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Multiple Demographic Appeal

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"We have to make the show for the hard-core fans who care about the numbers, but we also have to make it for my mom, who just wants Sawyer to take his shirt off."
Damon Lindelof, co-creator and executive producer of Lost

A work that is deliberately crafted to contain elements that appeal to multiple demographic groups, resulting in them all watching it. For example, a show might be an epic fantasy filled with explosive action sequences that are broken up with romantic subplots and has any overly serious moments lightened by some dark humor. Oh, and a dash of fanservice. With all of that, you've got your fantasy lovers, testosterone junkies, your bleeding heart romantics, the British, and those who are just here for a good time, if you know what I mean.

Compare with Periphery Demographic, where a work unintentionally attracts a non-intended demographic. The line between a show that simply has a Periphery Demographic and a show with Multiple Demographic Appeal is a little blurry, as the former can become the latter should the powers that be decide to cultivate that expanded audience. Plus, without Word of God, it can be hard to know what elements are there because the creator just liked them or because some executive knew it would attract a certain audience. As such, this is a bit of a YMMV trope, though maybe one way to tell the difference is in the merchandise: if the merchandise for your work includes not just lunch boxes, action figures, and clothing, but also collectible figurines, fully-featured home video releases, and vinyl records, then you definitely have a Multiple Demographic Appeal show... or just an acknowledged Periphery Demographic. See? Blurry.
Misguided Executive Meddling in pursuit of a wider demographic may result in removing what made it appeal to the original core audience, without ever appealing to this "extra" market. This is the origin of the infamous Romantic Plot Tumor, as executives remain convinced that women cannot possibly enjoy an action-centered film for itself, despite all evidence to the contrary. See also Lowest Common Denominator, where products try to appeal to as wide a demographic as possible, and Parental Bonus, where kids' shows include elements to make parents enjoy watching as well. Uncertain Audience is when this is done in a way that results in the appeals to various demographics coming in conflict with one another.

Examples:

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    Advertising 
  • Sanrio is really good at pulling demographics: young fans and moe lovers get into the cute mascots, older fans come for the nostalgia, and the wide range of topics means there's a mascot for every stripe. They're not even shy of reaching out to older men and the workforce as well, as Show by Rock!! and Aggretsuko can attest.
  • The iconic M&M's advertising campaign owes a lot of its success to this trope, as The Nostalgia Critic points out. Kids can appreciate the (literally) colorful mascots and goofy slapstick, and adults can appreciate the sly verbal comedy and the amusing character interactions between the snarky Red, the simple-minded Yellow, the neurotic Orange and the sexy Green.

    Anime and Manga 
  • Anime and manga in general outside of Japan have become increasingly popular with girls and women over the last decade; where once it was the domain of boys and sci-fi geeks, titles like Sailor Moon and Inuyasha helped bring girls into the fold; now girls and women constitute a sizable portion of the international fanbase. Moreover, thanks to wider distribution of titles and the proliferation of the Internet, anime fandom has spread across nearly every national, linguistic or ethnic boundary.
  • The main reason why Pokémon: The Series was and still is so popular is that it appealed to such a broad spectrum. Boys liked it for the battles and the explosions, while girls liked it because the Mons (and sometimes the humans) were just so darned cute.
  • Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, officially is targeted at young teen males, an action Shōnen with plenty of battles to keep guys hooked, then plenty of women in Japan jumped onto the series for all the handsome men it has, but that's a very limited reach still; everything changed when the anime became an absolute phenomenon in Japan. The series grew to spark interest in all sorts of varied demographics, to the point of Japanese mainstream media trying to understand why and how people of different genders and ages, from people who have never really cared much about anime and manga to begin with to seasoned otaku gave the series their attention. Many tried to explain, with diverging opinions, but the most intersecting factors boil down to how simple and yet effective it carries its themes of family bond, hard work, folklore through a very familiar Japanese background carried in an easy to digest manner, and the easy-to-understand story even by a little child.
  • Digimon is the same way. While the original digital pets were intended to be a boyish alternative to Tamagotchi, Digimon Adventure clearly appealed to more than just young boys. The aversion of The Smurfette Principle with the main cast and strong, well-written female characters (and like Pokemon, the cute mons and humans) made it appeal to young girls as well, and the surprisingly well-written story ensured a strong adult and teen following since practically the beginning. Despite being both kid-friendly (for the most part) and anime, it's usually not one to shy away from epic fights to the death either.
  • Rurouni Kenshin is one of the classic examples of this when it comes to anime and manga; while it was technically a Shōnen fighting series, it had plenty of cute guys in addition to the girls, a lot of interesting history-based backstory and plot, generally fascinating villains and a pitch-perfect mix of humor and drama. This led to it shattering ratings and sales expectations in Japan since everybody, regardless of age or gender, seemed to love the hell out of both the manga and the show. This also led to it doing fantastically well overseas, with the U.S. being practically the only country to not run the show several times. In Latin America, Europe and Asia the show was beloved, however, and still gets run occasionally.
  • Saiyuki, an action comedy with Bishōnen characters.
  • Yotsuba&! is so wholesome that just about anyone can get into it. And because it's one of the few manga that even the most uptight of American Moral Guardians couldn't find objectionable, and perfectly captures childhood whimsy, it's one of the few manga not based on an existing toyetic franchise that's popular with children in the United States. It's often placed in both the regular and children's graphic novel sections in book stores and libraries, and is sometimes featured in elementary school book fairs.
  • According to a demographic report accidentally released and posted on the Net, Futari wa Pretty Cure appealed to both girls aged 4-9 and men aged 19-30. However, Shōjo has a history of having male fandoms (see Moe).
    • Pretty Cure at its core is a fine anime to show young girls, but what brings it to this is not only the more-often-than-not well written main characters, but the occasional potshot at the genre it's a part of, and most famously, the fight scenes that would make most Fighting Series blush. This was an intentional example from Toei as it not only attracted young girls, but women, and most prominently, men of all ages to watch with them. In fact, Pretty Cure is seen as THE series paved the way for a new generation of modern day Magical Girl shows that have asskicking fights (see Nanoha above, released later in the same year) and made the genre popular again after Sailor Moon ended in the decade before. This doesn't factor in the budding Toku fanbase (it now gets packaged with Super Sentai and Kamen Rider as a Sunday block), and for a lot of young girls growing up in the early 2000s, Pretty Cure would end up being their first look into that world.
  • The Vision of Escaflowne has Humongous Mecha, samurai, a female protagonist, and a Love Triangle. The appeal to both genders is such that there's both a shoujo manga spinoff and a shonen manga spinoff.
  • At least part of the massive popularity of Haruhi Suzumiya has something to do with the fact that it combines light high school drama, sitcom-like comedy, sci-fi and something resembling a love story or an unconscious Unwanted Harem, along with dashes of mystery, musical, maths and physics fanservice and wacky misadventures, with a strong-willed (and cute) female lead opposite an affable and extremely relatable male lead. Like Escaflowne, its appeal spreads across both genders.
  • Di Gi Charat has had shounen (The original series and most of the OVAs), Shoujo (Panyo Panyo), kodomomuke (Nyo!) and seinen (Winter Garden) adaptations.
  • Gundam:
    • Mobile Suit Gundam 00 certainly has this; while it has obvious male appeal, the character designs were obviously more female-oriented, one character (Tieria) is so Bishōnen that many fans thought he was a girl before the show started airing; a lampshade is later hung on this.
    • The earlier Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, particularly in America, paired sweet giant robot action with four different handsome dudes. As a result, it was one of the most popular anime of the 90s, although both fighting fans and fancy fellow fans have mostly moved on to greener pastures by now.
    • Gundam Build Divers Re:RISE seems to be trying to hit most of the recent popular anime genres in some form or fashion and it manages to pull it off with surprising aplomb. Sure, it has blazing robot action and classic shonen tropes, but it's also got a touch of MMO/isekai to it, and a strong science-fantasy element as well. At the same time, it's also a slice of life show in its spare time and has enough room for strong characterization and the occasional in-joke for long-time viewers.
  • Inu × Boku SS. It's a cast full of pretty boys but also has plenty of cute girls to go around, too (and fanservice of both). It's a shounen, but the romance is done in a shoujo-style, and has managed to attract multiple demographics with its combination of shoujo, shounen, and even seinen staples.
  • Destiny of the Shrine Maiden is half star-crossed Yuri romance, half Humongous Mecha action with fantasy elements thrown in. Some reviewers have complained that the show's attempt to appeal to every demographic possible only causes each appeal to be of below-average quality.
  • Kemono Friends was meant to appeal to fans of Moe and children at the same time. The show has Edutainment Show elements and aired during both Otaku O'Clock and later on Sunday mornings.
  • Michiko & Hatchin has strong feminist themes and realistic relationships, making it appealing to the Josei demographic, but is an action series and more violent than your typical Josei, making it appealing to people outside of the demographic. In the West, it's also attracted a lot of attention from people outside the Josei demographic because it's one of the few anime that has black and Latino characters in lead roles. Though it was never a manga and the demographic can't be said for sure, the director stated she especially wanted women to watch it in an interview.
  • This is the entire point of the shipping-and-explosion-laden Magical Girl show Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha. At first, anyway. The more girlish elements quickly take a back seat to flashy, explosive fight scenes, military drama and fannish Shout Outs to various members of the Super Robot Wars pantheon. Not that any of this makes it a bad show, you understand. It's just not really a magical girl show anymore.

