They never intended to show anything to the right of the doorframe on TV, so there's a random sign on the wall and a big hole in the wall (which makes sense if you are a camera crew wanting to film a sitcom in the apartment, that doesn't make so much sense in the fictional world that anyone would have a big rectangle cut out of the wall between their apartment and the hallway).
The apartment was a bunch of 2x4s and plywood in the middle of a big sound stage building on the Warner lot in Burbank. It's still there afaik.
The “five card charlie” sign is part of the set that’s supposed to be on camera, but the hole in the sheetrock obviously isn’t.
I might be wrong but I don't remember the original framing ever showing the sign, so I assumed (perhaps incorrectly) that it was there ready for them to move in shot if they ever wanted it, but that as seen in this image it's not supposed to be on camera
I distinctly remember the "5 card Charlie" sign from the original SDTV broadcast back in the day.
In that case your memory (or perhaps just attention to detail when watching) is better than mine, and I withdraw my previous belief! Thanks for the correction
I know you are right here but it is also true that many real New York apartments have crazy things like the hole in the sheetrock.
Who doesn’t want a permanently open serving window between their apartment and the public hallway
This post explains it nicely, by showing the noticeboard they normally use to cover that camera hole (which looks like an unfinished window frame, missing its architrave): https://x.com/MattBaume/status/1661785600050233344
There's a window-hole in what should be an exterior apartment wall facing a hallway. Right side of the screen.
New York apartments rarely have holes in their walls opening to the hallway.
haha. Take a look at the massive unfinished window into the hallway =).
There's a cut out on the wall for cameras on a different angle.
I think it is the open hole in the wall next to the door -- which no real apartment would have. I think that part was meant be cropped in the final frame, maybe?