History Main / CaptivityHarmonica

* ''Series/MidsomerMurders'': A flashback in "Death in a Chocolate Box" to when the second VictimOfTheWeek was in prison shows him playing the harmonica. When his new probation officer (the first VictimOfTheWeek) enters, he pays a mocking note.

Often TruthInTelevision, as harmonicas are among the few musical instruments to find their way in from "outside", either smuggled in as contraband or simply allowed in by the guards. And when you have ''that'' much empty time, you may as well learn to play it, and learn to play it well.

** At the start of "D'Fightin' Ones."

* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'': At the start of "D'Fightin' Ones."

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* ''Series/{{Farscape}}'': In the episode "Different Destinations", our heroes find themselves under siege and 'Harvey', the neural-clone of Scorpius trapped in Crichton's mind, whips out a harmonica and plays "Home on the Range".
-->'''Harvey:''' ''(after he's finished playing)'' Aaaahhh John! If this situation hadn't reminded you of all those old westerns you watched as a youth, I never would have heard that!

** In the episode ''Film/FutureWar'', when the hero and heroine are hiding out in a boxcar, Mike and the bots riff "Well, I suppose one of us has to play harmonica".
** In a scene cut from TheMovie, the crew is forced to go into a shelter as the Satellite of Love passes through a meteor shower. As a harmonica plays, the camera pans over Mike checking on Gypsy, Servo hoarding canned food, and...[[LeftTheBackgroundMusicOn Crow playing the harmonica]].
* [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in the ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' "Frame-Up". [=DiNozzo=] is framed for murdering a woman and is held by the FBI because all signs seem to be pointing to him. [=DiNozzo=]'s typical target for jokes, [=McGee=], strolls past the jail cell playing harmonica, then gives it to [=DiNozzo=] as a "present".
* ''Series/TheOuterLimits1995'': There is a variation in "Small Friends" in which Lawrence plays a saxophone.

---> '''Les''': I just forgot--[[BearsAreBadNews polar bears]] [[OhCrap are attracted to strange noises]].

** In "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS2E62ShadowPlay Shadow Play]]", Coley, one of Adam Grant's fellow prisoners, plays a harmonica in his dream about being on DeathRow. Grant acknowledges that it is a trope, saying that he got Coley and his harmonica from a bad movie that he saw once.
** In "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS3E95HocusPocusAndFrisby Hocus-Pocus and Frisby]]", Somerset Frisby plays his harmonica after being [[AlienAbduction abducted by aliens]]. [[spoiler: [[BrownNote The sound causes them extreme pain]] and they are forced to release him.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'': [[spoiler: Manfredi]] plays on one when [[spoiler: is revealed, that he and Johnson are real and alive but captured in Seaville]].

Often TruthInTelevision, as harmonicas are among the few musical instruments to find their way in from "outside", either smuggled in as contraband or simply allowed in by the guards. And when you have ''that'' much empty time, you may as well learn to play it, and learn to play it good.

* Occurs in ''WesternAnimation/JimmyNeutron'': After being thrown into the brig by the Junkman, Sheen does this.

-->-- ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, [[color:blue:Blue]] Fish"

[[caption-width-right:350:Nobody knows the trouble I seen. Except for this little beauty.]]

* ''Film/SuperMarioBros'': During the brief scene when the Mario Bros and Toad are in prison, Toad is playing one and singing a song about how's in jail with the plumbers. He stops when he [[LeastRhymableWord can't think of a word that rhymes with dimension]].