To ask what's the least realistic depiction of your job in a film, tv show or book?

[ZoinksRun]

I'm always watching things and thinking 'I bet that job isn't like that.' People in my job on tv are always dim, well dressed (immaculate hair, nails, shoes) and never look stressed which is very unrealistic! They do all seem to have 'ie' or 'y' ending names which to be honest is pretty accurate

Anyone?

Don't know about inaccurate, but Yes Minister and Twenty Twelve were very accurate!!

Nobody would depict my job for entertainment purposes.

@Merryoldgoat

Nobody would depict my job for entertainment purposes.

I can't think of one job that couldn't be included in a storyline, in books or movies...

@VienneseWhirligig

Don't know about inaccurate, but Yes Minister and Twenty Twelve were very accurate!!

God yes, also see The Thick of It !

My job is either portrayed in a very sadistic way to give people nightmares or a hilarious sit come type way with loads of canned laughter . Neither happen. Ever.

There was an accountant in The Office, called Nigel. He had eczema. Two of those apply to me :)

Apart from that can't think of another.

Think he may have been a bit petty too.

I try not to be but you can see others glaze over as I nag about credit cards!

Rachel Green fell into her job far too easily, is all I'm going to say.

Former lawyer. We’re never really shown accurately, as that would be far too boring!

One that sticks with me was a bbc drama called trust, supposedly set in a big city law firm, the opening scene featured a partner who’d fallen asleep at his desk exhausted. A glamorous woman dressed like a nurse walked in, removed his shirt, sponge bathed his top half then dressed him in a fresh shirt and tie while he gradually woke up.

Wtf. Nothing like that has ever happened.

I used to be a scientist, working in a lab. TV/movie depictions always involve green, bubbling liquids, or alternatively flashy 3D computer images that rotate, preferably on a holographic screen. Revolutionary discoveries are made in a matter of days or even hours (if required by The Plot). Brilliant scientists spend their time having inspired conversations.

The reality is usually a long grind of pipetting small amounts of colourless liquids into other colourless liquids, then waiting for several hours while doing lab book entries (or browsing mindlessly, pretending to be busy). The result is then usually a few black blotches on a membrane, or perhaps a small file with a few numbers. 99% of the time the results are routine, or you need to tweak the protocol (again) or they're only a tiny part of a study that will take many years to complete. Once in a while you get the results you need, then you spend several months writing and rewriting a long, technical paper, which is then cited a few times by a few other scientist. Then you start the process again, to investigate another small aspect of a bigger problem. Wouldn't make for good TV

I'm not a judge, but in terms of depiction of the way the legal system as a whole operates, Judge John Deed. Not least for the unfeasible frequency with which his relatives, friends and mistress appeared in front of him.

See also the second series of Broadchurch, which reached peak stupidity when the murder victims' relatives had to rush around finding a prosecuting barrister for the CPS.

Waterloo Road. Used to watch it all the time and laugh about how everyone would have lost their jobs after their first episodes!!

I'm a counsellor. Have never had more than a therapeutic relationship with a client or advised them on big decisions. Drives me mad that we're depicted as manipulative. Dennis Pennis in After Life makes me lol though

Casualty. As if anywhere has that many 'major incidents/ disasters' or colleague affairs, lol.

Carrie in Sex and the City. Writers do not get paid that much and certainly cant afford Jimmy Choos.

Same as @DoubleHelix79 but I tend to get very large files full of lots and lots of numbers that then need days of sitting in front of Excel and R to process.

Designer in a start-up.
People doing that kind of job are depicted being extremely cool, they live in huge warehouse flats with exposed bricks in big cities, they work in coffee shops and drink latte like it was tap water.
Not that far from reality, except the huge warehouse flat in city centre. And I personally prefer filter coffee at home.

@WorkingOnItWhateverItIs the psychologist in The Departed is the worst!

@Wrotten Agreed! & she doesnt seem to spend nearly enough time looking at excel spreadsheets 🤔

One flew over the cuckoos nest.
Girl, Interrupted.

Psychiatric inpatient units thankfully are nothing like how they are shown on these films!

I used to work as a newspaper reporter and OMG Superman was just so unrealistic.

The police never appear to be portrayed accurately. I am not in the police but having watched many documentaries about how officers and forces operate in real life, with kindness, respect and diligence in their work; the police in soaps are always abit sneery and bullish. It might be just me but I've noticed that for years now.

I don't think I've ever seen my job portrayed accurately. I'm in mental health.

@Wrotten

Rachel Green fell into her job far too easily, is all I'm going to say.

I always wondered that. Especially how much she messes up at work but still keeps getting promoted!

Farming is never depicted realistically. Ducks and hens wandering around a yard. Four or five different sorts of sheep in a field. Farmers are either the huntin' shootin' fishin' type or simple minded yokels.
Thank God for Jeremy Clarkson.