History Main / TelecomTree

* ''WesternAnimation/RubyGloom'': In "Broken Records", Skull Boy calls Misery --who is with Scaredy, Frank, and Len-- for a brainstorming session to help Iris and Ruby reconcile. After Misery & company exchange awkward glances, Skull Boy picks up again to tell them they are invited too.

Can be {{invoked}}, particularly online or in print, by {{AstroTurf}}ing.

* ''Film/GalaxyQuest'': Brandon and his friends do this for Jason Nesmith.

* ''Film/LegallyBlonde 2'': One scene involves the lead activating an emergency phone tree of ex-sorority members.

This trope may be considered the modern-day equivalent to GondorCallsForAid, though usually, it's more friends than GondorCallsForAid's "friends, enemies, anyone the heroes can get to pitch in".

A variation common in older productions: the viewer is treated to a splitscreen as more and more people become involved in sending the message out.

This trope may be considered the modern-day equivalent to GondorCallsForAid, though usually it's more friends than GondorCallsForAid's "friends, enemies, anyone the heroes can get to pitch in".

Can be subverted, particularly online or in print, by {{AstroTurf}}ing.

* ''ComicBook/GlobalFrequency'' has this as its premise, with 1,001 people with specialized abilities or skills spread across the world ready to be summoned by a phone call from either BigGood Miranda Zero or MissionControl Aleph. Though only a couple of agents are actively involved in any particular crisis, there are a few times when the call goes out to all 1,001 members for any help they can provide (notably the the last issue of the series).

* ''ComicStrip/{{Zits}}'': Pierce calculates that in order to get 700 people to turn up to his WildTeenParty he has to inform exactly one person (Brittney) and let the word spread. It works.

[[AC:Live-Action TV]]
%%* ''Series/AlarmFuerCobra11''
* ''Series/ServantOfThePeople'': The infrastructure minister sends out Vasiliy's orders down the bureaucratic chain. When said minister gets sacked for failing to deliver on the roadworks project, the next guys down the chain get promoted in his place, and all of them eventually receive the pink slip over increasingly absurd acts of embezzlement.

* ''Literature/TheExecutioner'': In the novel ''Dixie Convoy'', the truckers helping Mack Bolan use CB radio to spread a message from one coast of the US to the others.

* ''Literature/TheThreeInvestigators'': Known as the ghost-to-ghost hookup. A system invented by Jupiter to allow the PowerTrio to inquire about anything. Each boy contacts five friends that aren't mutual to the group, with each contact promptly doing the same. According to Jupiter, this lets them "contact thousands of boys without speaking to them directly".

* ''Literature/TheThreeInvestigators'': Known as the ghost-to-ghost hookup.

[[AC:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Manga/{{Monster}}'': This happens without the hero knowing as a result of his making so many friends while WalkingTheEarth.

!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* This happens without the hero knowing in ''Manga/{{Monster}}'' as a result of his making so many friends while WalkingTheEarth.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]

* In ''ComicBook/YoungAvengers'' #11, Prodigy texts a couple of friends to run interference for the team while they get close to the BigBad. They text some friends and... The next page shows a telecom tree of young heroes that has expanded to fill a full page.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film -- Animation]]
* In "WesternAnimation/TortoiseBeatsHare", WesternAnimation/BugsBunny has challenged Cecil Turtle to [[Literature/TheTortoiseAndTheHare a footrace]]. Cecil calls his old buddy Chester and together they set up a RingerPloy over a phone tree.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]

