History Main / TerribleIntervieweesMontage

** One episode has a montage of bad witnesses after a bank robbery, all of whom give statements which contradict each other.

* ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' has a montage of bad witnesses after a bank robbery.

** "ComicBook/TheDeathOfLightningLad": After the titular event, the Legion holds an audition to replace Lightning Lad. The first applicant, Antennae Boy, can pick up radio broadcasts from anywhere and anywhen, but his giant ears emit a unbearable noise which cannot be turned off. The second applicant, Dynamo Kid, is really a fraud with no powers who intended to infiltrate the Legion and write a scoop. The third applicant, "Lemon", is absolutely perfect...and he is already a Legionnaire in disguise who was playing a prank on his friends.

* ''Film/TenThingsIHateAboutYou'' has this when Cameron and Michael interview their schoolmates to have one of them date Kate Stratford so Cameron could date her little sister Bianca as the girls' father has a oldest-one-dates-first rule.

* The 2018 revival of ''ComicBook/WestCoastAvengers'' had ComicBook/HawkeyeKateBishop leading one to find a new member.

* The second season of ''Series/TheWire'' features an investigation into the murder of a dozen women being smuggled into the country on an international container ship. When detectives "[[TheCharmer Bunk]]" [[SharpDressedMan Moreland]] and [[GreatDetective Lester]] [[CoolOldGuy Freamon]] attempt to [[PerpSweating interview/interrogate]] the crew, ''every single member of the crew'' claims to not speak English and just goes on and on in their various native languages. After who knows how many hours of this, Detective Freamon, who gets called things like "[[ConsummateProfessional smooth old Lester]]" by awestruck young detectives, finally [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness loses his cool]] and begins screaming "[[Film/PulpFiction English, motherfucker!]]" at a random member of the crew. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrzpoUjJ_0g Scene]].

* ''Franchise/FantasticFour''

** "ComicBook/TheLeperFromKrypton": Subverted. The final issue's cover implies that ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} will go through of a bunch of terrible candidates as looking for a replacement for her allegedly dead cousin, but the story itself skips over the selection process.

** Slightly subverted with Max Mercury, a very experienced and qualified [[SuperSpeed speedster]]. He only showed up as a favor to Franchise/TheFlash, and because he'd never been on the moon before (and wanted to take pictures).
* The ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' frequently holds open auditions, and, as you might expect, most of the people trying out are total losers. [[http://www.dialbforblog.com/archives/340/ see here]] for a pretty complete list (with a nifty parody at the end). Some of them aren't ''that'' bad, are they?
** In a subversion, a number of Legion rejects form the Legion of Substitute Heroes, who do good work as a sort of reserve team putting their unconventional powers to work in the field when the main team can't handle all aspects of a crisis.
** In one issue, the villainous Dynamo Boy, having tricked the rest of the Legion into quitting, held his own auditions -- and while he was largely met with the same type of also-rans who show up to other Legion try-outs, he turned down a couple of decent candidates for petty reasons. His reasons being that, using some future technology to get a scan of their personalities, judged they were too decent and wouldn't be converted to evil so easily.
** Creator/GeoffJohns later retconned the reason as to why some applicants were rejected, citing that Saturn Girl had done psychic profiles on them during their try-outs. While some were rejected because their power was lame or they lacked suitable control, others were rejected because they had a variety of psychotic tendencies and deeply disturbed psyches.

* The 2018 revival of ''Comicbook/WestCoastAvengers'' had Comicbook/HawkeyeKateBishop [[http://why-i-love-comics.tumblr.com/post/177291065038/west-coast-avengers-1-2018-written-by-kelly leading one]] to find a new member.

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* ''ComicStrip/{{Retail}}'': a RunningGag is when Marla interviews for positions (typically Christmas help, though sometimes its for more permanent positions), the candidate pool leaves something to be desired. That said, [[MsFanservice Amber]], [[EndearinglyDorky Donnie]], [[NaiveNewcomer Crystal]], and [[DeadpanSnarker Arthur]] were introduced via this trope, so they weren't ''all'' terrible.
[[/folder]]

* ''Webcomic/BrawlInTheFamily'' gives us [[http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/?p=1007 a couple]] [[http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/?p=1541 of strips]] regarding brawlers who would make bad bunkmates, with Dedede as the "interviewer" (though it bears mentioning that the guy's usually [[http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/?p=1092 rather easily impressed]] when it comes to interviewing people).

* The ''Film/{{Bewitched}}'' movie does this ''twice'', both times for the role of Samantha in the ShowWithinAShow remake of the original ''Series/{{Bewitched}}''; among the many poor showings are a few unexpected [[TheCameo cameos]].

* The ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo'' episode "You're Fired!" has such a montage after Beast Boy gets thrown out of the team. {{Cameo}}s includes ComicBook/{{Vixen}} (whose power Cyborg finds lame, but it's her table manners that owe her a VaudevilleHook), B'wana Beast (whose mere ''name'' has Cyborg in stitches, and whose power disgusts everyone), Detective Chimp (next!) and Beast Boy [[DisguisedInDrag in drag]] trying to sneak back in. The Titans finally settle on Jayna of the Wonder Twins, but aren't impressed by Zan's power of turning into water. But since the WonderTwinPowers don't allow them to be separated, they still keep Zan... as a receptionist.

"I'm almost single. My husband's on Death Row!"

* ''Webcomic/DominicDeegan: Oracle for Hire'': Dominic performs a [[https://www.dominic-deegan.com/comic/1442-20070207/ Second Sight-assisted]] Terrible Interviewees Montage to help his mother Miranda choose a new Headmaster for her school, leading to several funny NoodleIncidents. Miranda herself follows up a bit later with [[https://www.dominic-deegan.com/comic/1463-20070228/ a traditional one]] -- even though Dominic warned her that every applicant, except for two, would add up to this.

** When [[BigBad Drago]] needed new henchmen (having fired the [[GoldfishPoopGang The Dark Hand gang]]). Naturally, [[TerribleTrio Strikemaster Ice and co.]] end up being the last interviewees and wipe the floor with all of the previous ones.

* The ''WebVideo/KateModern'' episode "Skittle Yourself" featured Charlie going through one of these. Might be a subversion, since she ended up hiring Lee, who wasn't exactly perfect, but was better than the other idiots who showed up.

