History Main / TableSpace

* A variation in ''WesternAnimation/Shrek1'': one of the many [[MatchCut Match Cuts]] during the "Hallelujah" scene has Shrek at home with his meager wooden table and Fiona alone in the castle's banquet hall. The transition is lined up to briefly give the appearance of them dining together, which, reversing the typical usage of this trope, shows that they are still very much on each other's mind.
* ''WesternAnimation/SupermanRedSon''. As Premier of the Soviet Empire, Superman has set up the perfect utopian dictatorship that dominates the entire world. He's shown entertaining a foreign ambassador with both of them at the ends of a long table, and Superman asks the man to say what he honestly thinks of him. After babbling out some sycophantic praise, the ambassador eventually admits that Superman terrifies him.

[[folder:Film -- Live Action]]

[[folder:Web Original]]

* ''Website/SFDebris'': In his review of ''Series/TheXFiles'' episode "Fallen Angel" mentioned above, SF Debris says that Scully obviously has a hearing at the FBI's Super Long Table Division.

* ''WesternAnimation/IfAnythingHappensILoveYou'': The opening shot shows the parents glumly eating dinner in silence at opposite ends of a table. They have been driven apart by grief after their daughter was killed in a school shooting.
* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague''. In an AlternateUniverse where the Justice League has taken over the world in an enforced utopia, Superman and Lois Lane are shown at opposite ends of an (albeit normal-sized) dinner table, to show her disapproval of his actions.
-->'''Superman:''' It's cold.
-->'''Lois:''' It's gazpacho -- it's meant to be cold.
-->'''Superman:''' I don't mean the soup.

--->'''Mr. Burns''': Oh? Your milk's gone cold. I'll ring for the maid...\\
''(He hits a button on his intercom, and Bart's chair snaps back a few feet while simultaneously [[ShackleSeatTrap binding his arms, legs and mouth]] with metal straps that emerge from the chair.)''\\
'''Mr. Burns''': Oops! Wrong button.

--->'''Lisa:''' Mom, Bart's making faces at me... (''peers through opera glasses'') I think.\\
'''Homer:''' LOOK HOW LOUD I HAVE TO YELL!!!

* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'': In "[[Recap/TheVentureBrosS2E7LoveBheits Love Bheits]]", villainous dictator Baron Underbheit dines with his [[AndNowYouMustMarryMe forced bride-to-be]] (actually Dean Venture in drag). They sit at opposite ends of a table so long that Dean can't hear anything the Baron says. The Baron [[NailsOnABlackboard drags his chair]] closer so they can talk. In this example, closing the distance makes the atmosphere ''more'' uncomfortable.

* Used for comic effect in the first series of ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'': King Richard is discussing the murder of Thomas Becket with the Queen, but she can't hear him from her end of the table, prompting Richard to repeatedly bellow the quote "WHO WILL RID ME OF THIS TROUBLESOME PRIEST?", which is overheard by some knights who think Richard is referring to his son and ''current'' Archbishop of Canterbury, Edmund. HilarityEnsues.

* ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'': Subverted during "Beauty and the Beast" song. Belle and Beast exchange warm looks over the table and in the end of the dinner she rushes to pick him and drag him to the balroom, so she'll teach him to dance.

* Used to nightmarish effect in the 2010 movie ''Film/Victim2010'' where the MadDoctor has dinner with his "daughter". In actuality she was [[spoiler: a man who beat his real teenage daughter until she was rendered brain dead, and whom the doctor kidnapped and subjected to various medical procedures and {{Mind Rape}}s to turn into a new version of his daughter as an elaborate form of KarmicRevenge.]]

** Lampshaded in ''Literature/UnseenAcademicals'': "It is a regrettable fact that when two people are dining at a very large and impressive dining table they sit at the opposite ends of the long axis [...] even Lord Vetenari and Lady Margalotta had apparently signed up to the idea." Given all the rumors (both in- and out-of-universe) that the two are more than friends, or at least {{friendly rival}}s, [[ShipSinking this may put a lie to them]].

