The Old Inflatable Raft Gag
Someone accidentally pulls a cord that makes a raft instantly inflate in an awkward place.
The Dick Van Dyke Show
Appearances
- The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis: Episode 12, "Deck the Halls" (1959). Maynard buys a raft from the Army surplus store for his dad for Christmas, and he asks Mr. Gillis to keep it at the store to hide it, but he forgets to tell him not to pull the cord that inflates it.
- The Dick Van Dyke Show: Episode 16, "The Curious Thing About Women" (1962). Laura is overcome with curiosity when Rob receives a mysterious package in the mail. She opens it and accidentally inflates a raft in the living room.
- Get Smart: Episode 2, "Viva Smart" (1967). While demonstrating to 99 how he hid his emergency escape balloon in a false pocket in his suitcase, Max accidentally inflates it, and it turns out to be an inflatable raft instead.
- The Bob Newhart Show: Episode 7, "Send This Boy to Camp" (1976). When Jerry, Bob, and Howard get ready to go camping, Howard accidentally pulls the string on his inflatable raft and inflates it in the elevator.
- WKRP in Cincinnati: Episode 18, "Who is Gordon Sims?" (1979). Mr. Carlson accidentally inflates a raft in his office, and he can't figure out how to deflate it.
- Frasier: Season 8, episode 7, "The New Friend" (2000). While Roz and Frasier are hiding in the closet of Roz's boyfriend Luke's houseboat, Roz sits down on something wet, so they both reach behind them to move it out of the way, pull a cord, and inflate a raft that pushes them both out of the closet.