History MundaneUtility / LiveActionTV

** [[Recap/DoctorWho2013CSTheTimeOfTheDoctor "The Time of the Doctor"]]: The Doctor complains about Clara using the dimension-shattering power of the TARDIS to deal with things like forgetting someone's birthday and not knowing how to use iPlayer.

* One episode of ''Series/{{House}}'' had House using a highly advanced and very expensive surgical robot to... cut a button on Cameron's blouse, make a very shallow incision on her face and blow air on her. It is a demo of the machine's precision, after all. Not that she isn't a little aroused...

* As can be expected, Barry in ''Series/TheFlash2014'' learns to use his SuperSpeed for pretty much anything. This annoys Wells a bit, since Barry is not using the ability to stop other meta-humans or train his speed. While Joe is normally okay with Barry using his speed to get things done faster (although, technically, from Barry's perspective, they take exactly as much time as they normally would), except when they are decorating a Christmas tree. When Barry does this in about a second, Joe makes him undo it all and do it properly. When preparing for a date, Barry uses his speed to quickly try on dozens of different outfits. He can also avoid standing in line at a coffee shop by making everyone's drinks, including his own, in half a second. When wanting to take a picture with Wells, Cisco, and Caitlin, he presses the button on the camera, quickly runs around the desk to the others, then runs back to keep the camera from falling. The shutter speed is apparently fast enough to avoid a blur on the picture.

* ''Series/Daredevil2015'': Benjamin "Dex" Poindexter honed the killer aim that makes him a formidable assassin for Wilson Fisk as a childhood to be an expert pitcher on his childhood Little League team.

* ''Series/BreakingBad'': In "Sunset", chemist-turned-methamphetamine-maker Walt goes to work in Gus Fring's lab. On his first day, he finds his new assistant Gale Boetticher, also an expert chemist, using his sophisticated knowledge and equipment to make really, REALLY good coffee. Walt's reaction upon tasting: "This stuff is amazing -- why are we making meth?"

*** Carmen the psychic uses her powers to win £ 10 at the lottery each and every week.

** Occasionally, D'Argo uses his extendable tongue for things besides stunning people: snatching up small objects in a hurry, or hanging from precipices- though this takes "a lot of plactith," according to D'Argo.

** In the episode "Taking the Stone", the hedonistic tribe has a habit of using looted alien tech for recreation, entertainment and even ritual. One prominent example is the sonic net- essentially a voice-activated safety net used for aerial training exercises- recycled by the tribe for [[SuicideIsPainless Taking The Stone]].

* The title character of ''Series/{{Merlin}}'' often uses his magic to do household chores, to the great distress of his mentor figure (magic is illegal in Camelot, and anyone caught using or even knowing magic is put to death).

* Despite the fact that the ''Series/{{Charmed}}'' witches are explicitly not supposed to use their powers "for personal gain", they frequently seem to find loopholes in this stricture large enough to do things like turning off boiling-over pots, stopping their favorite employees from being fired, and so on.

April 18th: Shriner's Convention.

** The ''Literature/EighthDoctorAdventures'' novels take this to a whole new level of uselessness and silliness. The ship described previously, you see, is BiggerOnTheInside. There are a lot of uses for that kind of technology, but one wants to know when it started to seem to recurring antagonist Sabbath that fashioning a PaperThinDisguise by way of making himself appear somewhat slimmer seemed like a good use of the alien technology of extinct HigherTechSpecies. Way to go, man, you just created Time Lord foundation garments, and I'm sure tons of ''zaftig'' Time Ladies would be really grateful if the Doctor hadn't [[WhereIWasBornAndRazed killed them all]]. Bizarrely, the Doctor is actually almost fooled by a disguise whose effects could be replicated by exercise and healthy eating.

** Also, the Doctor is able to pull all sorts of things out of their pockets as needed because ''they're'' bigger on the inside.

** In the episode "Taking the Stone," the hedonistic tribe has a habit of using looted alien tech for recreation, entertainment and even ritual. One prominent example is the sonic net- essentially a voice-activated safety net used for aerial training exercises- recycled by the tribe for [[SuicideIsPainless Taking The Stone]].

