TV Opening Sequences Quiz
April 27, 2020 12:03 PM   Subscribe

TV Opening Sequences Quiz [via mefi projects]
posted by WCityMike (164 comments total)

This post was deleted for the following reason: Poster's Request -- loup



 
15 out of 20, which I think is about average.
posted by Mogur at 12:07 PM on April 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


11. You are very mean to not give answers. You are very mean person.

On the plus side, I'm glad you found that one with the paint roller on the face.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 12:21 PM on April 27, 2020 [16 favorites]


I reloaded by accident so I lost my score. But it was maybe 10?
Definitely not C H I L, know M but not the name of the show, Q R S T.

This is hard but fun. Like the idiom drawing from a few days ago.
posted by janell at 12:26 PM on April 27, 2020


Maybe I did something wrong, but hitting return/enter did not register my score. In any event, good choices!
posted by sundrop at 12:28 PM on April 27, 2020


(Slarty - not mine. Just passing along.)

Ah yes. But who's more mean, the mean one, or the meanie who passes it on?
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 12:39 PM on April 27, 2020


You have 12 correct (out of 20). The ones I don't know I really don't know
posted by jazon at 1:14 PM on April 27, 2020 [2 favorites]


19. R has me stumped; I feel like I recognize it, but none of my tries have worked.
posted by xedrik at 1:16 PM on April 27, 2020


17/20, with some informed guesses.
posted by ZeusHumms at 1:16 PM on April 27, 2020


15 out of 20 so far. Struggling with C H L S T.
posted by hanov3r at 1:17 PM on April 27, 2020


A-hahaha! Finally figured out R. 20/20. Tough quiz!
posted by xedrik at 1:22 PM on April 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


Wow, this is my project. I feel I've hit the big time here.

No apologies for being mean with the answers, I am a horrible person. I think the quiz itself is fair, there is nothing too old or obscure.

Anything over 15 is doing very well. Xedrik's 20/20 is amazing for an individual and I hereby award them the right to drop hints or watch people struggle as they so wish.

I'll make a comment here when I post the answer key in a few days.
posted by AndrewStephens at 1:25 PM on April 27, 2020 [10 favorites]


Ack need answers! Got 12, and all the others I recognize but nothing is coming to mind.
posted by General Malaise at 1:32 PM on April 27, 2020


12/20 with osmotic pop-culture knowledge helping (a few I have never seen an episode of; a couple others I have not seen an episode of since they were on the air in a previous millennium).
posted by ricochet biscuit at 1:35 PM on April 27, 2020


11. A few of mine were informed guesses, too (C, E, R). I was very surprised when I was correct!

Right away, L just drove me absolutely nuts because it was probably the most familar image to me of all of them, but I couldn't come up with the show...until I could.

I feel like I should know A, H, and Q, but I don't.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 1:36 PM on April 27, 2020


I got 13. Some of them are tantalizingly familiar but I can't place them.
posted by ceejaytee at 1:48 PM on April 27, 2020


I saw the screenshot for Show I and immediately heard a French Horn playing in my mind.
posted by Johnny Assay at 1:49 PM on April 27, 2020 [3 favorites]


16/20. This really wasn't that hard. I either knew it immediately or had no fucking idea (probably because I've never seen even a single episode of the show.)

I'm particularly proud of getting Show I.
posted by Automocar at 1:50 PM on April 27, 2020 [4 favorites]


16/20, with some informed guesswork here & there. The popularity of the show (given by how many people got it right) is itself a clue; I was able to guess Show N solely because it was recent and a lot of people got it right.
posted by Johnny Assay at 1:51 PM on April 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


Not trying to start any trouble but a very similar game appeared on Buzzfeed earlier. So who, uh, was inspired by whom?
posted by fuse theorem at 1:53 PM on April 27, 2020


15/20 though I needed to make a few (related) guesses at I and it took me a long time to puzzle out L. The difficulty of these seems kind of all over the map. Some of the frames have iconic, unmistakable imagery (e.g.: B, D, M, O) where anyone who's even a little familiar with the show should be able to guess. But others seem to be sliced from very quick cuts where even someone who is, say, a fan of the show might have a tough time picking it out (e.g.: I'm looking at you L).
posted by mhum at 1:55 PM on April 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


I and R are eluding the heck out of me.
posted by FritoKAL at 2:01 PM on April 27, 2020


// Enjoy your l33t hax0ring

LOL

*grumble*
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 2:09 PM on April 27, 2020 [2 favorites]


Hints, if I got the tags right:

I:
So they're hanging out at the mall, in space?