    So much that the manga-only season Magical Record Lyrical Nanoha Force drops the Magical Girl from the title, albeit that's maybe because Nanoha is now past 25 years old. On the other hand, the other manga-only season, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha ViVid, starts taking a more Magical Girl-like direction by concentrating on Nanoha's 10-year old, budding Magical Girl Warrior daughter, complete with Older Alter Ego and a Bunny Plushie device.
  • Figure 17 Tsubasa & Hikaru includes both sci-fi action and nostalgiac slice-of-life drama, but weighed much more heavily towards the latter. (Whoever made the trailers seems not to have realised this).
  • Fullmetal Alchemist actually does an omake comic lampshading this fact and speculating that the reason might be the lack of "typical" Shonen themes. Other reasons probably include Roy and Ed.
  • Ranma ½ is often touted as one of the rare Shōnen series that has equal numbers of male and female fans — fitting, given the premise of the manga/show. This is true of pretty much anything by Rumiko Takahashi, who packs her works equally full of intertwining relationships and romantic entanglements as of action, bawdy humor, and plenty of Fanservice for both sexes.
  • Examples of Multiple Fanservice Appeal can be found in Change 123, not only in the context of the manga itself (through the female protagonist having Multiple Personalities), but also in a cosplay movie within the story, where viewers, during the movie premiere show, comment on various "assets" of the female protagonist and, when she takes off her helmet and the fact that she also has glasses shows up, one of them says: "They've got all the bases covered with this one."
  • Case Closed. How do you make the manga/show appeal to both teenagers and kids? Simple: have the main character be a teenager transformed into a kid.
  • If the equal opportunity fanservice of both the male and female characters isn't enough to hook someone on Food Wars!, then the copious amount of Food Porn will.
  • Guys watch Baccano! because of the gangsters, the violence, the Jigsaw Puzzle Plot, and its resemblance to Pulp Fiction. Girls watch Baccano! for the gangsters, the violence, the Jigsaw Puzzle Plot, its resemblance to Pulp Fiction and (as both reviews and advertisements are keen to point out) the surplus of hot men in suits.
  • Chrono Crusade is a shounen series with a pair of Official Couple leads and plenty of pretty girls and boys, not to mention as heavy of a focus on relationships as there is on action. To top it off, the manga version throws in some sci-fi elements in with the supernatural thriller action.
  • Hell Girl is another Shōjo series with a male following.
  • Cells at Work! has had spinoffs in all four major demographics.
  • Hellsing managed to draw in Dracula fans who don't usually watch anime for its unique and memorable take on the mythos. It's also dark, stylish, and well-drawn, with enough action to satisfy the people who aren't into horror and enough horror to satisfy the people who aren't into action. Not to mention that it has a good balance of men and women who are all quite good-looking. And a good dub.
  • Hetalia: Axis Powers simultaneously manages to draw in the history geeks, the Yaoi Fangirls and the Moe crowd.
  • Why do you think Code Geass is so Troperrific? You've got all The Beautiful Elite, a number of whom engage (canonically and fanonically) in any and all kinks you can possibly think of; Humongous Mecha that are used in furthering the Gambit Pileup and making giant pizzas; and basically a show that traverses the Sliding Scale of Silliness vs. Seriousness round and round, sometimes in one episode. It's everything you could ask for in an anime epic. That's not even counting the spin-offs, the games, and the music.
  • Eden of the East clearly seems to be going for this trope, featuring Shojo-esque character designs and female protagonist coupled with a Seinen-like conspiracy thriller. That's because Eden of the East is a "Josei" title. It's aimed at adult women.
  • Death Note: Despite originally being published in Shonen Jump, the dark and fast-paced thriller plot drew in many older audiences, while the Bishōnen character designs attracted female fans by the bucketload.
  • Attack on Titan: Its fast-paced mixture of action, gore and drama drew much more than ordinary shonen readers, despite being published on Bessatsu Shonen Magazine. The popularity of some characters among female readers earned it a spin-off runing in Aria, a Shoujo Magazine that boosted its sales over 500%.
  • Martian Successor Nadesico aims for this with a plot that expertly balances comedy, drama, sci-fi, action, intrigue and romance. It was one of the most popular anime of the 90s in Japan, though it never garnered more than a cult following in the West.
  • Listen to me, girls. I am your father! is not only suited for all demographics, the publisher demands it to be for all demographics; this series of Light Novels about a young man suddenly finding himself as the legal guardian of his three nieces has spawned six manga adaptations, two for each demographic: 2 Shounen, 2 Seinen and 2 Shoujo.
  • Brigadoon: Marin and Melan focuses on a young teenage heroine who has to struggle through some of the usual problems of growing up, surviving seventh grade, and falling in love. This might suggest a female audience which likes Slice of Life with equal parts comedy and drama. But wait! There are fighting robots with swords! There's a serious science fiction plot that occasionally verges on fantasy! And there's fanservice, much of which appears unfortunately geared towards lolicons. Really makes you wonder who this series was even for...
  • One Piece has a noted (and creator-acknowledged) appeal to females. Female appeal created Ensemble Darkhorses like the shirtless wonder, Portgas D. Ace, after all. Take a look at this age demographic chart of One Piece's Japanese audience. There are more people who are 50+ years old enjoying this series than its target demographic.
  • Blue Exorcist has plenty of appeal all around. There's plenty of action and fantasy with exorcists and demons running around. Plus, there's a bit of a subtle romantic sub-plot with Rin, Yukio, and Shiemi. The cast includes a decent number of Bishounen: Rin, Yukio, Mephisto, Amaimon, and a few others. So far, we have two Bishoujo: Shiemi and Izumo. And then there's Shura of course. No wonder this series is rising in popularity rather quickly...
  • Tiger & Bunny is, according to its creators, a seinen geared towards those with some interest in more Western media such as comic book superheroes. It's also a very liberal user of the Female Gaze, some of which is lampshaded (Apollon Media has a habit of scheduling Barnaby for photo shoots — clothing optional).
  • Black Butler. Although published in a Shonen magazine, it has very Seinen themes (violence and gore, murder, pedophilia and the main characters are villains, among others) and a lot of subtext with art resembling that of a Shōjo series. Nonetheless, the fight scenes and premise (a Deal with the Devil, etc) are fairly common to Shonen series.
  • Is there even any wonder why Cowboy Bebop is probably the most accessible Gateway Series for anime ever? It's got a lively cast of complex, likable, well-acted (not to mention attractive) characters, a good balance of humor, action, and drama, cool spaceships and sci-fi tech, witty and memorable dialogue, kickass fight scenes, and a highly emotional love story between Spike and Julia. It doesn't hurt that it's got a good English dub, is stacked top to bottom with references to other Western media, and a rock anime OST ever made.
  • Just about anything drawn by CLAMP, or adapted from something drawn. Best example being Cardcaptor Sakura. Magical Girl — Oh, so the series is aimed at young girls? Check. A boy deuteragonist and action that also appeals to young boys? Check. Bishounen — Older female fans. Okay. Ho Yay, Les Yay, Yuri FandomWhat?. The first two at least were what lead to Kids WB infamous attempt at turning it into a unisex show, which to them meant cutting out every episode where Syaoran doesn't appear or play an important role, and rewrote and edited the script to make it seem like Syaoran is even more prominent than he already is..
    • Most noticeable with Seinen series Chobits, aimed at men at least of college age, but the romantic story and the cute outfits that Chii wears made it very popular with girls, specially in the west were it seems to have a bigger female fanbase.
    • Magic Knight Rayearth is also very appealing to boys for a shoujo series. The reverse could be said for Angelic Layer. In Rayearth's case, it was because of the addition of Humongous Mecha that also attracted boys (and sometimes girls) that likes giant robots, culminating in them being the first shoujo series to get into Super Robot Wars series.
  • Puella Magi Madoka Magica. A Magical Girl seinen tragedy featuring strong female characters with romantic relationships (exactly what type is up for debate) that enjoys emotionally subtextual action, philosophy, and horror to bring in both men and women.
  • Psychic Squad is a shounen series with lots and lots of cute girls, but somehow a few male characters rose in popularity above the rest, a feature that was expoited further in the the spin-off.
  • Sailor Moon:
    • Sailor Moon Crystal targets the adult women who grew up with the prior incarnations of the Sailor Moon franchise along with new viewers, with director Munehisa Sakai pointedly saying they want the older fans' attention, not just their nostalgia. This targeting extends to some of The Merch of Crystal, like "tiara rings" with a price point of over a hundred dollars.
    • The Sailor Moon franchise in general. It was originally targeted at young Japanese girls, but now has fans across all races, ages, and genders, and is one of the earliest series to showcase this.
    • The original dub of the series was designed to be more kid-friendly (except the third season).
    • It's also not one to shy away from fights to the death, killing off several major villains and over a hundred monsters of the week; however, if you like redemptions, Seasons 2 and 4 are full of them.
  • A common discussion among viewers of Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun is "what exactly is this work's demographic?" It is a Slice of Life written by an established Shoujo Genre author that makes fun of shoujo genre conventions, first published in an online magazine for the Seinen/Shonen demographics but later also reprinted in Shōjo Demographic anthologies... Obviously it appeals to readers across the gender spectrum.
  • Banana Fish has been rocking this trope for years; most people in Japan have read it at one point or another. Despite being a Shoujo manga, it definitely doesn't have the art style of one, and contains action and mystery not unlike seinen or shounen works. That's not to say that girls didn't get a kick out of it too; the male characters are charismatic and handsome, and some of the girls are enjoyable. And for anyone looking for Queer Romance, a well written one between the leads is present.
  • Josei magazine Comic Gene is a master of this. With stories that range all over the genre spectrum, from hotblooded action (Servamp) to supernatural coming-of-age stories (Kagerou Daze, Nirvana) to down-to-earth work comedy (Mr. Nietzsche in the Convenience Store), the magazine has something for both boys and girls to enjoy. The diversity in lineup means it also can be used as a nice break for female readers that want genres usually written for boys to be sent their way directly. It's even invoked on the creators' part, as they wanted to "blur the lines between Shonen and Shoujo", meaning they're also getting at the teens that might be reading it alongside the adults.
  • As seen in the Video Game section, this is a facet of the various Pretty Rhythm anime. Young girls love the music and fashion, older girls love the character dynamics and competition, older boys love the cute girls and fun factor, and game veterans love to see their favorites from the game animated, as well as listening to old and new songs from the franchise. The older girl demographic ended up becoming so big that an entire spinoff franchise was made entirely for them, packed with the competition, character dynamics, and Ensemble Dark Horse cute boys they loved about the original series.
  • The Aikatsu! anime shares fans (and rivals) with the above-mentioned Pretty Rhythm anime, especially PriPara. As such, a lot of the appeal duly applies to Aikatsu! just as much, though another part of its appeal to older viewers is how utterly bizarre things can get on the show.
  • Sabagebu!: Crass and bloody humor, cute girls, and the unconventional topic of airsoft bring in just as many boys as it does its target shoujo demographic.
  • Despite being a Seinen, Aka Akasaka has stated in interviews that Kaguya-sama: Love Is War was deliberately written to be as inclusive as possible with potential readers and the reason why it has few fanservice elements (which are normally a staple of seinen romcoms) is so that younger children would also be able to read it.
  • Osamu Tezuka has a very interesting history when it comes to his audience. While he would occasionally make manga and animated content for older audiences (such as Dororo, Black Jack, A Thousand & One Nights, Bagi, the Monster of Mighty Nature, and Cleopatra: Queen Of Sex). He's well-known for creating unique stories for children that can be enjoyed by both children and adults (such as Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion) while not shying away from darker subject matter and complex situations. A majority of Tezuka's works are aimed at general audiences which mainly focuses on idealistic aspects (such as love, caring for others, forgiveness, and hope) with the darker and sadder elements popping up depending on the story. His ability to create works that could either be geared towards children, adults, and sometimes both is a major factor for why he's very respected in Japan and the anime and manga community.
  • Inuyasha could be appealing whether you're into romance or epic battles, or just Ocean voice actors, being one of their longest animes that didn't get redubbed or recast early in.
  • Spy X Family is categorised as a Shōnen action-comedy, but its strong female characters, relative lack of fanservice (other than its attractive male and female leads) and heartwarming Slice of Life-esque found family dynamic has drawn in many fans of all ages and genders.
  • Trigun was serialized in both shonen and seinen magazines, so it appeals to both age ranges, and the good looking guys and well-written female character gave it a huge following with women as well, and the series has a sizable LGBT Fanbase. The Space Western setting also heavily appealed to non-Japanese viewers. The official Japanese website for the movie described the series as being popular "across genders and borders".
  • Komi Can't Communicate is a shonen series, but the sizable female cast makes it popular with girls. The nonbinary character of Najimi also helps to bring in an LGBT Fanbase. Additionally, the series is popular with neurodivergent viewers who relate to Komi's communication disorder.
  • Little Witch Academia is often cited as a Gateway Series for people who usually don't like anime. It has cute characters, funny moments, a solid storyline, and the premise is similar to many western works. LWA has run in shonen, seinen, and shojo magazines; while it's not a kodomomuke series, it's still pretty kid-friendly overall and is marketed to children on Netflix.
  • Witch Hat Atelier has a wide and we do mean wide demographic appeal as, although it may be in the Seinen genre, the way the manga handles delicate and sensitive issues in a mature manner makes it very accessible. Not only would children be attracted to its whimsical artstyle, but older folks and parents would appreciate its aforementioned sensitive handling of dark topics. Likewise, women, POC, the LGBTQ community, neurodivergent and the disabled community makes up a large chunk of the fanbase due to both the representation and the respect WHA gives to these communities.
  • Monthly G Fantasy, despite nominally being a shonen magazine, is essentially unisex in practice. A lot of their series are clearly targeted towards women, and take advantage of having male leads (who so happen to be attractive) to appeal to also appeal to men who would be interested in traditional shonen series otherwise.
  • The Shinkalion franchise is most famous for being a Merchandise-Driven series meant to make young boys beg for shinkansen trains that turn into Humongous Mecha, and the anime series was accordingly made to market the toys. However, the series immediately became famous online for its expansive and fleshed-out cast of characters, and the fact that it makes a number of efforts to fit in Slice of Life scenes in addition to the mecha show drama has given it a wider fanbase. The anime has also been famous for its crossovers (as of the second season it has Vocaloid's Hatsune Miku, the Neon Genesis Evangelion cast, Sanrio's Hello Kitty, Toho's God-freaking-zilla, and Galaxy Express 999's Maetal Tsukino), while railfans are drawn to it due to its strong presentation of the history and operations of Japanese railways.

