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9[[quoteright:350:[[Film/BluesBrothers2000 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/blues_brothers_1.jpg]]]]
10[[caption-width-right:350:...introducing Buster!]]
11
12->''"Do?'' What does he ''do?'' Why, he's ''adorable!'' And people will ''love'' it!"
13-->-- '''Dr. Forrester''', ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''
14%% One quote on the main page. Rest can be added to the quote tab.
15
16Cousin Oliver is that inexplicable kid added to the show's roster, usually in an attempt to liven up an aging cast with a character the younger demographics can ([[TotallyRadical supposedly]]) relate to. However, such a character is likely to upset the dynamic of the show, especially since his only job is to be cute and innocently wisecrack. It's far too easy for the writers to miss "sweetly precocious" and tumble right into "overbearing and annoying", especially to the show's long-time fans (who don't see why this kid should be taking attention away from their favorite characters anyway). Depending on how deft the writers are at making him "lovable," Cousin Oliver can become a fan favorite EnsembleDarkHorse or TheScrappy ([[CreatorsPet or worse]]).
17
18Sometimes Cousin Oliver is the logical result of a character's season-long pregnancy arc. Once the writers have exhausted the possibilities of new baby hijinks, the infant undergoes SoapOperaRapidAgingSyndrome -- or even a PlotRelevantAgeUp if the setting allows for it -- so they can become a regular member of the cast. This doesn't always make it better.
19
20Compare KidAppealCharacter, who is generally there from the beginning. If the addition is a literal cousin, see also {{Nephewism}}. The character will often be a TokenHouseguest.
21
22Often a form of JumpingTheShark. If there's actually an in-series point to the character, compare CainAndAbelAndSeth.
23
24----
25!!Examples:
26
27[[foldercontrol]]
28
29[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
30%%* Timothy Hearst in ''Manga/DGrayMan''.
31* ''Manga/ToLoveRu'' has Celine: Rito's [[PlantAliens giant carnivorous plant]] that apparently turns into a humanoid toddler as part of her life cycle. Thankfully, she doesn't throw off the cast dynamic much, as her presence is generally limited to [[HilarityEnsues wreaking havoc.]]
32* Chibiusa in ''Manga/SailorMoon'', came from the future and brainwashed Usagi's family into thinking she was her little sister/cousin (depending on the translation). Even if the intervention of Luna -- Usagi's magic talking cat -- prevents Usagi from falling under the influence of Chibiusa's magic, making her for some time the only one aware of Chibiusa's nature [[spoiler: (even if Usagi learns the whole story only much later and that Chibiusa is really her daughter from the future)]].
33** The '[=SuperS=]' season of the original anime focuses more heavily on Chibiusa and her friends, even having some of the older characters temporarily disappear. It's also generally considered the weakest and most skippable season.
34* Several chapters into ''Manga/SchoolLive'' Yuuri literally remembers she has a little sister. She had forgotten her due to the zombie apocalypse. She later saves her from a zombie-infested school and Ruu becomes a TagalongKid. The series compares [[KiddieKid the notoriously immature]] Yuki to Ruu and explains that Yuki was a ReplacementGoldfish, and Ruu explains why Yuuri is such a CoolBigSis. [[spoiler:In a dark twist it is heavily implied Ruu is DeadAllAlong and that Yuuri is hallucinating a teddy bear is her little sister.]]
35* Hana-chan in ''Anime/OjamajoDoremi'' is a baby character who suddenly joins the cast when they witness her birth in the Witch World. In the fourth season, she [[spoiler:turns into a toddler in an 11-year-old's body]].
36* ''Anime/PokemonJourneysTheSeries'' gives us Goh's Sobble, who was introduced when Goh's Scorbunny evolved into Raboot and later Cinderace. Later, Goh caught Grookey a couple episodes before Sobble would evolve into Drizzile, essentially making it the Cousin Oliver to Cousin Oliver.
37[[/folder]]
38
39[[folder:Asian Animation]]
40* ''Animation/NoonboryAndTheSuper7'' gives us [=PinkAru=], introduced in the [[NoExportForYou Korean-exclusive]] second season. She is said to be Noonbory's little sister.
41[[/folder]]
42
43[[folder:Comic Books]]
44* ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'':
45** Danny Chase was even designed to ''look'' like Cousin Oliver. Combine this with an abrasive personality, lack of codename, costume, or original powers, and he quickly became a CreatorsPet as well. In other words, Danny Chase is to the Teen Titans what Zan, Jayna, Wendy, and Marvin are to the ''{{WesternAnimation/Superfriends}}'' Justice League. At least they tried to be heroes; Chase tried to be holier-than-thou. He became Black Lantern fodder.
46** The Titans fell victim to this again in the early 2000s when Andrew Helfer took over as editor. With no prior knowledge or interest in the team, Helfer used the book to introduce the [=DEOrphans=], a bunch of superpowered kids who badgered the Titans into giving them a home. Writer Jay Faerber was forced to alter most if not all of his plotlines to include the orphans, derailing several different arcs while having the normally sweet Lian Harper repeatedly express how much she hated those kids. Faerber's run on ''Titans'' ended with the [=DEOrphans=] being reclaimed by the D.E.O., and they haven't appeared since.
47* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'':
48** Damian Wayne, made Robin at age 10, just as Tim Drake was growing out of the tights. Lampshaded in ''ComicBook/RedRobin'' #14, where the [[ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} oldest]] and youngest of the first three Robins refer to each other as Marcia and Cindy, and lock Damian out of a file with the password "cousinoliver".
49** Jason Todd. He even managed to die and grow up (in that order). Introduced as a Suspiciously Similar Substitute for Dick Grayson, who had aged out of Robin, his presence coincided with some of the lowest readership levels in Batman history. He finally got a unique origin after Crisis on Infinite Earths, but remained less popular than his predecessor, leading to his death. Of course, in death he became far more important than he had been in life and was eventually resurrected as an older teen - ironically, to replace Dick as Nightwing (as Dick was originally planned to die during Infinite Crisis). The character seems to have surpassed his origin as this trope... it just took a few decades.
50* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'':
51** ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'': Kara Zor-El was a sixteen-year-old introduced in ''ComicBook/TheSupergirlFromKrypton1959'', when Superman and his supporting cast were in their thirties, as a way to attract young female readers. Unlike other examples, though, Kara became a hit among readers who found her charming and adorable. It probably helped that, unlike other examples, Supergirl had her own strip and only made guest appearances in the other ''Superman'' books, so nobody felt that they were being forced to put up with her presence.
52** Chris Kent when he was introduced. It didn't help that Kon-El had been killed off recently. Following the trope to the letter, he eventually caught a case of PlotRelevantAgeUp.
53* ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'': Subverted with "Kid-Loki" who is just the normal Loki reincarnated as his kid self (with only his childhood memories and powers). He has avoided being TheScrappy by being just so much fun to read about (getting the best lines in the ''Thor'' comics), and because he is perfectly aware that he's doing things most kids shouldn't do (but, being Loki, doesn't care because he wants [[BigBrotherWorship to save Thor's life from The Serpent]]). Plus he somehow gets the two best parts of being a KidHero--he has the youthful idealism (as much as anyone is idealistic in [[CrapsackWorld post-Civil War Marvel]], anyways), ''and'' the maturity to still actually get things done. He might be the best-liked Cousin Oliver ever for that.
54* ''ComicBook/XMen'': Kitty Pryde was introduced to the cast of just as the five original X-Men were hitting their mid-20s, and after the team had been {{retool}}ed as a group of adult superheroes. She was just a teenager in her first appearance and essentially played the same AudienceSurrogate role as Jean Grey in the very first issue. Fans generally agree that this wasn't a bad thing; in fact, Kitty pretty quickly became [[BreakoutCharacter one of the series' most popular and prominent characters]], and she's fondly remembered as one of Creator/ChrisClaremont's best contributions to the franchise.
55* ''ComicBook/AtomicRobo'': Part of the reason plans for a film adaptation fell through is that the Hollywood executives involved kept insisting on [[HumanFocusedAdaptation adding a "relatable" young character to serve as Robo's sidekick and youthify the story]]. The creators were stridently against the idea, knowing full well that characters like this are usually instantly hated and pointing out that ''Atomic Robo'' is a series aimed at adults which has no need for a KidAppealCharacter. They further pointed out that even if they did have a need for such a character, wouldn't kids prefer to watch a cool robot superhero over some random other kid? But the execs refused to budge which combined with other issues to make the creators take the rights and walk. The whole sordid affair was later parodied in the comic itself with an issue about Robo being forced to team up with a kid on a mission. He spends the entire time bitching about it, then ends the issue by deconstructing the entire idea of a KidHero and telling the kid point blank that she cannot work at Tesladyne because that would break child labor laws and be intensely unethical. Pointedly, said kid character ''does'' [[ChekhovsGunman later join Tesladyne and become a proper member of the cast]]… decades later (in-universe) when she's well into her twenties and doesn't qualify as a Cousin Oliver anymore.
56[[/folder]]
57
58[[folder:Comic Strips]]
59* ''ComicStrip/{{Luann}}'': Shannon. Originally just a BrattyHalfPint who was occasionally babysat by the titular character, she was then [[RetCon retconned]] into the niece of Toni, Brad's love interest. Over time she appeared more and more, to the point where now she's essentially being raised by Toni and Brad (good luck finding a Brad/Toni story since 2017 that doesn't focus mainly on Shannon) while her actual father [[ParentalNeglect hasn't been seen on-panel in years.]] In addition, she's become a regular at Luann's house as well.
60[[/folder]]
61
62[[folder:Fan Works]]
63* InUniverse in ''Fanfic/TheCalvinHobbesAndPaineShow'' -- Paine, Calvin's baby daughter, came not long after the titular ShowWithinAShow got a {{retool}} post-Watterson.
64[[/folder]]
65
66[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
67* ''Film/BluesBrothers2000'', the [[{{Sequelitis}} generally unwanted followup]] to ''Film/TheBluesBrothers'', had many, many, ''many'' faults, and the fact that the new pseudo-Blues pseudo-Brothers band received a brand new member certainly did not alleviate the situation. It certainly doesn't help that the kid genuinely and without exaggeration serves absolutely ''no'' purpose in the movie, only speaking to Elwood two or three times at most throughout the entire film.
68* The [[StarTrekMovieCurse even-numbered]] Franchise/IndianaJones films use this, with Short Round in ''[[Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom Temple of Doom]]'' and Mutt in ''[[Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull Kingdom of the Crystal Skull]]''.
69* Fred Kelman from ''Film/MightyMorphinPowerRangersTheMovie'', who got nearly the same amount of screentime as the Rangers themselves, despite doing next to nothing and being all-around useless until the climax.
70* The addition of [[MeaningfulName Howard Phillips]] to the [[Film/BeyondReAnimator third film]] in the ''Film/ReAnimator'' series, replacing the protagonist of the last two films, Dan Cain. Though not a kid, Phillips is significantly younger; producer/director Creator/BrianYuzna admitted freely that Phillips' addition was due to Yuzna's desire not to make a film about "two middle-aged guys".
71* In 1993, audiences of ''Film/RoboCop3'' were treated to the exciting revelation that, look, [=RoboCop=] now has a [[http://web.archive.org/web/20141117142807/http://www.craveonline.com/images/stories/2011/Film/Robocop%203%20Kids%20Are%20Awful.jpg little friend]]! She's nothing like ''Film/RoboCop2'''s murderous psychopath [[KidsAreCruel Hob]], and, in fact, she is even a [[PlayfulHacker skilled hacker]]!
72* Domesticating Nick and Nora Charles in sequels to ''Film/TheThinMan'' by giving them a kid didn't work very well with the witty, urbane, martini-swilling vibe that made the series popular. In ''...Goes Home'', the fifth installment, Nick Jr. is absent when Nick and Nora go to visit Nick's parents (supposedly he's away at school).
