History NoCelebritiesWereHarmed / LiveActionTV

* An episode of the Japanese series ''KamenRiderWizard'' had a one-off gag involving two American pop stars who looked suspiciously like Lady Gaga. She's apparently very recognizable across the globe.

* In ''Series/BlackMirror'' the first episode features a Royal Princess getting kidnapped. Depending on who you ask it's either Princess Diana or Kate Middleton.

[[folder:nameoffolder]]
[[/folder]]

* ''Series/FatherTed'': Several one-episode characters are based on real Irish celebrities: BBC TV host Henry Sellars (based on Henry Kelly), sickly sweet balladeer Eoin [=McLove=] (Daniel O'Donnell), militant feminist anti-Catholic singer Niamh Connolly (Sinéad O'Connor) and the terrifying Bishop Brennan (Bishop Éamon Casey) -- both bishops having a secret son.

* ''Series/ICarly'':
** "iFix a Popstar" with Ginger Fox, who is a rather obvious parody of Music/BritneySpears.
** "iCook" has Ricky Flame, a parody of Bobby Flay.
** Terry Dingo is one of Walt Disney.
* Creator/JasonAlexander played a not-at-all-disguised-but-not-well-pulled-off Tony Kornheiser in ''Listen Up''. Malcolm Jamal-Warner did a better job doing Michael Wilbon.
* ''Franchise/PowerRangers''
** There were a few ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' [[MonsterOfTheWeek monsters of the week]] like this. Fang and Vampirus were both Creator/PeterLorre impressions, the Lizzinator was Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger, and Dischordia was Creator/EthelMerman.
** Radstar in ''Series/PowerRangersLostGalaxy'' who was a lot like Music/ElvisPresley. (Same pompador, with the King's distinctive accent and syntax.)
** In ''Series/PowerRangersTimeForce'', we find out that the Pink Ranger is a fan of "[[Creator/JackieChan Frankie Chang]]" movies, and they go to see a filming (which ends up being a trap by the bad guys).
** Sergeant Silverback in ''Series/PowerRangersSPD'': "SWAT" is a very bad impersonation of R. Lee Ermey.
* ''Series/DoctorWho''
** The American President Winters, who was strikingly reminiscent of UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush, tries to take over the situation and eventually gets vaporized by the BigBad. After the ResetButton gets hit on the villain's epic evil, this is the one thing to not be undone.
** The villain of "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS25E2TheHappinessPatrol The Happiness Patrol]]", Helen A, is a controversial (at the time) swipe at MargaretThatcher. This was later confirmed by star Creator/{{Sylvester McCoy}}, who gloated ever after of [[UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny beating Thatcher in a fair fight]].
* ''Series/TheWestWing''
** In the fourth season, Jed Bartlet is challenged for the presidency by Robert Ritchie, a conservative Republican and governor of Florida who bears a resemblance to [[StrawCharacter parodical exaggerations]] of a certain President of the United States -- populist tendencies, right-wing views and catchy slogans coupled with a tendency to garble his words and stick his foot in his mouth when speaking. ''Series/TheWestWing'' production team being somewhat on the political left, he was promptly trounced by the intellectual, shrewd Bartlet. This approaches TruthInTelevision -- Bartlet is essentially an idealized Clinton, and Clinton did win handily in both of his races. Remove the sex scandals and [[CanonSue add a Nobel prize]], and this is wholly reasonable.
** Also, the writers based late-season presidential candidate Matt Santos partially off of Barack Obama (combined with other sources, as Obama had never served in the military, unlike Santos) and Republican Candidate Arnie Vinick has been admitted to be a thinly-veiled version of John [=McCain=]. As the writers were explicit in pointing out during the real-world election, they were aiming more for the 2000 version of [=McCain=] than the 2008 one, however. Which makes a whole lot of sense considering the last episode aired in 2006.
** Several other celebrities/politicians are given analogues in the ''West Wing'' universe; the list is probably too extensive to bother enumerating in detail. However, Josh Lyman more or less being [[JerkSue Rahm]] [[MemeticBadass/RealLife Emanuel]] is worth mentioning.
* Practically the entire premise of the short lived FX series ''D!rt''. Amongst some of the more notable ripoffs was a gold-digging blonde drug addict (Anna-Nicole Smith), an actor couple with a blended nickname (who bore resemblance to Jennifer Garner/Ben Affleck), and a cast of actors working on an insanely successful sitcom (the cast of ''Friends'').

