History ContinuityNod / WesternAnimation

** In "Awesom-O" Ms. Cartman says Eric is supposed to be grounded for trying to exterminate the Jews two weeks ago. He did just that in "The Passion of the Jew", which aired two weeks earlier.

** When the entirety of Arkham Asylum puts Batman on trial, it's one big nod to the first appearances of each of the villains who "testify" against him.
** At the BatmanTheAnimatedSeries [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesTheClockKing episode The Clock King]], the paper Bruce was reading has a photograph of someone who seems like Maven, Selina Kyle assistant, with a cat that seems like Isis, both from the episode [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesTheCatAndTheClawPartI The Cat and the Claw]]. The header says: ''Kolus cat saved''.

** The shorts ''New Teen Titans'' does this in the short "Blackfire's Babysitter" by not only referencing Blackfire's marriage, but revealing that she got saddled with four kids[[hottip:*: It's kinda implied it's the creature's offspring, not Blackfire's]]

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* The effective use of this in ''Aladdin and the King of Thieves'' is considered by many to be what made that movie better then the first sequel to ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'', ''The Return of Jafar'', which entirely relied on the events of the first movie. That, and Creator/RobinWilliams returning as Genie.

** Just to give one of the many examples, remember Drakken's mind controlling shampoo? Hank Perkins does when naming Drakken's cupcake business. He mentions that "We focused tested "Dr D's", but everyone associated it with shampoo for some reason." It appears again, when Drakken later distils it for a more concentrated mind-control formula. Also, Warmonga - the alien who believes "the Great Blue" will lead her people - comes to Earth and sides with Drakken [[AliensStealCable after picking up the TV signal]] of the ''AmericanIdol'' parody that he appeared on to promote the shampoo.

*** And that episode was also filled to the brim with {{Continuity Nod}}s, considering it was intended to be a GrandFinale. A visual that referenced the first episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', connecting a Joker plot in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' to the WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond [[WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyondReturnOfTheJoker movie]], the random appearance of a villain we haven't seen or heard from in over a decade, the list goes on.

* In many episodes of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', there are small bits in the background which recall earlier episodes -- the enormous stone head that was in their basement for years, the electric hammer showed up in one of the Treehouse of Horror shorts, "Homer's Enemy" had Frank Grimes in complete disbelief when he saw Homer's Grammy award and photos from his time with NASA, and so on. However, despite these things, ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' usually has NegativeContinuity. It plays them against each other, like the episode where Homer took off Ned Flanders' roof to act as a snowplow, and Flanders complained that Homer used to be a professional snowplower and still had the equipment (and theme song). Similarly, Mr. Burns and Krusty the Clown never recognize Homer and Bart, respectively, even when all the previous episodes they've interacted in are mentioned.

-->'''Bart:''' I'm Bart Simpson. I saved you from jail. ("Krusty Gets Busted")

-->'''Bart:''' I reunited you with your estranged father? ("Like Father, Like Clown")

-->'''Bart:''' I saved your career, man! Remember your comeback special? ("Krusty Gets Kancelled")

** In the episode "Midnight Rx", the Canadian news refers to Homer as "Former American astronaut Homer Simpson".
** In the episode "Homer the Heretic" Moe declares himself to be a snake handler. In the episode "Eeny Teeny Maya Moe" (aired more than 16 years later) he says that he's a "snake handler but not an observant one".
** In the episode "Homer at the Bat", Smithers hires nine Major League Baseball players, including Mike Scioscia, to play against the team of the Shelbyville Nuclear Power Plant. All are prevented from playing by various misfortunes, with Scioscia getting radiation poisoning from working in the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. Scioscia (now a manager for the Angels) appears in the episode "[=MoneyBART=]" (aired 18 years later); when Marge asks him about the radiation poisoning, he says it gave him "super managing powers".
** In the episode "Much Apu About Nothing", Selma gives her full name as "Selma Bouvier Terwilliger Hutz [=McClure=]", referencing her previous failed marriages to Sideshow Bob ("Black Widower") and Troy [=McClure=] ("A Fish Called Selma"). It was, however, something of a revelation [[NoodleIncident that she was ever married to Lionel Hutz]].

* ''DangerMouse'' has a couple. "The Return of Count Duckula" has a slightly altered recounting of DM's first encounter with the count, "The Clock Strikes Back" has the time-traveling clock from "The Hickory Dickory Dock Dilemma" returning (as a vessel for a megalomaniacal magician), and "Penfold Transformed" has Greenback acknowledging the failure of his duplicator from "Tiptoe Through The Penfolds."

* In the ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' episode "Love, AD Style", when Francine tells Stan that Roger had shot Haley, Stan recalls the time she shot him in "Haylias".

** "You Made Me!" features the return of [[EnsembleDarkhorse Lemongrab]], last scene in "Too Young."

** In "The Entity", Bill Gates has a hole in his head from when he was shot.
** "The New Terrence and Phillip Movie Trailer" is about the boys trying to see the trailer for ''Asses of Fire 2''.

** Butters help Cartman compile a list of things to atone for in the Season 9 episode "The Death of Eric Cartman." Many events were seen in episodes from the previous season such as "Up the Down Steroid" and "Pre-School". Then there were references to "Scott Tenorman Must Die" and "Kenny Dies" from season 5, and "the Sally Struthers incident", which happened even earlier.

** In the same show, there is an odd example of a MythologyGag becoming a sort of retroactive ContinuityNod: the elderly Bruce Wayne's pet Great Dane is named Ace, which was also the name of the Bat-Hound, Batman's pet dog who appeared in his comics during the 1950s and 60s. In a later episode, though, we learn about one of his later adventures as Batman, and the name of "Ace" takes on a whole new meaning: [[spoiler: Namely, the suggestion that Ace is named after Ace of the Royal Flush Gang, whom Batman stayed with as she slowly died in the ''[[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Justice League Unlimited]]'' episode "Epilogue".]]

