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Phone numbers for use in TV shows, films and creative works

(www.acma.gov.au)
284 points nomilk | 1 comments | 30 Oct 25 21:49 UTC | HN request time: 0.253s | source
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benjojo12 ◴[30 Oct 25 22:23 UTC] No.45766113[source]▶
The UK also has something similar https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/phone-numbers/...
replies(1): >>45767041 #
Theodores ◴[31 Oct 25 00:25 UTC] No.45767041[source]▶
My fictional British phone number is:

01 811 8055

This used to be the BBC number for call ins, particularly the kids TV show 'Swap Shop', but also for so much else during the 1970s and 1980s.

This number was retired in 1990 when the London ran out of phone numbers and switched to two different prefixes, 071 and 081. The former was advertised on TV as 'Inner London' and the latter as 'Greater London'. This bit of marketing kept everyone happy.

There was still a problem with numbers and the need to go for eleven digits. Hence, in 1995, the codes for London changed again, to 0171 and 0181. This was PHONEDAY.

But still, more numbers were needed, plus the tech behind the scenes was ever-evolving. Hence, in 2000, the numbers changed again for London, for everything to start with 020, so 0171 became 0207 and 0181 became 0208.

But then everyone got mobile phones and we no longer heard about how the economy was growing so quickly that we had this apparent incessant need for even more phone numbers. Furthermore, mobile phones had contacts built into them, so there was no need to remember phone numbers, which was just as well as eleven digits were not so easy to memorise, particularly when the prefixes had changed around so much.

Hence, my personal choice of fictional number. Apart from anything else, it enables me to see how well forms are validated, plus 01 811 8055 is only going to ever be recognised as a 'famous' number by Brits over a certain age.

replies(5): >>45767186 #>>45770118 #>>45770365 #>>45771715 #>>45771888 #
1. redjet ◴[31 Oct 25 10:21 UTC] No.45770365[source]▶
To be pedantic, both 0171 and 0181 became 020, but with the 7 or the 8 moved to the front of the number, so 0171 222 1234 [1] became 020 7222 1234, with 7222 1234 being dialable in London without the area code.

There are also now London numbers that start with a 3 or a 4 as well as 7 and 8 so it's important to properly describe the dialling code for London as 020.

Misconceptions about telephone dialling in the UK are so commonplace that they merit their own Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_telephone_code_misconceptio...

[1] a real number that will get you through to Transport for London enquiries