!!Characters involved in production:

* In ''Fanfic/AllYouNeedIsLove'', [[BrokeEpisode in order to raise money for the Kira investigation]], Matsuda writes and produces a low-budget soap opera called "The Boogeyman" which is ''very loosely'' [[IWroteOurStory based on the lives of the Kira-taskforce]] and has roped the task force into acting in his Soap. [[NiceCharacterMeanActor To Light's ire Matsuda has him cast as "the nice gay schoolboy."]]
* In Chapters 33-40 of ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/9821669/chapters/22053209 Awakening]]'', [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Starscream, Skywarp, Thundercracker, Sunstorm, Metalhawk and Pharma]] put on a [[KabukiTheatre kabuki-style]] play called "The Matchmaker".
* The entire plot of ''[[Fanfic/TheCalvinHobbesAndPaineShow The Calvin, Hobbes, and Paine Show]]'' revolves around ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' being one of these, and being {{retool}}ed into a VarietyShow after Watterson leaves.
* In ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/426761/chapters/717415 Legally By 30]]'', [[Series/{{Glee}} Quinn]] stars in a show called ''Crashcart Justice''.
* In ''Fanfic/TheGameOfTheGods'', Morgoth and Varda play a CosmicChessGame. Each game is a story. Morgoth's game piece is a Mary Sue, and Varda's goal is to remove this piece from the board. [[TheDevilIsALoser Morgoth is always losing]], so we go through 30 stories, each centered on some Mary Sue.
* In ''Fanfic/HisHonorTheMayorDrewLipsky'' WesternAnimation/KimPossible is a ShowWithinAShow series of stories written by Ron like [[WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers The Rusty Venture Show.]] The characters will occasionally note how the episodes differ from what actually happened when relevant to the story and at one point a pair of gangsters end up MuggingTheMonster repeatedly due to being WrongGenreSavvy regarding which parts of the cartoon were real and which weren't.
* In ''Fanfic/KaraOfRokyn'', the [[ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} main character]] is the lead actress in the "Kal & Lyla" film, whose shooting is the final story arc's central plot.
* The ''Series/SouthOfNowhere'' story, ''Romance on the Set'' Spencer and Ashley (and many of the other characters) star in a teen drama called ''North of Somewhere'' and meet during production.
* The ''Fanfic/SkyholdAcademyYearbook'' series has several examples in the form of various characters writing RealPersonFic about themselves and each other. If [[Franchise/DragonAge Varric Tethras]] isn't the one writing it, he's usually the one reading it out loud to other characters (and thus to the reader).
* ''Fanfic/SuperheroRPF'' is a fanfic about fanficers so it has [[ShapedLikeItself a lot of fanfics in it]]. Most just referenced by their title and summaries, except ''For Asgardia!'', by a guy going by the username Sassgardian, from which there are excerpts all around the fic. It gets him accused of {{Draco In Leather Pants}}ing for his heroic interpretation of Loki, [[spoiler:and when his identity comes out, he is in fact Loki writing SelfInsertFic]].
* ''Fanfic/TalesOfKarmicLiesAftermath'' features ''Ladybug: Miraculous Journey'', an official movie based off of the titular superheroine's adventures. Marinette and the rest of the current Team Miraculous are involved with the project, and several chapters focus on the movie's development and plotline.
** Notably, the project is used by several characters as a way of dealing with various issues. Nooroo, for instance, deals with the trauma of being used for Hawkmoth's evil purposes in a rather unusual fashion: he insists that [[spoiler:his movie counterpart become TheManBehindTheMan, an EvilAllAlong ManipulativeBastard playing Hawkmoth for his own ends]]. He does this specifically because he knows [[spoiler:a ControlFreak like Gabriel would take even a fictional counterpart being depicted as somebody else's pawn as a personal insult]].
** The movie also naturally diverges from reality in various other ways, such as how it reflects the public's belief that [[spoiler:Adrien/Chat Noir was secretly working with his father]].
** The United Heroez have their own movieverse; it's mentioned in passing that not all of the entries have met with their approval, such as the disastrous ''[[Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice Knightowl V Majestia: Dawn of the United]]''.
* ''WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries'':
** Bakura and Zorc star in a sitcom called ''Zorc and Pals''. And ''[[Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody The Suite Life of Zorc and Cody]]''.
** Also the brief appearance of ''Kill Your Family''.