* The world of ''Creator/GeneRoddenberry's Series/{{Andromeda}}'' includes such wonders as {{Nanomachines}} and they're available to pretty much everyone. How does maverick captain Beka Valentine use hers? [[HairColors Instant hair dye.]]
** [[spoiler: And blackmail.]]

** In another episode, after a particularly bad fight with Penny, Leonard takes out his frustration on his action figures...by putting them in the path of a high powered laser beam and melting them!
** In yet another episode, though it may not have ever ended up happening, the guys make great use of their intelligence while helping Penny make penny blossoms...by planning to install bluetooth to help appeal to more men.
** Howard brings a prototype robotic arm he designed to show off to the guys by using it to pass out their Chinese take-out (although it took 28 minutes because he has to type the instructions). Later he has it giving him a massage, which gives him the idea to have it give him...[[ADateWithRosiePalms another type of massage]]. It doesn't end well.

* ''Series/TheBionicWoman''

** The Literature/EighthDoctorAdventures novels take this to a whole new level of uselessness and silliness. The ship described previously, you see, is BiggerOnTheInside. There are a lot of uses for that kind of technology, but one wants to know when it started to seem to recurring antagonist Sabbath that fashioning a PaperThinDisguise by way of making himself appear somewhat slimmer seemed like a good use of the alien technology of extinct HigherTechSpecies. Way to go, man, you just created Time Lord foundation garments, and I'm sure tons of ''zaftig'' Time Ladies would be really grateful if the Doctor hadn't [[WhereIWasBornAndRazed killed them all]]. Bizarrely, the Doctor is actually almost fooled by a disguise whose effects could be replicated by exercise and healthy eating.
** The Doctor complains about Clara using the dimension-shattering power of the TARDIS to deal with things like forgetting someone's birthday and not knowing how to use iPlayer.

* In the ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' episode featuring ''Film/{{Gunslinger}}'', Tom Servo reveals that he has a complex understanding of reality to become a RealityWarper and pull off OffscreenTeleportation. He just uses it to scared Crow.

---> '''Hammond:''' Colonel O'Neill, what the hell are you doing?\\

* In ''Series/{{Farscape}}'', Sikozu's radiation projection has been used not only to kill Scarrans but also to weld control panels and light candles.
** Jool's sonic scream is powerful enough to melt metal; naturally, she's used for welding when power goes out all over Moya.
** Moya's complex amnexus system is often used to clean the crew's dirty laundry.
** D'Argo once used his Qualta blade for blast fishing.
** Occasionally, D'Argo uses his extendable tongue for things besides stunning people: snatching up small objects in a hurry, or hanging from precipices- though this takes "a lot of plactith," according to D'Argo.
** Chiana and Jothee once got in trouble for apparently using "too much lootra oil" while cooking dinner: for those of you who haven't seen "Family Ties," lootra oil is a ''weapons-grade explosive.'' However, at the time, Chiana and Jothee weren't all that interested in cooking.
** When it's not being used to produce hallucinogens and poisons, Noranti's impressive knowledge of botany and chemistry (along with the associated hebarium) is being put to use in cooking.
** Once upon a time, Moya's [=DRDs=] were only used for repairing Moya, healing pilot and assaulting intruders: it all changed when Crichton taught one of them (that they inherited from a different Leviathan) to sing the 1812 overture...
** In the episode "Taking the Stone," the hedonistic tribe has a habit of using looted alien tech for recreation, entertainment and even ritual. One prominent example is the sonic net- essentially a voice-activated safety net used for aerial training exercises- recycled by the tribe for [[SuicideIsPainless Taking The Stone]].
** Scorpius' neural clone ([[NotSoImaginaryFriend Harvey]], originally created to collect and catalogue the wormhole information in Crichton's brain, is now used to bring some Crichton's funnier fantasies into the light. Harvey doesn't seem to mind all that much...
*** Suggested by Harvey but tragically never used:
--->'''Crichton:''' (About Scorpius) If he masters wormhole technology, what will he use it for?
--->'''Harvey:''' Faster delivery of pizzas.
* Ned in ''Series/PushingDaisies'' has the ability to bring dead things to life by touch, which he uses both to solve murders, and as a baker - he gets rotten fruit cheap and brings it back to life, ensuring that it will always be as fresh as possible.
* The title character of ''Series/{{Merlin}}'' often uses his magic to do household chores, to the great distress of his mentor figure (magic is illegal in Camelot, and anyone caught using or even knowing magic is put to death).
* Samantha in ''Series/{{Bewitched}}'' was sometimes seen using her magic to do housework. Even though Darrin didn't approve. Which some people see as unreasonable. After all, while many people enjoy cooking, decorating and gardening as hobbies, ''nobody'' really enjoys dusting, vacuuming or doing windows.
* The aliens from ''Series/{{Roswell}}'' frequently used their powers to do all sorts of mundane things: listen to CD's, reheat food, restyle Maria's hair, etc.
** Notable: A episode parodies shows like ''Series/{{Bewitched}}'' and shows one the aliens using her powers for cooking, something she can't do because her husband doesn't know about her origins.

