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Quiz about What If
Quiz about What If

What If... Trivia Quiz


What if the originating crisis in TV series pilots was resolved in the first episode rather that defining the series? See if you can ID these TV series by what could've happened, as reported by the news services.

A multiple-choice quiz by TonyTheDad. Estimated time: 8 mins.
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Author
TonyTheDad
Time
8 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
68,345
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
15243
Last 3 plays: bernie73 (8/10), Guest 24 (7/10), Guest 174 (7/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Can you identify this TV series by what could've happened, as reported by the news?

Honolulu (AP) - Six people owe their lives to the watchful eye of a young apprentice sailor employed by an island tour boat captain Jonas Grumby. Instead of trusting a faulty weather report, the first mate observed indications in the sky that a large storm was approaching. Capt Grumby concurred, and cancelled the 3-hour tour he was conducting for his 5 passengers.

Answer: (Two words)
Question 2 of 10
2. Can you identify this TV series by what could've happened, as reported by the news?

Los Angeles (AP) - National Register reporter John 'Jack' McGee has been arrested in connection with a fire that claimed the life of noted geneticist Dr. Elaina Marks. McGee allegedly broke into the private research facility that Dr. Marks and her associate, Dr. David Banner, were working in late last night. While hiding, he caused a container of volatile liquid to spill into other dry chemicals in a store room, starting a massive fire. Dr. Banner survived the fire somehow. When asked about his feelings about McGee's transgressions, Banner replied, 'It won't do any good to get angry.'
Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Can you identify this TV series by what could've happened, as reported by the news?

Sherman Oaks, CA (AP) - A widowed mother of three girls has had her second marriage annulled after its disasterous wedding reception. Her new stepsons' dog chased her daughters' cat through the refreshments, causing much mayhem. Carol Martin, refusing to take her new husband's name since she plans to leave, said, 'I don't know what I was thinking. I can raise my three girls fine. But Mike's (the groom's) boys are uncontrollable brats!'

Answer: (Three Words)
Question 4 of 10
4. Can you identify this TV series by what could've happened, as reported by the news?

San Francisco (FNS) - The USS Enterprise - barely one year out of refit and reassignment to a 5-year deep space mission - has had tragedy strike, reports Capt. Wesley of the USS Yorktown. The entire crew except for one has died of a mysterious ailment that has left their bodies devoid of sodium chloride. The ship was found in a stable orbit of planet M-113, home of a once vast pre-space empire, but now only home to their ruins. The surviving crew member, Crewman Green, is slightly catatonic and nervously bites the knuckle of his right index finger, reports the Yorktown's CMO. Even though Green appears to be immune to the M-113 disease, as yet not isolated, it has also taken the lives of two of the Yorktown medical staffers. Green has been put into quarantine until the pathogen can be isolated.

Answer: (Two Words)
Question 5 of 10
5. Can you identify this TV series by what could've happened, as reported by the news?

Los Angeles (Net23) - Star investigative reporter Edison Carter was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident in the garage of his employers' headquarters. Carter, driving the motorcycle without a helmet, hit a security barrier at 45 mph and was thrown headfirst into a warning gate.

Answer: (Two Words)
Question 6 of 10
6. Can you identify this TV series by what could've happened, as reported by the news?

Anytown, USA (IP) - Tragedy has struck this small town, as what appears to be a prehistoric reptile has eaten several elementary school children, then disappeared without a trace. Several faculty members of the children's school report seeing a large Tyranosaurus Rex appear from nowhere in the school playgound and begin its carnage. By the time they ran out to try to save the children, the dinosaur had disappeared. All that remained was the children's backpacks and a small toy dinosaur owned by one of the children. It does not appear to be related to the monster's appearance, even though the animal had a slight violet hue, reminiscent of the toy's purple color.
Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Can you identify this TV series by what could've happened, as reported by the news?

Burbank, CA (AP) - A television game show taping was interrupted when anti-fur protesters began throwing water balloons full of paint at the emcee and the first prize to be given away - a fur coat. 'It's really a shame', said the emcee. 'We were bringing back this show after a 7 year hiatus. We had some really great new games for contestants to play, along with some wonderful prizes.' CBS officials have put a hold on production, debating whether this game show still has appeal.
Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Can you identify this TV series by what could've happened, as reported by the news?

