Today's Question comes from Emily B who asks
""Which are your favourite ""Kicking the 4th Wall"" eps?
-- Mine: so so many Boston Legal episodes, but of course when Carl Sacks says:
""The only show on TV with starring roles over 50 is Bo--.""
Carl points at the camera.
""Well, I can't say the rest...it'll break that wall.""
And epsiode 200 of Stargate SG1 jumped around there too...."
For those that have not heard the term before here is the Wiki definition.
"Speaking directly to, or otherwise acknowledging, the audience through the camera, in a film, play or television program, is referred to as "breaking the fourth wall.""
Emily provides a great example and one that I enjoyed a lot. Boston Legal especially in it's final season managed to do this a lot and was generally used to poke fun at ABC who decided to cancel it.
I believe Supernatural recently did a an episode where they broke the 4th wall as well but I've not seen it yet so hopefully Supernatural fans can let us know in the comments how that went.
Another show that I enjoy is Family Guy and they are always doing this :)
So what about you, what TV Shows have broke the "4th Wall" and which ones did you enjoy.
Sound off in the comments.
it wasnt supernatural that broke the 4th wall it was smallville. In episode 10, Luthor, Lionel Luthor (earth-2) breaks the 4th wall at the end. That is the best and it was awsome it felt so evil and so exciting!
ReplyDeleteSupernatural took a sledgehammer to the fourth wall in their recent season 6 episode 'The French Mistake'. :)
ReplyDeleteLooney tunes it's always breaking the forth wall....whatever that is? :p
ReplyDelete"The French Mistake"
ReplyDeleteSupernatural didn't break the 4th wall,it completely obliterated it!By the time the episode was over,there wasn't even a brick left... :p
malcom in the middle
ReplyDeleteGadz I loved the breaking of the fourth wall in Boston Legal!!!!
ReplyDeleteI forget the episodes but a few of my favorites....
Alan Shore to Denny (as they meet for scotch on the balcony)
"Ah there you are, I've hardly seen you this episode. It saddens me."
Denny Crane
"I an act... I have an Emmy!"
Alan Shore "I want to be on cable. That's where all the best work is being done!"
Alan decribing sea lice as "cling ons" to Denny and Denny replies
"Did you say Klingons?"
Denny telling Alan he looks Pretty in Pink (JAmes Spader was in that movie).
Denny~ "what are they going to do, get rid of me? I'm the star of the show!"
Denny after being told there are new lawyers at the firm "Oh, please! If there were new guys, they'd have shown up in the season premiere."
Alan asking Shirley "Do you think we win too much? Are we ruining all the suspense?"
Alan on suing the National guard since he is too old to get in,
"Of course we can. Isn't it grand, Shirley? We do these things that seem completely absurd and then incredibly, we manage to make them not only watchable but fun and informative. Aren't you just dying to see how we do it this time?"
Alan mentions it's their last year and Denny replies,
"Really? I can't imagine this is our last year. Aren't there still some time slots we haven't tried?"
Alan interrupting a character about to speak "You're an extra. You don't get any lines!"
And the 2 or 3 times that they used the story in the opening theme music, Denny using his kazoo and Jerry humming it.
Arrested Development breaks the fourth wall pretty much the entire series! I loved them making fun of Fox for having huge Family Guy ads on the AD site, or saying they would get on HBO, or having a charity for SOB "save Our Bluths"... etc
ReplyDeleteSPN-Monster At The End Of This Book, Changing Channels, The French Mistake-those are just the ones I remember.
ReplyDeleteSupernatural writers don't do breaking of fourth walls they blow the shit out of them, walls don't stand a chance.
Supernatural!!!!!! They break the wall all the time.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite wall breaker was "The French Mistake" but that wasn't breaking the wall, that was driving the Impala through it. There are not many shows that could get away with placing their characters into an alternate reality where they play actors playing themselves. And not only did they kill of Misha (Castiel) but they killed off the show creator (Eric Kripke) and then proceeded to go on a shooting frenzy on the Supernatural back lot! :D (oh and at the same time Misha on the show was tweeting, the real life Misha was also tweeting the same stuff on his twitter account)
Other notable SPN breaking the wall episodes: Changing Channels, The Monster at the End of this book, The Real Ghostbusters....would Ghostfacers count?
Anyway, thats all that I remember. There's got to be more. I know that Supernatural will also do small stuff in a lot of episodes. Tall Tales had the Weekly World News paper as a main part of it and then in real life, the Weekly World News published a few articles in their paper that featured Supernatural as "real." They also had a line in one episode where Dean said something about a demon taking over or something and said "Must be Thursday" referring to the date the show aired...
Sorry, long rant. I love my wall-breaking show
When Ben Linus complained to Locke about not understanding a book, Locke told him to read it again, you might discover something new the next time. That was a definite message to the audience.
ReplyDeleteThe finale of the Cosby show, when the final scene finished and all the actors came out and bowed to the audience.
the office! i love all the looks that the cast give the camera's esp jim when he's pulling a prank on dwight
ReplyDeletethere was also Crowley's-'haven't seen you all season' to Cas
ReplyDeleteYeah I did enjoy that. "OH CRAP, HE'S LOOKING AT ME."