* In ''Film/TheCrew2000'', one of the retired Mafia members uses the fact that he has kept in touch with every other former Mafioso to have retired to the greater Miami area to gather a posse to raid the base of a crime lord who had kidnapped the daughter of another member of the group. This leads to a hilarious scene where a freighter owned by a drug lord is attacked by a busload of gun-toting senior citizens.
* Brandon and his friends do this for Jason Nesmith in ''Film/GalaxyQuest''.
* In ''Film/LegallyBlonde 2'', one scene involved the sorority the lead is now in activating an emergency phone tree of ex-sorority members.
* In ''Film/PracticalMagic'', when witches Gillian and Sally need extra help to get rid of the nasty ex-boyfriend ghost of Jimmy Angelov they activate the town Phone Tree, normally used to let all the moms know of school snow days. It turns out that despite the GossipyHens talking smack about the witch sisters, most of the women in town are not only genuinely curious about them, but happy to pitch in because they can identify strongly with having a bad ex who won't go away without a female friend having her back.
* In ''Film/SpyKids3DGameOver'', the Cortez children send out a desperate wrist phone call to "Everybody!". Their parents and grandparents show up, as well as their uncle Machete, Floop and the reformed Minion, the reformed Uncle and Giggles families, the MadScientist, the guy who owned the theme park at the start of the second movie and his son.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]

* In ''Literature/TheExecutioner'' novel ''Dixie Convoy'', the truckers helping Mack Bolan use CB radio to spread a message from one coast of the US to the others.
* Known as the ghost-to-ghost hookup in ''Literature/TheThreeInvestigators'' books.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* ''Series/DoctorWho'' series 6 (or [[LongRunners 32]]) does this ''twice''. Firstly, "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E7AGoodManGoesToWar A Good Man Goes To War]]" is all about this, with the Doctor calling in several favours to raise an army to [[spoiler: rescue Amy and her baby]]. Secondly, in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E13TheWeddingOfRiverSong The Wedding of River Song]]", River, Amy and Rory [[spoiler:construct a device to send a distress signal outside the collapsing AlternateUniverse they're trapped in, asking the whole universe for help, as the Doctor is about to die. Literally billions of races across the universe agree to help]]. While this doesn't actively do anything, it breaks the Doctor out of his HeroicBSOD and reminds him that however much death and destruction he leaves in his wake, he's still a hero, and his life is worth something.
* In ''Series/TheNanny'', when Fran gets engaged, she calls her mom, who puts her on hold to talk to someone else. She tells them. They call someone else, and so on, and so on, and so on. Each time, a picture of that person is added to the screen. By the time mom gets back online to Fran, everyone knows.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* In the music video for Music/TracyLawrence's "Find Out Who Your Friends Are", a redneck's truck breaks down in the middle of nowhere. He places one cell call to a friend before his phone fails, he then gives up. Fortunately for him, his friend has friends, and those friends have friends... until a giant convoy of friends is seen converging on him, in everything from a tractor to a Jeep to a Corvette.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* In ''ComicStrip/{{Zits}}'', Pierce calculates that in order to get 700 people to turn up to his WildTeenParty he has to inform exactly one person (Brittney) and let the word spread. It works.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theater]]
* In ''Theatre/ByeByeBirdie'', the teenagers of Sweet Apple Ohio are seen doing a tree in "The Telephone Hour". In this case, there's no particular help needed, they're just spreading the news that Hugo and Kim are now an item, and there's one poor sap (Harvey Johnson) who's trying to get a date.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* Shows up in ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' after Hedge kidnaps Elliot.
* ''WebAnimation/ThereSheIs'', in its final episode, has Nabi the cat [[spoiler:[[RaceForYourLove trying desperately to get to the airport]] before his girlfriend Doki leaves]]. All the friends and relatives who have been with them since episode 2 pitch in and help get him there, including calling forward to help stop Doki so Nabi has his chance to get there.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/BeverlyHillsTeens'', if someone wants to get everybody together, they tell Switchboard, and pretend it's a secret.
* There is an episode or a longer special of ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' where Timmy sends a message over the internet requesting help from all the kids in the world.
* The finale of ''[[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Justice League Unlimited]]'', "[[Recap/JusticeLeagueUnlimitedS3E13Destroyer Destroyer]]", doesn't go tree-style, but they do summon every single member for the final fight, even allowing the bad guys to fight to save the world.
* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'': Whenever she has to travel to some remote location, Kim can always count on someone she has helped before to provide free transportation.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': In the episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS18E5GIAnnoyedGrunt G.I. (Annoyed Grunt)]]" Marge Simpson uses one of these to rally everyone in Springfield for her plan to get rid of the U.S. army's occupation of Springfield. She even has a diagram of this, which starts with her calling Ned Flanders and Helen Lovejoy, who call two more people[[note]]Selma and Lenny for Ned, Patty and Carl for Helen[[/note]], who each call two more people[[note]]identities unknown[[/note]], and from that point forward it's eight solid chains, which includes Nelson Muntz calling Mr. Burns, and Krusty the Clown calling Ralph Wiggum and telling him to call Lindsay Naegle, who didn't get the message as Ralph had put the phone down and she wasn't present at the reservoir to put [[TamperingWithFoodAndDrink Marge's plan]] into action.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]

