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3%% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks!
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7[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/{{TheSimpsons}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/0b9218e9_625d_4ac9_b85a_0dc7656471c5.jpeg]]]]
8[[caption-width-right:350:''The Simpsons'' has done this [[https://m.imdb.com/title/tt2403733/?ref_=m_ttls_tt_31 many,]] [[https://m.imdb.com/title/tt3990550/?ref_=m_ttls_tt_19 many]] [[https://m.imdb.com/title/tt7702262/?ref_=m_ttls_tt_20 times.]]]]
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10An episode of a show which departs from its usual type of plot to make the best possible use of a celebrity or major star who happens to be available, regardless of plausibility, coherence, or continuity.
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12If the Celebrity Star is a musician or band, they often play themselves (or a thinly veiled facsimile thereof, as on ''Series/TheFactsOfLife'') and usually have to play one of their hit songs.
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14See HistoryWithCelebrity for cases where a main or recurring character happens to be old friends with the celebrity. See SpecialGuest for episodes that aren't focused on the celebrity. See AsHimself for works when the entire series/film is about the celebrity playing themselves.
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16----
17!!Examples:
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19[[foldercontrol]]
20
21[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
22* ''[[Anime/{{Tamagotchi}} GO-GO Tamagotchi!]]'' episode 10 features the J-pop singer Music/{{hitomi}} as a Tamagotchi named hitomitchi and features her in a plot that involves Lovelitchi meeting her, but wondering if she'll be good enough to perform at her concert.
23[[/folder]]
24
25[[folder: Comic Books ]]
26
27* ''ComicBook/HackSlash'': The "Comic Book Carnage" story featured real horror comic creators being killed off by {{Loony Fan}}s angry about their DarkerAndEdgier version of a [[ShowWithinAShow fictional-within-the-story]] ''[[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]]'' CaptainErsatz.
28
29[[/folder]]
30
31[[folder: Live Action TV ]]
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33* Creator/MarkHamill has guest starred in a few series, such as ''Series/ThirdRockFromTheSun'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''. Many instances include some AdamWesting.
34* ''Series/ThirtyRock'': This trope was what the third season was based on.
35* ''Series/{{Alice|1976}}'': Diner-owner Mel Sharples and his waitresses seemed to know several famous people. Guest included Creator/GeorgeBurns, Creator/TellySavalas, Jerry Reed, Creator/DinahShore, and Creator/ArtCarney.
36* ''Series/AllInTheFamily'': One of the most famous examples is the episode "Sammy's Visit", featuring Sammy Davis, Jr.
37* ''Series/{{Atlanta}}'': Interestingly enough this trope is ultimately averted in "Champagne Papi", where Van and her friends go to a New Year's Eve party hosted by Music/{{Drake}} at one of his mansions (and the episode is even titled after Drake's Instagram handle). In a more traditional comedy, Drake would GuestStar in this episode, however, [[spoiler: Van finds out he's not even there; he's supposedly on tour and it's implied that the house they're in might not even be his.]]
38* ''Series/BeakmansWorld'': SubvertedTrope regularly. Its Celebrity Stars are all actually Famous Dead Guys (or Girls) played by the cast (generally Beakman himself, who would hang a lampshade by saying "What'd I miss?"). The show did play the trope straight twice, starring Creator/JeanStapleton as Beakman's Mom.
39* ''Series/BeverlyHills90210'' had any number of musical acts appear at Peach Pit After Dark and Cathy Denis played the senior prom.
40* ''Series/BostonPublic'': Music/WhitneyHouston appeared on one episode where she performed one of her songs at the prom.
41* ''Series/TheBradyBunch'':
42** Joe Namath, among many others.
43** Especially in "Getting Davy Jones," where the episode was ''entirely'' dedicated to helping Marcia get Davy Jones from Music/TheMonkees to sing at her school's 8th grade prom. He makes a very memorable appearance near the end, and even reprised his role in ''[[TheFilmOfTheSeries The Brady Bunch Movie]]'' and in the stage show, ''The Real Live Brady Bunch.''
44* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': Aimee Mann in Season 7:
45---> I hate playing vampire towns.
46* ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}'' featured numerous bands and musicians from Season 2 onward, when Piper opened a nightclub and said bands were booked as guest performers. In the first instance, Leo arranged for Dishwalla to appear at the then-new club because their manager had signed a [[DealWithTheDevil deal with a demon]].
47* ''Series/ChicoAndTheMan'': A few of the most notable episodes featured guest stars: Music/JoseFeliciano (who performed the show's main theme), Creator/SammyDavisJr (who appeared in just about every sitcom) and Tony Orlando (one of Prinze's closest friends).