New York, NY (UPI) - A portrait photographer has been arrested in the simple assault of his roommate, a noted sports columnist. The photographer was quoted as saying that he couldn't take his friend's slobbish behavior. He then broke into an anxiety-induced asthma attack. Asked if he could reconcile with the photographer, the columnist exclaimed, 'Are you kidding!? He's psychotic! He makes everyone at my poker games use coasters, and constantly sprays air freshener when I smoke my cigars. And after I took him in after his wife threw him out. I guess I felt sorry for him, since my wife did the same.'
Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Can you identify this TV series by what could've happened, as reported by the news?

Cape Canaveral (ENA) - The Jupiter II, the latest spacecraft built in attempt to colonize neighboring star systems, has returned to Earth a mere 12 hours after it departed. Appearantly, a saboteur (and accidental stowaway) tried to reprogram the maintenance robot into destroying the ship and crew 8 hours after it left Earth. Fortunately, the crew caught him in plenty of time and aborted their pre-programmed flight to Alpha Centuari to return the saboteur to Earth authorities.
Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Can you identify this TV series by what could've happened, as reported by the news?

Boulder, CO (AP) - A young Boulder woman had a run-in with a man who she thought was a priest. She found him walking along a rural road, dressed in what she thought was a priest's cassock. After giving him a ride to her home on Pine St., she discovered he was simply wearing a business suit with the shirt and jacket on backwards. Immediately fleeing, she ran to a local store where she called both the police and her father, a local music store owner. The stranger whom she thought was a priest was apprehended and taken to a psychiatric hospital in Denver. He doesn't appear to be violent. Although he can speak and understand English, he talks half the time in a unintelligible language. He will be held at the hospital until his fitness to face charges on impersonating a clergyman, although if he had any untoward purposes is unknown.
Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 28 2024 : bernie73: 8/10
Mar 22 2024 : Guest 24: 7/10
Mar 19 2024 : Guest 174: 7/10
Mar 18 2024 : Guest 174: 6/10
Mar 15 2024 : Guest 66: 8/10
Mar 15 2024 : Guest 12: 7/10
Mar 14 2024 : Dangj61: 9/10
Mar 13 2024 : Guest 66: 6/10
Mar 09 2024 : Guest 70: 8/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Can you identify this TV series by what could've happened, as reported by the news? Honolulu (AP) - Six people owe their lives to the watchful eye of a young apprentice sailor employed by an island tour boat captain Jonas Grumby. Instead of trusting a faulty weather report, the first mate observed indications in the sky that a large storm was approaching. Capt Grumby concurred, and cancelled the 3-hour tour he was conducting for his 5 passengers.

Answer: Gilligan's Island

Of course, what really happened was that they were trapped by the storm and shipwrecked hundreds of miles on a small island for years.
2. Can you identify this TV series by what could've happened, as reported by the news? Los Angeles (AP) - National Register reporter John 'Jack' McGee has been arrested in connection with a fire that claimed the life of noted geneticist Dr. Elaina Marks. McGee allegedly broke into the private research facility that Dr. Marks and her associate, Dr. David Banner, were working in late last night. While hiding, he caused a container of volatile liquid to spill into other dry chemicals in a store room, starting a massive fire. Dr. Banner survived the fire somehow. When asked about his feelings about McGee's transgressions, Banner replied, 'It won't do any good to get angry.'

Answer: The Incredible Hulk

McGee was never implicated in the lab's fire. Dr. Banner was also believed to have died, but he actually survived but went underground to try to find a cure for his affliction.
3. Can you identify this TV series by what could've happened, as reported by the news? Sherman Oaks, CA (AP) - A widowed mother of three girls has had her second marriage annulled after its disasterous wedding reception. Her new stepsons' dog chased her daughters' cat through the refreshments, causing much mayhem. Carol Martin, refusing to take her new husband's name since she plans to leave, said, 'I don't know what I was thinking. I can raise my three girls fine. But Mike's (the groom's) boys are uncontrollable brats!'

Answer: The Brady Bunch

Instead, she really accepted the mayhem, and even went so far as to bring the kids along on the honeymoon. (No wonder they never had a seventh child.)
4. Can you identify this TV series by what could've happened, as reported by the news? San Francisco (FNS) - The USS Enterprise - barely one year out of refit and reassignment to a 5-year deep space mission - has had tragedy strike, reports Capt. Wesley of the USS Yorktown. The entire crew except for one has died of a mysterious ailment that has left their bodies devoid of sodium chloride. The ship was found in a stable orbit of planet M-113, home of a once vast pre-space empire, but now only home to their ruins. The surviving crew member, Crewman Green, is slightly catatonic and nervously bites the knuckle of his right index finger, reports the Yorktown's CMO. Even though Green appears to be immune to the M-113 disease, as yet not isolated, it has also taken the lives of two of the Yorktown medical staffers. Green has been put into quarantine until the pathogen can be isolated.

