Line #41 Main/RecycledPremise


1	A [[TitleDrop Recycled Premise]] is when a show is made that is effectively identical to another, earlier, popular show, made simply to cash in on the craze or shoot for another demographic. Note however, that not all sequels are recycled premises -- just the ones that are almost identical, and have more than a couple of {{recycled script}}s.
2
3	A SuperTrope to:
4	* AnimatedAdaptation (when you're lucky)
5	* DistaffCounterpart
6	* RecycledWithAGimmick
7	* RecycledTheSeries
8	* SamePlotSequel
9	* SpiritualAntithesis
10	* SpiritualAdaptation
11	* SpiritualCrossover
12	* SpiritualSuccessor
13	* WholePlotReference
14
15	Though it's tempting to point fingers and yell "ItsBeenDone!" the fact is Administrivia/TropesAreTools. Recycling a premise isn't ''inherently'' bad; often times it can allow for [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot unwasting]] [[AdaptationExpansion of potentially good plots]] the original didn't go into, or provide a new take on something that may seem outdated. Of course, [[MoneyDearBoy money is to be made]] with some of these examples, but not all of them are inherently negative.
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17	Compare with GenderFlip, FollowTheLeader, SettingUpdate, JustForFun/XMeetsY, ThisIsYourPremiseOnDrugs or BetterByADifferentName. See also {{Pastiche}}, for works that borrow and mimick the style, elements or techniques from other works, authors or genres to make something new.
18
19	Work-specific examples:
20	[[index]]
21	* RecycledPremise/{{React}}
22	[[/index]]
23	----
24	!!Examples:
25
26	[[foldercontrol]]
27
28	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
29	* When you compare the two, ''Anime/TheBoyAndTheBeast'' is awfully similar to ''Anime/SpiritedAway.'' The protagonists are different genders but they start off about the same age, 9 and 10. The climax and ending is different but the premise of how they get there is basically the same.
30	* Paranormal elements aside, ''Franchise/DeathNote'' is a story about brilliant yet secretive student committing crimes "for the greater good of society" and slowly becoming a megalomaniac in process, all while playing mind games against a genius detective [[spoiler:(which eventually get him in trouble and his worldview brutally shattered in the end)]]. In other words, it's pretty much a modern supernatural version of Dostoevsky's ''Literature/CrimeAndPunishment''.
31	* Nearly every ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' series since [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam the original]], though this is quite intentional and pretty much the point of the series.
32	* Many people have accused ''Anime/Pokemon4Ever'' of ripping off ''Anime/PrincessMononoke'' due to a similar premise of a forest being under siege by a corrupting force, though such similarities are superficial since the actual plots of both movies are quite different.
33	* Although they are quite different stylistically, ''Anime/SamuraiChamploo'' has several episodes that have similar plots to those of another JidaiGeki anime, ''Anime/CarriedByTheWindTsukikageRan''. Both have episodes that homage ''Film/{{Yojimbo}}'', an episode where an artist wanting one of the characters to model is a front for a sex slavery ring, and both have the main cast interacting with one of the few foreigners in Japan during that period.
34	* ''Manga/CaseClosed'' is this to ''Ichinensei ni Nacchattara''. The only difference is the gender of the protagonist after shrinking, although the latter is an ecchi series and runs for only nine volumes whereas the former is shonen and there are lots of fans out there complaining about [[NoEnding its conclusion never arriving after]] [[LongRunner about 20 years]].
35	* Some ''Anime/PrettyCure'' series borrow elements from past seasons:
36	** ''Anime/FutariWaPrettyCureSplashStar'' is ''Anime/FutariWaPrettyCure'', but themed around nature and spirits.
37	** ''Anime/SmilePrecure'' is a LighterAndSofter version of ''Anime/YesPrettyCure5'', as both have a FiveManBand team with the same colors and a fairytale theme.
38	*** On the topic of ''Smile Pretty Cure'', ''Anime/KiraKiraPrecureALaMode'' is this to Smile, as both were made after something happened that caused the series to change tone to a lighter and softer one, [[note]] for ''Smile'', it was the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami that made the show lighthearted, while the lighter tone of ''A La Mode'' was due to parents complaining about the DarkerAndEdgier direction ''Anime/GoPrincessPrettyCure'' took in its' storyline. [[/note]] involve the girls transforming with a compact mirror and charms, have the girls hanging out in a place related to the series' theme [[note]] the Mysterious Library for ''Smile'' and Kira Kira Patisserie for ''A La Mode''[[/note]], and have a mid-season power-up that [[spoiler: involves a pegasus character]]. [[note]] While ''Smile'''s [[spoiler: pegasus power-up was for the whole team]], the one for ''Kira Kira'' was just [[spoiler: a SixthRanger who was a pegasus-themed cure]].[[/note]]
39	** ''Anime/HugttoPrettyCure'' is similar to ''Anime/DokiDokiPrecure''. Both series have a baby the characters have to take care of [[spoiler: who came from the world that was in danger]], use a smartphone-like item for the TransformationTrinket, have a white and pink wand-like item decorated with hearts used for the Cures' second attack, have [[spoiler: an elementary school Cure on the team]] and use [[spoiler: a smart tablet-esque device for the final attack used in the show]].
40	** ''Anime/StarTwinklePrettyCure'' is similar to ''Anime/MahoGirlsPrecure'', as both series involve an imaginative pink lead obsessed with the season's theme who meets a person from a world dedicated to that topic and goes on trips there with her. Both series also have a unique concept with the TransformationTrinket [[note]] For ''Mahoutsukai'', they used the actual mascot Mofurun as the item rather than having her become another object like in past ''Pretty Cure'' series, while in ''Star Twinkle'', the girls sing a song that goes along with the transformation.[[/note]], use a smartphone item to take care of the mascot that looks like a book, and have a SixthRanger [[spoiler: who comes from the alternate world they go to]], with ''Mahoutsukai'' having [[spoiler: Haa-chan become Cure Felice]] and ''Star Twinkle'' [[spoiler: having Yuni, who used to be the Phantom Thief Blue Cat, become Cure Cosmo]].
41	** ''Anime/FutariWaPrettyCureSplashStar'' and ''Anime/HealinGoodPrettyCure'' both involve the characters saving the spirits of nature. It also reuses the "girls have their own unique fairy partner to transform with alongside another main fairy" element from ''Anime/DokiDokiPrettyCure''.
42	* Both ''Manga/{{Mao}}'' and ''Manga/RinNe'' are clearly inspired by the author's earlier work ''Manga/Inuyasha'', with both maintaining the UrbanFantasy genre and the premise of "[[OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent regular schoolgirl]] gets involved with a magical boy and turns out to not be so ordinary after all", but focusing on slightly different angles.