[[/folder]]

This trope may be considered the modern day equivalent to GondorCallsForAid, though usually it's more friends than GondorCallsForAid's "friends, enemies, anyone the heroes can get to pitch in".

Can be subverted, particularly online or in print, by {{Astro Turf}}ing.

* ''ComicBook/GlobalFrequency'' has this as its premise, with 1,001 people with specialized abilities or skills spread across the world ready to be summoned by a phone call from either BigGood Miranda Zero or MissionControl Aleph. Though only a couple of agents are actively involved in any particular crisis, there are a few times when the call goes out to all 1,001 members for any help they can provide (notably the the last issue of the series).

[[folder:Film]]
* In ''Film/PracticalMagic'', when witches Gillian and Sally need extra help to get rid of the nasty ex-boyfriend ghost of Jimmy Angelov they activate the town Phone Tree, normally used to let all the moms know of school snow days. It turns out that despite the GossipyHens talking smack about the witch sisters, most of the women in town are not only genuinely curious about them, but happy to pitch in because they can identify strongly with having a bad ex who won't go away without a female friend having her back.
* In ''Film/SpyKids3DGameOver'', the Cortez children send out a desperate wrist phone call to "Everybody!". Their parents and grandparents show up, as well as their uncle Machete, Floop and the reformed Minion, the reformed Uncle and Giggles families, the MadScientist, the guy who owned the theme park at the start of the second movie and his son.
* Brandon and his friends do this for Jason Nesmith in ''Film/GalaxyQuest''.
* In ''Film/LegallyBlonde 2'', one scene involved the sorority the lead is now in activating an emergency phone tree of ex-sorority members.
* ''Film/TheAdventuresOfBuckarooBanzaiAcrossThe8thDimension'': Buckaroo Banzai has the Blue Blaze irregulars, a group of various people who help him out of tight spots, no matter what it is or who they are.
* In ''Film/TheCrew2000'', a movie about retired Mafia members living in Florida, one of the group uses the fact that he has kept in touch with every other former Mafioso to have retired to the greater Miami area to gather a posse to raid the base of a crime lord who had kidnapped the daughter of another member of the group. This leads to a hilarious scene where a freighter owned by a drug lord is attacked by a busload of gun-toting senior citizens.

* Working to a deadline? Need a mob to storm the castle? Just tell a member of [[Literature/{{Discworld}} the Ogg family]]. The rest will take care of itself.

* In Literature/TheExecutioner novel ''Dixie Convoy'', the truckers helping Mack Bolan use CB radio to spread a message from one coast of the US to the others.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'' series 6 (or [[LongRunners 32]]) does this ''twice''. Firstly, [[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E7AGoodManGoesToWar A Good Man Goes To War]] is all about this, with the Doctor calling in several favours to raise an army to [[spoiler: rescue Amy and her baby]]. Secondly, in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E13TheWeddingOfRiverSong The Wedding of River Song]], River, Amy and Rory [[spoiler: construct a device to send a distress signal outside the collapsing AlternateUniverse they're trapped in, asking the whole universe for help, as the Doctor is about to die. Literally billions of races across the universe agree to help]]. While this doesn't actively do anything, it breaks the Doctor out of his HeroicBSOD and reminds him that however much death and destruction he leaves in his wake, he's still a hero, and his life is worth something.
* In ''Series/TheNanny'', when Fran gets engaged, she calls her mom, who puts her on hold to talk to someone else. She tells them. They call someone else, and so on, and so on, and so on. Each time, a picture of that person is added to the screen. By the time mom gets back on line to Fran, everyone knows.

