TVTropes meme

[vilakins]

A fun TVTropes meme: first have a go at guessing mine, then go to Better Than It Sounds and find some TV shows / books / whatever that you like. List 20 and let people guess.

I've recorded the name of the first person to guess in each case. And they're all now guessed!

These are all TV shows. Some are obvious, some not, some are current, others from waaaay back.

1. A drama about life in Italy, as seen through the eyes of two soldiers. Rome, guessed by vocatis_fortis
   
   
2. A group of people meet at a bar every night. Cheers, guessed by astrogirl2
   
   
3. A military officer working for a foreign dictator hides in a small American town under a false identity with three subordinates posing as his relatives. 3rd Rock from the Sun, guessed by kindkit
   
   
4. A mismatched gang of British builders, mostly from the North of England, bicker and get into scrapes on various international building sites. Auf Wiedershehen Pet, guessed by azdak
   
   
5. A series about a really old man who spends his lifetime convincing young hot girls [and guys] to join him inside a phone box. Doctor Who, guessed by azdak
   
   
6. A suspiciously wealthy waste management executive has panic attacks, recurring dreams, extramarital affairs and occasional bouts of violence. The Sopranos, guessed by astrogirl2
   
   
7. A widower, a compulsive gambler and a neurotic with OCD join forces with a dog-murderer to solve mysteries. New Tricks, guessed by sallymn
   
   
8. An embezzler, a simpleton and an alcoholic all live under one roof with their insane housekeeper, and they all live in fear of their boss's psychopathic rages. Father Ted, guessed by kindkit
   
   
9. An immature slacker convinces the police that he has ESP. He and his reluctant best friend solve murders. Psych, guessed by azdak
   
   
10. Bloke who dresses like a hobo and drives a banger follows rich celebrities, generally annoying them so much that they confess to crimes just to get rid of him. Columbo, guessed by azdak
    
    
11. He's an ageing alcoholic frustrated academic singleton. He's a much younger family man from the north. Together they fight crime. Morse, guessed by azdak
    
    
12. People stuck in a place where weird things happen and no one has any idea what's happening. Lost, guessed by azdak
    
    
13. Rich, dishonest people are robbed in highly creative ways. Hustle, guessed by azdak
    
    
14. Teen genius narrates the life of his severely screwed-up family through his own eyes. Malcolm in the Middle, guessed by azdak
    
    
15. The adventures of a politician and his staff. West Wing, guessed by azdak
    
    
16. The last human in existence drifts through space in a vast abandoned ship. It's a comedy. Red Dwarf, guessed by azdak
    
    
17. The man in the grey flannel suit commits identity theft, votes for Nixon, and provides an object lesson in why the women's movement was a Good Thing. Mad Men, guessed by communicator
    
    
18. The UN in space, with lizards and peacocks. Babylon 5, guessed by imhilien
    
    
19. The weird life and misadventures of a drunk who owns a bookshop, his cloudcuckoolander assistant / punching bag and their best (and only) friend. Black Books, guessed by astrogirl2
    
    
20. Three ex-military criminals and their insane friend help small businesses by harassing their competitors. The A-Team, guessed by imhilien

Comments

[azdak.livejournal.com]

2. Friends
4. Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
5. Dr Who!
8. Is this Only Fools and Horses?
9. Psyched (or whatever it's called)
10. Columbo?
11. Morse
12. Lost?
13. Hustle
14. Malcolm in the Middle?
15. The West Wing?
16. Red Dwarf

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

You got 10 right; you missed numbers 2 and 8. :-)

[azdak.livejournal.com]

The bizarre thing is, I haven't ever seen most of them, but I've read about them on lj often enough to recoginse them.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I'm a bit like that and would recognise several I refuse to watch. I picked some of these not because I liked the shows, but because the description amused me, but I have at least seen some of each, and all of most.

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

2. Cheers
5. Dr. Who
6. The Sopranos
9. Psych
12. Lost?
15 seems like it ought to be The West Wing, but isn't.
16. Red Dwarf
19. Black Books

And I know 18, but only because I saw it while I was looking through the list, so I won't count it. :)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

You got those all right, some of them first. :-)

[imhilien.livejournal.com]

Tee hee...

2. Cheers
4. Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
5. Dr Who (love your description, lol)
12. Lost
15. Yes, Prime Minister(?)
16. Red Dwarf
17. Remington Steele (I saw re-runs a few years ago, and wanted to wipe the constant smirks off his face, even though he was Young Pierce Brosnan)
18. Babylon 5 (squee!)
19. Black Books (more squeeing)
20. A-Team?

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

All right except for 15 and 17! :-D

[vocatus-fortis.livejournal.com]

Is number 3 "3rd Rock From the Sun"?

Also, 5 sounds a little more like Doctor Who than Cheers.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

3 is right! And yes, that's a typo (too much copying and pasting).

[kindkit.livejournal.com]

1) Rome
3) Third Rock From the Sun
8) Father Ted

By the way, I think you listed the wrong answer for #5. Although Cheers would have been a much more interesting show if it had had the same plot as Doctor Who.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

All correct!

Yeah, copy-and-paste error...

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

3. 3rd Rock from the Sun?

7. Has to be New Tricks

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Correct! And yay for others watching New Tricks!

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, I love it :)

[communicator.livejournal.com]

well I think I can guess #17 - Mad Men - if there's another one I want to know about it :-)

And I was wondering if #1 was 'Rome'?

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Both are correct! They're all now guessed. :-)

BTW it was you who seduced me into Mad Men.

[pet-lunatic.livejournal.com]

Lol, some of those are hilarious :D

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

A New Tricks fan who is too late! :-)

Aren't they though!

[pet-lunatic.livejournal.com]

I laughed at 'dog murderer' :D

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

Oh, I am smacking myself in the head for not getting 3rd Rock, when I've been watching it all the damned time lately. That's an awesome description of it, though. :)

And, darn it, I almost said The A-Team for #20, but somehow convinced myself that must be wrong. :)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen The A-Team since I was a kid but I couldn't resist the description. And yeah, the one for 3rd Rock was great. You even have an icon! I rejected several for being far too obvious and not funny either. I knew everyone would get DW but it made me laugh.

[executrix.livejournal.com]

If you changed the pronoun to "her" #14 could be Firefly S2, and it would still be Malcolm in the Middle.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

:-) They weren't my descriptions though, but chosen from that site.

[acanthaster.livejournal.com]

Hahaha, I love the A-Team one!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

There are some gems on that site. It's lots of fun and a notorious time-eater.