So I went back online and grabbed a screen capture of that Playpen magazine which was seen in the final minutes of last night's premiere of 'In Plain Sight'. And save for a reworking of the cover script, it looks to be the same issue that Charlie found while rooting about in Sawyer's stash on 'Lost' in "Flashes Before Your Eyes":
[Far right and left are from 'Lost'. Center is from 'In Plain Sight'.]So I'd say we have a definite crossover. My splainin for the difference in the text? Each issue was geared to a different market in the world. The one we saw from 'In Plain Sight' was sold in the Albuquerque area, while Sawyer probably picked his up at the airport in Sydney, Australia.
As for the time difference between episodes? After all, Oceanic 815 took off in September of 2004. For all intents and purposes, the pilot episode of 'In Plain Sight' just happened recently in 2008. Well, my splainin would be that the copy which Marshal Mary Shannon had was also from 2004, and she swiped it from the collection of her semi-boyfriend Raphael.
BCnU!
Toby OB
I know you come up with these connections between shows as if they all exist in an alternate television universe. However, I think you should mention the real-world connection between the shows: the use of Independent Studio Services/Studio Graphics (http://www.issprops.com/Graphics.aspx). They create props seen on many television shows.
ReplyDeleteI always think it's funny when fans of a show ("Lost" in particular) try to read something in to the prop brands like Morley cigarettes, Bilson cigarettes, Brezza cigarettes, Heisler beer, Penzburg beer, Gannon Car Rentals, Playpen Magazine, and Skadden Pharmacy. Of course, "Lost" fans can be forgiven for such scrutiny of the props since the show is all about connections between the characters.
I know American viewers are so used to product placement in television shows, that seeing an unfamiliar brand makes viewers sit up and take notice. They think that it must have some greater meaning. Next thing you know, the brands take on a life of their own.
Schein Berlin is a well known graphic design company in Europe that creates fake brands and prop for television shows. In many European countries, product placement is prohibited in film and television productions that receive government (taxpayer) funding or appear on state-funded television channels.