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Phone numbers used in TV shows

A phone number visible in Thank God You're Here is one of many fictional numbers freely available for use in creative works.

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If you caught the finale of Thank God You’re Here this week you may have noticed a prominent phone number in one sketch involving a ‘disaster’ style press conference.

But fear not. It was one of many numbers that screen productions can readily use.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority reserves some phone numbers so that they can be used for creative works, such as in TV shows and films.

“These numbers do not belong to people or businesses and you are free to use them in works of fiction,” they advise.

ACMA offers Geographical numbers

Central East (covering NSW and ACT)
(02) 5550 xxxx and (02) 7010 xxxx

South East (covering VIC and TAS)
(03) 5550 xxxx and (03) 7010 xxxx

North East (covering QLD)
(07) 5550 xxxx and (07) 7010 xxxx

Central West (covering SA, WA and NT)
(08) 5550 xxxx and (08) 7010 xxxx

There are also a range of Premium rate, Mobile, Freephone and local rate numbers available.

Much better than America’s ol’ 555 phone numbers heard in so many films and series!

4 Responses

  1. “There are also a range of Premium rate, Mobile, Freephone and local rate numbers…”

    That should be, “There *is* also a range…” ‘Range’ is a singular noun.

  2. I’d have used 619 as the first three digits (instead of 1300 or 555)… I’m a huge wrestling fan (and while that is the Califonia area code, it’d still be useless in Australia as you need international dial codes)

  3. Hollywood started it with 555 and that is what the 5550 numbers are based on. I have never seen or heard an STD number on TV or in a film, it’s antiquated and only needed for period pieces. These days everything is fake mobile number, though usually it’s just an unknown number typed into the phone as that is enough to show a number being exchanged.

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