Answer: Star Trek

Of course, Kirk and Spock figured out the source of the mysterious deaths: a creature from M-113 that feeds off of the salt in other beings' bodies. As it was attacking Kirk, McCoy was barely able to get his focus together enough to kill the creature, who was impersonating a lost love of his.
5. Can you identify this TV series by what could've happened, as reported by the news? Los Angeles (Net23) - Star investigative reporter Edison Carter was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident in the garage of his employers' headquarters. Carter, driving the motorcycle without a helmet, hit a security barrier at 45 mph and was thrown headfirst into a warning gate.

Answer: Max Headroom

Instead, he was only knocked unconscious. Network 23's boy genius then copied his memories and stored them into a computer program that became an uninhibited version of Carter.
6. Can you identify this TV series by what could've happened, as reported by the news? Anytown, USA (IP) - Tragedy has struck this small town, as what appears to be a prehistoric reptile has eaten several elementary school children, then disappeared without a trace. Several faculty members of the children's school report seeing a large Tyranosaurus Rex appear from nowhere in the school playgound and begin its carnage. By the time they ran out to try to save the children, the dinosaur had disappeared. All that remained was the children's backpacks and a small toy dinosaur owned by one of the children. It does not appear to be related to the monster's appearance, even though the animal had a slight violet hue, reminiscent of the toy's purple color.

Answer: Barney and Friends

In the show, when Barney becomes real, he's only about adult human size and very friendly.
7. Can you identify this TV series by what could've happened, as reported by the news? Burbank, CA (AP) - A television game show taping was interrupted when anti-fur protesters began throwing water balloons full of paint at the emcee and the first prize to be given away - a fur coat. 'It's really a shame', said the emcee. 'We were bringing back this show after a 7 year hiatus. We had some really great new games for contestants to play, along with some wonderful prizes.' CBS officials have put a hold on production, debating whether this game show still has appeal.

Answer: The Price is Right

Ironic but true: The first prize bid on on 'The (New) Price is Right' was indeed a fur coat. Years later, host Bob Barker became a staunch anti-fur and pet neutering crusader - so much so that he forced the producers of TPIR to quit offering furs as prizes.
8. Can you identify this TV series by what could've happened, as reported by the news? New York, NY (UPI) - A portrait photographer has been arrested in the simple assault of his roommate, a noted sports columnist. The photographer was quoted as saying that he couldn't take his friend's slobbish behavior. He then broke into an anxiety-induced asthma attack. Asked if he could reconcile with the photographer, the columnist exclaimed, 'Are you kidding!? He's psychotic! He makes everyone at my poker games use coasters, and constantly sprays air freshener when I smoke my cigars. And after I took him in after his wife threw him out. I guess I felt sorry for him, since my wife did the same.'

Answer: The Odd Couple

Oscar and Felix did manage to get along - despite their differences - for six seasons.
9. Can you identify this TV series by what could've happened, as reported by the news? Cape Canaveral (ENA) - The Jupiter II, the latest spacecraft built in attempt to colonize neighboring star systems, has returned to Earth a mere 12 hours after it departed. Appearantly, a saboteur (and accidental stowaway) tried to reprogram the maintenance robot into destroying the ship and crew 8 hours after it left Earth. Fortunately, the crew caught him in plenty of time and aborted their pre-programmed flight to Alpha Centuari to return the saboteur to Earth authorities.

Answer: Lost in Space

Unfortunately for the Jupiter II's crew, Dr. Smith was successful in part. Although the ship wasn't destroyed, it was thrown off-course, causing them to be lost in space.
10. Can you identify this TV series by what could've happened, as reported by the news? Boulder, CO (AP) - A young Boulder woman had a run-in with a man who she thought was a priest. She found him walking along a rural road, dressed in what she thought was a priest's cassock. After giving him a ride to her home on Pine St., she discovered he was simply wearing a business suit with the shirt and jacket on backwards. Immediately fleeing, she ran to a local store where she called both the police and her father, a local music store owner. The stranger whom she thought was a priest was apprehended and taken to a psychiatric hospital in Denver. He doesn't appear to be violent. Although he can speak and understand English, he talks half the time in a unintelligible language. He will be held at the hospital until his fitness to face charges on impersonating a clergyman, although if he had any untoward purposes is unknown.

Answer: Mork and Mindy

On the show, she was shocked by his real identity, but took him in anyway. They eventually fell in love and gave 'birth' to a son, Mearth, played by Jonathan Winters.
Source: Author TonyTheDad

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