158 Fun Facts About TV Shows

Which sitcom's six Manhattan twenty-somethings spend their days on an orange couch at the Central Perk coffee shop?

Friends ran ten seasons from 1994 to 2004, with Rachel, Monica, Ross, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe gathered at Central Perk, where Phoebe performed 'Smelly Cat'.

In Breaking Bad, what alias does the show's protagonist adopt as his drug-lord persona?

The alias borrows the name of German physicist Werner Heisenberg, of uncertainty-principle fame, and comes with a shaved head and a black pork-pie hat.

In the US version of The Office, Michael Scott manages the Scranton branch of which fictional paper company?

Dunder Mifflin's Scranton, Pennsylvania branch is the setting; the British original put David Brent at Wernham Hogg in Slough.

Which animated series features the town of Springfield?

The Simpsons keeps Springfield's state a running joke; the name was picked because so many US states have a Springfield of their own.

What HBO series follows the Roy family and their media conglomerate Waystar Royco?

Succession (2018-2023) chronicles the Roy family's battle for control of Waystar Royco, their global media and entertainment conglomerate. The show won numerous Emmy Awards during its four-season run.

In Stranger Things, what is the name of the alternate dimension that threatens Hawkins, Indiana?

The Upside Down mirrors the real world in rot and darkness, home to the Demogorgon and the Mind Flayer; the kids' Dungeons & Dragons games gave the monsters their names.

Teams of two have raced around the globe for US$1 million on which CBS show, hosted by Phil Keoghan since 2001?

The Amazing Race once saw Keoghan detained by officials on a leg in Ukraine; he was freed with help from the American ambassador, who happened to be a fan.

What is the fictional motorcycle club at the center of Sons of Anarchy?

SAMCRO stands for Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original. The show follows the club in the fictional town of Charming, California, led by Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam).

Which character says "I am the one who knocks" in Breaking Bad?

Walter White's line, from Season 4's 'Cornered', was listed by Time as one of the best television lines of 2011.

In Game of Thrones, what is the 700-foot ice barrier guarded by the Night's Watch called?

The Wall runs 300 miles coast to coast along the Seven Kingdoms' northern edge and was raised, in legend, by the Children of the Forest and the First Men to keep out the Others.

Which TV show coined the phrase No soup for you?

Seinfeld's 'The Soup Nazi' (Season 7, 1995) made the line one of the show's many elements that lived on; the character was based on a real Manhattan soup vendor.

What is the name of the dragon ridden by Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones?

Drogon, named after Daenerys's late husband Khal Drogo, is the largest and most aggressive of her three dragons, identified by his black and red coloring.

In which decade did I Love Lucy first air?

It premiered on CBS on October 15, 1951 and ran until 1957, 180 episodes in six seasons, among the first sitcoms shot before a live audience with multiple cameras.

What is the name of the high school in Saved by the Bell?

Bayside High School is the fictional school in Saved by the Bell, located in the Palisades area of Los Angeles. The show aired from 1989 to 1993.

Which actress plays Eleven in Stranger Things?

Millie Bobby Brown earned two Primetime Emmy nominations for Eleven, and the role launched her into international stardom.

In The Bear, what is the name of the restaurant that Carmy inherits from his brother?

The Original Beef of Chicagoland, which regulars call The Beef, is the sandwich shop Carmy takes over after his brother Mikey's death; he later reopens it as the fine-dining restaurant The Bear.

Which NBC comedy is set in the parks department of Pawnee, Indiana?

Parks and Recreation follows Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and the Parks Department of the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. The show ran for seven seasons from 2009 to 2015.

Which TV character's catchphrase is "How you doin'?"

Matt LeBlanc's struggling actor made the line his signature pickup; it became one of the most recognisable catchphrases in sitcom history.

Which medical drama, created by Shonda Rhimes and premiering in 2005, is set at Seattle Grace Hospital?

Grey's Anatomy renamed its hospital twice, to Seattle Grace Mercy West and then Grey Sloan Memorial after a plane crash killed several characters at the end of Season 8.

In The Sopranos, what type of business does Tony Soprano use as his legitimate front?

Tony Soprano uses Barone Sanitation, a waste management company, as his primary legitimate business front to launder money and conceal his mob activities throughout the series.

How did the final shot of The Sopranos' 2007 series finale 'Made in America' end?

Many viewers thought their cable had cut out. David Chase wanted the black screen to run silently all the way to the HBO logo with no credits, but the Directors Guild would not grant a waiver.