    Comic Books 
  • Tintin is appreciated by children for the slapstick and page-turning adventure and, despite being Belgian, has reached a mind boggling audience in all continents across the globe. Adults like the comic strip too for its amazing art work, captivating storytelling and social satire. It's also one of the few comic strips to receive academic attention.
    • The slogan for the Tintin weekly comics magazine was actually "The magazine for the youth from 7 to 77" and was so well-known that the phrase "for people aged 7 to 77" is still often used in French to describe anything with a multigenerational appeal. note 
  • The continued success of the French comic book series Asterix is commonly explained by its Multiple Demographic Appeal. Children can enjoy the madcap adventures and slapstick comedy, while grown-ups would appreciate (among other things) the multi-layered puns and societal satire. Also doubling the pleasure is the possibility to reread as adult the comics that you so much enjoyed when young, and discovering all you could have missed. Much like Tintin it has a high status among intellectuals.
  • The Smurfs. Kids love the animated incarnations, nostalgic adults fondly remember the 1980s cartoon, and comic book fans admire the original Belgian comics for their slapstick humor and social satire.
  • Tom Poes is a comic strip that was a success with children and adults too. The use of language, full with neologisms and clever choice of words and phrasing, has been appreciated as high literature in the Netherlands.
  • Nero has been enjoyed by children as well as adults, though as the comic strip progressed throughout the decades it became more appreciated by adults, who liked the political satire. Though a lot of people who grew up with the comic as a child also appreciate it in old age.
  • The Dark Age of Comic Books can be seen as a deliberate choice by publishers to focus too much on the older section of their audience demographic, sacrificing much of the Multiple Demographic Appeal they had long enjoyed.
  • Le Petit Spirou is loved by children who relate to the child protagonists and is loved by adults because its cutesy innocent outlook is used to laugh with adult themes such as relationships and the church.
  • Carl Barks' Uncle Scrooge has a famously devoted fanbase largely because of this trope. It's a humorous Funny Animal series with no shortage of slapstick humor, but many of the most famous stories are also adventure tales about the McDuck clan traveling the world and searching for treasure in exotic locales. As a whole, the series is also a pretty earnest family drama about a grizzled Cool Old Guy reluctantly bonding with his rambunctious young nephews and learning to appreciate things that money can't buy. And while the stories are generally pretty family-friendly, their antiheroic Jerk with a Heart of Gold protagonist appeals to many readers who ordinarily don't care for Disney's oeuvre. As a bonus: the frequent flashbacks to Scrooge's younger days often come with a side order of period drama, which appeals to history buffs; Don Rosa took advantage of this when he wrote the prequel graphic novel The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck, which is a sprawling historical epic based entirely on flashbacks and background details from Uncle Scrooge.
  • Monica's Gang is ostensibly made for children, with a sizeable portion of Brazil's population having learned to read with it. But it always had something to also make for a fun read to parents and grown-ups, be it Parental Bonus, Black Comedy, or send-offs to popular media aimed at older audiences, such as a story with a child version of the Predator. The older fanbase even started complaining that in The New '10s most of the new comics seemed to be aimed only at very young children, with a tendency for the didactic and moral, while simplifying the plots, dialogue and characterization.

    Comic Strips 
  • Calvin and Hobbes: Good for the kids via the beautiful art and the many imaginative storylines (Snow Goons, Cardboard Box, etc.), and great for adults with social satire, philosophical ponderings, and Calvin's large vocabulary, as well as jokes that kids aren't going to get, leading to many a Late to the Punchline moment as they age.

    Films — Animation 
  • Part of the reason that The Little Mermaid (1989) was such a smash hit was that it managed to be enough of a Genre Throwback to the fairy tale Disney films of the 50s to attract adults nostalgic for them, and modern enough to appeal to children. Its female lead Ariel sang an "I Want" Song, wore a few pretty dresses and her romance plot was appealing to little girls - while she was also adventurous and feisty enough to appeal (and be relatable) to little boys too (and indeed children of the opposite gender who related more to the other). The medium of animation also made the Broadway musical elements far more accessible to those who might otherwise not be drawn to musical theatre, while also having spectacular songs that Broadway lovers would enjoy. Its Coming of Age Story was palatable enough for children, while still being mature enough for adults.
  • Pixar is known for making movies that appeal to parents as well as children. The Toy Story series is an especially clear example of this; the initial main concept (Living Toys) sounds on the surface like something that is just for children, but as the series goes on, the concept is explored in more depth and eventually treated in a way that has its own meaning for adults. For example, the toys feel about their owner leaving like parents feel about their kids leaving, which is hinted at very strongly, especially towards the end of Toy Story 3. And much like the Harry Potter example below, those who were children when the first movie came out would be young adults by the time the third was released, maybe even about to go off to college themselves. The Incredibles is another good Pixar example of this. Turning Red is yet another good Pixar example of this having elements that appeal to preteens and teens given its subject matter and their Millennial parents given its setting.
  • Most post-Shrek animated films in the US aim for this by inserting swarms of pop culture references, self-mockery, and jokes that only adults will get, with widely varying degrees of success.
  • Movies like Balto, All Dogs Go to Heaven and Rover Dangerfield, and shows like Road Rovers and Beethoven: The Animated Series appeal to fans of cartoon dogs, adult furries, fans of 2D animation, and nostalgia lovers as well as children.
  • Blue Sky Studios' movies such as Ice Age, Rio and Epic (2013) appeal to people of all ages, and it's especially obvious that Ice Age has a Multiple Demographic Appeal, since they are widely acclaimed for appealing to all audiences for having mature stories and themes and Blue Sky Studios' fine adaptations of books like Horton Hears a Who! has given them a widespread fanbase: both children, teens and adults love their movies. A glance at Tumblr's tag for Epic quickly reveals that Epic (like Ice Age before it) captivated both teens and adults.

