"History repeats itself and history never repeats itself are about equally true." —G. M. Trevelyan

Castmembers at Disney's Star Tours attraction can no longer exclaim, "May the Force be with you!" to riders because Jediism (the most common "alternative" faith in the United Kingdom) is a genuine religion, and the blessing is considered equivalent to "Praise the Lord" and "Hare Krishna."  To quote comedian Stewart Lee, "it's political correctness gone mad!"

"Content must never become fact": a still from a bonus interview in Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle.

Though there are famously two Darrins in the classic sitcom Bewitched, history ignores a third actor who played the character before Dick Sargent took over.  The context is that Endora secretly grants Darrin three wishes, which he mindlessly squanders.  His third wish is to be his boss, Larry Tate, for a day.  And so David White plays Darrin for half an episode.  York—White—Sargent: the three Darrins are in reverse alphabetical order, just as magic reverses what's considered normal.


But, improbability aside, could there have been yet a fourth Darrin?  Yes!  When Dick York's Darrin has to cancel a vacation in Miami due to work commitments, Endora splits him into two Darrins: happy-go-lucky Darrin and workaholic Darrin.  The fun Darrin goes on holiday with his wife while the serious one keeps his nose to the grindstone.  So Dick York actually plays the fourth Darrin as well as the first.

I believe the e-mails I send will always be answered immediately.

"This may surprise you, but I do have a life beyond this office!"
—Jessica Hart, Temporary Engagement (2011)

"Up to six crows are called a 'murder,' but seven or more are called a 'strategic interdiction.'"
—Dr. Boli's Celebrated Magazine

Did you know that the classic sitcom Bewitched's biggest feat of magic was turning its entire audience into practitioners of modern witchcraft?  It all happens in episode two (1964), with a clever set-up and a breaking of the fourth wall.  We begin with the witchy mother Endora deciding to get a look at her new son-in-law without him seeing her:



The son-in-law senses an invisible presence and asks, "Who's here in this room with us?":



In the final scene of episode two, Endora breaks the fourth wall and addresses the audience directly.  Indeed, we've been invisibly eavesdropping on the household along with Endora, and it's fitting that she looks right at us -- her fellow witches, floating in the air alongside her at roof-level.



And may we add, what better place to break the fourth wall than on the roof!

"This may surprise you: Peanuts aren't technically nuts!"
—Eating Clean For Dummies (2011)

"It may surprise you to learn that you also work during recess and at lunch."
—Put Screws to the Test (2011)

Like the moon landing, all those devastatingly beautiful photos of the moon are faked, too.

"This might surprise you: It's not always easy."
—Lorraine Jean Hopping, The Body as Evidence

"This may surprise you, but one animal of the Everglades that has the potential to cause harm is the oyster."
—Paddling the Everglades Wilderness Waterway (2011)

To date, the oldest exclamation point that geologists have excavated is a simple straight-shelled cephalopod.

"This might surprise you ... but not everyone gives a rat's ass about antique maps."
—Barbara Parker, The Perfect Fake

"When you look back at your life it may surprise you to acknowledge that what you considered the end of something was in fact a new beginning."
—David Tenneson, Journey Through Many Lifetimes (2011)

"This might surprise you, but I don' t really hate rap.  I like the fact that it tells a story.  I just can't sing it. It's not me—"
—John Nieman, The Wrong Number One

"It may surprise you to find out how much information there is about you on the Internet, even if you, yourself, do not participate in social networking activities."
—Information Security Management Handbook: Volume 5 (2011)

"This might surprise you ... but I guess I do understand, kind of."
—Amy Ackley, Sign Language

"This might surprise you: Your brain is still growing."
—Mark Oestreicher, My Changes