How did the Rose family come to own the town of Schitt's Creek before they lost their fortune?

After their business manager embezzled the Rose Video fortune, the deed Johnny bought for David's birthday in 1991 was the only asset the government left them.

Jack, Kate and Sawyer were stranded on the island after the crash of which numbered Oceanic Airlines flight?

The flight was travelling from Sydney to Los Angeles when it came down in the South Pacific in September 2004; the number turns up hidden in the show's recurring sequence 4 8 15 16 23 42.

Which animated show features characters named Bender, Leela, and Fry?

Pizza delivery boy Philip J. Fry is frozen on New Year's Eve 1999 and thawed a thousand years later, finding work at Planet Express alongside one-eyed Leela and the robot Bender.

What is the name of Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer's regular coffee-shop hangout?

Monk's Cafe is the gang's hangout; its exterior is the real Tom's Restaurant at Broadway and 112th Street in Manhattan, while the interiors were shot on a Los Angeles set.

In Downton Abbey, what is the title held by Robert Crawley?

Robert Crawley holds the title Earl of Grantham. Downton Abbey is the family's estate in Yorkshire, England. The show follows the Crawley family and their servants from 1912 onward.

How many players are recruited into Squid Game's deadly contest?

456 players, all drowning in debt, compete for a pot of 45.6 billion won, 100 million per eliminated player; creator Hwang Dong-hyuk wrote the script in 2009 and could not get it funded for a decade.

What is the name of the fictional law firm in Suits?

Pearson Hardman (which undergoes several name changes throughout the series, including Pearson Specter and Pearson Specter Litt) is the prestigious New York law firm at the center of Suits.

Which TV show is set in the fictional Dillon, Texas and follows a high school football team?

Friday Night Lights follows the Dillon Panthers high school football team and their coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler). The show ran from 2006 to 2011 and is based on the book and film of the same name.

In The Wire, which Baltimore institution is the primary focus of Season 4?

Season 4 of The Wire focuses on the Baltimore public school system, following four middle school boys and examining how the drug trade, poverty, and institutional failure affect youth in the city.

Which actor played the lead role of Don Draper in Mad Men?

Jon Hamm portrayed Don Draper, the enigmatic creative director at Sterling Cooper advertising agency in 1960s New York. The role earned him a Primetime Emmy Award in the show's final season.

What NBC show featured the Huxtable family?

The Cosby Show (1984-1992) followed the Huxtable family, an upper-middle-class African American family in Brooklyn, New York. It was the number one rated show on television for five consecutive seasons.

What affectionate nickname does Logan Roy use for his daughter Shiv?

Logan calls Shiv 'Pinky', a childhood pet name he keeps using even as he dangles and then withdraws the promise to make her his successor in Season 2.

Which TV show takes place aboard a spaceship called Serenity?

Firefly (2002) created by Joss Whedon follows Captain Malcolm Reynolds and his crew aboard the Firefly-class spaceship Serenity. Despite being cancelled after one season, it became a massive cult classic.

Which Breaking Bad episode won Moira Walley-Beckett the 2014 Emmy for drama writing?

"Ozymandias" (Season 5, Episode 14) was directed by Rian Johnson and written by Moira Walley-Beckett, who won the writing Emmy for it; Rolling Stone later ranked it the best TV episode of all time.

Which reality competition show did Jeff Probst begin hosting at its premiere in 2000?

Survivor premiered on May 31, 2000, and Probst has gone on to win four Primetime Emmys for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program.

In the Season 1 finale of Schur's afterlife comedy, what does Eleanor Shellstrop work out about her neighborhood?

Eleanor realizes the neighborhood is the Bad Place, a torture experiment run by Michael; Schur built the twist in from the start and told only Kristen Bell and Ted Danson when they signed on.

What is the name of the struggling Irish dive bar run by the Gang in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia?

Paddy's Pub is the Gang's South Philadelphia dive; the show became the longest-running American live-action sitcom by seasons when its 15th season arrived in December 2021, passing The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.

'Where Everybody Knows Your Name' is the theme song of which sitcom?

Cheers got its theme from Gary Portnoy, who co-wrote and sang it in 1982; the longer version he recorded after the premiere reached the US and British pop charts.

In Arrested Development, roughly how much cash lined the walls of the banana stand George Michael burned down?