    Films — Live-Action 
  • The Fast and the Furious. Originally the series mostly appealed only to urban youth but has grown into a block buster action series that appeals to multiple demographics.
  • Star Wars, which seamlessly combined elements of fantasy, science-fiction, myth, war epic, Jidaigeki, buddy comedy, Western, noir and romance to tell a story that practically everyone could enjoy in some way.
  • Almost any superhero movie (even if a Token Romance has to be added); Watchmen being an aversion. The Avengers (2012) is a particularly standout example, tracking well in basically every demographic and earning one and a half billion dollars total. This is because it is Hunks and Explosions: The Movie.
  • Titanic (1997), Avatar and, completing the above, Avengers: Endgame managed to become the highest-grossing films ever because of this.
  • The Princess Bride: It's got slapstick for the kids, clever dialog for the adults, romance for the ladies, action scenes for the guys.
  • Armageddon (1998) sought this as a calculated marketing ploy: while Bruce Willis and company flying into space to save the world by nuking a giant asteroid was a clear draw for a male demographic, they decided to play up the romance between Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler's characters to draw in the female audience too.
  • A frequent explanation for why the first two Alien films are so beloved is their success at this trope. They're extremely effective horror films, yes, but they're also much more than that. As critic David McIntee writes, "Fans of Hitchcockian thrillers like it because it's moody and dark. Gorehounds like it for the chest-burster. Science fiction fans love the hard science fiction trappings and hardware. Men love the battle-for-survival element, and women love not being cast as the helpless victim." The same goes for the sequel, which kept what people loved about the original, but added a cast of memorable supporting characters, snappy, highly quotable dialogue, a super-cool war movie Genre Shift, and for female fans, an unusually female-centric story arc and the moving, surrogate-parent relationship between Ripley and Newt. There's even a happy ending. Failure to follow this trope is why the sequels are divisive at best.
  • Much like the Alien examples above, this is a major part of the reason why the first two Terminator films are so popular. They're supremely badass action movies with cool Robot War/time travel elements and have strong horror/suspense overtones but are still relatively light on gore and gratuitous violence. FX buffs love the trail-blazing special effects, they've got cool, memorable soundtracks, Ahnuld, and for female fans who wouldn't generally watch such movies, there's the genuinely affecting romance between Sarah and Kyle Reese in the first movie and Sarah herself level grinding by a factor of forty thousand in the sequel. There's even a well-acted, non-annoying Kid-Appeal Character! The sequels struggled in providing plots so inclusive.
    • James Cameron has a damn good track record for this, there's a reason why five of his movies appear on this trope page.
  • The James Bond series most likely. There's a good reason the Skyfall become the highest ever grossing movie in the UK, outperforming the likes of Avatar, and that's because it appeals to pretty much every demographic you can think of.
  • Forget Paris: Romance for the girls, tons of NBA cameos for the guys.
  • The success of The Expendables and the failure of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is now considered an example of trying to play the demographics game and losing. The movies were released on the same week with the expectation of very little overlap between the target audiences: Scott Pilgrim would attract younger audiences, whereas The Expendables, with its heavy nostalgia for 80's action movies (including its All-Star Cast featuring multiple 80's action movie stars) would draw in older audiences. One thing they didn't consider was that, thanks to home video and syndication on cable, the younger set liked 80's movies just as much as their dads and older brothers. As such, The Expendables was a surprise hit while Scott Pilgrim (which already had some Continuity Lockout and Audience-Alienating Premise problems) underperformed. In the long run however, Scott Pilgrim would later enjoy recognition as a cult film, whereas The Expendables, after its first sequel, was left to suffer through Sequelitis, but still maintains a smaller following as well.
  • This is widely considered to be a major reason why Wonder Woman (2017) was such a massive financial success despite Hollywood wisdom suggesting otherwise. Obviously it appeals to women who want to see the definitive female superhero onscreen for the first time, but in addition to that it brought in dudes for the kickass WWI fight scenes, history buffs who appreciated the respectful blockbuster approach to a frequently-overlooked-by-Hollywood war, Greek mythology fans for the island of Themyscira, LGBT women who swoon over the Amazons, men who aren't comic book fans who admire the beautiful leading lady, women who aren't comic book fans who admire the beautiful leading lady, DCEU fans and, last but not least, DC Comics fans who can finally breathe a sigh of relief that Warner Bros/DC Films has produced a modern movie that's not base-breaking.
  • There's a very good reason that fans of Hocus Pocus often call it the perfect Halloween movie. It's just dark enough to satisfy fans of horror, with enough humor to appeal to fans of comedy, a surprisingly earnest story of sibling love to attract fans of drama, a love story for fans of romance, enough child and teenage characters to appeal to younger audiences, and a ton of musical numbers from Bette Midler and co. to appeal to music-lovers. Even so, there were many people at the time who criticized it for being too dark and/or cynical, especially compared to previous holiday films. So in a way Hocus Pocus has been Vindicated by History.
  • The whole Sword and Sandal genre is designed to give Fanservice to all genders.
  • Who Framed Roger Rabbit has the obvious appeal to young viewers for all the appearances by famous cartoon characters and their comical antics, to adult viewers because of the intriguing mystery that drives the surprisingly straight-faced film noir plot, and to animation buffs for the incredible technical achievement of integrating animation with live-action almost perfectly. And, as a little extra for the grownups (along with more than a few of the kids), there's Jessica Rabbit.
  • Top Gun had Tom Cruise for the ladies, fighter jets and Kelly McGillis for the gentlemen, and became the highest-grossing film of the year.
  • Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! owes much of its surprise success to this, as Bob Chipman notes in his retrospective of the series. Adults in the 1970s could appreciate it as an irreverent spoof of the cheesy monster movies that they had loved as kids, while kids could appreciate it as a zany comedy—making it ideal as both a late night drive-in feature and a Saturday matinee.
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl ended up such an unexpected success because of how well it blended multiple genres; on the surface, it's an action-adventure movie but also with supernatural elements and a little bit of horror. It is dark enough to feel like a film adults can enjoy, but has plenty of comedy and levity that children could enjoy it too. Elizabeth is also an active character who gets involved in the fighting too, enticing female viewers who might otherwise dismiss it as a sausage-fest, as did the presence of Orlando Bloom at the height of his heartthrob status.
  • Romeo and Juliet (1968) was a Sleeper Hit in a market that was otherwise indifferent to Shakespeare films. For critics, the fact that Franco Zeffirelli took steps to make the costumes period accurate (and his previous goodwill from a version of The Taming of the Shrew) made it appeal to highbrow tastes. Cutting out large chunks of dialogue to make the story work better on film, and playing up the intensity of the action sequences, as well as a little bit of nudity, drew in the New Hollywood crowd. Casting actual teenagers in the title roles for a change, and emphasising the passion of the love story also made it a hit with younger audiences of the day who might otherwise be turned off by classical Shakespeare.

    Literature 
  • Harry Potter. Partly because the fantasy elements have general appeal for people of all ages, partly because J. K. Rowling specifically intended the books to grow up with their audience, and partly because someone who read the first book as a child when it was released in 1997 would have been a young adult by the time the final one was released in 2007. This last is why criticisms of adults reading Harry Potter often miss the point, because by that logic hardly anyone who read the first book when it came out would have been able to finish the series. More specifically, the wondrous, imaginative setting appeals to children, the Epic Fantasy elements appeal to adventure lovers, the detailed relationships appeal to romance lovers, the complex mysteries and sharp (and occasionally subversive) wit appeal to adults, and the colorful characters and exciting plot developments appeal to everyone.
  • Dr. Seuss. Children enjoy his stories for the whimsical nonsense, while adults commonly enjoy them due to a mixture of Nostalgia Filter and hidden Aesops about racism and such.
  • There's a very good reason that Ender's Game is one of the most widely read science-fiction novels of all time. It had something for almost everyone: the young characters attracted adolescent readers, the central Coming of Age Story made it enjoyable for people who would ordinarily never look twice at a sci-fi novel, the interstellar war plot appealed to fans of action-driven Space Opera, the ethical discussions appealed to fans of more philosophical sci-fi, the Earth-based political scenario appealed to fans of political thrillers, Battle School's inter-army competition appealed to fans of military fiction, and the realistic treatment of child development and psychological trauma appealed to lovers of literary fiction.
  • This is part of the reason Redwall was a Long Runner. Teens and young adults enjoyed it just as much as children, the medieval action and storytelling attracted fans of Heroic Fantasy works, and the all-animal cast naturally drew in the Furry Fandom.

    Live-Action TV 
  • The Walking Dead is one of the most watched series of all time for this reason.
  • Orange Is the New Black became an instant hit exactly for this reason. Women of all stripes liked it because it boasted one of the most diverse and complex casts of female characters of any TV show in years, but it also happily combined crime, intrigue, tragedy, political commentary, Black Comedy and heartfelt bonding well enough that pretty much everyone found something to like.
  • Lost has love triangles, science fiction, fanservice for both sexes, fantasy... The list could go on for much longer.
  • Similar to the classic Amblin Entertainment films of the 80s which it is clearly emulating, the record-breaking success of Stranger Things for Netflix can be owed in large part due to this trope. There's creepy monsters and cool psychic powers for the younger viewers, teenage angst and romance for the older teens, emotional family drama for the adults and a tone that hits the perfect balance between genuinely spooky and nostalgically sentimental, especially in the scarier moments, which are quite effective but never too intense or violent for brave kids to appreciate. It even won a Kid's Choice Award in 2018, a rarity for a show not targeted for children.
  • Doctor Who
    • When the show was being created back in 1963, the regular cast were intended to appeal to different age brackets of the intended family audience.
    • Especially the recent revival, which is frequently criticised for being overly sentimental to appeal to a more mainstream audience. The spinoffs, especially The Sarah Jane Adventures, are written just as much for adults as they are for kids, too.
    • While Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures are written to be all-audiences fare, other Who spinoff Torchwood is most definitely not. Written as both Darker and Edgier and Hotter and Sexier, the producers of both series have explicitly stated that the Doctor will absolutely not appear on Torchwood the way he did on SJA since it might encourage kids to watch a show they most definitely shouldn't.
  • The Dukes of Hazzard: Originally written for adults, it was toned down when it was discovered that children enjoyed the show as well. It never lost sight of the older audience, however.
  • Charmed mixed multiple genres into its original supernatural drama premise, including horror, wacky comedy, and Sex in the City-like soap, along with the occasional fanservice.
  • House is becoming a fusion of soap opera and gory medical drama. The sometimes-labryinthine relationships between characters is balanced by the "Oooh, that man's testicle just exploded" moments. This phenomenon becomes even worse when taking into account House fanboys versus... less committed fans.
  • Supernatural has a bit of everything. Fanservice for absolutely everyone, gore, awesome music, comedy, angst, urban legends and a decent myth-arc to boot.
  • The creators of the '60s Batman (1966) series did this deliberately. The Silver Age was in full swing in the comicbooks, so the producers adapted it to TV so that children 10 and under would watch because Batman was a cool superhero — while anyone over 16 would watch because he was campy and hilarious. And the eventual addition of Batgirl brought something for little girls and their parents.
  • So... let's have Chris Barrie, who has an established fanbase and his own personal estrogen brigade and give him a supporting cast that includes his sexy, snarky Number Two, a hot gay couple who run around in shorts and a cute Genki Girl with an enthusiasm for firearms. Now let's make the comedy a blend of Work Com humour, absurd surrealism and Black Comedy about death, suicide and pill-popping...yeah, it's not surprising the BBC extended The Brittas Empire for two seasons past its planned five.
  • Clarissa Explains It All was a family sitcom with a female lead who was relatable enough to both genders to attract significant fans of boys and girls.
  • Although not at blatant as some others, Power Rangers is starting to go this way. They've brought back actors from the first few season (who the intended kid's demographic won't recognize) and did quite a few callbacks in RPM (that younger kids wouldn't know about) and there is a rumor that they're trying to get Super Sentai to ditch the costumes for something a little less hokey (namely switching them from Spandex to a more subdued material, possibly leather like the X-Men films). They may not be trying to catch both markets (kids and the nostalgia set) but they're at least acknowledging them.
    • Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters did ditch the spandex in favour of leather (however, Go-Busters in general somewhat underperformed, so they were switched back to spandex for the next season.)
  • Super Sentai has this from time to time. Adults could enjoy the action and the drama of the story, while kids could enjoy some fun superhero-y goodness.
  • Kamen Rider, even moreso than Super Sentai. Especially the Heisei series. The male adults can enjoy the action, drama and beautiful female actresses, female adults can enjoy the handsome male actors, kids can enjoy the superhero adventure, cool gadgets and costumes.
  • The Ultra Series has been loved by Japanese kids and adults alike for over 50 years. Kids love watching the kaiju-Ultra fight scenes, sci-fi adventures, and cool gadgets and vehicles, while adults enjoy the action, occasional social commentary, good-looking actors, and nostalgic reappearances from past Ultras and memorable kaiju.
  • The Big Bang Theory: Nerd culture references, romantic subplots and a sitcom format for the mainstream, and fanservice for both sides. Even more so, the characters are scientists and engineers regularly working on projects, and the technobabble is accurate, which resulted in a large number of fans in the scientific community (many of whom made guest appearances). Creator Bill Prady said that their inspiration came from I Love Lucy and Ricky going on fast Spanish rants whenever he was angry, you didn't need to know Spanish to get the humor.
  • The Sopranos: The mafia action appealed to fans of mob movies (up to and including actual mobsters), the well-realized characters and drama appealed to fans of family dramas, the excellent acting, directing and production values appealed to film lovers, the excellent soundtrack appealed to rock lovers, the wry wit and middle-aged characters appealed to older audiences, and the complex themes appealed to intellectuals.
  • Good Luck Charlie tries for this. The creators worked on a show that would appeal to the whole family (as opposed to Disney's usual attempt to appeal to young girls or boys), which is seen in the lack of a "gimmicky" premise. It has Parental Bonuses for the adults, Teddy's love problems for girls, and most of Gabe and PJ's plots for boys.
  • True Blood has attractive characters of both sexes, fantasy, love triangles, even some gore... the list goes on.
  • Parodied on Black Books, when Bernard manages to sell the same book to a couple with very different reading tastes.
    Bernard: There's this temp, right? She's 29, she can't get a boyfriend, oh my god.
    Female customer: Sounds great!
    Male customer: No, no way.
    Bernard: And she's got 12 hours to stop nuclear war with China.
    Male customer: Great!
  • Now and Again suffered from trying to serve too many masters. The basic premise was similar to RoboCop or a gender-inverted Bionic Woman, but the writers tried to throw in too many genres, including modern and retro sci-fi, comedy, espionage and family drama. Its cancellation had a lot to do with the fact that it cost a lot for a show that used action scenes sparingly.
  • Girls. Despite how the series was initially promoted, the show's smart writing and realistic (if not exactly "commonplace") characters have given it multi-generational appeal. Lena Dunham herself has vehemently denied rumors of the series being a Gen-Y manifesto (and, for that matter, allegations of her being a Gen-Y spokesperson) and has even publically criticized the idea of "generations" in today's culture.
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer has action, romance, humor, complex, realistic drama, fantasy, fanservice for everyone, and relatable characters. As a result, the fanbase is incredibly diverse.
  • Dark Shadows was just another housewife-oriented soap opera until it started running supernatural plotlines, at which point it picked up a horde of young monster-movie fans who hurried home from school to watch it.
  • Top Gear has cars for the gearheads and comedy for everyone.
  • Malcolm in the Middle is a Kid Com that has good enough writing and characters that older audiences can easily appreciate it just as much.
  • The Red Green Show has fans ranging from kids to older folks, and from more urban liberal-leaning audiences to more rural conservative-leaning ones. The show's sheer variety of humour (ranging on everything from Doom It Yourself handyman projects to wacky Three Stooges-style slapstick to jokes directed at everything from big business to feminism to politicians to yuppie lifestyles) provides something for just about everyone, and the overall high quality of the writing also means that people who aren't necessarily the main intended audience for certain types of jokes can still enjoy them anyway.
  • Sabrina the Teenage Witch was a family sitcom that was innocent enough for children to enjoy, but had enough Parental Bonuses for adults and older viewers. Sabrina, Hilda and Zelda as protagonists attracted substantial female viewers, and Sabrina herself was both attractive and relatable enough to boys too (something Melissa Joan Hart had also achieved in Clarissa Explains It All). Male viewers also had an Audience Surrogate in the form of Salem, whose Camp Straight tendencies attracted a significant LGBT Fanbase without alienating other demographics. The magic themes also attracted children and those who enjoyed geek media. It also appealed to twenty and thirtysomethings nostalgic for the likes of Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie.
  • Schitt's Creek: A single-camera sitcom created by father and son team Eugene Levy and Dan Levy, the show gives equal weight to the parents' storylines to the adult children. On top of that, Eugene's comedy of awkwardness draws a certain type of viewer, while Dan's queer sensibility draws another, resulting in fans across multiple demographics that appreciate family comedy, physical humor, and romantic comedy.
  • Spartacus: Blood and Sand may seem like a Rated M for Manly show, with lots of Gorn and stylism in the vein of 300 solely to attract male viewers (especially with all the nudity). However, it also adds many female characters to the traditionally male story, and makes them active in their own stories outside of being love interests or Ms Fanservices; Spartacus's wife is also an Action Girl who appears in dreams and visions, Lucretia has her own subplot of using Crixus to try and conceive a child behind Quintus's back, and Illithyia is more of a driving force in the plot than her husband. The show also features plenty of Male Frontal Nudity, with most of the gladiator characters spending 98% of their screen time completely shirtless. In addition to that, there are several gay couples who aren't left out of the sex scenes either, and many other characters are Ambiguously Bi. And outside of the gorey action scenes, there are well-crafted plots and storylines.
  • Raven's Home is aimed at both tweens and adults. It has the kid's sub-plots for younger audiences and the sub-plots involving Raven and Chelsea for fans who grew up with That's So Raven.
  • Girl Meets World can appeal to young girls who appreciate the relatable female leads and crush on Lucas and Farkle, young boys who can relate to Lucas and Farkle and crush on Riley and Maya, and older audiences for the Boy Meets World nostalgia.
  • The original Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers was a global phenomenon because of how many people it appealed to. Obviously the action, sci-fi and martial arts appealed to boys. But in the adaptation from Super Sentai, the show specifically changed the Yellow Ranger from male to female to make it Two Girls to a Team and appeal to girls too. Indeed, the Pink Ranger Kimberly was a Girly Girl with a Tomboy Streak and the Yellow Ranger Trini was a Tomboy with a Girly Streak. Zack and Trini being major protagonists also attracted substantial viewership from African-American and Asian-American children.
  • Austin & Ally had a mixed audience of both boys and girls due to Ross Lynch's status as an attractive heartthrob for the girls while also being seen as cool by boys due to his ability to dance and play guitar (not to mention being in a band). This created a Girl's want him and guys want to be him scenario (though a certain section of those guys also wanted him).
  • Gen V: Jordan drops in the rankings after Golden Boy's death specifically because they don't have this, with multiple people saying that a bigender Asian individual wouldn't test well in Texan and Floridian markets.

