History MundaneUtility / LiveActionTV

* ''Francise/MarvelCinematicUniverse:''

* ''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.]]]]

* In ''Series/Loki2021'', the Time Variance Authority keeps a desk drawer with several dozen [[spoiler:'''Infinity Stones''' taken from numerous alternate universes/timelines. Since the Stones don't have any power outside their original universe(s), the TVA employees use these as ''paperweights''.]]

* ''Series/SheHulkAttorneyAtLaw'': Not only [[OpenMindedParent are Jen's parents cool with her being the She-Hulk]], she even uses her She-Hulk form to help her father move stuff out of his house.

* ''Series/WandaVision'' also plays it for drama at the end of the penultimate episode. The BigBad is simultaneously impressed by the sheer scale of Wanda's magical achievements, to the point of bestowing upon her the title of "the ComicBook/ScarletWitch", and disappointed that she used said achievement simply to create [[StepfordSuburbia the perfect sitcom life]] for herself.
-->'''[[spoiler:Agatha]]:''' You have no idea how dangerous you are. You're supposed to be a myth, a being capable of spontaneous creation, and here you are, using it to make breakfast for dinner.

* 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.

* ''Series/TheUmbrellaAcademy'' actually used this PlayedForDrama. Allison used her CompellingVoice to get her daughter to go to bed, which ultimately led to her husband divorcing her.

** The ''Enterprise'': The federation's finest flagship is used for the odd reception often. Seeing as the ''Enterprise'' '''is''' the flagship, using it to host receptions is not altogether silly. Nothing beats showing off your big guns to foreign ambassadors, as a way to say: ally with us and this'll protect you, attack us and this'll kick your ass. In fact capital ships have been used repeatedly for such reasons, from the Great White Fleet tour of the Pacific to the Japanese signing the surrender on the deck of the battleship ''Missouri''. There is a reason for the term "Gunboat Diplomacy".

* 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.]]

* ''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/TheBigBangTheory''

** 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!

** 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.

** The Bus Tlcket can instantly transport anyone to a epecific location on the side of a highway in New Mexico. The possessor uses it to get rid of people like an overly loud teenage girl who annoy him.
* ''Series/TheMagicians'': Since most magicians live relatively-normal lives after graduating from Brakebills, it's not surprising that there is a wide range of spells that assist with mundane tasks, such as a carpentry spell that drives nails into wood without bending them, a conductor enchanting his baton to telepathically communicate with his orchestra, Josh incorporating potion magic into his cooking, etc.

** 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]].

** 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...

** The ''Enterprise'': The federation's finest flagship is used for the odd reception often. Seeing as the ''Enterprise'' '''is''' the flagship, using it to host receptions is not altogether silly. Nothing beats showing off your big guns to foreign ambassadors, as a way to say: ally with us and this'll protect you, attack us and this'll kick your ass. In fact capital ships have been used repeatedly for such reasons, from the Great White Fleet tour of the Pacific to the Japanese signing the surrender on the deck of the battleship ''Missouri''. There is a reason for the term "Gunboat Diplomacy".\\\
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/SFDebris even lampshaded it:
--->"Tomorrow: Symposium on Tegas III's History.\\
This weekend: Closed for Battle to death with Borg Cube.\\
April 18th: Shriner's Convention."

* ''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 is the best cup of coffee I have ever tasted-- [[CutLexLuthorACheck why the hell are we making meth?]]"

* ''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 -- [[CutLexLuthorACheck why are we making meth?]]"

* ''Series/WandaVision'' also plays it for drama at the end of the penultimate episode. The BigBad is simultaneously impressed by the sheer scale of Wanda's magical achievements, to the point of bestowing upon her the title of "the ComicBook/ScarletWitch", and disappointed that she used said achievement to create [[StepfordSuburbia the perfect sitcom life]] for herself.

* ''Series/TheUmbrellaAcademy'' actually used this PlayedForDrama. Allison used her Main/CompellingVoice to get her daughter to go to bed, which ultimately led to her husband divorcing her.
* In ''Series/{{Warehouse 13}}'', Pete uses [[Literature/AliceInWonderland Lewis Carroll's mirror]] to play ping pong. With himself.
** It seems to be common practice to use various objects for mundane tasks, or to repurpose them. The automated vacuum sweeper and Claudia's use of a snow globe that freezes things to chill a bottle of cola are evidence of this.

* ''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.]]]]

* Phasers in ''Franchise/StarTrek'' have occasionally been used to heat rocks for warmth. Also, [[MustHaveCaffeine coffee]].

** 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.

* ''Series/TheBoys2019''. Starlight uses her powers to dim the lights when she's about to make love to Hughie, rather than break their clinch to reach over and turn off the lamp.

** 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.]])