Line #50 BreakingTheFourthWall/LiveActionTV


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6	BreakingTheFourthWall in television.
7	----
8	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtGSXMuWMR4&feature=player_embedded This television news segment]] on the visual language and structure of television news segments.
9	%%* Just about everything with Creator/FrankieHowerd: ''Whoops, Baghdad'', ''Series/UpPompeii'', ''Series/CarryOnLaughing'', etc.
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11	* ''Series/ThirtyRock'':
12	** In one instance, the characters of Jack and Liz are talking about cell phones, and Liz starts talking about [[ProductPlacement how great Verizon phones are]], then breaks the fourth wall by asking the camera, "Can we get our money now, please?"
13	** On another episode, the crew of the ShowWithinAShow goes to Boston for plot reasons, and Jack gets an office that is nearly identical to his one in New York, leading to this exchange:
14	--->'''Liz''': Is it identical?\
15	'''Jack''': Not quite. Seven items are different. See if you can spot which ones.\
16	''[[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments Camera switches to a high-angle shot, and both characters turn to face the camera while a music sting plays in the background]]''
17	** "Happy Valentine's Day, no one!"
18	** Dr. Spaceman's final appearance on the show ends with him saying: "That's a series wrap on Leo Spaceman, suckers!"
19	** "[[AsideComment Oh, I can't do this anymore. I've never met Mickey Rourke.]]"
20	* In ''Series/TheAdventuresOfSuperman'' George Reeves as Clark Kent would wink to the audience at the end of most episodes.
21	* ''Series/AmberBrown2022'': Amber clearly addresses the audience while making video diaries, though in universe it's to her viewers.
22	* ''Series/{{Angel}}'' has the episode "Spin the Bottle", in which Lorne speaks directly to the audience, narrating the plot, and even going as far as to say "Well, those were some exciting products. Am I right?" after one of the act breaks. His narration is framed as explaining the story to the patrons of a bar; the ending shows that the bar is empty.
23	* ''Series/Annika2021'': Annika regularly addresses the camera directly, sharing her thoughts, talking about her life. In season 2, she expands this to cover a different work of classic literature each episode.
24	* Chyna on ''Series/ANTFarm'' does this in the episode "You're The One That I [=wANT=]". After Olive explains what theatrical asides are.
25	-->'''Chyna''' Can you believe she is pitching an idea where characters breaks the reality of the play and speaks directly to the viewer, it makes no sense.
26	* On ''Series/AreYouBeingServed'', Mr. Humphries addresses the audience every so often. For example, in the one where they give Mrs. Slocombe her birthday present, he says to the camera, [[TheUnreveal "We're not going to tell you what it is, it's a secret."]]
27	* In the final episode of ''Series/TheAvengers1960s'', Steed and Tara are in a rocket heading into outer space...
28	-->'''Mother (Steed's boss):''' ''[to camera]'' They'll be back; you can rely on that. ''[glancing upward]'' They're unchaperoned up there...
29	* ''Series/TheBasilBrushShow'' refers to the 'viewers' frequently, and occasionally shows the studio outside the set and camera crew.
30	* In ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'', an unwanted gift from Amy to Penny causes trouble. Penny receves an ugly but very large oil painting of themselves from her "bestie" and is stuck for what to do with it without causing offence. The episode ends on their literally hanging it on the fourth wall; the final shot is from the point of view of the painting itself, as the girls , seen from close to and slightly beneath, critically assess whether it is hanging straight or not on the fourth wall of Penny's apartment.
31	* Occurs several times, to a mild degree, in ''Series/{{Blackadder}}''.
32	** In "[[Recap/BlackadderS2E1Bells Bells]]", Queenie turns to the camera and says "I've got SUCH a crush on him!" after Lord Flasheart says she looks sexy.
33	** The ending theme of "[[Recap/BlackadderS2E5Beer Beer]]": "Blackadder, Blackadder, I heard that he had died. Blackadder, Blackadder, the writers must have lied!"
34	** And, of course, this from "[[Recap/BlackadderS3E6DuelAndDuality Duel and Duality]]":
35	--->'''Blackadder:''' I want to be remembered when I'm dead. I want books written about me. I want songs sung about me. And then, hundreds of years from now, I want episodes of my life to be played out weekly at half past nine by some great heroic actor of the age.\
36	'''Baldrick:''' Yeah, and I could be played by some tit in a beard....
37	** In the ''Blackadder the Third'' episode "[[Recap/BlackadderS3E5AmyAndAmiability Amy And Amiability]]", Blackadder comments on how he has been left tied up on 'an unrealistic grassy knoll'.
38	** In the second series episode "[[Recap/BlackadderS2E6Chains Chains]]" (the season finale), at the end, [[spoiler:Ludwig, disguised as Queenie, stands over the dead bodies of the other main characters. He turns to the camera, laughs, and says in his deep, male, German accent, "Now this is a disguise I'm really going to enjoy. If I can just get the voice right..."]]
39	* ''Series/BostonLegal'' is chock-full of Fourth Wall breakage. Denny Crane has done this so often that he has earned himself a place on the NoFourthWall page.
40	** A rare non-Denny example:
41	--->'''Carl''': The only show that currently hires actors over 50 is B- [gets weird looks from everyone] Oh sorry, can't say it. [points at camera] It would break the wall.
42	** In the final episode, Alan points out that the show has JumpedTheShark.
43	* ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'' played numerous games with the fourth wall, culminating in the final episode, where Corey announces that he finally "gets" the meaning of the show's title. This carries right over into the pilot of the SequelSeries, where he says it's still his world and if [[Series/GirlMeetsWorld Riley]] wants to make it her world, she's going to have to seize it herself.
44	** It also had an episode in which a character joined a soap opera called 'Kid Gets Acquainted With the Universe' and meets the cast, playing themselves (and also their usual characters in the B-plots.)
45	* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'':
46	** Creator/JossWhedon did a LampshadeHanging in the musical episode "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS6E7OnceMoreWithFeeling Once More With Feeling]]". Anya complains that during her musical number with Xander, it felt like their apartment had only three walls, not a fourth, and that it felt like they were being watched. Also near the end of the same episode the song "Something to Sing About" features the line "And you can sing along" which Buffy sings while looking directly at the camera.
47	** The only other time Buffy looks directly at the camera in a close-up is in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS4E2LivingConditions Living Conditions]].
48	** In "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS2E1WhenSheWasBad When She Was Bad]]" where after she saves Willow & Xander, Buffy looks at the camera and asks "Missed me?"
49	* From 1950 to 1958, Creator/GeorgeBurns was breaking the fourth wall on ''Series/TheBurnsAndAllenShow''. In every episode, he spoke directly to the audience while predicting events later in the episode and reporting on events that he (as a character in the episode) shouldn't know about. In many of the later episodes, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXIW3kjWpu0 he was seen watching the other characters on television.]] In fact, the term "breaking the fourth wall" is a massive understatement when applied to this series. George Burns did some crazy things on this show that have rarely (if ever) been replicated:
50	** In the first two seasons of the series, the show looked like an odd hybrid of a radio show and a stage play. Because TV was still new and experimental — not to mention live — Burns and his production partners decided to broadcast the show from an actual theater where a mockup of a house had been built on stage. The house set looked like an artillery shell had hit it, wiping out the fourth wall and one corner of the house. Rather than watch scenes of the show on the TV set in his office — that wouldn't start until the show was shot on film starting in the 1952-53 season — George would lean against the proscenium arch and comment directly to the theater audience about the goings-on inside the house. See for yourself. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-QFnNxkgnU Here's a sample episode titled "Rumba Lessons" that aired on December 28, 1950.]]
51	** In the first episode of the 1953-54 season — in what may have been the most extreme breaking of the fourth wall in history — Fred Clark (who played Harry Morton) left the series in part because he had demanded a higher salary. Literally! He left the series about twenty minutes into the episode. As Blanche was about to express her displeasure with a gift Harry had given her by hitting him with a vase, George stopped the action, turned to the audience and told them that Clark was leaving the series. Clark exited, replacement actor Larry Keating entered, and the action resumed.
52	* ''Series/Charmed1998'':
53	** In "The Bare Witch Project", Piper tells Godiva to keep her clothes on. It was even featured in the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW4craxcr1s episode promo]].