* Played with by ''WebVideo/EchoChamber'': The Administrator wants Tom to have a female cast member for the show. Tom wants Dana to do it, but because she refuses, Tom holds a casting call. HilarityEnsues when the people who show up are a porn actress, Tom's PsychoExGirlfriend Shannon, a girl looking for the counseling session that he kicked out, Zach ManChild uncle, and a creepy guy who might be a SerialKiller. [[spoiler:Dana just winds up joining the cast anyway. ''That's how terrible the interviewees were''.]]
* Mario and Luigi suffer this while trying to start a band in Season 1 of ''WebVideo/StupidMarioBrothers''.
* The French web series ''Series/FlandersCompany'' is almost entirely composed of Terrible Interviewees Episodes in its first season (and a few returns to the format in the later ones). The basic premise is that the main character is the human resources manager of a company employing supervillains. The candidates are supposed to have at least a superpower and some potential, but for the most part are utterly inept, and their "powers" are utter jokes (one guy shows up with... [[TakeThat the power to resist a music star's singing voice]]). This often lead [[UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist Kurtzmann, said main character,]] to lash at them verbally [[spoiler:or physically -- after all, he's a former supervillain himself, and NOT an inept one]].
* The action in ''WebVideo/DirigibleDays'' starts with captain Dunbar interviewing prospective mechanics: a town drunk, a busty wench he's hitting on... He ends up hiring [[MrFixit Hooper]].
* Episode 4 of ''WebVideo/ThePittsburghSOAPranos'' has Sami interviewing a series of unsuitable candidates from the drunk whose mother showed up to coach him through the interview to the precocious high-schooler who starts angling to take over the store to a Mafia henchman to an interviewee just out of prison... and her last job was where she was arrested. Of course, the perfect candidate shows up right after Sami has given up.
* The ''WebVideo/JoueurDuGrenier'' episode on ''VideoGame/{{Daikatana}}'' shows a montage of the newly-minted Creator/IonStorm inteviewing candidates for developer positions. One of the interviewers gets so desperate he decides to interview his dog.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
** Mr. Burns does it a couple of times, like trying to find an actor to play himself in a movie in "A Star is Burns". The applicants shown are Creator/WilliamShatner, Anthony Hopkins (in character as Hannibal Lecter), Bumblebee Man (who [[PoorMansSubstitute Señor Spielbergo]] likes) and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking Homer Simpson.]]
--->'''Anthony Hopkins:''' ''[strapped to a gurney in a straight jacket] Excellent. [trademark hiss]''\\
'''William Shatner:''' Exc-ELL-''ent''!\\
'''Homer:''' ''Exactly'', hehehe... DO'H!!\\
'''Bumblebee Man:''' Excel''lente!''
** Also the montage of Be Sharps auditions to replace Chief Wiggum in "Homer's Barbershop Quartet". The applicants consists of Abraham Simpson, Groundskeeper Willie, Jasper, and Wiggum disguised as Film/DoctorDolittle.
** The applicants for the role of [[Theatre/AStreetcarNamedDesire Stanley]] in the episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS4E2AStreetcarNamedMarge A Streetcar Named Marge]]". Most notable is Otto.
--->'''Director:''' OH YE ''GODS''!! ''[sees that Otto's chest is covered with a hideous tattoo]''\\
'''Otto:''' You like that, you should see my ass!\\
'''Director:''' ''[points to Ned Flanders]'' You, you're playing Stanley.
** In "Old Money", there's a montage of various townspeople trying to convince Grandpa that they should receive his new fortune. Highlights include Moe wanting it to fund a treasure hunt, Dr. Marvin Monroe wanting it for an experiment where someone is kept an isolated box for 30 years, and Professor Frink wanting it for an evil death ray. Lisa eventually suggests he instead use the money to help people in need, while also emphasizing that she'd be happy to take it and buy a pony instead.

* Warner Bros used this gag several times in various [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies]] cartoons:
** In "Curtain Razor", Porky Pig is running a talent agency, and much of the cartoon is a montage of awful auditioners.
** In the WartimeCartoon "WesternAnimation/SwoonerCrooner" (1944), egg production at the "Flockheed Eggcraft Factory"[[note]]a pun on the Lockheed Aircraft Company which manufactured a couple of critical warplanes during World War 2[[/note]] comes to a halt when the hens become enamored with a Music/FrankSinatra-esque rooster. Manager Porky Pig holds auditions for another crooning rooster to put them back to work. Among his potentials are [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed fowl versions]] of Nelson Eddy, Al Jolson, Jimmy Durante and Music/CabCalloway, noone of whom work out, before Porky settles for a Music/BingCrosby rooster.
** In the 1936 Merrie Melodies short "I Love to Singa", after the young owl singer "Owl Jolson" finds his musical talents rejected by his parents, he goes to try out for an amateur-talent radio show hosted by "Jack Bunny." Ahead of him are several truly awful singers/musicians, all of whom get dumped down a trap door by the bunny.
** "Hare-abian Nights," a late (1959) Bugs Bunny cartoon, leads off with a procession of bad performers auditioning for an Arab sultan. Bugs tunnels into the setting in his usual way and finds himself performing as a "Teller of Tales." Naturally, HilarityEnsues.
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' has a scene in "Joker's Millions" with the Joker trying out new Harley Quinns after abandoning the original in prison (she gets her revenge at the end of the episode). A string of less-than-stellar ladies (and a [[CreatorCameo cameo]] of Creator/PaulDini in a Harley suit). He ends up hiring a [[BrainlessBeauty busty but not-too-bright actress]], but she's not perfect.
-->'''Fake Harley:''' Oh, thank you, Mister G! I promise I'll be the best Harley ever! ''[{{annoying laugh}}]''\\
'''Joker:''' Uh, maybe I should've hired the fat guy...
* ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'':
** One of these in the episode "Junkie Business", when Hank has to hire an accessories associate for the propane dealership. A highlight includes a man who has been on welfare for every Democratic presidency except Clinton and Truman. When an absolutely ideal candidate, who happens to be a rather attractive woman, does apply, uptight Hank passes her over and unwittingly hires the titular junkie instead.
** Double subverted in "Bill Gathers Moss", where Bill looks for a roommate with the guys' help. After two terrible applicants, the third is a former [[Magazine/{{Playboy}} Playmate of the Month]] who is cheerful, pleasant, and seems to take a shine to Bill -- but Hank still rejects her over Bill's objections. Later on it turns out she's part of a counterfeit merchandise ring, meaning Hank was [[RightForTheWrongReasons right without realizing it]].
* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'':
** Played straight when the [[WeirdTradeUnion Guild of Calamitous Intent]] approves the application of Dr. Orpheus (and team) for an ArchEnemy.
** Also seen in Season 4 when the Revenge Society tries to recruit new supervillain members, most of whom have powers ranging from [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway stupid]] to [[UselessSuperpowers utterly useless]], or no powers at all beyond a lame gimmick. And the inexplicably creepy [[BearsAreBadNews Scare Bear]].
* ''WesternAnimation/PinkyAndTheBrain'', when screenwriters pitch world domination plans.

