by blowing them up in one hit. Replace "Hibiki" with "the producers" and you have one of the out-of-universe reasons this is done in ''every'' season of ''Franchise/KamenRider'' (the other reason being [[MerchandiseDriven toy sales]]).

* ''Series/Dawson'sCreek'':
** Jen, referring to Dawson and Joey's on-again/off-again friendship: "Aww, isn't that cute. Kevin and Winnie have taken their first step back toward the Wonder Years."

** When Spike is being taunted by the First Evil at the end of the season seven premiere who is taking the forms of the show's previous Big Bads, it notably takes the form of the Big Bad of season one, The Master, when it tells him, right back to the beginning.

* In the third episode of season 2 of ''Series/TheMandalorian'', Mando, Cara, Greef and Mythrol—their landspeeder driver—enter an Imperial base to destroy it. As they enter through the garage, Mythrol points at an armored speeder under a tarp and says: "Look, it's a mint Trexler Marauder!" Nice job hanging that lampshade on ChekhovsGun, Mythrol. (Yes, they later use it to escape with.)