L:
Look very closely at the background.

R:
These good boys never meant harm.


posted by xedrik at 2:23 PM on April 27, 2020 [7 favorites]


Many of these I clearly just don't know but I and R are bothering me because I feel like I should know. I was sure I had S but nope. I got 9 so far and they were obvious immediately. H and T were my big wins - ratio wise.
posted by Clinging to the Wreckage at 2:26 PM on April 27, 2020


10/20 so far. Feeling good that I got R on the first try; feeling (slightly) bad that I had some trouble with D (but eventually got it).
posted by Zonker at 2:29 PM on April 27, 2020


4/20 but I haven't watched TV in over a decade. The four I got all started in the 70's and 80's.
posted by Grumpy old geek at 3:10 PM on April 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


fuse theorem: This quiz dates back to last weekend so I am in the clear. Buzzfeed runs similar quizzes all the time though - I like how they picked almost exactly the same frame for their first question as I did.

mhum: I had a lot of trouble with Show L. Almost all of the intro is covered with the credits, something I was trying to avoid. xedrik's hint is on point, I didn't notice the background until I had finalized the image but decided to leave it in.
posted by AndrewStephens at 3:10 PM on April 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


5
posted by pracowity at 3:12 PM on April 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


I was at 10/20 but xedrik's hint for R (a show I've never watched) got me to 11. I already knew L. Still can't figure out I even though it looks so familiar.
posted by acidnova at 3:13 PM on April 27, 2020


Consulting with some friends has got us to 19/20, but P is vexing us! VEXING!
posted by Aznable at 3:16 PM on April 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


> AndrewStephens: "I didn't notice the background until I had finalized the image but decided to leave it in."

Oh lol, I'm just seeing that now. I spent so much time trying to figure out something from the upside-down, German (?) text that I didn't even see it.
posted by mhum at 3:17 PM on April 27, 2020 [3 favorites]


12/20. Either I knew almost immediately or I didn't know at all and don't ever expect to know. I only guessed for one of the ones I felt I probably hadn't seen and it turned out to be right, but also seemed to have a relatively high ratio of correct answers.

I am very curious to know what people answered for I, it has almost double the answers of many other items on the list and yet something like 90% of people got it wrong! And the image is a mostly indistinct blur! What are people GUESSING for this one?

(I did get I immediately, I swear)
posted by chrominance at 4:02 PM on April 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


Also I went back to try and guess L from the hint xedrik dropped, and I did eventually get it, but not before guessing a DIFFERENT show by the same creator(s), the one I actually watched.
posted by chrominance at 4:09 PM on April 27, 2020


Regarding P: The girl is not important, but what she is doing is.
posted by FritoKAL at 4:19 PM on April 27, 2020 [3 favorites]


> chrominance: "What are people GUESSING for this one?"

I don't know about other people but I'll say that I knew which fictional universe this was from but didn't get exactly which instance this was from on the first try.
posted by mhum at 4:28 PM on April 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


I was thrown by Q, as I just binge watched nine seasons of (apparently) another show with a closeup of typewriter typebars in the opening credits. So it goes.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 4:29 PM on April 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


The image for T appears only briefly in the intro, as a flash, amid similar clips. They serve to be suggestive of childhood, i.e., shows/movies that kids might watch.
posted by dephlogisticated at 4:36 PM on April 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


Show T is quite misleading
No hints though because of the unfairness of life

posted by AndrewStephens at 4:42 PM on April 27, 2020


15 out of 20: A, H, L, S, T.
I know that I recognize A, L, and T.
posted by jojo and the benjamins at 5:06 PM on April 27, 2020


I've also seen a version of this game on forums in the Before Times. Nothing is new.
posted by jojo and the benjamins at 5:22 PM on April 27, 2020


Just down to H now.
posted by jojo and the benjamins at 6:46 PM on April 27, 2020


Only have S left!
posted by n. moon at 7:08 PM on April 27, 2020


For the one in which I was hinted to "look very closely at the background", I AM looking closely, but I have no idea what it is that I am seeing in the background. Help?

