# What is extremely common in TV or movies but almost never happens in real life? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 6, 2021, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311 "2021-02-06T04:16:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 100
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1982 "2022-09-06T08:53:15Z")
actually, if you timed it right in la you could watch mike Douglas, Merv Griffith, and dick Cavett on the indie stations in la in the 80s from 1 to 4 there were slight differences cavett tried to be more current event-oriented Douglas tried to be Carson and Merv just liked hanging out with famous people ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1983 "2022-09-06T11:21:29Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Electrocuted while holding the microphone? I think that was done on _ **Monk** _ And someone mentioned Monk and poison. The two Monk episodes with someone murdered on the stage are: The first episode: Someone was shot on stage at a political rally. Mr. Monk goes to the Theater. An actor in a play was stabbed. A tainted apple was a factor. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1984 "2022-09-06T17:05:08Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > cavett tried to be more current event-oriented Douglas tried to be Carson and Merv just liked hanging out with famous people Cavett also had on older actors who were no longer working, so it wasn’t just celebrities whoring out their latest project. I preferred Cavett to any of the others, although he’d always get a little weird with attractive women guests…like a blushing schoolboy. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1985 "2022-09-07T20:09:37Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Yes, I’m sure people have really died onstage… Mark Sandman, lead singer for the band Morphine, died of a heart attack on stage in the middle of a performance. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1986 "2022-09-07T20:35:18Z")
Likewise, [Dick Shawn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Shawn). When a stagehand asked if there was a doctor present, the audience thought it was part of his act. They only started to leave the theater after the paramedics arrived. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1987 "2022-09-07T21:38:00Z")
A tenor [died onstage at the Metropolitan Opera in 1996](https://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/06/arts/met-tenor-is-stricken-ill-onstage-and-dies.html), seconds after singing the words “Too bad you can only live so long.” ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1988 "2022-09-07T21:48:24Z")
British comedian/ magician [Tommy Cooper](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Cooper) collapsed and died onstage during a live TV broadcast. British comedian [Eric Morecambe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Morecambe) collapsed onstage while taking a curtain call. e died in hospital a short time later. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1989 "2022-09-07T21:50:29Z")
Dimebag Darrell was shot to death on stage. ---
**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:** [September 7, 2022, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1990 "2022-09-07T23:56:49Z")
Irene Ryan, aka “Granny” on _ **The Beverly Hillbillies** _, also dropped dead on stage while acting in a play not long after the TV show was cancelled. ---
**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:** [September 8, 2022, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1991 "2022-09-08T00:38:16Z")
Albert Brooks’ father, Harry Einstein (aka [Parkyakarkus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkyakarkus)) died on stage in 1958 during a roast for Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1992 "2022-09-08T01:43:22Z")
Indonesian singer Irma Bule was performing on stage with a cobra, which bit her. She died 45 minutes later. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1993 "2022-09-08T03:11:39Z")
Yet another - [Country Dick Montana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_Dick_Montana) of The Beat Farmers dropped dead while performing on stage. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1994 "2022-09-08T08:16:38Z")
[David Olney - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Olney) > His songs were [covered](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cover_version) by and co-written with [Emmylou Harris](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmylou_Harris), [Steve Earle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Earle), [Linda Ronstadt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_Ronstadt), [Steve Young](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Young_(musician)), [Del McCoury](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Del_McCoury), and [Laurie Lewis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurie_Lewis), among many others. > Olney died of an apparent heart attack during a performance onstage at the 30A Songwriter Festival in [Santa Rosa Beach, Florida](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Rosa_Beach,_Florida), on January 18, 2020, at the age of seventy-one.[[6]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Olney#cite_note-deadlineobit-6)[[8]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Olney#cite_note-tennesseanobit-8)[[15]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Olney#cite_note-NBC_News-15) He was in the middle of his third song when he stopped, apologized and shut his eyes, according to fellow musician [Scott Miller](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Miller_(country_musician)), who was accompanying Olney. The Ronstadt/Harris version of 1917 is a gutpunch. ---
**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:** [September 8, 2022, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1995 "2022-09-08T11:17:57Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Irene Ryan, aka “Granny” on _ **The Beverly Hillbillies** _, also dropped dead on stage while acting in a play not long after the TV show was cancelled. Close, but not quite > [@](#): > > On March 10, 1973, Ryan suffered an apparent [stroke](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroke) during a performance of _Pippin_ , flew home to California on her doctor’s orders, and was hospitalized. She was diagnosed with an inoperable [glioblastoma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glioblastoma) (malignant brain tumor). Ryan died at [St. John’s Hospital, Santa Monica](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_John%27s_Health_Center), California, on April 26, 1973, aged 70. The causes of death were given as glioblastoma and [arteriosclerotic heart disease](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arteriosclerotic_heart_disease). “not long after” was still a couple of years. She originated the role of Berthe in _Pippin_ (in which her signature song includes, ironically, the lines “it’s time to start livin’, time to take a little from this world we’re given”) in 1972 (_Hillbillies_ was cancelled in 1971) and was still performing the part when she was stricken on stage. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1996 "2022-09-08T12:31:26Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > She originated the role of Berthe in _Pippin_ (in which her signature song includes, ironically, the lines “it’s time to start livin’, time to take a little from this world we’re given”) in 1972 The big laugh line from that song, though, was “It’s hard to believe I’m being led astray by a man who calls me ‘Granny!’” ---
**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:** [September 8, 2022, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1997 "2022-09-08T14:14:16Z")
Better she shoulda doctored hersself, ‘steada goin’ t’see them California quacks! 🤕 ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1998 "2022-09-08T15:13:51Z")
I’m pretty sure Rapping Grannies or Old White Guys who Talk Black weren’t as common in the 90s as pop culture lead us to believe. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1999 "2022-09-08T21:32:30Z")
OK; lots of people have died onstage, but was any one of them declared a homicide? Let alone one by a person or persons unknown, so there was an investigation by detectives? It seems that the essence of what we were originally talking about that frequently happens on TV, is an onstage/camera _murder_, not merely a death. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2022, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2000 "2022-09-09T00:22:57Z")
Season 3 of **Only Murders in the Building** features a death onstage, we just learned from the last ep of season 2. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2022, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2001 "2022-09-09T00:50:19Z")
As noted upthread, [Dimebag Darrell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimebag_Darrell?wprov=sfti1) from the bands Pantera and Damageplan was shot and killed onstage. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311.md?page=99) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311.md?page=101)