# Which show most prominently features phones? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 31, 2018, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-show-most-prominently-features-phones/818844 "2018-07-31T02:15:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-show-most-prominently-features-phones/818844/1 "2018-07-31T02:15:07Z")
We are currently binging Scandal, and I was stricken by how often phones ring to signal transitions, or phones ringing unanswered explain the state of relationships. I haven’t counted, but I bet a phone rings or you see a screenshot at least 30 times in an hour-long episode. Some of the characters seem to ALWAYS have their phones in their hands, or be tossing them down on desks. My second nomination is Elementary. I would bet that more conversations on that show get interrupted by phone calls than don’t. The one thing I haven’t been able to appreciate is when shows try to incorporate texts. Haven’t seen a show do that i a way that doesn’t seem contrived. What show do you think relies on phones the most to move plot along, develop relationships, and such.? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-show-most-prominently-features-phones/818844/2 "2018-07-31T02:30:44Z")
[Batman.](http://cdn.wegotthiscovered.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Adam-West-Batman-Bat-Phone-670x335.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-show-most-prominently-features-phones/818844/3 "2018-07-31T02:33:34Z")
_The Bob Newhart Show_ made sure that Bob had a phone conversation in every episode. He made his reputation in standup with phone bits, and they always gave him a shot to do another. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-show-most-prominently-features-phones/818844/4 "2018-07-31T03:08:02Z")
_The Closer_ used the Team Oble ringtone approximately 853 times per episode. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-show-most-prominently-features-phones/818844/5 "2018-07-31T04:08:25Z")
“Madam Secretary” uses texts and phone calls multiple times in each episode. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-show-most-prominently-features-phones/818844/6 "2018-07-31T04:08:54Z")
_The Rockford Files_ comes to mind. It gets special points from us phone geeks for having the right kind of phone (Automatic Electric, used mainly by GTE) for that area of LA. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-show-most-prominently-features-phones/818844/7 "2018-07-31T04:15:18Z")
Well, it’s a movie, but there’s _Sorry, Wrong Number_, which takes place entirely through a series of telephone conversations and flashbacks, and flashbacks within flashbacks, and flashbacks within flashbacks within flashbacks. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-show-most-prominently-features-phones/818844/8 "2018-07-31T04:39:26Z")
Dial M for Murder. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-show-most-prominently-features-phones/818844/9 "2018-07-31T04:44:04Z")
Oh, sorry, I added a movie. For tv, Sex and the City had alot phone calling. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-show-most-prominently-features-phones/818844/10 "2018-07-31T05:11:02Z")
Does “reality TV” count? Because, everyone on \*Million Dollar Listing NY \* spends a lot of their screen time on their phone. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-show-most-prominently-features-phones/818844/11 "2018-07-31T11:59:45Z")
9-1-1 of course sort of centers around 9-1-1 calls. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-show-most-prominently-features-phones/818844/12 "2018-07-31T12:08:26Z")
Andy Griffith Show. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-show-most-prominently-features-phones/818844/13 "2018-07-31T13:04:43Z")
YouTube fisherman,\*\* Senko Skipper\*\*, has a chime sound at the beginning of each episode. It just so happens to be the same sound I use as my text message notification sound. Nine times out of ten I check my phone, even though I am wearing headphones. ---
**Author:** ![JuliaSqueezer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/82dd89/32.png) [@JuliaSqueezer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JuliaSqueezer)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-show-most-prominently-features-phones/818844/14 "2018-07-31T13:32:42Z")
The 100 Code. Weirdly fascinating detective series about a NYC cop (Domenic Monahan) working with Swedish police to solve a series of serial murders. The constant cell phone interruptions seems to be part of the story, sending characters running and driving all over Sweden. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-show-most-prominently-features-phones/818844/15 "2018-07-31T14:36:08Z")
A little rant about texting in tv shows: my vision is bad, but not that bad. I cannot for the life of me read texts on phones on my tv screen. When they put the text in an overlay graphic on the screen, most of the time I can read it. But when we’re basically supposed to be looking over someone’s shoulder and reading their texts, forget it. Maybe I don’t have the biggest tv screen (a \*mere \*42") but, you know, everyone is now pushing watching tv on one’s tablet or phone so screen size isn’t always trending up, yaknow. This happened on the most recent episode of \*Elementary \*(mentioned above). I have no idea what was said in Joan’s text. Maybe not a huge plot point but I’ll never know. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-show-most-prominently-features-phones/818844/16 "2018-07-31T14:42:10Z")
The X-files was notorious for cell phone usage, with lots of montages of the changing cellular technology throughout the show’s run, which I can’t seem to find any of on youtube right now… ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-show-most-prominently-features-phones/818844/17 "2018-07-31T15:14:23Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > _The Bob Newhart Show_ made sure that Bob had a phone conversation in every episode. He made his reputation in standup with phone bits, and they always gave him a shot to do another. Bob became well known for this routine from his first movie appearance in Hell is for Heroes. He played a soldier who had to carry on a fake conversation on a field phone, IIRC to convince the Germans that his squad was in communication with non-existent reinforcements. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-show-most-prominently-features-phones/818844/18 "2018-07-31T15:50:23Z")
**24** would be nothing without cell phones. ---
**Author:** ![RunSilent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@RunSilent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RunSilent)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-show-most-prominently-features-phones/818844/19 "2018-07-31T16:07:18Z")
This show: [SCTV Walter Cronkite gets a threatening phone call - YouTube](https://youtu.be/pf6bdSPmsDQ) ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-show-most-prominently-features-phones/818844/20 "2018-07-31T16:47:38Z")
**Person of Interest** is another one where people talk to each other over the phone more often than they talk in person. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-show-most-prominently-features-phones/818844.md?page=2)