(it looks like a trumpet? Is that right?)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:35 PM on April 27, 2020


Without hints but with a lot of guessing based on cultural osmosis, I got 16/20, which I feel is fairly respectable for someone on the outskirts of mostly-white American pop culture. My current gaps are D (apparently either not cool enough or too cool to have seen, since most people have), L and P (both tantalizingly familiar), and R (which definitely predates my birth from the looks of it but I’m otherwise clueless).

Funnily enough I’ve been bingeing I while in quarantine!
posted by bettafish at 8:13 PM on April 27, 2020


>> chrominance: "What are people GUESSING for this one?"

>I don't know about other people but I'll say that I knew which fictional universe this was from but didn't get exactly which instance this was from on the first try.


YES, THANK YOU, I FINALLY GOT IT! Turns out it's one I have never actually watched so that helps explain why it was familiar but not enough for me to actually know it.
posted by acidnova at 8:20 PM on April 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


16. I was afraid I would get them all and be proven to have no life.

The ones I can't get correct I'm pretty sure I've just never seen.
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 8:23 PM on April 27, 2020


acidnova, it’s worth it if you get the chance!
posted by bettafish at 8:28 PM on April 27, 2020 [2 favorites]


Ugh. Stuck at 17/20 (HLS to go)
posted by hanov3r at 8:28 PM on April 27, 2020


acidnova, it’s worth it if you get the chance!

I feel like I should now because when I took that recent quiz to see which fictional character I'm most like, I matched with the top-billed character of the show.
posted by acidnova at 8:33 PM on April 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


H and L down, S to go.

chrominance: Also I went back to try and guess L from the hint xedrik dropped, and I did eventually get it, but not before guessing a DIFFERENT show by the same creator(s), the one I actually watched.

I'm pretty sure you guessed the same show that I did. That typeface is so close.
posted by hanov3r at 8:41 PM on April 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


I’ve gotten everything but P! Never could figure out what was in the background of L but eventually I retried a show name I’d tried on another entry. D I figured out by its popularity, R using a combo of xedrik’s hint and googling “[decade] TV shows.”
posted by bettafish at 8:59 PM on April 27, 2020


My wife and I got 15 or 16 pretty quickly; a few on guesses of shows we'd never seen. Stuck at 19/20 forever, with S as the holdout.
S:
S also happens to be the initial of the show's title and protagonist.

posted by Homeboy Trouble at 9:26 PM on April 27, 2020 [2 favorites]


Regarding P: The girl is not important, but what she is doing is.

But I can't figure out what she's doing. What is in her hand?
posted by acidnova at 9:46 PM on April 27, 2020


Finally figured out H! Considering how big of a fan I am of the show, that was a tough nut for me to crack.

Vague HintThis is a show beloved by children and adults

posted by acidnova at 10:02 PM on April 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


I can't get C H L P R S T.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 10:22 PM on April 27, 2020


I got "I" instantly, and a paltry eight others. I'm guessing there's a lot of TV I haven't seen.
posted by bryon at 10:24 PM on April 27, 2020


i'm down to C P and S even with clues.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 10:33 PM on April 27, 2020


I only got 3 so far and I'm not surprised that there's a ton of shows I don't recognize, especially if this is going back to decades of tv that I've never watched. But I did get P, so I can be smug about that at least. C was a fairly obvious image-- you either know the show it you don't, which was nice. I'll be curious to find out what the rest are, either when the answers are posted or when people decide to say what things are.
posted by Margalo Epps at 10:34 PM on April 27, 2020


I've got 15 alone without hints; helps that L is one of my favourite shows of all time, and I like a bunch of these. Currently stuck on K (it looks SO familiar), P, Q, R, S (a bad stretch for me).
posted by ilana at 11:00 PM on April 27, 2020


I'm down to P.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 11:03 PM on April 27, 2020


Guess you'd better find a bathroom.
posted by ZaphodB at 11:05 PM on April 27, 2020 [2 favorites]


Not a single person so far has mentioned A as a difficult one. I'm baffled because it seems like something I should recognize, especially if relatively few have had trouble with it.

I'm stumped on: A D K P Q S T. Apparently, based on the fractions, I should be able to figure out D and Q, especially the former. D must be quite popular but something I've never seen (because surely I'd recognize that).

P, S, and T are all apparently quite hard.

