The oft-used fictional phone number 555-2368, as seen in the movie Ghostbusters

In North America, telephone numbers with the prefix 555 are widely used for fictitious phone numbers in television shows, films, computer games, and other media. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For other uses, see Ghostbusters (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... A telephone number is a sequence of decimal digits that uniquely indicates the network termination point. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... This article needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ...

Not all numbers that begin with 555 are fictional—for example, 555-1212 is one of the standard numbers for directory assistance throughout the United States and Canada. In fact, only 555-0100 through 555-0199 are now specifically reserved for fictional use, with the other numbers having been released for actual assignment. How, exactly, this will interact with the many uses of 555-2368 (long the "standard" fake number) by AT&T and other telephone companies, is no clearer than the reason for the choice of "2368". 555-1212 is the number one dials in order to reach Directory Assistance in the North American Numbering Plan. ...

Fictitious phone numbers in movies and television

The phone companies started encouraging the producers of television shows and movies to use the 555 prefix for fictional telephone numbers, roughly during the 1970s. One of the earliest uses of a 555 number can be seen in A Patch of Blue (1965), with 555-2368. In older television shows from the 1950s or 1960s, "KLondike 5" or "KLamath 5" was used, as at the time the telephone exchanges used letters. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... A Patch of Blue is a 1965 Academy Award winning film directed by Guy Green about the relationship between an African American man (played by Sidney Poitier) and a blind white female teenager (Elizabeth Hartman), and the problems that plague their relationship when they fall in love in a racially... The 1950s decade refers to the years 1950 to 1959 inclusive. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ... A telephone operator manually connecting calls with patch cables at a telephone switchboard. ...

In the original Twilight Zone television series, one episode was "Person or Persons Unknown"' broadcast in March 1962. In this episode, David Gurney makes a phone call to KLondike 5-3472 (555-3472). Note, this page is about the television series and its two revivals. ...

The Simpsons repeatedly makes reference to this in its early seasons by showing phone numbers that start with KL5. On American telephone dial pads, K and L are found on the number-5 button. In one episode Homer mentions that the church congregation can reach him at home on the phone number 'Klondike 5 3226' during Homers Plowman phase. Simpsons redirects here. ... A standard modern telephone keypad, as used for text messaging. ...

On "Desperate Housewives", in the episode "Listen To The Rain On The Roof", Edie Britt puts up a "FOR SALE" sign with a 555 prefix. Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series, created by Marc Cherry, who also serves as show runner, and produced by ABC Studios — The Walt Disney Companys main television studio — and Cherry Productions. ...

On Mad About You, Paul's mother, Sylvia Buchman, leaves her number on her son's answering machine, starting with "KLondike 5." This was the writers' way of showing not just that she still considered her mid-thirties son to be a child, but also that she was a bit behind the times, unwilling to think of her phone number as "555-something."^{[citation needed]} Mad About You is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 23, 1992, to May 24, 1999. ...

In the famous US sitcom Friends, Ross once had a beeper associated with the number 55-JIMBO. J can be found on the number 5 button on a standard US dial pad. For the use of the word in a general sense, see Friendship. ...

The use of 555 in cinema stems from an earlier derivation than supposed phone company promotions in the 1970s - having been used in many films from 1930s, or earlier, onwards.

One of the main reasons the prefix exists is to avoid accidentally using real phone numbers in movies and television programs because viewers frequently call the numbers used. An example of this situation is with the 2003 film Bruce Almighty. The makers of the movie opted not to use the prefix, and several people whose phone numbers matched one mentioned in the film were inundated with callers asking for "God", and the number was edited out for television airings of the movie and on most copies of the DVD.^{[citation needed]} Another widespread example is Tommy Tutone's hit 1982 song "867-5309/Jenny," which is a valid number in many area codes and commonly receives calls asking for "Jenny". [1] Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Bruce Almighty is a 2003 comedy movie directed by Tom Shadyac and written by Steve Koren, Mark OKeefe and Steve Oedekerk. ... Tommy Tutone is a rock band from San Francisco, California, best known for its 1982 hit 867-5309/Jenny, which peaked at #4 on the Billboard pop charts. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... 867-5309/Jenny is a song written by Alex Call and Jim Keller and performed by Tommy Tutone which peaked at Number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1982. ...

Some movie or television producers, such as those of HBO's Sex and the City and The Wire, have acquired actual telephone numbers solely for the purpose of using them in the movie or on TV. For example, in the movie Sneakers, starring Robert Redford, a character is given anything he asks for; he asks for a lady's phone number. The director wanted to have a real phone number so that the two characters would seem actually interested in each other. For other uses, see HBO (disambiguation). ... Sex and the City is a popular American cable television program. ... The Wire is an American television drama set and produced in Baltimore, Maryland. ... This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long or excessively detailed compared to the rest of the article. ...

