TVTropes on television portals

[froodle]

You're watching television when suddenly the screen turns to static. A face appears, dark and scary, but you're not worried. After all, it's only the television, nothing can happen. But then it moves closer and closer, so close that it starts reaching out from the TV screen. Now you're very, very scared.
Welcome to the Television Portal. Most often a form of Nightmare Fuel ('cause who wouldn't be freaked out by a television image coming to life?) and Paranoia Fuel (do you know how many hours of television you watch?). Sometimes results in Up the Real Rabbit Hole, Trapped in TV Land, Refugee from TV Land. May start when The Television Talks Back. A quite literal version of The Fourth Wall Will Not Protect You.

May extend to coming out or going into a television set or other electronic device with a screen (i.e. a computer).

Compare Reaching Between the Lines (the same effect, but used as comedy). A subtrope of The Fourth Wall Will Not Protect You.

Eerie, Indiana: In "Scariest Home Videos", Simon's younger brother Harley bites the remote control while watching Bloody Revenge of the Mummy's Curse. As Marshall and Simon had hooked a video camera up to the television, Harley switches place with the film's star Sir Boris von Orloff. Harley becomes trapped in the film while Sir Boris enters the real world.