* The ''Series/HarryEnfieldAndChums'' sketch, ''The Palace of Righteous Justice''; in which a team of He-man style superheroes debate how to deal with the dirty dishes on their kitchen table. The table is frozen solid, then cut in half with what can only be described as a lightsaber. They then burn down the house for some reason.
* Despite the fact that the ''Series/{{Charmed}}'' witches are explicitly not supposed to use their powers "for personal gain", they frequently seem to find loopholes in this stricture large enough to do things like turning off boiling-over pots, stopping their favorite employees from being fired, and so on.
* Jonathan Smith in ''Series/HighwayToHeaven'' uses his powers as an angel of God to do things to help him with his duties. Although his powers sometimes help him do incredible things like catch bullets, these are most often of the mundane variety, such as keeping doors from opening so someone will have to stay and listen to his lecture, pushing little girls into swimming pools, making beer disappear out of glasses and pitchers (despite the fact that he served the beer in the first place), or appearing/disappearing without using the door. (Ta da!)
* Not quite a "superhero power", but in an episode of ''Series/GreenWing'' the doctors used an X-ray machine to check inside bags of crisps (chips) and pick out the ones that had money inside them. (For non-Brits, there was a promotion run by Walkers, a huge crisp company, where instead of having to collect tokens or anything, there would just be £20 notes inside some crisp packets instead. It was actually finished some years before the episode aired, but it was a very popular promotion.)
** Apparently it ended prematurely when Walkers realised most of the £20 notes were being pilfered inside their own factory by the staff who packed the crisps...
* In an episode of ''Series/TimeTrax'', a scientist from the future "invents" devices 200 years ahead of their time. How does he use a device that instantly cools down any object? To chill a can of beer.
** It's implied that it was also used for this purpose in the 22nd century.
* In one episode of ''Series/HomeImprovement'', Tim Taylor got NASA to send him a tank of rocket fuel, which he uses to light a barbecue. He ends up accidentally launching the whole barbecue grill into low orbit.
* One episode of ''Series/{{House}}'' had House using a highly advanced and very expensive surgical robot to... cut a button on Cameron's blouse, make a very shallow incision on her face and blow air on her. It is a demo of the machine's precision, after all. Not that she isn't a little aroused...
* ''Series/BreakingBad'': in "Sunset," chemist-turned-methamphetamine-maker Walt goes to work in Gus Fring's lab. On his first day, he finds his new assistant Gale Boetticher, also an expert chemist, using his sophisticated knowledge and equipment to make really, REALLY good coffee. Walt's reaction upon tasting: "This stuff is amazing -- why are we making meth?"
* ''Series/TheLostRoom'':
** The series features a number of [[CapitalLettersAreMagic Objects]] with seemingly-random supernatural powers. The one thing they all have in common is that they're indestructible. This makes The Coat useful as a bulletproof vest, despite its actual ability being unknown.
** However, though The Comb can stop time, it cannot be effectively used to comb hair.
** In the pilot, the protagonist uses the Key to sneak into a football game.
* ''Series/{{Misfits}}'':
** Largely averted, given that most of the team can't control their powers. For example, much to Nathan's annoyance, Curtis can't use his time-travel powers to "nip back" to earlier that day and find out who stole his drug stash. However, Simon manages to get his invisibility under control fairly early on, and often uses it as a way of recording environmental footage for his collection without anyone noticing him- plus the occasional bit of PeepingTom PowerPerversionPotential.
** Inverted in the case of Brian, the Lactokinesis Man: everyone assumes that his power to control milk and other dairy products has nothing ''but'' mundane utility...only for several people to choke to death on cheese and yoghurt when Brian snaps and becomes a villain.
** Nathan manages this when he buys the power to [[RealityWarper warp reality]]: apart from cheating Las Vegas casinos, he also uses it to impress Marnie by conjuring a rose out of thin air.
* ''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles'':
** [[RobotGirl Cameron]] uses her superhuman strength to fight hostile robots, pound down concrete walls, and....pick up heavy loads to put in the truck on shopping trips. Her ability to [[AwesomenessByAnalysis rapidly analyze data]] is also used to do such things as plot stellar patterns, plan out a pool game, or to take a stress reading from a person by touching their neck.
** Sarah also decides in one scene that the best use for the futuristic superstrong deathmachine at the moment is.... to do the laundry. John calls her out on this, and Sarah hands him the laundry, [[HypocriticalHumor which he then hands back to Cameron.]]
* In ''Series/{{Airwolf}}'', on occasion, String and Dom take the copter out for non-sanctioned tasks, such as checking out the story of a drunk friend that there's something weird going on near his house.
* ''Series/AxMen'': Shelby Stanga carries a long-barreled [[RevolversAreJustBetter revolver]], ostensibly to defend himself from the local wildlife. One day, while felling a large tree, made recalcitrant by Shelby's...questionable felling technique, he helps the tree tip over using the ''revolver''.
* In the show ''Series/NoHeroics'', the opening credits show each character using their powers for mundane problems in their daily lives. Alex uses his heat powers to cook his TV dinner. Sarah uses her electronics powers to steal some cash from an ATM. Don uses his foresight ability to find out that his train is delayed. Jenny uses her super strength to move a car out of the way in a parking lot.
* ''Series/AgentsOfShield'': after getting their hands on some glasses with backscatter XRayVision, Skye and Fitz attempt to use them to cheat Ward in a game of cards. When Skye points out that with the glasses activated she'll be able to see Fitz naked, he immediately aborts the scheme...[[spoiler:and then [[PowerPerversionPotential Skye uses them to peek through Ward's clothes.]]]]
* ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'': JD has used his medical knowledge for a hangover cure and feeding himself via an IV.