Alternatively, a show's producer might choose to use an actual phone number from the place they are portraying. During The West Wing Season 2 episode "In This White House," a character receives a call from phone number 202-456-1414. This is the actual switchboard number for The White House.[2] The phone number was also used in the 1976 film All the President's Men and in the 1994 film The American President. The West Wing is an American television serial drama created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast from 1999 to 2006. ... Telephone switchboard, 1974 A switchboard (also called a manual branch exchange) is a device used to manually connect a group of telephones from one to another or to an outside connection. ... This page is about the official residence of the President of the USA. For other White Houses see White House (disambiguation). ... This article is about the 1976 film. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

The producers of the television series 24 began using the real telephone number belonging to a member of the show's production staff. The cell phone the number belongs to is answered by the show's staff whenever anyone actually calls it. This approach was also taken by the producers of the show Scrubs, who used the phone number (916) CALL-TUR(k) as the notional number of the cell phone of Dr. Chris Turk. The number goes to a voicemail box on which the outgoing message is recorded in rotation by various members of the cast. In the CW series Supernatural, near the end of the fourth episode of the first season ("Phantom Traveler"), the brothers call their father's cell phone and hear a greeting that directs all callers to call Dean at 866-907-3235. When viewers called the number, the voice mail greeting, recorded by Jensen Ackles was: "This is Dean Winchester. If this is an emergency, leave a message. If you are calling about 11-2-83, page me with your coordinates." A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ... 24 (twenty four) is a current U.S. television action/drama series, produced by the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide. ... Scrubs is an American sitcom that premiered on October 2, 2001, on NBC. It was created by Bill Lawrence, who also co-created Spin City. ... Chris Turk Dr. Christopher Duncan Turk (most commonly referred to as Turk) is a fictional character played by Donald Faison on the American sitcom Scrubs. ... “The CW” redirects here. ... This article is about the US TV series. ... Phantom Traveler is episode four of the first season of the television series Supernatural. ... Information Aliases John Bonham Agent Ford Father Simmons Christopher Johnson Jr. ... Jensen Ross Ackles (born March 1, 1978) is an American television actor. ...

In the movie Speed, when Jack commandeers a car to chase after the bus, he instructs the car's owner to dial the number 470-8000 on his cellular phone to call the Los Angeles Police Department. Speed is a 1994 American action film directed by Jan de Bont, starring Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, Dennis Hopper, Joe Morton and Jeff Daniels. ... “LAPD” redirects here. ...

In an episode of NewsRadio, a teacher Jimmy James is interested in dating gives him a 555 number. After a moment, he realizes "that's one of those made-up TV numbers!" NewsRadio was an American sitcom, originally broadcast from 1995 to 1999 on NBC. The show was created by executive producer Paul Simms. ... Jimmy James is a vocal impressionist/illusionist performance artist and former drag artist. ...

In other countries, where different numbering schemes are used, different conventions for fictional numbers are used. In the United Kingdom, the telephone regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) has recommended[3] that the area code 01632 be used (for detail see UK telephone numbering plan); for specific area codes a special range of numbers (usually, but not always beginning 4960) has been reserved. The toll-free range 0808 1570xxx is set aside for fictitious uses in TV and radio. Ofcom is a regulator for communication industries in the United Kingdom. ... The UK telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Numbering Plan, is regulated by the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which replaced the Office of Telecommunications (Oftel) in 2003. ...

Fictitious phone numbers in computer/video games

In Sierra Entertainment's "Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards" the number 555-6969 is used to call to participate in a sex survey and 555-8039 is the number for ordering wine at "Ajax Liquor". This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards is a computer game which was released in 1987, the first part of the Leisure Suit Larry series. ...

In Sierra Entertainment's "Police Quest" many numbers with the prefix 555 are used. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Police Quest is a series of computer games produced and published by Sierra On-Line between 1987 and 1993. ...

In Activision's and Neversoft's Tony Hawk's series, various numbers with the prefix 555 are used, one of them being 1-800-555-TAGR in Tony Hawk's Underground 2, which one would call to report graffiti in the Philadelphia level/area. Activision, Inc. ... Neversoft or Neversoft Entertainment is a video game developer, founded in 1994 by Joel Jewett, Mick West and Chris Ward. ... The latest game in the series, Tony Hawks Proving Ground The Tony Hawks series is a computer and video game series endorsed by Tony Hawk and is created by games developer Neversoft and published by Activision. ... Tony Hawks Underground 2 (or THUG 2) is the sixth installment in Neversofts Tony Hawks Series and is the sequel to 2003s Tony Hawks Underground. ... For other uses, see Philadelphia (disambiguation) and Philly. ...

In Telltale Games' "Sam & Max: Abe Lincoln Must Die!" the number 555-1984 is used to call a pay-phone (which oddly enough only takes Susan B. Anthony dollars) located outside the White House. Telltale Games is a video game developer based in San Rafael, California and founded in June 2004. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Sam & Max (computer game). ... The Susan B. Anthony dollar is a United States coin minted between 1979 and 1981, and again in 1999. ... For other uses, see White House (disambiguation). ...