73[[/folder]]
74
75[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
76* The {{Trope Namer|s}} was added to ''Series/TheBradyBunch'' toward the end and was the last gasp of the show. He's also cited as the definitive proof of the franchise having [[JumpingTheShark jumped the shark]].
77* Robbie Rist (who played the original Cousin Oliver) became a Cousin Oliver again a couple of years later when he was Ted Baxter's adopted son in ''Series/TheMaryTylerMooreShow''.
78%% * Stephanie on ''Series/AllInTheFamily'', arguably a case of Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad.
79* ''Series/BlueBloods'' did a rare adult version of this, introducing Detective Joseph Hil, the heretofore unknown son of the late Joseph Reagan, at the end of the 10th season.
80* In season 5 of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', Buffy, after seasons of being an only child, suddenly has a younger sister named Dawn, who [[spoiler:actually turns out to be the result of [[CosmicRetcon a magic spell which altered everyone's memories]] (including her own) and that she's actually a CosmicKeystone in human form]].
81%%* Andrew on ''Series/FamilyTies''.
82%%* Kirby on ''Series/{{Frasier}}''.
83* ''Series/TheCosbyShow'':
84** Cousin Pam. Much older than most of the examples listed here, but she essentially served the same purpose for when the older kids were gradually moving out.
85** Denise gets married off-screen and comes back with a stepdaughter named Olivia right around the time that Rudy starts going through puberty. Is it possible this was a direct [[ShoutOut nod]] to Oliver? Olivia/Oliver?
86** Even Rudy herself, despite being one of the original Cosby kids. Later season episodes were far more focused on her and her friends than previously
87** The grandkids Winnie and Nelson (Sondra's twins) got more screen time as well--numerous scenes of Cliff or Claire interacting with them.
88* ''Series/{{Amen}}'' did an older version of this as well, with Clarence, a street-wise kid whom Deacon Frye took under his wing showing up in the final season of the show. And there was Jeanette, a foster child of Thelma's, who showed up in the ''first'' season rather than later, unlike most examples of this trope.
89* On ''Series/TwoTwoSeven'' there was Alexandria [=DeWitt=] (played by Countess Vaughn), who was added as a character in season 4. However, by the end of the season, [[PutOnABus Alexandra was gone when her archaeologist father retrieved her]].
90* ''Series/DiffrentStrokes'':
91** Sam (Danny Cooksey), the new younger brother from Phillip Drummond's second marriage. The series went from focusing on Willis playing older brother to Arnold to Arnold playing older brother to Sam. [[DemotedToExtra There wasn't much room for Willis afterwards]].
92* ''Series/DrQuinnMedicineWoman'''s mother brings new doctor Andrew Cook to town to take over for her during her maternity leave and take over for good should she decide not to return to work. He ends up marrying her daughter Colleen in the series finale.
93* ''Series/EightIsEnough'' had Cousin Jeremy (Ralph Macchio, who went on to become ''Film/TheKarateKid'').
94* ''Series/TheFactsOfLife'':
95** Kelly, the teen shoplifter, was added after the girls moved out of the dorms. Thankfully her addition was short-lived.
96** There was also Pippa, the Australian foreign exchange student, added for what turned out to be the last season.
97** And also Andy, who was adopted by Beverly Ann.
98* In ''Series/FamilyMatters'' the Winslows adopt 3J, a streetwise little orphan. Since there already was a kid in the show, little Richie, they merged into a single split-personality Cousin Oliver ("Maybe we shouldn't do this." "Oh, come on, it'll be fun!").
99* Creator/JoeyLawrence for ''Series/GimmeABreak'', then his brother [[Creator/MatthewLawrence Matt]]. The Lawrence kids made a cottage industry of being a Cousin Oliver.
100* Penny (Music/JanetJackson) on ''Series/GoodTimes'' was introduced to give Wilona someone to care for, since the Evans kids weren't really kids anymore.
101* ''Series/GrowingPains'' had two: Chrissy, the youngest Seaver child (played by Creator/AshleyJohnson), and then later Creator/LeonardoDicaprio's homeless-kid character.
102* ''Series/LittleHouseOnThePrairie'':
103** The final seasons feature a hilarious number of random "adorable" orphans shoehorned into the Little House after the original kids left home. These include Albert (adopted off the streets of the Big City), James and his sister Cassandra (parents killed in a wagon crash), Jenny (left on Laura's doorstep by her dying brother-in-law), etc. This is despite the show ''already'' having two younger Ingalls sisters in Carrie and Grace. Oddly enough, as more than one fan has remarked in alarm, Pa Ingalls never did build an addition to his two-room shanty.[[note]]It's worth noting that although the series is based on the books by the real Laura Ingalls Wilder, and many of the characters in the show are taken from the source material, these kids are not.[[/note]]
104** The Olesons' adoption of street urchin Nancy, [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute who just happens to look and act a lot like Nellie]]. This is a mild subversion, in that Nancy is added to be the ''AlphaBitch'' as opposed to a beacon of cuteness. Even more interesting, this is an invoked example--Harriett Oleson deliberately adopted the brattiest, most badly behaved child in the local orphanage to replace the grownup Nellie. Nellie herself lampshades it in one episode, worrying that Nancy may feel like she's not really wanted in the family since she was specifically chosen for her resemblance to Nellie.
105** Incidentally, Jenny, introduced a year after Nancy, may have been made the age she was in order to have a little girl around Nancy's age with whom she could butt heads, much like Laura and Nellie years earlier.
106* ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'' had Peggy's young cousin Seven, who was adopted by the Bundys at the beginning of Season Seven ([[DontExplainTheJoke get it?]]) since the original "Children" were both adults by that point. The character proved so unpopular with viewers and writers alike that partway through the season, he suffered from ChuckCunninghamSyndrome when he was removed with absolutely no explanation (though he had his FaceOnAMilkCarton for LampshadeHanging effect). The problem with Seven was how ''Married'' relied on a lot of adult, sexual, and sadistic humor that really wouldn't work with a child (Kelly and Bud were already teenagers in the first season and fair game for more mature comedy), and writing jokes appropriate for him clashed with the usual tone of the show.
107* ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' sharply parodied the Trope in the "Escape 2000" episode with "Timmy Bobby Rusty", a lisping kid whom Dr. Forrester employed to help boost the show's sagging ratings. He lasted exactly one segment.
108* Parodied in ''Series/MyNameIsEarl'', in one episode Earl fantasises about a perfect sitcom life with his wife Billie in which they adopt his African American "Cousin Wendall" when their own kids are grown and not so cute anymore.
109* In ''Series/MyThreeSons'' they formally adopted Chip's orphan friend Ernie. Justified, sort of, by the need to maintain the accuracy of the show's title after Mike was [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome chucked from the show]]. But then the show lasted so long that Ernie eventually became a teen and the producers decided to add stepsister Dodie.
110* Justin on ''Series/PowerRangersTurbo'' for a lot of fans. The hate has depleted somewhat due to his actor being a pretty cool guy and interacting with fans.
111* ''Series/GoseiSentaiDairanger'' with Ko fits, except he is a bit of a pervert and relies on his EmpathicWeapon to help him out. In all fairness, Cousin Olivers were not uncommon in the original series and were arguably [[KidAppealCharacter a useful proxy for the younger fans]].
112* The diner in the ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' episode "[[JumpingTheShark Jump the Shark]]" is called Cousin Oliver's... and the plot is about a possible younger brother turning up. Subverted though, when it turns out that the character in question (Adam) [[spoiler: ''was'' actually their half-brother, emphasis on "was" because he was already dead before the start of the episode]]. In season 5, the angels bring Adam back for a few episodes, in which he was actually useful to the plot. For one of these episodes, Sam, Dean, and Bobby play at the idea that he's family and act like they value him at least as much as (say) a close friend like Cas. Then they promptly forget about him. By the time season seven rolls around, nobody cares in the slightest that he's spent years being horrifically tortured by Lucifer and Michael (when given the chance to save him in season 6, Dean chooses Sam over him). Ultimately, this trope is subverted by laziness.
113** The trope is played straighter with Jack Kline, [[AntiAntiChrist Lucifer's young heroic son]], who joins the main cast from season 13 onward.
114* The Porters' foster child Declan in the last series of ''Series/TwoPointFourChildren''. He also served as a SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute for the departing Jenny.
115* Played with in ''Series/TheXFiles'' in which one episode had a man who assumed this identity because he associated with the original Cousin Oliver. A person who is unloved.
116* Oliver [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute replaced]] Jeff in ''Series/{{Coupling}}''. Considering how the {{Trope Namer|s}} is [[Series/TheBradyBunch Cousin Oliver]], it could be done as a parody. However, in one episode after season 3, Jeff is actually '''''removed''''' from a clip of a dinner party.
117* April on ''Series/GilmoreGirls''. Even more annoying in that she is a science-and-math-oriented version of Rory in response to viewer complaints that they missed the younger Rory. Rory had great taste in music which kept her from being a total loser, April was all nerd with very few (if any) redeemable traits. She also was the source of major tension in Lorelai and Luke's relationship, which didn't endear her to the viewers any.
118* Done in ''Series/TheDonnaReedShow'' when the family adopts a homeless child after their eldest daughter leaves for college.
119* In ''Series/{{Blossom}}'', when Carol moves in with Nick, we're introduced to her little daughter Kennedy. Blossom and her brothers had a good relationship with her, but fans of the show didn't.
120* Jamal's younger cousin Casey on ''Series/{{Ghostwriter}}''.
121* Gloria on ''Series/TouchedByAnAngel'' is an unusual example - her actress Creator/ValerieBertinelli turned ''41'' just days before her character's first episode, late in Season Seven, aired. But being a newly-created angel she is a BlankSlate, requiring the guidance of Monica in particular. By this time Monica was well-versed in the business of helping mortals, so there had to be another angel whose naivete could cause problems on an assignment. While Monica remained the central character, Gloria got occasional B-plots, such as befriending the angel guarding the Ark of the Covenant while Monica talks an archaeologist out of revealing its location to the world. (The series lasted another two seasons, with its drop in ratings likely having more to do with it being moved back to Saturday nights than anything.)
122* Little Nicky in ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'', even though at least he wasn't a [[SpotlightStealingSquad spotlight stealer]], unlike most of those listed here.
123* Ricky, the kid next door who liked to sing with ''Series/ThePartridgeFamily'' (often seen as a [[DuelingShows Dueling Show]] to ''The Brady Bunch'').
124* Arthur [=McArthur=], also known as "the little fat kid", from ''Series/HeyDad''.
125* Billie Jenkins was an extra witch added onto ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}'' who came out of nowhere and became like a sister to the Halliwells.
126* ''Series/ICarly''
127** Gibby's younger brother Guppy was introduced around the time when Creator/NoahMunck started puberty (Guppy's even portrayed by Noah's real-life brother Ethan). However, he's in only five episodes.
128** Spencer's nemesis Chuck Chambers was PutOnABus to military school in the final season, most likely due to Chuck's actor Creator/RyanOchoa having outgrown the role. Chuck's previously unseen and unmentioned younger brother Chip seeks revenge on Spencer. Though Chip only appears in one episode.
129* Dale from ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit''. Subverted in his final appearance in which he turns out to be a psychotic killer pushed to breaking point by a season of being treated like a screw-up and a kid. Though in their defense, he was a screw-up and a ManChild.
130* Sky, a late addition to the cast of ''Series/TheSarahJaneAdventures'', only appeared in the final three stories of the series as a regular before it was cancelled due to the death of its lead actress. Played straight in that Sky is not necessarily a Cousin Oliver in the sense of being an annoying addition, but she does qualify as far as being a young character added to a well-established cast that was growing older than their target demographic.
