I refuse to believe that I'm making up nice things about Mike
February 21, 2023 5:42 PM Subscribe
"Sayable Space is a television game for 1 or more people, it consists of saying "Space" out loud at the same time as Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) during the intro to Star Trek: The Next Generation." See also, therein, "Mike's Crush", where you say hi to the very briefly visible anonymous cool smoking woman near the start of the Night Court intro that Mike may or may not have said at one point he had a crush on.
well that was adorable.
posted by travertina at 5:54 PM on February 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by travertina at 5:54 PM on February 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
It's closer to saying grace at the beginning of a nice meal.
If you're a kid of the right age, the game is to be the first kid to say the word, "GRACE," after a grownup says, "Let's say grace."
posted by Mister Moofoo at 5:55 PM on February 21, 2023 [8 favorites]
If you're a kid of the right age, the game is to be the first kid to say the word, "GRACE," after a grownup says, "Let's say grace."
posted by Mister Moofoo at 5:55 PM on February 21, 2023 [8 favorites]
I always thought Mike's Crush and her friends were inside a subway car, but looking at the freeze frame they really are standing outside of a bar or a convenience store or something.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 6:01 PM on February 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by RonButNotStupid at 6:01 PM on February 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
Tim Curry definitively won this game some years ago
posted by Jon_Evil at 6:02 PM on February 21, 2023 [21 favorites]
posted by Jon_Evil at 6:02 PM on February 21, 2023 [21 favorites]
OK, this is weird but this reminded me of a thing I used to do as a kid when watching 'The Wild, Wild, West'. There's a thing they did at the end of each act, right before cutting to the commercials, where they'd freeze the last frame and it would become part of the mosaic of drawings that are shown in the opening titles, replacing one of them. (Here's an example if my description is unclear.) Anyway, I'd stop breathing, wherever I was in the cycle, as soon as the frame froze and wouldn't start again till the commercial started.
Silly thing, but true.
[Aside: apparently the style in which the frames were rendered changed over the show's various seasons. There's a fan wiki (of course) where I discovered this. Lot's of discussion about which style people liked the most.]
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 6:07 PM on February 21, 2023 [9 favorites]
Silly thing, but true.
[Aside: apparently the style in which the frames were rendered changed over the show's various seasons. There's a fan wiki (of course) where I discovered this. Lot's of discussion about which style people liked the most.]
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 6:07 PM on February 21, 2023 [9 favorites]
Oh wow I hadn't seen that Night Court intro in a million years but I remember that woman. Now I really need to know who she is. What kind of life did she have?
posted by bondcliff at 6:08 PM on February 21, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by bondcliff at 6:08 PM on February 21, 2023 [5 favorites]
I've had a few similar games with roommates.
My sibling, their friend, and I had the "Sing 'Ice Tea' along with the last two notes of the first clarinet phrase of the Law and Order: SVU theme" game (it's at about 24 seconds in). And an old group of friends and I would try to remember to announce the first time James Earl Jones appears on screen in Dr. Strangelove. Only his legs are visible, but one can tell it's him by process of elimination.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 6:15 PM on February 21, 2023 [3 favorites]
My sibling, their friend, and I had the "Sing 'Ice Tea' along with the last two notes of the first clarinet phrase of the Law and Order: SVU theme" game (it's at about 24 seconds in). And an old group of friends and I would try to remember to announce the first time James Earl Jones appears on screen in Dr. Strangelove. Only his legs are visible, but one can tell it's him by process of elimination.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 6:15 PM on February 21, 2023 [3 favorites]
This gives me the same comfy vibes as the game we played as kids trying to say "Ding!" at the same time the microwave timer dial finished turning
posted by I'm always feeling, Blue at 6:16 PM on February 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by I'm always feeling, Blue at 6:16 PM on February 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
Our version of this was for the Buck Rogers intro (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v32VypWeF0I).