* In the pilot episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Sixteen}}'', all the friends are trying to get jobs. You see all the mistakes they make and it serves as an EstablishingCharacterMoment for each of them.
* ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'' has the episode "Power Trip", when Rocko was interviewing assistants for the comic book shop. Given the surreal nature of the show, this quickly degenerates beyond the usual weirdos and has an alien snapping its claws, a worm crawling across the table, a giant pair of dentures, and a hovering face made of eggs and bacon.
** In the episode "Love Spanked," Rocko goes on dates with a rabbit that has a BoyfriendBlockingDad, a giraffe he couldn't keep up with, an ''actual'' sheep in a universe otherwise comprised of {{Funny Animal}}s, an elephant who was too heavy for an OldFashionedRowboatDate, a hippo(?) he couldn't keep up with at the gym, a poodle(?) he accidentally injured during dinner, and a bagpipist, before attempting to swear off dating and wait for [[GirlNextDoor Melba]].
* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' turns one of these montages into a song with the Mix-and-Mingle Machine in "Cheer Up, Candace".

* ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'':
** One in "World Wide Wabbit" where Mac and Bloo are videotaping imaginary friends talking about why they should be adopted. Most of the interviews feature Bloo goofing off in the background, mocking the friend.
** It's used twice in "Blue's Brothers". First, when Bloo impresses all of Mac's classmates at school, they go imagining their own versions of Bloo, but each with a different characteristic. Each kid ends up bringing their Bloo to Foster's, explaining various reasons for why they can't or don't want to keep them until the house is filled with hundreds of Bloo clones. Later, Mac has to pick out the real Bloo when all of them try to pass off as the original so they can go to the Ice Charades with Mac, forcing Mac to investigate each one by one until he finds the real Bloo. One of them even turns out to be Eduardo in disguise, who, being a closet Ice Charades fan, was hoping to get picked.
** The TV movie ''WesternAnimation/DestinationImagination'' has Mr. Herriman interviewing several replacements for Frankie when she disappears. The interviewees include a DistaffCounterpart of her called Frank and a Film/MaryPoppins {{expy}}, all of whom are driven away by Herriman's ControlFreak attitude.
* The second episode of ''WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko'', "[[Recap/CodeLyokoS1E2 Seeing Is Believing]]", when they are all trying to find a drummer for their band.

* Happens in the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode "8 Simple Rules for Buying My Teenage Daughter" when the Griffins are hiring a babysitter for Stewie. The interviewees include Peter's Portuguese former coworkers Santos and Pasqual, as well as Tundro and Gloop from ''WesternAnimation/TheHerculoids''.
* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDragonJakeLong'' has one for a part in a Shakespeare's play. It's so bad that one of the interviewees was ''convinced it was the hockey team try-outs''. In the end, the interviewees that weren't Jake were so bad that ''[[CloudCuckooLander Spud]]'' got a part as replacement actor...
* ''WesternAnimation/SonicBoom'' does this in [[Recap/SonicBoomS1E1TheSidekick its first episode]] after Sonic fires Tails from being a sidekick. Said terrible interviewees include Amy, who tries juggling and [[HollywoodToneDeaf singing]], and Knuckles, who tries interviewing Sonic instead of the other way around. That's still not rock bottom, as the final applicant is [[ArchEnemy Doctor Eggman]].

* Happens several times in ''WesternAnimation/{{Brickleberry}}'', once when Woody is looking for a replacement ranger when Steve thinks (wrongly) that he has a terminal disease, and once showing Ethel's questionable dating choices. Interestingly, there is actually some overlap between the two, as both interview segments have a mentally challenged man in it.
* Happens offscreen in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' where Stan takes a job as the caretaker of an orphanage while sleepwalking. When he asks why they gave the job to a man who was clearly asleep, the nun running the orphanage explains that he was the only applicant who wasn't masturbating during the interview.
* Used in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Duckman}}'' when Duckman and Bernice are looking for a live-in nanny for the kids. Among the people who show up is a MonsterClown holding a bloody knife, Music/MichaelJackson, and a devil worshipper who slaughters a chicken. Duckman didn't mind hiring him, and accused Bernice of religious intolerance when she rejected him.
* In WesternAnimation/FantasticFourWorldsGreatestHeroes, when Ben is BroughtDownToNormal, the team hold auditions for a replacement member. Squirrel Girl, Frog-Man, Texas Twister, Captain Ultra and Flatman are all screened and rejected by Johnny (except for Flatman, who gets rejected by Reed) and eventually, they go for She-Hulk.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyBravo'' episode "Johnny Bravo Meets Donny Osmond", Mama Bravo interviews several women for the job as Johnny's babysitter. One has a ''very'' obvious mental twitch, the other openly admits that her child rearing technique mostly consists of corporal punishment.
* In the second season opener of ''WesternAnimation/DrawnTogether'' the cast go through one while looking for a replacement for Wooldoor after he hangs himself (he comes back midway through the episode). One notable applicant is Scorpion from ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' [[MediumBlending rendered in full 3D against the Flash-animated environment and characters]].
* The ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' "Stinky Goes Hollywood" episode has the kids in town attend an open casting call to audition to be the Yahoo Soda spokesperson.
-->'''Director:''' Action.\\
'''Campfire Lass:''' ''[Scottish accent]'' Yahoo soda. Just dr-r-r-r-rink it.\\
'''Director:''' Next!\\
'''Rhonda:''' ''[seductively]'' Yahoo soda. Just... drink it.\\
'''Director:''' Next!\\
'''Helga:''' ''[bossily]'' Yahoo soda. Just drink it.\\
'''Director:''' Next!\\
'''Arnold:''' ''[plainly]'' Yahoo soda. Just drink it.\\
'''Director:''' Next!\\
'''Harold:''' Uh... Yahoo soda. ''[microphone feedback shrieks]'' What is it again?\\
'''Director:''' Number 248.\\
''[Oskar Kokoshka is dressed in blue overall shorts, a red bow tie, and a blue and white beanie hat; he's also holding a big magenta colored lollipop in his right hand]''\\
'''Oskar:''' Drink Yahoo soda, it's really great. I'm telling you it's the best soda, okay?\\
'''Director:''' How old are you?\\
'''Oskar:''' I'm 7 years old. I'm a little kid, see?\\
'''Director:''' Next! ''[Oskar groans]''
* Book 3 of ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' has a ''inversion'' of this trope. Korra and her friends travel through the Earth Kingdom in order to recruit the new airbenders, with Tenzin trying to convince them to join him in rebuilding the Air Nation, but he completely sucks at selling it. For example, he tells the mother of a young airbender that his son will get tattoos all over his body like Tenzin, tells a fat man eating a turkey leg about the airbenders' vegetarian diet, a woman wearing very elegant and expensive-looking clothes about having to wear monk robes, and other unseen airbenders about other "perks" of the Air Nomads such as shaving your head, giving up all your worldly possessions or having a bison as your best friend.
-->'''Tenzin:''' Who ''doesn't'' want a bison as their best friend?
* Ludo goes through one of these in ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'' when he tries to find better minions. Candidates include one of his own minions, a DistaffCounterpart of himself, a lazy four-armed monster who claims nobody is stupid enough to hire him, a mass of goop with eyes, [[TheRuntAtTheEnd and]] [[KnightOfCerebus Toffee]].
* PlayedWith in the ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot'' episode ''Talent Night'', where Dot and Emma Cee are overseeing auditions for Enzo's birthday party. Most of the acts are absolutely terrible, but Dot likes several of them. Unfortunately, Emma Cee vetoes them because they were considered "inappropriate for children". For some reason. Later on they eventually start getting acts both of them agree on.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'': In Episode 121, Kaeloo, Stumpy, Quack Quack and Mr. Cat are informed that they have been fired from the show and have to take a job interview with Olaf to get their jobs back. In the montage, [[IdiotHero Kaeloo]] doesn't know how to answer the questions and randomly uses words in the hopes of making what sounds like an answer, [[ButtMonkey Stumpy]] repeatedly says that he's the show's funniest character and has random objects drop onto his head from the sky to prove it, [[DitzyGenius Quack Quack]] uses complex math equations and Mr. Cat resorts to telling BlatantLies, bribery and using random words. [[spoiler:They all get re-hired anyway, because they were never actually fired, it was just a "joke" that Olaf was playing on them.]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' episode "Frightingale", [[ForHalloweenIAmGoingAsMyself Adrien is cast as Cat Noir]] in a ''Miraculous''-themed music video sponsored by his father, and an audition for who will play Ladybug is held. Most of the auditionees are clumsy, awkward teen girls, (one of whom gets so nervous she goes into a TroubledFetalPosition) a few little girls, and ''Lt. Roger.''
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': In "Cooked", when Mr. Loud tries to find employees for his new restaurant, the first three candidates are: a musical actress who wants the job to prepare for a role she just got, a teen whose parents forced him to get a job to pay for the damages he did to their car, and Mr. Grouse (who didn’t even come for a job, but only to complain the Louds’ dog peed on his lawn).
* ''WesternAnimation/CentralPark'': In Season 3 "[[Recap/CentralParkS3E01AStarIsOwen A Star Is Owen]]", the song "Person to Worsen" is Helen interviewing mayoral candidates to see which of them can help Bitsy buy Central Park. All the candidates are either too upstanding or too sleazy for their needs.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheGhostAndMollyMcgee'': After rebuilding the Brighton Bandshell in "Getting the Band(shell) Back Together", the next episode "The Greatest Concert Ever" opens with Molly and her CoolOldLady friend Patty holding auditions for the inaugural act at the Bandshell. None of the acts (which include a barbershop quartet, old ladies on triangles, and a random kid playing bassoon) are very good, and all get shot down by Patty.
* Inverted in the ''WesternAnimation/FetchWithRuffRuffman'' Season 3 episode "When Home is a House of Cards". In response to Blossom's promotion, Ruff put out an ad for someone to be his new assistant. A bunch of wild animals are lined up outside his dog house to be interviewed. A mouse named Chet was the first interviewee, but he abruptly moves into the Fetch 3000 before Ruff can interview him. He later becomes Ruff's new assistant.

