# Little Things You Didn't Notice About TV Shows Till You Watched In Reruns **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 7, 2011, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-you-didnt-notice-about-tv-shows-till-you-watched-in-reruns/581082 "2011-05-07T18:26:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-you-didnt-notice-about-tv-shows-till-you-watched-in-reruns/581082/81 "2011-11-24T19:25:17Z")
I only just noticed that, in the Dexter credits, just before Dexter nicks his chin while shaving there’s a visible lump, the one that gets nicked. In a separate image and all. Nice attention to detail on their behalf. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-you-didnt-notice-about-tv-shows-till-you-watched-in-reruns/581082/82 "2011-11-24T19:37:03Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I watched Big Bang from the beginning, but I never noticed the theme of Sheldon’s tshirts until they were mentioned in a thread. They even have their own [website](http://www.sheldonshirts.com/sheldon.html), a lovely tribute to a show about computer geeks. Sheldon’s Tshirts would be a goldmine for CBS if they would exploit it. Set up a web store that would sell those. There are several that are impossible to get today and others being sold as very poor reproductions. Put them all in one store and charge $30 each and it would bring in more money than the sitcom does. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-you-didnt-notice-about-tv-shows-till-you-watched-in-reruns/581082/83 "2011-11-24T19:39:28Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Sheldon’s Tshirts would be a goldmine for CBS if they would exploit it. Set up a web store that would sell those. There are several that are impossible to get today and others being sold as very poor reproductions. Put them all in one store and charge $30 each and it would bring in more money than the sitcom does. But they can’t because the shirts Sheldon (and Leonard) wear are just standard nerd gear you can find at Think Geek or the DC Comics online store or 80s Tees or other places. But yes, many of the shirts are out of print and now hard to find. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-you-didnt-notice-about-tv-shows-till-you-watched-in-reruns/581082/84 "2011-11-24T19:44:24Z")
Many science fiction/fantasy shows reuse the same props. Star Trek TOS has a couple of devices that are seen many times. The space probe “Vi-ger” is re-used a couple of times. Lost In Space did it relentlessly. That damn control panel from the Jupiter II is seen other times in alien ships, etc. Also re-used were some of the monster/alien costumes, in the same series or others such as Outer Limits. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-you-didnt-notice-about-tv-shows-till-you-watched-in-reruns/581082/85 "2011-11-24T19:45:14Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > But they can’t because the shirts Sheldon (and Leonard) wear are just standard nerd gear you can find at Think Geek or the DC Comics online store or 80s Tees or other places. > > But yes, many of the shirts are out of print and now hard to find. That’s my point - especially ones like [this one](http://www.sheldonshirts.com/Graphic%20Files/whitezigzag.jpg) or [this one](http://www.sheldonshirts.com/Graphic%20Files/spazz.jpg) - CBS has the means to recreate all of them, including the ones out of print, put them all on one web store and make a mint off them. I mean, this is not new, merchandizing has always been a huge cash cow. Wonder why they’re not doing it. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-you-didnt-notice-about-tv-shows-till-you-watched-in-reruns/581082/86 "2011-11-24T20:48:27Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > That’s my point - especially ones like [this one](http://www.sheldonshirts.com/Graphic%20Files/whitezigzag.jpg) or [this one](http://www.sheldonshirts.com/Graphic%20Files/spazz.jpg) - CBS has the means to recreate all of them, including the ones out of print, put them all on one web store and make a mint off them. I mean, this is not new, merchandizing has always been a huge cash cow. Wonder why they’re not doing it. I’m repeating myself here, but they don’t own the rights to those shirts. Most of them are designs currently being sold by other websites or they feature DC Comics characters, which are owned by Warner Bros. (who actually produce The Big Bang Theory). In short, they can’t do it because they can’t. Why would WB sell the rights to those shirts to CBS? Why would any of the t-shirt owners? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-you-didnt-notice-about-tv-shows-till-you-watched-in-reruns/581082/87 "2011-11-24T21:12:22Z")