54	--->'''Piper''': Keep your clothes on, this is a family show.
55	** In "Vampires", Leo comments, doubling as a ShoutOut to ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''[[note]]which, at the time, had moved from The WB to UPN[[/note]]:
56	--->Vampires were expelled from the underworld centuries ago. As far as I know, they're on a completely different network now.
57	* One of the later seasons of ''Series/TheCosbyShow'' had the Huxtables hiring a construction crew for some home improvement. The crew has left for the day, leaving some of their tools behind. Cliff, notorious throughout the show's run for not being the best at home projects, picks up a hammer and looks around, his grin widening as he realizes he's alone. Finally, he looks right at the camera; "Hammer time."
58	* ''Series/{{Crossroads}}''. Regionalisation of Creator/{{ITV}} in TheSeventies meant that [[OopNorth Northern]] regions such as Granada and Yorkshire were six months ahead of Southern English regions in screening the long-running soap opera. [=ITV=] management decided that national coverage should be harmonised. Rather than giving the south [[CruelAndUnusualDeath double doses of the show]] till the region caught up, a solution was bodged where InUniverse, main character Meg Richardson (Noele Gordon) featured in a special episode. This began with Meg in her office talking to her son Sandy - then she looked right into the camera and started to address the viewers. Sandy looked 'startled' and said something like "you're not allowed do that". The character then addressed the viewers directly, summing up what for many British viewers would be six months worth of missing, now never-to-be-seen, storylines, so as to bring viewers up to date. Viewers had been forewarned by the {{continuity announce\|ment}}r prior to the show that "Noele Gordon was to give a special announcement" It has been speculated that [[ScrewedByTheNetwork this was the beginning of the end]] for "Crossroads" and a blow the series never quite recovered from.
59	* Most ''Series/{{Decoy}}'' episodes end with Casey speaking directly to the camera about the case.
60	* ''Series/{{Dickinson}}'': Creator/LouisaMayAlcott twice points out accurate historical things she's shown doing (enjoying runs, working as a nurse) to the audience.
61	* ''Series/DoctorWho'' has a long history of breaking the FourthWall.
62	** Part 7 of the First Doctor story [[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E4TheDaleksMasterPlan "The Daleks' Master Plan"]], titled "The Feast of Steven", featured the Doctor turning to the camera and wishing the viewers a Merry Christmas.
63	** A unique-footage trailer for "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E5TheWebOfFear The Web of Fear]]" had the Second Doctor warning children that the story would be even scarier than usual and advising them to "hold mummy's hand if she's frightened". It ended with him hearing shouting off-camera and rushing off to help. The visual of the trailer is lost, but the soundtrack was used for a [[https://youtu.be/HRBWOTFNotM fan-animation project]].
64	** In the Fourth Doctor story [[Recap/DoctorWhoS12E4GenesisOfTheDaleks "Genesis of the Daleks"]], a Dalek shouts into the camera about how its species will conquer the universe.
65	** The Fourth Doctor spoke to the camera in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS14E4TheFaceOfEvil "The Face of Evil"]].
66	** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS15E6TheInvasionOfTime "The Invasion of Time"]] has an unabashed fourth wall-breaking moment where the Doctor says right to the camera, "Even the sonic screwdriver won't get me out of this one." Also, at the end of the serial, when the Doctor is getting K9 Mk II out of a box, he grins broadly at the camera.
67	** The Doctor acknowledges the audience after regenerating in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS19E1Castrovalva Castrovalva]]". He's checking out his new self, looks in the mirror and comments that "That's the trouble with regeneration: you never quite know what you're going to get." Thing is, he's not looking at himself in the mirror, but into the camera.
68	** In the Classic episode [[Recap/DoctorWhoS21E6TheCavesOfAndrozani "The Caves of Androzani"]], the villain repeatedly turns to the camera and gives exposition soliloquies. WordOfGod says that this wasn't intended — the actor had misunderstood the stage directions in the script, but the [[ThrowItIn director liked the effect it gave]] and told the actor to keep doing it, as it made the story similar to a classical theatre piece and played on the similarity of the plot to early-modern revenge tragedies. At the end of the story after the Doctor regenerates, this new incarnation of the Doctor speaks to the camera when he says the last half of the line "Change, my dear. And it seems not a moment too soon."
69	** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoTVMTheTVMovie the TV Movie]], Grace shoots an AsideGlance at the camera after the Doctor acts confusing.
70	** In the Ninth Doctor story [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E2TheEndOfTheWorld "The End of the World"]], one of the (CGI-animated) spiders "accidentally" [[CameraAbuse collides with the camera]]--a deliberate ShoutOut to the insect-like alien who had infamously plowed into the camera in the First Doctor story [[Recap/DoctorWhoS2E5TheWebPlanet "The Web Planet"]] almost exactly forty years earlier.
71	** "[[Recap/DoctorWho2005RBSAttackOfTheGraske Attack of the Graske]]" had the Tenth Doctor inviting the viewer aboard the TARDIS to help solve a mystery using their remote controls. The episode was shot from the viewer's POV, with the Doctor talking into camera, though this "episode" is generally not considered {{canon}}.
72	** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E2TheShakespeareCode "The Shakespeare Code"]], a baddie speaks to the camera about how her species will return — this is reference to the soliloquies that [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespeare]] used in his plays.
73	** Done very subtly in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E3Gridlock "Gridlock"]] when the Face of Boe's last four words are "You are not alone." This is later revealed to be a reference to the Master's disguise of Professor Yana, whose last name is an acronym of the four words. Thing is, the only reason [[note]]barring time paradox-related reasons, given that the Face of Boe is implied to be a future Jack Harkness[[/note]] for the Face of Boe to be so cryptic rather than saying something genuinely useful like "The Master is alive" is because the Face of Boe was deliberately hiding information from the audience so that there could be a big reveal in the finale.
74	** At the very end of [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E10Blink "Blink"]], the Doctor looks directly at the camera and tells the audience his video warning to Sally Sparrow: "Don't blink. Blink and you're ''dead.'' They are fast, ''faster'' than you could believe. Don't turn your back. Don't look away. And ''don't blink''. Good luck." Just to add the icing to the cake, the very last shot is of the Doctor himself ''blinking''. The effect can cause the viewer to never go near a statue again.
75	*** This episode also breaks the fourth wall in a way that will manage to terrify the viewers even more. There are times when the Weeping Angels are on screen but none of the characters are looking at them. ''You, the audience, are looking at them.'' (Consider the scene in which the Angels move only when Sally blocks ''our view of them''.)
76	** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E5ThePoisonSky "The Poison Sky"]] has the Doctor realize that without the TARDIS, he's stuck on Earth as a human. Then call it rubbish. ''Then apologize to the camera'' (though in the scene, he's meant to be saying that to Martha).
77	** This is the whole point of the Proms special short [[Recap/DoctorWho2008PSMusicOfTheSpheres "Music of the Spheres"]].
78	** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E13TheBigBang "The Big Bang"]]: When [[spoiler:the Doctor is flying the Pandorica into the exploding TARDIS]], for a moment Creator/MattSmith looks right down the camera lens.
79	** The 2011 Children in Need scene has Creator/MattSmith shattering the fourth wall into pieces.
80	** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E13TheWeddingOfRiverSong "The Wedding of River Song"]] ends with the Eleventh Doctor smiling right at the viewer while another character intones "Doctor Who".
81	** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E1AsylumOfTheDaleks "Asylum of the Daleks"]], Oswin, in her last moment on screen, looks directly at the camera when she says "remember [me]".
82	** "She Said, He Said", an online prequel to [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E13TheNameOfTheDoctor "The Name of the Doctor"]], has both Clara and the Doctor addressing the audience directly, although technically Clara never actually looks right into the camera; the Doctor, however, does.
83	*** Also in "The Name of the Doctor", the character of Clarence, when intoning the Whispermen poem, looks right into the camera. Although he is soon shown speaking to another character, there is no one at that moment he would be looking at.
84	** Creator/PeterCapaldi does this frequently as the Doctor:
85	*** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E1DeepBreath Deep Breath]]" has the Doctor glaring directly at us after the Half-Face Man is dealt with.
86	*** In the prologue of "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E4Listen Listen]]", he could conceivably be talking to himself, but he still addresses the camera while talking about his theory of perfect hiding. As the episode begins, he intones the title of the episode straight into the camera, as well.
