You know, that wall we never see b/c we only see the set of a living room, kitchen, etc. from one angle ever. It’s taken for granted by viewers there is a far wall - I believe the medical term is “completion,” where the mind automatically comletes something that is incomplete so it fits logically into what the person knows of the world.
But, has any episode of a show or a movie ever made reference to things on said far wall? Are there things which happen or are mentioned which only make sense if said thing is on a far wall?
I am thinking that in many of the sitcoms I love, like “the Cosby Show,” that is where all the family photos are - it’s logical, my grandparents had a few throughout the house but one wall specially reserved for family photos. So, that explains where all those close knit families keep their photos, home video collections, etc. But, otherwise, what things might go on such a far wall, I guess that’s also part of my question.
Basically the missing fourth wall is covered by the same gap of logic that explains why sitcom families all sit facing the same direction and why nobody ever says goodbye on the telephone. It’s the alternate reality of TV world.
In the opening credits of Roseanne, the camera moves completely around the kitchen table, showing the fourth wall that is never seen in an actual episode. If I recall correctly, it even has a never-otherwise-seen door, that I assume leads to a closet.
Facing the same direction in the living room doesn’t bother me so much … because if you put a camera where the TV is in my living room, everyone in the living room could be seen either from the front or at an easily viewable angle. When there are four people sitting around a table, though, and there’s a HUGE space between two of them so that they can all be seen – THAT bugs me. For heaven’s sake, use a booth. It looks more realistic.
In the Once More With Feeling Musical episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Anya is commenting on the fact that during one of the musical numbers she felt like they were being watched.
I don’t think A Curious Writer is talking about “breaking the fourth wall.” I think rather he is wondering if a character ever refers to it as though it actually is a real wall. Like if a couple of characters were sitting on a couch facing the camera and one of them points to the camera and says to the other “See the picture of my grandfather there?”
That’s different than breaking the wall and speaking to the audience.
I know I’ve seen this, somewhere… maybe an old episode of Cheers or Married with…
I have the vaguest recollection of a group of characters in a living room, or some other room, talking about… well… something… the joke was their re-arrangement of (furniture? A television? pictures?) on/in front of the non-existant fourth wall, and the camera angles that resulted from such manipulations…
I remember that on Yes, Dear, Phnord Prephect. The husband had rearranged the couch so that it faced away from the audience and the wife eventually had a conniption and changed it back. I think it may have been done on Everybody Loves Raymond, too…or maybe it was on ELR and I am remembering incorrectly.