"...and R (which definitely predates my birth from the looks of it but I’m otherwise clueless)."

The thing about R is that even though I never watched it, it being old and someone playing an acoustic guitar (and what that implies) were enough for me to immediately guess correctly.

...helps that L is one of my favourite shows of all time...

Me, too...it might even be my favorite. That image is deeply familiar to me and it was weird and distressing that I couldn't identify the show. I've watched the whole series at least twice and I never skip the opening credits. It couldn't possibly be more familiar. It took me forever just to guess on that basis alone. As for what's in the background, I had to actually watch the sequence on YouTube to see what people were alluding to. That hint definitely didn't help.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 11:22 PM on April 27, 2020


A is so much easier if the shot is moving. That's probably true for most of them, but as soon as I saw A, I heard the theme music.

I should have guessed L right away, but I literally wondered aloud why A was listed twice. Even typed my answer for A in because I thought it was there twice by mistake, as well as another show by the same creator.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 11:32 PM on April 27, 2020


I'm glad someone else has trouble with A. It seems like it should be totally obvious, and I just can't figure it out.

That and H and P still have me stumped. I just must not have seen these shows.
posted by team lowkey at 11:32 PM on April 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


I got 14 and the rest are bugging me. But what's bugging me most is trying to work out why N comes before M?
posted by Elmore at 2:52 AM on April 28, 2020 [3 favorites]


// Enjoy your l33t hax0ring

I'm not upset by you encrypting the answers. I am upset by the dismissive comment in the source.

Addendum: This seems reasonably sound from an encryption standpoint.
posted by Quackles at 2:54 AM on April 28, 2020


L and S are driving me batshit. Someone help me.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:19 AM on April 28, 2020


Quackles > Addendum: This seems reasonably sound from an encryption standpoint.

I'm pretty proud of that encryption scheme. The first thing I do in most web puzzles is try to hack the javascript and I do not believe that it is possible here. I guess someone could pipe the titles of the top 200 shows from the last 50 years through my checkAnswer routine to brute force the solutions but that seems more work than actually solving the puzzle.

It's just part of the obsessive attention to detail I bring to any project.

Elmore > But what's bugging me most is trying to work out why N comes before M?

D'OH!
posted by AndrewStephens at 6:32 AM on April 28, 2020 [5 favorites]


This is a great diversion. I finally got L, R and S thanks to hints from this thread. Still stuck on P (what is she holding??), Q and T.
posted by aka burlap at 7:08 AM on April 28, 2020


Still stuck on A C H P Q S and T.

For L:
There are some letters in the background...

posted by Zonker at 7:14 AM on April 28, 2020


Genuinely getting worried about my eyesight because people in this thread are all, “Look at what’s in the background of L! Look at what the girl in P is holding!” and I’m like, “Ah, yes. Blobs. Everything makes sense now.”
posted by bettafish at 7:57 AM on April 28, 2020 [4 favorites]


For L:
There are some letters in the background...


When you say "letters" do you mean "written missives" kind of letters, or "alphanumberic symbols" kind of letters? Because I see the alphanumeric thing no problem, but there's a vague sort of trumpet-like shape that I'm not sure if it's meant to be pages from a letter I'm supposed to see when people say to "look at the background...."?

Can I get a hint on genre, at least please, for the love of God Montressor?

"Look at what the girl in P is holding!” and I’m like, “Ah, yes. Blobs. Everything makes sense now.”

She is holding something to eat. Something....sweet, perhaps.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:10 AM on April 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


That trumpet-looking thing is definitely an alphanumeric. The pages are the foreground. #sevenseasonsandamovie
posted by hanov3r at 8:13 AM on April 28, 2020


HANOV3R YOU HAVE MY HYPERVENTILATING GRATITUDE THAT IS ALL
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:17 AM on April 28, 2020 [3 favorites]


It took me far far too long to get I.
I assumed it was smoke. It's not. It's Dust
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 8:39 AM on April 28, 2020


T remains annoying elusive. Because I know what film that still is from, but that is not the correct answer.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 8:40 AM on April 28, 2020


T:
DetailsYou can't make me tell you. You're not the boss of me.

posted by hanov3r at 8:45 AM on April 28, 2020 [4 favorites]


Ah. I have never seen that show. Thank you.
(I do, of course, know the theme tune though)
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 8:50 AM on April 28, 2020


S is the one that's going to kill me.
posted by hanov3r at 9:08 AM on April 28, 2020


With lots of brainstorming, several wrong guesses, and eventually reading the comments here for clues, my spouse and I have managed to get everything correct except for Show F. Based on the ratio of correct guesses, this is something that everybody has seen except us.