87	*** In the ColdOpen of "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E4BeforeTheFlood Before the Flood]]", he unambiguously breaks the fourth wall to deliver a lecture to the audience on the [[StableTimeLoop bootstrap paradox]]. At one point he even encourages viewers to google the term. The ensuing opening credits features the Doctor playing along on his guitar on the soundtrack. At the end of the episode he also looks at the audience and shrugs.
88	---->'''The Doctor:''' So there's this man. He has a time machine. Up and down history he goes, zip-zip-zip-zip-zip; getting into scrapes. Another thing he has... is a passion for the works of Ludwig van Beethoven. And, one day, he thinks, ''"what's the point in having a time machine if you don't get to meet your heroes?"'' So off he goes to 18th Century Germany. But he can't find Beethoven anywhere. No-one's heard of him! Not even his ''family'' has any idea who the time traveller is talking about. Beethoven literally... doesn't exist. ''[The Doctor strides up to the camera]'' This didn't happen, by the way. I've met Beethoven. Nice chap, very intense. Loved an arm wrestle! No, this is called... ''The Bootstrap Paradox''. Google it. The time traveller panics! He can't bear the thought of a world without the music of Beethoven. Luckily, he brought all of his Beethoven sheet music for Ludwig to sign! So he copies out all the concertos and the symphonies... and ''he'' gets them published. He becomes Beethoven. And history continues with barely a feather ruffled! ''[The Doctor grabs a guitar and fires up an amplifier...]'' But my question is this: who put those notes and phrases together? Who ''really'' composed... Beethoven's Fifth? ''[...then plays the opening chords of Beethoven's Fifth]''
89	*** In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E11HeavenSent Heaven Sent]]", at one point he says "I'd be nothing without an audience" and gives the camera a sly glance as he rushes around the TARDIS. The episode also features the Doctor's narration throughout, something the series never otherwise features; however, as the episode progresses we learn he's actually speaking to [[spoiler: the now-dead Clara]] during these sequences.
90	** His companion, Clara, isn't averse to this. In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E12HellBent Hell Bent]]", she tells Ohila that she has no plans of telling her the private message she had just given the Doctor, "or anybody else." When she says this her eyes flick towards the camera and the viewer. (This is easier to notice when watching in HD, due to the dim lighting of the scene.) Doubles as a metafictional moment as Creator/JennaColeman has steadfastly refused to reveal what it is Clara supposedly said to the Doctor.
91	** "[[Recap/DoctorWho60thASTheStarBeast The Star Beast]]" opens with the Doctor and Donna Noble separately speaking to the audience to catch them up on who Donna was and what she's doing now, given the episode proper features the Doctor running into her again after 15 years.
92	* In all 22 episodes of ''Series/ElleryQueen'', just as Ellery realized who-dun-it, he would turn to the camera, ask the viewer, "Did you figure it out?" and recap the clues.
93	* ''Series/{{Emergency}}'', on the episode "Hangup" (Season 1, episode 12) they watch and discuss the TV series ''Series/Adam12'. They also do crossover episodes with the same show.
94	* On ''Series/FamilyMatters'', Steve Urkel once literally broke the fourth wall by putting a cannonball through it. The screen shattered to reveal a bunch of electronic components reminiscent of the inside of a TV, then Urkel popped up and asked the viewer if they've seen the cannonball he lost. (The episode was originally broadcast in 3D, and viewers who wore special 3D glasses saw Urkel "reach through the TV screen" as though to grope for the lost cannonball.)
95	** In another episode, Carl and Harriet are attempting to enjoy a romantic moment when incidental "romantic" music begins to play. Both characters begin looking around, trying to find the source of the music.
96	* One ''Series/{{Farscape}}'' episode had Crichton humming along with the show's music while on a bad trip.
97	** There tends to be a fair amount of leaning on the fourth wall with ''Series/{{Farscape}}''. Usually it's fairly subtle. Then again sometimes (I'm thinking of a very specific episode in season 4... John's in a coma? Trippy visions? Cartoons? yeah, you'll find it...) it's not so subtle.
98	*** Then again that could be John-in-the-dream addressing the "real" John, who's watching.
99	* In ''Series/{{Fleabag}}'', the title character breaks the fourth wall constantly (even during sex!), sometimes without saying a word.
100	* The ''Series/{{Frasier}}'' episode 'Out With Dad' features the opera-loving title character taking his opera-hating dad Martin to a production. A scene during the interval features Frasier urging them to get back in time for the second act, to which Martin quips "who cares, it'll just be a load of ridiculous stuff that never happens in real life". End of act one. Cue FawltyTowersPlot of Martin dissuading a woman's interest by pretending to be gay, only to be set up with a guy - a situation he attempts to diffuse by pretending that Niles is his boyfriend.
101	* ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'' broke the fourth wall on a number of occasions:
102	** In the fourth season finale, Will's character decides to move back to Philadelphia. In the 5th season premiere, he is forcibly abducted by network executives (the door on the van said NBC Star Retrieval, complete with the peacock logo), tossed in a van, driven back to Bel-Air, and the show returned as it was in a no-fourth-wall instance of the ResetButton. Why? Because the series is "The Fresh Prince of ''Bel-Air''", not "The Fresh Prince of Philadelphia". In the very next scene, Jazz asks who would be playing Vivian that season, to which an inexplicably 5-year-old Nicky tells him it's the same person as the last season. When Jazz asks [[SoapOperaRapidAgingSyndrome why Nicky is five now when he was a toddler in the previous episode,]] Will just shrugs, to which Jazz says he's going back on the streets where things make sense.
103	** In said fourth season finale, ("The Philadelphia Story"), Will decides to confront a bully named Omar. Will describes Omar as "the dude who be spinning me over his head in the opening credits".
104	** In one episode, after getting an 85 on a chemistry test by cheating on the person next to him, Carlton questions Will on whether he's really gonna leave the viewers with that. Will proceeds to leave and re-greet Carlton, stating that while he failed the test, he learned his lesson about last-minute cramming and plans on going to the library right then to start making up. Will then smiles at the camera and walks away.
105	** In one episode ("Will's Misery"), Will was lured into a cabin by a sorority member, who was out to teach him a lesson. When she revealed [[spoiler:that it was Carlton's idea]], Will convinced Carlton that he actually killed the girl, which caused Carlton to freak out. He then started to run through all the sets used for that episode and through the studio audience, to the laughter of many.
106	** A throwaway gag at the beginning of one episode showed Will sitting on the couch reading as several family members walk in arguing over finances. Will's uncle stops the argument saying "What are you all so worried about? We're rich." That settles things for everyone as they walk out of frame. Will waits until they're gone, then looks at the camera and comments "If we're so rich" -- here he looks up, prompting the camera to pan up to a view of the studio lights -- "how come we can't afford no ceiling?"
107	** Also, when lying to Carlton over the phone, Will turns to the camera and asks "I can't see him. You can. Is he buying it?"
108	** In an episode where Will gets jealous when Geoffrey dates a hot young British nanny, at the end when Geoffrey bows out and gives Will the nanny's number, Will looks at the camera with a big grin and gives the audience a tongue-in-cheek speech about what he learned over the course of the episode.
109	** One episode dealing with poetry ends with Will turning to the camera with a serious expression on his face and saying "If you'd like to learn more about poetry... nah, I'm just kidding. Good night!"
110	** In one episode Will's uncle is talking to him about something. It annoys him so he points the remote at him, presses a button, and his uncle disappears. Will then turns to the fourth wall and says something along the lines of "Ain't that fly? Don't you wish you lived on TV?".
111	** Will does a phony "chivalry" act with a friend of his who's a standup, all to impress a girl. When the trick appears to have succeeded, Will shoots a knowing glance at the camera.
112	** About halfway through "Not With My Cousin, You Don't", as Will and Carlton test out the Banks' newly installed intercom system, they tune into Ashley's bedroom. They both inadvertently eavesdrop on Ashley discussing possibility of losing her virginity during a date. After Ashley finished speaking, Will and Carlton scream in each other's direction; they then catch their breaths before turning toward the cameras and the audience and then screaming again.