131* On ''Series/{{Degrassi|TheNextGeneration}}'', Snake's never-before-mentioned godson, Connor, comes to live with him — conveniently right after his daughter goes away to college.
132%%* Riff in ''Series/BarneyAndFriends''.
133* Adric in ''Series/DoctorWho'', although elements of the trope are averted in that the character was simply one of a long line of transient companions, and the series itself continued for a number of years afterwards. Plus Adric's final episode was one of the most dramatic send-offs for a character in the history of the series. He is ''definitely'' the series' number one {{Scrappy}}, but it was due to his holier-than-thou attitude and not his age... and his death [[AlasPoorScrappy changed a few minds about his Scrappydom]].
134* Rose from ''Series/DowntonAbbey'' is a little older than the trope usually implies, but otherwise fits. Introduced [[RememberTheNewGuy out of nowhere]] in the [[LastEpisodeNewCharacter final episode]] of series 3, she ends up being a BrattyTeenageDaughter who runs away from her chaperones, takes up with a married man, throws a tantrum when she gets caught, and generally makes a complete nuisance of herself. Her personality was due to having a tense relationship with her overbearing mother, who was in the process of a divorce from her father. Going to Downton was an escape for Rose. She matured in seasons 5 and 6 by taking up charity work and getting married.
135* For ''Series/{{ER}}'''s fifth season, new medical student Lucy Knight joined the hospital staff, cast in the same NaiveNewcomer role that Carter had filled when the show premiered and receiving plenty of AsYouKnow dialogue (part of a soft {{Retool}} meant to bring new viewers up to speed). Although her appearance didn't tank the show, she's still a very good example of this trope in that her appearance coincided with the show's first critically weak season, and her failure to catch on led to her being killed off a mere year and a half into her tenure. It's one of the few shows whose frequent use of this trope is actually necessary and realistic--as other medical students/residents would advance academically and graduate, it would be logical to bring in new ones--Gallant, Neela, etc. Even its final episode was the first day for a new doctor.
136* ''Series/AllyMcBeal'': Ally's biological daughter appeared out of nowhere in season 5. You ask how a single female lawyer got herself an eleven-year-old kid? Why, from her donated ova.
137* ''Series/RemingtonSteele'' introduced a rare adult version in the final season in the form of Jack Scalia, who joined the series at the 11th hour as an Indiana Jones-esque adventurer who becomes a romantic rival for Laura's affections. Although on the surface he doesn't seem to meet the criteria, the character had much of the same impact in terms of alienating the audience; many viewers were already upset that series star Creator/PierceBrosnan had lost out on playing Film/JamesBond thanks to NBC unexpectedly renewing the series for a short six-episode season, so the series was adding insult to injury by adding the Scalia character.
138* ''Series/StepByStep'' pulled a triple whammy. First they commit a Cousin Oliver with the introduction of baby Lilly in season 4. They then [[SoapOperaRapidAgingSyndrome aged up baby Lilly to 5 years]] in the sixth season. And in season 7, there's also a ChuckCunninghamSyndrome with the disappearance of Brendan Lambert, who was the youngest child before Lilly's birth.
139* ''Series/ADifferentWorld'' brought in no less than six of these for its new freshman/sophomore class at the beginning of what turned out to be its final season. Unfortunately, despite the fact that like ''{{Series/ER}}'', this would be necessary and logical as the older characters graduated and went on to graduate school/marriage/careers, true to form, the new characters failed to catch on and ratings plummeted until the show was canceled.
140* ''Series/TwoAndAHalfMen'': Louis in Season 12 and to a lesser extent Charlie's long-lost daughter Jenny. Both of whom were brought in to replace Jake after he was written off the show.
141* ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'' has an ''inverted'' example with Frank Reynolds, with Creator/DannyDeVito joining a cast of actors who were in their twenties or thirties.
142** Fitting the inversion, unlike how this trope often pairs with [[TheScrappy another]], the [[ExecutiveMeddling executive-mandated]] [[IconicSequelCharacter introduction of Frank]] is credited with ''saving'' the show.
143* ''Series/ForeverKnight'': in the third season the network wanted to make the show more appealing to younger audiences so they introduced a lot of "younger" and "hype" characters like vampire Vachón and his vampire friends who all look like younger versions of La Croix and Jannette.
144* ''Series/{{Glee}}'', similar to ''A Different World'' mentioned above, brought in new students in its later seasons as the original Glee Club members began graduating high school and moving on with their lives. But except for Unique, the "New" New Directions did not catch on with fans. After two seasons, they were PutOnABus and ''another'' New New Directions was brought in. These kids were better-received than their predecessors, but by this point, the show was explicitly in its final season.
145* ''Series/TrueBlood'': The final two seasons spent a great deal of time focusing on the romance between [[HotWitch Holly's]] teenage son Wade and Sheriff Andy's [[HalfHumanHybrid half-fae]] daughter Adilyn (technically less than a year old but [[PlotRelevantAgeUp aged up to a teenager]]).
146* Joe Pritchet in ''Series/ModernFamily'' is introduced as Jay and Gloria's new biological son after the seventh season of the show, right at the moment when Lily is entering puberty thanks to SoapOperaRapidAgingSyndrome. Cameron and Mitchell were looking for another child to adopt during the first seasons but the idea was dropped, although in some episodes of the tenth season, they are taking care of Cameron's nephew now that Lily is a teen.
147* Not even ''Series/AllInTheFamily'' of all shows was immune from this! As the ninth and final season introduces a 9-year-old distant relative named Stephanie Mills, who was abandoned on their doorstep after her father extorted some money. This was most likely done because while Gloria and Mike had a baby named Joey during Season 6 in a similar ratings ploy, they wanted somebody who was an actual character rather than a LivingProp. She was also a recurring character in ''Archie Bunker's Place''.
148* ''Series/WonderWoman'' launched an Oliver gambit in season 3. "The Man Who Could Not Die" moved Diana Prince to the Los Angeles field office of the IADC and introduced T. Burton Phipps III, a wisecracking black kid who was inexplicably free to wander the halls of a federal agency unescorted and with impunity. Ultimately averted by the series not returning for season 4.