* ''Series/LasVegas''
** In "Die Fast, Die Furious", Creator/JeanClaudeVanDamme plays himself filming a movie at the Montecito hotel, and gets killed in a stunt gone wrong. The episode ends with the disclaimer "No actual Jean-Claude Van Dammes were killed in the filming of this episode."
** Gavin Brunson, the first in the Montecito's revolving door of owners, is basically a {{Race Lift}}ed version of Howard Hughes.
* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}''
** In "Criss Angel Is a Douche Bag," Criss Angel never shows up, but the show makes fun of him through a character named Jeb Dexter, an incredibly arrogant magician who bears an incredible resemblance to Criss Angel and does card tricks that are staged like fake demon possessions (which really upsets Dean). He dies horribly, of course. The show also makes fun of him, quietly, by ''naming the episode [[TakeThat Criss Angel Is A Douche Bag]]''
** In season 6, there's a vampire named "Creator/{{Robert|Pattinson}}" and the teenage girl named "Creator/{{Kristen|Stewart}}", as well as a series of totally-not-''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' books that Sam and Dean [[YourVampiresSuck rip the living bejeezus out of]]. The episode is (brilliantly) titled "Live Free or Twihard".
** Supposedly, Ruby was a character that was written for Creator/KristenBell, but she denied the role, which is why the first Ruby looks VERY similar to her.
* ''Series/OdysseyFive''. At one stage the Odyssey team consult an abrasive sci-fi writer who is clearly based on Creator/HarlanEllison (who conceived the series). As they can't tell him the truth (that they've travelled back in time five years to avert the destruction of the Earth) the team pretends they're writing a science fiction novel. The sci-fi writer goes into detail on how cliched and scientifically implausible their 'novel' is.
* In the fourth season opener of ''Series/TheUnit'', the team has to save President-Elect Benjamin Castille, who appears to be a Latino version of Obama. By this logic, Dick Cheney and Joe Biden are killed by terrorists.
* London Tipton from ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody'' has a passing resemblance to Creator/ParisHilton, being an [[BrainlessBeauty airheaded, vain, image-obsessed]] hotel heiress named after a European capital. However, there are obvious differences; being a kids' show, there is no mention of... well... you know. London is also presented as a much more sympathetic character than some more direct parodies of Paris, with her negative traits being more down to stupidity and being spoiled than being a RichBitch.

* Baxter Sarno in ''Series/{{Caprica}}'' is essentially an amalgamation of Jay Leno and [[Series/TheDailyShow Jon Stewart]] - with a little bit of an emphasis on the latter. Also played by Creator/PattonOswalt.
* ''Series/WithoutATrace'' featured a blonde heiress known for her partying and sex tape as the Main/{{Victim Of The Week}}. This was in 2005, when every TV show had a Paris Hilton ripoff.
* Since 2008 there have been probably hundreds of UsefulNotes/SarahPalin impersonators. Some of the more famous ones include [[ProfessionalWrestling pro wrestler]] Wrestling/{{Daffney|Unger}}, WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick in ''WebVideo/{{Kickassia}}'', and of course Creator/TinaFey.
* The ''Film/{{Tremors}}'' series features the return of the Assblaster which had been sold to Sigried and Roy in the third film. Rather embarrassingly, the creators no longer had the rights to use the names and they were referred to as "Sigmund and Ray."
* Spike from ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' owes a lot to Music/BillyIdol; or as Buffy said in one episode "Actually Billy Idol stole his look from...nevermind." There's a flashback sequence to the last slayer Spike killed set in 1977 where it's a lot more blatant.
** One episode features a flashback to the '70s, and slayer who seems heavily modeled after Pam Grier.
* Deepak Chopra guest starred on an episode of ''Series/{{Angel}}''... in a manner of speaking. In "I Fall to Pieces", Angel tracks down a thinly-disguised motivational guru who served as inspiration to a killer [[PsychicSurgery Psychic Surgeon]]. He explains that he quit teaching after his pupil mastered the [[QuantumMechanicsCanDoAnything quantum-cellular control]] theorized in his book. In other words, the guru never believed in his own wild theories and was severely traumatized when they came true.
* The ''Series/ColdCase'' episode "One Fall," set in the world of ProfessionalWrestling, has two main suspects who are thinly-veiled versions of Wrestling/VinceMcMahon and Wrestling/RicFlair.
* ''Series/NecessaryRoughness'' partially centers on temperamental showboat Terrence "T.K." King, a pro football wide receiver for the (fictional) New York Hawks. The similarities to temperamental showboat Terrell "T.O." Owens, a wide receiver best known for his time with the Philadelphia Eagles, are hard to ignore. Since the series is said to be based on a true story, this is probably by design. T.O. actually guest stars in the first season finale as T.K.'s biggest rival, providing ample LampshadeHanging.