43	** ''Manga/RinNe'' is about a girl who can see ghosts teaming up with a boy who is half shinigami (death spirit) and helping him in his dealings with ghosts and restless spirits in modern day Tokyo. This one perhaps more directly compares to an even earlier Takahashi work, ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'', although Rin-Ne's HalfHumanHybrid nature is clearly based on Inuyasha.
44	** ''Manga/{{Mao}}'' revolves around a girl who can travel back in time, where she terms up with a seemingly immortal teenage mystic wielding a magical sword who seeks revenge on a powerful [[BakenekoAndNekomata cat demon]] and becomes drawn into a conspiracy with its roots in the ancient past. The time-travel plot directly compares to ''Manga/InuYasha'', and Mao's cursed blood acting like acid, his feline traits and his ability to transform into a monstrous humanoid cat all invoke comparisons to Inuyasha himself.
45	[[/folder]]
46
47	[[folder:Comic Books]]
48	* The premise of Creator/GrantMorrison's ''ComicBook/AllStarSuperman'' is weirdly similar to the plot of ''Film/GodzillaVsDestoroyah''--with Franchise/{{Superman}} taking Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'s place. Both of them are built up as hypothetical {{grand finale}}s for their respective characters, in which the hero discovers that a fatal overdose of the substance that gives them their power will soon kill them, and both of them end with [[spoiler: a successor preparing to take up the dead hero's mantle after they die facing their oldest enemy]]. ''All-Star Superman'' features Superman slowly dying from an overdose of solar radiation, with Leo Quintum and P.R.O.J.E.C.T. trying to save him, as well as a final confrontation with ComicBook/LexLuthor, and [[spoiler: P.R.O.J.E.C.T. planning to build a new Superman]]. ''Godzilla vs. Destoroyah'' features Godzilla slowly dying from an overdose of nuclear radiation, with Miki Saegusa and the UNGCC trying to save him, as well as a final confrontation with the mutated offspring of the Oxygen Destroyer, and [[spoiler: Godzilla Junior preparing to carry on his father's legacy]].
49	[[/folder]]
50
51	[[folder:Fan Works]]
52	* ''Fanfic/AllAssortedAnimorphsAUs'': "What if Tom was infested by a member of the Yeerk Peace Movement?" borrows its premise from another ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' fanfic called ''The Tocsin'', though it ends up going in a completely different direction.
53	[[/folder]]
54
55	[[folder:Film -- Animation]]
56	* The plot of ''WesternAnimation/{{Dinosaur}}'' was lifted from ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime''. It wasn't originally supposed to have dialogue to differentiate itself, but ultimately did.
57	[[/folder]]
58
59	[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
60	* Most people in the West who have heard of ''City on Fire'' discovered it in the context of being the film of which ''Film/ReservoirDogs'' is a version.
61	** Likewise, these days ''Film/ZeroHour1957'' is usually discovered [[ParodyDisplacement via its parody]], ''Film/{{Airplane}}'', which follows the dialog and plot of the original closely.
62	* ''Film/DoctorStrange2016'': A sorcerer's former apprentice had gone rogue studying dark magic from a book, starting a conflict over the book with the sorcerer. A Manhattan resident, who doesn't believe in magic, is trained to become an [[Film/TheSorcerersApprentice apprentice]] of the sorcerer. The sorcerer teaches the apprentice how magic can access a mirror dimension outside normal reality, in order to help battle the former apprentice, who already knows how to enter the mirror dimension. The two apprentices confront each other and duel with magic, culminating in a magical special effects battle on the busy city streets at night.
63	%% * ''Film/{{Stargate}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/AtlantisTheLostEmpire''.
64	* ''Film/DirtyWork'' and ''Film/HotRod'' both center on an unsuccessful loser trying to raise $50,000 so his cranky ex-boxer father can have a heart transplant.
65	* One example is notable for being this to a movie that never actually got made: If the plot, characters, and general feel of ''Film/SnowDay'' seem a little bit familiar, there's a reason for that. The film started out as a BigDamnMovie for ''Series/TheAdventuresOfPeteAndPete'', but had to be retooled into a new story because by the time it escaped DevelopmentHell, the main actors had aged out of their roles.
66	* A lawsuit happened over similarities between the big-budget Creator/MichaelBay film ''Film/TheIsland2005'' and an earlier B-movie, ''Film/{{Clonus}}''.
67	* Depending on who you ask, Creator/JamesCameron's opus ''Film/{{Avatar}}'' is essentially either ''WesternAnimation/FernGullyTheLastRainforest'' or ''Film/DancesWithWolves'' depending on whether you focus more on the ecological or cultural elements. Similarities to ''Series/TheOuterLimits1963'' episode "[[Recap/TheOuterLimits1963S1E31TheChameleon The Chameleon]]", with its BecomingTheMask plot in which a human finds happiness in an alien body, have also been noted.
68	* The premise of ''[[Film/SlapShot Slap Shot 3]]'' is basically ''Film/TheMightyDucks'' but with The Hanson Brothers as supporting characters. They didn't even try to make the film any different from that series.
69	* ''Film/TheFastAndTheFurious'' took ''Film/PointBreak1991'' and replaced the surfboards with custom cars. The title (but not the story rights) was obtained from a little-known Creator/RogerCorman 1955 movie.
70	* Creator/RogerCorman's 1955 film ''The Fast and the Furious'' was recycled as the movie ''Film/TheChase1994''.
71	* ''Film/Speed2CruiseControl'' reuses the [[Film/{{Speed}} first film]]'s premise of a vehicle that cannot stop due to the bombs that the villain planted on it. Only instead of taking place in a bus, it takes place [[SequelEscalation in a ship]].
72	* A little known film called ''Film/HammerOfTheGods'' is about a viking warrior who must travel through hostile lands to find the heir to the throne, only to find him ruling over a tribe as a madman king... Yep, it's ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' with Vikings.
73	* If you're a ''Series/DoctorWho'' fan, you may find some aspects of ''Film/ManOfSteel'' oddly familiar -- and despite the fact that the ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'' franchise predates ''Doctor Who'' by about 25 years, the similarities actually go in the other direction. Once the movie gets over its obligatory SuperheroOrigin, it's essentially just the story of a hero who's the LastOfHisKind unexpectedly finding [[ThereIsAnother a group of survivors from his home planet]], then being forced to turn against them to stop their leader from wiping out the human race in a bid to resurrect his doomed species. In the process, he must face the idea that [[HeWhoFightsMonsters the threat of extinction turned his people into a race of militaristic xenophobes]], and that they don't deserve another chance. In other words... it's [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E17E18TheEndOfTime "The End of Time"]] with Kryptonians instead of Time Lords.