* In ''Series/OnceUponATime'', Literature/TheSnowQueen uses her cold-based magic to run an ice cream shop without freezers.
* In ''Series/{{Haven}}'', Vickie used her ArtInitiatesLife ability to calm a crying baby down by entertaining him with dancing leaves.
* As can be expected, Barry in ''Series/TheFlash2014'' learns to use his SuperSpeed for pretty much anything. This annoys Wells a bit, since Barry is not using the ability to stop other meta-humans or train his speed. While Joe is normally okay with Barry using his speed to get things done faster (although, technically, from Barry's perspective, they take exactly as much time as they normally would), except when they are decorating a Christmas tree. When Barry does this in about a second, Joe makes him undo it all and do it properly. When preparing for a date, Barry uses his speed to quickly try on dozens of different outfits. He can also avoid standing in line at a coffee shop by making everyone's drinks, including his own, in half a second. When wanting to take a picture with Wells, Cisco, and Caitlin, he presses the button on the camera, quickly runs around the desk to the others, then runs back to keep the camera from falling. The shutter speed is apparently fast enough to avoid a blur on the picture.
** [[spoiler: In season 2 when he is temporarily BroughtDownToNormal, there's a montage comparing his morning routine with powers to his morning routine without powers, with the latter having more of a depressing tone to it.]]
* On ''Series/TheMiddleman'', Cecil Rogers is cursed with immortality, after having used up a spot on the ''Titanic'' lifeboats for his tuba. He spends a number of years working as a stuntman.
* [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Castiel]] from ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' occasionally makes use of his angelic powers for rather mundane things, particularly during the time period when [[spoiler:he has [[CloudCuckooLander several screws loose]] due to absorbing Sam's [[ImHavingSoulPains soul pains]] from time spent in Lucifer's Cage.]] He sets up a Sorry game instantly, pranks Dean by inviting him to pull his finger and then exploding a lightbulb, and follows around a honey bee. Later when the Winchesters find out that all processed food in America has been drugged by the bad guys, Castiel uses his teleport to visit a little farm in Normandy and obtain ingredients to make them sandwiches.
* Eric Northman in ''Series/TrueBlood'' used his vampire super-speed to clean up a gory mess in Bill's place as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8alztsBDS38 seen here]].
* On ''Series/Supergirl2015'', Kara does this a lot:
** She uses her super-hearing to know when Cat is about to get into work, which lets her know when to use her heat vision to reheat Cat's morning latte.
** When Alex is stressed out because of a BattlefieldPromotion, Kara gets her favorite food. From a food truck in Chicago.
** When she's BroughtDownToNormal in an early episode, she first learns about it because she casually starts cleaning up some broken glass -- implying that she habitually takes advantage of her invulnerability for such things -- and actually cuts herself.
** In the episode [[Recap/Supergirl2015S2E7TheDarkestPlace "The Darkest Place"]], Kara uses her heat-vision to reheat potstickers and cook pizza.
* ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}'':
** The team tends to use a lot of very neat high-tech devices for mundane things in their myths.
--->'''Tory''': We're popping popcorn with ''lasers''!
** It's also discussed in the episode where Adam and Jamie test the myth that the Red Cross inserts MindControl tabs into people who give blood. The doctor drawing blood comments that if Red Cross did do this (the myth was busted), they'd use it to solve their shortage of donated blood by getting donors to donate more.
* The Stasis Booths in ''Series/RedDwarf'' stop the passage of time within them, and are supposed to be used to create {{Human Popsicle}}s without the complications of freezing. In the episode "Skipper" [[spoiler: Captain Lister of an AU Dwarf]] has one installed in his office to keep his burgers hot.
* ''Series/CloakAndDagger2018'': Tandy gets control of her powers a lot sooner than Ty, so this comes up a few times. Most of the things she does (such as looking at people's hopes to see how best to manipulate them or using her light daggers to cut into a safe) probably aren't [[NotTheIntendedUse what the powers were intended for]], but aren't quite ''mundane''. Using an AbsurdlySharpBlade to cut the plastic tag off some clothes? ''Definitely'' mundane.