* Creator/DisneyChannel show, ''Series/KickinIt'', has Ricky Weaver, who's a very obvious parody of Bieber. He also probably counts as a TakeThat to Justin Bieber, since he turns out to secretly be a jerk.
* An episode of ''Series/ANTFarm'' has an obvious one of Music/LadyGaga called "Madame [=GooGoo=]".
* In the TV mini-series ''Series/BlackMirror'' the first episode features a Royal Princess getting kidnapped. Depending on who you ask it's either Princess Diana or Kate Middleton.
* ''Series/{{Castle}}'' has a couple of examples, the most blatant being in "Pretty Dead" with a rich beauty pageant organizer with a comb over that looks suspiciously like Creator/DonaldTrump.
** The episode "An Embarrassment of Bitches" includes a self-obsessed, rich reality tv star Kay Cappuccio, who seems suspiciously similar to Creator/KimKardashian. Of course, she was also portrayed as a pretty nice person being exploited by her sleazy boyfriend, so it was pretty tame, all things considered.
** In the episode "Reality Star Struck" there was a Mike Chilean, who hosted a show called Shark Pool, he's called a crazy billionaire. Now, look at [[DragonsDen The Shark Tank]] with Mark Cuban and say that name was original.

* On ''Series/{{Jessie}}'', the Ross family is a clear parody of Creator/BradPitt and Creator/AngelinaJolie's family. The Rosses have 3 adopted children, two of which are adopted from foreign countries and one biological one. All they need is biological twins.
* Creator/HaydenPanettiere plays what appears to be a parody of Music/TaylorSwift (complete with curls) in ''{{Series/Nashville}}'', although the lady herself says Taylor's "[[https://twitter.com/haydenpanettier/status/205413220096294912 a little nicer]]." [[spoiler: And Taylor doesn't have a drugged-out mother, a shoplifting charge, a shortlived marriage or a sex tape.]] She has, however, admitted to partly basing Juliette (her character) on Music/CarrieUnderwood - which eventually got the latter to say words to the effect of "[[http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/carrie-underwood-denies-hayden-panettieres-nashville-character-is-modeled-after-her-2013151 I don't see it.]]" Juliette's boyfriend[[spoiler:/brief husband]] Tim Tebow - er, ''Sean Butler'' is a God-fearing footballer with questionable skills.
* The Creator/USANetwork miniseries ''Series/PoliticalAnimals'' has several of these with politicians. Eileen Barrish Hammond is Hillary Clinton, former President Bud Hammond is Bill Clinton, and their family dynamics are like that of the Kennedys.
* ''Series/LazyTown'' villain Robbie Rotten is clearly based on Creator/JimCarrey in some way, right down to his mannerisms.
* One episode of ''Series/{{Dinosaurs}}'' featured [[http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Edward_R._Hero Edward R. Hero]], a pastiche of real-life journalist Edward R. Murrow, as a commentator in a political election between two horrible candidates. [[spoiler:In the end, the voters get fed up with both candidates and elect Edward by a landslide.]]