48* ''Series/DegrassiTheNextGeneration'': Did an entire Celebrity Star arc about Creator/KevinSmith coming to Degrassi to make his new film, "Jay and Silent Bob Go Canadian, Eh?" The reason he appeared on the show was that Smith had a huge crush on the character Caitlin from ''Series/DegrassiHigh'' (he got to be in scenes with the grown-up Caitlin, played by the same actress). Unusually, the arc actually had long-lasting effects after Smith's last episode.
49* ''Series/DesigningWomen'': In the episode where Charlene has her baby, Music/DollyParton appears in a dream sequence as her "Guardian Movie Star."
50* ''Series/DiffrentStrokes'': First Lady [[UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan Nancy Reagan]] on a VerySpecialEpisode.
51* ''Series/{{Extras}}'':
52** Parodied, then a SubvertedTrope in which Music/{{Coldplay}}'s Chris Martin appeared on ShowWithinAShow ''When The Whistle Blows'' as himself, inexplicably playing a musical number in the factory. Of course, ''Series/{{Extras}}'' is itself known for including a different example of this trope, each episode (so much so that the episodes are identified by which celebrity appears in them parodying themselves) so the whole sequence is almost certainly a deliberate self-parody.
53** It's also heavily lampshaded by Creator/RickyGervais' characters in both ''{{Series/Extras}}'' and the ShowWithinAShow "When the Whistle Blows" who repeatedly points out the ridiculousness of Chris Martin suddenly appearing in a factory in Wigan.
54* The cast of ''Series/FullHouse'' got to meet and hang out with Music/TheBeachBoys, partly owing to the fact that Creator/JohnStamos (Uncle Jesse) is friends with the band in real life.
55* One episode of ''Series/TheHoneymooners'' had Creator/JackieGleason and Creator/ArtCarney playing themselves as well as their characters, with Ed Norton bumping into Gleason and Ralph Kramden running into Carney.
56* One episode of ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet'' has Creator/JayLeno showing up in a neighborhood bar. Humor ensues as all the series characters insist on ''not'' rushing up and pestering the star, even while Leno clearly wants to mingle.
57* ''Series/{{iCarly}}'' has done this over the years. With artists and bands such as The Plain White T's, Music/GoodCharlotte, Music/DavidArchuleta, and Music/OneDirection. David Archuleta is the only one that did not sing, and Good Charlotte are the only ones that were not actually on the webshow, as they performed at an awards show that Carly and friends were nominated for an award. One Direction's episode in particular was promoted as a special episode and [[JustHereForGodzilla brought huge sales to their episode on iTunes]].
58* ''Series/IDreamOfJeannie'' had a particularly disruptive example where the main cast are in Hawaii and walk into a bar where Don Ho (playing himself) is singing. The plot stops for almost ''five full minutes'' (nearly a quarter of the episode) for a Don Ho music video which features none of the main cast and has no plot importance whatsoever. It is so out of place it practically qualifies as a BigLippedAlligatorMoment.
59** Don Ho also appeared in an episode of ''Series/CharliesAngels'' as himself. He's an old friend of Charile (who has been kidnapped) and gives the angels information about the Hawaiian underworld.
60* ''Series/ItsGarryShandlingsShow'', being a highly meta take on the sitcom, naturally played with this concept more than once. For instance, the Season One finale has Red Buttons take Garry's place as protagonist, while Season Two's "Go Go Goldblum" has Garry juggling a dinner date with the neighbors with a party being thrown by Creator/JeffGoldblum.
61* ''Series/{{Kate Modern}}'': The episode "I Am Hallam Foe!" consists entirely of Jamie Bell talking about how he just met Charlie, and that he thinks she's "fit". The episode is only 36 seconds long, and given the title, is probably meant as ProductPlacement.
62* ''Series/TheKingOfQueens'' went through a phase of having guest stars to walk in, usually people on the downward slope from their peak fame but who were, unaccountably, full of desire to live in Queens with the Heffernans as their neighbors. First Doug and Carrie got [[Creator/LouFerrigno The Incredible Hulk]] as a neighbor. A series or two later they got [[BoyBand Donny Osmond]].