113	* The ''Series/FullHouse'' sequel, ''Series/FullerHouse'', breaks the fourth wall a couple times. One is when DJ wants to know where her little sister Michelle is and is told by her father Danny that "she's in New York running a fashion empire," followed by everyone on screen staring into the camera in unison. This is a blatant nod to the actresses of Michelle Tanners fashion company and how they did not want to join the rest of the cast for the reunion episode/series. Naturally, the studio audience laughs uproariously. Michelle's missing presence caused another fourth wall breaking during a season 2 ThanksgivingEpisode when DJ offers a blessing that includes that fact that she misses Michelle. This causes Uncle Jesse to turn and say to the camera "Come on, it'll be fun," once again referencing how the Olsen twins weren't there for the second season as well.
114	** Michelle delivers one in the 1992 ChristmasEpisode "A Very Tanner Christmas". Three people dressed up as Santa Claus have appeared at the Tanner Christmas party (Steve, Vicky and Joey, respectively), to which Michelle tells the audience "This Santa thing is out of control!"
115	* In ''Series/GentlemanJack'', Anne often looks at the camera, and has spoken both mentally and literally to the viewer. After a frantic cart ride in the first episode "I Was Just Passing", she looks directly at the camera and remarks, "Must have been my driving." Later in the episode:
116	-->'''Anne:''' ''[voiceover]'' I’ve been an Icarus, I’ve flown too near the sun. And now I’ve crashed back to earth at Shibden. Shabby little Shibden...\
117	'''Anne:''' ''[aloud]'' "...and my shabby little family." ''[glances briefly at the camera]''
118	** In the third episode, "Oh Is That What You Call It?", Anne lies to Ann Walker, and then glances at the camera and raises her eyebrows slightly. Miss Walker glances over her shoulder and asks "What are you looking at?" Anne replies, "What? Nothing!"
119	* In ''Series/GilligansIsland'', the Skipper often looked at the camera in response to Gilligan doing something stupid.
120	* In the SeriesFinale for Girl Meets World, Morgan Matthews is having a conversation with her niece Riley when suddenly she's replaced by the other actress who played Morgan.
121	* In the ''Gormiti'' DVD "The Legend Begins", at the end, Gheos breaks the fourth wall, first turned away from the camera, giving info about the Great War that begun, and then turning to the camera, asking us that must this be their destiny. Then, the DVD goes to a diffrent screen, and scrolling text appears, along with a voice, possibly the Old Sage. Then Gheos once again breaks the fourth wall, asking us that it could be us, and the animation ends.
122	* In an episode of ''Series/GreenAcres'', Lisa's lemonade causes a giant beanstalk to grow in the Douglas' backyard. Eb climbs it and claims a "Green Giant" lives on top, which drops canned vegetables on command. When Mr. Douglas' asks Mr. Kimball how this could have happened, he replies "You're in a TV commercial!", then picks up a can and smiles at the camera. It was AllJustADream though.
123	** It's not just a dream in the rest of the episodes, though. In one, Lisa refers to the opening credits by asking Oliver about the words and names suddenly appearing on things (which he fails to notice), and characters often comment on the musical theme that accompanies every soapbox speech that Oliver gives.
124	* One episode of ''Series/GrowingPains'' had Ben dream he was a character on a TV series; he suddenly found himself interacting with the actors instead of his family, even calling them by the actors' real names.
125	* ''Series/HappyDays'': At the end of the final episode, Howard is giving a wedding toast. At one point he turns to the camera and thanks the viewers for "being a part of our family".
126	* German comedy series ''Harald und Eddi'' uses this as a RunningGag: Each episode starts with Harald Juhnke as an old-fashioned TV announcer:
127	-->'''Harald:''' Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, I'm happy to announce a new episode of our sketch show ''Harald & Eddi'' -\
128	''[cut to Eddi, who's preoccupied with something, like food or handicraft, with the TV running in the background, with Harald on screen]''\
129	'''Harald:''' ''[louder]'' A new episode of our sketch show ''Harald & Eddi''!\
130	'''Harald:''' ''[even louder]'' '''''Harald & Eddi''!!'''\
131	'''Harald:''' Eddi! ''[breaks the fourth wall and takes away whatever Eddi is occupied with, leaving Eddi flabbergasted]''
132	* Israeli Soap Opera ''Hashir Shelanu'' (''Our Song'') went on for two seasons of the star-crossed male and female lead going through hell until they finally got together, with a proper saccharine ending of them taking their marriage vows. But, apparently, the show sort of got tired of its set of characters by that time. You can tell because the first episode of season 3 starts with the director yelling "cut" and the newlyweds coming off the set- ''everything'' that has happened up until that point was just a SoapOpera. In real life, they are PlatonicLifePartners with acting careers. ''Now'' we get to explore the DarkerAndEdgier [[ThisIsReality reality]]. YourHeadAsplode.
133	* Martin did this during the early episodes of ''Series/HeyDad'', but stopped soon. The entire cast did so at the end of the series finale to take a bow.
134	* Another show that did this was ''Series/{{House}}'', where for most of Season 3 Chase would refer to once a week reminding Cameron that he loved her. He said that he did this every Tuesday, which (not-so-)coincidentally was when FOX aired new episodes of ''Series/{{House}}''.
135	** The first episode of season three also had Cuddy yelling at House about how he comes storming into her office "24 times a year". This is the standard length of a TV season.
136	** Knocked on in the eleventh episode of the fourth season, "Frozen", Cuddy cuts off cable access to the room of a coma patient that House had been using. She tells him that he'll have to get by with the broadcast networks, to which he replies, "I'll be fine on Tuesdays." Tuesdays were, of course, when ''House'' aired on FOX.
137	** The episode "Three Stories" features a plot line that is told from House's point of view through a series of flashbacks to different time periods. At one point House suddenly decides to move onto a different time and asks his team "What about snake-bite guy?" They look at him in confusion, whereupon he realises that they have no idea of the alternate timelines taking place. He says "Oh, that's right, you guys don't know about him yet. He doesn't get bitten until three months after we treat the volleyball player." He then turns to the camera and says, "It's already been well established that time is not a fixed construct." When the camera pans back around a few seconds later, the symptoms on the whiteboard have changed to match the new case and Chase, Cameron and Foreman are wearing different clothes and sitting/standing in different positions; thereby humorously referencing the habit of TV shows never following a plausible, linear timeline.
138	* Francis Urquart of ''Series/HouseOfCardsUK'' speaks to the camera as a confidant — after all, we're right there to see his machinations. Towards the end, it backs away from him during his narration, and he tells us it's far too late to start getting squeamish.
139	** His [[Series/HouseOfCardsUS American counterpart]], Frank Underwood, does this as well, constantly making comments to the audience in regards to his political machinations.
140	* Happens in an early episode of ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' - usually Future Ted just narrates, but in one scene he describes the attractiveness of a girl at a party, and she thanks him for the compliment.
141	** In the episode "''History vs. Mystery''", Ted talks about how "Film/AnnieHall" was Woody at his prime and how people have been ripping off his breaking of the fourth wall ever since. Robin then looks directly at the camera and says, "Can you believe this guy?"
142	* ''Series/ICarly'': This dialogue about the 2009 Teen Choice Awards.
143	-->'''Freddie:''' Does Baby Spencer love Jerry Trainor?\
144	'''Baby Spencer:''' ''[played by Jerry Trainor]'' What?!\
145	'''Freddie:''' Do you love Jerry Trainor?\
146	'''Baby Spencer:''' Don't say that! You're [[LampshadeHanging breaking the fourth wall!]] Nooooo!\
147	'''Freddie:''' Aw, sometimes it's OK to break the fourth wall.\
148	'''Baby Spencer:''' No! It violates everything I believe in!\
149	'''Freddie:''' Did you know Jerry Trainor is up in the Teen Choice Awards?\
150	'''Baby Spencer:''' Hush! Don't talk about it!\
151	'''Freddie:''' Don't you want everyone to go online and vote for Jerry Trainor?\
152	'''Baby Spencer:''' Baby don't like shameless self-promotion!\
153	'''Freddie:''' Don't you know ''iCarly'' is up for lots of Teen Choice Awards?\
154	'''Baby Spencer:''' SHUT UP! I'm so uncomfortable with this in so many levels!
155	* The final episode of the short-lived sitcom ''I Married Dora'' concluded at an airport where the husband, Mr. Farrell, is saying goodbye to his wife Dora and the rest of the family on his way to a new job overseas. But he suddenly returns seconds later...