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!!Characters are fans:

* ''Fanfic/AdviceAndTrust'': [[https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/posts/4162372/ in chapter 8]] Shinji and Asuka watch a show based on an ''TabletopGame/AdeptusEvangelion'' campaign the author takes part in. Asuka describes it like this:
-->''"You wanna plop down and watch another episode with me, Misato? Shinji and I have been watching it lately. It's like someone heard about NERV, took a lot of drugs, and then tried to make it a comedy-drama-angst-romance with an ensemble cast of traumatized lunatics. It's a cheesy giant robot show, but a lot of fun. Everyone in it is pretty hot, too. Especially that Akram guy. Yow."''
* Several in ''Fanfic/AeonNatumEngel'':
** ''Series/QuestionTime'' with [[VideoGame/SidMeiersAlphaCentauri Alpha Centauri]] leaders who speak mostly with their game quotes.
** ''[[Series/TheJerrySpringerShow Jerry Springer]]'' with Chaos Lords from ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar'' as its hosts.
** Artistic License-Heavy ''Snake Fist''.
** ViewersAreGeniuses-type show ''T for Tangency''.
* ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/15800280 After "The Tower"]]'' is a Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse fanfic in which the Avengers go to see a movie based around the events of ''Film/TheAvengers2012'' directed by Creator/MichaelBay. "Fans" is a bit of a stretch in this case -- they all consider it SoBadItsGood to varying degrees thanks to the liberties Bay took (no, Avengers Tower does not have any [[NoOSHACompliance spinning fans of death]] and Natasha wasn't that blatant of a MsFanservice character), but make a tradition out of watching it precisely because of that.
* ''Fanfic/CheatingDeathThoseThatLived'': Panem is a fan of the RomanticComedy sitcom, ''Fiona and Lawrence'' which is the most popular show besides the Hunger Games, and possibly one of the longest-running television shows in Panem.
* ''Fanfic/ChildrenOfAnElderGod'': In chapter 4 Kensuke proposes go to the cinema to watch Gekiganger-X, a movie based on a SuperRobotGenre show (the name being a homage to ''Anime/{{Gekiganger3}}'' and ''Anime/MazingerZ'').
-->"They've got Gekiganger X down at the movie theatre today."
* In ''Fanfic/ChrysalisVisitsTheHague'', Queen Chrysalis somehow manages to tv-zap to a ''supremely'' clichéd prison drama (while being in prison herself, naturally), complete with a DeepSouth setting, a [[WardensAreEvil sadistic warden]] and some heavily implied [[PrisonRape soap-droppin']]. [[WordOfGod The author]] calls it ''[[Film/TheShawshankRedemption 'The Shawshank Pretension']]''.
* ''Fanfic/HereThereBeMonsters'': [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Freddy Freeman]]'s newsstand sells comic-books like ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' (who doesn't exist in Earth-S) or ''[[ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse Uncle Scrooge]]'' (given the year, probably issues of Creator/CarlBarks' run).
-->'''Freddy Freeman:''' "Denny, if it's about the new comics, they don't come in today. You know that, right?"\\
'''Denny Smith:''' "Right, Mr. Freeman. I just want to make sure you know to put the right ones back for me."\\
'''Freddy Freeman:''' "Sure. ''Superman'', ''Uncle Scrooge'', ''Crime Does Not Pay'', and ''Frontline Combat''. They'll be here for you, Den, when they get here. If they get here."
* The ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' fanfic ''Fanfic/HomeSickNoonboryKedabory'' features a comedy series titled "[[Series/TheGoldenGirls The Sassy Sisters of Shady Shores]]", which is about quadruplet sisters living in a nursing home together. This show is also mentioned in some of the author's other fanfics, such as ''Fanfic/HoldMe''.