* Madame Ybarra from ''Series/CafeAmericain'' was a thinly-veiled spoof of Imelda Marcos.
* In ''Radio/GoodnessGraciousMe'', the Indian film director Ranjit Say, whose films are all about two people playing draughts, is a parody of Sandip Ray, whose first film was ''The Chess Players''.
* In ''Series/BostonLegal'', Gracie Jane is a thinly-disguised Nancy Grace.
* ''The Nightmare Years'' is a mini-series about US journalist William Shirer in Nazi Germany in the 1930's. At one point Shirer sees a woman [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympia_%281938_film%29 setting up a movie camera in the Olympic stadium]] and asks if that's Leni Riefenstahl; he's told it's another female director -- who happens to parallel Riefenstahl exactly, including her adulation of Hitler, rivalry with propaganda minister Goebbels, and presence during the massacre of Polish civilians at Końskie.
* The ''{{Series/Columbo}}'' episode "Murder With Too Many Notes" features an award-winning film composer who's noted for his apprentices and his use of ghostwriters. Now have a look at what some people have to say about HansZimmer...
* In an episode of ''Series/{{Friends}}'' Chandler winds up stuck at a one woman play on his own that is essentially a parody of Creator/CarrieFisher's ''Wishful Drinking''.
* ''Series/{{Frasier}}'': Dr. Nora, an unusually thin parody of Dr. Laura and the small controversy about her qualifications. Dr. Nora's advice mostly consisted of telling her callers that they're sinners who are going to hell, and Frasier eventually learns her doctorate is in P.E. The station keeps her on because her polarizing personality is attracting listeners, until an attempt at goodwill by Frasier drives her away.

* The ''Series/{{CHIPS}}'' episode [[BattleOfTheBands "Battle of the Bands"]] sees the boys going after a [[TheQuincyPunk punk band]] who is antagonizing their new-wave rival in an upcoming rock-off. The new-wave band is called Snow Pink, as is their lead singer, a sexy [[RoseHairedSweetie rose-haired]] siren with a Joisey accent and plenty of attitude. Possibly [[LampshadeHanging lampshading]] the similarity when asked where her band’s name came from, she replies "The rock world’s already got Music/{{Blondie}}."
* In the ''Series/MagnumPI'' episode "Round and Around", T.C. is listening to a radio talk show where [[http://www.drruth.com/ a cheerful German-accented old lady]] advises a frustrated wife to watch football with her husband, totally nude.
* An episode of the Flemish children's series ''Rox'' featured a scene where the villainess tied up and gagged a flamboyant pop diva named "[[Music/LadyGaga Lady Rock]]" in order to [[MuggedForDisguise impersonate her]].
** An episode of the Japanese series ''KamenRiderWizard'' had a one-off gag involving two American pop stars who looked suspiciously like Lady Gaga as well. She's apparently very recognizable across the globe.