63* ''Series/MasterChefAustralia'' is no stranger to bringing in various celebrity chefs as mentors or guest judges, but in one of the Twist Week's episodes, they brought their very first non-chef celebrity for the "twist" in that particular challenge -- Music/KatyPerry. This comes as a massive shock to all the contestants, who despite having met and cooked for various well-known as respectable chefs, had never cooked for a celebrity of her caliber. Pretty much everyone was rendered StarstruckSpeechless by her arrival (especially Reece, who is a big fan). Katy would serve as that episode's guest judge, and is the one to decide the Dish of the Day that will grant its maker the weekly Immunity.
64* ''Series/TheMiddleMan'' featured BoyBand Varsity Fanclub in one episode. Not terribly unconventional, except, that they were actually alien dictators who were intent on conquering Earth, and the episode ended with them being ''killed off''.
65* ''Series/{{Moesha}}'': Similar to the ''Series/SisterSister'' example, singer Music/{{Brandy}} appeared as herself on her own sitcom. (A bit of a subversion, in that one of the show's running gags was that Mo (Brandy) couldn't hold a note with both hands and a bucket).
66* ''Series/MorkAndMindy'' met Creator/RobinWilliams in one episode as well.
67* ''Series/TheMunsters'' had an episode featuring The Standells.
68* ''Series/NewGirl'' had an episode entirely dedicated to Music/{{Prince}}. The gang attends his house party and he gives Jess love advice.
69* ''Series/NewYorkUndercover'' had musical guest stars appear in many of the episodes in the first three seasons appearing at the fictional cafe, Natalie's, (the owner Natalie, played by Music/GladysKnight).
70* ''Series/NightCourt'': Mel Torme showed up in multiple episodes. Judge Harry was an enormous Torme fan, and his attempts to get in his idol's good graces generally didn't work out well.
71* ''Series/TheRevolution'': Music/ToniBraxton and Music/DollyParton appeared on this show.
72* ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'': Parody: The fourth-season episode "My Life in Four Cameras" spends the middle section in a conventional-sitcom fantasy, complete with a talent show that will pay exactly as much money as the main characters need. A mild-mannered cafeteria worker enters the talent contest and turns out to be ''Series/AmericanIdol'' runner-up Clay Aiken. It is unclear whether the producers decided to use Clay Aiken before or after they decided to do a sitcom fantasy, but it certainly is the only way his musical act could be fit into the show.
73* ''Series/ShakeItUp'':
74** Does this a bit, what with it being a show that, in-universe, has celebrity guest singers and dancers perform, but it's mostly the latter, with dance crews such as Instant Noodles, Quest Crew, the Elektrolytes, and even the ''Jabbawockeez'', and whichever dancers win Creator/{{Disney}}'s "Make Your Mark" contest. Creator/CarlyRaeJepsen guest starred as herself and had a few lines before her performance. Most of the songs that the ''[[ShowWithinAShow Shake It Up Chicago]]'' dancers dance to are from Creator/DisneyChannel IdolSingers from ''Series/ShakeItUp'' and other shows on Disney.
75** Creator/{{Zendaya}} and Creator/BellaThorne have had numerous songs appear on the show, and other cast members such as Caroline Sunshine, Creator/AdamIrigoyen and Kenton Duty also had songs of theirs played on the show. No mention of the artists who perform the songs are ever made, which brings in CelebrityParadox about someone that is their doppelganger being a singer. Roshon Fegan has rapped on the show and had a song or two of his appear in the show, but it wasn't his character's songs. Other celebs from the Creator/DisneyChannel include Music/ChinaAnneMcclain, Creator/OliviaHolt, Adam Hicks and Coco Jones.
76** True Celeb guest stars include Creator/BenSavage, Cat Deeley, Creator/AlfonsoRibeiro (who has directed a few episodes of the show), and Creator/TyraBanks and Creator/LeoHoward in recurring roles, who were some of the only ones marketed as a SpecialGuestStar. And Music/BlueManGroup appeared in ''Series/ShakeItUp: Made in Japan'' and performed a song of theirs on stage and part of it in an elevator when Rocky and Cece happen to run into them.
77* ''Series/SisterSister'':
78** In one episode, the Celebrity Star turned out to be... Marques Houston, who played Roger on the show, as himself (under his "Batman" Immature/IMX name) in that particular ep.
79** More conventionally, they also had [=WNBA=] star Lisa Leslie as herself twice...and they went up against the Olsen twins on a game show, among many others.
80* ''Series/{{Sliders}}'': Mel Torme also appeared in this show like this, but then his son ''was'' the show runner.
81* ''Series/{{Smallville}}'':
82** Does this a lot with musical guests. Whenever WB has a new album being released by a big or up and coming music group, that group will always end up in Smallville for a show, no matter how much of a stretch or departure from the main plot it is.
