Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2014 April 16

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April 16

A comedy movie: man is having a house built... it burns down...

Can anyone identify this movie ?

It was broadcast on British TV in the late 1970s.

The main character is a man having a house built by a team of builders.

Near the end of the film, a small fire breaks out - possibly caused by a carelessly-discarded cigarette. All attempts to fight the fire fail - they have no equipment and no water.

The man runs out of the building site, to get help.

He arrives at a small fire-station. But, there are no firemen - they are away on another call or the fire-station hasn't been commissioned yet ?
There is only one man in the fire-station - he may be the station's cleaner or accountant, or a new recruit on his first day at the job.

( This man *might* be quite camp: "ooooo, you need a fireman" and so on... )

After much misunderstanding and delay, this man says there's an antique fire-engine in the back. And, well, he works there, so it can't be all that difficult to handle...

They both get in to the fire-engine, and proceed to drive VERY badly, for several miles in every direction but the right one. Cue scenes of the fire-engine crashing through the gardens of a street of houses.

At one point, the fire-engine crashes through what might be a furniture shop, and comes out dragging a mattress behind it - with a man desperately clinging to it...

By the time the fire-engine arrives at the building site, it's too late to save the house from burning down.

Any ideas ?
90.244.131.168 (talk) 10:20, 16 April 2014 (UTC)

I have no idea, not recalling such an episode, but this sounds a lot like Some Mothers Do Ave Em. Let me check... 86.146.28.229 (talk) 18:04, 16 April 2014 (UTC)

Well, I guess it could be the second episode, possibly. 86.146.28.229 (talk) 19:04, 16 April 2014 (UTC)

Nope - it's definitely NOT "Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em"

The general look and feel required a much higher budget than a TV episode - much of the filming is outdoors, and NOT inside a studio.

90.244.133.187 (talk) 21:24, 16 April 2014 (UTC)

Hmmm, a poor fit, but the Bless This House (film) has some building repair work, and the article hints at a final fire engine scene. You could look at these images [1] and see if it looks familiar? 86.146.28.229 (talk) 23:13, 16 April 2014 (UTC)

Nope - NOT "Bless This House"...

This was shown on British TV - but is likely to be an American movie...

Someone offline suggested it "sort of sounded a little like the sort of thing that would star Jerry Lewis" - but the list at Jerry Lewis performances doesn't contain anything that fits...

90.244.139.207 (talk) 09:14, 18 April 2014 (UTC)

central division team wild card mlb vs. west divison

In 2006, Detroit Tigers won the wild card and faced the Yankees, who won the east division. If they did win the same title, is it possible that could have face the west division winner and their division champ counterpart was facing the Yankees? Yes or no, please as the answer. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.92.150.185 (talk) 15:15, 16 April 2014 (UTC)

It looks like you are asking if two teams from the same division can meet in the divisional round of the playoffs (i.e. if the Wildcard team can meet the division champion from the same division in the divisional round). If that is the case, the answer is yes, under the current format they can, however under the previous format (in use from 1994-2011) they could not. See Major League Baseball postseason, which says "under the expanded wild card format the winner of the one-game wild card playoff faces the top-seeded divisional champion in the Division Series, regardless of whether the two teams are in the same division." (emphasis mine). Under the 1994-2011 system, the wildcard team could not play their own division winner in the first round. --Jayron32 17:49, 16 April 2014 (UTC)

Well, no. I meant to say that for example, if Detroit Tigers won the wild card and faced Texas Ranger, the winner of West division in the ALDS and meanwhile Minnesota, winner of Central division was facing Yankees in the ALDS. Is that possible?— Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.54.65.193 (talk • contribs)

Sure, if the Rangers had the best record in the American League, and Minnesota and the Yankees won their divisions while the Tigers were the wild card, that is EXACTLY how the divisional round would play out. The Wildcard team plays the team with the best record, while the other two division winner play each other. --Jayron32 02:16, 19 April 2014 (UTC)

(ec)Under the current format, the wild card winner, i.e. the winner of the one-game tiebreaker, faces the team with the best won-lost record in the league. If Texas had the best record, Detroit would face them in an ALDS. If Minnesota had the best record, it would be Detroit vs. Minnesota. If the Yankees had the best record, it would be Detroit vs. New York. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:17, 19 April 2014 (UTC)

Allusion to Mrs. Brown in U2 songs.

A friend is curious if anyone here can help explain the allusion to Mrs. Brown in various U2 songs, including "Shadows" and "Tall Trees". Thanks. μηδείς (talk) 21:31, 16 April 2014 (UTC)

This is one song titled "Shadows and Tall Trees' on the Boy album. According to this source "Mrs. Brown...was in fact Mrs. Byrne, Iris Hewson's best friend and near neighbour..." Iris Hewson is Bono's mother.--Dreamahighway (talk) 21:55, 16 April 2014 (UTC)

All I know is she's got pretty offspring. Clarityfiend (talk) 02:40, 17 April 2014 (UTC)

Thanks, User:Dreamahighway, I assume we can take that as conclusive. μηδείς (talk) 03:24, 17 April 2014 (UTC)

Resolved