The team tends to use a lot of very neat high-tech devices for mundane things in their myths.

* ''Series/TheLostRoom'' features a number of [[CapitalLettersAreMagic Objects]] with seemingly-random supernatural powers. The one thing they all have in common is that they're indestructible. This makes The Coat useful as a bulletproof vest, despite it's actual ability being unknown.

* Largely averted in ''Series/{{Misfits}}'' given that most of the team can't control their powers. For example, much to Nathan's annoyance, Curtis can't use his time-travel powers to "nip back" to earlier that day and find out who stole his drug stash. However, Simon manages to get his invisibility under control fairly early on, and often uses it as a way of recording environmental footage for his collection without anyone noticing him- plus the occasional bit of PeepingTom PowerPerversionPotential.

* In ''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles'', [[RobotGirl Cameron]] uses her superhuman strength to fight hostile robots, pound down concrete walls, and....pick up heavy loads to put in the truck on shopping trips. Her ability to [[AwesomenessByAnalysis rapidly analyze data]] is also used to do such things as plot stellar patterns, plan out a pool game, or to take a stress reading from a person by touching their neck.
** Sarah also decides in one scene that the best use for the futuristic superstrong deathmachine at the moment is.... to do the laundry. John calls her out on this, and Sarah hands him the laundry... [[HypocriticalHumor which he then hands back to Cameron.]]

* ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}'' tend to use a lot of very neat high-tech devices for mundane things in their myths.
-->'''Tory''': We're popping popcorn with ''lasers''!

* Eric Northman in ''Series/TrueBlood'' used his vampire super-speed to clean up a gory messy in Bill's place as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8alztsBDS38 seen here]].

** Early seasons of ''Power Rangers'' [[AvertedTrope explicitly forbade]] this kind of behavior; one of Zordon's [[RuleOfThree three rules]] was that a Ranger may not use their powers for personal gain. Justin, in ''PowerRangersTurbo'', was once chastised for using the Rangers' teleportation system to escape the wrath of school bullies.

