History Main / RealWorldEpisode

* Played fairly straight in most ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' continuity, mostly ''[[Anime/DigimonTamers Tamers]]'', and {{subverted|Trope}} in ''[[Anime/DigimonSavers Savers]]''. The Digimon that appear in the "real world" often suffer a loss in [[PowerLevels power]], but they somehow manage to exist despite being made of data. Also, they can still use special attacks and evolve.

* Way back in 2002, someone wrote a story called the [[http://www.henneth-annun.net/stories/chapter.cfm?stid=339 Fanfic Lounge.]] It took place in [[GoodGuyBar a lounge made for fictional characters]] so they could relax between fanfics. While We're not sure how many spin offs were made, this one was about ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' cast, along with Creator/ElijahWood and Creator/OrlandoBloom, being gathered in the lounge in order to find a solution to the problems plaguing LOTR fanfiction. IIRC, this is where the LOTR cast discovers their fictional status, and Orlando Bloom and Elijah Wood are just as weirded out at meeting their fictional counterparts. The story featured the culture shock scenario for the LOTR cast, and contained such gems as: [[spoiler:Boromir trying to open a can of Mountain Dew with a dagger, the cast becoming confused at references to future events in the books/movies (the cast was taken some time before the splitting of the Fellowship), and perhaps the best part, the cast being informed of the existence of Yaoi slash fiction, and being informed of who is frequently paired with who.]] The two RealLife actors also experience their own variant, when [[spoiler: Elijah Wood is nearly torn apart when he accidentally walks into a room used to hold {{Mary Sue}}s (and then later identifies ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' as being among them), and Orlando Bloom becoming horrified when he's told that the body he's currently inhabiting was pulled out of an NC-17 fic, explaining why he was missing his shirt (hard to explain, you'd have to read it).]]

* Notably used in a ''Film/BackToTheFuture'' [[http://www.kristensheley.com/bttf/interactiveII.html fanfic]], where accidental interaction with the creators and actors changes them to earlier drafts. Interference with Michael J. Fox's audition causes Marty's appearance to change to that of [[TheOtherMarty Eric Stoltz]], flying past Bob Gale causes the [=DeLorean=] TimeMachine to revert to a refrigerator, and tearing off a page establishing the [[MacGuffin almanac]] from the sequel's screenplay wipes out all the events stemming from Marty buying it in 2015.
* The [[http://shifti.org/wiki/Xanadu_(setting) Xanadu storyverse]], in which at a fairly large convention called "[[TitleDrop Xanadu]]" all of the [[BecomingTheCostume costumes become real]]. While most stories focus on weirdness and some on [[UsefulNotes/FurryFandom furries]], naturally a number of cosplayers were featured, with varying levels of mental change, from "Whoa, suddenly my costume is perfect!" to "Where is this place? Where did my TrueCompanions go?" Two stories have [[RefugeeFromTVLand characters and such from fictional fiction]]; [[http://shifti.org/wiki/Slinx Slinx]], a Franchise/{{Pokemon}} {{Expy}}, and [[http://shifti.org/wiki/The_Perils_of_Voice_Acting The Perils Of Voice Acting]], a pastiche of He-Man, She-Ra, and other cartoons from that period.
* Way back in 2002, someone wrote a story called the [[http://www.henneth-annun.net/stories/chapter.cfm?stid=339 Fanfic Lounge.]] It took place in [[GoodGuyBar a lounge made for fictional characters]] so they could relax between fanfics. While We're not sure how many spin offs were made, this one was about ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' cast, along with Creator/ElijahWood and Creator/OrlandoBloom, being gathered in the lounge in order to find a solution to the problems plaguing LOTR fanfiction. IIRC, this is where the LOTR cast discovers their fictional status, and Orlando Bloom and Elijah Wood are just as weirded out at meeting their fictional counterparts. The story featured the culture shock scenario for the LOTR cast, and contained such gems as:[[spoiler: Boromir trying to open a can of Mountain Dew with a dagger, the cast becoming confused at references to future events in the books/movies (the cast was taken some time before the splitting of the Fellowship), and perhaps the best part, the cast being informed of the existence of Yaoi slash fiction, and being informed of who is frequently paired with who.]] The two RealLife actors also experience their own variant, when [[spoiler: Elijah Wood is nearly torn apart when he accidentally walks into a room used to hold {{Mary Sue}}s (and then later identifies ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' as being among them), and Orlando Bloom becoming horrified when he's told that the body he's currently inhabiting was pulled out of an NC-17 fic, explaining why he was missing his shirt (hard to explain, you'd have to read it).]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/DuckAmuck'' Daffy Duck argues with his animator, who erases and redraws the situation to torment Daffy.

