History Main / OpenTheDoorAndSeeAllThePeople

The trope name comes from the second line of the NurseryRhyme "Here's The Church, Here's The Steeple".

* In an early episode of the Disney revamp of ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'', Doug discovered that his new middle school (which had been constructed over the summer) wasn't quite finished as he went into a bathroom stall and began to unzip only to find that he was now standing on stage in the school auditorium filled with kids. When he pointed this out to a construction worker, the construction worker merely replied, [[CatchPhrase "We're working on it."]]

* This happens to ''Series/{{Frasier}}'' when he retreats to his cabin in the woods to lick his wounds after another failed relationship. Berated by his three ex-wives [[OedipusComplex and his mother]] he attempts to flee, opening the front door to be confronted by every woman he's ever dated. [[spoiler:He's the only person actually there. All the women are manifestations of his subconscious. Or something]].

* In ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}'', one of the delinquents walks into the buffet cart armed with a knife and demands nobody move. At the same time, representatives from the two groups of mobsters turn up with guns, ordering the diners to put up their hands and get on the ground, respectively.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'': When Shrek finds various fairy-tale creatures invading his house and tries to throw them out, he opens his door to find a whole swarm of them having set up camp in his swamp after being exiled there by Lord Farquaad.

The scene where someone innocently opens the front door (frequently [[NakedFirstImpression naked]], or [[FullyClothedNudity wearing boxers or something]]) and there's a [[TorchesAndPitchforks raging]] / [[GroupieBrigade screaming]] / [[EstrogenBrigade lusting]] / [[{{Paparazzi}} photographing]] mob on the other side. Often the intruder then slams the door and looks around with shock.

* A [[Comicbook/MonicasGang Bug-a-Boooo]]'' story had some reporters wanting scoop on the "Music/{{Paul|McCartney}} [[UsefulNotes/ConspiracyTheories Is Dead]]" going to [[DontFearTheReaper Lady McDeath's]] house. [[http://www.laifi.com/usuario/10050/laifi/42300432_10050_40152108_3694.jpg Her reaction to their arrival]]: [[WaxingLyrical "Hello!" "Goodbye!"]]

* ''Film/StTrinians'', near the end. Reporters are at the school and Colin Firth's character stands nude at the window of the headmistress' room.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'', once Esmeralda finds herself on the run from Frollo, she takes refuge inside the titular cathedral. When she thinks it's safe to leave, she opens the door to find soldiers waiting for her (with the commander even revealing Frollo has ordered guards to be at every door), and slams it to avoid being detected.

* This happens to ''Series/{{Frasier}}'' when he retreats to his cabin in the woods to lick his wounds after another failed relationship. Berated by his three ex-wives [[OedipusComplex and his mother]] he attempts to flee, opening the front door to be confronted by every woman he's ever dated.[[spoiler:He's the only person actually there. All the women are manifestations of his subconscious. Or something]].
** It also happens to Frasier when he turns up to work on his birthday, walks into the broadcast studio, and bemoans his most recent romantic humiliation to Ros - in great and excoriating detail - adding snippets like having gone without sex for seven months. Ros tries to calm him down, but when he makes a snarky crack about ''her'' sex life, she smiles and gets him to talk more about his woes. Just as he is complaining about the last sex he had being with the rather dumpy unappealing woman from Accounts, Ros shouts "SURPRISE!" and twenty of their workmates - who have heard every word - leap up to wish him a happy birthday.

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* In one ''ComicBook/ThePunisherMAX'' story, a CorruptCorporateExecutive is told that there's a bunch of journalists waiting outside the building. So he goes to meet them, reasoning that there's NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity, unaware that his plan to cause random power outages in Florida to keep electricity provided by his company at a premium was leaked to the press. The next panel has him running like hell from the baying mob.

* In the ''FanFic/FacingTheFutureSeries'', after Jack accidentally [[BigBlackout blacked out half of Amity Park]], he was greeted by an angry mob on the front stoop, which according to him, is a common occurrence.

