History CelebrityParadox / LiveActionTV

** In the episode "The Prom" Tucker Wells has trained hell hounds to attack people wearing formal wear. He has done so by showing them various movies, including PumpUpTheVolume -- which features JulietLandau (Drusilla) and SethGreen (Oz).

** CelebrityParadox is played straight, however, when in an episode of ''Series/{{Zoey 101}}'', Drake Bell plays a concert for PCA. In ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'' 's BigDamnMovie , Drake and Josh Go Hollywood, Josh shows Drake ''Parker's'' performance at PCA to the record producer.

** CelebrityParadox is played straight, however, when in an episode of ''Series/{{Zoey 101}}'', Drake Bell plays a concert for PCA. In ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'' 's BigDamnMovie , Drake and Josh Go Hollywood, Josh shows Drake "Parker's" performance at PCA to the record producer.

** CelebrityParadox is played straight, however, when in an episode of ''Series/{{Zoey 101}}', Drake Bell plays a concert for PCA. In ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'''s BigDamnMovie , Drake and Josh Go Hollywood, Josh shows Drake "Parker's" performance at PCA to the record producer.

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* In ''Series/HawaiiFive0'', Steve and Danny are watching ''CHiPs'', comparing their lives to Erik Estrada's and Larry Wilcox's characters. Apparently they never watched ''Hawaii Five-O'' when they were younger. They should avoid Kahala Mall, where there is a sculpture of Jack Lord.

*** Also, within the ''Series/SonnyWithAChance'' episode, there is no ''CampRock'' or [[Music/TheJonasBrothers Jonas Brothers]]. (Selena stars in a different version, called "Camp Hip Hop" about dancing - a kind of funny shout out to ''AnotherCinderellaStory'' which stars Gomez - instead of singing, with three Jonas Brothers look alikes, despite the fact that Joe Jonas guest starred as himself in the Christmas episode.)

* On 'Diagnosis Murder', Amanda Bentley has a Contest Winner Cameo on 'Young and the Restless' and both her colleagues at the hospital and the crew of YatR comment on her resemblance to Victoria Rowell, who actually was a regular cast member of that series.

* ''TheCatherineTateShow'' did a sketch for ComicRelief which featured DavidTennant as Lauren Cooper's teacher. She frequently jokes throughout the sketch about how much he resembles [[Series/DoctorWho the Doctor]] ("Your house...is it BiggerOnTheInside?" "D'you fancy BilliePiper, sir?"). At the end, he zaps her with the Tissue Compression Eliminator, turning her into a Rose Tyler action figure.

** And in the series finale, House mentions ''DeadPoetsSociety'', where a young Robert Sean Leonard (Dr. Wilson) starred. This is particularly strange since there was a whole subplot in a previous episode where House successfully recognizes an actor in a porno as a young Wilson and yet he doesn't comment that the guy in ''DeadPoetsSociety'' looks a lot like him as well...

** Since Castle seems to be familiar with DesperateHousewives, it would be interesting to know who played [[NathanFillion Adam]] and [[DanaDelany Katherine]] Mayfair in this universe.

* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "The Idiot's Lantern," the Doctor refers to Kylie Minogue. Kylie later appeared in the ChristmasEpisode "Voyage of the Damned" playing Astrid Peth opposite the Tenth Doctor. No-one seemed to mention this.

* RobinWilliams does exist, as himself, in the ''Series/MorkAndMindy'' universe. And Mork is horrified when people think they look alike. This is actually almost believable, until Mindy mentions he's a star of "'''TV''', film, and nightclubs." Maybe Robin Williams was part of the cast of whatever TV show replaced ''Mork And Mindy'' in said universe.

* Hiro Nakamura from ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' is a ''Franchise/StarTrek'' fan. GeorgeTakei, who played Mr. Sulu on said series, plays Hiro's father.

* The NickVerse, which includes shows like ''Series/ICarly'', ''{{Zoey 101}}'', ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'', and ''Series/{{Victorious}}'' are all part of the same universe, but CelebrityParadox is averted because all the actors still exist. All the copies just get assumed to be different people.

* In ''Series/{{Friends}},'' Ross, Joey, and Chandler are die-hard fans of ''Film/DieHard.'' However, when they meet Paul Stevens (played by BruceWillis), he doesn't seem to remind them of anyone.