156	-->'''Mr. Farrell''': It's been cancelled.\
157	'''Dora''': The flight?\
158	'''Mr. Farrell''': No... [[ThatsAllFolks OUR SERIES!!!]]
159	-->''(Actor turn to wave goodbye to the audience)''
160	* ''Series/ItsGarryShandlingsShow'' based its entire premise around this trope. Over the course of each episode, Garry would comment on the action to the audience, introduce new characters and occasionally even invite the studio audience to participate in the show's action. All the other characters were aware they were in a TV show as well. The meta extended right up through the show's unforgettable theme song:
161	-->Garry called me up and asked if I could write his theme song / It's almost halfway finished / How do you like it so far?
162	* Unlike the other characters in ''Series/TheJulekalender'', the Nisses know they're fictional and break the fourth wall frequently. Some examples are "We could use that line in another episode", "You can't use violence in a {{Julekalender}}" and "We've spent 24 episodes on this".
163	* At the end of the ''Series/JustShootMe'' episode "Erlene and Boo", Dennis goes to bed with Nina's half-sister Erlene, played by Brooke Shields. Halfway through the scene, Shields breaks character and questions why her character would sleep with him. Laura San Giacomo (Maya) informs her that David Spade had paid off the writers to have his character end up with beautiful women.
164	* ''Series/KenanAndKel'' had a subtle one. In an episode where an X-Ray reveals that Kel's chest is orange in the inside, Kenan remarks:
165	-->'''Kenan:''' Oh, man! Your insides are more orange than the {{Creator/Nickelodeon}} logo!
166	** Actually, there was one nearly every episode. After Kenan came up with a crazy idea and Kel was unable to talk him out of it. He would often look at the camera and say: "Oh, here it goes!" This was done to prepare the audience for the hilarity that would ensue.
167	* The BBC series ''Lovejoy''. During the first five minutes of each episode, Ian [=McShane's=] character Lovejoy, an antiques dealer/con artist/detective, talks directly to the camera, explaining a key plot point in the episode or an obscure fact about the antiques trade. One episode, where he was scamming a crooked dealer with a forged Russian church icon, his junior partner and a friend dress as Russian sailors to complete the scam. Lovejoy turns to the camera and comments, "They look about as Russian as Stevie Wonder."
168	* ''Series/MadeInCanada'': Almost every episode begins with Richard speaking to the camera in the {{cold open}}er, giving some insight into the lives of producers and executive, corporate life and almost every episode features one of the story's primary characters (occasionally a guest star) saying to the camera either "I think that went well," or "This is not good."
169	** In one episode where each of three characters is telling their story à la WholeEpisodeFlashback, Richard walks into the office of Veronica and is seen speaking to an unseen entity "I think that went well," where Veronica responds confusedly "Get out of my office!"
170	* In ''Series/MagnumPI'', often after some event, Thomas Magnum (played by Creator/TomSelleck) would look directly at the camera and grin.
171	* ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle'' did this on a regular basis, as it was part of the show. Several times in every episode, Malcolm would turn to the audience and speak to them as if they were a diary, explaining his feelings about what was going on in the show.
172	* A Christmas episode of ''Series/MidsomerMurders'' ended with DI Barnaby opening the front door of his house to discover it has started snowing. He is joined by his family on the doorstep and they all look directly at the camera and wish the audience a Merry Christmas.
173	* ''Series/TheMightyBoosh'' breaks the fourth wall constantly, in fact the first series features an intro by Howard and Vince in character, in front of a velvet curtain, suggesting it's all a stage play. This would make sense, since in season 1 Howard and Vince work in a zoo, but but in season 2 they're sharing a flat with two other zoo residents, Naboo the shaman and Bollo the gorilla. In season three they run a shop together. Also, in the intro to 'Charlie', Howard introduces fictional actor Simon [=McFarnaby=], who then goes on to play another character in the show.
174	** Vince often speaks to the camera, and in 'Charlie', he shoos the camera away, saying he has private zoo business to attend to (in reality he is having a romantic dinner with a panda)
175	** In the intro to 'Bollo', Vince mentions that the episode will feature outlandish special effects, and Howard tells him they would have been better, but they spent a lot of the budget on Vince's hair. Later, when Vince tries to put his hand through Howard's ghost and finds he can't, Howard's ghost reminds him that they blew the budget on his hair.
176	** In season 3's 'The Power of the Crimp', Vince is behaving bleak and sad, and Howard asks whether Vince has his script.
177	** In 'Party', also from season 3, Howard states that he is ten years older then Vince, at which point Howard looks guiltily at the camera, everything freezes, and ominous music plays. The same thing happens later to Tony Harrison when he states that Howard is older than him.
178	* ''Series/MimpiMetropolitan'' breaks the fourth wall regularly ever since the 40s episode.
179	** In the ending of episode 21, Bambang asks the audience what should he do after realizing entertainment industry tells a lot of lies to its audience.
180	** In episode 36, Bambang tells Wawan to stop feeding him and the camera to stop making a big deal out of it, even breaking character too.
181	** In episode 44, Bambang confides to the audience that he feels all his efforts to get Melani were pointless.
182	** Later in episode 44, after his third attempt at apologizing to Melani failed, Bambang asks the audience what should he do now that all his apology plans has failed.
183	** Episode 45: Alan tells the audience to not follow the example of the two men [[BystanderSyndrome recording him and Bobby chasing a pickpocket instead of helping them]].
184	** Episode 48: Bambang thanks the audience for [[spoiler:supporting him until he finally becomes Melani's boyfriend.]]
185	** In episode 49, Bambang tells any audience who is still single to not get jealous [[spoiler:seeing him holding hands with Melani.]]
186	** In the ending of episode 49, Alexi teases the audience for waiting for an [[EveryEpisodeEnding ending quote]] before trying to give one himself.
187	** In episode 51, after Melani left him because (in her eyes) he couldn't control his jealousy again, Bambang asks for help from the audience, before realizing [[TakeThatAudience he shouldn't talk to singles]].
188	** Episode 53: During Nancy—Saodah's confrontation, Alan looks at the camera and says that if this is a soap opera, they would be pulling each other hair.
189	** Later, after seeing Alexi refuses Nancy one-million price in favor of two-millions one, Alan tells the audience (particularly, mothers) to feed their children milk instead of accumulator water so that they won't become like Alexi.
190	** Episode 54: When Alexi finds no one in his soon-to-be new office, Alexi assumes he is being secretly recorded for a show and accuses the audience of recording him.
191	** Episode 55: Alexi notices that the episode is making fun of his angst about Melani not loving him. The episode accordingly plays sad music.
192	** Also in episode 55, Prima asks the creative team and writers (via the camera) whether he will get a romance arc of his own. The camera "says" no.
193	** Episode 56:
194	*** Bambang asks the audience what did he do wrong this time after Melani yelled at him.
195	*** Alan gets Bambang to stop crying by threatening to show a close-up of Bambang's mouth to the audience.
196	*** After seeing another Bambang—Melani drama, Mami Bibir wonders out loud how many episodes they are in. Bambang answers "56".
197	*** Juna complains about how his good luck is gone ever since episode 45.
198	** Episode 57: After Mami Bibir's give him some "criticism and suggestion", Alexi asks the audience to give him some too by "calling the numbers below".
199	** Also in episode 57, Juna asks the camera whether they're ready if Juna comes to their house in a ''pocong'' ghost costume.
200	** Episode 60: When remembering that time [[ContinuityNod Prima was stalked by Yola]], Alan tells the audience to not expect a flashback and go watch episode 18 and 19 instead.
201	** After hearing Sandi comments that Bambang couldn't be Melani's girlfriend in episode 61, Bambang asks the audience whether his relationship with Melani is that unbelieveable. The camera nods.
202	** Early in episode 63, Mami Bibir gives a gossip-news-like quote to the camera. She also tells the camera to stop focusing on her lips.
203	** In episode 63, when Alan starts worrying about whether Pipin likes Bambang or not, Alan asks the audience to assure him that it couldn't be true.
204	** In episode 64, after Alexi has a crying scene, Alexi asks the editor of the episode to not add too many comedic crow sound effect. The editor already did.
