So, you're watching a Superman movie, and he is in the midst of a great action sequence. He flies past a plane and the point of view switches. Suddenly, you're watching the passengers on the inside of the plane. A voice chirps up on the intercom and says:
"...and to your left, you'll see Superman."
This is the basic tour guide gag; all the action is happening outside the vehicle, and we hear it explained on the inside of the vehicle. This can also include tours that appear in unlikely places. In those situations, the dialogue is not really necessary.
Often overlaps with Passing Judgment, when the passengers and the tour at appalled at a character doing something embarrassing in public.
Examples:
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Advertising
- A 1999 ad for the Walt Disney World vacation planning video has a plane flying over the resort with the pilot going over what they have there for adults and how to order the video. Soon, every passenger is asking him to repeat the phone number to order them.
Anime and Manga
- At one point in Hellsing, Alucard and Anderson fight each other in an art museum. Disgusted with their attacking each other yet again, Seras picks up a group of tourists and guides them past the two - who promptly pose as statues.
Comic Books
- In Ziggy Pig - Silly Seal Comics, Ziggy's mom gives herself a tour through the Sanctum Sanctorium, then snaps a selfie with herself, Wong, and Doctor Strange.
Comic Strips
- In Madam & Eve, Eve turns the Anderson's home into a tourist attraction here.
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Eve: "Tourists want to see the real South Africa."
Film
- In Muppet Treasure Island, an Establishing Shot of an island location gets interrupted by a tour group walking into the shot.
Tour guide: And here's a photo opportunity you will not want to miss: the actual jungle location for the movie Muppet Treasure Island.
- Killer Tomatoes Eat France: the villains have set up an ancient medieval castle as their base of operations. Fitting except for the tour groups that keep coming through.
Tour Guide: And this is a giant fire-breathing tomato. [tomato eats her]
- Played With in some fashion in the Get Smart film. A tour guide is showing a group around the museum display of the Cold War-era, defunct CONTROL...which is alive and well, and the entrance is right beside the display.
- Shrek Forever After: One of the annoyances Shrek has to deal with in his now-domesticated life is that his home is now part of a tour route. The green ogre is not amused, especially after the bus accidentally knocks over his outhouse while he's using it.
Fiona: Let's talk about this after the party, at home.Shrek: You mean that roadside attraction we live in? "Step right up! See the dancing orge! Don't worry, he won't bite!" I used to be an ogre! Now, I'm just a jolly green joke!
- In Cats Don't Dance a studio tour gets caught in a flood and the guide assures the tourists that it's all just special effects.
- In Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Gabato (a tour guide by trade) has the gag "to your left, you'll see the Pacific Ocean. To your right, is the other side of the Pacific Ocean." He repeats the gag at the end of the film when they're in the Nautilus.
- Inverted in Airplane!. Captain Oveur wants to distract the passengers from the unconscious co-pilot and navigator being dragged to the back of the plane, so he mentions landmarks that can be viewed while the stewardesses drag the unconscious crew. Unlike other examples, all the action is in the plane, and the stuff outside is a diversion and, giving that the movie is a comedy, it works.
- In Toy Story 2, when Andy's toys reach the Barbie aisle of Al's Toy Barn in a toy convertible in search of Al's office, they ask the Barbies if they know where Al is. One of them, Tour Guide Barbie, tells them she can help, and takes over the driver's seat, giving the toys a tour of Al's Toy Barn rather than taking them directly to Al's office as they intended. During the tour, she goes over some rules, such as keeping all arms, legs, and accessories inside the vehicle, no flash photography, and holding all questions until the end of the tour. She shows up again during the very end of the film's blooper reel, saying goodbye to the viewers and reminding them to properly dispose of their trash.
Live-Action TV
- Happens on a studio tour in season 3 of Arrested Development. Lampshaded by both parties.
Michael Bluth: More like "Malcolm in the Middle-of-Shooting"Frankie Muniz: (waving) That's alright! It's more important to show how we make the show than to actually make the show!