** ''Franchise/JurassicPark'' is mentioned quite a few times, due to Ross being a paleontologist, yet JeffGoldblum shows up as a guest in one episode, also not playing himself.

* Also, the existence of Music/SelenaGomez in the Creator/DisneyChannel series' universe poses some problems. She played a character in [[Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody Zack and Cody's]] middle school production of ''Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream'' and also Mikayla, Series/HannahMontana's rival twice, but according to the two crossovers, the two shows exist within the same universe. And to top it all off, Gomez stars in ''WizardsOfWaverlyPlace'' where she plays the wizard Alex Russo, who appeared in the second Creator/DisneyChannel crossover. So, either there are three girls who look freakishly like Selena Gomez, or Alex has been using her magic to screw with our heads.
** Of course, none of this is mentioning Gomez's guest star role in ''SonnyWithAChance'', where Gomez is famous, but there is no mention of ''WizardsOfWaverlyPlace'' being an actual show. Chad speaks of Series/HannahMontana as a real person. (Although, that might be because of stupidity, because in another episode, after Selena's, Sonny mentions that Chad doesn't know that Hannah and Miley aren't the same person, hinting that ''Series/HannahMontana'' is also a show in that universe.)
*** Also, within the ''SonnyWithAChance'' episode, there is no ''CampRock'' or [[Music/TheJonasBrothers Jonas Brothers]]. (Selena stars in a different version, called "Camp Hip Hop" about dancing - a kind of funny shout out to ''AnotherCinderellaStory'' which stars Gomez - instead of singing, with three Jonas Brothers look alikes, despite the fact that Joe Jonas guest starred as himself in the Christmas episode.)

** Also on the U.S. ''The Office,'' Michael Scott has mentioned that he is a fan of ''TheWire,'' yet does not notice Holly Flax's strong resemblance to Beadie Russell (both played by Amy Ryan). Nor Charles Miner's resemblance to Stringer Bell (both played by Idris Elba). Nor Eric Ward's resemblance to Thomas Klebanow (both played by David Costabile).

* VeronicaMars is said to get nightmares when she watches Creator/ParisHilton movies. Quite understandable, as there was a girl at her school played by Paris Hilton.
** She also once snarked at her friend Wallace by asking which Gilmore girl he was, even though ''GilmoreGirls'' came on right before ''Veronica Mars'' on the CW that season. One wonders what show filled that slot in Veronica's world.

* ''Series/ThirdRockFromTheSun'' referenced WilliamShatner a couple of times before he became the Big Giant Head.
** In one episode, the cast asks the Big Giant Head how his flight was & he replies that it was terrible. He says [[Series/TheTwilightZone there was something on the wing]] and no one would believe him. Dick assures The Big Giant Head that the same thing had happened to him. Of course, JohnLithgow and WilliamShatner played the same part, in the Movie and the series respectively.

** We only have to assume what would happen if ''DirtyWork'' or one of the sitcoms that Traylor Howard appeared on existed in this world, because Natalie would often be mistaken for those characters.

** Although Bret wasn't in the film for very long, and given the nature of the Conchords characters, it's entirely possible that no-one thinks it worthy of comment.

** In the Season 8 comics we see Buffy and Dawn are big fans of ''VeronicaMars'', although no mention is made of the fact that actors from ''Buffy'' have appeared on ''VeronicaMars,'' as well as show creator Creator/JossWhedon.

* In the universe of ''Series/{{Fringe}}'', ''Franchise/StarTrek'' is referenced occasionally. In fact, one delusional character believes that he is a reincarnation of Spock. However, nobody in-universe seems to comment on the fact that ultra-rich industrialist William Bell is played by LeonardNimoy.

* Played with in ''SonnyWithAChance'' where Sonny (Music/DemiLovato) meets Selena Gomez, as Selena Gomez, who apparently no longer has a BFF named Demi Lovato, or if she does probably would have mentioned "Hey, my BFF looks so exactly like you it's uncanny." At the end, they tease the idea that Sonny would become Selena's new BFF. It was a very strange episode.

** In another episode, Tony (the team's resident movie buff) mentions "Al Pacino and Chris O'Donnell in ''ScentOfAWoman''." Chris O'Donnell currently plays lead character Callen on ''NCISLosAngeles'', and has guest starred as Callen on regular ''NCIS''.
** In one episode, Tony remarks that he has "a better chance of hooking up with JessicaAlba" than some criminals have infiltrating someplace. One wonders if Tony is aware of an actor that looks just like him named Michael Weatherly, who was once engaged to Ms. Alba (and was her co-star on ''DarkAngel'').
** Tony's movie references cause all kinds of Celebrity Paradoxes after the fact. He directly referenced ''TrueLies'' in the season 7 opener, yet JamieLeeCurtis has a recurring role as Samantha Ryan starting in season 9.

