History Main / TheTelevisionTalksBack

* ''Film/TheSignal'' had a version of this that's different enough that it might not be the same trope: a mind-control signal broadcast over television causes viewers to go AxCrazy. Although viewers don't report receiving actual messages from the television, they stare at its static for hours at a time, as though hypnotized.

* In ''Series/{{Oz}}'' Augustus Hill never interacts with the other characters while speaking as TheNarrator, except for one occasion when Simon Adebisi is in the computer room high on drugs, and is dumbfounded to see Augustus on his monitor discussing the events of the episode.

[[caption-width-right:350:Marvin fires back.]]

* Done in ''Film/{{Xanadu}}'', when [[spoiler:Kira tries to prove she really is a Muse and uses her power to make a gangster on a tv show ask Sonny if he should off his captive or not.]]

* In the TV miniseries of ''Literature/TheTommyknockers'', the host and contestants of a game show Becka is watching on TV start directly talking to her, correctly informing her that her husband is cheating on her. Becka, [[SanitySlippage already very emotionally distraught]] and long-suspecting of such an infidelity, [[UnusuallyUninterestingSight sees absolutely nothing weird about this]] and casually discusses with them what she can do. The framing of this [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane makes it vague as to whether it is literally something supernatural causing the projection]] or if it's [[ThroughTheEyesOfMadness just her own delusion]], but once she ends up taking on the offer [[KickTheSonOfABitch to murder him]], the same program makes suspiciously apropos commentary.

* In the TV miniseries of ''Literature/TheTommyknockers'', the host and contestants of a game show Becka is watching on TV start directly talking to her, informing her that her husband is cheating on her. Becka, [[SanitySlippage already very emotionally distraught]] and long-suspecting of such an infidelity, [[UnusuallyUninterestingSight sees absolutely nothing weird about this]] and casually discusses with them what she can do. The framing of this [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane makes it vague as to whether it is literally something supernatural causing the projection]] or if it's [[ThroughTheEyesOfMadness just her own delusion]], but once she ends up taking on the offer [[KickTheSonOfABitch to murder him]], the same program makes suspiciously apropos commentary.

* In the TV miniseries of ''Literature/TheTommyknockers'', the host and contestants of a game show Becka is watching on TV start directly talking to her, informing her that her husband is cheating on her. Becka, [[SanitySlippage already very emotionally distraught]] and long-suspecting of such an infidelity, [[UnusuallyUninterestingSight sees absolutely nothing weird about this]] and casually discuss what she can do. The framing of this [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane makes it vague as to whether it is literally something supernatural causing the projection]] or if it's [[ThroughTheEyesOfMadness just her own delusion]], but once she ends up taking on the offer [[KickTheSonOfABitch to murder him]], the same program makes suspiciously apropos commentary.

** In an early episode, the Griffins are watching the evening news and hear that the head of Quahog's theater troupe has died. Lois gets a phone call, asking if she'd be willing to take over his job. Everyone looks at her expectantly, even the news anchors. As soon as she says yes, they announce that Lois has taken the job -- complete with an inset of her talking on the phone ''that very minute''.

* ''Film/Demoni2'' follows the same concept as ''The Video Dead'': whereas ''Film/{{Demons}}'' had characters in an inescapable movie theater where the onscreen events came to life, its sequel was set in an inescapable high-rise apartment building, with demons crawling out of the televisions. The two films are similar in nature to zombie movies, as any character who is scratched, bitten, or killed by the demons will transform into one, and {{Gorn}} is emphasized.

* ''Film/Demoni2'' follows the same concept as ''The Video Dead'': whereas ''Film/{{Demoni}}'' had characters in an inescapable movie theater where the onscreen events came to life, its sequel was set in an inescapable high-rise apartment building, with demons crawling out of the televisions. The two films are similar in nature to zombie movies, as any character who is scratched, bitten, or killed by the demons will transform into one, and {{Gorn}} is emphasized.