* In ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}''[='s=] episode, "Rewitched", Paige went to a speed dating event at P3 and went though a montage of awful dates until she meets the last one, "Whit".
* Used in the ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'' episode "Band on the Run" when Cory and Shawn hold auditions to find new members for their fake band. However the trope was played with because one of the auditionees was actually talented but was rejected because he would make them look bad.
* ''Series/AmericanIdol'' has several of these in the first couple of episodes of every season, usually capping off each montage with someone good.
* A promo for ''Series/RizzoliAndIsles'' shows the two leading ladies' reactions to a series of bad speed dates, alternating between the cop ("No, I did not bring my handcuffs.") and the medical examiner ("I can't write you a prescription."). By the end of the clip, the [=BFFs=] give up on dating and go out drinking with each other.
* In the second episode of ''Series/CovertAffairs'', Annie, being the new girl is assigned to "walk-in" duty, as in attending everyone who "walks in" to report suspicious activity. Naturally, this tends to attract a lot of crazy people...
-->'''Crazy Guy:''' I know [[WhoShotJFK who killed Kennedy.]]\\
'''Annie:''' It's been well-documented that Kennedy was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald.\\
'''Crazy Guy:''' ''Ted'' Kennedy.
* An episode of ''Series/{{Angel}}'' does this with Cordelia looking for apartments.