There were several shows I've never watched but got correct on my first guess (E, K, O, Q), while many shows I've watched extensively took me forever to guess right (A, H, I, L, S) or eventually give up and ask my spouse (P). There were very few shows that I recognized right away, without any thought or guesswork (C, G, J, O). Fun quiz!

Vague hint for Show I:
This was the earliest show I remember watching that used CGI in its opening sequence.

posted by mbrubeck at 9:41 AM on April 28, 2020 [2 favorites]


Let me give this fancy HTML a try.

Very vague hint for show S:
I thought maybe that was a picture of an syringe, and that guided me toward the correct answer, even though that's not what it actually is.

posted by team lowkey at 9:55 AM on April 28, 2020


13/20. I knew the ones I knew immediately. The ones I didn't know, I didn't even have decent guesses for. I missed C, H, L, N, P, S, and T.
posted by ob1quixote at 11:02 AM on April 28, 2020


With help from this thread, I finally got everything. R and S were the last hold-outs. I've never seen an episode of R in my life, so that required some heavy-duty hints. I've seen every episode of S and don't have any recollection of that shot, but this is the era of "Skip Credits," after all.

I don't know how to do the fancy HTML thing, so here's a hint for S in ROT-13:
Vg jnf perngrq ol n sbezre urnq jevgre naq rkrphgvir cebqhpre sbe gur fubj cvpgherq va pyhr U.
posted by zeusianfog at 11:29 AM on April 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


BLESS you, zeusianfog.
posted by hanov3r at 11:36 AM on April 28, 2020


BLESS you, zeusianfog.

Same - I've never seen an episode of that in my life.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:42 AM on April 28, 2020


I watch TV constantly, but could only get 8 of these right. Utterly stumped on the rest.
posted by Annabelle74 at 11:53 AM on April 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


On the one hand, I don't feel too bad about not getting P, though the esthetic seems vaguely familiar.

On the other hand, I cannot get K and it is killing me. I know I've seen it a thousand times and from the thread above, no one else is stuck on it. I am to the point where I am considering browsing through the top 500 shows on IMDB and typing them all.

Anyone offering a clue would be honored with a thousand internet points.
posted by professorbs at 12:03 PM on April 28, 2020


Anyone offering a clue would be honored with a thousand internet points.

It's like when you look in a mirror and see someone that's not you.
posted by valkane at 12:09 PM on April 28, 2020


Clue-ish for KIf it was made before you were born, you couldn't have seen it

posted by hanov3r at 12:10 PM on April 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


Clue for PMan, Hollywood is ROUGH

posted by hanov3r at 12:11 PM on April 28, 2020 [2 favorites]


professorbs,

Clue for K
Honestly, your strategy sounds good. Just keep hoping, each time.

posted by ZaphodB at 12:14 PM on April 28, 2020


No clues for K, although I feel bad that you can't make the leap. Oh boy!
posted by AndrewStephens at 12:15 PM on April 28, 2020


Thank you so much for your assistance on K.

Though I know this is going to sound like an excuse, I typed that title in ~5 times without getting it.

It only just occurred to me that the last vowel in the first word is not an a.

Not my finest moment. . .
posted by professorbs at 12:16 PM on April 28, 2020


Clue for KIf you guess right what once was wrong, maybe your next guess will take you home.

posted by ob1quixote at 12:17 PM on April 28, 2020


1000 points to ZaphodB, AndrewStephens, ob1quixote, hanov3r, valkane and Ravenclaw.
posted by professorbs at 12:18 PM on April 28, 2020


I swear you're all trolling with the clues for P.
posted by ZaphodB at 12:21 PM on April 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


I swear you're all trolling with the clues for P

I'm sorry. I'll toss the rest of my clues in the bin and not present anything.
posted by hanov3r at 12:23 PM on April 28, 2020 [5 favorites]


I swear you're all trolling with the clues for P

Sincere hints for P: It is from another country and it was made within the 21st Century.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:53 PM on April 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