205	** In the last episode, when Juna asks him whether they still have a chance at winning Melani over, Alexi randomly turns to the audience and asks them to participate in answering the question, much to Juna's frustration.
206	* Miranda Hart does this all the time in ''Series/Miranda2009'' - usually by commenting that someone who has insulted her is "Rude actually!" or by making faces when someone else does something silly or gross.
207	* ''Series/ThatMitchellAndWebbLook'' had a scene called "Everything's scripted" where Robert Webb speculates on whether the audience likes "these private moments where we just be ourselves". Until David Mitchell points out the scene is all scripted and produces the script. David is amazed at this and says "Bloody hell, it says I say 'bloody hell'.". Eventually David says it says "Cut to a shot of the script and you get a textual [[DrosteImage Droste Image]] or a script that repeats "Cut to a shot of the script" over and over again.
208	* ''Series/TheMonkees'' did this frequently. One episode had a story where the band needs a great idea to get out of a bad situation, and Micky Dolenz literally walks out of the set, past the production crew, and leaves the studio to go to the writers' room. The writers (who are all stereotypical old Asian men) quickly come up with something for Micky, who returns to the set and suddenly throws the page away as terrible.
209	** Another episode had a hooker approach Micky, who hissed at her, "Not now; this is a ''family'' show!"
210	** An episode parodying Robinson Crusoe had a native character repeatedly popping up in the middle of the action to say "[[WhoWritesThisCrap Who writes this stuff]]?"
211	** Too many examples to name here (watch any episode, and there's bound to be at least one...or ten). The Monkees' wacky sitcom universe literally had NoFourthWall.
212	* Done a few times on ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus''. At the end of the "Crunchy Frog" sketch, for example, Mr. Praline turns to the audience and says "It's a fair cop", as he's being led away by the police, and the officer leading him away admonishes him with "And stop talking to the camera!"
213	** A recurring Python joke, it was even used in the movie, after the witch is balanced with a duck.
214	** You could say that Monty Python's Fourth Wall consists of nothing but holes.
215	** Surely the most common and well known Python example is John Cleese sat at the news desk saying "..and now for something completely different"
216	** We mustn't forget the Dirty Fork skit, which is even set up by a black cue-card stating "And now, the punch line."
217	** "Gentlemen, I have shocking news! This room is [[VideoInsideFilmOutside surrounded by film]]!"
218	* It's fair to say that ''Series/{{Moonlighting}}'' did not break the fourth wall as it never had a fourth wall to begin with. It was the show that ended with a scene in which an ABC suit walks on stage to inform the characters that they have been canceled and will cease to exist in six minutes while stagehands are tearing down the set around them.
219	** To be more clear, there was a fourth wall which started to be broken during the second season. The NoFourthWall bits start to appear more gradually during the fourth and fifth seasons (the later one being the one that was cancelled).
220	* ''Series/TheMrsBradleyMysteries'' had heavy doses of both straight Wallbreaking and FourthWallPsych.
221	* Agnes Brown does this with monologues at the beginning and the end of each episode of ''Series/MrsBrownsBoys''.
222	* During the 2003 MTV Music Awards, Gollum wins the then-newly-created Best Virtual Performance award. Things start off normally enough, with Andy Serkis shown in the motion-capture studio giving a standard acceptance speech. Then Gollum steps in, swipes the award from Serkis' hands, and begins ranting about the awful conditions during the making of ''The Two Towers'', verbally discharging both barrels at several key people and organizations involved in the movie's creation, including Andy Serkis himself. You can see it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuUGdXGhurQ here]]; just make sure you're not eating or drinking anything, lest you cover your monitor with it from laughing.
223	* ''Series/NedsDeclassifiedSchoolSurvivalGuide'' earned its namesake from Ned giving the audience advice in every single episode.
224	** One occasion where someone other than Ned broke the fourth wall was in "Guide to Girls". After Moze finishes writing tips, Ned adds the final thing she must do: face the camera and elaborate on the tips while the theme music plays from a boom box.
225	** In the "Guide to Extra Credit", when Moze shows Ned and Cookie her extra credit project, a volcano, Ned says "But it's just so played out, and it's been like on every TV show ever," after which all three of them turn to the camera and back.
226	* ''Series/NewsRadio'' did this in the Titanic ParodyEpisode where Dave and Mr. James comment about the lack of peril around them as the "ship" sinks. They say it was probably due to the production team blowing the special effects budget on the previous breakroom scene.
227	%%* Johnny Crawfish from ''Series/TheNoddyShop'' tends to do this when telling jokes.
228	* ''Series/NorthernExposure'' does this in "War and Peace", when Maurice gets into a duel with the visiting Russian chess player. [[spoiler:Just before the shooting starts, Joel holds up his hands, silences everyone, and announces that the show "play[s] to a very sophisticated audience" unlikely to buy the story that Maurice would kill his opponent in a duel or be killed himself. The rest of the characters then chime in about the implausibility of the plotline.]]
229	* While ''Series/OddSquad'' is chock-full of MediumAwareness (what with characters being aware they're on a TV show), there are times where characters will actively break the fourth wall to address the audience.
230	** In "Party of 5, 4, 3, 2, 1", Olive tells Dr. O, Ms. O and Otto that she plans to run through the rest of her New Year's Resolutions with BGM and numbers backing her up in a montage. She also looks directly at the camera more than once during said montage.
231	** While it's unintentional, [[https://image.pbs.org/video-assets/pbs-kids/odd-squad/160300/images/kids-mezzannine-16x9_985.jpg one shot]] in "The One That Got Away" is framed so that the Main 4 are looking directly at the camera.
232	** In "Show Me The Money", Olympia and Otis perform a jazz fusion song for Delivery Debbie, then Olympia asks her if she and Otis can put the song into a montage of the two agents searching around town for the loose unlucky coin. The entire montage is underscored with that very song.
233	** When delegating roles to her agents in "The Creature Whisperer", Ms. O calls for Dr. O just to tell her that she plays no role in the episode. Dr. O then leaves and isn't seen again.
234	** The end of "A Job Well Undone" has Olympia do a full-on parody of [[AwardShow award shows]] and addresses the audience, thanking them for helping her win the Agent of the Month award. Otis, on the other hand, turns to the camera and [[AudienceWhatAudience asks who she's talking to]] before walking away with Ms. O in tow.
235	** The episode "Sir" has a sort of unusual example. While it's a POVCam episode with the POV in question being that of Sir, the client, the episode's intention is to make the audience feel like the characters are addressing them instead of him.
236	** In "Agent Orchid's Almost Half Hour Talent Show", Olympia suggests that Orchid make the eponymous show 30 minutes long, only for Orchid to tell her that no one likes shows that are longer than 20 minutes. The show itself is a half-hour long, counting interstitials and network promos, making this not only breaking the fourth wall, but also SelfDeprecation and BitingTheHandHumor (directed at Creator/PBSKids and their shows which also last a half-hour long).
237	** At the end of "Running on Empty", Opal tries to recite her RousingSpeech once more...only for her to get cut off by the episode ending on a SmashToBlack. Cue her outraged cry: ''"Seriously?!"''
238	** When attempting to find a gift for Orla in "Orla's Birthday", Oswald shoots down Omar's idea of giving socks to her and begins to launch into a flashback about a game Odd Squad agents used to play back in ancient times. Omar interrupts him by saying that they don't have time for a flashback (complete with it shattering as it falls offscreen), causing Oswald to tell him that he's missing out on beautiful imagery.
239	** The trope is directly referenced in one "Odd Squad Needs You" advertisement -- which are examples of the trope themselves, having characters directly addressing the audience and facing the camera.
240	--> '''Oswald:''' I joined because the fourth wall should never be broken. ''[waves to the camera]'' Hi there, people watching this!
241	* ''Series/OnTheHouse'': In "Take Me to Your Leader", Dr. Stanley looks directly into the camera and gives a rant about how he will stop at nothing to let Charlie's men hold back his floodtide of progress.
242	* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'':
243	** ''Series/PowerRangersNinjaStorm'' often [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] and outright parodied various PR conventions. Only Lothor (who wasn't GenreSavvy but certainly had a sense of humor) ever actually broke the fourth wall, however. This was in the episode "Tongue and Cheek", when after [[MakeMyMonsterGrow making the monster grow]], he turned to the camera (with an Extreme Close Up on his face) and asked, "What'd you expect? It wasn't going to get smaller."
