Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2011 March 10

= March 10 =

American Idol
Last night when attempting to vote on American Idol, particularly for contestant #13, we got a porn line instead. We used land lines,and cellphones, with the same results. We continued trying to vote until midnight. This seems very unfair to this contestant, and to American Idol voters in general. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.119.3.72 (talk) 20:16, 10 March 2011 (UTC)
 * As they said on the show, you were supposed to dial 16, not 13.  Corvus cornix  talk  23:34, 10 March 2011 (UTC)
 * Actually, it was 36 not 16... -- Jayron  32  16:46, 14 March 2011 (UTC)

Actors in adverts
How do I find out what actors were used in a particular TV advert in the UK? I think I know someone who appeared in a TV advert a few years ago, and it came up in conversation recently. I'd like to find out if it was I think it was or not. --  role player 23:42, 10 March 2011 (UTC)
 * You could look the commercial up on YouTube. A surprising number (to me at least) of commercials are on there and you could at least verify if the person in the commercial looks like the actor that you're thinking of.  Dismas |(talk) 05:56, 11 March 2011 (UTC)
 * We did that first! It's this video: .  The problem is the actor is doing a characterisation rather than being himself.  It certainly looks like our friend Michael, who was an actor, but how do we find out for sure? --  role player 09:31, 11 March 2011 (UTC)
 * Umm, you could ask Michael... Matt Deres (talk) 16:26, 11 March 2011 (UTC)
 * Well, he does say "Michael was an actor", which might mean Michael is dead now. --   Jack of Oz   [your turn]  17:23, 11 March 2011 (UTC)
 * Does this help? --Frumpo (talk) 12:30, 11 March 2011 (UTC)


 * If you're going to be angry about it, maybe you should have pointed out that you've already looked it up on YouTube first so that people like me (who are just trying to help) don't restate what you've already done. Dismas |(talk) 14:38, 11 March 2011 (UTC)
 * I didn't see any evidence of the OP being angry, Dismas. No need to get defensive.  If anything, they're strongly agreeing with your suggestion; so much so, that they've already done it.  --   Jack of Oz   [your turn]  17:23, 11 March 2011 (UTC)
 * Lol! Does anyone know the advertising agency and production company involved? Thanks. 2.97.212.204 (talk) 16:44, 11 March 2011 (UTC)


 * I wonder if that is the actor's (who was voiced over) only claim to fame? Or has he done any other work? 92.15.6.232 (talk) 11:21, 12 March 2011 (UTC)
 * Well, if we assume this actor is Michael Parkhouse (which seems reasonable based on the link I provided above), and also assume that this is the same chap, then he's done quite a lot of other things. I don't have time to check out these programmes but I bet someone reading this has a copy of the Black Books episode they could look at. --Frumpo (talk) 13:15, 12 March 2011 (UTC)

Thank you! Yes that's the guy. He's an old friend that we've lost contact with in recent years. And no, I wasn't being angry. --  role player 20:57, 12 March 2011 (UTC)