    Music 
  • The Beatles appeal to both children and adults, males and females and both fans of mainstream pop and indie/alternative.
  • David Bowie is equally popular among regular pop/rock fans and alternative rock lovers, not to mention hugely beloved by fans of new wave/post-punk due to his heavy influence on (and subsequent dabbling in) both genres.
  • The Cars became one of the most commercially successful New Wave Music bands thanks to this. They had enough catchy hooks and melodies for mainstream rock fans, while their psychedelic synthesizers and eclectic influences ensured that they had enough weirdness for dyed-in-the-wool new wave fans.
  • When Michael Jackson's Thriller became the best-selling album of all time, it was safe to say that this record had also reached a multiple demographic appeal. People of all races bought it. Soul and R&B fans were ecstatic. Lovers of catchy dance music played and danced to it in clubs. Rock and metal fans were converted because of the inclusion of "Beat It", which has a guitar solo by Eddie Van Halen. Children, adults and older people also enjoyed listening to it.
  • Louis Armstrong had this effect on music fans too. Both people who love traditional jazz as well as fans of more experimental forms of jazz look up to him. Fans of big band, crooners and easy listening music enjoy Armstrong's work, and even people who don't particularly like jazz are easily charmed by his delightful trumpet solos, melodies, and stage antics.
  • Bob Marley also reached a worldwide audience over the decades since his death. He is popular world wide, especially in the Third World, but even in the West, people find his work irresistible. Children adore the sing-a-long melodies, teenagers consider Bob to be a "cool rebel", adults appreciate his socially conscious messages and very melodious and powerful songs. The general public enjoys him as easy listening music, while fans of alternative music also like Marley. Even people who don't like reggae often do own a copy of Legend, because to them Marley is "the exception".
  • Queen is a band whose output has something for everyone: fun hedonistic songs, Silly Love Songs, hard rock, calm ballads, and an oft-baroque sound best exemplified by layered vocals (leading the cover artist for News of the World to be astounded that this rock band managed to be appealing to a classic music buff such as him). A great indicator of how big their reach gets is their biopic making as much money as a superhero movie.
  • Older people, younger people, boys, girls, all around are hailing Doctor Steel as their new Emperor. There's even a division in his fan club for the over 35 crowd now!
  • Celtic punk bands often attract older fans of Irish and Scottish Traditional Folk as well as their more typical young, punk-orientated fan base.
  • Go to a concert for a reunited band. Chances are you'll not only see the band's original fans in the audience, but younger ones as well.
  • Alice in Chains is a metal band that came out in the right time and place to also appeal to Grunge fans with their murky sound. Fans of Alternative Rock also get to enjoy their unique take on vocal harmonies and their surprisingly sizable collection of acoustic arrangements. All the while the metalheads get to enjoy their heavy riffs and dark subject matter.
  • Breaking Benjamin appealed to both alternative fans and metal fans at the same time, making them a bit of a gateway between the two.
  • Britney Spears offers Silly Love Songs, high-octane dance tunes, and lots of sex appeal to guarantee an audience ranging from preteens to seniors, of both genders.
  • The Spice Girls and their "girl power" image naturally made them a hit with females of multiple ages, where the sexual aspects were kept subtle enough to over children's heads but obvious enough for older fans to not feel like they were listening to kids' music. The Camp aspects to their videos and aesthetic attracted a significant LGBT Fanbase, while the girls' attractiveness meant that straight males weren't embarrassed to be fans either.
  • While S Club 7 were aimed squarely at children, the near Gender-Equal Ensemble (four girls to three boys) meant that they were enjoyed by both boys and girls. Boys would be attracted to the likes of Hannah, Rachel and Tina, while girls likewise to Paul, Bradley and Jon. And despite the bubblegum pop image, they managed to score the odd crossover hit like "Don't Stop Movin'" to earn respect from the mainstream.

    New Media 
  • Vocaloid: Originally a software for professional musicians who can't sing or don't have a vocalist, it evolved into a phenomenon anyone, people of all ages and genders, could contribute to, whether through writing songs, drawing art, or even just making covers. Hatsune Miku and Crypton Future Media's Piapro characters deserve special mention for appealing to ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE. When officially licensed products include the likes of scale figures, liquor, makeup, an opera, food, and children's toys, all featuring the same group of characters, you know you've got a Cash Cow on your hands. Hatsune Miku is so popular with adults and children alike that recent concerts in Japan have separate daytime showings for younger fans.

    Puppet Shows 
  • LazyTown was aimed at preschool audiences, but it's action-oriented plots and campy nature attracted older kids and adults as well. Older women would be attracted to Sportacus (played by creator Magnús Scheving, himself an aerobics champion), while people of both genders and all ages would find Robbie Rotten's antics hilarious (especially with how much effort Stefán Karl Stefánsson put into his performance as the character). It's popularity with older kids got to the point that it aired on Jetix in central and eastern Europe, alongside shows actually made for the "older kid" demographic like Naruto, Totally Spies! and Power Rangers.
  • The Muppet Show was meant to appeal to all ages, not just kids or adults.
  • Much of the 50-year success of Sesame Street can be its intentional Parent Service; it was once quipped that the show "entertains parents so much they force the kids to watch." This trope is invoked because the research informing production indicates that children are more able to take in the show if they watch it alongside their adult caregivers.

    Stand-Up Comedy 
  • Bill Cosby calculated his material to shy away from politics and instead focus on family life and childhood stories. He took it as a point of pride that his humor shattered perceived racial barriers because his angle was not on what it is like being a young black kid in Philly or a black parent but instead was just about the adventures of being a kid hanging out with his friends and how bemused and lost some parents can get.
  • Christopher Titus grew up in an intensely dysfunctional world and his stories on his life are on the far extreme from what the average person has ever had to deal with (in lieu of a long list, his mother was certifiably insane, killed her abusive last husband and he has memories of visiting her at the mental hospital). But his humor is grounded so completely in the concept of using humor as a mean to escape his pain that almost everyone who listens to him can understand what it is like to have an "inner retard" who is trying to convince you that you are nothing but the sum of all your mistakes. He has gotten fan mail from some amusing sources, including a conservative mid-west housewife.