Thanks, EmpressCallipygos! Turns out my initial impression of familiarity was false and it’s a show I’ve never seen, so I doubt I’d ever have gotten it without hints.
posted by bettafish at 1:20 PM on April 28, 2020


Also thanks for the great game, AndrewStephens!
posted by bettafish at 1:23 PM on April 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


I am not seeing P at all and can't think of any shows it might be that I haven't tried, but I do want to second bettafish's point -- amazing game AndrewStephens.
posted by professorbs at 1:26 PM on April 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


professorbs, another ROT13 hint: vg’f abg frevnyvmrq svpgvba.
posted by bettafish at 1:38 PM on April 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


Needed clues for P & T to understand them. Nice quiz.
posted by ZeusHumms at 2:01 PM on April 28, 2020


I only managed to guess P after getting the clue of "look in the background" for L. There's a tiny little thing just barely peeking out from underneath the little bubble for "Show P". From there, I just guessed a bunch of popular shows off of that hint. Didn't matter that I've actually never seen even one episode of that show (though I hear it's quite delightful).
posted by mhum at 2:37 PM on April 28, 2020


I have all but I & R. I don't know if this is cheating, but one thing that helped me get some of the other shows was going through the Fanfare comment history of some of the people who posted the clues.

A Clue for P:

Even though there's no real prize associated with this TV Theme guessing game, I was rather chuffed to guess this on the first try. It's rather soothing to watch this show while we're all stuck at home

posted by chara at 2:45 PM on April 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


A clue for IIf you haven't seen this series, you'd probably have to be a real prophet to guess it

A second clue for IOne part of a giant franchise

A clue for RDamn, that's a nice car, even if the doors don't open

posted by hanov3r at 2:50 PM on April 28, 2020


OH MY GOD I FINALLY GOT P!!!

Big HintTakes place in a tent

posted by acidnova at 2:54 PM on April 28, 2020


Any clues for Q? I finally have the rest, thanks to hints!
posted by aka burlap at 3:02 PM on April 28, 2020


Clue for QMaine is far deadlier than people expect it to be, especially in the smaller towns

posted by hanov3r at 3:25 PM on April 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


For Q,

HintWho uses a typewriter?

posted by acidnova at 3:27 PM on April 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


Ahh! Thanks y'all! I've never seen it, so not surprising that I didn't recognize the still.
posted by aka burlap at 3:57 PM on April 28, 2020


Nthing the thanks - this is giving me much of the same feelings I had during these insane all-night trivia contests I used to do hosted by Williams College in MA. One of the regulars referred to this kind of feeling as the "tip-of-tongue factor", and often the more crazy you're going trying to think of something the better it is.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:58 PM on April 28, 2020


15/20. I needed the hints here for I and P. Missing H, M, R, S and T. I strongly suspect that M is something not shown in Australia (or shown after my main TV-watching eras) since nobody else seems to have a problem with it.
posted by andraste at 5:32 PM on April 28, 2020


Hint for R: try thinking more generally (and really sound out that last word).
posted by dephlogisticated at 5:43 PM on April 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


Ooh, just got H and annoyed I didn't get it earlier!
posted by andraste at 5:46 PM on April 28, 2020


Thanks dephlogisticated, that did the trick for R.
posted by andraste at 5:47 PM on April 28, 2020


I don't know if M was shown on Australian TV when the show was new (though I believe it is currently available there via a popular streaming platform) but it definitely made itself known enough outside of the US that people can sing all the words to the opening theme as evidenced by a UK-based video I've seen of a crowd singing it.

I don't know what your tv watching eras were but the show is from the 20th century.
posted by acidnova at 5:48 PM on April 28, 2020


I got 19 out of twenty, just using this thread, which I must say is almost more fun than the quiz itself!
posted by valkane at 6:15 PM on April 28, 2020


Ugh, I give up. If any kind soul wants to take pity on me and memail me the answers to I & R so I can sleep soundly tonight, I wouldn't be mad at all :-(
posted by chara at 6:31 PM on April 28, 2020


I'm sure that when I get A I'm going to be just as annoyed at myself as when I finally got R, but... halp?
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 6:55 PM on April 28, 2020


