# TK421......bizarre coincidence or running gag? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 14, 2001, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tk421-bizarre-coincidence-or-running-gag/76284 "2001-08-14T23:17:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Evno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c68b51/32.png) [@Evno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evno)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tk421-bizarre-coincidence-or-running-gag/76284/1 "2001-08-14T23:17:17Z")
There’s two incidents I can think of where the code “TK421” was used in movies: **STAR WARS** : When Han, Luke, ObiWan, Chewie, r2d2 and c-3p0 were hiding out in the MF’s cargo bays, and then the humans in the party suckered some Troopers into the ship to steal their uniforms, the guy up in the control tower calls to the missing troopers on his radio “TK421, why aren’t you at your post?” **BOOGIE NIGHTS** : When “Buck” is selling stereo equipment at the store, he keeps on trying to sing the “TK421” modification to his customers. What the Hell? Do any of you Dopers know of other movies (or whatever.) where this is mentioned? ---
**Author:** ![Oystaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@Oystaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oystaman)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tk421-bizarre-coincidence-or-running-gag/76284/2 "2001-08-14T23:51:59Z")
It’s something special to George Lucas. Here is tk 421’s fan club. Pretty funny [http://www.eou.edu/~triples/TK-421/](http://www.eou.edu/~triples/TK-421/) ---
**Author:** ![BingoBurringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/43a26b/32.png) [@BingoBurringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BingoBurringo)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tk421-bizarre-coincidence-or-running-gag/76284/3 "2001-08-14T23:57:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Evno \* > \*\*There’s two incidents I can think of where the code “TK421” was used in movies: > > **STAR WARS** : When Han, Luke, ObiWan, Chewie, r2d2 and c-3p0 were hiding out in the MF’s cargo bays, and then the humans in the party suckered some Troopers into the ship to steal their uniforms, the guy up in the control tower calls to the missing troopers on his radio “TK421, why aren’t you at your post?” > > **BOOGIE NIGHTS** : When “Buck” is selling stereo equipment at the store, he keeps on trying to sing the “TK421” modification to his customers. > > What the Hell? > > Do any of you Dopers know of other movies (or whatever.) where this is mentioned? \*\* Actually, TK-421 is THX-1138 in the Star Wars novel. Here’s another one: The phone numbers for the house in WHEN A STRANGER CALLS is the same phone number for the Ghostbusters emergency line in the movie GHOSTBUSTERS I. 555-2368 ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tk421-bizarre-coincidence-or-running-gag/76284/4 "2001-08-15T00:02:23Z")
TK421 is in Boogie Nights as an homage to Star Wars - there’s a different reference to Han Solo in Boogie Nights also. Paul Thomas Anderson has mentioned that he was a big fan of the movie. (Sorry, no cite - I read it in an interview somewhere). BTW, I was the one who added that trivia to the Boogie Nights section in the IMDB - it was pretty funny for me to see it referenced here. ---
**Author:** ![Evno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c68b51/32.png) [@Evno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evno)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tk421-bizarre-coincidence-or-running-gag/76284/5 "2001-08-15T00:25:05Z")
thanks for the answers. and that TK site was good. ---
**Author:** ![that\_darn\_cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/59ef9b/32.png) [@that\_darn\_cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/that_darn_cat)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tk421-bizarre-coincidence-or-running-gag/76284/6 "2001-08-15T02:29:58Z")
TK-421 also appears as the serial number on the world map in the Fallout 2 computer rpg, along with a plethora of other Star Wars and fanboy refrences. [http://fallout.gamestats.com/fallout2/eggs/](http://fallout.gamestats.com/fallout2/eggs/) ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tk421-bizarre-coincidence-or-running-gag/76284/7 "2001-08-15T03:08:47Z")
THX1138 can also be seen on the license plate of one of the cars during the race scene in _American Graffiti_. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tk421-bizarre-coincidence-or-running-gag/76284/8 "2001-08-15T03:21:08Z")
Thx1138 was Lucas’ first movie. ---
**Author:** ![edwino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@edwino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwino)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tk421-bizarre-coincidence-or-running-gag/76284/9 "2001-08-15T03:23:38Z")
THX=1138 is also seen on the chalkboard in the opening credits of _Animaniacs_, which is produced by Steven Spielberg IIRC. Of course, THX-1138 was George Lucas’s first sci fi movie thingy. Interesting movie despite its _Logan’s Run_ similarities. ---
**Author:** ![Mersavets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aca169/32.png) [@Mersavets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mersavets)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tk421-bizarre-coincidence-or-running-gag/76284/10 "2001-08-15T04:28:28Z")
THX1138 is also Dekker’s license plate number in Bladerunner. ---
**Author:** ![GSV\_Consolation\_of\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f1d935/32.png) [@GSV\_Consolation\_of\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GSV_Consolation_of_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tk421-bizarre-coincidence-or-running-gag/76284/11 "2001-08-15T08:02:38Z")
I think C3P0 was all or part of the zip code of a Post Office near to Lucas’s then home. No cite ATM but I’ll have a look for one. ---
**Author:** ![GSV\_Consolation\_of\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f1d935/32.png) [@GSV\_Consolation\_of\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GSV_Consolation_of_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tk421-bizarre-coincidence-or-running-gag/76284/12 "2001-08-15T08:19:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by atarian \* > \*\*I think C3P0 was all or part of the zip code of a Post Office near to Lucas’s then home. > > No cite ATM but I’ll have a look for one. \*\* [This page](http://www.angelfire.com/tx/yakface/facts.html) says it came from the map reference of Steven Spielberg’s local Post Office…ho hum. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tk421-bizarre-coincidence-or-running-gag/76284/14 "2017-03-28T12:26:36Z")
Spam reported.