* {{Inverted}} with NBC's ''Series/{{Chuck}}''. Chuck meets a series of job interviewers, all of whom are hilariously unsuitable. It turns out that the CIA is sabotaging his interviewers so that Chuck will return to work with them.
* A RunningGag on sketch show ''Series/SmackThePony'' is a series of terrible lonely hearts videos.
* Used on ''Series/NeverMindTheBuzzcocks'' when Sean Hughes left the show and they needed a new team captain.
* In the premiere episode of ''Series/MelrosePlace'', Allison's roommate had skipped town the night before, and needs to find a new one ASAP. Several prospective roommates who are not exactly what she had in mind.
-->'''Prospective roommate''' (A "punker" girl smoking a cigarette): "I'm here about the apartment."\\
'''Allison:''' "You know, my only request was for a non-smoking roommate."\\
'''Prospective roommate''': "Well, I'm down to a pack a day."
* The second season of ''Series/TheWire'' features an investigation into the murder of a dozen women being smuggled into the country on an international container ship. When detectives "[[TheCharmer Bunk]]" [[SharpDressedMan Moreland]] and [[GreatDetective Lester]] [[CoolOldGuy Freamon]] attempt to [[PerpSweating interview/interrogate]] the crew, ''every single member of the crew'' claims to not speak English and just goes on and on in their various native languages. After who knows how many hours of this, Detective Freamon, who gets called things like "[[ConsummateProfessional smooth old Lester]]" by awestruck young detectives, finally [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness loses his cool]] and begins screaming "[[Film/PulpFiction English, motherfucker!]]" at a random member of the crew. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrzpoUjJ_0g Scene]].
* In the 1985 Music/WeirdAlYankovic {{Mockumentary}} ''The Compleat Al'', the auditions for Al's backing band (organized by his sleazy manager) play out this way. One guy never quite figures out the opening riff to [[Music/TheBeatles "Day Tripper"]], another gets only one power chord in before he's waved off with "Thank you!", and an overweight punk strums a banjo and performs the original ditty "I Don't Wanna Do My Laundry". The narration reveals that Al managed to put together a backing band ''despite'' his manager's best efforts.
* In an episode of ''Series/TheUnusuals'', Banks and Delahoy have to interview a series of witnesses to a bus robbery, none of whom speak English, all of whom are eccentric.
* In the ''Series/{{Monk}}'' episode "Mr. Monk and the Red Herring," we see Monk doing one of these as he looks for a new assistant to replace Sharona. We first have a nurse that can't find anything physically wrong with Monk's health, and the second one is someone who leaves after Monk mentions that her hours "9:00 AM until one of us dies". The third one is one Monk disqualifies for smoking. When his eventual candidate Natalie Teeger shows up seeking to hire Monk for a case (just as Monk is shooing out the smoker), he initially mistakes her for another applicant.
* ''Series/{{Gotham}}'': Happens in "Rogues Gallery" when Jim is interviewing the Arkham inmates about a missing set of keys and the attack on the Frogman.
* Happens early in the British RealityShow-parodying TV special ''Britain's Got The Pop Factor And Possibly A New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly On Ice'' - of course parodying this trope's usage in TV talent competition shows, namely the previously-mentioned ''American Idol''. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOp4iDt0LeQ View it here.]]
* Inverted on ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' when Sheldon is interviewing for new roommates. The interviewees seem just fine, but Sheldon is too picky and rejects them for silly reasons.
* ''Series/TheCommish''. When Cyd Madison leaves, Tony Scali has to find a new NumberTwo. One interviewee is only interested in the pension plan, the other has excellent references but job interviews make him so nervous he faints. Then Cyd's predecessor Paulie Pentangeli shows up, having been cleared of the [[CowboyCop shooting that caused Tony to fire him in the first place]]. Tony is reluctant, but ends up taking him on.
* On ''Series/CornerGas'', Brent, Wanda, and Hank reform their old high school GarageBand and hold auditions for a drummer. Subverted in that most of the auditions aren't terrible. The problem is that ''none of them are drummers'', because Hank forgot to put that part on the sign.
* ''Series/InTheHouse'' exaggerates this trope twice with regards to pompous doctor Maxwell.
** The first time, he is interviewing potential secretaries and rejecting them for the most shallow of reasons: one because they went to Yale (Maxwell went to Harvard -- a RunningGag throughout the series), another because they did not like Whitney Houston, and another because she is nice to service people. Fellow colleague Tonia decides to trick Max by finding a potential candidate willing to act just like Max in order to curry his favor. It almost works, but Max becomes wise to the ruse when the candidate goofs on a small detail concerning the proper way to serve an expensive wine (yes, Max is THAT much of a snob).
** The second time is during the fourth season when Maxwell is looking for a date and has decided to spend the day at an exclusive martini club. Again, he rejects the women he meets for extremely inane reasons: one for being a Democrat (Max is a Republican), one for driving a Kia, and one who is implied to be a vegan. He has all but given up when a woman named Mercedes storms in delivering one of the most entitled rich bitch rants about a valet ever to be caught on tape, all the while revealing details about herself that satisfy Maxwell's personal requirements (she's a Republican, drives a Mercedes, and has expensive taste in fashion), the clincher being when she correctly identifies the color of Maxwell's tie as cerulean.
* In ''Series/HartOfDixie'', Wade and Lemon interview potential cooks and servers after buying a restaurant together. One or both of them veto every candidate. In an interesting variation, at the end of the episode they are blackmailed into hiring one of the early interviewees, and she turns out to be a pretty good chef.
* In ''Series/{{Longitude}}'', Edmund Halley (the namesake of the comet) is besieged with crackpots who think they all have the way to solve UsefulNotes/TheLongitudeProblem, using methods that range from merely impractical to nauseating. After one idea involving dogs, sympathetic magic, and a knife, Halley calls it off for the day... just before he would have interviewed the clockmaker John Harrison. Fortunately, he runs into young William Harrison in the garden, who manages to impress Halley by describing the "bloody perfect" method he and his father have for determining time using a neighbor's chimney.
* ''Series/FatherBrown'': The audition montage in "The Tree of Truth", which ranges from the unsuitable, to the terrible, to the misguided (one man is auditioning for the role of Prince Charming, which is played by a woman).

* ''Series/{{Arrow}}''. Played with when Lyla and Diggle are interviewing {{Boxed Crook}}s for a new Suicide Squad in "Past Sins". Given that the applicants are criminals with mental issues who aren't particularly enthusiastic about being implanted with explosive devices to ensure their loyalty, they're all terrible by default.
* ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'': DoubleSubverted in "Sal's Pizza" when Sgt. Jeffords and Gina start looking for a new I.T. Manager for the station. At first the interviewees all seem perfectly qualified and it's the interviewer — Gina — who's the terrible one, doing seemingly random, unprofessional things that anger, frighten or nauseate the candidates during the interviews. In their report to Capt. Holt, however, Gina reveals that her antics were all a SecretTestOfCharacter for the interviewees that revealed that, despite apparently being good for the job on the surface, none of them would have been able to cope with the various stresses and issues of working in a police precinct.
** Happend more straight in "Balancing" when [[spoiler:Jake and Amy are looking for a babysitter for thier infant son.]]
-->'''Amy:''' We already have three applicants.
-->'''Jake:''' Great, hire them.
-->'''Amy:''' I think we should interview them first.
-->'''Jake:''' ''But what if they're bad!?''
* Inverted in Season Two of ''Series/{{Bridgerton}}'', Anthony decides to find a wife and goes on a series of rapid-fire dates with every available society girl in town. They are all pleasant, if vapid, but Anthony is shown to have impossibly high standards and is brusque to the point of rudeness.
* ''Series/DaisyJonesAndTheSix'': When the Six try to find a replacement frontman, the audience gets a montage of middle-aged men who butcher their song.

* An audio sketch in one of the ''VideoGame/YouDontKnowJack'' games depicts Music/BlackSabbath, in 1971, trying to find someone to recite the opening line of "Iron Man", only for all of the auditionees to fail miserably. Just as Music/OzzyOsbourne is ready to give up, a delivery boy with a naturally-distorted voice is heard to say, "I'm from the drycleaners. I've got your ironing... man."
* The ''{{VideoGame/LEGO|AdaptationGame}} VideoGame/RockBand'' tour mode starts with this.

* ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'' does this twice in a Strong Bad Email about who gets to check emails after Strong Bad retires. First by putting them through a series of challenges (saying "DELETED!", coming up with insulting nicknames for various possible senders' names, dealing with Strong Sad) and then, when that fails to produce a decent candidate, by resorting to a dance contest. There's also a variant in another episode when Strong Bad is looking for someone to demonstrate his barber skills on, and everybody who actually has hair refuses for various reasons -- ''two completely different and mutually exclusive reasons'', in Marzipan's case.

* ''WebAnimation/CatsingCall'' revolves around two casting directors holding auditions for the role of a cat in an unspecified show or movie. The cats (which speak in meows which are subtitled in English, and which the directors can somehow understand) each have various flaws. For example, Larry is [[NervousWreck incredibly high-strung]], Osiris [[ItsAllAboutMe has an overinflated ego]], etc. One of the auditioners is a ''caiman'' who insists he can do a good cat impression. In the end, [[spoiler:the caiman ends up getting the part]].

* In ''Webcomic/KeychainOfCreation'', they start with one of these, where Misho and Marena are looking to round out their posse. After Marena picks up Secret immediately, they go through a small succession of lampooning some flat character archetypes typical of ''TabletopGame/Exalted'' newbies before settling on Ten Winds who comes with an actually thought out backstory.
* Seen in an early ''Webcomic/PatchworkChampions'' strip, when Lucky and Timebender were looking to fill out their ranks.

* ''Webcomic/FlakyPastry'' starts out this way, with Marelle and Nitrine looking for another roommate to help them pay the rent. All but one of the rejected housemates become recurring side-characters later on, too. First up is Mona, who [[WallOfBlather talks their ears off]]. Next is Morgana, who talks herself up as a force of darkness, then gets upset when Nitrine points out her hair roots, curses her, and runs off. Then there's Leslie, who is attractive and charming, but can't pay the rent. After that is Tracy, who is turned down on account of being one of Nitrine and Marelle's teachers. And finally there's Zintiel, who by all appearances is a filthy hobo. However, Zintiel subverts first impressions by turning out to have a ton of money and to [[SheCleansUpNicely clean up nicely]] with a proper shower.
* Implied to have happened before Sabrina got her first job in ''Webcomic/SabrinaOnline''.
* ''Webcomic/BrawlInTheFamily'' gives us [[http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/?p=1007 a couple]] [[http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/?p=1541 of strips]] regarding brawlers who would make bad bunkmates, with Dedede as the "interviewer" (though it bears mentioning that the guy's usually [[http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/?p=1092 rather easily impressed]] when it comes to interviewing people).

* ''Webcomic/{{Subnormality}}'' gives us the [[http://www.viruscomix.com/page549.html Dating (russian) roulette]]: Six speed dates in a row, you ''have'' to settle on ONE mandatory date without seeing the others after you make your choice or being allowed to pick someone you already rejected. Hope you don't land on ''the bullet!''

* ''Webcomic/TheOatmeal'': [[http://theoatmeal.com/comics/interviewees "The 10 Types of Crappy Interviewees"]]
* ''Webcomic/ElectricWonderland'' has one when the staff of the ''Nettropolis Free Press'' searches in vain for someone to make comics for their paper.
* ''Webcomic/TheGaMERCaT'' has one of these when the characters [[https://thegamercat.com/comic/cats/ go looking for a fourth player]] and interview a whole string of [[ShoutOut famous meme cats]].
* ''Webcomic/{{Housepets}}'': King and Bailey [[http://www.housepetscomic.com/comic/2017/01/27/for-the-book-club/ go through one]] when looking for a sitter for their puppies. Or rather, King goes through one (and King being a massive worrywart does not help his search) while Bailey's brother Fox jumps straight to calling Peanut and Grape.
* Subverted in ''Webcomic/{{Fans}}'' - what looks at first like a TerribleIntervieweesMontage actually turns out to have included both terrible interviewees and the actual candidates who end up selected, most of whom perform the job well.
* Webcomic/DaughterOfTheLilies: Despite big promises, a group of would-be adventurers [[https://www.daughterofthelilies.com/dotl/25 all fail to prove themselves]]

%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1547064995045155700
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* Also inverted in an ad for Amour, a porn movie channel. Several ditzy buxom blondes in {{Stripperiffic}} clothing get the part despite their BadBadActing, while a fully dressed BrainyBrunette who delivers the line perfectly gets rejected.
-->''Amour. You don't watch it for the acting.''

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* The ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' frequently holds open auditions, and, as you might expect, most of the people trying out are total losers. [[http://www.dialbforblog.com/archives/340/ see here]] for a pretty complete list (with a nifty parody at the end). Some of them aren't ''that'' bad, are they?
** In a subversion, a number of Legion rejects form the Legion of Substitute Heroes, who do good work as a sort of reserve team putting their unconventional powers to work in the field when the main team can't handle all aspects of a crisis.
** In one issue, the villainous Dynamo Boy, having tricked the rest of the Legion into quitting, held his own auditions -- and while he was largely met with the same type of also-rans who show up to other Legion try-outs, he turned down a couple of decent candidates for petty reasons. His reasons being that, using some future technology to get a scan of their personalities, judged they were too decent and wouldn't be converted to evil so easily.
** Creator/GeoffJohns later retconned the reason as to why some applicants were rejected, citing that Saturn Girl had done psychic profiles on them during their try-outs. While some were rejected because their power was lame or they lacked suitable control, others were rejected because they had a variety of psychotic tendencies and deeply disturbed psyches.
* The Image series ''Wildguard: Casting Call'' revolved around a Reality TV show where superheroes competed for a spot on an auspicious team. The first rounds were... bad, as is typical of a ''real'' reality talent show. Notable flips included Adhesor, who was ''very'' nervous and [[PowerIncontinence couldn't even really control]] his [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway unimpressive ability]] to stick to things; Road Rash, a chubby biker whose action figure doesn't match his actual powers; and "Popstar", a singer who thought she was auditioning for ''Series/AmericanIdol''. The next round was only slightly better. [[JerkAss Toughlon and Wannabe]] made a lot of the others wish they didn't try out in the first place.
* A seventies ''ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'' comic showed Matt Murdock interviewing possible replacements for [[SexySecretary Karen Page]]. Up until Becky Blake, all applicants were pretty hopeless. "No I can't exactly type. But I make a great cup of coffee. If you like instant."

* Creator/BrianMichaelBendis often uses this trope:
** In ''ComicBook/NewAvengers'', Luke Cage and Jessica Jones interview a number of their super-hero peers to find a decent baby-sitter for their young daughter. [[http://sketchcardsaloon.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/squirrel-girl-new-avengers-7.jpg The prospects aren't too great until the end]]. One of the more notable failed attempts is ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}, whose line is VisibleSilence, presumably because even ''he'' doesn't know why Cage and Jones thought he'd do.
** In ''ComicBook/{{Powers}}'', suspects and witnesses are often interviewed in this fashion.
* ''ComicBook/BeforeWatchmen'': A bunch of people try out for the Minutemen. Most are rejected for being... less than effective, like a guy in a sweatshirt and a bucket named hank, and Liberty Lass, an over weight woman who can sing, dance and cook. One of them, The Iron Lid, is a guy in full body armor and a blow-torch, and can be seen as a bad guy later on. Nite-Owl is the only accepted one. It's interesting to note that Mothman was rejected at the interview, but was added to the team later.
* The [[ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse Disney comic story]] "Amelia e la grande svolta" has Magica de Spell interview potential candidates to work as her monster servants. All the monsters turn out to either be frightfully incompetent, or have absurd demands (such as a paid six-month leave every year.)
* ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} has an inversion where he's looking for work and calling several contacts -- both hero and villain -- asking if they need a mercenary. They range from people like Kingpin politely declining because they're happy with their current service provider to Tony Stark reminding Deadpool that he's a ''good guy'', to...
--> '''Mephisto''': How did you get this number?
* ''ComicBook/WolverineAndTheXMenMarvelComics'' #19 has one of these, as Kitty Pryde looks for a new member of staff for the Jean Grey School. After going through many unusual and unsavoury applicants (including Deadpool, [[RunningGag who keeps coming back]]), she settles for ComicBook/{{Storm}}.
* A series of ''ComicBook/{{WITCH}}'' short stories in which the Guardians had been roped in helping with a musical based on the first arc of the series (Will had been roped with the script) has one for the casting. One was good but got rejected by Cornelia for being a brunette trying for ''her'' role, but the others were: a superpunk emoboy (rejected as "Too much"); a cheerleader (rejected as "Too much cheerleader"); a guy who forgot his lines; someone who managed to get rejected as "TOO MUCH TOO MUCH!"; a ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}''; a girl who cried after reading the script (it was too moving); ''[[Franchise/PiratesoftheCaribbean Jack Sparrow]] in person'' ("Too much pirate"); and the professional actress Madison Johnson, who had been part of the jury with Will and Cornelia until that moment and was really good but got rejected by Will for being an InsufferableGenius ''and'' scaring away applicants with her very presence. Will & co. later found the actresses for the main roles (theirs) going around and meeting girls with similar characteristics and personalities to themselves, including [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute one so similar to Will in personality, interests and background that Taranee and Will got spooked out]].
* ComicBook/New52 ''ComicBook/HarleyQuinn'' #16: Harley's auditions for a gang to help her fight crime and organize her life pretty much go like this; about half of the interviewees end up being recruited, half don't. Later played with, as the craziest of the rejected interviewees ends up appearing as a major character, as "Harley Sinn", the villain of the ''Gang of Harleys'' mini-series.

