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The TV Cliches Thread - From any genre put them here
KB1984
Posts: 274 Forum Member
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In TV Drama:-
- Someone needs to go and see an old acquaintance who is "happily retired". This person is nearly always gardening in a massive garden in a lovely house wearing green gardening body-warmer
- A chase sequence. The villain nearly always chooses to go up a flight of stairs on a building, trapping themselves.
- Someone needs to go and see an old acquaintance who is "happily retired". This person is nearly always gardening in a massive garden in a lovely house wearing green gardening body-warmer
- A chase sequence. The villain nearly always chooses to go up a flight of stairs on a building, trapping themselves.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtGSXMuWMR4
If they're visiting someone characters never have a problem finding a parking space even in central London;
People watching TV in EE always seem to be watching natural history films;
People carrying suitcases which are so light they obviously have nothing in them;
Soaps - middle class characters are rotten to the core
that's an order to emphasise an instruction to a dithering subordinate who may have been about to disobey, in US drama.
They manage to get in their car, turn the key and oh no! The engine won't start! Never fails.
Or a woman is being chased by a man (it's always a woman) and she falls over, just to crank the tension up a bit more.
Or trying to get out of somewhere which requires unlocking the door and there are several keys on the key ring. Oh no! Which is the right one! He's coming!
You've set me thinking with this one!
Middle class characters always have a glass of wine to hand while making the dinner.
Weddings are never called of quiety a few weeks before the event. The bride or groom will always wait until they're standing at the altar in front of all their family and friends before going 'no, no, sorry I can't' to their appalled partner.
Likewise in the pub, "Pint, please"...er what of ?? Mild? Bitter? Or, to facilitate the more 'devil may care' character being able to swig from it, "Bottle of lager please". Er, what sort ?... weve only got 25 types.
And within five more they are right as rain and it's never mentioned again;)
I'm sure I read recently that a character in Neighbours was supposed to have only one leg but the writers decided not to bother anymore and gave him his leg back.
And in said pub, if someone is talking quietly and confidentially to someone else, you can guarantee that the area's biggest nosey parker and gossip (I'm thinking Norris Cole here) will be stood nearby and listening to them.
And if you have a secret that simply must, on no account, be divulged, you will confide in one person. And they will reveal your secret. It may be unintentional, it may just slip out, but slip out it will.
If a baddie shoots a goodie, it will be a minor flesh wound (usually on the arm or shoulder) which will leave the goodie able to continue the chase without any debilitating amount of pain.
Serial soap villain does lots of nasty things over a long period, but when arrested they immediately make a full confession and there are no difficulties in bringing a prosecution / conviction / imprisonment.
Single goodie fights against several baddies. The baddies stand by patiently waiting to be overpowered by the goodie one at a time. The goodie always has extensive martial arts expertise to enable them to overcome several baddies at once.
When a servant carries a tray full of food and drinks, and discovers a dead body, their fingers stop working, uncurl, and extend to straight sticking-out shapes, so the tray falls to the floor and the drink spills everywhere. Otherwise, the servant doesn't react in any other way, e.g. by screaming or jumping with fright.
OR
If a soap character is going to disappear due to an emotional breakdown, he will be able to go out of his house, along the street, round the corner, and to a distant location, without ever being seen by any other characters - the streets will be completely deserted.
When a character leaves, they take all their belongings with them in one suitcase in a taxi.
When a new character has arrived and has been living in their new home for only a few weeks, it will be fully furnished with their own personal ornaments, pictures, photographs, furniture and life clutter.
In classroom scenes, when the bell goes for the end of a lesson all of the pupils immediately stand up and walk out.
When the characters switch on the TV to find out the latest developments in the story, it will always be the next item appearing on the news just as they are switching on.
It could be a sister or brother or a friend they have known since they were little kids.
But the person gets angry and says they are just jealous and falls out with them, preferring to put their trust in someone who has just come into their life, as opposed to someone who has always been there for them.
Never any any walking toward or away from the car muttering "bl**dy work you b@stard" while repeatedly pressing the remote control either.
People who have gone through multiple job changes, divorces, marriages and family breakdowns will change their address several times - but always within the same street.