244	*** In the GrandFinale, after getting his own HumongousMecha and ripping apart both the Rangers and the countryside, he yells, "This is the most fun I've had all season!"
245	** ''Series/PowerRangersMysticForce'' has this at the end of the final episode, with Clare turning to the camera and using a vanishing spell before her voice says "The End."
246	** ''Series/PowerRangersSamurai'' has Antonio, the Gold Samurai Ranger, whose Barracuda Blade attack is too fast to actually see. After he quickly defeats some [[{{Mooks}} Moogers]], he ''turns to the camera and gives an instant replay of what happened, with the fight slowed down so the audience can see what happened.''
247	* ''Series/ThePrisoner1967'' has a variation in the episode "A, B, and C", where Number Six is drugged so that his dreams can be manipulated to discover why he resigned. Eventually he catches on and retains control of his last dream, and when it seems the answer will finally be revealed he states "We mustn't disappoint the people watching," referring equally well to the actual characters and the audience.
248	** The finale episode, "Fall Out", contains more straightforward examples of fourth-wall breaking. No. 48 on two occasions looks directly into the camera (the second time basically saluting it as the actor's name appeared on screen), and No. 2 says "Be seeing you" directly at the camera in another scene.
249	* In ''Series/RadioEnfer'', TheTeaser nearly always ends with one of the characters directly looking to the camera and saying "You're listening to Radio Enfer!" In most cases, it was justified, due to the fact they were in a radio booth with a window leading to the cafeteria, meaning they could have simply looked at the students present in said cafeteria. Other times, they did it outside of the radio booth, thus actually breaking the fourth wall in those cases.
250	** In one case, Vincent even grabs the camera and restrains it in place so that the cameraman wouldn't bother Carl and Maria while the latter two are busy making out.
251	* ''Series/RaisingHope'': At the beginning of the 2nd half of the episode "Throw Maw Maw From the House", Maw Maw is shown in a nursing home. She turns to the camera and begins recapping the previous episode. Cut to a pair of orderlies asking each other what she is doing. The camera cuts back to show Maw Maw is talking to the wall next to her. So, in addition to breaking the fourth wall, they [[LampshadeHanging hung a lampshade on it]] as well. The same episode ends with Maw Maw saying to the camera:
252	-->'''Maw Maw:''' Tune in next week for the exciting conclusion. ''[laughs]'' Just kidding. No, you can't stretch this crap into a three-parter.
253	* The 2000s remake of ''Series/RandallAndHopkirkDeceased'' features a memorable moment when the ghost, Marty Hopkirk, is talking to his after-life mentor, Professor Wyvern. He asks what Wyvern truly looks like. With all of the comic menace that only Creator/TomBaker can impart, Wyvern replies, "Trust me, Marty. You don't want to know. ''You really don't want to know''." Upon which, both Hopkirk and Wyvern turn to stare fearfully at the audience...
254	* ''Series/TheRopers'': This was a signature of Mr. Roper; he would deliver a one-liner or zinger and then turn to the camera and smile mischeviously.
255	* Mexican soap-opera ''Series/LaRosaDeGuadalupe'' is one of the biggest offenders for use of this trope. Up until 2013, the main character in an episode of the show talks to the audience to explain [[AnAesop the moral of the chapter.]]
256	* ''Series/RuPaulsDragRace'': During the third "All Stars" season's Snatch Game, Creator/TrixieMattel does a cringeworthy impersonation of [=RuPaul=] that mostly consists of badly-timed one-liners. In a ConfessionCam segment, Creator/{{Shangela}} points directly at the camera and says "[[TakeThatAudience Y'all told her on the Internet it was funny.]] I blame y'all."
257	* ''Series/RutlandWeekendTelevision'', by ''Monty Python'''s own Eric Idle, had many examples of this, mostly making itself evident through LampshadeHanging, MediumAwareness and a lot of LeaningOnTheFourthWall, but it turned this into a joke with the "[[RageAgainstTheAuthor Trapped By The Writer]]" skit. It goes from being funny when the characters realize that everything they say or do is scripted, to [[HilarityEnsues hilarious]] when the writer realizes that he can make the characters do anything he desires them to, and consequently [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity goes mad with power]].
258	* Greek Live Action series ''S1ngles'' breaks the 4th Wall constantly via various means but in the second season (S1ngles 2) the main characters go as far as taking the Director and the Script Writer as hostages, requesting changes in the plot.
259	* ''Sai De Baixo'' (a slang sentence in Brazilian Portuguese that can be translated as "look out below") is a Brazilian sitcom that first aired on Rede Globo and the show was shot before a live audience, but instead of using a studio scenario, the producers decided to use a theatre in São Paulo, the Procópio Ferreira Theater. Result of this all? More often than not, the characters would directly interact with the audience, sometimes making queries for an answer or going off stage to interact with them.
260	** It went further: The premiere of a season was broadcasted live, with all the pressure that it involves being played for laughs. At the commercial break, a little interview with the director was shown, with him saying how great being live was, and that he wished all the episodes could be that way. First thing in the next block one characters tells the other to start fumbling the lines, because “the director is wanting to do this live every week and I can’t handle that.”
261	* ''Series/TheSaint'': Early seasons (specifically the black and white ones) begin with Simon Templar addressing the audience about the locale or circumstance he's in. A character would then usually start talking to him and the plot would begin. Simon would then break the fourth wall one more time as the Saint halo appeared over his head, launching the opening credits. For the rest of the episode, Simon would no longer break the fourth wall.
262	* ''Series/SamAndCat'', Episode "[=#FirstClassProblems=]". Cat shows Sam a list of babysiting rules containing the following:
263	-->[[FreezeFrameBonus Rule 5: "You should not freeze-frame on this. Click 'Play' and continue watching the show."]]
264	* Zack Morris on ''Series/SavedByTheBell'' had the power to freeze a scene and then turn and address the viewers directly. He would also usually make little asides to the audience as a closing gag for an episode.
265	* ''Series/ScenesFromAMarriage2021'': The episodes begin with the cast and crew getting into position before the camera goes action, allowing for another layer of artificiality and pretense in a show about a marriage where both parties are pretending. The very last scene of the show are the two lead actors wrapping up the final scene and heading off the set together.
266	* In a ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' episode, JD shows up in an Italian suit, and he asks Carla what she thinks of it. She says something derogatory, and JD goes "Well it doesn't really matter what you think, it's what ''you'' think that counts," as he turns to the camera. Scene change, and Elliot's standing there, commenting on that he doesn't really fill it out. Once again, JD brushes this off and goes "Well it doesn't matter what you think either, it's whether or not ''America likes it'' as he looks into the camera again. [[FourthWallPsych Scene change]] and an Italian tailor is standing there going "Of course I like it, I made it! And it's ''Amerigo!''"!
267	** They did this because there was a home viewer contest going on, with on-screen promos in that very scene.
268	** And at the end of the opening sequence, again. JD walks away from the scene, looks at the camera and goes "We'll be right back." scene change, Carla and Nurse Roberts. Carla: "Was he talking to us?", Roberts: "Mmmm hmmm."
269	** In the very first episode of the eighth season, which had been shown on NBC since the first season and had recently been moved to ABC, there is a scene where JD appears, points at where the ABC logo is on the screen and goes "Hmm, that's new." Apparently, he's just pointing at the Janitor's new watch. The joke is completely ruined on other channels, especially because JD has to point in a very odd way in order to point at the ABC logo.
270	* In one episode of the 80s Canadian mystery show ''Series/SeeingThings'', Louis Ciccone responds to a question with "I don't know. We'll probably find out before the next commercial break."
271	* One episode of ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' did this as a homage to all the times Superman pulled it off. After winning a race to impress the GirlOfTheWeek (named Lois), to the uproaring tune of the John Williams Superman score, we get this exchange.
272	-->'''Lois:''' So will you come to Hawaii with me, Jerry?\
273	'''Jerry:''' Maybe I will, Lois. Maybe I will. ''[winks at camera]''
274	* ''Series/TheSerpentQueen'': Catherine often gives asides to the camera, particularly when in the episodes when she's a teenager.
275	* ''Series/SexAndTheCity'' did this in a couple early episodes, with Carrie addressing the camera directly. It didn't take them long to shift to her providing voice-over narration in each episode, which continued for the rest of the series.
