# Why/when did episode titles become Easter Eggs for persnickety viewers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 21, 2014, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-when-did-episode-titles-become-easter-eggs-for-persnickety-viewers/702052 "2014-10-21T17:43:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-when-did-episode-titles-become-easter-eggs-for-persnickety-viewers/702052/41 "2014-10-23T03:46:16Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > It bothers me and I won’t stop until it bothers everyone else You’re going to be posting for a long, long time then. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-when-did-episode-titles-become-easter-eggs-for-persnickety-viewers/702052/42 "2014-10-23T15:43:58Z")
Challenge accepted! ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-when-did-episode-titles-become-easter-eggs-for-persnickety-viewers/702052/43 "2014-10-23T16:19:06Z")
I’m going to stop reading this thread now, good luck on your quest. By the way, the correct way to refer to a TV-series episode is “The one where ‘whatever bit you actually remember from that episode’ happened”. ---
**Author:** ![qubed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f07891/32.png) [@qubed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qubed)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-when-did-episode-titles-become-easter-eggs-for-persnickety-viewers/702052/44 "2014-10-23T16:34:26Z")
[I asked this question 9 years ago.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=333671) At the end of the day, I think the creators give every episode a title because generally every piece of creative work has a title. The audience does need to _know_ the title, but they exist. And since the internet came around, now it’s easy to find what they are. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-when-did-episode-titles-become-easter-eggs-for-persnickety-viewers/702052/45 "2014-10-23T17:24:46Z")
I think the OP doesn’t go far enough. All shows should also be required to have captions identifying all of the characters who appear on screen and the actors portraying them in order to ease post-show discussions of the episode. For too long we’ve been forced to say things like “the bald-headed bad guy” or “the blonde woman in the red dress”. I think the shows should also display the actors’ list of past credits so we can be reminded of what that other thing was that we saw them on. But I’m willing to leave that as optional to the discretion of the individual producers. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-when-did-episode-titles-become-easter-eggs-for-persnickety-viewers/702052/46 "2014-10-23T23:47:44Z")
> [@Flywheel](#): > > _The Simpsons_ showed episode titles at the start of [The Telltale Head](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Telltale_Head) and [Bart Gets Hit by a Car](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bart_Gets_Hit_by_a_Car). Also on most of the Treehouse of Horror episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-when-did-episode-titles-become-easter-eggs-for-persnickety-viewers/702052/47 "2014-10-24T00:06:18Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Also on most of the Treehouse of Horror episodes. Which most viewers called “the Halloween specials” until about twelve years ago, because they didn’t know the official titles. (See post #35.) ETA: and the individual THOH segments have had onscreen titles from the start. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2014, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-when-did-episode-titles-become-easter-eggs-for-persnickety-viewers/702052/48 "2014-11-20T06:54:17Z")
If at least two other people on the planet also like the show, then there’s probably a website devoted to it which gives episode titles and synopses. Cryptic episode titles are nothing new. Most of the old _Dragnet_ radio episodes were called “The Big \_\_\_\_\_”, where the item named would usually be a minor yet pivotal plot point or piece of evidence. But you usually can’t tell what the story is about from just the episode title. ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2014, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-when-did-episode-titles-become-easter-eggs-for-persnickety-viewers/702052/49 "2014-11-22T19:55:27Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > For instance, i don’t watch Friends that often, but I’ve seen an episode here and there that I found interesting. Or take something like Law and Order with like 20 years and 4 series, describing the episode becomes a chore. How many times can Joey hook up with a girl or they find a murderer who turns out to be former best friends with the victim? Again, the title is just a simple, 1 second flash of text,… I guarantee you that if you said to someone — even a huge _L&O_ fan — “I saw ‘Aftershock’ again last night. It was amazing!” they would have no idea what episode you were talking about. But if you said, “I saw the one where they killed Clair Kincaid again last night,” the connection would be made instantly. Similarly, good luck getting anybody to figure out which episode you’re talking about if you cite “Jeopardy” or “Baby, It’s You” or “Dissonance.” ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2014, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-when-did-episode-titles-become-easter-eggs-for-persnickety-viewers/702052/50 "2014-11-22T20:14:11Z")
Oh, yeah, “Jeopardy!” Remember when Ken Jennings said, “What is a hoe?” 😃 [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/KoPFkjF-Bdo/hqdefault.jpg "ken jennings hoe- jeopardy") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoPFkjF-Bdo) ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2014, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-when-did-episode-titles-become-easter-eggs-for-persnickety-viewers/702052/51 "2014-11-23T05:44:56Z")
Batman and Superman had them, though perhaps they were titled later, as sometimes happens. For instance, I’m pretty sure the Brady Bunch episode title “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” was borrowed from the film, despite the BB ep’s having aired earlier. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2014, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-when-did-episode-titles-become-easter-eggs-for-persnickety-viewers/702052/52 "2014-11-23T07:08:12Z")
I just describe episodes by something that happens in the episode. It’s easier to remember that way. Like the episode of WKRP where Mr Carlson is confused about what’s going on at the station or the episode of TBBT where Leonard said something snarky about Sheldon’s behavior. Everyone knows which episode I’m talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2014, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-when-did-episode-titles-become-easter-eggs-for-persnickety-viewers/702052/53 "2014-11-23T07:59:43Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2014, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-when-did-episode-titles-become-easter-eggs-for-persnickety-viewers/702052/54 "2014-11-23T14:02:56Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > I just describe episodes by something that happens in the episode. It’s easier to remember that way. Like the episode of WKRP where Mr Carlson is confused about what’s going on at the station or the episode of TBBT where Leonard said something snarky about Sheldon’s behavior. Everyone knows which episode I’m talking about. “‘Gomer upsets Sergeant Carter’…oh, I’ll never forget that episode!” ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2014, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-when-did-episode-titles-become-easter-eggs-for-persnickety-viewers/702052/55 "2014-11-23T15:13:58Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Oh, yeah, “Jeopardy!” Remember when Ken Jennings said, “What is a hoe?” I said “Jeopardy,” not _Jeopardy!_. 😃 \ Also, did you see the one a couple of weeks ago when the woman said, “What is dick?”? \ ---
**Author:** ![Professor\_Thascales](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e19b73/32.png) [@Professor\_Thascales](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Professor_Thascales)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2015, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-when-did-episode-titles-become-easter-eggs-for-persnickety-viewers/702052/56 "2015-01-25T09:38:23Z")
Sesame Street had a four-digit number at the beginning of each episode, probably a serial number of the episode. (Don’t know if they still do that, or why they did. My dad thought maybe it was for teachers who wanted to show it to a class or something.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-when-did-episode-titles-become-easter-eggs-for-persnickety-viewers/702052.md?page=2)