    Tabletop Games 
  • Warhammer 40,000, on multiple levels. Without even involving the miniatures and the rulebooks, the game's grim, dark setting of eternal, hopeless war and vivid gothic imagery appeals to the Maturity Is Serious Business mindset, as there can't be many settings much more scowlingly serious than the galaxy of 40k. At the same time, the unflinching commitment to these grimdark elements in a setting where FTL travel sends you through hell and nine-foot armored supermen fire rocket-propeled grenade launchers one-handed while fighting underneath towering combinations of cathedrals and humongous mecha equipped with chainsaws the size of apartment buildings... it's all so over-the-top that other fans can enjoy a more lighthearted take on it, even without involving the Orks.
    • A good case study is the Gaunt's Ghosts and Ciaphas Cain novels - both involve commissars leading the Imperial Guard against the Imperium's enemies, both are wildly different in tone, and both are equally valid representations of Warhammer 40000. The former presents very sombre stories of tragedy and valour told from the perspective of a tough-as-nails Father to His Men whose personal morals clash with the nature of his command (like Sharpe), and the latter presents a tongue-in-cheek dark comedy about a cynical jerk who would much prefer to be far away from the dangerous and scary battlefields, thank you very much!
    • This trope is also why the game has so many different, highly distinctive armies to choose from. The Space Marines are the mascot faction with a unique blend of futuristic and gothic themes, while the Imperial Guard appeal to historical military buffs thanks to the World War II look of their infantry and tank kits. The Eldar's sleek aesthetics and colorful uniforms give pro painters a chance to shine, while the Tau's battlesuits and hovertanks have a near-future look to them aimed at anime or cyberpunk fans. The Tyranids are ideal for anyone who likes big scary monsters, while Chaos or the Orks are perfect for modelers who enjoy conversion work and creating mutated horrors and ramshackle war machines, respectively. Want to field an army of kick-ass women (both stripperiffic and in very reasonable armor)? The Sisters of Battle are the faction for you! This isn't even all the factions!
    • Finally, the way each army handles on the battlefield is also designed to appeal to players with completely different tastes. Want a balanced army of a few elite supersoldiers holding their own against a numerically superior foe? Field Space Marines. Imperial Guard players meanwhile get to use something approaching actual military tactics as they coordinate expendable infantry, armored squadrons, and air support. Tau fight like a modern contemporary army, with lots of mobility, unit-interdependence, and hi-tech support. The Eldar or Dark Eldar provide a different challenge, and are powerful but specialized and relatively fragile armies that require clever coordination and planning to win with. If you want to just rush with a horde of monsters, go with Tyranids or Orks — the latter especially if you enjoy an element of randomness in your army. Want a little Confusion Fu with monstrously-powerful beasts, give Chaos Daemons a try. In short, some force will fit you no matter how strategic or aggressive you want to play.
    • Additional note: There's even MORE tastes being drawn in, not even including the game itself. There's videogames for those who just love their videogames. You're a total memelord? The franchise shits out more memes than a hive world produces meaty cannon fodder. Enjoy literary analysis and speculating on themes and moral dilemmas and whatnot? We got fascism, totalitarianism, authoritarianism, black and grey morality left and right and up and down, existential horror to infinite degrees, what measure is a non-human, what counts as human, why war is bad stuff, everything! You just like watching souped up Xenomorphs fight Terminators on crack and giant dudes with chainswords while Cthulhu provides a badass backing soundtrack? Three-way Tyranid vs. Necron vs. Space Marines battle in the Eye of Terror. In short, there's a bit of everything for everyone, allowing folks to get involved with the setting without even playing the game itself.
  • Godbound is designed with a ruleset compatible with classic Dungeons & Dragons (broadly speaking, any edition before AD&D 2E) due to its creator's established experience (and market) within the "Old School Renaissance" player community. However, he also built the game to target fans of Exalted, with its love of over-the-top action with divine heroes in a ruined world that's there to be saved. In designing the game for a broader market, Kevin Crawford took care to ensure that the more controversial aspects of classic D&D (such as the Honest Rolls Character, which has led to a Broken Base in the RPG community for decades) were optional or ignored. What he ended up with was a simple and generally elegant system that could bring a lot of different player groups around a table.

    Theatre 
  • William Shakespeare, easily the mostly widely-performed playwright of all time and the most widely-read writer at least since The Bible. He has stayed popular for over four centuries, each generation claiming him all over again and reinventing him as their own. In his own day, he deliberately maintained Multiple Demographic Appeal, writing plays that managed to please the uneducated lower classes, the moderately-educated emerging middle class, and the well-educated members of the court (up to and including Queen Elizabeth and later King James).
  • Cirque du Soleil's success is largely built upon this — the fact that it has mounted permanent, successful productions at both Las Vegas casino resorts and Disney Theme Parks is a sign of that. They have enough productions now that some are aimed at more specific audiences (Zumanity is adults-only and Hotter and Sexier, Wintuk was a Lighter and Softer holiday-season show), but in general they cast their net wide with stunts and comedy that appeal to all ages. At Mystere (Vegas) you'll often see children sprinkled admist all the adults in the audience while at La Nouba (Walt Disney World) adults without children attend alongside family groups.
  • Pokémon Live!'s writers invoked this. The people behind the show wanted to create something parents would enjoy as well as kids.

    Toys 
  • Transformers, beyond the fictional world, became fundamentally about creating three toys in one: the vehicle like a plane or a car, the robot mode you can pose and stage dioramas, and the transformation itself, which is like a puzzle (one you can do over and over again like a Rubik's Cube). Hasbro came to recognize that the influx of adult fans and collectors meant that they could design ultra complex but equally expensive that they would appreciate, which is generally branded as the "Masterpiece" line. On occasion even their standard toys can be too complex or too expensive for the really young kids, and so make extremely simplistic versions even a toddler can figure out.
  • LEGO is ultimately a building tool that has near unlimited applications. Their marketing also includes lots of cross-branding, catching the attention of anyone interested in things from Star Wars to licensed cars like Porsche. They eventually went into Lego Technical which made functional robot building and programming more available to the common person.

