# Identify this TV show or movie - staring contest **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 27, 2019, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tv-show-or-movie-staring-contest/834612 "2019-05-27T20:08:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2019, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tv-show-or-movie-staring-contest/834612/1 "2019-05-27T20:08:32Z")
OK, so this could be a movie, but I think it was actually an episode of a TV show. My memory of this is likely from the very late 1980’s or early 1990’s. Definitely saw it on television even it was a movie. The scene: \*\*Two men are having a “holding completely still” contest. I said staring contest in the title to keep it simple, but they are actually holding entirely still. One man moves and the other claims victory. With his victory, he moves over to a chessboard in the room. He makes one move on the chess board and declares “check mate” against his opponent(I think the same guy who he was competing against in the holding still contest). When asked how he won the chess game, he explains that during the holding still contest, he was running through all the scenarios for the chess game and came up with the mate solution during his thinking. \*\* Yeah, some pretty specific detail there, but I have no idea what the show or movie was. Anyone? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2019, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tv-show-or-movie-staring-contest/834612/2 "2019-05-27T21:01:26Z")
I’d guess _ **Taxi** _, _ **Cheers** _, or _ **Frasier** _. Since chess is involved, probably _ **Frasier** _. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2019, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tv-show-or-movie-staring-contest/834612/3 "2019-05-27T21:22:25Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I’d guess _ **Taxi** _, _ **Cheers** _, or _ **Frasier** _. Since chess is involved, probably _ **Frasier** _. No, I don’t think so. Frasier might be too late and my feeling is that it was not a comedy/sitcom. Perhaps, but I think not. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2019, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tv-show-or-movie-staring-contest/834612/4 "2019-05-28T02:09:58Z")
The timing is wrong but it sounds like the kind of stunt that Sherlock Holmes (as in the Benedict Cumberbatch portrayal) would do. I don’t remember that specific scene from the program, though. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2019, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tv-show-or-movie-staring-contest/834612/5 "2019-05-28T05:16:38Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > The timing is wrong but it sounds like the kind of stunt that Sherlock Holmes (as in the Benedict Cumberbatch portrayal) would do. I don’t remember that specific scene from the program, though. Could be the Jeremy Brett incarnation… ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2019, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tv-show-or-movie-staring-contest/834612/6 "2019-05-28T05:28:18Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > No, I don’t think so. Frasier might be too late and my feeling is that it was not a comedy/sitcom. Perhaps, but I think not. Frasier had a staring contest, but it was with Eddie. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2019, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tv-show-or-movie-staring-contest/834612/7 "2019-05-28T05:57:57Z")
Who won? ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2019, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tv-show-or-movie-staring-contest/834612/8 "2019-05-28T11:48:52Z")
The description sounds off and the dates don’t work, but simply for completeness I’ll note that animated clips of staring contests were a recurring feature of the late-Nineties (rather good) BBC comedy series [Big Train](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Train) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2019, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tv-show-or-movie-staring-contest/834612/9 "2019-05-28T19:31:59Z")
> [@bonzer](#): > > The description sounds off and the dates don’t work, but simply for completeness I’ll note that animated clips of staring contests were a recurring feature of the late-Nineties (rather good) BBC comedy series [Big Train](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Train) Nope, not it, but thank you.