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' occasionally makes references to the events of past episodes. The 200/201 two-parter is especially rich on them, making it a perfect Milestone Celebration.

* The Franchise/{{DCAU}} had tons of Continuity Nods throughout its run, the first of which is probably from the pilot of ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' where Ma Kent encourages Clark to do an interview because she doesn't want people to think he's like "[[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries that nut in Gotham City]]."
** In "Obsession", Billy Batson is clearly seen covering the fashion show (though Captain Marvel wouldn't appear until ''[[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Justice League Unlimited]]''.)

** A classic from ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''; in the episode "Pretty Poison", Pamela Isley, (aka Poison Ivy), is dating Harvey Dent (the future Two-Face), intending to kill him for destroying a nature preserve to build Arkham Asylum. Later in "Almost Got 'im", Poison Ivy and Two-Face meet in a BadGuyBar and start trading insults. Ivy then turns to Joker, Penguin, and Killer Croc and explains, "We used to date." (There's a bit of dramatic irony here in that Joker, Penguin, and Croc all respond with a casual "Ah....", probably thinking something along the lines of "she must have been a total bitch to him." They don't even realize that she almost ''murdered'' him!)

-->'''Lisa''' (quietly, with distain): That would have made a lot more sense...
** In "Day Of Wine and D'ohsies" when Bart and Lisa are digging through the closet looking for a camera you can see many objects from past episodes including Homer's Mr. Plow jacket, Homer's Pin Pals uniform, a Scratchy robot head from Itchy and Scratchyland, a Be Sharps album, Homer's boxing gloves from his career, Homer's cowboy hat from when he managed Lurleen Lumpkin, Homer's astronaut helmet, a Mr. Sparkle box, and the liquor bottle disguised as a civil war figurine.
** In one WholePlotReference to ''Literature/FlowersForAlgernon'', Homer is revealed to have been a genius as a child before he shoved a crayon up his nose. Many, many seasons later, during a growing-up montage (itself a ShoutOut to ''{{Amelie}}''), in one photo his grade is an A+; the next, it's an [[FMinusMinus F- -]].

** Just to give one of the many examples, remember Drakken's mind controlling shampoo? Hank Perkins does when naming Drakken's cupcake business. He mentions that "We focused tested "Dr D's", but everyone associated it with shampoo for some reason." It appears again, when Drakken later distils it for a more concentrated mind-control formula. Also, Warmonga - the alien who believes "the Great Blue" will lead her people - comes to Earth and sides with Drakken after picking up the TV signal of the ''AmericanIdol'' parody that he appeared on to promote the shampoo.

*** Let's not forget his posthumous nod in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra''. When a certain prominent businessman is arrested as a suspect in support of the Equalists and eclaims "MY CABBAGE CORP!" as he is being led off in handcuffs from the company headquarters. And who is immortalized as a statue in front of said headquarters? None other than the cabbage merchant complete with cart.

* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' has a few, but the most obvious one is when Brian throws a rock at Peter's head in the episode "The Fat Guy Strangler" (instead of hitting the serial killer who had just let him go). When Peter chastises him he explains that he was aiming for Peter in the first place as belated revenge for a gag in the episode "To Love and Die in Dixie", which aired four years ago (specifically, not rolling down the window of their mock [[TheDukesOfHazzard General Lee]] they had built before encouraging Brian to jump in through the window).

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'': in the cartoon special "My Smurfy Valentine", Chlorhydris the evil witch spoke of Azrael having "royal blood in his veins" — which interestingly turns out to be true in Season 9's "Mummy Dearest" when the Smurfs meet his distant ancestor, the cat pharaoh Azra

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** Possibly the most subtle is from the season 3 finale, Magical Mystery Tour. Check how long it takes for Rainbow Dash to clear the skies [[spoiler:after Rarity has been screwing up Rainbow Dash's job]].

** Just to give one of the many examples, remember Drakken's mind controlling shampoo? Hank Perkins does when naming Drakken's cupcake business. He mentions that "We tried "Dr D's", but people thought it was shampoo for some reason." It appears again, when Drakken later distils it for a more concentrated mind-control formula. Also, Warmonga - the alien who believes "the Great Blue" will lead her people - comes to Earth and sides with Drakken after picking up the TV signal of the ''AmericanIdol'' parody that he appeared on to promote the shampoo.

*** Could be an ActorAllusion since Hutz and [=McClure=] were both voiced by PhilHartman...

* In ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'' season four, the final battle against the Wizards of Black Circle happens in the Omega Dimension, the ice prison Baltor escaped from in season three.
** Not a very effective one, since there are no ice snakes present like last time.
** Another trope undermined by 4Kids editing, and twice in a single episode to boot:
*** When the girls visit Gardenia in S2, Bloom sees auras over guards at a nightclub, in reference to Bloom seeing auras over many people in the S1 episode in which she visits her home on spring break. 4Kids cuts that part out. [[http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x30py6_winx-club-comparisons-the-invisible_fun 11:21 in this video.]]
*** From the same episode, Vanessa talks to Bloom about having to testify on trial against the guys who burned down her flower shop back in the S1 episode in question (in fact, that's the whole reason she's headed to Gardenia in this episode), but in the dub, Vanessa talks about trying to get extra help for the flower shop. (10:08 in the above video.)
** I must say, in S4, the writers did a good job remembering some of the magical abilities that Nabu had displayed in S3. (Then again, Nabu didn't have much screen-time in S3, and he only used his powers in three of the episodes he appeared in that season...)