* ''Series/{{Damages}}'' did this a couple of times due to its fondness for RippedFromTheHeadlines plots. In particular, Louis Tobin is Bernie Madoff and Channing [=McLaren=] is Julian Assange.
* ''Series/ShiningTimeStation'': The mayor's opponent in "The Mayor Runs for Re-Election" is a parody of Richard Nixon.
-->'''Mr. Conductor:''' I just wish I knew more about the mayor's opponent. He's a very mysterious figure.
-->'''Stacy:''' I know. I've seen his picture, [[LampshadeHanging and he looks awfully familiar]]...
* ''Series/HouseOfCardsUS'': A few, but most notably in Season 3 -- Balding, fairhaired Russian President '''V'''ictor '''P'''etrov is definitely, ''definitely'' not UsefulNotes/VladimirPutin. They even had the real life (non-inprisoned) members of Pussy Riot chew out Not!Putin in untranslated Russian in a episode.
* ''Series/RoboCopTheSeries'' had a character named Umberto Ortega, who was basically a stand-in for Geraldo Rivera. The plot of the episode "Prime Suspect" features "Prime Suspect" features Bob and Bambi Taker, parody versions of the then-recently divorced Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye Messner, and revolves around [=RoboCop=] being framed for the murder of the former after the couple launch a crusade against Robo.
* ''Series/MadamSecretary'''s title character Elizabeth [=McCord=] has a number of similarities with UsefulNotes/HillaryRodhamClinton (both middle-aged blonde professional women, serving as Secretary of State in a Democratic administration), though she comes off as somewhat more personable and populist. She also very clearly [[HappilyMarried has a very strong relationship with her husband Henry]], whereas Hillary's relationship with UsefulNotes/BillClinton is... [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgement questionable]]. {{Reconstruction}}, perhaps?
* Andy Samberg's short TV movie ''Film/SevenDaysInHell'', which itself is a parody of the infamous 3-day Isner-Mahut {{UsefulNotes/Wimbledon}} match, is about a 7 day long tennis match. One player include Charles Poole (Creator/KitHarington), a dim-witted English MamasBoy who is the only British tennis player of note, parodying Andy Murray (the differences being Murray is Scottish and not as dumb). The other player is Aaron Williams (Andy Samberg), who is basically an over-the-top version of Andre Agassi.
* Star Trek: The Next Generation; the episode "The Drumhead" featured the sociopathic father-fixated narcissistic Admiral Nora Satie, who was based on either Nancy Reagan OR Margaret Thatcher, depending on which side of the Atlantic you live...
* ''Series/TheXFiles'' had an episode, "The Unnatural", about a power-hitting Negro League baseball catcher who played for the Grays, was compared to Babe Ruth, and was named Josh. Any similarities to Josh Gibson are not coincidental at all. Mulder even wears a replica of his real Homestead Grays jersey in the final scene.
* The billionaires on ''Series/SiliconValley'' are very similar to real life figures in the tech industry. Russ Hanneman's three commas motif and his story about finding out he'd made his first billion are from Mark Cuban; Peter Gregory's scorn for college and his investing in a company that can track phones are similar to Peter Thiel (and his involvement in Palantir); Gavin Belson, with his spiritual advisor, interest in Buddhism and cult-figure status is Steve Jobs-like.
* In ''Series/MozartInTheJungle'', the backstory of chief conductor Rodrigo bears striking resemblances to that of Gustavo Dudamel, chief conductor of the LA Philharmonic: they're both musical prodigies from Latin American countries who went through a strict pedagogical system, and have become famous in the US and Europe, and they're both trained violinists. Beyond that, it breaks down. PlayedForLaughs in the show: whereas many famous musicians have appeared in the show as themselves (notably Lang Lang, Emanuel Ax and Joshua Bell), when Rodrigo in the show had a spot as guest conductor for the LA Philharmonic, Dudamel played a cameo as a stage manager, who joked with Rodrigo about how their current conductor was rubbish.
* For some reason, Creator/TheBBC drama ''One by One'', based directly and officially on the memoirs of the well-known zoo vet David Taylor, named its main character Donald Turner.
* During the second season of the 1990's newer version of ''Series/WKRPInCincinnati'' featured an appearance from an ultra-conservative radio personality named Lash Rambo, a thinly-veiled Expy of Rush Limbaugh.
* In the chapter "That Wrestling Show" of the Season 1 of ''Series/That70sShow'' there's a [[Wrestling/{{WWE}} WWF]] show in the town where the protagonists live. The great star invited was Rocky Johnson, played by his son [[Wrestling/TheRock Dwayne Johnson]]. Also, the other wrestlers in ring (all of them uncredited) are Wrestling/KenShamrock, [[Wrestling/JeffHardy Jeff and]] Wrestling/MattHardy.

* Andy Samberg's short TV movie ''7 Days in Hell'', which itself is a parody of the infamous 3-day Isner-Mahut {{UsefulNotes/Wimbledon}} match, is about 7 day long tennis match. One player include Charles Poole (Creator/KitHarington), a dim-witted English MamasBoy who is the only British tennis player of note, parodying Andy Murray (the differences being Murray is Scottish and not as dumb). The other player is Aaron Williams (Andy Samberg), who is basically an over-the-top version of Andre Agassi.