    Video Games 
  • Pac-Man solidifed its place as the first Cash-Cow Franchise in video game history by appealing to gamers of both genders and of all ages. The original game and Ms. Pac-Man, because of their widespread appeal, are two of the few games from The Golden Age of Video Games to still consistently make money.
  • Most of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has a multiple demographic appeal. This may be due to the fact that many of the people who played the original game in their childhood are now in their twenties/thirties and it's nostalgia setting in. In addition, the series attracts new fans for its Scenery Porn, music, Darker and Edgier stories (though they're going back and forth on that one recently until Sonic Forces and especially Sonic Frontiers brought back the darker tone to the series), Fanservice, and Sonic's badass attitude making the series enjoyable for kids and young adults alike.
  • Part of the reason for Dragon Quest 's massive success in its home country is that it manages to appeal to people from all walks of life. The wholesome atmosphere and colorful graphics captivate both young and old, the balance of action, comedy, drama and worldbuilding makes it appeal to all tastes, and the relatively simple turn-based combat makes it accessibly to people who don't normally play video games while still offering enough challenge to hook hardcore gamers.
  • Nintendo thrives on this. Most first party Wii, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo Switch titles are specifically designed for it. In fact, with the Wii, DS and software therein, Nintendo has taken advantage of this trope not only to bring itself back from the brink of the mid-2000s, but to re-establish itself as a dominant force in the video game market, with the Switch doing the same for the mid-2010s.
    • The Mario franchise have a near universal appeal. The bright, colorful, and cartoony aesthetic attracts children and families. Casual gamers enjoy the pick-up-and play nature of the games and hardcore gamers like the creative and challenging level designs. Guys like the high action and the Princesses and other cute girls like Rosalina and Pauline. Girls love the numerous cutesy characters and the princesses. Bowser and the Koopalings attract the Furry Fandom, and the list goes on. That's not even going into other parts like the High Fantasy elements and highly acclaimed soundtracks of the series.
    • Nintendo also has Pokémon. Boys mostly come for the badass monsters, girls mostly come for the cute monsters. You can breeze through the main story with just your starter (or any Pokemon you desire), or you can complete against other competitive players who breed for IVs and natures, EV train for a long time, and try to build the best possible team. and then there's the wide variety of adult fans on imageboards who have come in all generations, for countless reasons. An Ad for the New 3DS XL had two ads, one aimed at boys and one aimed at girls. Both ads featured Pokemon.
      • Pokémon also manages to appeal to a vast span of age groups. While the main series is intended for kids between the ages of 5-18 (and adults), many spinoffs like Pokémon GO specifically appeal to adults who are able to travel unsupervised and have a disposable income. What franchise can claim to appeal to such diverse groups as the hardcore Fighting Game Community (with Pokkén Tournament), 3-5 year olds (Pokémon Playhouse and Pokemon Kids TV) and even babies and their parents? (Monpoke)
    • On the most extreme end of the scale as far as Nintendo goes is likely the Kirby series; its design and target audience aim for younger kids and game beginners, with very easy normal levels. Each game in the series quickly becomes known for having an insane amount of Nightmare Fuel, awesome boss battles, and surprisingly difficult moments. The True Arena, anyone?
    • Super Smash Bros. is lots of fun and brings together characters from very different genres targetted at different demographics, but it's also filled with hints to the history of Nintendo and gaming more generally. Especially prevalent with the latest installments.
    • Splatoon owes a large part of its international success to this trope. Kids love it for being colorful and silly, moe fans love it for the adorable character designs, casual gamers love it for being fun and easy to pick up and play, and hardcore gamers love it for having deceptively complex turfing-based gameplay that encourages teamwork and strategy. The prominence of the very much non-stereotypical female Inklings in the advertising doesn't hurt, either.
    • The Tagline for EarthBound in Japan was "Children, adults, and even young women".
    • While it has a more epic tone than their Nintendo's usual straightforward fare, The Legend of Zelda owes much of its success to a universal appeal across age groups and genre fans. The series largely has a High Fantasy tone and accessible gameplay that appeals to younger fans, but older fans also love the (usually optional) challenging moments and dark themes in each game. Across genres, Wide-Open Sandbox fans love Zelda's focus on exploration, RPG fans love its Dungeon Crawling and storytelling, Action Game fans love its combat, and Adventure Game and Puzzle Game fans love its puzzles involving environmental interaction.
  • Princess Maker was originally a Bishoujo Game. But the concept of raising a daughter (and Cube) heavily appealed to female players. Because of this, Petite Princess Yucie, The Anime of the Game, was Shoujo and Princess Maker 5 added the option to play as a mother, and more love interests for the daughter than ever before.
  • Ever know why JustDance is a big success? Many players, young and old alike love to listen different kinds of songs in different genres. Rock and Metal fans love to dance with The Final Countdown and Don't Stop Me Now from Europe and Queen, Street dancers with rap fans for the Hip-hop stuff and others. Even Michael Jackson fans bought the spin-off based on the songs from the late King of Pop too.
  • In general, by implementing Dynamic Difficulty along with a ranking system and Bragging Rights Rewards, a game can be designed to be enjoyable but still challenging at any skill level.
  • Many people probably knew why Tekken is the best selling 3D Fighting Game in history? Funny Animal fighters being included for the Furries? Check. Badass Adorable Fighters like Lili and Josie for the Moe lovers? Check. Rule of Cool and manly Hunks like Jin, Kazuya, Hwoarang and Steve? Check. Cool Old Guy(s) such as Heihachi and the Russian Scientist? Check. Robots like Jack? Literally check.
  • The retooled Digimon World games, Digimon World Re:Digitize and Digimon World -next 0rder- are made to appeal to both Digimon's typical child demographic and nostalgic adult fans who grew up with the older Digimon series, including the original Digimon World.
  • The different classes and playstyles of Team Fortress 2 seem to have an interesting side effect of being more accessible to fans of certain other games. Halo veterans apparently adapt well to the fast, jumpy Scout playstyle, Quake arena players will find the Soldier familiar, and CounterStrike veterans can take advantage of years of honed skills as the Sniper.
    • And outside of the first-person-shooter aspect of it, the Pixar-esque art and humor draws people in to those unaccustomed to normally serious games of this genre. To say nothing of how the all-male cast has created a thriving shipping community among Yaoi Fangirls who have never played the game...
  • Space Channel 5 has the strong female protagonist and Camp to draw in the demographic that the arcade action and fanservice wouldn't.
  • World of Warcraft is one of the biggest examples in video game history, expanding its audience far beyond the pre-existing MMORPG crowd to become a bona fide global phenomenon.
  • While Show by Rock!! was one of Sanrio's first attempts at targeting the adult male demographic, especially with The Anime of the Game, they are far from the ONLY demographic the original app was aimed at. Part of what made Show by Rock!! so appealing is having a cast of cute girls, hot guys, ridiculously cute critters, and mascots with attitude in equal measure. If popularity polls are any indication, it seems to have caught on with women more than initially expected, and even Sanrio's typical child demographic has taken a liking to it, if the Japanese Happy Meal toys are of any indication. And that's not counting the music fans that came for its rockin' soundtrack: the game puts the spotlight on a great number of indie bands using their Myumon counterparts, and the genres span all over the spectrum, so there's a band for every kind of music lover out there.
  • StarCraft breached the limitations of the PC strategy game demographic to become one of the most successful and long-lived PC titles in history.
  • The Sims was a breakout success that challenged conventional notions of not only what a game could be, but also to whom it could appeal; studies have cited it as being played by girls and women more than any other video game in history.
  • Metal Gear Solid has found major appeal among multiple demographics; the exciting gameplay and deep game system attracted both mainstream and hardcore gamers, the well-developed (and often attractive) characters drew in female players, the labyrinthine plots and mysteries drew out the geeks, and the uniquely Japanese sensibilities appealed to anime fans.
  • The Final Fantasy series has found great success across age, gender and national barriers, particularly after its breakout title, Final Fantasy VII. The cinematic qualities and detailed storylines wowed mainstream gamers, the customization-heavy game systems and lavish production values appealed to the hardcore crowd, and the extensive character development and character designs drew in female players.
  • The Persona series, particularly after breakout hit Persona 3, has transcended its status as a Quirky Work to become a hit with players of different genders, ages, demographics and nationalities and a critical and commercial success both in Japan and abroad. Here's how it works: the strategic battle system, stat management and extensive customization features appeal to the usual Atlus audience of hardcore RPG enthusiasts, the art style and setting appeal to anime fans, and the social sim element appeal to female players (so much so that the PSP Enhanced Port of Persona 3 introduced a new female main character and respective campaign).
  • Deep within the heart of the Touhou Project fandom are those who have actually played the games. Surrounding, possibly even overshadowing it, are fans drawn to ever-increasing, evocative cast members, the thriving fan art/fan comic community, all the Fanfic Fuel, or if nothing else then the Awesome Music.
  • The Atelier Series is known for appealing to fans of moe, fans of otome games, casual gamers, and RPG enthusiasts all at the same time.
  • Pretty Rhythm, despite its primary audiences being young girls, shares a wide amount of periphery appeal: fans of rhythm games, Virtual Paper Doll games, and the glittery characters all can find something to love about it.
  • One of the main reasons why Fortnite's battle royale mode became a smash hit is how it can attract gamers of all demographics and tastes. The cartoony art-style and free-to-play monetization won over casual and mobile gamers who would otherwise be turned off by gritty, full-priced games. Its tight gunplay and deep meta won over hardcore gamers including fans of the battle royale genre. Not to mention that its constantly stream off updates ensures that the game stays fresh and unique for everyone.
  • Genshin Impact is being marketed to a lot of platforms, from mobile phones, PC, PS4, and an upcoming Nintendo switch port. Aesthetically, it is for the anime-loving communities. But speaking of its mechanics, it tries to appeal to the RPG fans, open world enthusiasts, and gacha communities all at once.
  • Love Live! School idol festival is hugely successful because of this appeal. It's a Rhythm Game with RPG Elements based on collectable cards representing the various girls from the Love Live! series, but in a way that's still accessible to various different players. The RPG elements affects the main score and requires fairly in-depth knowledge to maximize for those competing in events, but all these can be ignored by those who just want the pure rhythm game experience, as it still grades based on combo length and gets fairly Nintendo Hard at times. However, many of the unlockable cards skills also provide a huge safety net for casual players who may not have the experience or reflexes for the harder beatmaps. And then there are those who are there mostly to collect cards of girls in pretty outfits (which can be enjoyed by players of all genders since they are designed for style instead of fanservice for the most part). The song selection itself encompasses a wide variety of genres, so even those not interested in the Idol Singer scene can find songs that wouldn't sound out of place in Guitar Hero. The result is a game that even those unfamiliar with Love Live! can easily get into, and may even serve as a Gateway Series for the wider franchise.
  • The Assassin's Creed franchise runs the gamut of gameplay and story genres, starting with a focus on stealth assasinations in a conspiracy thriller, then open combat starting with the third game, then focusing on historical tourism, until finally becoming a full-blown Action RPG with Origins onwards. The franchise melds all of these elements into a compelling package that has something for virtually everyone, making it a very popular series.
  • Kirby is an interesting case. While the games are highly beginner friendly, they usually offer enough variety in gameplay to keep even more expirienced player interested. The frequent late-game tone of Sugar Apocalypse in the darker games also allows the cutesy design to also appeal to more mature gamers.
    Web Animation 
    Webcomics 
  • The Inexplicable Adventures of Bob! began as a print comic for a college publication, and the dialogue and science fiction concepts are clearly directed at an older audience, but it's also clean enough that the strip has appeared on the Kidjutsu.com child-friendly webcomics site.
  • The Dreamer has elements of a high-school drama, American Revolutionary action, romance arcs, and gorgeously-drawn characters.
  • Artists (or anyone who likes extremely realistic artwork) will love the artwork in Lackadaisy. If you like comedy, there's plenty of that. If you like drama, you'll get bucketloads of that. If you like shipping, you'll have plenty of fuel. History nerds can enjoy the realistic portrayal of The Roaring '20s, and of course, if you like cute anthropomorphic kittens, you'll like that aspect.
  • Homestuck. It has an unbelievably high amount of characters, a different species with a complex romance system and where Everyone Is Bi so there are a lot of shipping opportunities. The characters are fun and quirky and pretty much everyone can relate with at least one of them. There is a metric tonne of pop culture references and the humor is sharp and witty, especially the references to 90s internet and gaming culture that'll go over the heads of some younger readers. Also, there are 25 albums worth of fan-made songs covering a wide range of musical genres. The action sequences are awesome and fast-paced. Add all that to the complex plot that really gets people thinking and all the suspense of waiting for the next update makes Homestuck an appealing work of art.
    Western Animation 
  • Animaniacs has Shout Outs to every conceivable demographic.
  • Tex Avery MGM Cartoons is funny to children as well to adults for pretty much the same reasons: the absurd comedy, slapstick, great timing and jokes that break the fourth wall.
  • Batman: The Brave and the Bold: A DVD advert claimed that it was one of the most popular shows among boys ages 6-12 and among men age 18-49. Most people, upon hearing this, simply wondered what the hell was wrong with 13-17-year-olds.
  • Disney animated shows, while many look like they are targeted for a specific audience (boys/girls, preschool-tween etc), but their success often lies in their ability to be enjoyed by others who might crossover from the vicinity:
    • Gargoyles definitely qualifies; kids of the time were drawn to the fantastic creatures and superhero-esque action, whereas adults could better appreciate the intricate character arcs, thought-provoking themes, and references to world history, folklore and mythology, and classic literature (most notably the works of Shakespeare). And, of course, both demographics could appreciate the humorous elements, though each on different levels.
    • As far as audience breakdown goes, Kim Possible is probably the closest thing to a Shōjo series created in America, yet. It gets males and females, from about seven all the way up to college, and their parents like it too.
    • Phineas and Ferb seems to be thriving on this. Sharing people who worked on Family Guy, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Hey Arnold! is a pretty clear sign.
    • This is probably the biggest reason why Gravity Falls is such a huge success. The Pines twins are easy to relate to and the humor can often be enjoyed for the young audience yet they manage to appeal to older audiences with humor, mystery and elements for them that will probably make people ask how it keeps a Y7 rating.
    • Recess attracted both children who could identify with it for being a show set at an elementary school, and adults who loved the historical and political references, as well as humor that not only would the kids laugh at, the adults would, too. ABC noticed this when the show was running, to the point where they would play commercials for the show during late night news showings or more adult-oriented programs.
    • Ask any parent of a toddler what their favorite Disney Junior show is, and they may say it's Sofia the First. And it's easy to see why—stories and music on par with Disney films, celebrity voice actors, and appearances by old Disney characters such as the Disney Princess girls and Flora, Fauna and Merriwether. Teens also enjoy the show as well for these reasons—oh, and Cedric too.
  • Occasionally (though perhaps not accurately) cited as a reason for the cancellation of Invader Zim, as it was apparently popular with a number of demographics, often older than expected, but unfortunately not enough so with its TARGET demographic. During its original run it had a healthy fanbase with the younger crowd and the pilot episode that they showed to a test audience was Nick's highest positive reaction at the time. Sadly, airing at 9:30 on Fridays doesn't help much if you want a younger audience.
    • This is not actually quite true of Zim, and neither is the rumor about moral objections to the show; Zim had very high ratings and viewership, and the management didn't really have much objection to the content. The problem was that Invader Zim was just really expensive to make, and they simply were losing too much money on it.
  • Freakazoid! was presumably cancelled for trying to appeal to multiple demographics.
  • Almost any of the Nicktoons. Many of them are targeted for the 6-11 range, but their Parental Bonuses have earned them fans of a higher demographic as well.
    • SpongeBob SquarePants and The Fairly OddParents! have run for over a decade and a half, mostly thanks to their multi-demographic appeal, and the former is still in production.
    • Avatar: The Last Airbender has a massively diverse fanbase for a Nickelodeon kids' show. Action, romance, crazy adventures, a solid plotline, extremely mature and heavy themes handled responsibly for the family, and Fanservice for everyone. The Sequel series The Legend of Korra follows in its predecessor's footsteps in this way.
    • Danny Phantom was a huge example. Kids and people up to their college age, of both genders, enjoyed the show.
    • Why The Loud House is a big success? Simple, it had many elements to appeal all ages. Not just children and teenagers, but to parents and grandparents too. Rock and Metal fans are converted to Luna, Moe lovers love Lily, Sports and Athletics fans are attached to Lynn, Comedy geeks with Luan, Superhero fans with Lincoln's interest of Ace Savvy and such.
    • Ren & Stimpy, to the extent that reruns have aired on non-children networks like MTV and VH1.
  • Cartoon Cartoons:
    • Codename: Kids Next Door: Young fans liked the action, comedy, and kid heroes, while older fans liked the world-building, Character Development, and satirical elements.
    • Courage the Cowardly Dog was a part of Cartoon Network's daytime programming, but given the amount of horror, violence, well-written comedy and incredibly well done depressing and heartwarming moments, there wasn't much seperating it from an adult cartoon. Even the fact that the main lead was a Ridiculously Cute Critter didn't hurt (if anything, it helped make him a particularly endearing character).
  • Nearly all of the cartoons Cartoon Network introduced in the early 2010s have this going for them.
    • Adventure Time has enough Fantasy/Science Fiction elements to attract the fans of both genres, and it also includes enough random humor and slapstick to attract kids and teens. Additionally, it also contains enough Parental Bonus to receive the attention of more mature audiences. Also it has a couple of romantic and musical elements. It got to the point where the series briefly aired on [adult swim] in February 2019.
    • Regular Show features a cast consisting of Funny Animals and other random designs (like a walking, talking, gumball machine), and a bunch of slapstick, Toilet Humor, and surreal humor to keep the interest of young kids (though the surreal moments can appeal a lot to adults and teens), but the fact it's also partly a Work Com, has a fair amount of adult humour, makes many references to the 1980s (including music from that era, and the main video game system the main characters love to play is obviously a Sega Master System), features guest voices from well known people whose works aren't always child friendly (like Tyler, the Creator), and features some situations that adults can identify with, this series has a pretty large Periphery Demographic.
    • The Amazing World of Gumball appeals to both kids and adults due to its rapid fire comedy, bizzare Medium Blending designs, and distinct characters. While adults can also appreciate the vicious satire of 21st century life and comedy cartoons, homages to pop culture, and incredibly cynical jokes, horror, attitude, and darker themes.
    • Steven Universe has a large amount of appeal for both boys and girls of all ages. The title character is a hyperactive young boy who is very cheerful for the boys, but is sensitive, empathetic, and has an adorable appearance that makes him endearing to girls. The Crystal Gems, Steven's unofficial big sisters who are strong female characters with varying personalities and styles, making them good role models for young girls as well as unconventional families, note  and identifiable characters for older female viewers (double if you're a girl with a younger brother).
      • They can be seen not only as big sisters, but as a complete pseudo-family unit. Garnet is the always-calm, generally supportive yet emotionally-distant father figure, Pearl is the doting, responsible mother figure, while Amethyst is the boisterous, engaging big sister.
      • More substantially, the colorful and cute art style, along with many shout outs to popular and not so popular anime gain an audience with the otaku crowd, the frequent action and magic powers by said Gems give them appeal to fans of the Magical Girl genre, and a complicated and dark series of relationships among the cast give it shoujo support, and the interesting mix of science fiction, fantasy, horror, a intricate mystery plot, and even space opera wrapped in a Slice of Life presentation has nearly every demographic you could look for.
  • South Park thrills teenagers with its shock value and iconoclastic worldview, while amusing adults with its pop-culture parodies and social satire.
  • Jane and the Dragon is an example, with its target audience in the U.S. being 5 and 6 year olds (due to the fact that it airs on the Saturday-morning programming block Qubo, along with other shows like Maisy and Babar); but it has a lot of adult fans.
  • Looney Tunes: The first cartoon series to appeal to both children and adults in equal measure, not only because of the hilarious gags, but also for its dry, yet very sharp wit and Break the Cutie jokes. It still has this effect on viewers after all those years.
  • My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is primarily aimed at young girls, but clever writing, excellent humor, pop culture references (including to many shows kids are unlikely to have seen) and solid overall performance have earned it an audience among many adults. The show's creators acknowledge this, and work stories with their own meaning for adults into the show. That, and some aspects of the show are more appealing to male viewers than you'd think, such as the most significant male character hanging out with a group of girls (especially since he has a crush on one of them), or very mild bits of the other kind of fanservice.

