History Main / DieHardOnAnX

* A second-season episode of ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' admits that it's ripping off this device by entitling the episode where everyone is trapped in a vampire-infested school (''Die Hard'' in a school) with Buffy as their only hope "School Hard".

* The b-movie ''Final Voyage'' is ''Die Hard'' on a cruise ship, and even features Erika Eleniak as [[TheLoad]].

* ''MsTree'' had a story titled "New Year's Evil" where a derranged gunman takes over the rooftop restaurant where Michael Tree is celebrating New Year's Eve. Michael happens to be in the ladies rom at the time. Cue this trope.

*** Although, this aired before ''DieHard'' was released. So ''DieHard'' is sort of "''Space Seed'' in an office building"! Sort of...

** The episode was "Power Play" by Terry Nation, in case anyone was curious. Although bad guys taking over the Liberator wasn't exactly a rare occurence...

* The ''DoctorWho'' ExpandedUniverse novel ''[=GodEngine=]'' traps thirtieth-century cop Chris Cwej in a Martian military base, upon which he promptly proceeds to wreak mayhem using a strategy his partner informs us is officially known as "The [=McClane=] Protocol".

* ''{{Speed}}'' is often touted as "''Die Hard'' on a bus."

* When a group of terrorists take over Sakuya's [[IncrediblyLamePun titanic]] ship in an episode of ''HayateTheCombatButler'', it gets {{lampshaded}} by the [[LemonyNarrator narrator]], who tells us that "Die Hard on a boat will be right back."

* ''Early Reins'': Die Hard on a train! In TheWildWest! And the heroes are GirlsWithGuns!

* [[JusticeSocietyOfAmerica JSA]] #10: Wildcat goes Die Hard in the JSA Mansion.

**** Let me help you with that then: [=DH3=]=Die Hard in New York City. [=DH4=] is a bit all over the place however. [=McClane's=] part in the story begins in Jersey before becoming Die Hard in DC/Baltimore. Then it moves to West Virginia. Then it goes BACK to Baltimore! Confusing? Slightly.....movie is still a ton of fun to watch however. Of course as with all Die Hard films other than the original YMMV.
***** [=DH4=] is Die Hard in the internet.

** And ''{{Speed}} 2'', a.k.a. Die Hard on a boat.

** ''ConAir'' also has some traits of Die Hard on a plane, though it ends ''off'' the plane.

** ''{{United 93}}'' is also Die Hard on a plane. Except, it actually happened.

*** And just to continue that, his second lecture/stand-up/Q&A/whatever DVD invoked ''Die Hard ''2 with its title "An Evening With Kevin Smith 2: ''Evening Harder''".

* ''TheFifthElement'', in its middle section, briefly becomes Die Hard on a Boat... [[RecycledInSpace IN SPAAAACE]]!!! It also has BruceWillis shooting bad guys and blowing stuff up.
* ''The Taking of Beverly Hills'' is Die Hard in a city

* ''BeverlyHillsCop III'' is Die Hard in an amusement park (at least in part).
* DolphLundgren starrer ''Agent Red'' is Die Hard on a submarine
* ''HomeAlone'' is Die Hard for kids!.
* ''The Rock'' is Die Hard on Alcatraz.
* ''Armored'' is Die Hard in an armored truck.
* The b-movie ''Velocity Trap'' is Die Hard on a spaceship.
* The movie ''{{Hostage}}'' is Die Hard in a house, bonus points for having Bruce Willis as the main character.

* ''ArtemisFowl'' 's author EoinColfer has described the first book in the series as "Die Hard with Elves"
* Judith & Garfield Reeves-Steven's novel ''Quicksilver'' is Die Hard in the Pentagon
* ''Vertical Run'' by Joseph Garber is Die Hard in an office building, where the John [=McClane=] of the story is the only target.

*** Although, this aired before DieHard was released. So DieHard is sort of "''Space Seed'' in an office building"! Sort of...

*** Hell, one of the descriptions even said it was, "Die Hard" style.

** Usually any time that Jefferies Tubes are mentioned, you know there's going to be a Die Hard plot, except for that one episode where Picard ended up playing the flute in them like an insane homeless man.

* In the pilot of ''{{Entourage}}'', Vince gets pitched a script that is described as "Die Hard at Disneyland."

-->'''Teal'c:''' "DieHard."
** They've played it straight a few times. The ''Prometheus'' has been taken over by alien or human bad guys on at least two occasions, and once SG-1 had to take it back from an alternate SG-1. (Long story.) The SGC has also been the target of this a few times. (In "Foothold", for example, the [[spoiler: aliens were masquerading as the regular characters, and Sam was the only one who was really herself]]). Die Hard... In Colorado?

** So this would be Die Hard InSpace!

* ''HumanTarget'' has had Die Hard On a Bullet Train ["Pilot"] (complete with air vent crawl!) and Die Hard In a Monastery ["Sanctuary"].

* ''BatmanArkhamAsylum'' is basically Die Hard in Arkham Asylum started by the Joker.
* ''SystemShock'' is Die Hard on a space station. With an AI and cyborgs.
* The original ''{{Half-Life}}'' is pretty much Die Hard in a research facility.

