History Main / DeathNotification

* ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'', lampshading TheJoysOfTorturingMooks present in ''Franchise/StarWars: VideoGame/TheForceUnleashed'', in [[http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2008/08/20 this strip]].
* ''Webcomic/SaturdayMorningBreakfastCereal'' subverts this with "I'm afraid I'm the bearer of some bad news. [[http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=1200#comic Your husband is a hat]]."

* The PSA [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X_XY-vWzKs "Every Three Hours"]] from States United to End Gun Violence shows viewers how an ER doctor prepares to do this. The thoughts that race through her mind during her preparations are based on the New York Times Op-Ed [[https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/04/opinion/sunday/how-to-tell-a-mother-her-child-is-dead.html "How to Tell a Mother Her Child is Dead"]].

** One episode has Radar writing a heartwrenching letter for Colonel Potter to send to a deceased ambulance driver's folks. Made worse because before he knew the man was dead Potter was going to berate him for injuring patients with his careless driving.
** When Hawkeye is declared LegallyDead by the army, his father is notified by telegram. Because of other machinations, like his mail being stopped and a visiting politician, he couldn't even contact his father to tell him the mistake.

* In the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode ''[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS7E17EyeOfTheBeholder Eye of the Beholder]]'' Captain Picard remarks that over his long Starfleet career he has had to tell many family members that their loved ones have died, but prior to the events of the episode never from suicide. Picard then tells his officers that he would like to give the deceased officer's parents a reason why their son committed suicide.

* On Series/{{ER}}, after Gallant has been killed in Iraq, two military police show up at the hospital, looking for his wife, Neela. The minute he lays eyes on them, it's obvious that the desk clerk, a veteran himself, knows what they're going to tell her.

* ''Film/ALeagueOfTheirOwn'': One of the girls gets a telegram telling her that her husband was killed in action. The man delivering the telegram [[WhatAnIdiot somehow didn't realize]] that he never bothered to find out ''which'' woman on the team was supposed to receive the letter, causing much dread on the teams part. When he says he has to go back to the office and check, Jimmy takes the telegram and throws him out of the clubhouse.

* The 2009 movie ''Film/TheMessenger'' focuses on the men who deliver the notices.

* ''VideoGame/DiscoElysium'' has a SideQuest that ends in The Detective having to deliver one of these [[spoiler:to the widow of a man who died in an accident, whose corpse you can chance upon during your investigation]]. Whether you succeed or not (it's a fairly difficult Empathy check, made easier the more you've discovered during the investigation), it's one of the most heart-breaking moments of the game both in-universe and out. Even HypercompetentSidekick Kim is of limited help, and comments that he's bad at handling death notifications.

* ''VideoGame/DiscoElysium'' has a SideQuest that ends in The Detective having to deliver one of these [[spoiler:for the widow of a man who died in an accident, whose corpse you can find during your investigation]]. Whether you succeed or not (it's a fairly difficult Empathy check, made easier the more you've discovered during the investigation), it's one of the most heart-breaking moments of the game both in-universe and out. Even HypercompetentSidekick Kim is of limited help, and comments that he's bad at handling death notifications.

* ''Film/AcrossTheUniverse'': Right after Lucy finishes singing about how her boyfriend (in the Army) will be [[TemptingFate coming home to visit soon.]]

* [[PlayedForLaughs Lampooned extensively for a gag]] in the ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' episode "Wife Insurance". Stan gets kidnapped during a mission in Columbia, his wife Francine is met with a man at their front door carrying a pair of boots and an American flag... [[SubvertedTrope who's from Langley Boot and Flag Cleaning]]. [[DoubleSuversion But then she's approached by Bullock, Stan's superior at the CIA, who brings bad news]]: [[NotSoDire his car broke down nearby and needs help for its warranty]]. ''[[SerialEscalation Then]]'' he brings in a priest, who brings further bad news: [[OverlyLongGag he was caught having sex with a man and is being excommunicated]]. Eventually Bullock informs Francine that Stan is MIA, which is still devastating news, but fortunately, he escapes and returns home no worse for wear.

* Several ''Literature/DoctorWhoTheMissingAdventures'' novels set during the UNIT era have Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart reflecting that the worst part of the job is writing to the parents of soldiers killed by the MonsterOfTheWeek, and not even being able to tell them what actually ''happened''.

* Franchise/StarTrekNovelVerse: Apparently Starfleet has a Casualty Notification Office to inform family members when someone is killed in the line of duty. Captain Kirk, though, still feels it appropriate that he should also send a personal letter when one of his crew dies.

Whenever a movie shows the folks at home while there is a war going on, you are very likely to see this: A pair of military personnel, in dress uniform, approaching the home of the soldier's family. The family will almost always know [[HeDidntMakeIt what this means.]]

* ''Film/BigFish'' has one, when the main character is sent on a suicide mission and doesn't return. We know he's alive, but his wife doesn't. Of course, the son he tells this story to assumes it's another one of his dad's tall tales. [[spoiler:it isn't.]]

** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] again [[spoiler: in the film's climax, when a car with two men in uniform stop in front of Julia's house... and one of them is Hal Moore, home from the war.]]

* The 1952 ''What's It Like Out There'' by Creator/EdmondHamilton was a deconstruction of the heroic SpaceOpera he helped create. The SoleSurvivor of a Mars expedition goes around to the families of his crew, but ends up whitewashing the truth about how they died.

* In ''Series/GameOfThrones'', ravens are usually used to send messages throughout the Westeros, and people have saying to them "dark wings, dark words" which includes the death of nobles. Winterfell receives a raven informing Ned Starks execution, and everyone in Westeros receives word of [[spoiler: King Joffreys death.]].
* The DreamSequence[=/=]ImagineSpot in the [[MilestoneCelebration 200th episode]] ("Life Before His Eyes") of ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' has Gibbs pose the question "What would have happened if my wife and daughter had not been killed?" The ghost of Mike Franks shows him--Shannon and Kelly waiting for Gibbs to return home, until a cadre of marines appear at their front door...

* In ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats2011'' Prodigal general Grune, arriving home from a years'-long search for an AncientArtifact, delivers word of his comrade Panthro's loss to mutual friend King Claudus, while handing over one of the former's [[TragicKeepsake nunchucks]]. The details are [[HalfTruth suspiciously]] vague, not to spare Claudus emotionally, but to hide Grune's betrayal and defection to BigBad Mumm-Ra until their invasion forces are marshalled.

* During one of the dogfights in ''Film/TopGun'', Goose cracks a joke about this after Viper "kills" them.
--> '''Goose:''' The defense department regrets to inform you that your sons are dead because they were ''stupid''.

* Variations on this trope turn up from time to time in Series/{{Mash}}, although we don't usually get to see the news delivered.