276	* ''Series/SherlockHolmes'': in the episode "The Copper Beeches", the final scene has Dr. Watson reading aloud from his account of the adventure that he and Sherlock Holmes had just concluded. Then he turns to Holmes, who had earlier expressed criticism of Watson's writing, and sarcastically asks, "You don't think I put too much color and life into it, do you?" Holmes replies, "I leave all questions of literary style to your expertise!" before turning and looking directly into the camera with a hint of a smile.
277	* ''Series/{{Space 1999}}'' has one in the episode "Black Sun". After a series of miraculous events result in a feelgood ending, Professor Victor Bergman starts to walk up a corridor, then turns and salutes the camera with his cigar.
278	* ''Series/StargateSG1'':
279	** One episode has Carter whistling the show's music after meeting Pete. (Originally she was supposed to whistle the ''Series/{{MacGyver\|1985}}'' theme — she was in the elevator with O'Neill / Richard Dean Anderson / [=MacGyver=] [really would've been no fourth wall there] — but when she couldn't remember the tune, she ad-libbed with the Stargate theme.)
280	** In "Fallen", upon seeing Teal'c, one of the villagers from the planet of the week fearfully said, "H-He is Jaffa!" [[DeadpanSnarker O'Neill]] casually responds, "No, but he plays one on TV." This is perfectly in character for O'Neill.
281	** In "Homecoming", upon hearing the news that Anubis has just appropriated Jonas' planet's entire supply of Naquadriah, O'Niell starts humming some ominous music which is immediately followed by the exact same piece being played as the show fades into a commercial break.
282	** And in "200" Martin Lloyd complains about budget cuts that shortened the third act of his film and says that now it 'just ends.' The third act of the episode promptly ends.
283	* The ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "Journey to Babel" ends with Kirk, Spock, Sarek, Amanda and Nurse Chapel all starting to argue about something. One by one, [=McCoy=] gets them all to shut up, then when he finally has silence he turns to face the camera and says "Well, what do you know? I finally got the last word."
284	* After dealing with the [[HolodeckMalfunction holodeck-generated Moriarty]] in the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "Ship in a Bottle", Picard muses that perhaps his reality is simply a simulation being played out on a box on someone's table.
285	** It goes beyond that. Barclay, who is left in the meeting room alone after Picard makes that statement, is visibly disturbed. As if to test the theory, he says aloud, "Computer, End program." Seemingly pleased that nothing happens, he relaxes and leaves the room. [[DoubleSubversion Then the credits roll]].
286	* On ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', during the CourtroomDrama episode "Rules of Engagement", whenever witnesses on the stand are relating their experiences, the event is shown on screen as a FlashBack; except the witness speaks directly to the camera, since they are actually describing the scene to the court. [[WordOfGod Ira Steven Behr]] said that he got the idea while watching Creator/SpikeLee's film ''Film/{{Clockers}}''.
287	* ''Series/TheState'' had a sketch which subverted this, purporting to be a revolutionary new SitCom that ''showed'' the fourth wall. A wall was moved in front of the set, blocking the audience's view of the scene.
288	* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' broke the fourth wall plenty of times, especially in the episode "The French Mistake", when Sam and Dean crash through a window and [[RealWorldEpisode land in an Alternate Reality]] where they're actors Creator/JaredPadalecki and Creator/JensenAckles for the show ''Supernatural''. When they look for Castiel, they end up finding Creator/MishaCollins, the Website/{{Twitter}} addicted actor who plays Castiel.
289	** Castiel breaks the fourth wall by directly looking at the camera in "The Man Who Would Be King".
290	--->'''Castiel''': Let me tell you everything.
291	** Done in Season 10 when they find a high school musical based on the books on their lives. When Marie tells Dean about Destiel's subtext (pairing Dean/Castiel)- a [[FanPreferredCouple fan-favorite couple of the actual show]]- Dean looks at the camera with an annoyed look on his face.
292	* The episodes of the second series of ''Series/TheThinBlueLine'' started with Inspector Fowler delivering a short intro to the audience, often ending with a very strange simile.
293	* Landlord Mr. Roper frequently does this on ''Series/ThreesCompany'' whenever he makes a disparaging remark about his wife. He looks into the camera as if to say "that was a good one, wasn't it?"
294	* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'':
295	** In a rather bizarre episode, "A World of His Own" (1960), a playwright (Keenan Wynn) with the ability to bring his characters to life and destroy them if they get unruly erases Creator/RodSerling during Serling's trademark epilogue (though Serling topped and tailed every episode of the first season and all but one episode of the entire run[[note]]season four's "Jess-Belle" is the only episode with no closing narration by the great man[[/note]], this is the first episode where he actually appears on screen). The producers felt they could do something like this as it was the (first) season finale and they could lighten up a bit.
296	** At the very end of the episode "The Dummy" (1962), the main character turns and gives the audience an ominous stare.
297	* In the episode "What a Lovely Landing Strip" on ''Series/TwoAndAHalfMen'' Walden's ex-wife literally breaks the fourth wall of the sitcom's main stage, which we've never seen before and was specially constructed for the scene, by driving through it with her car.
298	* In a 1952 episode of the {{Anthology}} series ''Tales of Tomorrow,'' the live broadcast is interrupted by another live broadcast, leading to scenes of the ''Tales of Tomorrow'' production crew trying to figure out what's going on, and, once the realize that the other broadcast shows people plotting a murder, trying to stop what's happening. [[https://youtu.be/DrdL4HkOr6M Watch here.]]
299	* In the ''Series/UFO1970'' episode "Mindbender", GreenRocks make Commander Straker start to hallucinate that he's an actor in a sci-fi television series. As he remembers being Straker but can clearly see the cameras and backstage crew around him, he naturally starts to go insane.
300	* The sitcom ''Series/UnhappilyEverAfter'' broke the fourth wall regularly. In fact, almost every episode they acknowledged that they were characters on a sitcom. They would address the audience, talk to the camera, mention what the subject of the episode was, etc.
301	* One episode of ''Series/WizardsOfWaverlyPlace'' ended with the cast inviting guest star Moises Arias to take their picture. They then showed him their album containing pictures taken by all their guest stars. [[spoiler: Of course, since the guest stars took the pictures, they didn't appear in any of them.]] Then everyone leaves except David Henrie, who says he likes to stay behind after shooting to play with the props.
302	** Harper, in "Alex Saves Mason" after getting her kiss with Zeke interrupted one time too many.
303	* Done in ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess'' in the episode "Lyre Lyre Hearts on Fire", when Xena starts her electric guitar solo (don't ask) with [[DiegeticSoundtrackUsage a riff of the]] ''[[DiegeticSoundtrackUsage Xena]]'' [[DiegeticSoundtrackUsage theme song]].
304	** And in the episode "The Play's The Thing" Joxer, as the producer of a particularly horrendious play, is left hanging from the ceiling as the main characters walk off to watch [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffus, the Bacchae Slayer]], yells 'Hello?! You guys?! Hey! I'm the producer! Anybody?! Hello?! ''I'm gonna tell my brother!!!'.'' Now, the character does have two brothers, but neither of them would be very useful here, nor is he very close to them. The ''actor's'' brother, on the other hand, is Sam Raimi, the executive producer (with Robert Tapert) of ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess'' (Joxer's final line coincides with the credit for Raimi and Tapert coming on screen).
305	** In one of the ''Series/HerculesTheLegendaryJourneys'' AU episodes, three of the male characters start [[DiegeticSoundtrackUsage whistling the]] ''[[DiegeticSoundtrackUsage Hercules]]'' [[DiegeticSoundtrackUsage theme song]] while peeing at the urinals. (Yes, ''urinals''... it's set in the present day. Long story.)
306	** At the end of the episode "Callisto" as Xena and Gabrielle walk pass by a captured Callisto and her army in chains, Gabrielle tells Xena 'I'm glad you saved Callisto' Xena replies 'It was the right thing to do'. After they're off screen, Callisto repeats to herself 'The right thing to do...' then looks up to the camera and adds 'That's what they think.' with a smile.
307	* At the end of an episode of ''Series/YesDear'' has Jimmy saying "How hot is that?" while looking straight into the camera.

Context BreakingTheFourthWall / LiveActionTV