Websites mentioned on TV
When a website you haven't heard of before is mentioned in a television show, every remotely nerdy person has to check immediately whether the website really exists, and what it really is. You're hoping to make a new discovery, or at least be entertained.
Strangely, many of these websites have no content at all that relates to the episodes where they were mentioned. Often they're parked sites -- that is, they have no content other than ads.
I'm always disappointed when the mentioned site is completely unconnected to the TV episode, especially when it sounded like a really interesting site. I think TV networks should create good sites for the URLs they mention in scripts. I'd bet the website that gets just one mention would get a lot more views the show's Facebook page or the network's Twitter feed ever will.
Without further ado, the websites!
- Both CharlieHarperSucks.com (mentioned on "Two and a Half Men") and TedMosbyIsAJerk.com (mentioned on "How I Met Your Mother") are websites created by female characters who were scorned by Charlie Harper or Ted Mosby to warn other women to steer clear of dating these two male characters. The TedMosbyIsAJerk.com site has an extra layer of fiction: A character called Barney on "How I Met Your Mother" pretended to be Ted Mosby, and it was his behavior as Ted Mosby that earned him the name-calling website.
- CharlieHarperSucks.com redirects to Warner Video's web page about the show, and TedMosbyIsAJerk.com goes to the actual site referenced in "How I Met Your Mother."
- eBully.com was featured on a billboard in a season 21 episode of "The Simpsons", being advertise by bully character Jimbo Jones.
- eBully.com is currently a parked site and its previous content is unknown.
- SlapCountdown.com is a website from season three of "How I Met Your Mother". It served as a terrorizing countdown of the next time that Barney would be slapped by Marhshall as a part of their "slap bet".
- The SlapCountdown.com of the episode does not exist and the site redirects to a seemingly unrelated site.
- YouFace was a new social network featured in a season four episode of "30Rock". The site helped reconnect Jack and his old fling Nancy, who then gave Jack hope when he noticed her relationship status changed to "Weirdsies".
- The YouFace.com website does not appear to ever have been used in a way relating to the show, and the site is now parked.
- CanadianSexActs.org (Don't worry, it's not as bad as it sounds!) was featured in "How I Met Your Mother" as a site to learn about various Canadian names for positions like the "Old King Clancy".
- CanadianSexActs.org has existed since the episode aired with amusing, yet PG content.
- ImOscar.com was featured in an episode of "Arrested Development". It was a blog and plea from Oscar Bluth who was mistakenly identified and imprisoned as his twin brother George Bluth, Sr.
- For the first year of the site it had relevant content to the episode, but it is now parked.
- Torchwood.org.uk is a website for the "Torchwood Institute System Interface" mentioned in the television show "Torchwood".
- Torchwood.org.uk does exist, and redirects to a page on BBC.co.uk mimicking the show's description of the site.
- ManhattanScienceMuseum.com, RedLightManual.com, AlluringEnsemble.com, and ForGoodCompany.com were featured in "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"'s season eight episode called "Clock".
- None of these websites exist, and Archive.org doesn't show any historical record for them.
- ZackAttack.com was written on a chalkboard in "The Simpsons" episode called "Bart Gets a Z", presumably by Bart's replacement teacher Mr. Vaughn who used technology in the classroom a bit too much.
- ZackAttack.com was a parked site when the episode first aired and still has no content.
- SeeMe (presumably SeeMe.com) was a YouTube-like video service featured in "King of the Hill" as the place where Peggy uploaded a video.
- WhoIsDoctorWho.co.uk was featured in the first episode of "Doctor Who" as a site Rose found when looking for information about the mysterious Doctor Who.
- WhoIsDoctorWho.co.uk exists and has content relevant to the show.
- GradeMyTeacher.net was mentioned on an episode of How I Met Your Mother. It was a site to review your professors, and the character Ted Mosby was dismayed to find one bad review calling him "boring" there.
- ItsRainingTwoAndAHalfMen.com was actually mentioned in the movie (not a TV show) Due Date starring Zach Galifianakis and Robert Downey, Jr. It was a fan site created by Zach Galifianakis' character who loved the TV show Two and a Half Men.
- Pronouncify.com was part of an episode of the TV show 30Rock. It featured Jack Donaghey's voice pronouncing words in a classic American accent.
- He-Harmony.com and Me-Harmony.com were featured in a Saturday Night Live skit as dating sites like eHarmony.com where you could find someone just like yourself.
These are websites not directly mentioned (to my knowledge) in their respective television series, but they are for important companies in the show.
- {{{2}}} (visit) is a website for the paper company that the characters of "The Office" (U.S. version) work for. The website was discussed in many episodes, but its domain name was not explicitly mentioned.
- {{{2}}} (visit) is a site for the company that the characters of "Better Off Ted" characters work for.
- {{{2}}} (visit) is the website of the airline from "Lost".
- {{{2}}} (visit) The phrase Bad Wolf is mentioned time and again throughout the first season of the 2005 Doctor Who series. The full significance of the phrase is revealed in The Parting of Ways, the last episode of the first season. BadWolf.org.uk is a genuine website offering various clues and theories surrounding the phrase.
- {{{2}}} (visit), {{{2}}} (visit), {{{2}}} (visit) and {{{2}}} (visit) are some "Doctor Who" tie-in websites that were supplementary and promotional sites for the series.
- {{{2}}} (visit), {{{2}}} (visit), {{{2}}} (visit), {{{2}}} (visit), {{{2}}} (visit) and {{{2}}} (visit) are "Torchwood" alternative reality websites. Each sites contains an 'About this site' link which explains that the website was "created as part of an online game for Torchwood."
- TheHansoFoundation.org (no longer exists), {{{2}}} (visit), OctagonGlobalRecruiting.com (no longer exists), GaryTroupBooks.com (no longer exists), DJDan.am (no longer exists), HansoExposed.com (now parked), RachelBlake.com (now parked), {{{2}}} (visit), SlaveShipSearch.com (now parked), FindOutpedia.com (now parked), and The-Maxwell-Group.com are/were promotional websites for "Lost" and "the Lost Experience". More information about these websites can be found here.
- The show Royal Pains mentioned this website WeDiagnose.net - looks like General Electric (who owns the USA network purchased the website, but hasn't placed anything on it, yet..?
If you know more about a site on this list please click its link and edit the website's page here on AboutUs.org to share your knowledge. If you know a website that isn't listed here please edit this list and add it and its story. Want help? Contact me.
See the post about this list on the AboutUs weblog.