> [@campp](#): > > Many science fiction/fantasy shows reuse the same props. Star Trek TOS has a couple of devices that are seen many times. The space probe “Vi-ger” is re-used a couple of times. Lost In Space did it relentlessly. That damn control panel from the Jupiter II is seen other times in alien ships, etc. Also re-used were some of the monster/alien costumes, in the same series or others such as Outer Limits. The original _Twilight Zone_ re-sed a lot of props from the movie _Forbidden Planet_. It was really obvious with Robby the Robot, who they used three times (although they changed his head in one), but I noticed in reruns tha they re-used footage of saucer C57D several times (one time showing it upside down!), of Dr. Morbius’ car, the uniforms, the dials from the Krel lasb, and on one occasion the entire cyclorama that wrapped around the set as planet Altair 4. (Some of the props and the uniforms – dyed brown – appeared in the movie _Atlantis, the Lost continet_, too.) ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-you-didnt-notice-about-tv-shows-till-you-watched-in-reruns/581082/88 "2011-11-24T21:53:20Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I’m repeating myself here, but they don’t own the rights to those shirts. Most of them are designs currently being sold by other websites or they feature DC Comics characters, which are owned by Warner Bros. (who actually produce The Big Bang Theory). > > In short, they can’t do it because they can’t. Why would WB sell the rights to those shirts to CBS? Why would any of the t-shirt owners? Money. Especially for designs that are discontinued. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-you-didnt-notice-about-tv-shows-till-you-watched-in-reruns/581082/89 "2011-11-24T22:05:22Z")
… They’d make more money licencing them to T-shirt makers themselves (and, in the case of a good number of Sheldon’s comic book shirts, currently ARE), rather than licencing it to CBS, then letting CBS licence them to T-shirt makers. (And when they’re themselves T-shirt makers, they don’t even need that step.) The only way CBS/Chuck Lorre could make money on this that would make any economic sense for the people who actually own the IP of the shirts/make the shirts, is asking for money to let them say ‘as seen on Big Bang Theory’ (or, letting them pay for product placement in the show, which may very well be the case currently). ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-you-didnt-notice-about-tv-shows-till-you-watched-in-reruns/581082/90 "2011-11-24T22:09:35Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > There’s an early episode of _The Simpsons_ (might be the one where Homer is accused of sexually harassing the baby sitter) where Homer says that all their problems will be gone once they move into a house under the sea. He even sings a little song about it. Marge says that’s his answer to everything, but it’s not gonna happen. > > Years later, there’s a episode set in the future. Marge and Homer are divorced, and Homer is living in a house under the sea. that show is full of that type of thing, a quote, object or person from an earlier show. objects like signs or things on shelves in the background/foreground are often repeated. the show is one massive easter egg hunt. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-you-didnt-notice-about-tv-shows-till-you-watched-in-reruns/581082/91 "2011-11-24T22:15:49Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > … They’d make more money licencing them to T-shirt makers themselves (and, in the case of a good number of Sheldon’s comic book shirts, currently ARE), rather than licencing it to CBS, then letting CBS licence them to T-shirt makers. (And when they’re themselves T-shirt makers, they don’t even need that step.) > > The only way CBS/Chuck Lorre could make money on this that would make any economic sense for the people who actually own the IP of the shirts/make the shirts, is asking for money to let them say ‘as seen on Big Bang Theory’ (or, letting them pay for product placement in the show, which may very well be the case currently). If they are doing anything, it’s very disorganized. The other tshirt makers are all over the place, most tshirts being sold are pale imitations of the ones on the show, and the discontinued ones are not to be gotten at all. I want [http://www.sheldonshirts.com/Graphic%20Files/spazz.jpg](http://www.sheldonshirts.com/Graphic%20Files/spazz.jpg) - where do I get it? ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-you-didnt-notice-about-tv-shows-till-you-watched-in-reruns/581082/92 "2011-11-25T02:58:56Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > If they are doing anything, it’s very disorganized. No, it’s actually _quite_ organized. It’s just not tied in to BBT, because Warner Brothers, Disney, ThinkGeek, etc, are making their products for themselves, not CBS or Chuck Lorre. I don’t know where to get that shirt, because I have no idea what it is, but any of Sheldon’s wardrobe that I actually wanted to wear, I’d look for DC comics merch, or peruse the ThinkGeek store, not expect the people who actually _own_ the IP to give up a significant portion of the money from T-Shirt sales so that CBS can profit from their products. And that’s what they’d be doing in your scenario - the current situation, where they move a few more shirts because Sheldon wore one, but _they_ get all the money, rather than CBS taking a significant chunk just for the dubious convenience of having all of the shirts Sheldon wore in the same place, is a whole lot more profitable. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-you-didnt-notice-about-tv-shows-till-you-watched-in-reruns/581082/93 "2011-11-25T03:45:56Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > I don’t know where to get that shirt, because I have no idea what it is, but any of Sheldon’s wardrobe that I actually wanted to wear, I’d look for DC comics merch, or peruse the ThinkGeek store, not expect the people who actually _own_ the IP to give up a significant portion of the money from T-Shirt sales so that CBS can profit from their products. And that’s what they’d be doing in your scenario - the current situation, where they move a few more shirts because Sheldon wore one, but _they_ get all the money, rather than CBS taking a significant chunk just for the dubious convenience of having all of the shirts Sheldon wore in the same place, is a whole lot more profitable. You don’t know where to get that shirt because there is nowhere to get that shirt. It’s un-gottable. And right now they move a few shirts that people who are dedicated enough to search for them get. If they gave up a chunk of their profits to CBS in return for having a dedicated CBS sales push for Sheldon shirts in an organized official web store, they would get a smaller chunk of much higher sales. THAT’s a whole lot more profitable. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-you-didnt-notice-about-tv-shows-till-you-watched-in-reruns/581082/94 "2011-11-25T05:03:28Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > And right now they move a few shirts that people who are dedicated enough to search for them get. If they gave up a chunk of their profits to CBS in return for having a dedicated CBS sales push for Sheldon shirts in an organized official web store, they would get a smaller chunk of much higher sales. THAT’s a whole lot more profitable. Leonard is fond of shirts from ThinkGeek. CBS didn’t choose these shirts because someone from ThinkGeek approached them and said “put a shirt we sell in your show and then don’t tell anybody it’s from our site.” Instead, CBS chose shirts from ThinkGeek because geeks already buy a lot of shirts from ThinkGeek. The “caffeine molecule” shirt that Leonard has worn more than once has been a ThinkGeek bestseller for over a decade. I repeat, why would they give that up? ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-you-didnt-notice-about-tv-shows-till-you-watched-in-reruns/581082/95 "2011-11-25T07:13:17Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Leonard is fond of shirts from ThinkGeek. CBS didn’t choose these shirts because someone from ThinkGeek approached them and said “put a shirt we sell in your show and then don’t tell anybody it’s from our site.” Instead, CBS chose shirts from ThinkGeek because geeks already buy a lot of shirts from ThinkGeek. The “caffeine molecule” shirt that Leonard has worn more than once has been a ThinkGeek bestseller for over a decade. > > I repeat, why would they give that up? They don’t have to “give that up”. I don’t really know how to explain it clearer than I already did. Lemme try it this way: Let’s say that now ThinkGeek sells X “Sheldon” Tshirts for $8 profit each (that’s a pretty conservative estimate. I think the real number is somewhere around $12-$15). That’s 8X profit. If CBS doubles their sales of their TShirts (now they sell 2X of those particular tshirts) and they have to give CBS $3 for each one they sell, then they will make 10X profit. So - TG makes more money. And CBS makes more money (since 2\*3X\>0). Win-win. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-you-didnt-notice-about-tv-shows-till-you-watched-in-reruns/581082/96 "2011-11-25T14:16:03Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Let’s say that now ThinkGeek sells X “Sheldon” Tshirts for $8 profit each (that’s a pretty conservative estimate. I think the real number is somewhere around $12-$15). That’s 8X profit. > > If CBS doubles their sales of their TShirts (now they sell 2X of those particular tshirts) and they have to give CBS $3 for each one they sell, then they will make 10X profit. You grossly overestimate the number of people who would buy a Think Geek shirt if and only if it appeared on The Big Bang Theory and then was visible on [CBS.com](http://CBS.com). ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-you-didnt-notice-about-tv-shows-till-you-watched-in-reruns/581082/97 "2011-11-25T14:42:10Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > You grossly overestimate the number of people who would buy a Think Geek shirt if and only if it appeared on The Big Bang Theory and then was visible on [CBS.com](http://CBS.com). You grossly overestimate Think Geek’s clientele compared to CBS’s. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-you-didnt-notice-about-tv-shows-till-you-watched-in-reruns/581082/98 "2011-11-25T15:18:16Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > You grossly overestimate Think Geek’s clientele compared to CBS’s. Sorry, I wasn’t clear. My point is that any geek who was interested in a caffeine molecule t-shirt would have purchased it long before The Big Bang Theory even premiered. Or, in other words, geeks aren’t following The Big Bang Theory’s lead, The Big Bang Theory is following the lead of the geeks that came before it. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-you-didnt-notice-about-tv-shows-till-you-watched-in-reruns/581082/99 "2011-11-25T16:31:40Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Sorry, I wasn’t clear. My point is that any geek who was interested in a caffeine molecule t-shirt would have purchased it long before The Big Bang Theory even premiered. So? Here is the chance for these shirts to be bought by semi-geeks that buy it because of BBT. Or is “purity” more important than profits? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-you-didnt-notice-about-tv-shows-till-you-watched-in-reruns/581082/100 "2011-11-25T16:58:34Z")
Please take the t-shirt discussion to another thread. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-you-didnt-notice-about-tv-shows-till-you-watched-in-reruns/581082.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-you-didnt-notice-about-tv-shows-till-you-watched-in-reruns/581082.md?page=6)