10 Insane TV Details You Never Noticed

Holt's been flying his pride flag from minute one.

By Jack Pooley /

The fast-paced nature of TV production typically means that directors don't have too much time to finesse the finer details, often working under immense time constraints to efficiently complete scenes on time.

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But inspired artists nevertheless find a way to imbue their work with subtle details that are easily missed on a first viewing, and thanks to home video and especially higher fidelity streaming releases, these mind-melting secrets are finally being revealed for all.

Thanks to committed detail-hunting communities like /r/TVDetails, no stone has been left unturned in the pursuit of visual gags, references, and Easter eggs designed for only the most attentive and eagle-eyed of viewers to ever notice.

From surprise cameos you definitely missed, to sly sight gags, sneaky symbolism, and deliciously devious secret messages, if you actually caught any of these details without the help of the Internet, give yourself a firm pat on the back.

Above all else, they prove that despite the oft-chaotic energy of a TV shoot, the expanded runtime is also the perfect environment for showrunners and directors to plug in crazy continuity callbacks and visual flourishes...

10. The Same Actor Delivered & Removed Martin's Chair 11 Years Apart - Frasier

Martin Crane's (John Mahoney) famously hideous recliner chair is as much a character in Frasier as any of its flesh-and-blood humans - a mainstay which was moved into Frasier's (Kelsey Grammer) apartment in the pilot episode and took its leave in the series finale.

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If we're splitting hairs it was actually Frasier's purpose-built replica of Martin's original chair which got moved out in the finale, but you get the idea.

Yet there's an added secret significance to the chair acting as the show's thematic bookend, as the chair was both delivered and removed by the very same individual - a chequered shirt-wearing man who was even played by the same actor, Cleto Augusto, both times.

Almost 11 years after appearing in the pilot, Augusto reprised his role, making him the only actor beyond the main cast members to be in both the pilot and the series finale.

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