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Reset Button Technique
The reset button technique (based on the idea of '' status quo ante'') is a plot device that interrupts continuity in works of fiction. Simply put, use of a reset button device returns all characters and situations to the ''status quo'' they held before a major change of some sort was introduced. It is typically used in the middle of a program to "negate" some portion of what came before. Often used in science fiction television series, animated series, soap operas, and comic books, the device allows elaborate and dramatic changes to characters and the fictional universe that might otherwise invalidate the premise of the show with respect to future episodes' or issues' continuity. Writers may, for example, use the technique to allow the audience to experience the death of the lead character, which traditionally would not be possible without effectively ending the work. One-off use When this device is used in shows that do not use it regularly, its effective use depends on the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Status Quo
is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, political, religious or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the current state of social structure and/or values. With regard to policy debate, it means how conditions are, contrasted with a possible change. For example: "The countries are now trying to maintain the ''status quo'' with regard to their nuclear arsenals." To maintain the ''status quo'' is to keep things the way they presently are. The related phrase '' status quo ante'', literally "the status before", refers to the state of affairs that existed previously. Political usage Via social movements the status quo might be overhauled. These seek to alleviate or prevent a particular issue and often to shape social feeling and cultural expression of a society or nation. The status quo is at least in part rejected by their protagonists – progressives – leading the movement. Advoc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dream
A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, although the dreamer may perceive the dream as being much longer than this. The content and function of dreams have been topics of scientific, philosophical and religious interest throughout recorded history. Dream interpretation, practiced by the Babylonians in the third millennium BCE and even earlier by the ancient Sumerians, figures prominently in religious texts in several traditions, and has played a lead role in psychotherapy. The scientific study of dreams is called oneirology. Most modern dream study focuses on the neurophysiology of dreams and on proposing and testing hypotheses regarding dream function. It is not known where in the brain dreams originate, if there is a single origin for dreams or if multiple regions of the brain are ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge Simpson, Marge, Bart Simpson, Bart, Lisa Simpson, Lisa, and Maggie Simpson, Maggie. The show is set in the fictional town of Springfield (The Simpsons), Springfield and parodies Culture of the United States, American culture and Society of the United States, society, television, and the human condition. The family was conceived by Groening shortly before a solicitation for a series of The Simpsons shorts, animated shorts with producer James L. Brooks. He created a dysfunctional family and named the characters after his own family members, substituting Bart for his own name; he thought Simpson was a funny name in that it sounded similar to "simpleton". The shorts became a part of ''The Tracey Ullman Show'' on April 19, 1987. After three sea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kenny McCormick
Kenneth "Kenny" McCormick is a fictional character and one of the four main characters in the adult animated television series ''South Park'' along with Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Eric Cartman. His often muffled and incomprehensible speech—the result of his parka hood covering his mouth—is provided by co-creator Matt Stone. He debuted on television when ''South Park'' first aired on August 13, 1997, after having first appeared in '' The Spirit of Christmas'' shorts created by Stone and long-time collaborator Trey Parker in 1992 (''Jesus vs. Frosty'') and 1995 (''Jesus vs. Santa''). Kenny is a third, later fourth-grade student who commonly has extraordinary experiences not typical of conventional small-town life in his hometown of South Park, Colorado, where he lives with his poverty-stricken family. Kenny is animated by computer to look as he did in the show's original method of cutout animation. He also appears in the 1999 full-length feature film '' South Park: Big ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South Park
''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boysStan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand their exploits in and around the titular Colorado town. ''South Park'' became infamous for its profanity and dark, surreal humor that satirizes a wide range of topics toward an adult audience. Parker and Stone developed ''South Park'' from two animated short films both titled '' The Spirit of Christmas''. The second short became one of the first Internet viral videos, leading to ''South Park''s production. The pilot episode was produced using cutout animation; subsequent episodes have since used computer animation recalling the cutout technique. ''South Park'' features a large ensemble cast of recurring characters. Since its debut on August 13, 1997, episodes (including television films) of ''South Park'' have been broadcast. It d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Suzanne Pleshette