149* ''Series/StrongMedicine'': In the show's second-to-last season, Dr. Kayla Thornton joined the staff. Despite being an adult, she is clearly this, as a rookie physician as opposed to the more experienced ones.
150** In the last season, Dr. Dylan West joined the show. His high school sweetheart soon reappeared in his life, along with the teenage daughter he never knew existed.
151* On ''Series/{{Blackish}}'', there was the youngest child Devante despite Bow being pregnant with him in season 3 and more recently Kyra, a homeless teenager who was taken in by the family after Zoey left for college until [[spoiler: [[ParentalAbandonment her father Perry reappeared]] to regain custody of her]].
152* Dr. Katie Herman, [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute a Cameron Howe wannabe]] in the final season of ''Series/HaltAndCatchFire,'' possibly counts as this.
153* Despite being an adult, ''Series/WithoutATrace'''s Elena is arguably this when she joins the cast in Season 4. Her daughter is a straighter example, even being the focus of an episode.
154* ''Series/{{Sisters}}'' did an adult version of this as well, with a heretofore unknown fifth sister contacting the family in Season 4, and a more typical (though still older than normal) version in Season 6 when she becomes a foster mother to a street kid.
155* ''Series/TheGeorgeLopezShow'': Angie's niece Veronica moved in with the Lopez family around the time that Carmen was getting ready to head off for college. Veronica is actually a few years older than Carmen but is just as spoiled.
156* ''Series/OneTreeHill'': Haley and Nathan's son Jamie, who becomes part of the main cast from season 5 onwards absolutely reeks of this trope. Many fans criticized him for getting a [[SpotlightStealingSquad disproportionate amount of screentime]] with his own subplots that took away time that could've been better spent on the adults, and for being far too unrealistically smart for his age, with Nathan and Haley treating him more like a young adult than a kid(including letting him give a speech at a wedding).
157* Specifically averted in the ''Series/SexAndTheCity'' revival ''Series/AndJustLikeThat''. Creator/CynthiaNixon said one of the things she's most proud of about the show is that they didn't "youthify" it by adding a 21-year-old niece, keeping the focus squarely on the main characters navigating life and relationships in their 50s.
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159
160[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
161* ''Series/ItsABigBigWorld'': Riona, Snook's niece, joins the cast in Season 2 as a TokenMiniMoe and the co-host of the show. She is also the only child character in the show. Riona's arrival came at the cost of Madge, Wartz, and Ick being removed.
162* ''Series/SesameStreet'': In the late 90's and early 2000's, Baby Bear would occasionally be seen babysitting his baby (as in infant) cousin, who always garnered attention from other residents for how cute he was. Oh, and his name? Cousin Oliver. (This was before Baby Bear officially had his baby sister, Curly Bear.)
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165[[folder:Video Games]]
166* Robots don't age, but Creator/{{Capcom}} added the rookie Axl, who acted all of 13 to the cast of ''VideoGame/MegaManX7'' to contrast with veterans X and Zero.
167* Joey [=MacAdoo=], Samantha Pearce, and Arthur Chen in the ''VideoGame/BackyardSports'' series, replacing the much more mature Jocinda Smith, Sally Dobbs, Kenny Kawaguchi, and Billy Jean Blackwood. Joey in particular is also maligned as a CreatorsPet.
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170[[folder:Webcomics]]
171* Every once in a while an example comes along that defies the precedent, that's exactly what happened in ''Webcomic/ComingUpViolet''. As many readers know, the primary shtick with ''Webcomic/FurWillFly'' was that Brad was the only human living in a world filled with furries. [[spoiler:At least until Brad sets a whole mess of pan-dimensional aliens [like himself] free from a detention facility, but that's neither here nor there]]. The comic's sequel changes this dynamic by introducing Dawn, a young -- and incredibly normal -- teenage girl to the mix. However, rather than being resigned to the Scrappy Heap, the fans love her and she adds quite a bit of character to the cast -- indeed, being an even bigger FishOutOfWater than Brad ever was. (May overlap with the SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute.)
172* A "cousin Marliver" was discussed as being a possible new character in ''Webcomic/MarcoandMarty'', directly referencing this trope. His catchphrase would have been, "Who wantsa ''flan!''"
173[[/folder]]
174
175[[folder:Web Videos]]
176* Jeffy from ''WebVideo/SuperMarioLogan'', who was dropped off at Mario's door, and is now ''hogging'' the spotlight, to the point where Mario's friends, Shrek and Black Yoshi, (who used to be the main characters along Mario) only appear once every few months.
177* [[https://youtu.be/GQRb6gN28oM "Vulture's Secret History of Television" Episode 1]] is a Website/YouTube essay all about Cousin Oliver Syndrome.
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179
180[[folder:Western Animation]]
181* In the second season of ''WesternAnimation/ActionLeagueNow'' (actually ''WesternAnimation/KaBlam's'' second season), the creators added in Quarky, a doll who was said to be Bill the Lab Guy's daughter. However, fans found her quite annoying (the creators answered this by taking her out during season 3).
182* ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'': Rogu appears to be this, despite only appearing in a few episodes. It doesn't prevent him from having fans.
183* The 14th season of ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}'' added Zara to the team. She's younger, vastly more competent and very smug. Her flawless characterization did nothing to win over the fanbase, especially since with this being the final season, all she was guaranteed to do was take precious screentime away from the established cast that could have been better invested into giving them conclusive arcs.
184* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'':
185** Parodied and referenced in the ''[[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries The Animated Series]]'' episode "[[Recap/TheAdventuresOfBatmanAndRobinE11BabyDoll Baby Doll]]", where "Little Cousin Spunky", the new child star added for the last season of Baby Doll's sitcom, was also designed to resemble Cousin Oliver. (They even had [[CastingGag Robbie Rist]] in the episode, though he voiced another character.) Also subverted in this episode -- Robin watches the entire series trying to find clues; Spunky turns out to be the only enjoyable thing in the show... well, the only thing Robin liked, mostly because Baby Doll was his favored victim.