* ''ComicBook/ImmortalXMen:'' Issue 1 has the Quiet Council trying to find someone to replace Magneto. Most of the applicants are smug or evil, or in the case of far too many, smug ''and'' evil. Beast adds to this by also including an excruciatingly overdetailed [=PowerPoint=] presentation.

* ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/672457 Of Life and Flames]]'' focuses on [[Film/SkyHigh2005 Warren's]] attempts to find a post-graduation sidekick that he's actually compatible with. The first two candidates end up in the hospital due to accidents with Warren's [[PlayingWithFire powers]], the third one hands in his resignation immediately, the fourth one is an egotistical asshole who flat-out tells Warren that he's the real star of the team because he doesn't have a supervillain dad (Warren sends him to the hospital on purpose that time), and the last one is a wannabe villainess who gives him a WeCanRuleTogether offer and wants to free his aforementioned supervillain dad. After that, Warren just decides to wait until his friends graduate so one of them can serve as his sidekick.

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* In one of the ''Literature/StephaniePlum'' books, Stephanie, Connie, and Lula get stuck trying to find a new staff member (Vinnie's out of town). Turns out the only hirable candidate isn't what she claims to be....

* On the ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' episode "Bushwhacked", the crew is placed under arrest and subjected to interrogation. The resulting montage alternates between the serious (Mal, Shep, Zoe, Inara) and the hilarious (Jayne, Kaylee, Wash).
* Inverted when George is interviewing students for a scholarship in ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}''; he picks a bad student after several -- as he puts it -- "annoying little overachievers".
* ''Series/JessicaJones2015'' does interviews with alleged victims of Kilgrave's mind control. Some of them are legit, but mostly they're just obvious bullshitters wasting her time. This leads to some MoodWhiplash between comically obvious frauds, and the genuine cases which are treated with the appropriate amount of seriousness.
* Inverted in the ''WesternAnimation/FetchWithRuffRuffman'' Season 3 episode "When Home is a House of Cards". In response to Blossom's promotion, Ruff put out an ad for someone to be his new assistant. A bunch of wild animals are lined up outside his dog house to be interviewed. A mouse named Chet was the first interviewee, but he abruptly moves into the Fetch 3000 before Ruff can interview him. He later becomes Ruff's new assistant.
* ''Film/TheFortyYearOldVirgin'' includes a speed dating sequence that fits this trope completely, with the added humor of his individual friends' reactions to the same girls. The main character, failing to find a match at speed dating, even meets his ''real'' love interest in the following scene.

%%* ''Series/TheVicarOfDibley'', when the vicar is recruiting for the choir.

* ''Series/StargateSG1'', in the first episode of the Season 9 ReTool. Due to the old members of SG-1 moving on to other duties and unwilling to come back, Mitchell has to recruit an entirely new replacement team. His options are an overly-enthusiastic language specialist who translates everything Mitchell says into Ancient, an overly-formal officer who can only give his first name when Mitchell asks for personal information, and even two random scientists that only came to him in order to get an endorsement for some kind of android they are planning. One of the interviewees didn't even speak to him, instead only performing pushups.

* ''Series/NewTricks'':
** The first episode has one of these, when Sandra and Jack are interviewing for UCOS candidates. As well as Brian and Gerry (who appear towards the end), who are hired, some of the candidates include an overly-aggressive ex-police woman, a drunk, a police brutality enthusiast, a very elderly ex-cop who suffers a heart attack as soon as he's offered the job, and a guy who walks in, sees Jack, mutters "Ah, ''shit''..." to himself and walks right back out again. When the first thing the very first candidate to walk in does is cheerfully ask "This new unit -- no blacks, obviously?", it's clear from Sandra and Jack's faces that they're expecting one of these.
** Sandra also suffers through one of these while speed-dating.
* ''Series/DeadLikeMe'' features one in the second season. George drags her heels in hiring someone, allowing the featured interviewees to make further appeals.
* In the ''Series/{{Wishbone}}'' rendition of a couple of bits of the story of [[Literature/TheBible David]], after King Saul takes the suggestion to have a musician around to soothe his soul, the king and audience are "treated" to three musicians, one of whom plays two pipes at once; it actually sounds good for about one second before you and Saul realize that it's going to get incredibly, annoyingly repetitive extremely quickly. The last one delivers a ''blatt'', almost prompting the king to give up... before a servant comes up and lets on that he knows of a shepherd boy who's good with a harp...
* In the first episode of ''Series/PieInTheSky'', detective-turned-restaurateur Henry Crabbe asks potential chefs how they would prepare a steak and kidney pie. Typically interviewees are shown to view something that simple as a task to produce it as quickly and cheaply as possible, while Henry wants quality, or claim that it's beneath the dignity of a chef to make such a common dish at all. The last interviewee impresses Henry with a technique which will take a day to produce, answers his questions quickly and decisively, then Henry sits back and says "I know you don't I? Breaking and entering..." -- it turns out the boy learnt to cook in prison. [[spoiler:He got the job.]]