* For some reason, TheBBC drama ''One by One'', based directly and officially on the memoirs of the well-known zoo vet David Taylor, named its main character Donald Turner.

* ''Series/FatherTed'':
** Several one-episode characters are based on real Irish celebrities: BBC TV host Henry Sellars (based on Terry Wogan), sickly sweet balladeer Eoin [=McLove=] (Daniel O'Donnell), militant feminist anti-Catholic singer Niamh Connolly (Sinéad O'Connor) and the terrifying Bishop Brennan (Bishop Éamon Casey) -- both bishops having a secret son.
** Henry Sellars is informed by the lesser-known Henry Kelly of Going for Gold fame.

** In season 6, there's a vampire named "{{Robert|Pattinson}}" and the teenage girl named "Creator/{{Kristen|Stewart}}", as well as a series of totally-not-''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' books that Sam and Dean [[YourVampiresSuck rip the living bejeezus out of]]. The episode is (brilliantly) titled "Live Free or Twihard".

** Given that "ripped from the headlines" has become ''Law and Order'''s raison d'etre over the years, this is another show with too many to list specifically, even if the "celebrities" are often defendants or victims in famous cases.

** Larry King has appeared on ''SVU'' and ''Criminal Intent''. Talk show host “Barry Bishop” has appeared on the original show.

*** Kristy Swanson in "Bombshell" on ''Criminal Intent''. (And, as a bonus, Peter Bogdanovich as a Hugh Hefner clone who had already appeared in an earlier, unrelated episode.)
**** Let's not forget that Smith herself is an imitation of MarilynMonroe, making this a twofer. n "Bombshell", there's even a scene with Swanson performing a white-skirted MarilynManeuver. As [[Film/TropicThunder Kirk Lazarus]] might say, Swanson is a chick playing a chick based on a chick inspired by a chick.

* Andy Samberg's short TV movie ''7 Days in Hell'', which itself is a parody of the infamous 3-day Isner-Mahut {{Wimbledon}} match, is about 7 day long tennis match. One player include Charles Poole (Creator/KitHarington), a dim-witted English MamasBoy who is the only British tennis player of note, parodying Andy Murray (the differences being Murray is Scottish and not as dumb). The other player is Aaron Williams (Andy Samberg), who is basically an over-the-top version of Andre Agassi.

* An episode of the Flemish children's series ''Rox'' featured a scene where the villainess tied up and gagged a flamboyant pop diva named "[[LadyGaga Lady Rock]]" in order to [[MuggedForDisguise impersonate her]].

* ''Series/HouseOfCardsUS'': A few, but most notably in Season 3 - President Petrov is definitely, definitely not Vladimir Putin.

**** Let's not forget that Smith herself is an imitation of MarilynMonroe, making this a twofer. n "Bombshell", there's even a scene with Swanson performing a white-skirted MarilynManeuver. As [[TropicThunder Kirk Lazarus]] might say, Swanson is a chick playing a chick based on a chick inspired by a chick.

----
* ''Series/HouseOfCardsUS'': A few, but most notably in Season 3 - President Petrov is definitely, definitely not Vladimir Putin.

----

* In the ''MagnumPI'' episode "Round and Around", T.C. is listening to a radio talk show where [[http://www.drruth.com/ a cheerful German-accented old lady]] advises a frustrated wife to watch football with her husband, totally nude.

*** Kristy Swanson in "Bombshell" on ''Criminal Intent''.
**** Let's not forget that Smith herself is an imitation of MarilynMonroe, making this a twofer. In "Bombshell", there's even a scene with Swanson performing a white-skirted MarilynManeuver. As [[TropicThunder Kirk Lazarus]] might say, Swanson is a chick playing a chick based on a chick inspired by a chick.

**** Let's not forget that Smith herself is an imitation of MarilynMonroe, making this a twofer. In "Bombshell", there's even a scene with Swanson performing a white-skirted MarilynManeuver.