History Main / ClockworkPrediction

* ''Film/TheTrumanShow'': [[SpottingTheThread This is one of the things that tips Truman off to the truth that]] [[TrumanShowPlot he's secretly been starring in a reality show]], as he observes that a lady on a red bike, a man with flowers, and a vintage Volkswagen beetle with a dented fender, go around the block, over and over again, and always in the exact same order at the exact same time.

* In ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'', "Island of the Giant Pokemon", Ash, Misty, Brock and Team Rocket end up on a mine cart where they're reunited with their Pokemon while dragging a few huge Pokemon (really robots) behind them. When Ash wonders what they can do, both Jesse and James, no strangers to bad luck, pretty much predict what'll happen next. Namely their cart will go off the rails, the line snagging the giant Pokemon will snap, they'll crash into something and they'll get flung into the sea. And indeed, one by one, that's what happens the moment they call it.

* In ''Disney/TheGreatMouseDetective'', Ratigan learns that Basil is on his trail, so he decides to set a trap for him. When Basil arrives, he quips that he expected him fifteen minutes earlier.

Aaaand cue the police sirens in the distance, then Alice running with her hair on fire and a small angry chihuahua with its jaws tightly clamped on her leg, and the entire neighborhood chasing after her with TorchesAndPitchforks.

* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. In "State of Flux", Seska steals some mushrooms to make [[YourFavorite mushroom stew]] for Chakotay, and predicts that he'll find out about it just about...cue angry Neelix on the comm to Chakotay, demanding that Seska be punished. It happens again "Worst Case Scenario" when she predicts that Voyager will self destruct in...cue the ship's computer announcing the countdown.

* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. In "State of Flux", Seska steals some mushrooms to make [[YourFavorite mushroom stew]] for Chakotay, and predicts that he'll find out about it just about...cue angry Neelix on the comm to Chakotay, demanding that Seska be punished.

* ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'': In "To Thine Own Self Be Blue... and Gold", Will takes an intern job that Carlton passed due to it not paying. Will flaunts the perks of the jobs in Carlton's face who heads off in a huff. Once offscreen, Will predicts what Carlton is doing up until he hears Carlton's scream due to the seeing the company Porsche.

* In ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'', "Island of the Giant Pokemon", Ash, Misty, Brock and Team Rocket end up on a mine cart where they're reunited with their Pokemon while dragging a few huge Pokemon (really robots) behind them. When Ash wonders what they can do, both Jesse and James, no strangers to bad luck, pretty much predict what'll happen next. Namely their cart will go off the rails, the line snagging the giant Pokemon will snap, and they'll get flung into the sea. And indeed, one by one, that's what happens the moment they call it.

* ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'': In order to teach Cory a lesson about image, Topega cuts her hair short right in front of Shawn and Cory. But just as she heads off, she catches herself in a mirror. Shawn, figuring this was going to happen, quips to Cory "She's gonna scream now" and that's exactly what she does.
* ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'': Will takes an intern job that Carlton passed due to it not paying. Will flaunts the perks of the jobs in Carlton's face who heads off in a huff. Once offscreen, Will predicts what Carlton is doing up until he hears Carlton's scream due to the seeing the company Porsche.

* In ''WebAnimation/TF2Analysis'', Voice of Reason tries to get the teams to raid a robot factory to get the plans on the robot army that attacked them earlier, but things don't go as planned. When [=GoldenFox=] hears that his girlfriend, Keyframe, is in trouble, he rushes off to help her (even though he's a sniper) despite Voice telling him to come back. Voice sighs and counts down before an explosion is heard in the background and Golden is seen flying through the air.

!!Examples

* ''Anime/RanmaOneHalf'' visits Doctor Tofu's office for treatment of some ''bokuto'' whacks delivered by an irate Akane. During treatment, Ranma concedes that their fathers have chosen them for an ArrangedMarriage, but that he loathes the idea of a violent, "un-cute" wife. Doc Tofu advises Ranma that there's a more genteel side to Akane, and cleverly smacks Ranma above the sacrum as Ranma departs. After a few minutes, Doc Tofu eyes his clock, and counts down the seconds to zero, at which point, Ranma suddenly loses the use of his legs. Akane offers to carry Ranma piggyback to the Tendo home.

[[folder:Film — Animation]]
* In ''Disney/TheGreatMouseDetective'', Ratigan learns that Basil is on his trail, so he decides to set a trap for him. When Basil arrives, he quips that he expected him fifteen minutes earlier.