186** ''[[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold The Brave and the Bold]]'': Bat-Mite calls the trope by name when summoning Ace the Bat-Hound during [[NoFourthWall his attempt to make the show]] [[JumpingTheShark jump the shark]] and get cancelled in favor of something DarkerAndEdgier. ComicBook/AmbushBug tells him that Ace is an accepted part of the mythos - only for Bat-Mite to explain he was talking about ''Ace'''s new sidekick, who is Scrappy-Doo in a mask.
187--->'''Ambush Bug:''' You ''fiend!''
188** Bat-Mite himself in ''[[WesternAnimation/TheNewAdventuresOfBatman New Adventures]]'', to the extent that he wrecks the series by spoiling the Batman/Robin dynamic and taking screen time away from the more worthy third wheel, Batgirl. Batman and Robin view him as a SidekickCreatureNuisance.
189* Parodied on ''WesternAnimation/TheCritic'', when Duke attempted to add a cute kid with [[ElmuhFuddSyndwome an endearing speech impediment]] to Jay's show to try to boost his ratings.
190-->'''Jay:''' Well, I find you "wepulsive" and "wepugnant"!\
191'''Kid:''' ''[suddenly normal-voiced]'' Hey, that speech impediment shtick is copyrighted. You'll be hearing from my lawyers! ''[cute voiced]'' I mean, ''wawyers''.
192** In Season Two, this was downplayed with Alice's 5-year-old daughter Penny, who was certainly adorable and precocious but had considerably less screen time and significance than Jay's 12-year-old son Marty.
193* The fifth season of ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'' (and first season of the Disney incarnation) introduced Doug's new baby sister, Cleopatra "Dirtbike" Funnie, who was born in the second ChristmasEpisode. Unlike most examples, only a few episodes revolved around her.
194* Spoofed in ''WesternAnimation/DrawnTogether'' with Strawberry Sweetcake.
195* Spildit of ''WesternAnimation/TheDreamstone'' qualifies to some degree. She has most of the traits, being younger, mischievous and rather obnoxious. She avoids disturbing the dynamic too much by only making the occasional appearance, however, and gains at least some positive cred for being about the only character to ThrowTheDogABone for [[TheChewToy Sgt Blob and his men]].
196* Bubba the Cave Duck from ''WesternAnimation/{{DuckTales|1987}}'' became this so quickly, he was [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome Brother Chucked]] ''straight after his introductory episodes.''
197** Which was spoofed in the reboot ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'' in an episode featuring a rebooted version of Bubba mostly as a cameo but discovered in the end as the ancestor of Scrooge. On the other hand, the reboot does have what some fans consider its own version of Cousin Oliver in such characters as Lena and Violet.
198* Poof, Cosmo and Wanda's son on ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' Done again in season 9 (2013), with the addition of a [[FairyCompanion fairy dog]] named "Sparky", and then done ''again, twice'', in season 10 with Chloe and Crocker's nephew Kevin. You'd think after [[TheScrappy Sparky]], they'd get the idea...
199* Referenced in the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode "Emission Impossible", when Stewie fears that a potential new baby means he will be replaced, which results in a ''[[Series/TheBradyBunch Brady Bunch]]''-themed CutawayGag where Oliver amuses the family while Bobby is forced to stay in the garage.
200* In the 1993 special ''A [[Franchise/TheFlintstones Flintstone]] Family Christmas'', Wilma offers to foster a juvenile delinquent named Stoney over the holidays, with Fred reluctantly trying to become a father figure to Stoney despite his criminal tendencies. This all happened in a future timeline where Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm got married, moved to Hollyrock, had twins, and were delayed coming home for Christmas, hence the apparent opening for a new child in the Flintstone residence. All of this was dropped by the following year's ''Flintstone Christmas Carol'', with everyone back to their typical ages, long before Stoney (let alone the Rubble twins) were born.
201* The animated version of ''[[WesternAnimation/TheGodzillaPowerHour Godzilla]]'' ([[WesternAnimation/GodzillaTheSeries not that one]]) added a baby called "Godzooky". A bit of an aversion, as Godzooky was based on Godzilla's son Minilla, from the original films.
202* ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget'': Corporal Capeman added nothing to the series when introduced and his chemistry with the others is zilch.
203* ''WesternAnimation/HandyManny'': Flicker the flashlight is much younger than Manny or his other tools and unceremoniously dropped into the show partway through the second season. However, he’s significantly less annoying than most of the other Cousin Olivers out there.
204* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'': Season 4 introduced Ron's adopted Japanese younger sister Hana. Fortunately, she played an extremely small role (when she even appeared) outside of two episodes, so her existence did not significantly impact the tone of the show. It helps that both episodes are well-liked by the fanbase.
205* Kiara was an only cub in ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKingIISimbasPride'', but in ''WesternAnimation/TheLionGuard'' she received a younger brother, the protagonist Kion.
206* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'': Lola Bunny, although not a kid, was shoehorned into the lineage the same way a Cousin Oliver often is. They took it to the point of putting her baby self in ''WesternAnimation/BabyLooneyTunes''... even though the gang first met her in ''Film/SpaceJam''.
207* Spoofed in the ''WesternAnimation/PinkyAndTheBrain'' episode "Pinky and the Brain and Larry".
208* ''WesternAnimation/TheRaccoons'': Bentley was introduced around the second season. He was Ralph and Melissa's nephew (and a kid version of Bert), and his introduction had surprisingly almost zero repercussions among the fandom. (His debut appearance strangely had him referred to as Ralph's cousin.)
209* The Junior Ghostbusters (three kids that were "honorary" Ghostbusters) were introduced in the third season of ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters'' push by the executives as a "strategy" to attract younger audiences.