For A: fcbbxl gurzr fbat
posted by bettafish at 7:02 PM on April 28, 2020


HINT FOR P that I am keeping plain text because it deserves to be: it breaks the convention of all the rest of the shows in the list omfg
posted by jjray at 7:05 PM on April 28, 2020 [2 favorites]


chara, memail sent
posted by acidnova at 7:08 PM on April 28, 2020


Weee, that was fast! Thanks to the lovely hearts who swooped in with spoilers to relieve my anxious mind. It turns out that:


For I (no spoilers, just hints):
I had guessed the show franchise correctly, but I guessed the wrong series/generation, as it were


For R:
In retrospect, dephlogisticated's clue makes a lot sense, as long as you have a bit of knowledge about mid-19th Century US History, and a little vexilology


For A:
The answer is out there, you just have to know where to look. It may be filed away somewhere, but diligence pays off.

posted by chara at 7:19 PM on April 28, 2020


I'm still stuck on H and S. To the point where I resorted to image searching them. The suggestions of "darkness" and "drop," respectively, were not as helpful as I would have liked.
posted by ob1quixote at 8:46 PM on April 28, 2020


HINT FOR P that I am keeping plain text because it deserves to be: it breaks the convention of all the rest of the shows in the list omfg
posted by jjray at 10:05 PM on April 28


YES. AGGGHH. Thank you to all who offered hints, but it took seeing this comment for me to finally connect the dots. I know the show, have watched the show, have friends who talk about the show endlessly, but I doubt I would have ever guessed it because it is a very different kind of show from every other question.
posted by ZaphodB at 9:12 PM on April 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


Big hint for H

HintThe lead character has been through a lot of changes over the years

posted by acidnova at 10:34 PM on April 28, 2020 [2 favorites]


Big hint for S

HintA modern take on a classic British character

posted by acidnova at 10:37 PM on April 28, 2020


Ah, H. Got you at last. Embarrassing to have missed that. It was watching a movie and then lightbulb! Some images are easier than others
posted by jojo and the benjamins at 10:39 PM on April 28, 2020


Hint for PWe're giving you a masterclass in writing clues, but you don't like the taste of any of them?

Hint for RYou ain't just whistlin' "Dixie". You're actually playing it on a horn.

Hint for SStill need a clue for this one? No shit!

posted by hanov3r at 10:40 PM on April 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


acidnova: Big hint for H
HintThe lead character has been through a lot of changes over the years

Ah, yes! No wonder I couldn't get it, I've never watched an episode, but I guessed it from your clue.
posted by team lowkey at 12:38 AM on April 29, 2020


Elbow bump pracowity, 5 friend!
posted by bendy at 12:49 AM on April 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


Thanks for all the hints, especially on A. That's the one show on the list that I really should have known better than I did. I can't say that I watched every episode, but I watched a pretty good number of them and still I had no idea what it was until chara's clue finally helped me get it.
posted by Zonker at 3:43 AM on April 29, 2020


I got 10 by myself and have struggled up to 15 with the help of this thread (thank you all!) . Still totally stuck on C (which is giving me major tip of the tongue vibes), H, I, L and T.
posted by roolya_boolya at 5:01 AM on April 29, 2020


I was also able to figure out H from acidnova's clue. I've watched quite a bit of it myself, but the look of the opening credits of that show changes every few seasons, and I'm a few seasons behind.
posted by Johnny Assay at 7:23 AM on April 29, 2020


Still totally stuck on C (which is giving me major tip of the tongue vibes), H, I, L and T.

H: This is the current opening sequence for a show that's been running for a VERY long time.

L: That one took me a while too. I think my brain just needed to step up into a higher level; I'd been stuck in "Fire bad, tree pretty" mode.

T: It's ironic that this show is at the end of the list instead of somewhere in the middle.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:51 AM on April 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


licquorice:

For Q: How much do you know about moonshine?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:53 AM on April 29, 2020


I think you mean R, not Q.
posted by mbrubeck at 9:51 AM on April 29, 2020


I dunno, man. Author-types drink A LOT.
posted by hanov3r at 9:52 AM on April 29, 2020


I think you mean R, not Q.

GAH YES R SORRY
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:52 AM on April 29, 2020


I got T thanks to EmpressCallipygos. Still stumped by the rest.
posted by roolya_boolya at 11:46 AM on April 29, 2020


Thanks to acidnova I got H, finally. Embarrassing, really, considering how long I've been a fan. Also thanks to hanov3r, I finally got S. That's the cleverist clue in this thread, I think.
posted by ob1quixote at 11:47 AM on April 29, 2020 [2 favorites]


Clue for H: Some people over the years have preferred to watch this show while hiding behind a sofa. Others have watched while wearing favorite scarves.

