# What TV shows do you know by another name? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 17, 2011, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923 "2011-01-17T08:13:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/1 "2011-01-17T08:13:51Z")
I was talking to my mother recently about the “Andy Griffith Show”. She kept calling it the “Barney Fife Show” because that was its most memorable character. That reminded me that back when it was on the air, she would call the seventies sitcom “Alice” as “Mel’s Diner”, the setting of the show. Do you ever call TV shows or movies by something other than their actual name? ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/2 "2011-01-17T08:30:55Z")
Sometimes I would call “All in the Family” Archie Bunker. “You wanna watch Archie Bunker?” For some reason, back before he died, my dad would call “South Park” “The Cheeseburger People.” I think the heads of the characters reminded him of White Castle Burgers. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Amazing\_Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@The\_Amazing\_Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Amazing_Hanna)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/3 "2011-01-17T08:59:42Z")
My friend refers to Mad Men as “Donnie Draper”. Which is interesting, because I don’t think he’s ever called “Donnie” in the show. When I worked in Stockholm, Sweden, I noticed they had their own names for a lot of foreign shows. “Love Boat” was called something like “Cruising with Love”, and “Absolutely Fabulous” was called “Completely Hysterical”. They had a version of The Honeymooners called “Totally Rolf” (Ralph was renamed Rolf). ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/4 "2011-01-17T09:45:03Z")
UK specific reference here… In our house we refer to “Deal or no Deal” with[Noel Edmonds](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noel_Edmonds) as “guessing with a c\*nt” (OK, perhaps not in front of the kids but that is pretty much the only time in our house that we use that particular word. I’m of the opinion that if I use it too often its power will diminish and it will no longer carry the necessary force required to describe such as Edmonds and Piers Morgan. Always have a c\*nt up your sleeve, that’s my motto.) ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/5 "2011-01-17T09:58:41Z")
We used to call Happy Days “the fonzie show” when we were young. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/6 "2011-01-17T10:05:55Z")
The most common ones are the late night talk shows. “The Tonight Show” is “Leno” or “Johnny Carson”. “Late Night” is “Conan” or “Letterman”. “Late Show” is “Letterman”. “The Daily Show” is “John Stewart”. Frankly if you polled people on the street about the names of those the majority probably wouldn’t have a clue what the real names were and would say something like “The David Letterman Show”. “Football Night in America” is still “Sunday Night Football” to most of us even though that’s not correct. “Family Matters” for years was called “Urkel” by most people I knew. “House M.D.” was pretty much never called by it’s correct name and was shortened to just “House” almost immediately even by the network, though that’s probably a little weak based on what the OP is looking for. Similarly pretty much no one called “Homicide: Life On The Street” anything but “Homicide”. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/7 "2011-01-17T11:43:50Z")
> [@The\_Amazing\_Hanna](#): > > When I worked in Stockholm, Sweden, I noticed they had their own names for a lot of foreign shows. “Love Boat” was called something like “Cruising with Love”, and “Absolutely Fabulous” was called “Completely Hysterical”. They had a version of The Honeymooners called “Totally Rolf” (Ralph was renamed Rolf). But that would be the Swedish names, not actual attempts of translations and, having pointed that out, I will never foul my mouth with uttering the Swedish names of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” or “Fawltey Towers” (I haven’t even bothered to remember them). ---
**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:** [January 17, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/8 "2011-01-17T14:34:28Z")
If I ever wanted to mention the show “Will & Grace” in a conversation, I would refer to it as “Jack & Karen” - and a surprising amount of people knew exactly what I meant." One of my nephews got into the habit of calling “Sesame Street” by the name “Elmo & Big Bird” - and that seemed to stick with the rest of the family. Even the younger nephews & neices got to calling it that. “The A-List” and all the “Real Houswives of…” shows are collectively known to me (and my friends) as “That Awful Dreck That My Room-mate Watches.” ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/9 "2011-01-17T15:28:44Z")
Hey mom, wanna watch “the dirty little boys”? Calling it **South Park** wouldn’t actually confuse her, but it’s her name for the show, and I just run with it. Plus it helps gauge her mood, is she really ready for foul mouthed construction paper cartoons, I have to check. ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/10 "2011-01-17T15:31:23Z")