$250,000 in cash was hidden in the stand's walls, which is why 'there's always money in the banana stand'; George Michael burned it down in Season 1's 'Top Banana' to cover cash Maeby had taken from the till.

Rebecca Welton hires Ted Lasso to run A.F.C. Richmond secretly hoping he will do what?

Rebecca got the club in her divorce from her unfaithful ex-husband Rupert and wants to wreck the thing he loved most; Ted's relentless optimism ruins the plan.

In season 6 of The Office (US), what is Jo Bennett's Florida printer company called?

Sabre is pronounced 'Say-bur', as Kathy Bates's Jo Bennett insists, and the takeover saddles the Scranton branch with a new corporate hierarchy and a printer that catches fire.

Which AMC series follows a group of survivors in a zombie apocalypse?

The Walking Dead ran 11 seasons and 177 episodes until November 2022 and became one of the highest-rated cable series in history; its spin-off Fear the Walking Dead arrived in 2015.

In Twin Peaks, who is revealed as Laura's murderer, possessed by the entity BOB?

Leland Palmer, Laura's own father, did it while possessed by BOB; David Lynch never wanted the killer revealed, but ABC pressured the show into resolving the mystery midway through Season 2.

In The Americans, spy couple Philip and Elizabeth Jennings are secretly working for which country?

Philip and Elizabeth are Soviet Union KGB officers posing as a married travel-agent couple in Falls Church, Virginia; the series runs from Reagan's 1981 inauguration to just before the INF Treaty in December 1987.

Which show's two-part 2004 pilot, filmed on Oahu, was then the most expensive ever made at $10-14 million?

Lost's pilot cost $10-14 million; much of it went on buying a retired Lockheed L-1011, breaking it up and shipping it to Hawaii to play the Oceanic 815 wreckage, with J.J. Abrams directing both parts.

In Fleabag, who does Phoebe Waller-Bridge's character fall in love with in Season 2?

In Season 2, Fleabag falls for the Hot Priest (Andrew Scott), a charming Catholic priest she meets at her father's engagement dinner. Their doomed romance became the emotional center of the acclaimed second season.

Which sitcom won Outstanding Comedy Series five years running from 1994 to 1998?

Frasier took the comedy-series Emmy every year from 1994 to 1998; its 37 total wins stood as the record for any scripted series until Game of Thrones reached 38 in 2016, and Modern Family later matched the five-year streak.

How does the final scene of Six Feet Under's 2005 series finale play out?

Set to Sia's 'Breathe Me' and intercut with Claire driving out of Los Angeles, the montage jumps decades ahead; TV Guide ranked it among the top 25 episodes of all time.

Cheers bar owner Sam Malone was a former relief pitcher for which baseball team?

Sam Malone, played by Ted Danson, was a former Boston Red Sox relief pitcher nicknamed 'Mayday' whose drinking ended his career; he bought the Boston bar after leaving baseball.

"Goodbye, Farewell and Amen", the 1983 series finale of M*A*S*H, drew roughly how many total US viewers?

About 106 million Americans watched the two-and-a-half-hour episode on February 28, 1983, a record for any US broadcast of any kind that stood until Super Bowl XLIV in 2010.

Which city do Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia share a house in on The Golden Girls?

The four women share a house in Miami, Florida; the show ran on NBC from 1985 to 1992, and all four leads, Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, won a Primetime Emmy.

Gunsmoke, which ran 20 seasons on CBS, is set in which frontier town?

Gunsmoke is set in Dodge City, Kansas, where James Arness played Marshal Matt Dillon for 20 seasons from 1955 to 1975; on the earlier radio version the role belonged to William Conrad.

Who created and hosted the original 1959 anthology series The Twilight Zone?

Rod Serling created the series and delivered its clipped on-camera introductions; it ran five seasons and 156 episodes on CBS from 1959 to 1964.

Who was revealed as J.R. Ewing's shooter in Dallas's 1980 episode 'Who Done It'?

Kristin Shepard, Sue Ellen's sister played by Mary Crosby, was revealed as the shooter on November 21, 1980, eight months after the March cliffhanger 'A House Divided' left J.R. bleeding on his office floor.

On Miami Vice, what kind of animal is Sonny Crockett's pet, Elvis?

Elvis is an alligator that lives on Sonny Crockett's sailboat, the St. Vitus Dance; Jan Hammer's instrumental theme for the show climbed to number one on the Billboard chart in November 1985.

Will Smith's Fresh Prince of Bel-Air character was 'born and raised' in which city, as its theme song tells us?