210* InUniverse example in ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLifeStaticCling'', where a baby Fathead is added to ''[[ShowWithinAShow The Fatheads]]''. [[spoiler:Rocko hates it because he's shocked by the sudden change in the status quo, but everyone else likes it-- even Ed, who realizes that the baby Fathead represents his daughter and it helps him reconnect with Rachel once again.]]
211* Dil, and later Kimi, in ''WesternAnimation/Rugrats1991''. Kimi got it even worse than Dil did since most fans regarded the seasons after [[WesternAnimation/RugratsInParis the second movie]] as the worst in quality by dumbing down the babies (even though they were already dumbed down after the hiatus return in 1997). Both of these characters were Cousin Olivers when the show was on, but now many fans accept the characters and like them equally as other characters.
212* ''WesternAnimation/SamAndMaxFreelancePolice'' added a GadgeteerGenius character, who was also a little girl, due to ExecutiveMeddling insisting that they added a recurring female character to the show. Steve Purcell liked her but wanted her kept out of the series as much as possible due to fear of her messing up the dynamic between the two main characters, so while the fandom's feelings towards her are mixed, she's generally considered not to harm the show too much.
213* ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'':
214** [[TheScrappy Scrappy-Doo.]] He is parodied in ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated'', where when Daphne noticed his statue, Fred was quick to cut her off and mention that they promised that they would never speak about the incident ever again.
215** There's also Flim-Flam, the [[EthnicScrappy ethnic kid]] from ''WesternAnimation/The13GhostsOfScoobyDoo'', though it's possible he may have been added as some sort of company bet to see if they could actually create something more obnoxious than Scrappy-Doo. Also parodied in ''Mystery Incorporated'' when Daphne offhandedly mentions he received a 25-to-life prison sentence.
216** Scooby-Dum, who made appearances in ''The Scooby-Doo Show'' and ''The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour''.
217* ''WesternAnimation/Sealab2021'': Sharko, Marco's illegitimate half-shark son, from the final season, is a spoof of this character type. [[spoiler:The finale has him show up, only to get whacked by Shanks's 'Captain's Log' to cheers from the audience.]]
218* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': The episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS8E14TheItchyAndScratchyAndPoochieShow The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show]]" thoroughly parodied this trope. According to WordOfGod, an executive suggested the writers should add a new kid who had "the genius of Lisa but the attitude of Bart". In response, they made an episode where the [[ShowWithinAShow Itchy and Scratchy cartoon]] gets a new character, Poochie. In the episode's story, Poochie was created to be a hip new character with "pizzazz". However, he does nothing funny in his first appearance and the audience immediately hates him. The in-universe creators of the Itchy and Scratchy cartoon quickly remove Poochie from the show [[ShooOutTheNewGuy ("I have to go. My planet needs me.")]] complete with a notice that he died on the way home. The episode also contains a further parody with Roy, a college-aged "cool guy" who is [[RememberTheNewGuy inexplicably living with the Simpsons family]]. Lisa even {{lampshade|Hanging}}s the aspect of adding a new character to boost low ratings just before Marge greets Roy for the first time.
219* The Smurflings were added in the fifth season of ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981''. They are basically kid versions of the Smurfs; more accurately, Nat, Snappy and Slouchy were de-aged previous Smurfs, and Sassette was created by Gargamel like Smurfette. In the sixth season, they added a villainous kid, Scruple, as Gargamel's apprentice.
220** Then it was Nanny Smurf, an unexplained third Smurfette from Grandpa's time and her furry companion, Smoogle, introduced in the eighth season.
221* The "[[ReTool Fast Forward]]" season of ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003'', which has the turtles travel to the future, introduces April and Casey’s ChildProdigy great-grandson Cody Jones. Doesn’t help that April and Casey were absent for the season, so fans ended up seeing him as a ReplacementScrappy for them.
222* Nibbles the grey mouse from ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' is essentially this, though he doesn't seem to be widely hated for it. The fact that he only shows up in the occasional short may help.
223* ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'':
224** Spike Witwicky and Carly were teenagers in the first two seasons of ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers''. Then, in [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie the movie]] taking place 20 years later, we're introduced to their young son Daniel.
225** With the exception of ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' and ''WesternAnimation/BeastMachines'', every ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' series has kids who tag along with the 'bots just because network people don't think like humans and believe kids would truly rather see [[WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime some kid try to impress some girl with racing]] than ''Autobots vs. Megatron and his robo-zombie horde.'' Daniel is generally considered the worst (with Kicker from ''Anime/TransformersEnergon'' a close runner-up) and Sari from ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' was actually ''liked.'' The ''Anime/TransformersArmada'', ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'', and ''[[Film/TransformersFilmSeries Bayformers]]'' kids are considered mostly harmless if not for the [[DevelopingDoomedCharacters screentime-hogging]]. In general, though, ''Transformers'' fans are JustHereForGodzilla, so every TF human begins life in Scrappy status and must pull themself out.
226* ''WesternAnimation/WeBareBears'': Parodied in "Family Troubles", which reveals that Grizzly starred in a struggling Canadian sitcom as a cub until they tried to replace him with a new kid character: the hip, skate-boarding cousin Lorenzo.
227* A non-aging example, in season two of ''WesternAnimation/WowWowWubbzy'', a girl named Daizy was introduced. The season two theme shoehorned her in.
228* This trope can be a variation on having a KidSidekick and is very prone to happen when a live-action series is turned into an animated one; this is usually done for Saturday morning TV or the local equivalent, so the thinking is that kids want to watch other kids involved with the heroes. A classic example is ''[[Series/{{Emergency}} Emergency +4]]'', in which the paramedics and fire-fighters from the show ''Series/{{Emergency}}'' were saddled with a bunch of four kids who got to chase the grown-ups around in a van labelled "+4". The network that commissioned the ''WesternAnimation/{{Star Trek|The Animated Series}}'' animated series was reported to want to introduce a similar bunch of young "cadets" on the ''Enterprise''. Thank Finagle Roddenberry said no... at least until TNG and the CreatorsPet Wesley.
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