* ''Fanfic/TheIkaris'': The "Super Gendo Super Show", created by the PR department to make people more aware about Commander Ikari. It is like Evangelion on crack with a healthy helping of SuperRobotGenre and tokusatsu tropes. They are making lunchboxes, too.
* In ''Fanfic/JuniorOfficers'', Deborah is a huge fan of an anime called ''Intergalactic Imogen''.
* ''Fanfic/KingdomHeartsTheAntipode'': [[VillainsOutShopping Xigbar]] and [[WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}} Hudson]] are both seen watching ''Series/{{Dinosaurs}}'' on TV at different points, indicating that the exact same show broadcasts across multiple worlds.
* ''Fanfic/KyonBigDamnHero'' has a ''JustForFun/TropeTan'' anime and movie.
* ''Webcomic/TheLegendOfGenji'': Kalsang is a diehard FanBoy of the sci-fi TV series ''Starbenders: A Journey Through Space'' to the point where he's seen every episode, constantly shares his fan theories with his family, and has even named his pet sky bison Aimee after one of the show's characters. Luan is also a fan of ''Starbenders'' and has personally met the show's cast.
* In ''Fanfic/MyHuntsmanAcademia'', Izuku has an entire collection of comics titled, "The Adventures of the All Mighty Huntsman", which are a loose adaptation of Toshinori's various adventures. There's also a TV show based on the comics, in which Toshinori's voice is [[CelebrityParadox impersonated by a guy]] named [[Creator/ChristopherSabat Chris Sabat]].
* ''Fanfic/OniGaShikuSeries'': There is a movie franchise called "Yakuza Sunset". Izuku and All Might are huge fans. There is a RunningGag of everyone thinking that Izuku in his hero costume (a [[HellbentForLeather leather semi-formal suit]]) looks like he walked right out of those movies (though it should be noted that the movies are not his source of inspiration).
* ''Fanfic/PokemonCrossing'':
** Tank and Kidd are fans of the action series ''Rotom's Charming Angels'', a series about a Lopunny, Medicham and Gardevoir fighting crime.
** Tank's also a fan of the toku series ''Crossing Rider Go'' and attends a convention based after the series.
** Benedict mentions watching some ''Pretty Refresh'' and names his Swablu after one of the characters.
* ''Fanfic/PrettyCurePerfumePreppy'':
** ''Futari wa Hearty Pure''. The Cures (and also most people at their school) are big fans of the show, and [[spoiler:Lapinyuu becomes part of the cast, playing a [[Anime/FutariWaPrettyCure Shiny Luminous]] parody]].
** The two shows that helped Chloe and Chiara's father Theodore become a trampoline fetishist, ''Bounce'' and ''Thud'', also count.
* ''Fanfic/SonicEvilRebornZero'' gives us [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog ''Atom The Porcupine,'']] a video game franchise about the adventures atomic rodent and friends who trumps Atom's arch nemesis, Doctor Nucleo. Tails is a ''massive'' fan, even going so far as to [[SelfDeprecation write novel-length fanfiction]] that is much [[DarkerAndEdgier deeper and more serious]] than the saccharine source material, to the point of being laughable.
* ''Webcomic/The3LittlePrincesses'': Rosalina loves the show "Comet Academy", which comes on once every 86 years. Peach and Daisy find it utterly boring.
-->''Rosalina'': 12 Lumas are sent on the Academy Comet, which is the host of the Comet Academy! During the 86 years it takes for the comet to come back, the Lumas are training by eating the most Star Bits they can, so once in competition, they can transform into the most formidable things!
* In ''Fanfic/AVeryKaraChristmas'', Kal's Christmas gift for his cousin is a copy of "The Kryptoniad", Krypton's greatest epic poem which Kara loves reading.
* In ''Fanfic/TheVinylAndOctaviaSeries'' the protagonists get a book written about their first adventure. It's implied to be badly written.