In the Humongous Entertainment game "Spy Fox in Dry Cereal", the phone number Fox must call starts with "555".

In The Darkness (video game) all the phone numbers begin with 555. The Darkness is a first-person shooter video game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. ...

In all sixteen Nancy Drew computer games, every phone number Nancy calls in every game begins with 555. In one case, Nancy even made a note in her journal questioning the fact.

Real uses of 555 numbers

Throughout North America, 1-XXX-555-1212 will connect to directory assistance for the specified area code.

In 1994, the North American Numbering Plan Administration began accepting applications for nationwide 555 numbers (outside the fictitious 555-01XX range). This would mean that a consumer from any area code could dial a seven-digit number such as 555-TACO, and the owners of that number could connect the call to the taco vendor nearest to the customer. However, according to a 2003 New York Times article, the desired functionality requires the cooperation of local phone authorities, and most phone vendors have been reluctant to cooperate, perhaps wary of undermining the lucrative business of selling toll-free telephone numbers. Despite the fact that the service is virtually unavailable so far, most of the available 555 numbers have already been reserved. [4] The North American Numbering Plan (NANP) is an integrated telephone numbering plan of 24 countries and territories: the United States and its territories, Canada, Bermuda, and 16 Caribbean nations. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The service Tellme uses the number 1-800-555-TELL (8355) to provide news, weather, and other free information. TellMe is also the company that handles calls to 800-555-1212 and provides directory assistance for toll-free telephone numbers. Also, financing corporation Lending Tree uses 800-555-TREE. In some areas, Geico insurance uses the number 1-800-555-2753. 1-800-555-7448 is a number for Progressive Insurance. Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... 555-1212 is the number one dials in order to reach Directory Assistance in the North American Numbering Plan. ... In telecommunications, directory assistance is a telephone call an individual can make to find out a specific wireline phone number and / or address of a residence or business. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Government Employees Insurance Company, usually known by the acronym GEICO, is an American auto insurance company. ... The Progressive Corporation (NYSE: PGR) is a U.S. auto insurance company headquartered in Mayfield Village, Ohio. ...

1-800-555-1111 is the number used across North America to reach a Bell Canada operator. Bell Canada Enterprises (TSX: BCE, NYSE: BCE), legally BCE Inc. ...

In Australia, phone numbers starting with 555 belong to telephones around the Gold Coast in Queensland, particularly within Griffith University's Gold Coast campuses, and some in country Victoria, or Geelong. All Australian telephone numbers are, however, eight digits long. Before the introduction of the eighth digit at the beginning of the number in the early 1990s, seven-digit numbers beginning 555 were for the areas of Balmain in Sydney and Moorabbin in Melbourne. “Gold Coast” redirects here. ... Slogan or Nickname: Sunshine State, Smart State Motto(s): Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Anna Bligh (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 28  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $158,506 (3rd... Griffith University is an Australian public university with five campuses in Queensland between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. ... Moorabool St, Geelongs main street, during Christmas. ... -1... Moorabbin is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ...

In the Moscow region, Russia, 555 is the beginning of telephone numbers for Lytkarino. Lytkarino (Russian: ) is a town in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the left bank of the Moskva River some 30 km southeast of Moscow. ...

Hungary's most popular independent news site, Index.hu uses phone numbers beginning with 555. Index. ...

See also

• North American Numbering Plan
• 2GAT123 - fictitious license plate number
• Channel 37 - fictitious TV station
• Fictitious domain name
• Morley - fictitious cigarette brand used in television and films
• Oceanic Airlines - fictitious airline used in television and films

The North American Numbering Plan (NANP) is an integrated telephone numbering plan of 24 countries and territories: the United States and its territories, Canada, Bermuda, and 16 Caribbean nations. ... 2GAT123 is a fictional license plate number that has appeared in a number of movies. ... In the United States and Canada, TV channel 37 occupies a band of frequencies from 608 to 614 MHz. ... A fictitious domain name is a domain name used in a work of fiction or popular culture to refer to an Internet address that does not necessarily actually exist in the real world. This is similar in concept to 555 telephone numbers. ... A pack of Morley cigarettes in The X-Files Morley is a fictional brand of cigarettes, apparently based on the shortened name for Marlboro cigarettes, Marleys. ... The logo of Oceanic Airlines from the ABC television series Lost. ...

References

• Personal 555 Number Is Still Mostly Fiction (New York Times - registration required)
• Jenny Scan 2007 (list of all 867-5309 number responses by area code). Retrieved on 2007-04-19.
• Why doesn't the phone company use the "555" prefix?
• TV Acres Compilation of 555 numbers in movies

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ... is the 109th day of the year (110th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• An extensive list of 555 numbers given in movies and TV shows
• North American Number Plan - page on 555 Numbers
• CNAC list of Canadian 555-xxxx information providers
• 555 SPOT: a growing list of 555 numbers
• The Straight Dope, Why do phone numbers in TV shows and movies all start with 555?