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, SPN did more than just break the 4th wall...
I was just about to post that. I loved it!
ReplyDeleteSupernatural: "And this is Stars Hollow, where the WB shot its show 'Gilmore Girls'..." *Sam has a look of terror come over him* "Let's go..." XD
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I completely understand the concept but I'll give it a shot.
ReplyDeleteHouse season 6 finale "Help Me". House gives Cuddy a book as a housewarming present for her and Lucas and Cuddy asks how did he know (referring to something else) and he says something along the lines of "That you and Lucas are moving in together? That's hardly a spoiler".
that reminds me-Fallen Idols-the reference to HOUSE OF WAX
ReplyDeleteSupernatural.
ReplyDeleteNothing beat the look of revulsion on Dean's/Jensen's face as he was watching a video clip of him as Eric Brady/Young Jensen in "Days Of Our Lives" on YouTube. That and a million other things from The French Mistake.
The French Mistake was absolute brilliance. To be honest, I wasn't 100% sure they could pull it off, but with Ben Edlund's writing and Jared and Jensen's acting skills - it was just perfect.
ReplyDeleteAnd just to add to the details other commenters have pointed out: the real issue of Supernatural magazine (nice blue steel Sam)
Supernatural is awesome at breaking the fourth wall. Besides little in-jokes and references, they also have huge wall smashing episodes like "The French Mistake" and "The Monster At the End Of This Book". And what's amazing is that they pull it off every time.
ReplyDeletethe supernatural breaking wall was amazing,incredible,funny and the actors performance off the wall really a good episode to watch strongly recomended if exist a nomination for that somebody must created please i give a 10 plus,awsome yessssssssssss.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a fan of wall-breaking episodes, but even I liked the French Mistake on Supernatural. That in itself says what a great episode it was. Generally, I like my meta in smaller doses. RealMisha twittering while ScreenMisha twittered made me roll. Truly awesome! Then we he tweeted the next day that someone took over his account, I was chuckling for hours.
ReplyDeleteI love all the SPN episodes that break the fourth wall.
ReplyDeleteAnd I can't remember the name of it, but it's the one where Ben has surgery on Growing Pains and wakes up as his "real self".
If I remember correctly the last quote you mentioned was from the episode that Bobby's wife came back in season 5(can't remember the title,sorry)..They found out that it was Death's doing and Dean said something like "Another Horseman,it must me Thursday.."
ReplyDeleteI remember cause I really loved it!
'Dead Men Dont Wear Plaid'
ReplyDeleteThank you!
ReplyDeleteIt was gonna drive me crazy.. : )
??? I'm terirble didnt even realise? was it REALLY obvious?
ReplyDeleteI don,t think ANY episodes of ANY show ever broke the 4th wall like Supernatural did. Wasnt just a little quote, it was the whole episode. You cant beat that.
ReplyDeleteBut I do enjoy every time there is a little quote fav so far : "Cas we havnt seen you all season"
LOL we brought that mother down
ReplyDeleteMust be thursday :DDD that was so awesome!
ReplyDeleteAHHA I LOVED that one, I'm a HUGE fan of Gilmore G thats why I started watching supernatural lol I owe that show EVERYTHING ahhaha.
ReplyDelete"you might see one of the stars" ahhaha
lol yeah thats one
ReplyDeleteLOL is misha tweeting like.... breaking an other wall ahaha, cause its more than the 4th wall.. kinda. Aw, I love him so much
ReplyDelete? what
ReplyDeletelol thank you
ReplyDeleteoh yeah, nothing has ever or will ever break down and smash to tiny, unrecognisable pieces like supernatural did to that wall in the french mistake
ReplyDeletethey've done a lot of awesome "destroy that wall!" episodes but this one just beats them all
by god it was awesome and you should all go see it
really, just go watch it
its sweet :D
just for a little sample of its awesomeness, there is a crazy guy who guns down and kills the creator, director and crew of the show!!!
those writers really do have a thing against walls :D
ReplyDelete"blow the shit out of them"
lol, amazing!!
was this question put up here just so us insanely rabid supernatural fans could jump in glee over the fact of being able to reminice on the french mistake?
ReplyDeletecoz it seems so
but thats awesome anyhow!!
*goes off and jumps in glee while remincing the awesomeness that was the french mistake*
I know it's a TV question but I have to mention a favorite movie, Blazing Saddles. At the end they ride out with their horses and break the set apart.
ReplyDeletePsych breaks the 4th wall every now and then usually with just a line or two.
ReplyDeleteThe Simpsons, Hustle, even Roswell did I think. Supernatural was just the latest one.
ReplyDeleteto be honest i agreeg both episodes are great but french is unique no mater how many times i saw it conitinue laghfing is very funny there face expretions are awsome is like a litlle child when shows any emotions real cute.
ReplyDeleteThe Supernatural episode was so GREAT! I loved it XD
ReplyDeleteHAHA, I laugh everytime at that line XD
ReplyDeleteSam's expression is so funny! xD
Law and Order: SVU did it indirectly last season. In one episode, a defense attorney played by Andre Braugher shook hands with Richard Belzer's character det. John Munch and said, "Have we met before?" This is breaking the fourth wall because both actors were on the cast of Homicide.
ReplyDelete