[[folder:Film — Live-Action]]
* Admiral Boom from ''Film/MaryPoppins'' always fires a cannon to mark every hour on the hour. Bert claims that "the world may get its time from Greenwich, but Greenwich, they say, gets its time from Admiral Boom."

[[folder:Web Original]]

* In ''WebVideo/UltraFastPony'', Twilight has a very bad tendency to [[TemptingFate tempt fate]]. So the episode "Purple Party Pooper" has a bystander lampshade it:
-->'''Twilight:''' Oh, today has been the worst day of my life. I don't think today could get any worse than this! \\
'''Applejack:''' Karma in three... two... \\
''[Princess Celestia suddenly arrives.]''\\
'''Princess Celestia:''' Twilight, you are in a lot of trouble.

* ''Franchise/{{Tintin}}'': In ''[[Recap/TintinTheSevenCrystalBalls The Seven Crystal Balls]]'', the seven Egyptologists that have been rendered comatose simultaneously regain consciousness at the ''exact'' same time every day, and scream in terror before returning to their comatose state. When Tintin visits the hospital, the doctor watching over the seven men checks his watch and accurately predicts when the waking/screaming will begin.

So Bob and Alice known each other for good while, and Bob knows Alice and her {{Cloudcuckoolander}} tendencies better than anyone else. One day, Alice runs off to do something silly despite Bob's warnings. Bob, knowing exactly what Alice's shenanigans are going to result in, sighs in resignation and counts down with his fingers from ThreeTwoOne...

[[folder: Anime & Manga]]

[[folder: Comic Book]]
* ''Franchise/{{Tintin}}'': In ''Recap/TintinTheSevenCrystalBalls'', the seven Egyptologists that have been rendered comatose simultaneously regain consciousness at the ''exact'' same time every day, and scream in terror before returning to their comatose state. When Tintin visits the hospital, the doctor watching over the seven men checks his watch and accurately predicts when the waking/screaming will begin.

[[folder: Film - Animation]]

[[folder: Live Action - Film]]

[[folder: Live Action - Television]]

[[folder: Web Original]]

-->'''Twilight:''' Oh, today has been the worst day of my life. I don't think today could get any worse than this!
-->'''Applejack:''' Karma in three... two...
-->''[Princess Celestia suddenly arrives.]''
-->'''Princess Celestia:''' Twilight, you are in a lot of trouble.

[[folder: Western Animation]]

-->'''Otis:''' This is the third Saturday night in a row! What gives?
-->'''Pip:''' Check it out, I won't even peek. First, the picture of his wife...
-->''(Farmer takes out a framed photo of his wife)''
-->'''Pip:''' Then the whittling stick...
-->''(Farmer takes out a stick)''
-->'''Pip:''' And cue the sad cowboy music.
-->''(Farmer turns on the radio and starts whittling and crying)''

[[/folder]]

So Bob and Alice known each other for good while, and Bob knows Alice and her {{Cloudcuckoolander}} tendencies better than anyone else. One day, Alice runs off to do something silly despite Bob's warnings. Bob, knowing exactly what Alice's shenanigans are going to result in, sighs in resignation and counts down with his fingers from three, two, one...

* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. In "State of Flux", Seska steals some mushrooms to make [[YourFavorite mushroom stew]] for Chakotay, and predicts that he'll find out about it just about--cue angry Neelix on the comm to Chakotay, demanding that Seska be punished.

A common trait for TheAnticipator. Compare ScheduleFanatic, which is someone who always does the same thing at the same time of day.

* * In ''WebVideo/UltraFastPony'', Twilight has a very bad tendency to [[TemptingFate tempt fate]]. So the episode "Purple Party Pooper" has a bystander lampshade it:

* ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyTest'': After a scheme to win a TV through a wrestling contest goes awry that involves their mother having to save them. Johnny, Susan and Mary are later grounded and barred from TV and the lab. They decide to do some Croquet instead, but Johnny hits the ball too hard and breaks a window. He then counts down before their parents are yelling for them.

[[AC:AnimeAndManga]]

[[AC: Comic Book]]

[[AC: Film - Animation]]

[[AC: Live Action - Film]]

[[AC:Live Action - Television]]

[[AC: Web Original]]

[[AC: Western Animation]]

* ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyTest'': After a scheme to win a TV through a wrestling contest goes awry that involves their mother having to save them. Johnny, Susan and Mary are later grounded and barred from TV and the lab. They decide to do some Croquet instead, but Johnny hits the ball too hard and breaks a window. He then counts down before their parents are yelling for them.