* In ''Theatre/ByeByeBirdie'' the teenagers of Sweet Apple Ohio are seen doing a tree in "The Telephone Hour."
** In this case there's no particular help needed, they're just spreading the news that Hugo and Kim are now an item, and there's one poor sap (Harvey Johnson) who's trying to get a date.

[[folder:Webcomic]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''WebAnimation/ThereSheIs'', in its final episode, has Nabi the cat [[spoiler: [[RaceForYourLove trying desperately to get to the airport]] before his girlfriend Doki leaves.]] All the friends and relatives who have been with them since episode 2 pitch in and help get him there, including calling forward to help stop Doki so Nabi has his chance to get there.
[[/folder]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/BeverlyHillsTeens'' if you wanted to get everybody together you told Switchboard, and pretended it was a secret.
* The finale of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' doesn't go tree style, but they do summon every single member for the final fight, even allowing the bad guys to fight to save the world.
* Whenever she has to travel to some remote location, ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' can always count on someone she has helped before to provide free transportation.

* In Creator/TexAvery's ''Tortoise Beats Hare'', WesternAnimation/BugsBunny has challenged Cecil Turtle to [[Literature/TheTortoiseAndTheHare a footrace]]. Cecil calls his old buddy Chester and together they set up a RingerPloy over a phone tree.

* In ''ComicBook/YoungAvengers'' #11, Prodigy texts a couple of friends to run interference for the team while they get close to the BigBad. They texted some friends and... The next pages shows a telecom tree of young heroes that has expanded to fill a full page.

* Buckaroo Banzai has the Blue Blaze irregulars, a group of various people who help him out of tight spots. No matter what it is or who they are.
* In Film/TheCrew2000, a movie about retired Mafia members living in Florida, one of the group uses the fact that he has kept in touch with every other former Mafioso to have retired to the greater Miami area to gather a posse to raid the base of a crime lord who had kidnapped the daughter of another member of the group. This leads to a hilarious scene where a freighter owned by a drug lord is attacked by a busload of gun-toting senior citizens.

[[folder:Anime]]
* This happens without the hero knowing in ''Anime/{{Monster}}'' as a result of his making so many friends while WalkingTheEarth.

In our modern day and age, when communication needs to take place, we can do it with landlines, Cell Phones, text messages, and/or The Internet.

It is a really good thing, too, because when the hero(es) need help, this trope comes into play.

There's a situation that's too big for our main character to handle on his/her own. But he/she knows a good number of people, perhaps because they are popular and friendly, or just from WalkingTheEarth. Either way, it's time to enlist their aid, and because the heroes are the heroes, anyone called on the phone is only too happy to pitch in and help. Not only that, but they're willing to call the next person in the chain of phone numbers to help get the giant group effort underway that much sooner.

* In a movie about retired Mafia members living in Florida, one of the group uses the fact that he has kept in touch with every other former Mafioso to have retired to the greater Miami area to gather a posse to raid the base of a crime lord who had kidnapped the daughter of another member of the group. This leads to a hilarious scene where a freighter owned by a drug lord is attacked by a busload of gun-toting senior citizens.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': In the episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS18E5GIAnnoyedGrunt G.I. (Annoyed Grunt)" Marge Simpson uses one of these to rally everyone in Springfield for her plan to get rid of the U.S. army's occupation of Springfield. She even has a diagram of this, which starts with her calling Ned Flanders and Helen Lovejoy, who call two more people, who call two more people, and from that point forward it's eight solid chains, which includes Nelson Muntz calling Mr. Burns, and Krusty the Clown calling Ralph Wiggum and telling him to call Lindsay Naegle, who didn't get the message as Ralph had put the phone down and she wasn't present at the reservoir to put [[TamperingWithFoodAndDrink Marge's plan]] into action.