The goal was to finish saying the year he ends up in, 2491, before it appeared. You could say it slowly, but of course that alerted everyone else that they were playing the game.
posted by Sand at 6:29 PM on February 21, 2023
The goal was to finish saying the year he ends up in, 2491, before it appeared. You could say it slowly, but of course that alerted everyone else that they were playing the game.
posted by Sand at 6:29 PM on February 21, 2023
So you know how when you got the skip into button you typically get the last two or three seconds of the show's intro?
Our house game is trying to match the pitch of the theme song note that comes in when you skip the intro. We got loads of practice with ds9...
posted by kaibutsu at 6:47 PM on February 21, 2023 [6 favorites]
Our house game is trying to match the pitch of the theme song note that comes in when you skip the intro. We got loads of practice with ds9...
posted by kaibutsu at 6:47 PM on February 21, 2023 [6 favorites]
... oh, good heavens. I meant Ice T. Oof.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 9:23 PM on February 21, 2023
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 9:23 PM on February 21, 2023
When watching the streaming Family Ties channel at the hotel, we had a game where we tried to see how long we could go without singing "what could we DOOO bay-bay, without uhhh-uh-us..." (not long)
posted by credulous at 9:32 PM on February 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by credulous at 9:32 PM on February 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
I have a friend group that group watches Star Trek and we two of our own rituals/games:
Things I tried to start and didn't take:
I guess we just want every episode of Star Trek to have a kind of RHPS or The Room vibe to it.
posted by forbiddencabinet at 10:39 PM on February 21, 2023 [28 favorites]
- When the enterprise goes to warp and it cuts to the ship in space you throw your arms up in the air and say "wooosh" just as the ship warps.
- Anytime you hear "captain's log" you have to touch the nearest piece of wood. First person becomes the captain until the next "captain's log".
- Saying, "He's fully functional, you know." about Data whenever it is funny to do so.
- We drink gin and tonic when watching TNG. We call it TNGNT.
Things I tried to start and didn't take:
- Cheering for The Riker Maneuver.
- Saying, "I'll be in my ready room" if you leave the room.
I guess we just want every episode of Star Trek to have a kind of RHPS or The Room vibe to it.
posted by forbiddencabinet at 10:39 PM on February 21, 2023 [28 favorites]
I was 10 when TNG first aired in the UK. The game my sister and I played was that when the Enterprise whooshed across the screen in the opening titles, you had to run across the room in the same direction.
posted by greycap at 11:16 PM on February 21, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by greycap at 11:16 PM on February 21, 2023 [5 favorites]
Our game was singing the names of the cast of ‘The West Wing’ along with the theme, which is variously difficult depending on the particular season.
posted by Omission at 12:08 AM on February 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Omission at 12:08 AM on February 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
For DS9, it has somehow become tradition to sing along with the song (doo doo doo doo etc, since there are no lyrics). For extra fun you can either pretend to be the station (two arms up; your head makes the third spike sticking up), or you can just point out where there are people repairing the station during the intro.
posted by nat at 12:09 AM on February 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by nat at 12:09 AM on February 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
Oh this is wonderful and I can't imagine not doing this anymore whenever I watch. I feel like I've watched the show enough times that after a few re-listens I'll nail it each time.
My kids play their own version of this with Gimme Some Lovin' (for them it's from the movie Sing) and trying to say "Hey" at the right time.
posted by TwoWordReview at 12:10 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
My kids play their own version of this with Gimme Some Lovin' (for them it's from the movie Sing) and trying to say "Hey" at the right time.
posted by TwoWordReview at 12:10 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
We do this!!!
Also I like to sing the theme of whichever Star Trek we’re on (currently DS9) with lyrics that are all either “Star Trek”, “it is Star Trek” or “it’s Star Trek”. TNG is the best one but they all work!
posted by cabbage raccoon at 1:06 AM on February 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
Also I like to sing the theme of whichever Star Trek we’re on (currently DS9) with lyrics that are all either “Star Trek”, “it is Star Trek” or “it’s Star Trek”. TNG is the best one but they all work!
posted by cabbage raccoon at 1:06 AM on February 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
Anyone else know the lyrics to the theme from Night Court? No?