74	* ''Film/KissOfTheTarantula'' is basically ''[[Literature/RatmansNotebooks Willard]]'' with a {{gender flip}}ped VillainProtagonist and tarantulas instead of rats.
75	* Given it's very similar plotline, most reviews of ''Film/DoubleJeopardy'' compared it to ''Film/TheFugitive''-- even dubbing it "The Female Fugitive"--and ''not'' in a flattering way. Casting Creator/TommyLeeJones in virtually the same type of role as he had in the latter film didn't help--to this day, people still think it's another sequel.
76	* ''Literature/SafeHaven''. Abused wife catches a bus in the middle of a stormy night to flee her abusive husband, settles in a picturesque town and rebuilds her life while he hunts for her, with him finally stalking her and her new paramour through a local celebration and trying to kill them both. As one review put it, "I liked this movie the first time I saw it, when it was called ''Film/SleepingWithTheEnemy''."
77	* In 1898, Creator/HGWells published ''Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds1898'', which tells the story of how humanity was almost vanquished by a technologically superior AlienInvasion force, but said invasion was halted by the fact the Aliens were [[DeusExMachina susceptible]] to [[BiologicalWeaponsSolveEverything germs]], and was adapted to big screen [[Film/TheWarOfTheWorlds1953 two]] [[Film/WarOfTheWorlds2005 times]]. In 1996, ''Film/IndependenceDay'' was released, which tells the story of how humanity was almost vanquished by a technologically superior AlienInvasion force, but said invasion was halted by a gifted electronics engineer who [[HollywoodHacking uploaded a computer virus into the alien ships' computers]], and then blew up the mother ship.
78	* The following movies have premises that seem recycled from episodes of ''Series/AmazingStories'':
79	** ''Film/TheGreenMile'' vs "Life on Death Row": A death row inmate uses his magic powers to heal people, and gets executed at the end, though in "Life on Death Row" he comes back to life.
80	** ''Film/LastActionHero'' vs "Welcome to My Nightmare": A teenage boy uses a magic ticket that teleports him into the movies, though in the former he goes into an action film, and the latter into horror films.
81	** ''Film/{{Beetlejuice}}'' vs "Boo!": A deceased married couple try to get rid of an annoying married couple that just bought their house. In the former, they decide to compromise and try to get along with their new tenants. In the latter, they chase away the annoying new homeowners, and welcome back the original tenants that they like.
82	** ''Film/{{Transcendence}}'' vs "The Eternal Mind": A scientist dying of a terminal disease forces his wife to help him upload his mind into a computer, and after his body dies, his mind starts to lose his humanity, and the wife has to literally pull the plug.
83	** ''Film/TheTrumanShow'' vs "Secret Cinema": The protagonist (in the former a man in the latter a woman) is held virtually captive in a giant studio, and is the unwitting star of a reality TV show in the former, a movie series in the latter, and everyone they knows is an actor. When they begin to suspect that something is up, the protagonist suffers a bout of SanitySlippage, and in the end, while the former politely escapes his prison, the latter hijacks a garbage truck and empties it on the producers. (This one was similar enough to trigger a lawsuit.)
84	* When making ''Film/SkyHigh2005'', Creator/{{Disney}} may have looked to their earlier 2000 MadeForTVMovie ''Film/UpUpAndAway'' for inspiration as both films center around the teenage son of a pair of famous superheroes who [[MuggleBornOfMages seemingly possesses no powers of his own]]. The only real difference is that Scott Marshall eventually learns to accept that he doesn't necessarily need powers to be a superhero while Will Stronghold turns out to be a late bloomer when it comes to his powers developing.
85	* Creator/SylvesterStallone stars as a jaded, reclusive ProfessionalKiller who generally goes after [[HitmanWithAHeart evil individuals]]. He is eventually contracted to protect a woman (played by an up-and-coming actress) from a less moral hitman who he used to work with in the past, and whose friendship ended unamicably years earlier. The film ends with a confrontation between the heroic hitman (and the woman) facing off against his old rival in an AbandonedWarehouse. Now, are we talking about 1994's ''Film/TheSpecialist'' or 1996's ''Film/{{Assassins}}''?
86	* ''Film/FullTimeKiller'' lifts the central premise of ''Film/{{Assassins}}'': a psychotic assassin gunning for the world's top assassin, with a girl in the mix. The villain even admits to being inspired by the film to do what he's doing.
87	* ''Film/TheHustle'' is a remake of ''Film/DirtyRottenScoundrels'' with a GenderFlip -- acknowledged in its tagline, "Giving Dirty Rotten Men a Run for Their Money."
88	* If this vehicle slows down, a bomb will explode! ''Film/{{Speed}}'', 1994? No, ''Shinkansen Daibakuha'', 1975.
89	* The direct sequels to both ''Film/TheFly1958'' and its remake ''Film/TheFly1986'', ''Film/ReturnOfTheFly'' and ''Film/TheFlyII'' respectively, are about the SpinOffspring son of the predecessor's ill-fated scientist (who has spent much of his life unaware of exactly what happened to him) who revives their father's work and ends up undergoing much the same transformation they did -- much to the despair of his girlfriend, and no thanks to a [[BitchInSheepsClothing seemingly supportive figure]] (an assistant in the former, a CEO/father figure in the latter) who wants to steal the teleportation technology. He goes after the villains, [[spoiler:and gets the happy ending his father could not]]. There are even similar small details: Both movies open with a scene [[SuddenSequelDeathSyndrome establishing the demise of the female lead of the predecessor]] (in '59 with her funeral and in '89 with her DeathByChildbirth), while the third corner of the previous film's LoveTriangle is still alive, ''not'' enthused with the son picking up where the father left off but proving to be helpful nonetheless, and played by their original actor. The main differences lie in the nature of each protagonist's transformation -- with Phillipe in ''Return of the Fly'' it's another TeleporterAccident; with Martin in ''The Fly II'' it's a natural {{Metamorphosis}} due to being born as a mutant -- and the level of gore involved as the third act gets underway. Someone in [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyStudios 20th Century Fox]]'s marketing department must have noticed this trope because the final trailer for ''The Fly II'' opens with a spiel involving the sound of a buzzing fly and the audience being asked if they can hear it -- a verbatim lift from the ''Return of the Fly'' trailer!
90	* ''Film/{{Booksmart}}'' is, in BroadStrokes, a GenderFlip of ''Film/{{Superbad}}'': Two relatively unhip teens who are about to graduate have various adventures trying to attend a WildTeenParty and meet up with their respective crushes, only to be forced to reconcile with the fact that one of them is leaving after graduation and breaking up the friendship. Fittingly, Creator/BeanieFeldstein plays the equivalent role that her brother Creator/JonahHill plays in ''Superbad''.
91	[[/folder]]
92
93	[[folder:Literature]]
94	* Creator/PGWodehouse's novel ''The Small Bachelor'' lifted its plot from the Broadway musical ''Oh, Lady! Lady!!'', one of the legendary "Princess" shows Wodehouse wrote in collaboration with Guy Bolton.
95	* Creator/MichaelCrichton wrote the script for the 1973 film ''Film/{{Westworld}}'', which was about a bunch of tourists who go to the eponymous western themed amusement park, and the animatronics gain sentience and start hunting down the park attendees. In 1989 his book, ''Literature/JurassicPark'', was published, and tells the story of a group of tourists who go to an island populated with cloned dinosaurs, which through a series of events, escape from their enclosures and proceed to eat the attendees.
96	* ''Literature/DiaryOfAWimpyKid'': Material from the ''Do-It-Yourself Book'' spin-off activity book is often re-used in the main series later.
97	** Fregley's line "Betcha I can find your 'tickle spot'!" is used verbatim in ''The Meltdown''.
98	** Greg playing a game that supposedly determines his future, and getting an awful result, was re-used in ''Wrecking Ball''. It's the same game both times, too, and these are its only appearances in the series.
99	** The concept of ''Literature/DiaryOfAnAwesomeFriendlyKid'', a spin-off from Rowley's point of view, originated here. However, the ''DIY'' version is six pages long, full color, and written in cursive.
100	* ''Literature/TikTokOfOz'': Along with containing lawyer-friendly [[{{Expy}} expies]] of Dorothy and Ozma (stemming from the play that the book was based on not being able to use the characters due to them appearing in other Oz plays), the plot heavily resembles that of ''Literature/OzmaOfOz'' (an American girl washes ashore in Ev after a shipwreck, meets Tik-Tok, leading eventually to a confrontation with the Nome King), combined with elements from ''Literature/TheMarvelousLandOfOz'' (Queen Anne's plot to conquer Oz and the world has shades of the rebel leader Jinjur), ''Literature/DorothyAndTheWizardInOz'' (the Rose Kingdom resembles the Mangaboos) and ''Literature/TheRoadToOz'' (Polychrome and Shaggy Man’s involvement). Despite this, it’s not a book to skip if you’re a fan of the series, as several plot-relevent events occur that affect future stories (Ruggedo the Nome King being dethroned and replaced with Kaliko for one thing), and the novel is actually a fan favorite.
101	* Australian actress Magda Szubanski recently released a series of children's books called ''Timmy the Ticked-Off Pony'', which is essentially a child-friendly version of ''WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman''. Like his predecessor, Timmy is an anthropomorphic equine with terrible people-skills who is obsessed with fame and fortune, yet always manages to humiliate himself. The difference being that while Bojack is shown to be a complex protagonist that the audience is meant to see as neither hero nor villain, Timmy is simply an UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist whose mishaps are played entirely for laughs.
102	[[/folder]]
103
104	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
105	* ''Series/FamilyMatters'', which in addition to being a SpinOff from ''Series/PerfectStrangers'' started out being much like ''Series/TheCosbyShow''.
106	* ''Series/TheDukesOfHazzard'':
107	** The series itself is a retooling of ''Moonrunners'', a film that series creator Gy Waldron had written and directed a few years earlier.
108	** The 1982 Coy and Vance-era episode titled -- appropriately enough -- "Coy vs. Vance" uses the same premise as an episode from two years earlier, "Carnival Of Thrills." Both episodes were about one of the Duke boys (Bo in the earlier episode, Coy in the newer show) falling for the voluptuous operator of a stunt show, the other Duke cousin learning that the new girlfriend has a DarkSecret to hide about the show (in both cases, the mechanic directed to sabotage the vehicle used in the main event stunt to cause an accident and the show to collect insurance), Bo/Coy refusing to believe them to the point where a fistfight breaks out ... and Bo/Coy learning in the end Luke/Vance were right and then teaming up to either successfully perform the stunt and/or expose the scheme and bring the stunt show operator and her henchmen to justice.
109	%%* ''Series/{{Crusade}}'' is uncannily similar to ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato''.
110	* From the advertisements, at least, ''Series/{{Fringe}}'' looked suspiciously similar to ''Series/StrangeWorld''. In practice, it ended up being quite a bit like ''Series/TheXFiles'', involving a special FBI team that investigates MaybeMagicMaybeMundane events and combining MonsterOfTheWeek episodes with MythArc episodes.
111	* The early ''Series/MetalHeroes'' shows (''[[Series/SpaceSheriffGavan Gavan]]'', ''[[Series/SpaceSheriffSharivan Sharivan]]'', ''[[Series/SpaceSheriffShaider Shaider]]'', ''[[Series/KyojuuTokusouJuspion Juspion]]'', and ''[[Series/JikuuSenshiSpielban Spielban]]'') were pretty much identical to each other cast wise. ''Sharivan'' and ''Spielban'' even had the same actor playing the hero. Also, the Space Sheriff Trilogy (the first three above) had the evil organizations acting exactly the same and the hero working for the same organization, with some of the same supporting cast. Basically, new actors were plugged into essentially the same roles. It wasn't until ''Series/ChoujinkiMetalder'' that things got shaken up.
112	* ''Franchise/KamenRider'' was no different. The hero is turned into a cyborg and must fight a NebulousEvilOrganization and its cyborg monsters; every evil organization's hierarchy is the voice of Creator/GoroNaya commanding a single general who commands the MonsterOfTheWeek. There's surprisingly little variation from this, and when it is it's details like [[UnwillingRoboticization kidnapped by bad guys and altered]] vs. [[WeCanRebuildHim injured by bad guys and altered]].
113	** While the modern Heisei era shows more variety, it still falls into this, especially when certain writers are part of it. ''[[Series/KamenRiderAgito Agito]]'', ''[[Series/KamenRider555 Faiz]]'', and ''[[Series/KamenRiderKiva Kiva]]'' all feature identical PoorCommunicationKills plotlines (detailed on that trope page) and all three were written by Creator/ToshikiInoue.
114	* ''Series/{{Merlin\|2008}}'' began as a bit of a lift of the initial premise of ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', with the twist that the Destined Hero (in this case [[Myth/KingArthur Arthur]]) ''isn't'' the main character, and at least initially was possibly closer to being the Lex counterpart.
115	* On ''Series/ICarly'', the episode "iSaved Your Life" has one of the main characters falling in love with a major character. The AntiHero character then guilts one of the involved parties into believing that the love may be superficial, forcing them to break-up to satisfy StatusQuoIsGod. It's pretty much identical to the episode "Josh Loves Mindy" on ''Series/DrakeAndJosh''.
116	** ''Series/GameShakers'' takes many elements from ''Series/ICarly'', with both shows being about kids who become famous through the internet. The main difference is that ''Series/ICarly'' is about web videos and ''Series/GameShakers'' being about mobile gaming. The pilot for ''Series/GameShakers'' hits many of the same beats as the ''Series/ICarly'' pilot. ''Series/GameShakers'' seems to acknowledge this in a crossover episode where the cast of ''Series/GameShakers'' are revealed to be huge fans of ''Series/ICarly''.
117	* Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}'s ''{{Series/How to Rock}}'' copied Creator/{{Disney Channel}}'s ''Series/ThatsSoRaven'' with the episode "How to Rock a Statue" copying "Art Breaker", respectively. Both involve a statue created in the main protagonist's likeness, both involve said protagonist wanting to change the statue (specifically the nose), thus breaking the statue, and both involve the main protagonist acting as a double for the statue.
118	* ''Series/BodyOfProof'' has been criticized for basically being a generic combination of ''Series/{{Bones}}'' (female medical examiner with NoSocialSkills) and ''Series/{{House}}'' (snarky doctor with mild disability).
119	* Prior to ''Series/ILoveLucy'', Lucille Ball played a scheming, nutty housewife in a radio show titled ''My Favorite Husband'', wherein her character was married to a dull, inoffensive, American banker. Execs wanted to adapt the series almost wholesale because it tested so well, whereas Ball and Arnaz wanted to take things in a different direction and avoid paying royalties to the original book the radio show was adapted from. Even though the shows have different characters, some episodes of ''I Love Lucy'' reused storylines and gags from the radio show, since they shared three writers (Bob Carroll, Madelyn Pugh, and Jess Oppenheimer). After ''I Love Lucy'' became a hit, Creator/{{CBS}} tried to make lightning strike twice by adapting ''My Favorite Husband'' itself as a TV series (with a different cast and crew), but that show went nowhere and was soon forgotten.
120	* After having had a huge hit with ''Series/TheHollywoodSquares'' (1966-1981), creator Creator/MerrillHeatter recycled the "quiz show with celebrities in a ginormous board" premise twice: first with ''Series/{{Battlestars}}'' (1981-83), then ''Series/AllStarBlitz'' (1985).
121	* Goodson-Todman would duplicate their panel game motif after the success of ''Series/WhatsMyLine'', prompting ''Series/IveGotASecret'', ''Series/TheNamesTheSame'', ''Make The Connection'', and ''Series/ToTellTheTruth''.
122	* ''Series/FamilyFeud'''s premise was derived from the end game of the original ''Series/MatchGame'' (1962-69 -- "Name a type of car college students would drive").
123	* Several game shows got reborn under tweaked rules and different names:
124	** ''Series/VideoVillageJr'' (1962) -> ''Series/{{Shenanigans}}'' (1964--although ''Shenanigans'' actually originated in 1960 on local New York TV)
125	** ''Series/{{Password}}'' (1961) -> ''Snap Judgment'' (1967)
126	** ''Series/{{PDQ}}'' (1965) -> ''Series/{{Baffle}}'' (1973)
127	** ''Series/HeSaidSheSaid'' (1969) -> ''Series/{{Tattletales}}'' (1974)
128	** ''Series/TheWhoWhatOrWhereGame'' (1969) -> ''Series/TheChallengers'' (1990)
129	** ''Series/EverybodysTalking'' (1967) -> ''Series/HollywoodsTalking'' (1973)
130	** ''Series/{{Showoffs}}'' (1975) -> ''Series/BodyLanguage'' (1984),
131	** ''Series/ShootForTheStars'' (1977) -> ''Series/DoubleTalk'' (1986)
132	** ''Series/SecondChance'' (1977) -> ''Series/PressYourLuck'' (1983)
133	* Goodson-Todman took the premise of ''Series/ThePriceIsRight'' -- to not exceed the value of merchandise -- then pared the contestants down to two and called it ''Say When!!'' in 1961. Fourteen years later, Bill Carruthers took the premise of ''Say When!!'', added a spinning arrow and called it ''Series/GiveNTake''.
134	* A TV producer named Wilbur Stark mixed ''Series/{{Password}}'' with ''Series/YouDontSay'' and came up with ''The Object Is'' (1963), the first game show hosted by Creator/DickClark. Conversely, Goodson-Todman cribbed from ''Password'' and ''You Don't Say!'' themselves and came up with 1964's ''Get The Message''.
135	* After Creator/BobStewart left Goodson-Todman and created ''Series/{{Pyramid}}'', many of his shows afterwards were word games of some kind akin to ''Pyramid'', and oftentimes some of these gameplay elements would be reused from pilots Stewart created that didn't sell or earlier series of his -- ''Series/{{Go}}'', for instance, was previously the "Instant Reaction" BonusRound of ''Series/ChainReaction'', and the idea of having multiple celebrities and civilians creating questions one word at a time had originated in the 1977 Stewart pilot ''[[https://www.usgameshows.net/x.php?show=GetRichQuick&sort=0 Get Rich Quick!]]''. It also helped he [[ProductionPosse drew from the same general pool of hosts, announcers and celebrity partners]] for basically every show he did, most notably Creator/BillCullen.
136	* A relatively sane, smart host cracks wise about dubious political and pop-cultural phenomena while dealing with less than sane correspondents. Pop quiz: did we just describe America's ''Series/TheDailyShow'' or Australia's ''Series/ShaunMicallefsMadAsHell''? [[MathematiciansAnswer Yes.]]
137	* ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'' is essentially "''Series/{{The Office\|US}}'' in the public sector with a female lead", but quickly distinguished itself.
138	* ''Series/MyKitchenRules'' is largely inspired by the Australian version of ''Series/MasterChef''. Aside from the fact that MKR follows teams of two rather than competing individuals, as well as the Instant Restaurant rounds they introduce at the start of each season, the two shows follows pretty much the same premise.
139	* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' has some seasons that come off as little more than English "dubs" of ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' shows. Opinion-wise, it can actually be something of a toss-up: ''[[Series/PowerRangersSamurai Samurai]]'' is generally considered one of the worst seasons (despite ''[[Series/SamuraiSentaiShinkenger Shinkenger]]'' being a fan-favorite) because of the perceived lazy writing and poor acting. On the other side of the coin, ''[[Series/PowerRangersTimeForce Time Force]]'' also cleaves fairly closely to its source show ''[[Series/MiraiSentaiTimeranger Timeranger]]'', but fans tend to have a better opinion of it thanks to the changes that ''were'' made and the quality of the acting.
140	* ''Series/TheNoddyShop'' was basically ''Series/ShiningTimeStation'', but set in a toy store instead of a train station.
141	* ''Series/MeToo'' was basically ''Series/{{Balamory}}'', but set in a city instead of an island town.
142	* The first two episodes of the Netflix series 'What/If' are basically a gender-flipped version of 'An Indecent Proposal.' Props for its lampshading, though.
143	--> ''Anne'': I actually quite enjoyed that movie.
144	* Even the show's creators have acknowledged that the premise of ''Series/TedLasso'' is ''Film/MajorLeague'' moved to the world of English UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball, centered on a character Creator/JasonSudeikis previously created for a series of NBC Sports promos for their coverage of the Premier League.
145	* ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' would sometimes reuse material from their obscure and [[CanonDiscontinuity probably non-canon]] "season zero". Since those episodes were only broadcasted on the local station KTMA (so very few people saw them), and everyone involved considered those episodes OldShame, the showrunners didn't mind raiding that whole season for ideas to do again, but better.
146	** In season three, they riffed on nine movies that had been featured before on season zero. (The movies in question were ''Fugitive Alien'', ''Star Force: Fugitive Alien II'', ''Mighty Jack'', ''Time of the Apes'', and several Gamera films: ''Gamera'', ''Gamera vs. Barugon'', ''Gamera vs. Gaos'', ''Gamera vs. Guiron'', and ''Gamera vs. Zigra''.) And season thirteen (still upcoming, as of November 2021) is also scheduled to feature a movie that they'd previously riffed during season zero (''The Million Eyes of Sumuru'').
147	** They also reused the premise of a MirrorUniverse with roles swapped: the mad scientists become the ones forced to watch the bad movies, and the test subjects become their tormentors. In [[Recap.MysteryScienceTheater3000S0EK08GameraVsGuiron season 0, episode 8, "Gamera vs. Guiron"]], this shows up as a dream sequence and only lasts for one host segment. They did it again in [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S06E11LastOfTheWildHorses season 6, episode 11, "Last of the Wild Horses"]], only this time the mirror universe is real, two characters swap places with their mirror counterparts, and this plot lasts the entire episode.
148	* ''Series/OddSquad'':
149	** The episode "Three Portals Down" takes a few cues from "Portalandia" from earlier in Season 3 -- numbered dimensions (though none of them are the 17th Dimension seen in the latter episode), odd creatures that escape from them (including the butterfly that shoots EyeBeams that was seen in the latter episode), and Orla being the primary focus.
150	** "Welcome to Odd Squad" is a mix of "Odd Squad Needs You" and "Nature of the Sandbeast", though it's more derivative of the former due to the main premise being Orpita shooting an Odd Squad recruitment video.
151	** "Sunny Sides Add Up" takes a lot of elements from the "Odd Beginnings" two-part Season 3 premiere, from the Sticky Sisters raiding yet another Odd Squad Headquarters to danger being created when the AncientArtifact of the episode (the Golden Sundial) is moved.
152	[[/folder]]
153
154	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
155	* The role-playing game ''TabletopGame/RottedCapes'' is pretty clearly meant to be ''ComicBook/MarvelZombies'', but with a homebrew superhero world overrun by the undead because the developer obviously couldn't afford to license the Marvel Universe.
156	[[/folder]]
157
158	[[folder:Toys]]
159	* In TheEighties, Creator/{{Kenner}}'s ''WesternAnimation/RosePetalPlace'' toy line was essentially the ''WesternAnimation/StrawberryShortcake'' franchise (which Kenner had made toys for) with characters themed/named after flowers instead of food.
160	* In the earlier parts of ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'', the stories often involved the characters' home island being overrun by (usually non-sentient) beings, and the heroes having to collect various {{MacGuffin}}s (masks, mask-like parasites, more masks, disks, pieces of a map), mostly in order to defeat the villains. The Mata Nui sagas were basically built around the formula of baddies showing up, the village elders sharing their knowledge with the heroes, heroes collecting stuff and having in-fights, going underground to face a boss, and coming back up, having learned the importance of teamwork for the umpteenth time. Further, the village of Le-Koro being overrun and its protector Lewa getting mindcontrolled by the enemies, with Onua freeing Lewa and other villagers (with Takua among them) saving Le-Koro was used as a side-plot in two consecutive years.
161	* When Creator/{{Kenner}} had a hit with ''WesternAnimation/{{MASK}}'', it reused the toys' main premise (tiny figures + gimmicky vehicles) for two similar lines, ''WesternAnimation/SkyCommanders'' and ''Shadow Strikers''. Later, the first set of toys for ''WesternAnimation/VorTechUndercoverConversionSquad'' were direct remakes of some of the original ''MASK'' series.
162	[[/folder]]
163
164	[[folder:Video Games]]
165	* Creator/RockstarGames is a serious offender: Compare ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIII'', ''[[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoViceCity Vice City]]'', ''[[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas San Andreas]]'' and ''VideoGame/{{Manhunt}}'' to ''Film/TheGodfather'', ''Film/{{Scarface\|1983}}'', ''Film/MenaceIISociety'' and ''Film/TheRunningMan''. The main character of ''Vice City'' even has a mansion that contains obvious {{Shout Out}}s to ''Scarface''. Also worth noting that both ''Godfather'' and ''Scarface'' have been turned into games that rip off the gameplay style of ''GTA''. ''Vice City'' also needs to mention ''Series/MiamiVice''. Considering the sidekick from the show is your sidekick in the game...
166	* ''VideoGame/{{BioShock\|1}}'' is a remake of ''VideoGame/SystemShock 2'', fueled by Objectivist propaganda.
167	* ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonorVanguard'' and ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonorAirborne'' are both ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonor'' games that focus on the paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne and 17th Divisions, that include Operations: Husky, Neptune, Market Garden and Varsity, allow the player to choose where they start at the begining of each Operation with the parachute mechanic and feature a protagonist that gets promoted halfway through the game.
168	* ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire]]'' contain a postgame story called the Delta Episode where the climax involves getting [[OlympusMons Rayquaza]] to destroy an incoming Meteorite to prevent it from [[ColonyDrop destroying the planet.]] Said Meteorite also contains [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIIIWailmerToDeoxys Deoxys]] inside it. This was originally the climax of ''[[VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonRescueTeam Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team.]]''
169	* ''VideoGame/HalfLife'': The game's premise, where a scientific experiment triggers an invasion of creatures from another world, is borrowed from ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'', which several key Valve staff members developed a Windows 95 port of before forming Valve. The difference is that while ''Doom'''s story was an ExcusePlot, ''Half-Life'' makes the story an integral part of the game, and is considered an important milestone for storytelling in both {{First Person Shooter}}s and video games as a whole.
170	* The premise of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' is eerily similar to ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'', released fifteen years prior. This might sound familiar: a hero is introduced to an ancient world that has been scarred by a [[AfterTheEnd terrible cataclysm]], and an [[ToxicPhlebotinum evil substance]] is spreading. In order to cleanse and save the world, the hero must explore in order to grow stronger and eventually infiltrate what was once a culturally-significant landmark to find the [[SealedEvilInACan monstrous source]] of the evil and destroy it.
171	[[/folder]]
172
173	[[folder:Webcomics]]
174	* ''Webcomic/SleeplessDomain'' starts off with a five-person MagicalGirl team, with the team members corresponding the each of the four classic elements, along with the leader having Aether powers. Which, it turns out, is the ''exact'' team makeup in ComicBook/{{WITCH}} and [[WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}} its animated adaptation]]. [[spoiler:Then this gets subverted in a very horrific way as half the team is killed off and their leader gets de-powered, setting up for the actual story to begin.]]
175	[[/folder]]
176
177	[[folder:Web Original]]
178	* ''WebVideo/{{React}}'' is known to do this often. [[RecycledPremise/{{React}} This page covers it more in detail.]]
179	[[/folder]]
180
181	[[folder:Western Animation]]
182	* After Creator/HannaBarbera made ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'', a sitcom (more specifically ''Series/TheHoneymooners'') set in HollywoodPrehistory, they eventually went on to make ''WesternAnimation/TheJetsons'', a sitcom set TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture, and ''WesternAnimation/TheRomanHolidays'', a sitcom set in AncientRome.
183	** And then they made ''WesternAnimation/WaitTillYourFatherGetsHome'', a sitcom set in... modern times (for 1972, anyway), which took its cues from ''Series/AllInTheFamily''.
184	** ''WesternAnimation/TopCat'' is ''Series/ThePhilSilversShow'' with cats in an alley instead of army officers on a base. Both shows even shared actor Maurice Gosfield - who played Doberman on the latter and voiced the Doberman-esque Benny in the former.
185	** ''WesternAnimation/TheHairBearBunch'' (formally titled ''Help!...It's The Hair Bear Bunch'') was an ursine ''Series/HogansHeroes'' that took place in a zoo instead of a German prison camp.
186	** And of course, there were all of the cartoons that tried (and failed) to duplicate the successes of ''WesternAnimation/YogiBear'', ''[[WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981 The Smurfs]]'', and especially ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo''.
187	* Due to being an ''extremely'' long runner that thrives on NegativeContinuity most of the time, ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' often recycles themes and plots of previous episodes entirely unintentionally because the writers have lost track of what's going on (no one can tell Lou from Eddie). Some of these ''might'' be running jokes. Who knows?
188	** Homer has dressed up as Santa repeatedly ("Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", "Homer vs. Dignity", etc.).
189	** Homer has twice become a Smithers.
190	** Several family members have switched religions and Marge used Reverend Lovejoy's help to get them back ("Homer the Heretic", "The Joy of Sect", "She of Little Faith", "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star").
191	** The Simpson family has gone on vacations full of gags poking fun at the location with a third act involving them in danger ("Bart vs. Australia", "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson", "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo", "Blame It on Lisa", etc.)
192	** Lisa has been upstaged by a peer while Homer is involved in a wacky scheme to make money off of a fatty food additive twice ("Lisa's Rival" and "Lard of the Dance").
193	** Lisa has gone to a better school only to be challenged.
194	** Both Bart and Lisa in turn served as Krusty's assistant ("Bart Gets Famous" and "All About Lisa").
195	** Both of them won parent-constructed project contests based on the fact that their father's job on them looks so shoddy that it "obviously" was done with no help from their parents.
196	** "Flaming Moe's" (season 3) and "Moe'N'a Lisa" (season 18) use the same premise of Moe stealing a Simpson family member's idea and getting popular off it while refusing to give credit.
197	** "Tis the Fifteenth Season" and "Simpsons Christmas Stories" both have scenes about [[DrivenToSuicide Moe's annual Christmas suicide attempt]].
198	** In "Lisa's Pony", Apu tells Homer that only one guy eats the hot dogs (which Homer recognizes as himself). In "Pranksta Rap", Chief Wiggum finds out that he and Milhouse's dad are the only two people to buy a cheap brand of popcorn from Apu. However, this joke is also a plot point in "Pranksta Rap".
199	** A character surprised to learn that "There's a '''''New''''' Mexico" is a gag in Season 5's "Boy-Scoutz 'n the Hood" (a "Homer is really dumb" bit) and also in Season 12's "Homer vs. Dignity" (a "Burns is really, really old" bit).
200	** Both Marge and Ralph have said "I'm a Star Wars!", multiple seasons apart.
201	** Episodes in seasons 3 and 10 use the same joke to start a transition: Ralph speaking to the class and sharing [[TooMuchInformation something disgusting]].
202	** The trope is also referenced and played with in Season 11's "Saddlesore Galactica". [[MetaGuy Comic Book Guy]] stands up and says, "I would like to point out that the Simpsons already ''had'' a horse," and gives a summary of Season 3's "Lisa's Pony". Homer's response is, [[TakeThatAudience "Does anybody care what this guy thinks?"]] Here, Homer and the crowd are justified as (unlike with many of the above examples) the two horse episodes are wildly different, owing in part to the show becoming noticeably DenserAndWackier in the intervening years.
203	** For whatever reason, both Marge ("The Seven-Beer Snitch") and Kang and Kodos ("Gump Roast") have said "Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost."
204	** Bart has worked on a golf course twice: in season 20's "Lost Verizon" and season 32's "Wad Goals."
205	** Both Homer ("Little Big Girl") and Mr. Burns ("The Old Man and the Lisa") have been confused about the difference between ketchup and catsup.
206	** Marge has advised her children to tell a teacher if they're being bullied on two separate occasions, only to be told that their bully ''is'' their teacher (Bart in Season 17's "My Fair Laddy", Lisa in Season 24's "Black-Eyed, Please").
207	--->'''Marge:''' If you're being bullied, you should tell your teacher!\
208	'''Bart/Lisa:''' My bully ''is'' my teacher.
209	** An inter-series example occurs in "Homer the Moe", which has a scene where Homer tries to smash the glass on a jukebox with his bare fist and bleeding as a result. ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' had precisely the same gag in "Let's Go to the Hop" a year earlier.
