Hall of Fame
Celebrating stairlifts in film, television, and popular culture
The humble stairlift has made its mark on popular culture in ways you might not expect. From dramatic movie scenes to beloved television moments, these mobility devices have become cultural touchstones — sometimes serious, often humorous, always memorable.
Gremlins (1984)
Perhaps the most infamous stairlift scene in cinema history. Mrs. Deagle's ill-fated ride became a defining moment of 1980s horror-comedy, introducing stairlifts to millions — albeit in a rather dramatic fashion.
Cultural Impact
Contributed to the creation of the PG-13 rating. Made stairlifts a recognized household term overnight.
“The scene was so memorable that stairlift companies spent years reassuring customers about safety features.”
Stannah TV Commercials
Stannah's television advertising campaigns, running since the 1980s, made the company a household name in the UK. The gentle, reassuring tone of these commercials set the template for accessibility product marketing.
Cultural Impact
Created the archetype of stairlift advertising: testimonials, soft lighting, and emphasis on independence.
“If you can't manage the stairs, Stannah will help you manage them.”
Only Fools and Horses
The beloved British sitcom featured Del Boy and Rodney installing stairlifts as one of their many business ventures. The episode highlighted both the importance of proper installation and the comedic potential of DIY disasters.
Cultural Impact
Normalized stairlifts as a common home feature in British popular culture.
“This time next year, Rodney, we'll be millionaires... in the stairlift business!”
Acorn Stairlifts Advertising
Acorn's aggressive television marketing campaign brought stairlift advertising to daytime TV across multiple countries. Their catchy phone numbers and direct approach made stairlifts accessible to a mass market.
Cultural Impact
Transformed stairlifts from a specialty medical item to a mainstream consumer product.
“The Acorn Superglide... because your home is your castle, and every castle needs a lift.”
The Royle Family
The beloved British sitcom featured Nana's stairlift as a recurring element, depicting it as a normal part of family life. The show's realistic portrayal helped destigmatize home accessibility equipment.
Cultural Impact
Showed stairlifts as an accepted, even mundane, feature of modern family homes.
“The stairlift became a character in its own right, always there in the background.”
Up (2009)
While not featuring a traditional stairlift, Pixar's Up opens with Carl Fredricksen using a motorized chair lift to ascend his porch steps — a poignant symbol of his determination to age in place despite physical limitations.
Cultural Impact
Brought the concept of home accessibility to family audiences with emotional depth.
“The chair lift scene wordlessly conveys decades of adaptation and resilience.”
Little Britain
The comedy sketch show featured recurring bits involving stairlifts, often playing on the contrast between expectations and reality. While sometimes controversial, the sketches raised awareness of accessibility issues.
Cultural Impact
Brought stairlifts into mainstream comedy conversation, for better or worse.
“Yeah but no but yeah but... I need a stairlift.”
The internet meme era
Stairlifts became unexpected internet meme fodder in the 2010s, with various viral videos and images celebrating or satirizing stairlift culture. This digital attention brought new awareness to younger demographics.
Cultural Impact
Introduced stairlifts to millennials and Gen Z, often as objects of affectionate humor.
“Stairlift TikTok is a thing, and it's glorious.”
Want to see the real thing?
Check out our Gremlins exhibit — the most famous stairlift scene in cinema history.
View Gremlins ExhibitStairlifts in Popular Culture
What makes a household mobility device worthy of the Hall of Fame? Cultural impact. The stairlift has transcended its utilitarian purpose to become a symbol — of aging, of adaptation, of home, and sometimes of comedy.
From the horror-comedy of Gremlins to the gentle humor of British sitcoms, stairlifts have appeared in our entertainment in ways both expected and surprising. Television advertising has also played a crucial role, with companies like Stannah and Acorn creating campaigns so memorable they've become cultural reference points in their own right.
The Hall of Fame celebrates these moments — the times when a simple mobility device captured our collective imagination and became something more than the sum of its rails and motors.