History Main / Hotline

** In "The Day of the Doctor" we're shown the Space-Time Telegraph, a gift from The Doctor to Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and left for his daughter, Kate, which gives a direct hotline in times of crisis to the TARDIS, or from the TARDIS to the Black Archives.

* The live-action Series/{{Batman}} show had a hotline connecting Commissioner Gordon's office to Bruce Wayne's living room (Of course, Gordon didn't know where Batman's end of the line was located).

* In ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert2'', President Dugan has five of them. He only uses the one wired to the Kremlin when he receives word of the invading Soviet forces. Dugan and Soviet Premier Romanov's conversation turns hostile quickly, and Dugan threatens to nuke the invasion force as Romanov scoffs off the threat, having made ensurances that they'll be swiftly deactivated.

* Asher Thorne, the Prime Minister of Kirkhall, is shown [[http://www.blindsprings.com/comic/blindsprings-page-two-hundred-and-thirty-nine to have one]] that he uses to call up Master Lumen, the controller of the [[WasOnceAMan Gravers]].

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* CharlieAndTheGreatGlassElevator parodies this: the US President has a red phone for calling the USSR on his desk... and a ''porcelain'' phone for calling China right next to it.

* In ''Podcast/TheJohnDredgeNothingToDoWithAnythingShow'', the ''Human League of Justice'' can be reached via the Leagueophone, while in the ''Gasman & Robert'' sketch, Gas Commissioner Gordon uses the Gas Phone for calling Gasman.

* ''Film/FailSafe''

* Expect to see at least one red phone per 1970s JamesBond movie. Though they're usually in government offices, they're usually not ''the'' hot line.

* ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'s company built one once. It looked like an ordinary telephone. Dogbert used it to prank call Gorbechev.

!!Examples

* ''Fail-Safe''
* ''[[Series/TwentyFour 24]]'' Season 6.
* ''DrStrangelove'' (Not actually the Moscow-Washington line, but rather an ordinary phone. Which is even worse.)
** Considering the nature of the [[CasualDangerDialog ensuing]] [[SeinfeldianConversation conversation]], as well as the [[BlackComedy entire film itself]], that is very, ''very'' likely intentional.
* In ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert2'', President Dugan has five of them. He only uses the one wired to the Kremlin when he receives word of the invading Soviet forces. Dugan and Soviet Premier Romanov's conversation turns hostile quickly, and Dugan threatens to nuke the invasion force as Romanov scoffs off the threat, having made ensurances that they'll be swiftly deactivated.

* The Creator/TomClancy novel ''Literature/TheSumOfAllFears'' (and TheFilmOfTheBook) shows the text-based Hot Line in action. It also shows how the operators tested the Hot Line back in the day: with poetry.

* ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}''. Before entering [=GlaDOS=]'s chamber, you see a red phone. In the commentary, the devs explain that it was a hotline for scientists to use in case of an emergency with the AI. They point out that the connection cord is cut, hinting at just how effective it was.

* The mayor of Townsville has a hotline to ThePowerpuffGirls that goes to phones in both their bedroom and the school the attend.
* In Film/TheCabinInTheWoods, Hadley answers a red phone and is told that [[PlotTwist the sacrifice didn't go exactly as planned.]] [[spoiler: Their failure results in the destruction of all life as we know it.]]
* In Series/StargateSG1 General Hammond has a frequently used red phone that includes a direct line to the President. That's the second line, though, the first line is for his grandchildren.
* Averted in the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePony:FriendshipIsMagic'' fanfic {{FanFic/MANE}}. Princess Celestia proposed the installation of a hotline between her palace and the USR Chancellery in Stalliongrad, but the Chancellor would not have it installed because he refused to recognize that Celestia had any claim to be the ruler of Equestria. Comes back to bite them both during the invasion of Saddle Arabia when [[spoiler:the USR mistake an ammunition dump exploding for a tactical nuclear strike, and begin to retaliate in kind.]] Celestia's attempts to communicate with the Chancellor have to be routed through their embassy instead, by which time it is too late.

If there's a crisis between the USSR and the US in fiction, expect the President to phone up the Soviet leader.

* Averted in the {{My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic}} fanfic {{FanFic/MANE}}. Princess Celestia proposed the installation of a hotline between her palace and the USR Chancellery in Stalliongrad, but the Chancellor would not have it installed because he refused to recognize that Celestia had any claim to be the ruler of Equestria. Comes back to bite them both during the invasion of Saddle Arabia when [[spoiler:the USR mistake an ammunition dump exploding for a tactical nuclear strike, and begin to retaliate in kind.]] Celestia's attempts to communicate with the Chancellor have to be routed through their embaassy instead, by which time it is too late.

Except it wasn't like that in real life. The Hot Line (also called the Red Phone) due to the possibilities of misinterpretation, only used a voice link between 1971 and 1978, but instead uses a telex machine - with each side writing in its own language and the other translating for themselves. The Hot Line, still in service, is regularly tested (Never mind that these days they could probably just DM each other on Twitter...)

* In Series/StargateSG1 General Hammond (and later Landry) have a frequently used red phone that includes a direct line to the President. That's the second line, though, the first line is for his grandchildren.

* In Series/StargateSG1

* In Series/Stargate