* The Stasis Booths in ''Series/RedDwarf'' stop the passage of time within them, and are supposed to be used to create HumanPopsicles without the complications of freezing. In the episode "Skipper" [[spoiler: Captain Lister of an AU Dwarf]] has one installed in his office to keep his burgers hot.

** The title Doctor has in his possession the [[CoolShip most powerful ship]] in the universe, able to appear ''anywhere'' in [[TimeAndRelativeDimensionsInSpace time and space]] in a matter of minutes. It's also capable of [[spoiler:towing entire planets]] and bestowing God-like powers on anyone who looks into its heart. He uses it for sightseeing.

** Also, the Doctor is able to pull all sorts of things out of his pockets as needed because ''they're'' bigger on the inside.

** The Literature/EighthDoctorAdventures novels take this to a whole new level of uselessness and silliness. The ship described previously, you see, is BiggerOnTheInside. There are a lot of uses for that kind of technology, but one wants to know when it started to seem to recurring antagonist Sabbath that fashioning a PaperThinDisguise by way of making himself appear somewhat slimmer seemed like a good use of the alien technology of extinct {{Physical God}}s. Way to go, man, you just created Time Lord foundation garments, and I'm sure tons of ''zaftig'' Time Ladies would be really grateful if the Doctor hadn't [[WhereIWasBornAndRazed killed them all]]. Bizarrely, the Doctor is actually almost fooled by a disguise whose effects could be replicated by exercise and healthy eating.

Also justified in that [=TNG=]-era Starfleet really only has two kinds of ships -- smaller science-oriented ships and larger "floating city"-type ships. The former are the kind to have bunk beds and communal showers, making the latter the only option for diplomatic missions of any magnitude. Website/SciFiDebris even lampshaded it:

* In ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', Clark has been seen using heat vision to make toast, pop corn and heat drinks, using SuperSpeed to clean up and run to school whenever he misses the bus and SuperStrength for his many farm chores. He also uses SuperStrength and heat vision to make a diamond ring for Lana, likely a ShoutOut to the ''Film/SupermanIII'' scene. In one scene, he and his father prepared to go fishing and Clark remarked he could use his XRayVision to locate the fish. His parents, being aware of his powers, aren't fooled when he tries to use them to get out of trouble.
* ''Series/LoisAndClark'' frequently used Mundane Utility for comic effect. Clark sometimes used his heat vision for mundane tasks such as shaving (by bouncing the beam off a mirror) and reheating coffee.
** At low power, he can also use it to warm Lois's feet in bed after they hook up.
** Clark's father Jonathan once complained that Clark didn't have any potholders, to which Clark replied that he never needed one.
** The shaving example can be justified, since a regular razor blade would break before cutting his facial hair. This is demonstrated in one episode, when a scientist tries to cut Superman's hair and breaks the scissors (funny how that never happens when normal people try to cut hard things).
** In one pre-intro sequence, he flew to win a game of pickup basketball.

* In one episode of ''Series/TheInvisibleMan'', Fawkes is scolded for using his invisibility to get into movies for free.
** When asked by a kid if he ever used his ability to sneak into women's locker rooms, Darien refuses to answer. In the pilot, he was caught spying on a soldier and a nurse getting it on and gets a black eye for that.
** Then there was the time a meter maid caught him parking in a handicapped spot, so [[RefugeInAudacity he turned his legs invisible.]]
* All the time in ''Series/StargateSG1'':
** In the episode "Allegiance", the "kawoosh" of an opening Stargate is used in a burial ceremony to disintegrate the bodies. Only to be expected, considering the cultural status the gate network has acquired in the galaxy.
** And in "Window of Opportunity" the Stargate itself is used by O'Neill and Teal'c as part of an interstellar game of golf (which they get away with because they're trapped in a GroundhogDayLoop at the time).
---> '''Hammond:''' Colonel O'Neill, what the hell are you doing?\\
'''Jack:''' ''In the middle of my backswing????''
** When they gain temporary enhanced abilities due to ancient alien wristbands, the team is taken out of action for fear of possible side effects. So they use their super-speed and strength to do things like catch up on their reading and writing, perform experiments, rearrange furniture, and sneak off the base for a big tasty steak dinner.
* ''Series/StargateAtlantis''
** Teyla has some kind of Ancient laser device that she uses to light candles. This was quite possibly its original purpose; the Ancients over-engineered everything.
** A Wraith in some AlternateUniverse episode uses his telepathic abilities to ''cheat at Poker''. (Although this is a partial subversion; He's using the money he gets to obtain material and tech to [[spoiler: build himself a device to broadcast the position of Earth to the rest of his kind.]])
* ''Series/StargateUniverse'': The Kino. A small, ball-shaped floating planetary exploration probe with a wide range of sensors to determine viability for human life and a camera for visual recon. Also good for spying on the women's shower. Eli also tried to hogtie a few dozen of them to make a flying platform. Coordination issues didn't allow it to maneuver, but its load-bearing capacity would turn out vital on several occasions.

* Used in ''Series/PowerRangersJungleFury'', where one of the Kung Fu trained Rangers uses his martial arts skills for dramatic effect when making pizzas for an appreciative audience.
* ''Series/KamenRiderFourze'' is the king of this trope.
** Out of all 40 of his switches, most of them are completely useless in most battles (ex. Water, Aero, Hand, etc.) so most of the time Fourze is shown using them for more creative purposes[[note]]Most occur in the intro such as using Aero as a leaf blower or Net to catch a butterfly but there are a few occurrences in the show such as using beat to as a guitar amp.[[/note]] but some, like Freeze become quite useful once Cosmic is introduced.
** Meteor Storm used his Staff as a golf club in his golf match with Taurus.
* ''Series/KamenRiderWizard''
** Wizard's connect spell has been used more than once to retrieve donuts for Haruto.
** Dress Up gives Haruto a Tuxedo. No wonder it was used in one episode.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''
** In an episode, it turns out that Giles has been using a MacGuffin needed as the focus to restore Angel's soul as a paperweight (a ContinuityNod; when Jenny bought one the shopkeeper said he'd sold a couple as "new age paperweights").
** Buffy herself uses her superhuman strength to open a crate that her mom was unable to. Later, she used her superhuman strength as a construction worker for about a fourth of an episode, which pissed off her coworkers - they were being paid by the hour, so having someone speeding up the process was not welcome.
** Willow's overuse of magic in mundane life through the first half of season six. After she used it to smooth over a fight with Tara by making her forget it happened, [[AddictiveMagic it was declared an addiction]]. And then one sentence uttered by Giles in the first episode of the seventh season [[AuthorsSavingThrow tried to make the bad storyline go away]].
* ''Series/{{Angel}}''
** Harmony is seen using her vampire super-strength to lift a cabinet in order to retrieve her shoe from underneath.
** In Season One, Wesley shows Angel a Kek dagger, which is the only weapon capable of killing a Kek demon. Angel informs him that Kek demons are in fact extinct. Then Cordelia grabs the dagger to cut brownies.
** Subverted once in the first season. Cordelia accidentally orders coffee ''beans'' for the office instead of ground coffee and suggests that Angel grinds them by squeezing the packet with his vampire strength. He tries it and manages only to burst the bag, sending coffee beans all over the office which Wesley promptly slips in when he arrives.
** Angel is looking for information on Wolfram and Hart's senior partner from the owner of a Mystic Book and Item shop. He is told that killing the demon requires a glove, which he just so happens to have and has been using as an oven mitt. Whedon seems to love this trope.

* ''Series/TheBionicWoman''
** In the original, Jaime's cyborg-enhanced superspeed was used to get dressed in a hurry, and while posing as a duplicate, she used it to hurry up a cigarette's burning (yes, the purpose is mission-based, but it's a rather mundane use). She also uses it to write on the blackboard fast.
** An episode of the ''Series/BionicWoman'' remake opens with Jamie racing at SuperSpeed down a dark alley at night, leaping over a fence InASingleBound and yanking open a car door... to reveal her underage sister necking with an older boy. As she broke a bionic toe jumping the fence, Berkut makes a point of telling her just how much it costs to replace.