This is discussion archived from a time before the current discussion method was installed.
With regards to Mac Gyver's Opening Gambit, the one in "Deathlock" does have a link to the main plot- Mac Gyver has the information wanted by the villain.
I disagree with this line in the Simpsons entry, specifically the parentheses. "In their more recent seasons (possibly after witnessing the success of Family Guy)"
Homer's Barbershop Quartet aired in 1993, and featured a lead in of attending a swap meet where the family noticed one of Homer's old music albums, which started the storyline proper. The Simpsons have been around for a while, it's not like they started using lead ins only after Family Guy started.
Random Person: I'm not sure about this trope's name. A "Lead In" is, in television speak, usually used to refer to putting a show before another show in the hope that the viewers of the first show will stick around for the next. So, for example, if Show A is doing well in the ratings but Show B isn't, putting Show B after Show A can sometimes help Show B out in the ratings. In fact, some pages on this site use the phrase Lead In in that way and link to this page. I think the "Lead In" page should be about that and the information on this page should be moved to a different trope name.