'In West Philadelphia born and raised' opens the theme, performed by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince with music by Quincy Jones III, son of the show's producer.

In which city is WJM, where Mary Richards works on The Mary Tyler Moore Show?

The show earned 29 Primetime Emmys during its CBS run from 1970 to 1977, a record for a scripted series that stood for years.

What was the name of the boys' dog in the early episodes of The Brady Bunch?

Tiger, the boys' shaggy dog, vanished early in the run after the dog playing him was killed by a truck; Sherwood Schwartz's blended family ran five seasons on ABC from 1969 to 1974.

"Jumping the shark" comes from a 1977 episode of which sitcom, in which Fonzie literally does so?

Happy Days' three-part 'Hollywood' opener in September 1977 had Fonzie water-ski over a shark; Jon Hein coined 'jumping the shark' in 1985 for the moment a show runs out of ideas.

George Jefferson of The Jeffersons made his money in what kind of business?

George Jefferson built a chain of dry-cleaning stores, the money that moved the family to a Manhattan high-rise; the Bunkers' former neighbors ran eleven seasons and 253 episodes of their own.

The 1977 miniseries Roots aired over eight consecutive nights on which network?

ABC ran Roots from January 23 to 30, 1977; the finale drew about 100 million viewers, and LeVar Burton made his screen debut as the young Kunta Kinte.

Before NBC bought the 1966 series, the original Star Trek pilot rejected by the network was titled what?

'The Cage', starring Jeffrey Hunter as Captain Pike, was rejected; Roddenberry got a rare second pilot, and the first's footage was later recycled into the two-part episode 'The Menagerie'.

Which three actresses played Queen Elizabeth II across the six seasons of The Crown?

Claire Foy, Olivia Colman and Imelda Staunton each played the Queen for two seasons as the cast was recast to age with her: Foy in 2016-17, Colman in 2019-20, Staunton in 2022-23.

Which actress narrates Bridgerton as the voice of Lady Whistledown?

Julie Andrews voices the anonymous gossip writer Lady Whistledown; the Netflix series, adapted from Julia Quinn's Regency romance novels, premiered on Christmas Day 2020.

The Mandalorian begins how many years after Return of the Jedi?

The Mandalorian is set five years after Return of the Jedi, in 9 ABY, with the Empire fallen and the New Republic in charge; it was the first live-action Star Wars series, created by Jon Favreau for Disney+.

In Severance, employees of which sinister company undergo the memory-splitting procedure?

Lumon Industries performs the 'severance' procedure that splits workers' memories between office and home; Ben Stiller directs most of the Apple TV+ series created by Dan Erickson.

Yellowstone's Dutton Ranch borders which fictional Indian reservation?

The Broken Rock Reservation, led by Chairman Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham), sits beside the Duttons' land; Taylor Sheridan and John Linson created the Paramount Network series.

In Ozark, the Byrde family moves from which Chicago suburb to Missouri?

The Byrdes leave their house in Naperville, Illinois, after Marty's partner is caught skimming from the cartel, and settle at Osage Beach on the Lake of the Ozarks to launder its money.

Better Call Saul set what dubious Emmy record?

It earned 53 Primetime Emmy nominations without a single win.

In The Boys, the corrupt superhero team The Seven is run by which corporation?

Vought International markets and controls The Seven, led by Homelander; the Prime Video series is based on Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's comics.

HBO's Euphoria, starring Zendaya, is based on a miniseries from which country?

The original Euphoria was an Israeli miniseries created by Ron Leshem that aired on HOT in 2012; Drake is among the HBO version's executive producers.

What is the name of the Upper West Side building in Only Murders in the Building?

The Arconia is the fictional Upper West Side building where Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez's characters record their true-crime podcast; exteriors use the real Belnord on 86th Street.

Abbott Elementary is set in an underfunded public school in which city?

Creator Quinta Brunson plays second-grade teacher Janine Teagues.

Which two actors play Joel and Ellie in HBO's The Last of Us?

Pedro Pascal plays smuggler Joel and Bella Ramsey plays Ellie; the 2023 first season averaged nearly 32 million viewers per episode, HBO's biggest debut season at the time.

The first three seasons of The White Lotus were set in Hawaii, Sicily and where?

Season 3, released in 2025, was set at a White Lotus resort on Koh Samui, Thailand; Mike White created, wrote and directed the anthology series.

Peaky Blinders is set in which English city after the First World War?