Clue for L: Within this past week, it came to light that a famous singer had a surprising connection to this show.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:11 PM on April 29, 2020 [2 favorites]


OK, I'm officially stumped on C. Could someone toss me a clue?
posted by Zonker at 12:39 PM on April 29, 2020


One of TV's more famous precincts.
posted by sardonyx at 12:47 PM on April 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


What if Parks and Rec, but cops?
posted by hanov3r at 12:48 PM on April 29, 2020 [2 favorites]


Ah, that's it. As expected, it's something I never watched. Thanks to everyone for clues and a fun thread, and to AndrewStephens for a fun game.
posted by Zonker at 12:57 PM on April 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


Oh god, finally got L and it's probably the only show I saw every episode of (and there were lots of episodes of it.)

So I got 10 or 11 on my own, adding in shameless use of hints I'm up to 19/20. I have no clue on C.
posted by mark k at 1:13 PM on April 29, 2020


[just got C based on the two most recent clues.]
posted by mark k at 1:25 PM on April 29, 2020


Happy to help (or attempt to). It was one of the few I actually got.
posted by sardonyx at 2:30 PM on April 29, 2020


Finally got that elusive 20/20. Thanks to sardonyx and hanov3r for C and EmpressCallipygos for T and L. And various for hints about I.
posted by LostInUbe at 3:07 PM on April 29, 2020


Yeah, C is probably the most straight-forward "Have you watched this show?" frames. It's just a picture of one of the main characters. If you don't recognize her, the badge at least gives you a context clue.
posted by team lowkey at 3:40 PM on April 29, 2020


Hanov3r, I've really enjoyed your riddles here. For funsies, would you be willing to write some for the others even though it seems no one had trouble guessing them? B, D, E, F, G, J, N, O?
posted by acidnova at 4:45 PM on April 29, 2020


And on C stylistically it's clearly not a "gritty" show. Still I am only barely aware of the show' existence (though I suspect I've seen one episode and didn't hate it.)

I think the fact that I don't watch anything on broadcast TV anymore means I miss out on a lot of the commercials and promo teaers that would make even shows I don't watch somewhat familiar to me. Fortunately not too many of these are ultra contemporary.
posted by mark k at 4:51 PM on April 29, 2020


acidnova: wow, thanks! Let me see what I can do although, perversely, some of those I'm close enough to that writing riddles is harder.
posted by hanov3r at 7:42 AM on April 30, 2020


I’m at 19, but need to be hinted for N.
posted by Guy Smiley at 11:12 AM on April 30, 2020


Hint for NIf you're looking here, than you really know nothing.

posted by hanov3r at 11:31 AM on April 30, 2020 [1 favorite]


Oh, duh. Thanks!
posted by Guy Smiley at 11:32 AM on April 30, 2020


The real mystery is why Show N is listed before Show M.
posted by mbrubeck at 11:40 AM on April 30, 2020


Thanks to everyone who participated in my quiz. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed making it and following this thread.

As promised, here is the official answer list.
posted by AndrewStephens at 6:59 AM on May 1, 2020 [5 favorites]


Oh, yay, I was never going to get L!
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 7:55 AM on May 1, 2020


really REALLY nice balance of "oh yeah, I know that" and "OMIGOD WHAT IS THAT ONE GAAAAAAAAH."

A technical point of order - I first tried looking at this on Microsoft Edge as the browser, and the images actually didn't appear at all (at least on the way this one is set). Chrome was fine.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:17 AM on May 1, 2020


16/20, and I don't feel bad about the ones I missed other than L which I suppose I should have had a shot at recognizing; I feel fine about not getting S even though I've seen it because I just haven't seen that title sequence that much. R and S were never in my rotation.

I feel very good about recognizing that comet, in any case.
posted by cortex at 1:59 PM on May 1, 2020 [3 favorites]


If anyone still needs a hint for L, they can look at my Fanfare comment history. I've been watching it lately.
posted by tofu_crouton at 6:56 AM on May 3, 2020


« Older Take Me To The World   |   The Rematch Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments