Episodes is a British American satirical Sitcom created by David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik, and starring Stephen Mangan, Tamsin Greig and Matt LeBlanc.

Sean and Beverly Lincoln (Mangan and Greig) star as a husband and wife writing team from London who have just won two more BAFTAs for their critically acclaimed show Lyman's Boys. At the ceremony, they meet the American television executive Merc Lapidus, who claims to love their show, and offers them the opportunity to produce an American remake. Without any second thoughts, the couple packs their bags and heads to LA.

However, upon arrival, they realize everything is not like they imagined. Not only it turns out that Merc has never seen Lyman's Boys, but he also wants to use the American remake as a comeback vehicle for Matt LeBlanc, and is ready to Re Tool the show to meet any of Matt's demands.

And so, the couple of writers loses all creative control over the remake of their own brainchild to an executive who never saw their show, and an actor with the biggest ego they ever faced.

A lot of the tropes listed below would normally go to the Trivia or YMMV page, if only they didn't happen in-universe and weren't a major focus of the show.

The show contains examples of:

Actor Allusion: Possibly just a coincidence, but in the season finale, one was made towards Stephen Mangan.
Matt: [Sean] should be a fuckin' detective! He just started finding out all these little clues; that my car was gone, my cologne...
Adam Westing: Matt LeBlanc.
Belligerent Sexual Tension: Matt and Beverly.
Biggus Dickus: Matt LeBlanc claims to have one in episode 3. Sean doesn't deny it.
Bilingual Bonus: In the episode 4, Matt makes fun of Beverly with the Lincolns' cleaning lady. In Spanish.
Black Comedy Rape: Matt, at a Rape Awareness Benefit.
Blatant Lies: Pretty much most of what Merc says to Sean & Beverley.
British Brevity: The show had seven episodes in its first season, and will have nine episodes in its second.
Conversational Troping: A conversation between Matt and Sean addresses British Brevity in episode 3. In series 2, Beverly is gobsmacked that the 'young' actors in 'Pucks' are in all their 20s or older, a reference to Dawson Casting
Creator Backlash: Beverly openly states in the fourth episode that she hates what their show was turned into.
Embarrassing Nickname: "Betsy" for Beverly.
Executive Meddling: This is the main subject of the show.
Failure Is the Only Option: Every time the Lincolns try to stop Merc and Matt from altering their show, they fail.
Foreign Remake: Pucks!, in-universe
Henpecked Husband: The weak-willed and gentle Sean is often seen as this compared to his stern wife.
Hidden Depths: Seemingly invoked when we are introduced to Merc's wife, Jamie. She's sweet, charitable, and blind. Everyone's pleasantly surprised, and it seems like there's more to Merc than meets the eye. Five minutes later, we see that Merc gleefully belittles her in public, has been cheating on her for years, and is even more of a slime ball than everyone first thought.
- Played straight with most other characters, especially Jamie, who, despite being blind has her own affairs, too.
  - Matt is a massive tool, but genuinely cares for his kids. "I'm a terrible husband but an excellent father."
How We Got Here: Subverted. The show opens to Beverly driving off after an argument with Sean, before crashing into Matt. The subversion comes when the viewer sees the incident which causes the argument, and realises there's still two more episodes.
Informed Ability: Sean & Beverley's writing ability & the quality of Lyman's Boys
Limey Goes to Hollywood: An in-universe example, the hook upon which the whole initial premise of Episodes hangs.
No Title: The individual episodes of Episodes. "Episode 1", "Episode 2", etc.
On The Next: Episodes is a rare example of a modern show playing it straight.
Previously On: As above
Re Tool: Despite the Lincolns' protest, the show Lyman's Boys about a school headmaster is retooled into a show about a hockey coach called Pucks!.
Show Within a Show: Pucks!
Small Name, Big Ego: Matt LeBlanc is in no way a small name, but his character's ego is huge enough to live up to this trope.
There Are No Good Executives: Merc Lapidus.
Truth in Television: Anyone watching Episodes and thinking this would never happen? Think again.
The Stoner: Carol at first seems very normal and secure, then reveals later into Series 1 that she is a stoner (seemingly not a light one either as she carries pre-rolled joints in her bag) and shares a smoke with Beverley. From this point onwards, her insecurity and eccentricities aren't hidden as much and she continues to appear less and less sane each episode.
Your Cheating Heart: Matt, by his own admission. Not to mention several of the actors and executives. Also Beverley.