Unrelated Movies and TV Shows With the Same Title Quiz

Answer: Wings

The film "Wings" is about two men, Jack Powell and David Armstrong, who are in love with the same woman, Mary Preston (played by the "It" Girl, Clara Bow). World War I breaks out and the love triangle takes a back seat as the two men enlist in the United States Army Air Force. This silent film became the first movie to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

From 1990 to 1997 the TV sitcom "Wings" starred Tim Daly and Steven Weber as brothers Joe and Brian Hackett running small airline business in Nantucket, New England. The show received an Outstanding Makeup nomination for an episode in 1996 and in 1992 it received an Outstanding Actor and Outstanding Actress nomination for guest stars Kelsey Grammer and Tyne Daly, who happens to be Tim Daly's sister in real life.

Answer: Nashville

"Nashville" by Robert Altman had the misfortune of being nominated in one of Oscar's most outstanding years of Best Picture nominees, 1975, where among its competition was "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" (the winner), "Jaws" "Dog Day Afternoon" and "Barry Lyndon". But it did win Best Song for the excellent tune "I'm Easy" sung by Keith Carradine.

The TV show "Nashville" revolved around the country music industry, highlighting the life of one country music star whose fame is fading, played by Connie Britton, and another young star on the rise, played by Hayden Panetierre. The show ran from 2012 to 2018, garnering an Emmy nomination in 2013 for Outstanding Original music and Lyrics for the song "Nothing in This World Will Ever Break My Heart Again".

Answer: Taxi

Jimmy Fallon played a NYC undercover cop Andy Washburn in the 2004 action comedy "Taxi". He teams up with NY's fastest cabbie, played by Queen Latifah to try and foil a team of Brazilian supermodel-like bank robbers. Fallon would later inherit the mantle of "The Tonight Show" host.

The much better known "Taxi" was the sitcom starring Judd Hirsh, Danny DeVito, Tony Danza, Christopher Lloyd, Marilu Henner and Jeff Conaway. Andy Kaufman was a semi-regular cast member, playing the foreign accented innocent Latka Gravas. Making 16 appearances on "SNL" Kaufman had been fired from that show by producer Dick Ebersol, who had perhaps heard too many complaints about Kaufman's wrestling women routine. Ebersol put the matter up to a viewers vote, and unfortunately, Andy lost.

But wasn't it really OUR loss?

Answer: The Sixth Sense

Bruce Willis starred in the film that put director M. Night Shyamalan on the cinematic map, with the twisty "The Sixth Sense" in 1999. The film was such an unexpected pleasure that the Academy couldn't help nominating it for Best Picture. It didn't win any Oscars, but it did win The Saturn Award for Best Horror Film.

Gary Collins played the college professor in "The Sixth Sense" which ran for just twenty-five episodes starting in 1972. He and his assistant Nancy, played by Catherine Ferrar, investigated mysteries that had a paranormal background especially involving ESP. Rod Serling hosted several of the episodes.

Answer: Missing

Directed by Costa-Gavras, "Missing" starred Jack Lemmon in an Oscar-nominated performance as the father of Charles Horman (John Shea) who went missing in Chile in 1973 during the coup to replace President Salvador Allende. Lemmon as Ed Horman comes to the country and along with Charles' wife Beth, played by Sissy Spacek they did to unravel the mystery of Horman's disappearance. Both Lemmon and Spacek were nominated for their work.

The U.S. thriller series ran just one season, barely, with Ashley Judd playing a widowed ex-CIA agent; her late husband, played by Sean Bean had died in a car bombing, witnessed by their son who when the series picks up later, is now an 18-year-old. The boy takes on an architecture program in Italy, and of course, goes missing. So, Judd as Rebecca teams up with an Interpol agent to find her son.

Answer: Julia

Diahann Carroll starred as the title character in "Julia" from 1968 to 1971 and it was broke ground for being the first television weekly series to star an African-American woman in a "non-stereotypical" role. That caveat has been added to that trivia fact because there were certainly other TV series that had African-American leads, but they were all usually servants. On "Julia" Ms. Carroll played a nurse at large aerospace company. She won a Golden Globe for her portrayal in 1969.

The 1977 film "Julia" was played by Vanessa Redgrave who won a Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as the childhood friend of playwright Lillian Hellman (played by Jane Fonda). In adulthood the two women smuggle resources into Germany to aid the anti-Nazi movement.

Answer: House

After helming "Friday the 13th Part 2" and "Friday the 13th III", director Steve Miner continued in the horror genre with "House" a 1985 film about a Vietnam vet turned writer whose son disappears. His searching draws him back to the house of his past nightmares.

David Shore, the creator of TV's "House" says that he was inspired by the Sherlock Holmes character for the role. He used Holmes' drug use and his penchant for solving mysteries as part of Gregory House's (Hugh Laurie) traits. Even House's apartment number, 221B, is a nod to Holmes' address.

Answer: Invincible

Skybound-Image Comics published "Invincible" a comic book series about a teenager named Mark Grayson (an homage to Robin, aka Dick Grayson?) whose father is a powerful superhero. It was created by Robert Kirkman the same man behind "The Walking Dead." Young Mark becomes a superhero himself, under the tutelage of his father.

In the 2006 film, Mark Wahlberg played Vince Papale in the true story of a 30-year-old man who defied the odds and wound up playing for the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL back in 1976. The real life Eagles' coach Dick Vermiel had announced that he was holding open tryouts for the team prompting Papale to take a stab at it.

Answer: House of Cards

In 1993, Kathleen Turner starred in the film "House of Cards" as the mother of a young girl whose behavior worsens after the tragic death of her father, an archeologist. Turner's character Ruth, then turns to Jake Beerlander for help. Beerlander (Tommy Lee Jones) is an expert in childhood autism.

"House of Cards" the winner of multiple Emmy Awards, starred Kevin Spacey as Majority House Whip Francis Underwood, until Mr. Spacey's personal troubles led to his departure from the show in 2017. The show continued however with Robin Wright, who played his wife, taking on a bigger role. The show dealt with the vengeful machinations of Underwood and his wife.

Answer: Yellowstone

In the film, directed by Arthur Lubin, an ex-convict played by Ralph Morgan is murdered in Yellowstone National Park when he returned there after eighteen years in prison to retrieve his loot. A young park ranger who is in love with the ex-con's daughter is blamed for the murder. Alan Hale by the way, plays Detective John Alexander Hardigan, on the case.

The TV series, receiving kudos from critics and fans stars movie idol Kevin Costner on the small screen as John Dutton, defending his property from those who would usurp its borders. It is a tough uncompromising look at the West and the greed of land grabbers and politicians who come all too easily bought.