* ''Film/UltramanGaiaTheBattleInHyperspace'', unlike the other films from the ''Franchise/UltraSeries'', is actually set in the real world, where the Ultramen are characters from works of fiction. Most of the film revolves around a lonely boy who idolizes ''Series/UltramanGaia'', and after making a wish, somehow managed to drag Gaia's human host, Gamu Takayama, into our world.

When characters in an ongoing story suddenly find themselves in a new fiction that views their entire history as a work of fiction, you're watching a Real World Episode. The intended effect is to make the audience believe that the characters have broken through the FourthWall and [[ThisIsReality entered your reality, as this new fiction is a stand-in for the real world]]. Stories with these plots are popular because of {{Deconstruction}} and LampshadeHanging jokes, as well as SelfDeprecation. Sometimes it's a form of raising the stakes, as at least two worlds may now be in trouble. The original world may turn out to be a product of someone's mind in the real world or it may be independent, with the ''real'' world inhabitants somehow learning about this parallel universe's story and becoming familiar with it as mere ''fiction''.

When characters in an ongoing story suddenly find themselves in a new fiction that views their entire history as a work of fiction, you're watching a Real World Episode. The intended effect is to make the audience believe that the characters have broken through the FourthWall and [[ThisIsReality entered your reality, as this new fiction is a stand-in for the real world]]. Stories with these plots are popular because of {{Deconstruction}} and LampshadeHanging jokes, as well as SelfDeprecation. Sometimes it's a form of raising the stakes, as at least two worlds may now be in trouble. The original world may turn out to be a product of someone's mind in the real world or it may be independent, with the real world inhabitants somehow learning about this parallel universe's story and becoming familiar with it as mere ''fiction''.

This trope is related to, but distinct from, RefugeeFromTVLand. There, a character is pulled out of a ShowWithinAShow, whereas a Real World Episode concerns characters the viewers have been following for some time prior to this, and no indication had yet been given that they were in fact in-universe fictional (other than the fact that they, y'know, exist in a TV series, movie, book, comic, or video game in the real-real-life). Quietly implies TheWorldAsMyth and can be paired with a ReadingIsCoolAesop.

Compare MageInManhattan (where a powerful villain from another world, but not always another fiction, comes to assault the world of the audience), UpTheRealRabbitHole (where the "topmost" universe is recognized as the "real" one), and TomatoSurprise (where we learn the protagonists are not what we expected them to be). Contrast TrappedInTVLand (basically the inverse of this). Definitely [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant not to be confused with]] an episode of ''Series/TheRealWorld''.

When characters in an ongoing story suddenly find themselves in a new fiction that views their entire history as a work of fiction, you're watching a Real World Episode. The intended effect is to make the audience believe that the characters have broken through the FourthWall and [[ThisIsReality entered your reality]]. Stories with these plots are popular because of {{Deconstruction}} and LampshadeHanging jokes, as well as SelfDeprecation. Sometimes it's a form of raising the stakes, as at least two worlds may now be in trouble.

This trope is related to, but distinct from, RefugeeFromTVLand. There, a character is pulled out of a ShowWithinAShow, whereas a Real World Episode concerns characters the viewers have been following for some time prior to this, and no indication had yet been given that they were in fact fictional (other than the fact that they, y'know, exist in a TV series, movie, book, comic, or video game). Quietly implies TheWorldAsMyth and can be paired with a ReadingIsCoolAesop.