The Shelby family gang, led by Cillian Murphy's Tommy Shelby, runs Small Heath in Birmingham from 1919; the real Peaky Blinders were a Birmingham street gang of the 1890s.

Which London thoroughfare stood in for Holmes's 221B address in the BBC's Sherlock?

North Gower Street in Bloomsbury stood in for Baker Street, with the real Speedy's cafe next to the 221B door; Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss created the series.

Which actor was the first to play the Doctor when Doctor Who began in 1963?

William Hartnell played the First Doctor from the premiere on 23 November 1963 until 1966, when the role passed to Patrick Troughton in the first regeneration.

Dr. Gregory House leads a team at which fictional New Jersey teaching hospital?

House leads the diagnostic team at Princeton–Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, a fictional hospital in New Jersey; Eurodata ranked House the world's most-watched TV program in 2008.

Which best-selling novelist created the medical drama ER?

ER ran 331 episodes over 15 seasons on NBC.

Law & Order premiered on NBC in which year?

Law & Order premiered on NBC on September 13, 1990; Dick Wolf's original completed its 20th season in 2010 before a 2022 revival.

Which actor led the original CSI cast as Gil Grissom?

William Petersen played Gil Grissom from the 2000 premiere until leaving the lead role in 2009, then returned for CSI: Vegas in 2021; the original ran on CBS until 2015.

NCIS was introduced as a spin-off of which CBS legal drama?

Two JAG episodes in April 2003 served as the backdoor pilot.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer moved from The WB to which network for its final two seasons?

Buffy moved to UPN for seasons 6 and 7 in 2001 after a rights dispute with The WB; Joss Whedon's series aired from 1997 to 2003.

How many episodes did the original run of The X-Files produce over nine seasons?

The X-Files produced 202 episodes across nine seasons on Fox from 1993 to 2002, before revival seasons in 2016 and 2018 added 16 more.

Star Trek: The Next Generation aired from 1987 to 1994 by what means?

The Next Generation was sold directly to local stations in first-run syndication rather than to a network; Patrick Stewart captained the Enterprise-D for 178 episodes.

In the 2004 Battlestar Galactica, humanity lives on which group of planets?

Humanity's Twelve Colonies of Kobol, including Caprica, are destroyed by the Cylons, the androids they built, in the 2003 miniseries that launched the show.

Dexter Morgan's day job at Miami Metro Police is what?

Dexter is Miami Metro's bloodstain pattern analyst, a forensics job that keeps him close to crime scenes; Michael C. Hall's character moonlights as a vigilante serial killer.

Homeland is based on which Israeli series?

Prisoners of War (Hatufim), Gideon Raff's 2010 drama about two Israeli soldiers returning after 17 years in captivity, was adapted into Homeland; Raff also served as an executive producer.

Which showrunner created the FX anthology Fargo, based on the Coen brothers' film?

Noah Hawley created the series, which premiered in April 2014 with Billy Bob Thornton and Martin Freeman; the Coens joined as executive producers after reading his script.

Season 1 of True Detective follows two state police detectives in which state?

Louisiana State Police detectives Rust Cohle and Marty Hart, played by Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, hunt a ritual killer across 17 years in the 2014 season.

In Westworld, who plays Dolores Abernathy, the oldest host in the park?

Evan Rachel Wood played Dolores, a rancher's daughter and the park's oldest host, from the 2016 premiere; Thandiwe Newton played the madam Maeve and won a 2018 Emmy for the role.

Black Mirror's creator Charlie Brooker cites which classic anthology as its inspiration?

Charlie Brooker has repeatedly named Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone as the model for Black Mirror's standalone, twist-driven stories; the series began on Channel 4 in December 2011 before moving to Netflix.

Curb Your Enthusiasm grew from a 1999 special that HBO originally intended as what?

The 1999 hour-long mockumentary 'Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm' was meant as a one-time project; HBO liked it enough to order a series, which ran 12 seasons from 2000 to 2024.

30 Rock takes its name from the address of which building?

30 Rockefeller Plaza, the GE Building during the show's run, is home to NBC's studios and Saturday Night Live, the sketch show Tina Fey's TGS is modeled on.

Community's sixth and final season aired on which platform?

Yahoo Screen picked up the sixth season in 2015 after NBC cancelled the show; its first five seasons aired on NBC, set at Greendale Community College.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine moved from Fox to which network in 2019?

Andre Braugher played Captain Raymond Holt across 153 episodes.