* ''Series/{{Arrow}}'': A subtle version takes place in the pilot episode, when Oliver Queen returns home five years after the yacht he and his father was on sunk. One change he doesn't like is that [[ParentWithNewParamour his mother has gotten remarried]] to his late father's business partner Walter Steele. Oliver is seated down one end of the table with his best friend and kid sister, while his mother Moira and her new husband are seated down the other while Oliver studies them coldly.

* There is one at Meghan Trainor's ''All About That Bass''' video.

* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'': Subverted by Selina Kyle in ''ComicBook/DarkVictory''. She and Bruce sit down to eat Thanksgiving dinner in this fashion, but after Alfred is finished serving them, she drags her rather large chair to the other end of the table to sit next to Bruce (and eat off his plate).

[[folder:Fanfiction]]

* Done in the Creator/AlfredHitchcock film ''Film/{{Rebecca}}''. The table isn't quite as oversized as some examples, but they do sit on opposite ends.

* 15h episode from Season 4 of ''Series/GilmoreGirls'' ended with Emily and Richard Gilmore seated at the opposite ends of their large table in their luxurious dining room, and they struggled to keep their conversation going. There was no background sound but loud ticking. It showed emotional estragement creeping into their relationship. Prior to this, they have been a stable, HappilyMarried couple.

[[folder:AnimeAndManga]]
* ''Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion''. Gendo Ikari having dinner with Rei; it's not surprising she comes out of her shell enough to ask him to come along to Shinji's dinner party instead.

[[folder:ComicBooks]]
* Franchise/{{Batman}}: Averted by Selina Kyle in ''ComicBook/DarkVictory''. She and Bruce sit down to eat Thanksgiving dinner in this fashion, but after Alfred is finished serving them, she drags her rather large chair to the other end of the table to sit next to Bruce (and eat off his plate).
%%** Done a couple of times in book ''ComicBook/TheLongHalloween'' in a MythologyGag referencing the 1989 movie.

* Averted in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13343547/1/Harry-Potter-and-His-Saving-Theo-Thing Harry Potter and His Saving Theo Thing]]''. When Harry first sees the Nott Manor dining table, which he estimates must've taken sixteen trees to build, he sits next to Theo.
* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13776405/10/Harry-Potter-And-The-Hidden-Threat Harry Potter and the Hidden Threat]]'' Draco and his father eat a quiet dinner at opposite ends of a 20- or 30-foot table. Draco thinks to himself that a graveyard with a table would have more life to it.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheGrinch2018'': Grinch and Max frequently do this for breakfast. Going in hand with the Grinch's AdaptationalNiceGuy, this helps to highlight that Grinch's self-imposed exile is not exactly satisfying him.

[[folder:{{Film}} -- Live Action]]

* At the end of Rodney Dangerfield's ''Easy Money'', the family is eating at a long dining table with Rodney at one end.

* In ''Robin and the 7 Hoods'', Robbo is invited to dinner by the wealthy heiress Marian. They are the only two people seated at her lengthy dining table, and they are seated at opposite ends.

[[folder:{{Literature}}]]

* ''Literature/TheBrothersCabal'': The ''Ministerium'' conspiracy holds a fancy dinner for six at a twenty-five-foot-long table, which is itself dwarfed by the gigantic, almost entirely empty dining hall. The net effect is described as being somewhat absurd.
* Alluded to in the ''Literature/{{Redwall}}'' story ''The Pearls of Lutra'' when one of the riddles that hide the location of the titular Pearls involves a table. Apparently some minor aristocrat had got so fed up with this trope and all its drawbacks that he'd decreed that the huge table in the dining hall was to be used for special occasions only and had a much more manageably-sized one made for everyday use. One of the Pearls was hidden in a secret compartment built into it.

[[folder:{{Live-Action TV}}]]
* ''Series/AlteredCarbon''. When Takeshi Kovacs and his sister Reileen decide to join the Quellist rebellion, Falconer and her Envoys are shown seated down a long table, then there's a gap before another long table with Kovacs and Reileen seated at it. (A later shot shows them seated amongst the other Envoys.)