* At the end of ''WesternAnimation/TheSwordInTheStone'', [[{{Cincinnatus}} after inadvertently being crowned king by virtue of pulling out the title blade]], [[Myth/KingArthur Wart]] is sitting alone in the throne room of a castle, feeling way out of his depth. So he decides to just run away, however there's no escape because outside each door he opens are huge crowds chanting "Hail King Arthur!" and "Long live the king!", [[GaleForceSound blowing him back like a hurricane.]]

-->'''Donkey:''' Hey, don't look at me. I didn't invite them.
-->'''Pinocchio:''' Well, gosh, none of us were "invited". We were ''forced'' to come here.

* ''Film/MontyPythonsLifeOfBrian'' does it with MaleFrontalNudity, courtesy of Graham Chapman. The crowd of locals they got to fill in as the crowd is audibly shocked when they first see him.

* ''Franchise/StarWars Episode IV: Film/ANewHope''. Han Solo running toward the room-fulla-stormtroopers (but only in the Special Edition).
* ''Film/StTrinians'', near the end. Reporters are at the school and Colin Firth's character stands nude at the window of the headmistress' room.

* This happens to the GeneralRipper from ''Film/DayOfTheDead1985''. Except it's [[TheUndead Zombies]].
* Happens when Nick rides the elevator through Madison Square Garden during the baby-Zilla outbreak in ''Film/{{Godzilla 1998}}''. It opens on a random floor to reveal three of the monsters rifling through popcorn before stopping to stare at Nick hungrily. Nick deadpans "Wrong floor" and quickly shuts the doors again.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. Buffy does an entirely deadpan version in "Once More With Feeling". The Scoobies have started to [[MusicalEpisode break into song at random intervals]] and wonder if they're the specific target or the entire town is involved. Buffy opens the door to find an enthusiastic CrowdSong taking place outside.
-->'''Buffy:''' ''(Closing door)'' It's not just us.

* ''Webcomic/RichsComixBlog'': When Paulus, a wealthy Roman citizen, decides that he's tired of being a bachelor, he has one of his servants put up a personal ad in the Forum. [[http://comics.shipsinker.com/?id=139 It gets rather more of a response than he expected.]]

* In an early episode of the Disney revamp of ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'', Doug discovered that his new middle school (which had been constructed over the summer) wasn't quite finished as he went into a bathroom stall and began to unzip only to find that he was now standing on stage in the school auditorium filled with kids. When he pointed this out to a construction worker, the construction worker merely replied, [[CatchPhrase "We're working on it."]]
* The ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode "Boys Do Cry" has the Griffins finding a large mob on their lawn after Stewie is mistaken for being possessed.

* ''WesternAnimation/FairlyOddParents'' episode "Fairly Odd Baby" had Timmy finishing a shower to find out all his fairy friends are in the bathroom getting ready for Cosmo and Wanda's baby shower (which the latter is apparently semi-literal).
* Parodied on ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'': In one episode, [[ButtMonkey Stumpy]] opens the door and finds a huge mob of people who throw stuff at him... for no particular reason. He then asks why all those people are outside his door.

* The ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode "Boys Do Cry" has the Griffins finding a large mob on their lawn after Stewie is mistaken for being possessed (this is one of ''[[AuthorTract those]]'' episodes, people!).

--->'''Ned:''' Well, how dilly-doodily, neighbors. Shouldn't you be in your shelter-inis by now?

** The episode where Homer has been accused of sexual harassment.
** The episode featuring [[Series/TheXFiles Mulder and Scully]]. Immediately after Lisa argues that the townspeople aren't going to take three seconds of blurry video as proof that Homer met an alien, Homer opens the door to find half the town on his lawn.
** In the first episode with Dr. Nick, his meeting with the Simpsons (prior to performing heart surgery on Homer) ends with him opening the door to find a crowd of reporters waiting for him, demanding to know "What did you do with the bodies?!"
-->'''Dr. Nick:''' "You know, it's such a nice day that I think I'll leave through the window."