# Times they show you the 4th wall **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [March 27, 2024, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-they-show-you-the-4th-wall/999462 "2024-03-27T15:57:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2024, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-they-show-you-the-4th-wall/999462/1 "2024-03-27T15:57:15Z")
What are occasions in TV shows where they actually show you the normally “invisible” 4th wall? Examples to follow. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2024, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-they-show-you-the-4th-wall/999462/2 "2024-03-27T15:58:48Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/9dmeWE-qfMo/maxresdefault.jpg "Monica's Secret Closet | Friends") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dmeWE-qfMo&t=179) ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2024, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-they-show-you-the-4th-wall/999462/3 "2024-03-27T15:59:39Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/hllQqLC_aDs/maxresdefault.jpg "Buck Runs Away! | Married With Children") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hllQqLC_aDs&t=111) ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2024, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-they-show-you-the-4th-wall/999462/4 "2024-03-27T16:01:41Z")
I think these are examples of what you mean. The Christmas episode of Moonlighting. The camera pulled back to show the soundstage and crew. The brainwarping episdoe of UFO (appropriately called Mindbender) where one of the SHADO personnel was being manipulated into thinking that SHADO was just a movie. They had camera angles showing the actual UFO sets in a soundstage. My friend hated that episode, because it broke suspension of disbelief for the other episodes, knowing for a fact that Moonbase was literally 10 feet from SHADO HQ. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2024, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-they-show-you-the-4th-wall/999462/5 "2024-03-27T16:02:03Z")
Pretty much every episode of the Burns and Allen show. ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2024, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-they-show-you-the-4th-wall/999462/6 "2024-03-27T16:02:31Z")
While we’re on the subject of unseen sides on TV, I’d also like to see what’s on the the the other side of the dinner table: the opposite side. The side that everybody else at it _isn’t_ sitting, all clustered about. ---
**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:** [March 27, 2024, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-they-show-you-the-4th-wall/999462/7 "2024-03-27T18:54:52Z")
??? I’ve not watched Friends. How was that showing the 4th wall? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2024, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-they-show-you-the-4th-wall/999462/8 "2024-03-27T19:03:43Z")
If you roll the clip back to about 0:30 seconds, that’s the “normal” view of that apartment, and we’re seeing the closet door straight on. In that shot, the camera is “in” the closet and we’re looking back at what should be the audience. ---
**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2024, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-they-show-you-the-4th-wall/999462/9 "2024-03-27T19:05:10Z")
I was going to ask the same thing as Mahaloth. Ferris breaks the fourth wall throughout _Ferris Bueller’s Day Off_. The video wouldn’t post but go to YouTube and enter… FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF - Every Fourth Wall Break ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2024, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-they-show-you-the-4th-wall/999462/10 "2024-03-27T19:09:47Z")
> [@saucywench](#): > > Ferris breaks the fourth wall throughout _Ferris Bueller’s Day Off_. That’s not really what I mean. I’m not talking about when the characters address the audience directly, I’m talking about times when we are shown the _literal_ fourth wall. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2024, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-they-show-you-the-4th-wall/999462/11 "2024-03-27T19:09:56Z")
> [@saucywench](#): > > Ferris breaks the fourth wall throughout _Ferris Bueller’s Day Off_. I think the topic is about showing the literal fourth wall, not about breaking it. ---
**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2024, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-they-show-you-the-4th-wall/999462/12 "2024-03-27T19:10:28Z")
Thank you both! ---
**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:** [March 27, 2024, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-they-show-you-the-4th-wall/999462/13 "2024-03-27T19:28:31Z")
In the episodes “Restless” of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the characters are dreaming. At one point, they follow Xander through a closet and it comes out to another location entirely. While it made sense in the dream, it was also showing us how the sets are actually connected and the passageway between them. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2024, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-they-show-you-the-4th-wall/999462/14 "2024-03-27T19:37:00Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > That’s not really what I mean. I understood what you meant, and I enjoyed both those examples…unfortunately, I can’t think of any others yet. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2024, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-they-show-you-the-4th-wall/999462/15 "2024-03-27T19:49:11Z")
Here’s one [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/1y6OF99F5hU/hqdefault.jpg "Agymenők (The Big Bang Theory) - Sheldon is learning to drive 3") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y6OF99F5hU&t=19) ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2024, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-they-show-you-the-4th-wall/999462/16 "2024-03-27T19:52:27Z")
I’m trying to remember some 90’s sitcom where a character was having a dream sequence. He made some comment about “why does my house look so weird” and the camera panned over to show the fourth wall. ---
**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:** [March 27, 2024, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-they-show-you-the-4th-wall/999462/17 "2024-03-27T19:55:40Z")
So…we are not looking for times we see the cameras, etc. We are looking for times where they actually show the wall that is supposed to be there? ---
**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:** [March 27, 2024, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-they-show-you-the-4th-wall/999462/18 "2024-03-27T19:56:48Z")
Somewhat related, here is a little picture that shows why Jerry’s apartment in Seinfeld can’t exist based on what we’ve seen of the hallway. [![](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/0/7/5/774075.jpg) ](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/0/7/5/774075.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2024, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-they-show-you-the-4th-wall/999462/19 "2024-03-27T20:12:42Z")
It’s not quite literally the wall, but this bit that was used several times in _Police Squad_ comes close. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/siE_182RwpA/hqdefault.jpg "Police Squad! - Door") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siE_182RwpA) ---
**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:** [March 27, 2024, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-they-show-you-the-4th-wall/999462/20 "2024-03-27T20:17:26Z")
This to me is closer to what I was thinking, which is “hanging a lantern” on the fourth wall by using it creatively in a way that would also get a laugh or reaction from the viewer. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-they-show-you-the-4th-wall/999462.md?page=2)