* Downplayed in the fifth book of ''Literature/CaptainUnderpants''. While none of the characters enter the real world, Harold 2000 does send a kickball tearing through the top of page 101.

* A short story in the anthology ''Fantasy Gone Wrong'' features a writer struggling with a unicorn to get it to save a centaur from a dragon. The writer and the unicorn ahem discuss variations and reasoning.

* Believe it or not, this occurs in ''Film/{{Goosebumps}}''. Every monster R.L. Stine ever created is locked inside their manuscripts, and he has dedicated his life from protecting the world from them. Then someone opens one of the books...

* ''ComicBook/DeadpoolKillsTheMarvelUniverse'' ends this way, as Deadpool uses the Nexus of All Reality to enter the real world and murder the creators of his comic.

* ''ComicBook/DeadpoolKillsTheMarvelUniverse'' ends this way, as Deadpool uses the Nexus of All Reality to enter the real world and murder the creatures of his comic.

* ''ComicBook/Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe'' ends this way, as Dreadpool uses the Nexus of All Reality to enter the real world and murder the creatures of his comic.

* Believe it or not, this occurs in ''Film/Goosebumps''. Every monster R.L. Stine ever created is locked inside their manuscripts, and he has dedicated his life from protecting the world from them. Then someone opens one of the books...

* Believe it or not, this occurs in ''Film/Goosebumps". Every monster R.L. Stine ever created is locked inside their manuscripts, and he has dedicated his life from protecting the world from them. Then someone opens one of the books...

* The first season finale of ''[[Series/TheTwilightZone2019 The Twilight Zone]]'' is about various characters who are '''making''' an episode of ''The Twilight Zone''. During filming, however, one of the scriptwriters is stalked by a mysterious blurred figure later revealed to be none other than [[spoiler:Rod Serling himself]].

* The first season finale of ''[[Series/TheTwilightZone2019 The Twilight Zone]]'' is about various characters who are '''making''' an episode of ''The Twilight Zone''. During filming, however, one of the writers is stalked by a mysterious blurred figure later revealed to be none other than [[spoiler:Rod Serling himself]].

* The first season finale of ''[[Series/TheTwilightZone2019 The Twilight Zone]]'' is about various characters who are '''making''' an episode of ''The Twilight Zone''. During filming, however, one of the writers is stalked by a mysterious blurred figure with telekinetic powers, who is later revealed to be none other than [[spoiler:Rod Serling himself]].

* The first season finale of ''[[Series/TheTwilightZone2019 The Twilight Zone]]'' is about the making of an episode of the actual series. During filming, however, one of the writers is stalked by a '' mysterious blurred figure with telekinetic powers]]'', who is later revealed to be none other than [[spoiler:Rod Serling himself]].

* The first season finale of ''[[Series/TheTwilightZone2019 The Twilight Zone]]'' is about the making of an episode of the actual series. During filming, however, one of the writers is stalked by a ''[[Recap/TheTwilightZone2019S1E10Blurryman mysterious blurred figure with telekinetic powers]]'', who is later revealed to be none other than [[spoiler:Rod Serling himself]].

* The first season finale of ''[[Recap/TheTwilightZone2019S1E10Blurryman The Twilight Zone]]'' is about the making of an episode of the actual series. During filming, however, one of the writers is stalked by a mysterious blurred figure, and the walls between reality and fiction become hard to distinguish. Eventually, The Twilight Zone overtakes the film set, and the blurred figure is revealed to be none other than [[spoiler:Rod Serling himself]].

* The first season finale of ''[[Series/TheTwilightZone2019 The Twilight Zone]]'' is about the making of an episode of ''[[Recap/TheTwilightZone2019S1E10Blurryman actual the series]]''. During filming, however, one of the writers is stalked by a mysterious blurred figure, and the walls between reality and fiction become hard to distinguish. Eventually, The Twilight Zone overtakes the film set, and the blurred figure is revealed to be none other than [[spoiler:Rod Serling himself]].