Modern Family aired for how many seasons on ABC?

Modern Family ran 11 seasons and 250 episodes on ABC from September 2009 to April 2020; Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan created the mockumentary sitcom.

Leonard and Sheldon of The Big Bang Theory are physicists at which institution?

The show ran 279 episodes on CBS from 2007 to 2019.

In How I Met Your Mother, Ted narrates his story to his children from which year?

Ted narrates from 2030, with the kids, Penny and Luke, listening on the couch; the framing scenes were filmed in 2006 so the actors would not visibly age over nine seasons.

Ray Barone of Everybody Loves Raymond writes for which real newspaper?

Ray Barone is a sportswriter for Newsday, the Long Island daily; the show is set in Lynbrook and won 15 Primetime Emmys across nine seasons.

Married... with Children was the first primetime series on which new network in 1987?

Fox launched its primetime schedule on April 5, 1987 with Married... with Children and The Tracey Ullman Show; the Bundys went on to run 11 seasons and 259 episodes.

Roseanne is set in which fictional Illinois town?

Lanford is the fictional Illinois town where the Conners live; the 2018 revival was cancelled by ABC after Roseanne Barr's racist tweet, and the spin-off The Conners continued without her.

Full House's widowed father Danny Tanner raises his daughters in which city?

Danny Tanner raises D.J., Stephanie and Michelle in a San Francisco Victorian, with brother-in-law Jesse and friend Joey moving in to help; the ABC sitcom ran from 1987 to 1995.

Family Matters was a spin-off of which ABC sitcom?

Harriette Winslow, the elevator operator at the Chicago Chronicle on Perfect Strangers, got her own family sitcom in 1989; Steve Urkel was originally written as a one-time character.

Which actor played teacher and neighbour George Feeny on Boy Meets World?

William Daniels, also the voice of KITT on Knight Rider, played Mr. Feeny across all seven seasons from 1993 to 2000; Ben Savage starred as Cory Matthews.

Scrubs is set at which fictional teaching hospital?

Sacred Heart Hospital is where J.D., Turk and Elliot train under Dr. Cox and Dr. Kelso; Zach Braff narrates as J.D. Dorian across the 2001-2010 run.

Which fictional Democratic president does Martin Sheen play in The West Wing?

Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet, a Nobel-winning economist and former New Hampshire governor, is Martin Sheen's president; Aaron Sorkin created the series, which aired on NBC from 1999 to 2006.

Baywatch was cancelled after one season on which network before thriving in syndication?

It went on to draw a weekly audience of over 1.1 billion viewers.

Knight Rider's talking car KITT was a modified version of which vehicle?

KITT was a customized 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am with a red scanner bar; the name stands for Knight Industries Two Thousand.

Which A-Team member, the team's pilot, was played by Dwight Schultz?

H.M. Murdock, the team's pilot, was played by Dwight Schultz as a patient who kept slipping out of a VA psychiatric hospital for missions; the NBC series ran from 1983 to 1987.

MacGyver works as a troubleshooter for which fictional organization?

The Phoenix Foundation, a Los Angeles think tank run by Pete Thornton, sends MacGyver on missions from Season 2; his ever-present tools were a Swiss Army knife and duct tape.

Magnum, P.I. is set on which Hawaiian island?

Magnum lives in the guest house of Robin Masters's Oahu estate, 'Robin's Nest', filmed at a real Waimanalo property on the island; Tom Selleck starred from 1980 to 1988.

Which battered car did Lieutenant Columbo drive?

Columbo drove a battered 1959 Peugeot 403 Cabriolet; his other trademarks were a rumpled raincoat, a cigar and a wife who was always mentioned but never seen.

Jessica Fletcher of Murder, She Wrote lives in which fictional Maine town?

Cabot Cove, Maine, is Jessica Fletcher's home, with exteriors shot in Mendocino, California; Angela Lansbury starred in 264 episodes over 12 seasons.

Bonanza's Cartwright family lives near which Nevada town, close to Lake Tahoe?

The Ponderosa lies between Virginia City and Lake Tahoe; Bonanza ran 431 episodes on NBC from 1959 to 1973, second only to Gunsmoke among Westerns.

The Waltons was based on creator Earl Hamner Jr.'s 1961 book, titled what?

Spencer's Mountain, Hamner's 1961 novel, became a 1963 film with Henry Fonda before inspiring the series; The Waltons aired from 1972 to 1981, set during the Depression and World War II.

