History Main / BigElectricSwitch

* In ''WesternAnimation/CatsDontDance'', Darla tries to stop the animals' big musical number by pulling "[[http://i48.tinypic.com/2jd46ma.jpg The Grandaddy Of All Switches]]". It only makes it more spectacular.

** Dean uses two of them to turn on the lights in the Men of Letters bunker, which was built in 1935. Instead of causing a short-circuit and burning the place down, [[RagnarokProofing everything works perfectly]].

* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}''. Used in the episode "Monster Movie" (along with many other cliches) to electrocute Dean, who is StrappedToAnOperatingTable in a MadScientistLaboratory. Being GenreSavvy, the villain takes his time reaching for it to drag out the suspense as much as possible.

* ''Film/TheMartian''. Mark Watney pulls down a lever to lower the ladder on the MAV. Nothing happens. He brushes sand off a couple of buttons and presses one of them. Then it works.

* The ''Film/{{Ghostbusters}}'' have one attached to the containment-grid that holds the captive ghosts.

* ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot''. As Herr Doktor says at 3:30, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26VhoE2W-9I&feature=related throw ze svitch]]!

* When the KTLA TV station [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvGkE6azzWQ#t=1m04s switched from analog to digital]], it was done with a deliberately anachronistic Big Electric Switch.

* The infamous opening bout of the 1991 edition of ''Wrestling/{{WCW}} Halloween Havoc'', an eight-man "Chamber of Horrors" match pitting the team of Wrestling/{{Sting}}, [[TheGiant El Gigante]], Rick Steiner, and Wrestling/ScottSteiner against the team of [[Wrestling/ScottHall Scott The Diamond Studd (Scott Hall)]], [[Wrestling/{{Vader}} Big Van Vader]],[[Wrestling/MickFoley Cactus Jack (Mick Foley)]], and Wrestling/AbdullahTheButcher. The match took place in a steel cage filled with weapons; the object of the match was to place a member of the opposing team in the electric chair in the center of the ring and pull the Big Electric Switch, thus "electrocuting" him (no electricity was involved, just pyrotechnics and overacting). The match can be found [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heQs5V7Sp1w in]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S--CbKF_Dq4 three]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrSxo2K9Jqk parts]], but non-masochists may wish to skip to the third part. Sting's team won when Cactus Jack inadvertently threw the switch while his teammate Abdullah was in the chair, thinking that opponent Rick Steiner was seated there instead. The real winners were [[Wrestling/KevinNash Oz (Kevin Nash)]], Wrestling/TheOneManGang, and Wrestling/BarryWindham, all of whom were scheduled to participate in the match but, for various reasons, didn't do so, and were replaced by Vader, Foley, and Abdullah. This was an early inductee into Website/{{WrestleCrap}}.

* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'', being Gaslamp Fantasy, these are [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20100719 found]] [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20101224 everywhere]]. In the "Literature/{{Cinderella}}" arc, [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20081203 it's overdone for comedy]].
* In the ''{{Webcomic/Xkcd}}'' strip [[http://xkcd.com/1203/ Time Machine]], the time machine looks like some kind of vending machine with a Big Electric Switch on the front.

When you want to activate a WeaponOfMassDestruction, a MadScientist's invention, an electricity-based method of execution (especially an electric chair), or other badass electric device to be suitably dramatic, you have two options. One of them is the BigRedButton, and the other is the old-fashioned electric switch with a huge handle, which sends sparks flying when activated. Called a "knife switch" in supply catalogs and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knife_switch that other wiki]].

* ''Film/TheMartian''. Mark Watney pulls down a lever to lower the ladder on the MAV. Nothing happens. He brushes sand off a couple of buttons and presses one of them. Then it works.

* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}''. Used in the episode "Monster Movie" (along with many other cliches) to electrocute Dean, who is StrappedToAnOperatingTable in a MadScientistsLaboratory. Being GenreSavvy, the villain takes his time reaching for it to drag out the suspense as much as possible.

* ''Film/TheMartian''. Mark Watney pulls down a lever to lower the ladder on the MAV. Nothing happens. He brushes sand off a couple of buttons and presses one of them. Then it works.

* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}''. In the episode "Monster Movie" along with many other cliches. The villain takes his time reaching for it to drag out the suspense as much as possible.

* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}''. In the episode "Monster Movie" along with many other cliches. The GenreSavvy villain takes his time reaching for it to drag out the suspense as much as possible.

* ''WesternAnimation/JonnyQuest'' TOS:

** "The Sea Haunt". One is used to turn on a floodlight.

-->'''Todd:''' And now, the lever!
-->''(entire theatre gets plunged into darkness)''
-->'''Todd:''' Wrong lever!

* In ''[[Franchise/TombRaider Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness]]'', Kurtis Trent's ultimate objective is to throw a big electric switch to restore power to the building.

* ''Series/DoctorWho''. And the AnachronismStew look of the TARDIS console.

* ''Series/DoctorWho''. And the AnachronisticStew look of the TARDIS console.

%% This image was chosen in Image Pickin' in this thread: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1303679727011020100

* ''JackAndTheWitch''.

* In the 24th episode of ''FreemansMind'', Gordon comments how he likes how [[HalfLife Black Mesa]] uses "big Doctor Frankenstein switches for everything."