* Happens in the first episode of the second series of ''Series/MenBehavingBadly'' when Gary is trying to find a new flatmate: the initial candidates interviewed consist of a layabout, an incomprehensible Geordie, a catatonic man, a seemingly normal man who turns out to have a disturbing fetish, three social inadequates, three psychopaths, a man with a big dog, and Gary's mother.
* Happens in ''Series/TheLWord'', when, in a flashback, Alice's college band is looking for a new bassist. A few hilariously bad players later, and a hot girl with bass skills gets the job, and subsequently helps Alice [[ClosetKey realize her attraction to girls.]]
* In ''Series/GreenWing'', Caroline doesn't want to take TheAce, Angela, as a flatmate, but is eventually forced to do so when the other applicants include an unashamed web cam obsessed CasanovaWannabe and a CloudCuckooLander who didn't seem to quite get over the trauma of being an only child.
* ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' has a montage of bad witnesses after a bank robbery.
* In ''Series/ThirtyRock'', they hold open auditions for a new cast member of TGS, with horrible acts including several of the show's writers, a street performer dressed as a robot, and NBC anchor Brian Williams doing stand up comedy. In a twist, Jack doesn't choose the perfect candidate Liz wants, and instead picks the random guy dressed as a robot. Who actually becomes the new cast member, despite having no acting experience whatsoever and not even knowing what he was auditioning for.
* In the episode "Honey Trap" of the British sitcom ''Series/TheThinBlueLine'', Inspector Fowler attempts to find someone who can replace Constable Habib in the upcoming trivia contest. He resorts to the perps in the detention room. Fat chance.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcngcqA6zHw One scene]] from ''Series/{{Misfits}}'', where Sally the probation worker is given the task of interviewing the young offenders, all of whom take it upon themselves to be as rude, annoying, sarcastic and/or angry as possible -- apart from Simon, who despite being a deeply troubled and socially inept young man with a conviction for arson, is by far the most polite.
* There was an unusual variant in one ''Series/{{CSI}}'' episode where the protagonists were investigating the murder of a patient in a high-security mental hospital. The terrible interviewees in that case were the victim's AxCrazy fellow patients, and needless to say little information of value was forthcoming. The programme thoughtfully flashed up extracts from the patients' medical records between each clip just so the viewers would know what symptoms to expect.
* The seventh season finale of ''Series/{{The Office|US}}'', "Search Committee", has the titular committee interview people for the position of regional manager. Notably, one of the interviewees was [[spoiler:none other than David Brent, from the original British version of the show]].
** In another episode Dwight tries to find a new junior salesman and only invites his friends and family to interview. They are all as weird as him but lack his [[BunnyEarsLawyer savant-like]] salesmanship, and even Dwight has to admit they would be disasters.
* In the ''Series/SexAndTheCity'' episode "Three's a Crowd", a montage of bad potential candidates for ThreeWaySex is shown, including a geek couple seeking a woman who can impersonate [[Series/TheXFiles Agent Scully]].

* Played with in ''Literature/AmagiBrilliantPark'' episode 6. When interviewing candidates for new park employees, many of them gave poor interviews (such as a failed baseball player who spent the whole interview ''sobbing uncontrollably''), but Kanie hires them all anyway.
-->'''Moffle:''' [[LampshadeHanging I didn't realize we were]] ''[[LampshadeHanging this]]'' [[LampshadeHanging understaffed]].
* This happens in Episode 2 of ''Anime/OsomatsuSan'' when the Sextuplets attempt(?) to apply for jobs.
* In ''Anime/{{Shirobako}}'', near the end of the ''Exodus'', arc, [=MusAni=], the anime studio that employs the protagonists, conducts job interviews. Some of the interviewees are rather ill-prepared, such as one employee who misidentifies an anime as a [=MusAni=] production. Surprisingly, not one but ''two'' of theinterviewees- Tsubaki Andou and Sara Satou- actually get hired despite admitting that they want more money to fund their hobbies and a shorter commute, respectively.

** In the episode "Love Spanked," Rocko goes on dates with a rabbit that has an OverprotectiveDad, a giraffe he couldn't keep up with, an ''actual'' sheep in a universe otherwise comprised of {{Funny Animal}}s, an elephant who was too heavy for an OldFashionedRowboatDate, a hippo(?) he couldn't keep up with at the gym, a poodle(?) he accidentally injured during dinner, and a bagpipist, before attempting to swear off dating and wait for [[GirlNextDoor Melba]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheGhostAndMollyMcgee'': After rebuilding the Brighton Bandshell in "Putting the Band(shell) Back Together", the next episode "The Greatest Concert Ever" opens with Molly and her CoolOldLady friend Patty holding auditions for the inaugural act at the Bandshell. None of the acts (which include a barbershop quartet, old ladies on triangles, and a random kid playing bassoon) are very good, and all get shot down by Patty.

* One ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' cartoon, which has Porky Pig handling a talent agency, revolves around this.

* WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes: In the 1944 short "WesternAnimation/SwoonerCrooner", egg production on Porky's farm comes to a halt when his hens become enamored with a Music/FrankSinatra-esque rooster, so he holds auditions for another crooning rooster to put them back to work. Among his potentials are [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed fowl versions]] of Nelson Eddy, Al Jolson, Jimmy Durante and Music/CabCalloway, before Porky settles for a Music/BingCrosby rooster.

* In ''Webcomic/KeychainOfCreation'', they almost start with one of these, where Misho and Marena are looking to round out their posse.

* ''Webcomic/TheGaMERCaT'' has one of these when the characters [[https://thegamercat.com/comic/cats/ go looking for a fourth player]].

* Webcomic/DaughterOfTheLilies: Despite big promises, [[https://www.daughterofthelilies.com/dotl/25 all fail to prove themselves]]

* WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes: In the 1944 short "WesternAnimation/SwoonerCrooner", egg production on Porky's farm comes to a halt when his hens become enamored with Music/FrankSinatra-esque rooster, so he holds auditions for another crooning rooster to put them back to work. Among his potentials are fowl [[{{expy}} expies]] of Nelson Eddy, Al Jolson, Jimmy Durante and Music/CabCalloway, before Porky settles for a Music/BingCrosby rooster.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': In "Cooked", when Mr. Loud tries to find employees for his new restaurant, the first three candidates are: a musical actress who wants the job to prepare for a role she just got, a teen whose parents forced him to get a job to pay for the damages he did to their car, and Mr. Grouse (who didn’t even come for a job, but only to complain the Louds’ dog wet on his lawn).

* There was one in ''ComicBook/SergioAragonesDestroysDC'', where the ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' tryouts are parodied with a bunch of lame screwball heroes, including Nixon Boy (who can [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway polarize people and to make a 18 minute gap appear anywhere]]), Deja-Vu Kid (who can make events repeat themselves), Cotton-Swab Boy (who can remove earwax anywhere in the universe), Deja-Vu Kid [[RunningGag (who can make events repeat themselves)]], Windows Lass [[TakeThat (who can actually understand Windows 95)]], and Deja-Vu Kid [[OverlyLongGag (who can make events repeat themselves)]].

* ''Webcomic/DominicDeegan: Oracle for Hire'': Dominic performs a [[http://www.dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2007-02-07 Second Sight-assisted]] Terrible Interviewees Montage to help his mother Miranda choose a new Headmaster for her school, leading to several funny NoodleIncidents. Miranda herself follows up a bit later with [[http://www.dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2007-02-28 a traditional one]] -- even though Dominic warned her that every applicant, except for two, would add up to this.