All in the Family was based on which British sitcom?

Till Death Us Do Part, Johnny Speight's BBC comedy about bigot Alf Garnett, inspired Archie Bunker; Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin produced the CBS series from 1971 to 1979.

Sanford and Son was adapted from which BBC sitcom?

Steptoe and Son, the BBC comedy about rag-and-bone men, became Sanford and Son on NBC in 1972 with Redd Foxx as junk dealer Fred G. Sanford.

The sitcom Taxi is set at the garage of which fictional New York cab firm?

The Sunshine Cab Company garage was ruled by Danny DeVito's dispatcher Louie De Palma; the show ran on ABC and then NBC from 1978 to 1983.

Which show's eight Emmys in 1981 stood as a debut-season record until The West Wing?

Hill Street Blues took eight Emmys for its first season in 1981, a rookie record until The West Wing's nine in 2000; it won Outstanding Drama Series four years running from 1981 to 1984.

Moonlighting's Maddie Hayes and David Addison run which detective agency?

The Blue Moon Detective Agency was a loss-making business Maddie was left with after her accountant fled with her money; Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis starred in the pioneering 'dramedy' from 1985 to 1989.

Dynasty's wealthy Carrington family lives in which city?

The Carringtons' mansion is in Denver, Colorado, home of Blake's oil company Denver-Carrington; Joan Collins joined as Alexis in season two, lifting the show into the top 20.

Beverly Hills, 90210's Walsh twins moved to California from which city?

Darren Star created it and Melrose Place for Aaron Spelling.

Dawson's Creek is set in which fictional Massachusetts town?

Capeside, Massachusetts, was Kevin Williamson's fictional version of his own coastal hometown; the show was filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina, with James Van Der Beek as Dawson Leery.

Gilmore Girls' Lorelai and Rory live in which fictional Connecticut town?

Stars Hollow is the quirky Connecticut town where Lorelai runs the Dragonfly Inn and Luke runs the diner; the show premiered on The WB in 2000 and ended on The CW in 2007.

In The O.C., troubled teen Ryan Atwood is taken in by which wealthy couple?

Sandy and Kirsten Cohen, a public defender and his developer wife, take Ryan into their Newport Beach home, where son Seth becomes his adoptive brother.

Glee's show choir New Directions competes from a high school in which Ohio town?

New Directions sings for William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio; Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan created the show for Fox, where it ran from 2009 to 2015.

Which British satirist created Veep, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer?

Armando Iannucci, creator of the BBC's The Thick of It, launched Veep on HBO in 2012 and ran it for four seasons; the show won the Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy for seasons four, five and six.

Richard Hendricks's start-up in Silicon Valley is called what?

Pied Piper began as a music-copyright search tool before its compression algorithm became the prize; Mike Judge co-created the HBO comedy, which ran 53 episodes from 2014 to 2019.

Which actor plays the rapper Paper Boi in Donald Glover's Atlanta?

Brian Tyree Henry plays Alfred 'Paper Boi' Miles, the rapper whose cousin and manager Earn is played by Donald Glover; the FX series ran four seasons from 2016 to 2022.

In HBO's Barry, Bill Hader plays a hitman who joins what?

Barry stumbles into Gene Cousineau's acting class while tailing a target in Los Angeles and decides to stay; Henry Winkler won a 2018 Emmy as the teacher.

The 2024 series Shōgun is based on a 1975 novel by which author?

James Clavell's 1975 novel, loosely based on English navigator William Adams, was adapted in 1980 with Richard Chamberlain and again in 2024 with Hiroyuki Sanada leading the cast.

Netflix's Beef begins with what encounter between Danny Cho and Amy Lau?

A road rage confrontation in a Los Angeles parking lot sets Danny and Amy on a spiral of revenge; Steven Yeun and Ali Wong star in Lee Sung Jin's series, which premiered in April 2023.

Money Heist first aired on which Spanish network before Netflix picked it up?

Antena 3 aired the first two parts in 2017 before Netflix bought the series and re-cut it; The Professor's crew targets the Royal Mint and later the Bank of Spain.

Netflix's German time-travel series Dark is set in which fictional town?

Winden, a fictional German town built around a nuclear plant, is where the Kahnwald, Nielsen, Doppler and Tiedemann families are entangled across three seasons from 2017 to 2020.

After Escobar's fall, season 3 of Narcos follows the DEA's pursuit of which crime group?