- Strangely averted on 30 Rock, despite taking place in a TV studio and featuring a main character that conducts studio tours.
- In the Doctor Who story "The Chase", the titular pursuit of the First Doctor and company by a team of time-traveling Daleks includes an encounter with a guided tour of the Empire State Building's observation deck in 1966. The scene is also notable in that just as you're thinking the tour guide's fake Brooklyn accent is really bad, a comedy yokel claiming to be from Alabama is on the tour and starts interacting with the regulars, looking for all the world like he might board the TARDIS and join them in their adventures. (He does, in a way, in that his actor plays a second character later in the story and becomes the next new companion.)
- The pilot makes this type of joke when the main characters take a flight in The Golden Girls:
Pilot: Ladies and gentleman, if you all look to the left side of the aircraft...
[all passengers lean over]
Pilot: ...it will tip over.
Radio
- Bleak Expectations: During series 3, when Pip Bin and his family become poor, Mr. Benevolent shows up to taunt them by showing around a group from his "Witness Pip Bin's Humiliation" tour, complete with obnoxiously condescending American tourists. In Victorian London.
Tourist: We just love your hovel. It's so quaint.
- The pilot announcement at the start of the Cabin Pressure episode "Fitton" (actually Arthur mucking about while vacuuming the cockpit):
Arthur: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, lords and ladies, Your Majesty. This is your captain speaking, Captain Wing-Commander Sir Arthur Shappey, welcoming you aboard this world-record-attempting flight around ... the world. Passengers on both sides of the aircraft should have excellent views of ... the world. If you find we're going over a bit of the world you like the look of, do please ring your little bell and one of the cabin crew will fit you with a parachute and chuck you out. Otherwise, enjoy the flight and when we get to Sydney, do keep an eye out for the Sydney Harbour Bridge, I'm gonna have a crack at flying underneath it!
Video Games
- Played with in Tachyon: The Fringe. In one mission, you have to babysit a cruiseliner carrying wealthy civilians to sight-see IN SPACE, and protect them from Space Pirate attacks. In the event that enemy fighters attack, you're offered a bonus if you can put on a show for the crowd. The tour guide commentates on your dog fight.
Web Original
- The Nostalgia Critic pulls this gag in his Raiders of the Story Arc review of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when the Turtle Van can drive straight to the Technodrome without any problems.
- Earlier, in Double Dragon (1994) as the heroes in a speedboat sail by a tour boat ("Up to your right, you'll see a shitty movie being made").
- For Alaska: "And to your right is a rotting corpse." "OOOOH!"
Western Animation
- In an episode of Family Guy Peter and his friends are trapped on what they believe to be a remote island. At one point, they decide to have an orgy, thinking no one will see. The next shot is of a cruise ship passing by the island:
Captain: And if you look to your right, you will see a group of homosexuals.
- Two episodes of Tiny Toon Adventures got mileage out of the line "And to your left is a naked pig." Poor Hamton.
- A Running Gag in Histeria!, which had the tour guide as a standard character.
- Rocko's Modern Life: The tour guide absolutely refuses to let any tourist off the bus. Lest they face severe repercussions.
- SpongeBob SquarePants:
- In "Pranks a Lot", while SpongeBob and Patrick are naked, a tour bus passes them with the guide saying "And on your right if you look, you'll see two naked guys fighting over a can of paint!"
- In "No Pictures Please", Patrick takes a tour guide's hat. He is then mistaken for being an actual tour guide by a new visitor to Bikini Bottom. Patrick shows him various ridiculous sights, such as a hole he dug yesterday and a guy who once called him a bad word. At one point, Patrick says "And if you look to your left... you'll miss everything on your right." And later, when the original tour guide sees Patrick and the tourist again:
Tour guide: And on your left, the Bikini Bottom post office. On your right is a zombie chasing the guys who stole my hat!