🎶Let’sssssssss
Go to Night Court
With Judge Stone🎶
posted by Servo5678 at 1:49 AM on February 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
🎶Let’sssssssss
Go to Night Court
With Judge Stone🎶
posted by Servo5678 at 1:49 AM on February 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
For me, the star of the Night Court intro (besides the bassline) is the EZ-Wider rolling papers clearly visible at the newsstand about seven seconds in. Pretty edgy for '80's network TV.
posted by mikelieman at 2:33 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by mikelieman at 2:33 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Who said interactive TV would never catch on?!
posted by chavenet at 2:35 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by chavenet at 2:35 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Reminds me of this absolute legend from 2015. Sadly the linked tweet seems to be gone.
posted by jklaiho at 4:28 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by jklaiho at 4:28 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
For me, the star of the Night Court intro (besides the bassline) is the EZ-Wider rolling papers clearly visible at the newsstand about seven seconds in.
I was always partial to the stick solos. (You don't know what I mean? Have a listen at :30 and :33.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:43 AM on February 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
I was always partial to the stick solos. (You don't know what I mean? Have a listen at :30 and :33.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:43 AM on February 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
Hi, Bob!
posted by TedW at 4:59 AM on February 22, 2023 [9 favorites]
posted by TedW at 4:59 AM on February 22, 2023 [9 favorites]
Man I do not remember the Night Court theme having so much funk. Have any bands covered this? This seems like it needs to be in a live performance repertoire of any and every jazz-funk quartet in the land.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 5:04 AM on February 22, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 5:04 AM on February 22, 2023 [4 favorites]
Hi, Bob!
The only tv game you ever need to play.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:18 AM on February 22, 2023 [4 favorites]
The only tv game you ever need to play.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:18 AM on February 22, 2023 [4 favorites]
When we were bingeing ST:TNG a couple of years ago, we spent the surprisingly long time between the beginning of the title sequence and Stewart finally saying "Space" by intoning the word over and over in more and more ludicrous voices - low, high, short or ridiculously drawn-out. Which isn't the same game exactly but is also fun, especially if you're drunk.
posted by Grangousier at 7:02 AM on February 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by Grangousier at 7:02 AM on February 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
I was always partial to the stick solos. (You don't know what I mean?
Oh, I know what you mean! (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claves)
posted by mikelieman at 7:54 AM on February 22, 2023
Oh, I know what you mean! (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claves)
posted by mikelieman at 7:54 AM on February 22, 2023
I always say "bang" at the end of the Big Bang Theory (TMBG) intro music.
Predators fans say "thanks Paul" when the PA announcer (whose name is, one assumes, Paul) announces there's a minute left in the period, and we say it when we're watching from home.
posted by joannemerriam at 8:42 AM on February 22, 2023
Predators fans say "thanks Paul" when the PA announcer (whose name is, one assumes, Paul) announces there's a minute left in the period, and we say it when we're watching from home.
posted by joannemerriam at 8:42 AM on February 22, 2023
This reminds me of the game Hi Bob. When watching Newhart (any of its three iterations), any time anyone says “Hi Bob” on the show you must take a bong hit.
posted by slogger at 8:54 AM on February 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by slogger at 8:54 AM on February 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
Or what TedW said much more succinctly.
posted by slogger at 8:57 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by slogger at 8:57 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
"I've got faith"
posted by clavdivs at 9:13 AM on February 22, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by clavdivs at 9:13 AM on February 22, 2023 [4 favorites]
"I ve got faith
posted by clavdivs at 9:13 AM on February 22, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by clavdivs at 9:13 AM on February 22, 2023 [4 favorites]
We drink gin and tonic when watching TNG. We call it TNGNT.
I love this, but I'm sober, so if I ever come over maybe you can offer me a Snapple and we can all enjoy an ST:TNGNT/Ice Tea.
posted by Shepherd at 11:06 AM on February 22, 2023 [4 favorites]
Predators fans say "thanks Paul" when the PA announcer (whose name is, one assumes, Paul) announces there's a minute left in the period, and we say it when we're watching from home.