Here in Canada, “Beast Wars,” was referred to as “Beasties,” because I guess the CRTC had a bug up their ass about having an animated kids show use the word “war” in their title. ---
**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:** [January 17, 2011, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/11 "2011-01-17T15:37:41Z")
The series which was actually named \*The Phil Silvers Show \*is usually referred to by the title _Sergeant Bilko._ ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/12 "2011-01-17T16:55:11Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > The series which was actually named \*The Phil Silvers Show \*is usually referred to by the title _Sergeant Bilko._ And originally named _You’ll Never Get Rich_. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/13 "2011-01-17T17:08:25Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > UK specific reference here… > > In our house we refer to “Deal or no Deal” with[Noel Edmonds](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noel_Edmonds) as > “guessing with a c\*nt” Snerk. My husband refers to the entire continuum of BBCA shows where bossy middle-aged ladies shame someone into better behavior as "Two British Tw_ts." There’s TBT: Clothes, TBT: Home, and TBT: Food. (Yes, there’s only the one British tw_t on the food show, but that busts up the symmetry.) ---
**Author:** ![Simmerdown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simmerdown/32/14859_2.png) [@Simmerdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simmerdown)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/14 "2011-01-17T17:16:24Z")
When my son was about 3 he began referring to _Who’s Line is it Anyway?_ as _Silliest Men_, and that is what it has been called in our house ever since. ---
**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:** [January 17, 2011, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/15 "2011-01-17T17:23:21Z")
**Omniscient** , you make a good point on the Late shows. I do call them mostly by their host names, though _The Daily Show_ at least I use both. As a kid the _Peanut Specials_ were always, “Snoopy Shows” to me. I can’t think of any others. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/16 "2011-01-17T18:59:22Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > **Omniscient** , you make a good point on the Late shows. I do call them mostly by their host names, though _The Daily Show_ at least I use both. That’s also why Conan’s new show is just named _Conan_. Anyways, I came in to say that the very first one I thought of when I saw the thread was the one that was actually in the OP. The only one I can think of that hasn’t been mentioned is that I sometimes find myself referring to _Good Eats_ as Alton Brown. The last time I googled it, it took me a bit to remember the real name. ---
**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:** [January 17, 2011, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/17 "2011-01-17T19:26:48Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > And originally named _You’ll Never Get Rich_. I understand that was a working title that wasn’t used on the finished show. I’ve certainly never seen an episode with that as it’s title, YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/18 "2011-01-17T19:33:07Z")
Ever since that South Park episode, I’ve always refered to _The Shield_ as _Cop Drama._ There was some show I watched when I was a kid which I always called _Old Guy and Little Kid_. The Old Guy was the guy from Up, and the little kid was probably Haley Joel Osment. I’m not even sure what the real name is. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/19 "2011-01-17T20:19:49Z")
> [@fusoya](#): > > There was some show I watched when I was a kid which I always called _Old Guy and Little Kid_. The Old Guy was the guy from Up, and the little kid was probably Haley Joel Osment. I’m not even sure what the real name is. [Thunder Alley](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunder_Alley), I believe. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/20 "2011-01-17T20:56:33Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > The most common ones are the late night talk shows. “The Tonight Show” is “Leno” or “Johnny Carson”. “Late Night” is “Conan” or “Letterman”. “Late Show” is “Letterman”. “The Daily Show” is “John Stewart”. Frankly if you polled people on the street about the names of those the majority probably wouldn’t have a clue what the real names were and would say something like “The David Letterman Show”. Similarly “Craig Ferguson” (or around my house, just “Craig,” with attempt at Scottish accent optional) instead of “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.” In fact, I even had to look it up to confirm the exact show name. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923.md?page=2)