* ''Film/OurManFlint''. Flint throws several of these in the Galaxy communications room in an attempt to mess up their operations.
* ''Film/BuckarooBanzaiAcrossThe8thDimension''.

** Used for activating various simple things such as the lighting in various places in ''VideoGame/{{Myst}}'' and ''Myst 2: Riven''

* ''Film/TopSecret''. The electric fence around the castle is turned on and off with one of these.

* ''{{Jack and the Witch}}''.

* A ''WonderWoman'' comic has a knife switch beneath a sign that says "DANGER: DO NOT PULL SWITCH" in large, red letters. [[FridgeLogic If nobody should *ever* pull it, why is it there?]]

** "King Tut's Coup". King Tut throws a switch to lower Batman (who's in a sarcophagus) into a pool of water using an [[AustinPowers unnecessarily slow dipping mechanism]].

* Snidley Whiplash throws a big switch in ''Pinball/TheAdventuresOfRockyAndBullwinkleAndFriends'' to turn on the sawmill and endanger [[DistressedDamsel Nell.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot''. As Herr Doktor says at 3:30, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26VhoE2W-9I&feature=related throw ze svitch!]]

** Knife switches and other [[SteamPunk steampunkish]] looking large switches are very useful when it comes to really ''strong'' currents, from hundreds of amperes in starter circuits of trucks or locomotives to ''thousands'' of amperes in large industrial installations, as they're essentially a movable busbar. Modern age switches can drop it because they use relays instead, which can be operated from electronic control panels.

While the Big Electric Switch is obviously common in SteamPunk and period pieces (including neo-retro FilmNoir pastiches like ''SinCity''), it can make surprising appearances even in technologically advanced contexts, despite the obvious anachronism.

[[folder: Film ]]
* A classic example-- maybe even the UrExample-- in ''Film/{{Metropolis}}'' with Rotwang's laboratory.
* ''Film/YoungFrankenstein''. During the reanimation of the monster, Igor throws the first two switches with no particular result. When he reluctantly throws the Third Switch (labeled "The Works"), sparks fly out of it and all of the lab equipment goes to full power.
-->'''Igor:''' Not the third switch!
* ''SinCity'': The electric chair used to execute Marv is activated by a Big Electric Switch.

* ''[[Series/TheAddamsFamily Addams Family Values]]'': evil nanny Joan Cusack has the entire clan (minus baby Pubert) wired up to electric chairs with an enormously-handled electric switch. Gomez and Morticia have a marital-torture nostalgia-fest whilst Pubert does some handy re-wiring.
* The ''Film/{{Ghostbusters}}'' have one attached to the containment-grid that holds the captive ghosts.
* A Big Electric Switch turns on the Psychophraculator in ''Film/MysteryMen''.
* ''Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow'' features Frank N. Furter throwing two Big Electric Switches to start the floorshow.
* In the 1939 ''[[Film/TheWizardOfOz Wizard of Oz]]'' film, the "wizard" uses these to create the thunder and lightning effects in his throne room.

* ''Film/OurManFlint''. Flint throws several of these in the Galaxy communications room in an attempt to mess up their operations.
* ''BuckarooBanzai''.
** The electrical apparatus that Lord Whorfin uses to give himself electrical shocks is activated by one.
** The sled that Dr. Emilio Lizardo uses to fling himself into the wall is also activated by one.
* ''[[Film/BatmanTheMovie Batman]]'' (1966). The Instant Bat Costume Change device (between the slide poles to the Batcave) is activated with one of these.
* ''Film/{{Batman}}'' (1989). After Batman drives into the Batcave with Vicki Vale, he turns on the lights by throwing a switch.
* ''Film/TopSecret''. The electric fence around the castle is turned on and off with one of these.

* ''Film/OutpostBlackSun''. Wallace slams them up and down in an ultimately futile attempt to destroy the Nazi {{Zeerust}} SecretWeapon by ExplosiveOverclocking.
* ''Film/FromBeyond''. The Resonator is activated by throwing one of these switches.

* Parodied in ''{{Futurama}}'': Professor Farnsworth hits a huge, antiquated switch to activate a device, and it just electrocutes him. Then he flips a tiny lightswitch to actually use it.
* ''ReBoot''. As Herr Doktor says at 3:30, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26VhoE2W-9I&feature=related throw ze svitch!]]
* ''JonnyQuest'' TOS:

* In ''TheIronGiant'', a large knife switch - conveniently labeled "ON" and "OFF" - is used by the main character to turn off ''an entire power substation''.

* SupermanTheatricalCartoons episode "The Arctic Giant". After the generator malfunctions, two knife switches are pulled out to turn it off.
* 1973/74 ''SuperFriends'' episode "Dr. Pelagian's War". When Dr. Pelagian sends a tidal wave against Carraway's freon gas plant, Superman throws a switch to send electricity through coils filled with freon to freeze the tidal wave as it passes over them.
* Parodied in ''AvengerPenguins''--in one episode BigBad Caractacus P. Doom has a machine operated by such a switch, and he orders his [[TheIgor Igor]] to "throw the switch!"--only for him to [[LiteralMinded literally pull it off the machine and throw it at him]].