I've often heard "How much time is left?" right before the announcement at Sharks games.
posted by TwoWordReview at 11:07 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
I've often heard "How much time is left?" right before the announcement at Sharks games.
posted by TwoWordReview at 11:07 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
I always said "Grrr. Arrrgh." along with the Mutant Enemy logo at the end of Buffy episodes.
Also for They Might Be Giants, in "Shoehorn With Teeth" say "ding" along with the bell, and in "Experimental Film" sing along only with the word "yeah."
posted by Foosnark at 12:32 PM on February 22, 2023 [5 favorites]
Also for They Might Be Giants, in "Shoehorn With Teeth" say "ding" along with the bell, and in "Experimental Film" sing along only with the word "yeah."
posted by Foosnark at 12:32 PM on February 22, 2023 [5 favorites]
Narrator: And crawling [WHERE?] on the planet’s face [WHAT'D YOU HAVE FOR BREAKFAST?] some insects [WHAT WHERE THEY CALLED?] called the human race. [WHERE’S YOUR NECK?] Lost in time [WHAT’S YOUR SECOND FAVORITE SCI FI TV SHOW?] and lost in space [WITH JUNE LOCKHART?] and meaning [WHO THE FUCK IS MEANING?]
(Brattle St. c. 1984, YMMV)
posted by The Bellman at 4:12 PM on February 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
(Brattle St. c. 1984, YMMV)
posted by The Bellman at 4:12 PM on February 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
I sing "It's been a long road, to get from here to there," as the lyrics to pretty much any sci fi show we watch, or space documentary, or really anything this side of Father Brown. I like to think it's a household tradition but I admit I've never heard anyone else in my family join in.
posted by The corpse in the library at 7:59 PM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by The corpse in the library at 7:59 PM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
> Cheering for The Riker Maneuver.
I recently took a film class and one of the teachers would find a Star Trek connection for every movie we watched. After one movie he said that he hadn't been able to find a Star Trek reference that evening and meanwhile the other teacher was sitting à la manière Riker and it was so difficult for me not to point wildly at him and shout "it's right there!"
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:06 PM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
I recently took a film class and one of the teachers would find a Star Trek connection for every movie we watched. After one movie he said that he hadn't been able to find a Star Trek reference that evening and meanwhile the other teacher was sitting à la manière Riker and it was so difficult for me not to point wildly at him and shout "it's right there!"
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:06 PM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
For DS9, it has somehow become tradition to sing along with the song (doo doo doo doo etc, since there are no lyrics).
OH BUT THERE ARE
posted by daisystomper at 8:57 PM on February 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
OH BUT THERE ARE
posted by daisystomper at 8:57 PM on February 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
It was a one off rather than a tradition, but one day while watching the STTNG theme song, I orchestrated the entire song using my eyebrows. I somehow managed to keep a straight face while my spouse completely lost it. Alas, this was 25 years ago, and I no longer have the eyebrow stamina to do the complete song.
posted by mollweide at 6:15 AM on February 23, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by mollweide at 6:15 AM on February 23, 2023 [2 favorites]
100% - this was a favorite past time while binging TNG. Saying "SPACE" and continuing in the most ridiculous accent possible was something to look forward to at the beginning of every episode - bonuses for messing up words like "voyages of the Star Trek Enterprise"
posted by mincus at 2:53 PM on February 23, 2023
posted by mincus at 2:53 PM on February 23, 2023
Oh, I should have posted this earlier, but here it is for posterity: Beer Trek, a friend's drinking game for most ST shows.
posted by mollweide at 4:22 PM on February 23, 2023
posted by mollweide at 4:22 PM on February 23, 2023
I don’t think Beer Trek is survivable by anyone with a functioning human liver
posted by TwoWordReview at 2:04 AM on February 25, 2023
posted by TwoWordReview at 2:04 AM on February 25, 2023
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(Nice find, cortex!)
posted by miguelcervantes at 5:53 PM on February 21, 2023 [5 favorites]