* ''Series/{{Arrow}}''. A subtle version takes place in the pilot episode, when Oliver Queen returns home five years after the yacht he and his father was on sunk. One change he doesn't like is that [[ParentWithNewParamour his mother has gotten remarried]] to his late father's business partner Walter Steele. Oliver is seated down one end of the table with his best friend and kid sister, while his mother Moira and her new husband are seated down the other while Oliver studies them coldly.
* ''Series/TheBookOfBobaFett''. In "The Streets of Mos Espa" we see a table full of all kinds of fancy dishes, enough food to feed ten people (or the late Jabba the Hutt), yet the only people present are Boba and his master assassin Fennec. The latter is down the far end of the table [[RebelRelaxation with her feet up on it]], chowing down on a hunk of meat and trying to get her stoic boss to [[BetterLivingThroughEvil enjoy some of the perks of being a crime boss]]. Boba's having none of it and tells the droid to stop bringing more.
* Done several times in ''Series/{{Merlin 2008}}'', most often between Morgana and Uther to highlight the increasing emotional distance between the two.
* In ''Series/NewsRadio'', when Lisa goes over to Jimmy James' mansion, he had just bought a very long table that he insists she sit at the end of. They have to yell at each other to talk.
* ''Series/TheGoodies''. Tim's wealthy uncle dies, so he inherits his country seat and makes his former friends work as servants. This includes a gag of them trying to feed him from the opposite end of a long table, pumping coffee down a tube and serving eggs with slingshots. Eventually Bill loses patience and [[LetMeAtHim declares he's going to belt Tim]], only he can't walk that far. Graham hands him a tricycle which Bill rides down the table, falling through it after Tim blasts at him with a hunting shotgun.
* A furniture-building how-to show with a humorous angle ended with the two hosts at the ends of a massively long table like the cold distant couple in ''Film/CitizenKane'', then segues directly into doing a scene from Jerry Lewis's ''Film/{{Cinderfella}}'' where Lewis goes up and down the length of the table to pass the salt, jabbering incessantly.
* In one of the ''Series/GilligansIsland'' TV movies, after the castaways make it back home, Mr. and Mrs. Howell are shown to dine like this.
* Appears in the ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' episode "My Cold Shower", when Kelso has an ImagineSpot about what it'd be like being married to Elliot. The gag is used to show how loveless that marriage would be; Elliot notes how much she hates Kelso and he emotionlessly replies "I know" before returning to his dinner.
* ''Series/TheXFiles'': A rare example from a professional setting happens in "Fallen Angel" when Agent Scully and then Agent Mulder have a responsibility hearing with Section Chief [=McGrath=]. The FBI has never liked their little department investigating paranormal cases.
* In ''Series/{{ER}}'', Carter tries to relate to del Amico by going along with her assumption that he is poor. A later scene has them sitting at opposite ends of the former's lavish dining room table to highlight the awkwardness of his lie falling through.
* In ''Series/MurdochMysteries'', Table Space between Dr. Julia Ogden and her husband Dr. Darcy Garland is used to emphasize the emotional distance between them during their argument. Julia fights for women's rights to use contraceptives, which is illegal and threatens Darcy's possible promotion. At one previous scene, they were comfortably sitting very close on a sofa.
* ''Series/RedDwarf'': The guys once discover they can use old photos for time travel. Lister influences the track of time and becomes filthily rich. He has a huge mansion, and his attractive young lady-friend and he are sitting at opposite sides of a very long table when they're having dinner.

* In ''Series/SexAndTheCity'', when Samantha dates a millionaire who is in his seventies, they sit in his huge house by a huge table. It is used just for fun to emphasize his wealth.