210	* The ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekTheAnimatedSeries'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekTheAnimatedSeriesS1E3OneOfOurPlanetsIsMissing One of Our Planets Is Missing]]" is basically a reworking of the [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Original Series]] episode "[[{{Recap/StarTrekS2E18TheImmunitySyndrome}} The Immunity Syndrome]]", but this time done in such a way that the science mostly makes sense.
211	* [[WesternAnimation/SpaceGhostCoastToCoast Hanna-Barbera]] [[WesternAnimation/HarveyBirdmanAttorneyAtLaw cartoons]] [[WesternAnimation/Sealab2021 re-imagined]] as DarkerAndEdgier for the [[ComicBook/HannaBarberaBeyond sake of parody]].
212	* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'':
213	** Season 7 infamously used the same premise three times: To get the Krabby Patty secret formula, Plankton dresses up as someone [=SpongeBob=] knows and trusts (his grandma, Gary, and Sandy). In Season 2, he dressed as Krabs, and in his first appearance ever, controlled [=SpongeBob=]'s body. A much later episode uses a similar plot, with Plankton posing as a sentient wad of cash and fooling Mr. Krabs.
214	** "Chum Caverns", "Chum Bucket Supreme", and "Spongicus" use the same basic plot of the Chum Bucket getting popular thanks to a new gimmick.
215	** "Boss for a Day" almost entirely consists of plot points from previous episodes: Mr. Krabs gets injured and sent to the hospital ("Squid's Day Off"), [=SpongeBob=] is appointed manager ("Squid's Day Off", "Gullible Pants"), [=SpongeBob=]'s nitpicking drives away someone trying to make Krabby Patties ("Someone's in the Kitchen with Sandy"), Patrick works at the Krusty Krab ("Big Pink Loser", "Bummer Vacation"), [=SpongeBob=] gets multiple clones ("[=CopyBob DittoPants=]")...
216	** "Culture Shock": In an attempt to bring culture to the Krusty Krab, Squidward organizes a show in which he is the star and [=SpongeBob=] has an unremarkable role. To his surprise, the audience hates him and loves [=SpongeBob=]. "The Play's the Thing": In an attempt to bring culture to the Krusty Krab, Squidward organizes a show in which he is the star and [=SpongeBob=] has an unremarkable role. To his surprise, the audience hates him and loves [=SpongeBob=].
217	** Notably averted with "Sleepy Time" and "Dream Hoppers". While both of them involve [=SpongeBob=] going into peoples' dreams, "Dream Hoppers" takes the format of a NoDialogueEpisode where [[MickeyMousing actions are timed to the music]] (and has a more consistent plot of [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick chasing a Krabby Patty through the dreams), making it a very unique episode for the show.
218	** "[=SpongeBob=] Meets the Strangler" and "Good Ol' Whatshisname" both end with someone going to jail but being relieved that at least they've got away from [=SpongeBob=] (The Tattletale Strangler in the former and Squidward in the latter), only to find that their cellmate is Patrick.
219	** "Boat Smarts" is an educational video where Squidward plays the good driver and [=SpongeBob=] plays the bad driver, and every scene ends with Squidward getting injured. "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS13E16MaAndPasBigHurrahYellowPavement Yellow Pavement]]" is the exact same thing, down to reusing multiple jokes.
220	** "Goofy Scoopers", "Sir Urchin and Snail Fail", and "We Heart Hoops" all follow the same premise of [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick wanting to meet their favorite celebrities. It's especially noticeable since the episodes are so close together -- the former two are season 13 and the last one is early season 14.
221	** In "Krusty Dogs", a popular new menu item forces Krabby Patties off the menu, to [=SpongeBob=]'s dismay, and he has to get them back. Add Sandy and you have season 13's "Hot Crossed Nuts".
222	** "Hiccup Plague" and "Allergy Attack!", both in consecutive seasons, revolve around everyone catching an illness and the hijinks that ensue.
223	** "My Friend Patty" and the ''WesternAnimation/KampKoral'' episode "Patrick Takes the Cake" have the exact same plot beats. A main character tries to protect a sentient food item from others trying to eat it, only for the food to reveal that it actually wants to be eaten, leading them to share it. Both episodes premiered just two months apart.
224	** "Arbor Day Disarray" and the ''WesternAnimation/ThePatrickStarShow'' episode "A Root Galoot" both revolve around the characters taking care of a plant-themed guest, only for them to be a {{jerkass}} who overstays their welcome.
225	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLifeAndTimesOfJuniperLee'' is basically just ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDragonJakeLong'' or ''WesternAnimation/MonsterAllergies'', though more closely ''American Dragon''.
226	** Teenage main character of Asian descent is the protector of the magical world and has to keep up TheMasquerade? Check.
227	** The power/responsibility to protect TheMasquerade is inherited yet skipped their parents' generation? Check.
228	** Mentored by their grandparent (of the same gender as them, but of a different gender from the parent who the responsibility skipped) as well as a grey [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld 600 year old]] talking dog? Check.
229	** Annoying gender-flipped younger sibling, who's in on the secret? Check.
230	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Stoked}}'' is essentially what ''WesternAnimation/{{Sixteen}}'' would be like if it took place at a beachfront hotel instead of a shopping mall. The six main characters are very similar the cast on ''6teen'' - Johnny is Wyatt, Emma is Jen, Reef is Jonesy, Broseph is Jude, Fin is Nikki, and Lo is Caitlin. This also extends to a number of supporting characters too.
231	* ''WesternAnimation/JayceAndTheWheeledWarriors'' borrows liberally from ''Franchise/StarWars'': a youthful, inexperienced hero, his RobotBuddy, a powerful wizard, and a JerkWithAHeartOfGold mercenary pursue a BigBad and his forces across space. The major difference is that the Princess Leia equivalent is a little girl.
232	* Creator/DePatieFrelengEnterprises did quite a few derivative series.
233	** ''WesternAnimation/TheInspector'' was a semi-official AnimatedAdaptation of the Inspector Clouseau character from ''Franchise/ThePinkPanther'' films.
234	** ''The Dogfather'' started as a straight parody of ''Film/TheGodfather''. The character was later reworked into a more generic canine gangster for the ''Pink Panther'' cartoons.
235	** ''WesternAnimation/TheBarkleys'' was ''Series/AllInTheFamily'' in a [[WorldOfFunnyAnimals world of anthropomorphic dogs]].
236	** ''WesternAnimation/TheHoundcats'' combined elements from ''Series/TheWildWildWest'', ''Series/MissionImpossible'' and the short-lived ''Series/{{Bearcats}}'' with LionsAndTigersAndHumansOhMy; the heroes are the only {{Funny Animal}}s in an otherwise human world.
237	[[/folder]]

Context Main / RecycledPremise