* Metal Gear Solid was "Die Hard on an Alaskan Military Base"
** Come to think of it, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was "Die Hard on a Russian Military Base During the Cold War".
*** [=MGS2=] manages to cover "DH on a ship" and "DH in a clean up facility." [=MGS4=] is a bit like Live Free or Die Hard in the sense that Snake does quite a bit of traveling in the game. This game lets us add "DH in the Middle East, South America, Europe and Alaska" before coming back to being on a ship again (which this time around is more like {{StormingTheCastle}})
** Of course the original Metal Gear (and sequels) came out in 1987 pre-dating Die Hard and with the same basic plot. Many also differ in that the "terrorists" often aren't taking over anything, but staying at home being evil and Snake needs to infiltrate them.
* Metroid as a series is Diehard on an entire planet! Except when it is on a space station.

* ''"TheDragonDoctors"'' are currently featuring a "Die Hard In A Hospital" scenario. Goro, the sickly surgeon, is fighting off four thieves while awaiting her LifeEnergy transplant.

* The ''SouthPark'' episode "Super Fun Time" is essentially ''DieHard at Ye' Olde Settlement'', where a team of terrorists, complete with a Hans lookalike, takes a frontier-town educational park hostage after robbing a Burger King.

** And an episode of ''TransformersAnimated'' did Die Hard on an Elite Guard Spaceship. Complete with bomb-down-the-elevator-shaft and grumbling while crawling through the air vent.
* The "Hostage Crisis" episode of ''StarWarsTheCloneWars'' was basically "Die Hard in the Republic Senate building" with Anakin as John [=McClane=] and bounty hunter Cad Bane as Hans Gruber. Instead of having no shoes like [=McClane=], Anakin has no lightsaber.
* A clip show episode of TheCritic was framed around Jay's show being taken over by terrorists led by a Hans Gruber {{Expy}}. In the end [[BigDamnHeroes they were defeated]] by HighlyVisibleNinja [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAwesome Milton Berle.]]
* The DextersLaboratory episode "Trapped With A Vengeance" had Dexter facing the janitor at school, and had several {{Shout Out}}s to iconic scenes from DieHard.

* The 1931 story arc of {{Baccano}}, AKA "The Grand Punk Railroad" takes it UpToEleven. On a train! With ''three'' gangs hijacking at the same time, two serial killers, and three immortals! You almost forget hostages are involved, sometimes.

Named after a meme within the entertainment industry based on the [[DieHard movie of the same name]], starring BruceWillis. One of the most important action films of all time, if all the copycat ripoffs are any indication. An old story says that the pitches for many action films basically go "[[XMeetsY ''Die Hard'' on a...]]", until one day, someone tried to pitch a movie as "''Die Hard'' in an Office Building". Apparently, they [[DidNotDoTheResearch were unaware]] that the original ''Die Hard'' ''[[CriticalResearchFailure did]]'' take place in an office building.

Named after a meme within the entertainment industry based on the [[DieHard movie of the same name]], starring BruceWillis. One of the most important action films of all time, if all the copycat ripoffs are any indication. An old story says that the pitches for many action films basically go "[[XMeetsY Die Hard on a...]]", until one day, someone tried to pitch a movie as "''Die Hard'' in an Office Building". Apparently, they [[DidNotDoTheResearch were unaware]] that the original ''Die Hard'' ''[[CriticalResearchFailure did]]'' take place in an office building.

** ''{{Halflife 2}}'' lampshades Dr. Freeman's proclivity for air-vent exploration.

** Come to think of it, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was "Die Hard on a Russian Military Base During the Cold War". I haven't played the 2nd or 4th games, so I don't know if they fit the trope as well.

* The escape from the belly of the ''Leviathan'' in KotOR is either Diehard on a spaceship or a biblical reference.

* The DextersLaboratory episode "Traped With A Vengence" had Dexter facing the janitor at school, and had several {{Shout Out}}s to iconic scenes from DieHard.

**** Let me help you with that then: DH3=Die Hard in New York City. DH4 is a bit all over the place however. McClane's part in the story begins in Jersey before becoming Die Hard in DC/Baltimore. Then it moves to West Virginia. Then it goes BACK to Baltimore! Confusing? Slightly.....movie is still a ton of fun to watch however. Of course as with all Die Hard films other than the original YMMV.
***** DH4 is Die Hard in the internet.

* ''Vertical Run'' by Joseph Garber is Die Hard in an office building, where the John McClane of the story is the only target.

* The "Hostage Crisis" episode of ''StarWarsTheCloneWars'' was basically "Die Hard in the Republic Senate building" with Anakin as John McClane and bounty hunter Cad Bane as Hans Gruber. Instead of having no shoes like McClane, Anakin has no lightsaber.

* Metroid as a series is Diehard on an entire planet! Except when it is on a space station.

* ''{{Stargate SG-1}}'' inverted this trope: the SG-1 itself is mistaken as a group of terrorists, and a bumbling security guard believes himself to be the [=McClane=]. [[GenreSavvy Naturally]], they Lampshade it:

* ''DieHard'' [[ShapedLikeItself is Die Hard]].

** ''Snakes on a Plane''

*The movie ''Hostage'' is Die Hard in a house, bonus points for having Bruce Willis as the main character.