Television chess players

I've seen the following scene played out a couple of times on TV shows and advertisements lately.
Two players are engaged in a chess game, and a battle of wills, when one player says "You're normally a cautious player who looks at every angle." The other player just nods. Then the first player continues "So the move you've played just looks like a mistake. Maybe you sacrificed your bishop for a better position".
As a non-TV chess player this of course irks me. If a game is being played between two players having a chat, moves that look like mistakes are normally just that. And the probability that a piece sac is going to give you a better position is normally quite low. A mating attack, yes. Or even the chance to win back material. But enough positional compensation to justify the loss of a piece? Not in most living rooms/parks I've played chess in.