# 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:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**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:** [January 19, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/61 "2011-01-19T23:09:30Z")
Some of my wife’s affectionate names for shows I watch: “That Stupid Crab Show” - **Deadliest Catch** “Jessica Car Show” - **Top Gear** , due to the theme song “Doctor Whatever” - **Doctor Who** “Pawn Shop” - **Pawn Stars** , **Hardcore Pawn** , **American Pickers** …I don’t think she knows they’re different shows ---
**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 26, 2011, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/62 "2011-01-26T13:51:34Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Exactly what it should have been called all along. It’s beyond me why they named the show after its most forgettable characters. Because, if Jack and Karen were the main characters, they wouldn’t have been allowed to be that wacky. Up until recently, the main characters very often had to play it safe. Plus, it kept people from complaining about what a flaming stereotype Jack was by having the main gay character be [Straight Gay](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/StraightGay) (trope). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/63 "2011-01-26T16:42:55Z")
For some reason, my father, in his heavy Polish-accented English, insisted on calling it “Crazy Cook” instead of “The Frugal Gourmet” when I was growing up. To this day, I have to stutter to get the correct name when referring to that show. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/64 "2011-01-26T21:28:34Z")
All in the Family is _Archie_. Tonight Show is _Jay_. Late Show is _Dave_. Late Late Show is _Craig_. Whose Line is it Anyway? is _Whose Line?_ Joan of Arcadia was _Joan_. CSI is occasionally _Grissom_, though just as often _CSI_. ---
**Author:** ![C.Montgomery\_Burns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@C.Montgomery\_Burns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C.Montgomery_Burns)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/65 "2011-01-27T01:09:21Z")
I second _Whose Line_. I hardly ever use the full title. Also, Mystery Science Theater 3000 is usually just “Guys watching bad movies”, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is always “SVU”. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/66 "2011-01-27T03:09:35Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > “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. In our house, _House_ is _Dr. House MD_, thanks to my wife. (From Québec, that’s what the french-dubbed version is called there.) ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/67 "2011-01-27T03:25:46Z")
When I was a kid, any soap opera my mom or sisters were into, I called by the name of the popular character. So Young & the Restless was ‘Victor’, and General Hospital was “Luke and Laura”. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/68 "2011-01-27T03:43:56Z")
> [@C.Montgomery\_Burns](#): > > Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is always “SVU”. Do you say S-V-U or “Sevhu?” We opt for the latter. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/69 "2011-01-27T15:37:04Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Do you say S-V-U or “Sevhu?” We opt for the latter. I don’t actually watch that show, but when I refer to it, I call it _SUV_. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/70 "2011-01-28T19:36:20Z")
> [@antonio107](#): > > 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. :eek: I didn’t know that. I didn’t get cable until 1999, and I’ve always known it as Beast Wars. I’ll have to quiz my friends who did have cable. ---
**Author:** ![C.Montgomery\_Burns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@C.Montgomery\_Burns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C.Montgomery_Burns)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923/71 "2011-01-30T00:48:33Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > I don’t actually watch that show, but when I refer to it, I call it _SUV_. 😃 I have done that by accident many a many time myself. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-do-you-know-by-another-name/567923.md?page=3)