Season 3 follows DEA agent Javier Peña against the Cali Cartel's four godfathers, led by Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela; Wagner Moura played Escobar in the first two seasons.

Line of Duty was promoted from BBC Two to BBC One starting with which series?

It had become BBC Two's highest-rated series in a decade.

Broadchurch is set on the coast of which English county?

Broadchurch sits on the Dorset coast, with the cliffs of West Bay as its backdrop; Chris Chibnall wrote all 24 episodes across three series from 2013 to 2017.

Call the Midwife is based on the memoirs of which former nurse?

Jennifer Worth's memoirs of nursing in 1950s Poplar were adapted by Heidi Thomas; the first series, set in 1957, premiered in January 2012, months after Worth's death.

Coronation Street's fictional Weatherfield is based on which real place?

Weatherfield is modelled on Salford, where creator Tony Warren grew up; the show premiered on Granada in December 1960 and became the world's longest-running TV soap.

Since which year has EastEnders been broadcast on BBC One?

EastEnders launched on BBC One on 19 February 1985, created by Julia Smith and Tony Holland; it is set in the fictional East End borough of Walford.

Only Fools and Horses is set in which part of south-east London?

The Trotters live in Nelson Mandela House, a tower block in Peckham; David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst played the brothers Del Boy and Rodney from 1981 to 2003.

Fawlty Towers was inspired by which real establishment where the Pythons stayed in 1970?

The Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay, run by the rude Donald Sinclair, hosted the Pythons in 1970; John Cleese and Connie Booth wrote all 12 episodes of Fawlty Towers.

Who wrote the first series of Blackadder with Rowan Atkinson?

Richard Curtis co-wrote The Black Adder (1983) with Rowan Atkinson; Curtis and Ben Elton wrote the subsequent three series, from Blackadder II in 1986 to Blackadder Goes Forth in 1989.

Which actor played Gareth Keenan in the British version of The Office?

Mackenzie Crook played Gareth Keenan, the team leader obsessed with the Territorial Army, opposite Ricky Gervais's David Brent across both series and the 2003 Christmas specials.

How many episodes of Monty Python's Flying Circus aired on the BBC from 1969 to 1974?

45 episodes aired across four series, the last a six-episode run in 1974 without John Cleese; two additional episodes were made for German TV as Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus.

Which NBC Sunday program, first aired in 1947, is America's longest-running?

Meet the Press debuted on NBC on November 6, 1947, making it the longest-running program in American television history; Martha Rountree was its first moderator.

Which soap opera ran on radio from 1937 and on television from 1952 to 2009?

Guiding Light ran 72 years in total, starting on NBC radio in 1937 and moving to CBS television in 1952 before its final episode in September 2009.

Sesame Street was created by Lloyd Morrisett and which television producer?

Joan Ganz Cooney, a public-television producer, co-founded the Children's Television Workshop with Lloyd Morrisett in 1968; Sesame Street premiered on November 10, 1969.

Which producer created both Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune?

Merv Griffin created Jeopardy!, which debuted in 1964, and Wheel of Fortune, which began in 1975; he also wrote the Jeopardy! 'Think!' theme music.

Who hosted the very first episode of The Tonight Show in 1954?

Steve Allen hosted the first Tonight Show on September 27, 1954, and stayed until 1957, when Jack Paar took over; Johnny Carson's 30-year run began in 1962.

Who hosted the premiere of Saturday Night Live on October 11, 1975?

George Carlin hosted the first episode on October 11, 1975, with Billy Preston and Janis Ian as musical guests; it was originally titled NBC's Saturday Night.

Which two journalists hosted 60 Minutes when it began as a bi-weekly show in 1968?

Mike Wallace and Harry Reasoner fronted the first broadcast on September 24, 1968, when it alternated Tuesday nights with CBS Reports; Don Hewitt created the CBS news magazine.

Who took over hosting The Price Is Right when Bob Barker retired in 2007?

Drew Carey took over in October 2007 after Bob Barker's 35-year run; the 1972 revival was produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman.

The Simpsons began in 1987 as shorts on which comedian's Fox variety series?

The Tracey Ullman Show ran the Simpsons shorts from April 1987; Matt Groening created the family, and the half-hour sitcom debuted with a Christmas special on December 17, 1989.

M*A*S*H's 4077th unit is stationed in which South Korean town?

The 4077th is stationed near Uijeongbu, north of Seoul; the series was developed by Larry Gelbart from the 1970 film and Richard Hooker's novel.