83** In a town that houses a high-profile multibillionaire family with a tendency to pull strings and do extravagant unannounced favors for people they're trying to impress, that's about a two-inch stretch.
84*** There's also the matter of the alien teenager battling other aliens/monsters/government agents/etc. on a regular basis. An impromptu concert is probably the most normal thing to happen in that town.
85* ''Series/TheSteveHarveyShow'' has episodes featuring Music/SnoopDogg, [[Music/SeanCombs Puff Daddy]] (as he was known then), Lil Bow Wow, and Music/TeddyRiley all playing themselves, but only Lil Bow Wow gave a performance. Ron Isley was also a frequent guest star, as one of the members of The Hi-Tops.
86* ''Series/TouchedByAnAngel'' did this in almost every episode, with guests ranging from Music/TravisTritt to Music/CharlotteChurch to Rosa Parks. Yes, Rosa Parks.
87* ''Series/WhatsHappening'': The Doobie Brothers appeared on this 70's sitcom to teach Rerun AnAesop about the evils of bootlegging concerts.
88[[/folder]]
89
90[[folder: Pinball ]]
91* ''Pinball/{{Ali}},'' based on boxing legend UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli
92* ''Pinball/CaptainFantasticAndTheBrownDirtCowboy,'' named after Music/EltonJohn's hit album.
93* The [[Creator/ElviraMistressOfTheDark Elvira]] tables, ''Pinball/ElviraAndThePartyMonsters'' and ''Pinball/ScaredStiff''.
94* ''Pinball/EvelKnievel'', named after [[UsefulNotes/EvelKnievel the famed motorcycle daredevil.]]
95* ''Pinball/RedAndTedsRoadShow'', with country music star Carlene Carter playing the voice of "Red".
96[[/folder]]
97
98[[folder: Video Games ]]
99* ''VideoGame/AdventureQuestWorlds': Used a lot in the game with features of indie stars and mainstream ones. Voltaire and One-Eyed Doll have so many feature appearances that they have become regular guests in the game, although their features are only barely related to the main story at hand.
100* ''VideoGame/BackyardSports'': Every game does this after the first two. This player is the cover athlete and usually the best in the game. Of course, since the athlete is a kid, there is a different voice actor.
101* ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps'': "[[VideoGame/NaziZombies Call of the Dead]]": The premise of this map is as follows: ''Film/DawnOfTheDead1978'' director Creator/GeorgeARomero is making a zombie film, and the lead roles include Creator/SarahMichelleGellar (star of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''), Creator/DannyTrejo (star of ''Film/{{Machete}}''), Robert Englund (Freddy in ''Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet'') and Michael Rooker (of ''Series/TheWalkingDead''). Then real zombies show up and the actors have to put what knowledge of horror films they have to good use...that is load up on all the guns they can find and blow the everloving crap out of anything that moves.
102* Chapter 28.5 of ''VideoGame/DeadByDaylight'' involved Creator/NicolasCage being invited to participate in a new movie, and once filming had started at his insistence, he was transported to the Entity's Realm, trapped in its killing game.
103* ''VideoGame/NarutoShippudenUltimateNinjaStorm3'' features a celebrity voice actor: Creator/NolanNorth as the villainous Tobi.
104* ''VideoGame/Yakuza1 Kiwami'' has a sub-story featuring the famed judo fighter Shinichi Shinohara, who helps Kiryu clear up a misunderstanding about a supposed mugger, then asks him for a tour of Kamurocho that eventually ends with a friendly sparring match at the coliseum.
105[[/folder]]
106
107[[folder: Web Original]]
108* Creator/MaxLandis, Creator/ElijahWood and Creator/KevinSmith appeared in 5 separate episodes of ''WebVideo/MovieFlights'' (Max and Kevin have each appeared twice on the show).
109* ''Series/{{Noob}}'' manged to get a known French video game tester named Marcus during its third season that mostly happens after its very first WhamEpisode. The episode featuring the tester evaluating the [[FictionalVideoGame fictional]] {{MMORPG}} in which the story is set ended up being a BreatherEpisode in the middle of an arc that was otherwise a low morale point for the main characters.
110[[/folder]]
111
112[[folder: Western Animation ]]
113* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'': Spoofed, when the FakeBand Grey Star showed up for Libby's birthday party. ''Even the time-traveling giant robot policeman was their biggest fan'':
114--> Evil Robot: Grey Star? That's my favorite retro oldies band!
115* There aren't many celebs who've played themselves on ''WesternAnimation/AlvinAndTheChipmunks''... but among those who have? Music/DollyParton and Creator/MrT.
116* ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'': The first movie, ''Is It Fall Yet?'', featured cameos by [[Music/FooFighters Dave]] [[Music/{{Nirvana}} Grohl]] and Creator/BifNaked. This being ''Daria'', one of them plays a perverted blowhard who attempts to bed every woman in sight and another plies a minor with alcohol in an unsuccessful attempt to seduce her.
117* ''WesternAnimation/DuckDodgers'': Did this often. Two examples are the episodes with Music/TomJones (who sings the theme song) and Music/{{Megadeth}}. In one example, Duck Dodgers uses a magical device to reach through space and time to steal Tom Jones's voice for a music contest. The Megadeth episode involved him unfreezing their guitarist and using their music to blow up a 'Saxoblivion' DeathRay. Don't ask...
118* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'':
119** Music/{{KISS}} appeared in one episode focused on a series of their concerts, and integrated themselves into the Back Story. Gene Simmons and Lois had "history" from high school. Meaning they had lots of sex back then.
120** And, oddly, Creator/JamesWoods. And, even more oddly, Creator/RushLimbaugh.
121*** A lot of the quick throwaway gags actually feature people as themselves. [[Series/HowIMetYourMother Ted and Barney making out]], [[Series/TwoAndAHalfMen Charlie saying Brian always slags them off]], etc.
122* ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'':
123** One episode included an appearance by "[[Creator/AnnMargret Ann-Margrock]]", and another was a semi-crossover with the animated intro to ''Series/{{Bewitched}}''.
124** Not to mention Stoney Curtis, Jimmy Darrock, Stoney Carmichael, Jimmy O'Neillstone (Jimmy O'Neill was the host of the music show ''Shindig''), etc.
125* ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold!'': Randy Travis in "Mr. Hyunh Goes Country". Voiced facsimile Travis Randall, and the titular Mr. Hyunh (when singing).
126* ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'': Does this from time time, but also starred musician Chuck Mangione as a semi-regular and Music/ZZTop.
127* ''WesternAnimation/MaxSteel'': This show is complicated; it has episodes guest-starring Tony Hawk and Jeremy [=McGrath=]. As their episodes were {{Extreme Sports Plot}}s, and series protagonist Josh [=McGrath=] was a high-level competitor who would logically be in the same circles, this doesn't seem to fit at first, until one remembers that Josh left competition because of PowerIncontinence giving him an unfair advantage. These episodes take place long after the show had started focusing exclusively on Josh's secret-agent career and as such briefly go back to the athletics theme of the beginning. Matt Hoffman's episode, and Jeremy [=McGrath's=] ''second'' episode, take place at a point in the series when Josh returns to active competition and much of the show is once again taking place on the sports circuit, so they're not departures from the norm.
128* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'': Loves to subvert this trope, by having celebrities show up and be given relatively minor roles. This is most obvious with their singing guests. They had Music/BowlingForSoup, who did their theme song, come to play the extended theme - except no one recognised them, 'cause they were in the future. In "Summer Belongs To You" the boys somehow managed to hire Clay Aiken and Chaka Khan for a single song. The ultimate example would be the "Family Christmas Special", where Music/KellyClarkson spends the entire episode trying to sing, but Phineas keeps stopping her because he doesn't want her to work on Christmas.
129** In another episode, Doofenschmirtz asks Kelly if she'd perform, and she says "I'd love to" - but then the Inator of the episode runs amok, and Kelly is all ScrewThisImOuttaHere
130* ''WesternAnimation/TheReplacements'': Voiced by Music/MileyCyrus, the teen pop queen is named... Celebrity Starr.
131* ''WesternAnimation/{{Sealab 2021}}'': Parodied in "Meet Beck Bristow". Sealab shuts down all its normal work so Hollywood Actor Beck Bristow (voiced by Hollywood Actor Brian Bloom) can come around and let everybody know that he is Hollywood Actor Beck Bristow, and therefore better than the regular characters.
132* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'':
133** Both shows have done this more than once.
134** ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' parodied this trope by having the Harlem Globetrotters show up as recurring characters. They're insanely competent [[OmnidisciplinaryScientist Omnidisciplinary Scientists]] who only occasionally crack wise about yo momma after seeing if you got game.
135*** Also, they're [[PlanetOfHats from another planet]].
136* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'':
137** Subverted in many early episodes, when celebrity guests would get to voice such prestigious roles as "Gay Dog" (George Clooney) and "Turkey #4".
138** But played straight when Robert Smith from The Cure guest-starred.
139[[/folder]]

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