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'' uses this frequently. Such as [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2004-07-16 here]].
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A variant is when somebody just pretends to be this, or the television turns out to be fake and the other person is in the same room. The prerecorded form of this is TheTapeKnewYouWouldSayThat. When children's television tries to do this, it's FakeInteractivity. This trope can sometimes coincide with KentBrockmanNews if it occurs during a news broadcast. There may be some overlap with TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou.

* Wiki/SCPFoundation:

* [[Wiki/SCPFoundation SCP-263]] is a TV that plays a DeadlyGame game show with whoever turns it on.

* Pretty much the basis of the low-budget horror film ''The Video Dead'', as it involves a cursed television set that unleashes zombies into the real world. One of the heroes also encounters a [[HornyDevils succubus]]-like enemy who tries to tempt him into the television set, followed by a monster hunter who defeats her and then warns the boy through the screen about the zombies who've already escaped from it.

* ''The Signal'' had a version of this that's different enough that it might not be the same trope: a mind-control signal broadcast over television causes viewers to go AxCrazy. Although viewers don't report receiving actual messages from the television, they stare at its static for hours at a time, as though hypnotized.

* ''The Osterman Weekend''. A CoincidentalBroadcast (actually a video feed) on the illicit use of Swiss bank accounts appears on television as part of the MindScrew tactics being used against an alleged ring of traitors. At one point the CIA agent in charge uses the video feed to speak directly to the protagonist (who is working for him), only to have an OhCrap moment when the link won't turn off when someone else enters the room. The CIA then pretends he's reading a boring news report. [[spoiler:Later on when the CIA man turns out to be the villain of the piece, he uses the television to taunt the protagonist, speaking to him and broadcasting live video of his friends deaths.]]

* In one episode of ''Series/{{Angel}}'' there were demonic puppets sucking the life force out of children. They'd talk to children through a TV show and tell them to put their hands on the TV, and then the children would fall into comas.

** In "Monty Can't Buy Me Love", Lisa watches ''Film/ThePostman'' with Creator/KevinCostner's director's commentary on, she "Poor Kevin Costner, he tries so hard...", which prompts the response of "Aw, thanks, you're sweet to say that.", revealing that he was standing in the TV the whole time, also asking if she can get him a sandwich (no crust).

A variant is when somebody just pretends to be this, or the television turns out to be fake and the other person is in the same room. The prerecorded form of this is TheTapeKnewYouWouldSayThat. When children's television tries to do this, it's FakeInteractivity. There may be some overlap with TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou.

* In "Tunnel of Glove" of ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'', Patrick repeatedly says stuff is bad...only to say something that's food-related. The news reporter yells at Patrick after this happens twice.

-->'''Announcer:''' Ladies and gentlemen, this is a picture of a missing dog. Anyone returning him to 980 Chestnut Street will collect a reward of $5,000.
-->'''Porky:''' A thousand b-b-b-b-bucks?!
-->'''Announcer:''' No, ''five''-thousand b-b-b-b-bucks!

** It's used with a Police Radio in the 1936 short, "WesternAnimation/ILoveToSinga."

** In the short "Cinderella Meets Fella," Cinderella's fairy godmother is late, so she calls the police. An APB is broadcast for the fairy godmother on the radio:

* In the ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' episode "The Hand that Rocks the Mabel", Mabel is appropriately puzzled when a TV ad for "Gideon" apparently answers her question.

* In ''Film/BetterOffDead'', after Lane comes home from a rather horrible day at school, during which his math teacher asked for his permission to date his ex-girlfriend Beth, he walks past the TV, which is showing an episode of ''The Flintstones''. Cue the camera focusing on the TV and Barney Rubble asking, "Hey, Lane, I was wondering whether you'd mind if ''I'' took out Beth."

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'' had Opus watching a TV ad, and firmly determined to resist its irresistible offer. The ad talks back to him as he vocally refuses. He gives in when the ad adds a discount, and orders a huge number.
** Another strip had him napping in front of the TV, and waking up just in time to hear the newscaster announce, "...are the three things which have been [[NoodleIncident found to cause massive, fatal nose warts in penguins]]." When he panics and tries to find out what they were, the newscaster chides him for not paying attention.
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