    The dark side of the trope rolled around eventually, too — the studio thought they'd give the "bronies" a big shout out by giving "Derpy Hooves", a walleyed pegasus the fans had adopted as a sort of mascot after her initial gag appearance, a voiced appearance. Unfortunately, a cascade failure of miscommunication and poor judgement resulted in a final product that appeared to be a dig at the mentally disabled, offending a Vocal Minority of the people watching. Then they changed itnote , and offended the people who weren't offended the first time. Though they inevitably brought her back, this time outright acknowledging Fanon about the character such as her love of muffins, friendship with Time Turner, and career as a mail carrier, and even made it clear she wasn't going anywhere again, they still made sure to downplay her name as much as possiblenote .
  • To a somewhat lesser extent, G1 of My Little Pony. It is a pretty standard kid-friendly cartoon, but at the same time has some pretty dark and sinister villains, while not being afraid to kill at least two of them (which was very rare for TV cartoons in the 1980's), and, while it isn't as much for comedy, character development, and pop culture references as Friendship is Magic, the character Wind Whistler seems to be based off Spock.
  • This is very much behind The Simpsons' long lasting success. Children laugh at the slapstick elements, while adults will recognize the innumerable cultural, political and historical references and love the social satire. There are also a lot of subversive jokes that are so child unfriendly that teenagers and adults love them on a totally different level. "The Simpsons" is also one of the few TV shows, cartoon shows for that matter, which is loved by the general public as well as intellectuals.
  • Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, which has (arguably) the widest appeal of any Scooby-Doo show ever produced. The colorful characters and sight gags appeal to kids and pre-teens, older animation fans can appreciate the nuanced storyline and the smart writing, adults who grew up on classic Scooby-Doo can appreciate the deconstruction of the show's classic formula, horror fans can appreciate the affectionate spoofs of famous horror icons (including everything from Saw, to H. P. Lovecraft to Twilight), and girls can appreciate the new emphasis on romance.
    • Even the original Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! owes a lot of its continuing success to its appealing balance of horror, comedy and mystery—managing to fit in plenty of all three while still staying kid-friendly. Kids can appreciate Scooby and Shaggy's slapstick antics while also getting their first real introduction to the mystery genre, and older horror fans can appreciate the genuinely imaginative monsters (the Creeper, the Space Kook, and Charlie the Robot are particular standouts) that make it very easy to put a Darker and Edgier spin on the show in fanfiction and fan art.
  • Arthur takes a page from Sesame Street's playbook, deliberately making the show watchable to anyone who can help a child learn, i.e. everyone.
  • Anything produced by Britt Allcroft will have a huge adult fanbase due to the quality storytelling in her works.
  • Young Justice appealed to a broad audience over the course of its run by having a complex, interesting, and dark Myth Arc, lots of action, multifaceted male and female characters (as well as fanservice for both), and plenty of humor. Unfortunately, Paul Dini revealed that Cartoon Network didn't care if college-aged women and girls were a huge part of the audience since they believed that they wouldn't buy the toys and pulled the plug on the series after the second season. The series never had a strong toyline in the first place, which definitely hurt it in the long run. Dini also said this led to the cancellation of the Green Lantern: The Animated Series and Tower Prep.
  • Ready Jet Go! is designed to appeal to both kids and adults, and it has gained a teen/adult fanbase thanks to the entertaining manner in which it conveys science facts, as well as clever writing, strong characterization, and catchy songs.
  • Total Drama thrived on this at one point. Kids loved it for its slapsick and Toilet Humor, while teens and adults loved it for the relationships, adult moments and the character designs.
  • Transformers: The sheer number of cars out there that have Autobot logos on them sums it up nicely.
  • Winx Club draws inspiration from Harry Potter and Sailor Moon, two very different series, and thus has appeal to fans of either or both, and balances romance and epic battles; along with decent writing for much of the first four seasons. Its fandom consists of people of various ages and genders (where many think you have to be the same gender as the show's protagonists' to enjoy it, it has a team of supporting male protagonists fighting alongside the all female Winx team, plus male viewers find Bloom and Stella attractive and enjoy the Fanservice provided by the girls' midriff-baring outfits), although for some of the later seasons Rainbow lowered the demographic due to the Animation Age Ghetto.
  • W.I.T.C.H. made sure to cover all its bases. It being based on a comic series aimed at girls and featuring female main characters brought in the expected female audience, but its epic story reminiscent of The Lord of the Rings also resulted in a lot of boys tuning in as well, and Greg Weisman becoming the showrunner in the second season brought fans of his work along too.
  • VeggieTales appeals to many audiences. Obviously, the first one is Christian children who enjoy the silly characters, songs, and can learn a thing or two from their lessons, then their parents who appreciate the more tongue in cheek humor and pop culture references not seen in very many Christian cartoons, and then there’s the secular audience who ordinarily wouldn’t watch faith based series but enjoy it due to the same reasons above, and also because it’s made in much higher quality than most other Christian animated shows and is platable enough without feeling alienated from the religious material.
  • Molly of Denali: The entertaining storylines and occasionally mature topics help bring in adult viewers. Plus, the show is popular with all races, to the point where non-Native viewers can learn about Alaskan Native culture from the series. The adventurous elements and Molly's tomboy attitude also draw plenty of boys to the show.
  • Hanna-Barbera thrived for so long because of their wide appeal. Kids liked the colorful characters, slapstick humor, and action, while parents liked the witty writing and celebrity references. Some good examples are The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Top Cat, Jonny Quest, The Huckleberry Hound Show, and Dynomutt, Dog Wonder. In the case of Huckleberry Hound, college students adored the series and had fan clubs for it, as well as "Huckleberry Hound Days" where they would blast episodes of series on the loudspeakers.
  • ReBoot was fairly popular wherever it was shown. It was directed mostly to ten-year-old boys as a brightly colored action series but featured loads of appealing material for just about everyone. Being the first All-CGI Cartoon appealed to animation buffs, the flirtatious bickering between Bob and Dot satisfied a romantic angle, Enzo was a Kid-Appeal Character who was amusing in his own right (and had a giant, fiercely protective dog), the computer-world setting featured loads of tech-related jokes while the game cubes and Whole-Plot Reference episodes allowed for a Genre Roulette that captured meta-humor fans (ranging from Mad Max to James Bond to The Prisoner).
  • King of the Hill appealed to many audiences. Texans enjoyed it because of the state-specific humor, Southeners in general identified with Hank's Good Ol' Boy nature, liberals and conservatives alike found the lampoonery of them to be Actually Pretty Funny, kids loved it enough for it to be nominated for a Kids' Choice Award in 1998, and families in general were attracted by the idea of a hard-working father learning life lessons.

Alternative Title(s): Mina

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