Haven’t I seen that newspaper before?

Think you have seen that newspaper before?

Chances are you have.

This prop newspaper has wound its way into a number of US shows including Married with Children, Modern Family, Everybody Hates Chris, and Desperate Housewives.

It’s like the print equivalent of Oceanic Airlines or that 555 phone number we always hear…

Turns out the prop comes from a small newspaper prop company called The Earl Hays Press in Sun Valley, California. Started in 1915, Earl Hays is one of the oldest newspaper prop companies and the paper in question was first printed in the 1960s.

Production companies use prop newspapers instead of real ones because getting clearance from an actual publication is usually more work than it’s worth.

The front is blank and can be customised, but the inside and back page are always identical. It has also been used in films including No Country for Old Men, when Tommy Lee Jones is reading a paper at a diner.

In Australian television most shows devise their own version of a newspaper, such as the Erinsborough News or Lowdown‘s Sunday Sun. Some liaise with an actual newspapers to mock up realistic headlines when it matters more, especially in fact-based dramas.

Keep your eyes peeled for this one in the future!

Source: Slashfilm, Slate