Suzanne Pleshette (January 31, 1937 – January 19, 2008) was an American theatre, film, television, and voice actress. Pleshette started her career in the theatre and began appearing in films in the late 1950s and later appeared in prominent films such as ''Rome Adventure'' (1962), Alfred Hitchcock's '' The Birds'' (1963), and ''Spirited Away'' (2001). She later appeared in various television productions, often in guest roles, and played Emily Hartley on ''The Bob Newhart Show'' from 1972 until 1978, receiving several Emmy Award nominations for her work. Early life Pleshette was born on January 31, 1937, in Brooklyn Heights, New York to Geraldine (née Kaplan) and Eugene Pleshette. Her parents were Jewish, the children of emigrants from Russia and Austria-Hungary. Her mother was a dancer and artist who performed under the stage name Geraldine Rivers. Her father was a stage manager of the Paramount Theater in Manhattan and of the Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, and later, a ne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Bob Newhart Show
''The Bob Newhart Show'' is an American sitcom television series produced by MTM Enterprises that aired on CBS from September 16, 1972, to April 1, 1978, with a total of 142 half-hour episodes over six seasons. Comedian Bob Newhart portrays a psychologist whose interactions with his wife, friends, patients, and colleagues lead to humorous situations and dialogue. The show was filmed before a live audience. The credits feature the Cooper Black typeface, after it was made famous in 1966 by its use in the artwork for the Beach Boys '' Pet Sounds'' album. Premise The show centers on Robert "Bob" Hartley, PhD (Newhart), a Chicago psychologist. Most activity occurs between his work and home life, with his supportive, although occasionally sarcastic, wife Emily (Suzanne Pleshette), and their friendly but pesty neighbor, airline navigator Howard Borden (Bill Daily). The medical building where Bob's psychology practice is located also houses Jerry Robinson, D.D.S. ( Peter Bonerz), ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bob Newhart
George Robert Newhart (born September 5, 1929) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his deadpan and slightly stammering delivery style. Newhart came to prominence in 1960 when his album of comedic monologues, ''The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart'', became a bestseller and reached number one on the ''Billboard'' pop album chart; it remains the 20th-best-selling comedy album in history. The follow-up album, ''The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back!'', was also a success, and the two albums held the ''Billboard'' number one and number two spots simultaneously. Newhart later went into acting, starring as Chicago psychologist Robert Hartley in ''The Bob Newhart Show'' during the 1970s, and then as Vermont innkeeper Dick Loudon on the 1980s series '' Newhart''. He also had two short-lived sitcoms in the 1990s, '' Bob'' and ''George and Leo''. Newhart had film roles such as Major Major in ''Catch-22'' and Papa Elf in ''Elf''. He provided the voice of Bernard in the Disney ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Newhart
''Newhart'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on CBS from October 25, 1982, to May 21, 1990, with a total of 184 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons. The series stars Bob Newhart and Mary Frann as an author and his wife, respectively, who own and operate an inn in a small, rural Vermont town that is home to many eccentric characters. ''TV Guide'', TV Land, and A&E named the ''Newhart'' series finale as one of the most memorable in television history. The theme music for ''Newhart'' was composed by Henry Mancini. Premise Bob Newhart plays Dick Loudon, an author of do-it-yourself and travel books. He and his wife Joanna move from New York City to a small town in rural Vermont to operate the 200-year-old Stratford Inn. Although the town's name was never specified in the show, some media sources identified it as Norwich. The outside shot of the house is the Waybury Inn in East Middlebury. Dick and Joanna run the inn with the help of sweet-natured but simpl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mary Jane Watson
Mary Jane "MJ" Watson is a Character (arts), fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr., and made her first appearance in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #25 (June 1965 in comics, 1965). Since then, she has gone on to become Spider-Man's main love interest and later his wife. Mary Jane is the most famous and prominent love interest of Spider-Man, Peter Parker due to their long history, as she is also represented in most Spider-Man media and adaptations. Although she made a brief first appearance in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #25 with a plant obscuring her exterior, as part of a then-long-running recurring gag about Aunt May attempting to set Peter up with her friend's "nice girl" niece, Mary Jane's first official face reveal was a cameo appearance in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #42 (November 1966 in comics, 1966). Designed and drawn by John Romita Sr., her entrance is regarded as one of th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