** Used for the Small Council table in Season 3 "Walk of Punishment". While the other councilors scramble to sit as close to Lord Tywin Lannister as possible, his son Tyrion deliberately positions himself ([[OverlyLongGag with much hilarious chair-scraping]]) at the far end, yet directly opposite his father, showing their adversarial relationship.
** At a dinner table in "Valar Dohaeris", the Tyrell siblings are seated next to each other, while Cersei and her son Joffrey are positioned at the opposite ends. (To maintain symmetry, Margaery and Loras would normally have been placed across from each other.) Guess which family gets along harmoniously and which one is dysfunctional.

* ''Series/Daredevil2015'': In season 1, Wilson Fisk has a huge narrow table in his penthouse's dining room that highlights his [[LonelyAtTheTop luxurious but lonely life]]. At one point, he shows his strength by FlippingTheTable in a fit of rage. It's in that same episode that [[RelationshipUpgrade Vanessa moves in with him]], and in a MorningRoutine montage we see the table restored to its position and [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes Vanessa hugging him]] and taking a seat to his immediate right.

* ''Series/{{Strike|2017}}'': Robin's interview for a new job in ''The Cuckoo's Calling'' takes place with her at the end of an overlong conference table with the three people interviewing her on the other end. This isn't because the interview's intimidating--she's offered the job--but to demonstrate Robin's discomfort as she's realizing she doesn't actually want the job. She prefers to continue working at the detective agency for Strike.
* ''The Heavy Water War''. When one character is suddenly promoted to the directorship of the plant producing heavy water [[TheQuisling for the German occupiers]], he's given a 22-bedroom house with servants. His wife is shown to be uncomfortable with the sudden change in their lifestyle, and when seated at the far end of the table she moves down to her husband's end.

[[folder:{{Music}}]]

[[folder:WebOriginal]]
%%* The first episode of ''WebVideo/BerserkAbridged'' made fun of it.

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
** When Mr. Burns tries to adopt Bart as his son in "Burns' Heir", they dine like this even though it's not all an intimate way to eat.
--->'''Mr. Burns''': Oh? Your milk's gone cold. I'll ring for the maid...\\
''(He hits a button on his intercom, and Bart's chair snaps back a few feet while simultaneously [[ShackleSeatTrap binding his arms, legs and mouth]] with metal straps that emerge from the chair.)''\\
'''Mr. Burns''': Oops! Wrong button.
** "The Mansion Family" has the family house-sitting Burns' mansion and having dinner at the incredibly long table.
--->'''Lisa:''' Mom, Bart's making faces at me... (''peers through opera glasses'') I think.\\
'''Homer:''' LOOK HOW LOUD I HAVE TO YELL!!!

%%* Poked fun at in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/GoldieGoldAndActionJack''.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLooneyTunesShow'': Happens in "The Shelf" when Daffy is having dinner with Tina. The kicker is that it isn't even Daffy's house; it's Porky's and he is forcing Porky to act as his butler. It ends with Daffy flinging bread rolls at Porky and Tina storming out.
* In ''WesternAnimation/DonkeyKongCountry'', DK and Candy do this in an attempt of DK's to treat Candy to a formal lunch. Naturally, they're so far apart that they have trouble speaking to each other. DK soon gets annoyed with this and moves closer to Candy so they can talk.

* Downplayed example in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/SevenLittleMonsters'', where the family moves into a BigFancyHouse for a day. While there are seven of them (plus their Ma), the table is still big enough that they need to use a loudspeaker to ask for the salt.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'': In "Love Bheits", villainous dictator Baron Underbheit dines with his [[AndNowYouMustMarryMe forced bride-to-be]] (actually Dean Venture in drag). They sit at opposite ends of a table so long that Dean can't hear anything the Baron says. The Baron [[NailsOnABlackboard drags his chair]] closer so they can talk. In this example, closing the distance makes the atmosphere ''more'' uncomfortable.
* ''WesternAnimation/IfAnythingHappensILoveYou'': The opening shot shows the parents glumly eating dinner in silence at opposite ends of a table. They have been driven apart by grief after their daughter was killed in a school shooting.

[[folder:RealLife]]