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!!Show is a plot point:

* In ''Fanfic/AmazingFantasy'', ''Franchise/MarvelComics'', the ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'', and the ''Film/SpiderManTrilogy'' all exist in Izuku's universe, cementing ComicBook/SpiderMan has a purely fictional character. This is why Izuku is so bewildered when he starts developing spider powers and meets Peter Parker the same day after being bitten by a genetically-altered spider.
* In ''ComicBook/XMen'' fanfiction ''Fanfic/DevilsDiary'', Creator/MarvelComics, Creator/DCComics and ComicBook/ArchieComics all exist in-universe. ComicBook/{{Magneto}} even gets to meet Creator/StanLee, and is told Lee convinced his boss to get the licensing for a ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' comic before Irwin Donenfeld -DC's owner back in TheSixties- did.
* In ''Fanfic/EquestriaAHistoryRevealed'', the LemonyNarrator writing the fic-essay decides to go out drinking and just copies a large block of test from a book on a soldier's recounting of a significant battle in the history of the Equestrian Civil War into the fic. Notable in that the copied text proves to be vastly different in tone than the rest of the tone of the fic, probably due to its InUniverse copied nature, and is even written in a more high quality fashion than the rest of the essay-fic.
* ''Fanfic/FriendshipIsOptimal'': The plot entirely revolves around the fictional videogame ''Equestria Online'', an MMO tie in to ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' created at the height of it's popularity. Focus is shared between the game's developers, players, sellers, and the mysterious AI contained within.
* ''Fanfic/GuysBeingDudes'': ''My Edgelord Phase Summoned The Demon King Who Made Me His Boyfriend'', the movie Spark and Arlo watch at the park as part of their celebration of Spark's birthday.
* In ''Fanfic/LetUsBeYourPoison'', ''Violet and Daisy'' is a propaganda-based kid's EdutainmentShow featuring puppets teaching kid's how to be virtuous. It runs on Atlas' state television. [[OnceAnEpisode Each episode]] ends in the duo singing about respecting family. Weiss and her brother Whitley used to watch it as kids.
* ''Fanfic/MegaManXRevenge'': The titular cartridge actually has a story and isn't just some cursed game like most creepypastas. The premise being a virus known as SCP-616B infected the world with Zero killing everybody at HQ and infecting X with the virus. X has to fight and defeat those infected before he succumbs to the virus himself. Of course, the game is still dangerous. After losing five lives the game warns Ivan not to get game over or he would suffer the same fate as X.
* ''Blog/MiraculousRewrite'': Like in the original show, the chapter "Animaestro" is centered around the main characters going to the premiere of a movie based around Ladybug and Chat Noir's adventures. However, the movie is received negatively for various reasons, which isn't helped by the fact that the director dismisses any legitimate criticism as pointless nitpicking of his "masterpiece".
* The [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10530358/8/Tales-from-Gundam-Island eighth entry]] for ''Tales From Gundam Island'' (supplemental stories for the ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing''/''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' AlternateUniverse crossover ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9990992/1/Tears-of-Revelry Tears of Revelry]]'') falls somewhere between Types 3 and 4. In it, the Gundam boys go to the premiere of a play about how the first Avatar came to be in that universe... filtered through [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheEmberIslandPlayers the Ember Island Players]]. As with the canon episode, [[HilarityEnsues Hilarity and embarrassment ensue]].

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!!PlotParallel:

* A meta example with the [[PeripheryDemographic brony]] fandom of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' where a common fandom joke is that a show exists in-universe called ''My Little Human'' which similarly has a weird cult following for ponies. Sometimes fanfics roll up with this idea, almost always for humor.
* ''Fanfic/SonOfTheSannin'': An omake at the end of Chapter 68 reveals that there's a shonen series named ''Haruto'' which has pretty much the same premise as canon ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' as we know it (and to the story itself). Itachi uses Tsukuyomi on an Amegakure shinobi he captured to torture him for information, [[ForcedToWatch by forcing him to watch]] [[CoolAndUnusualPunishment the entire filler season]]. Doubles also as a TakeThat as Itachi describes said season as "72 hours of mediocre writing, forgettable characters, cheap animation and nonsensical yet predictable plots".
* ''Fanfic/SonicEvilRebornZero'': Atom the Porcupine doesn't end there. It's noted that the series was once extremely popular and rivaled [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros another great franchise]], but has gone through an AudienceAlienatingEra filled with an unneeded surplus of characters and pitiful 3D games and, though getting back on its feet in recent days, is still ridiculed as a "kiddy game series."

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