History LeftTheBackgroundMusicOn / LiveActionTV

* ''Series/StarTrekStrangeNewWorlds'': ''Subspace Rhapsody'' is a MusicalEpisode explained by technobabble, and while it is clear right from the start of the singing that it can be heard in-universe too, it takes a fair bit into the first song before it comes up that the characters can also hear the ''music'' (and no-one has any idea where it is coming from other than "not on the ship").

** In ''Series/KamenRiderFaiz'', President Murakami's scenes in his office at Smart Brain HQ always include OminousLatinChanting, but it's not until an underling walks in and the audience needs to hear the following conversation that we realize [[GenreSavvy he's listening to the BGM on a CD player while working or drinking wine]].

* An episode of ''Series/{{Castle}}'' has the opening where they find the body of the Victim of the Week. It then cuts to a panning shot of NYC set to "Taking Care of Business", when it cuts to Castle's apartment, his mother is singing along to the music.

* ''Series/StrangerThings'': In Season 3, Dustin calling the rest of the Party over the radio from the projection booth for ''Film/BackToTheFuture'' lets the dramatic moment use ''Back to the Future'''s bombastic score at exactly the right moment.

** Another example in ''"The Thundermans"'' can be found in the episode ''"Report Card"'', where when Phoebe and Max are about to compete in the sudden death tie-beeaker round of their math teacher's Math Bowl that he's conducting like a game show, and when he announces the sudden death tie-breaker round, a dramatic music sting plays repeatedly over and over again like a broken record. This keeps happening as the characters look around with confused expressions, trying to see where the music is coming from, until the teacher himself realizes his DJ sound system is broken and is causing the music to keep repeating, when he only meant for it to play once.

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': Bruno Battisti D'Amario's "Omaggio a Giuliani (Capriccio 700)" is heard while Daniel Molloy is being served the first four dishes of the seven-course meal, and it initially seems to be part of the show's soundtrack, but then Daniel requests the music be turned down after Louis de Pointe du Lac arrives at the dining room to continue the interview.

** On a ''noir''-esque episode, Laura's character has drums playing every time she walks; they eventually start looking for the drums.

* On ''Series/FamilyMatters'', as Steve and Carl set aside their differences in a manly hug and make-up, sentimental music swells in the background. Carl then asks where the music is coming from and they're shown looking under the sofa cushions.
** And on a ''noir''-esque episode, Laura's character has [[SexyWalk drums playing every time she walks]]; they eventually start looking for the drums.

* In one episode of ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'', [[WackyGuy Eric]] dramatically enters a student hearing like he is a big-time lawyer while the theme from ''Series/ThePeoplesCourt'' plays in the background. He then opens up his briefcase and turns off the tape recorder playing the music.