The Chronicles of Oz contains a lot of references to the expanded Oz canon and the various adaptations that have been made over the years. The 1939 movie probably gets the most references, usually by a character referencing a line or a song from the movie, or events from the movie being alluded to (and in some cases being dismissed as too ludicrous), but there are a lot of other references too, to other Oz stories and adaptations:
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
- The Tin Woodman's characterization as a Jerk with a Heart of Gold recalls how he was characterized in the Tales of the Wizard of Oz cartoon.
- The Wicked Witch of the West has an assistant called Ugu, who's named for the villain of The Lost Princess of Oz.
- A conversation between Glinda and the Wicked Witch of the West name-drops Queen Zixi of Ix as a mutual former friend.
- The Guardian of the Gates is given the name "Faramant," which is the name he was given in Alexander Volkov's Tales of the Magic Land. Likewise, the Queen of the Field Mice is named "Ramina," like she was in that series.
- In one conversation between her and Locasta, Glinda says she's never strived to be popular. It's also revealed that she and the Wicked Witch of the West used to be friends.
- Fans of the original book have speculated for years that the unidentified liquid the Wizard gave to the Cowardly Lion was booze. This adaptation makes it blatant that it's moonshine, and the Lion spends the rest of the episode acting drunk.
The Marvellous Land of Oz
- The second season contains a lot of quotes and song titles from the Woggle-Bug stage musical.
- "What did the Woggle-Bug say?", which is repeated a few times by several characters, was originally a recurring contest question from the newspaper serial Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz.
- When the Scarecrow is talking about visiting Munchkinland he says that they can just "ease on down the Road".
- In a flashback sequence, the Wizard tells the Wicked Witch of the West that "nobody mourns the wicked."
- When everyone is riding the Gump, Tip laments that he didn't build it well enough, to which the Tin Woodman replies, "it can't be helped now."
Ozma of Oz
- The third season has a ton of references to Return to Oz.
- Most notably, Billina sneaks into the room where Princess Langwidere keeps her extra heads, to look for the key to Dorothy's cell, figuring that the Langwidere will keep important things in the same place as her original head. She's most indignant when she finds out that Langwidere actually had the key in her pocket the whole time.
- Another blatant reference to Return to Oz is when the Scarecrow comments on how Dorothy and Ozma aren't so different, claiming (much to Dorothy's dismay) that "you could be each other's mirror images."
- When Ozma and crew reach the ocean, Ozma says that they must have reached Baffin's Bay. The Scarecrow immediately says "Hurrah for Baffin's Bay!" which was a song he and the Tin Woodman sang in the 1902 stage musical.
- Perhaps an unintentional reference, but Billina comments that Princess Langwidere changes her heads "like hats." In the 1986 anime Langwidere's thirty heads had famously been softened down to a collection of hats that she kept changing depending on her mood.
- The Scarecrow seems to have picked up a habit of quoting song lyrics. While on the road to Ev, the Scarecrow he how different the landscape is from the first journey he was on and adds "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road!" Dorothy dryly asks him how long he's been waiting to say that.
- While captured and questioned by Doctor Nikidik, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion quote the theme song from Tales of the Wizard of Oz.
- The legendary Queen Azkadellia takes her name from Tin Man's Wicked Witch of the West. Additionally, Dorothy hosting the lingering spirit of the Witch of the West in her head is also inspired by the show.
The Life And Adventures of Santa Claus
- In The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, Nicolas declares "Just put one foot in front of the other" when escaping his snowed-in house to deliver his gifts, a nod to the other Rankin Bass Santa origin story Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town.
