# Inside Jokes on TV Shows **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 16, 2013, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inside-jokes-on-tv-shows/650498 "2013-02-16T14:30:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inside-jokes-on-tv-shows/650498/121 "2013-03-11T16:02:11Z")
In the Arrested Development episode Public Relations, Jessie, the publicist, insults George Michael by calling him “Opie”. The narrator (Ron Howard, who played Opie) says “Jessie had gone too far, and she had best watch her mouth.” ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inside-jokes-on-tv-shows/650498/122 "2013-03-11T16:19:07Z")
Not a joke per se, but definitely an “inside” shout-out: In a first season episode of ST: TNG, the one with the whole planet full of plague victims who are really drug addicts. This was the last episode shot with Denise Crosby (the episode in which her character Tasha Yar died was already filmed, and this one was filmed out of chronological order.) Her character Tasha breaks the fourth wall and waves goodbye to the audience. It occurs at the end of the episode: Picard & Crusher are leaving the cargo bay and entering the turbolift. They are clearly the focus of the shot, and Yar is way in the background, but if you look you can definitely see her wave. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inside-jokes-on-tv-shows/650498/123 "2013-03-11T17:28:25Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > When Dan Castellaneta guested on Veronia Mars, he muttered a “D’oh!” when he walked away from a team of students who had given an incorrect answer. He also said d’oh when he played a surgeon on Arrested Development. There was an episode of _Thrid Rock_ where the kids had to go to an emergency room. The shots, handheld camera and all, were directly stolen from _ER_, currently the #1 show on the air. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inside-jokes-on-tv-shows/650498/124 "2013-03-11T17:51:55Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > _St. Elsewhere_ was full of these inside jokes. There were a couple where actors from other MTM shows were mistaken for their characters - Betty White was called “Sue Ann” by a man who thought that he was Mary Richards, and Tim Van Patten was called “Salami” (his character on _The White Shadow_) by an orderly - who was a character on _The White Shadow_ himself (in one episode, he explains that he got a basketball scholarship to Boston College, only to blow out his knee and end any hopes of a basketball career). When Lisa Kudrow returned to _Mad About You_, her character was asked where she had been, and she replied, “With friends.” (Yes, I am aware that her MAY character is Phoebe’s twin sister Ursula.) There’s one that I am fairly certain is an inside joke - either that, or it’s an incredible coincidence; on _ER_, Dr. Green’s daughter’s first name is Rachel. Rachel Green is Jennifer Aniston’s character on _Friends_. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inside-jokes-on-tv-shows/650498/125 "2013-03-11T18:06:03Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > In the Arrested Development episode Public Relations, Jessie, the publicist, insults George Michael by calling him “Opie”. The narrator (Ron Howard, who played Opie) says “Jessie had gone too far, and she had best watch her mouth.” There was also an Andy Griffith mention by Howard. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inside-jokes-on-tv-shows/650498/126 "2013-03-11T18:14:06Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Not positive this qualifies as an answer to the OP, but on a recent _NCIS_ rerun, Ziva says her picture of American college life came from\* Animal Farm\*. Tim says, “Orwell?” She says, “No, the John Belushi film.” Tim says, “That was _Animal HOUSE_.” > > The team screws up and gets in hot water with Leon, and much later in the episode, Abby asks someone in passing, “Are Tony and McGee still on double-secret probation?” > > Which, of course, is what happened to Delta House. Makes me wonder if I missed othe_r Animal House_ references in the episode. No worries-- it will be around again very soon, I’m sure. Those are just shout-outs. Nobody from _NCIS_ was in \*Animal House \*AFAIR. ---
**Author:** ![Bakhesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Bakhesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bakhesh)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inside-jokes-on-tv-shows/650498/127 "2013-03-11T19:46:34Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > _St. Elsewhere_ was full of these inside jokes… There was an episode of Babylon 5, where Vir was discovered to be running an underground railroad to smuggle Narns off their home planet, and he had a line about how “they were brought here to Babylon 5 for medical attention, or sent elsewhere” Vir was played by actor Stephen Furst, Elliot Alexrod in St Elsewhere ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inside-jokes-on-tv-shows/650498/128 "2013-03-11T19:53:55Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Not just that one - the show is filled with _Firefly_ nods: > > “Two by two, hands of blue” - Castle makes the gesture while wearing blue medical gloves > > “You’ve never heard of Serenity?” - Long pause and a slow head turn > > [Castle rattles of a long burst of Mandarin] “Semester abroad?” “No, just a show I used to love.” > > In a nod to the supporting cast, one Halloween show had Ryan and Esposito dressed as a doctor and a soldier, since the actors were previously on _General Hospital_ and _Generation Kill_. LOL. Makes me wish I’ve seen more of Firefly/Serenity than I have. I watch Castle all the time but I don’t always catch all the in-jokes. That said, even I couldn’t miss these two: in the ep that was a nod to Star Trek, et al. Jonathon Frakes (the director) shows up in the opener to get his book signed, claiming he’s Castle’s ‘Number One’ fan. And Castle’s throwaway line as they’re exiting the spaceship set, “ ’I’m a fan of good sci-fi. Star Trek. Battlestar. That Joss Whedon show…’ ” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inside-jokes-on-tv-shows/650498/129 "2013-03-11T20:45:22Z")
There is a joke in “Stargate SG-1” when informed that the tv show 'Wormhole X-Treme" that an alien from space living in Hollywood has been made into a movie. Teal’c asks “who makes movie from a TV show that was cancelled after three episodes?”. This is a joke as to how the putrid tv series “Firefly” was turned into an even worse film “Serenity”. Fortunately we have been spared “Firefly” being revived into a 10 year TV series like “Wormhole X-treme” was. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inside-jokes-on-tv-shows/650498/130 "2013-03-11T21:46:28Z")
> [@Hottius\_Maximus](#): > > “227” Sherman Hemsley walks in the apartment and sees Marla Gibbs vacuuming and automatically assumes that she must be the maid. On SouthLAnd a season or two back Marla Gibbs played a senile old lady. When Lydia the detective comes to see her about some sort of crime, Marla calls her Brenda, the name of her daughter on 227, who like Lydia, was played by Regina King. [sup][sup][sub][sub](calling Firefly putrid should be a bannable offense)[/sub][/sub][/sup][/sup] ---
**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:** [March 11, 2013, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inside-jokes-on-tv-shows/650498/131 "2013-03-11T23:39:44Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > _St. Elsewhere_ was full of these inside jokes. Another Howie Mandel joke: Fiscus is recuperating after being shot. To cheer him up, Elliot and Luther (I think) march into the room and stand at the foot of his bed. Elliot says: _“We’d like to give you A BIG HAND!”_ [They try to blow up rubber gloves and fail miserably. Dejected, Elliot says] _“Hmph! It worked fine on TV…”_ (Mandel’s stand-up act included placing a latex glove over his head and inflating it by blowing through his nose, the fingers of the glove extending above his head like a cockscomb.) ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inside-jokes-on-tv-shows/650498/132 "2013-03-11T23:42:40Z")
Thought of another one. In the British TV series _The Avengers_, at one time Steed had an assistant named Cathy Gale (played by Honor Blackman). She left the show and was replaced by Emma Peel (played by Diana Rigg). In the episode _Too Many Christmas Trees_ Steed is looking though some mail and picks up a postcard, saying “Ah, a postcard from Ms. Gale!” He then flips it over and says, somewhat quizzically, “I wonder what she’s doing in Fort Knox?” Honor Blackman had left the show to play Pussy Galore in _Goldfinger_ which, of course, took place in Fort Knox. In a later _New Avengers_ episode, Steed and Gambit solve the crisis of the week by releasing several crates of cats into a building. (Don’t ask.) Later they go in and see cats everywhere. They look around and say… Gambit: “Pussy” Steed: “Galore” ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inside-jokes-on-tv-shows/650498/133 "2013-03-22T15:50:54Z")
Had to add a really good one from Psych last night. Parminder Nagra (star of “Bend It Like Beckham”) is Gus’s new love interest and in the cold open they have them playing soccer at a picnic. Gus is talking trash while goalkeeping before Parminder shoots a great shot right past Gus’s head. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2018, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inside-jokes-on-tv-shows/650498/134 "2018-12-07T19:09:17Z")
Bump. I thought that there was a more recent thread with inside joke/older role references in TV shows, but this is what I googled up. In a recent episode of _Stan against Evil_, Stan (played by [John C. McGinley](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001525/news)) is in the hospital, being treated by–a Doctor Cox. And Stan tells him that when he finds a certain person to “call him a girl’s name”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inside-jokes-on-tv-shows/650498.md?page=6)