** In one episode, Sarah and Chuck are watching ''Film/SpiesLikeUs'' and Chuck specifically mentions DanAykroyd and Chevy Chase, he failed to notice that Chevy Chase looks a lot like season two villain, Ted Roark.
** Chuck mentions ''Film/DieHard'' in a season four episode, though a season two episode had previously featured ReginaldVelJohnson as Sgt. Al Powell. Not a similar character. Sgt. Al Powell.
** In one season 4 episode, Chuck tells Sarah he feels like he should be James Bond, to which Sarah responds that she didn't fall in love with James Bond, but with him. Later in that same episode, Sarah goes undercover working for the season's BigBad, Alexei Volkoff, played by Bond actor TimothyDalton

* An episode of ''Series/HappyDays'' had the Cunningham family watching the movie ''Theatre/TheMusicMan''. Mrs. Cunningham says that one of the boys in the movie looks like Richie while Mr. Cunningham finds that silly. A much younger RonHoward did indeed have a prominent role in that movie.
* On ''TheWire'' Wu-Tang Clan songs have been heard playing on stereos, and yet Wu-Tang Clan member Method Man has a recurring role on the show as gangster Cheese Wagstaff.

** ''Series/HawaiiFive0'' also [[{{Crossover}} crossed over]] with ''NCISLosAngeles''. ''NCIS:LA'' takes place in the same universe as regular ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', which referenced the ''original'' Five-O in the 2009 episode "Power Down." Meaning that there's a Five-O squad with a Danno in a universe with a classic TV show that has the very same things.

* In at least one episode of ''Series/TheSopranos'', Christopher mentions Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino wrote ''TrueRomance'', which features James Gandolfini - Tony Soprano.

* Related to a literature example up above, ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'' contains a very minor but completely headwrecking reference to Arthur Conan Doyle, when a tabloid article about Sherlock Holmes contains the line "in a twist worthy of a Conan Doyle novella..." This implies that in-universe ACD wrote stories that had the same cultural impact as SherlockHolmes but couldn't possibly have been Sherlock Holmes, or even anything too similar or it would surely have been referenced more often in the detective's rise to fame.

* ''Raising Hope'' contains multiple references to ''My Name is Earl'' throughout the series. Both shows created by Greg Garcia, and several actors from Earl appear as recurring characters or guest stars on ''Raising Hope''.
* A DeletedScene from ''Series/TheThickOfIt'' reveals Peter Mannion MP's wife's dowdy appearance has been mocked on ''HaveIGotNewsForYou''. A number of actors from ''The Thick of It'' have appeared in episodes of ''HaveIGotNewsForYou'', including Rebecca Front (Nicola Murray MP) Chris Addison (Olly Reader) and Miles Jupp (John Duggan). Presumably those episodes in TheVerse feature a different array of comedians cracking jokes about the politicians of ''TheThickOfIt''.
* ''Series/{{JAG}}'': DonaldPBellisario, the series show runner and creator, exists in the JAG-verse (and has a star on the HollywoodWalkOfFame) as does his series Series/QuantumLeap. Actor Dean Stockwell who had a major part in Series/QuantumLeap, later plays Secretary of the Navy Edward Sheffield.
* "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia". The episode "The Gang Wrestles for the Troops" opens with the gang watching a WWF wrestling match and expressing their fandom for the wrestlers of the '80s, mentioning many real-life WWF wrestlers. Later in the episode, Dennis, Mac, and Charlie attend a local amateur wrestling show and hire the star of the show, Da'Maniac, to be in their own show. Da'Maniac is played by professional wrestler "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, who was very big in the '80s. Despite this, he is treated like a completely different person.
* Similar to the above, one of the live action segments of ''TheSuperMarioBrosSuperShow'' guest starred Capt. Lou Albano (who also played Mario). Mario says that Lou Albano is his favorite wrestler and he can't wait to meet him, but it turns out the two keep missing each other and are never in the same room together.
* JesseMcCartney played J.R. on ''AllMyChildren'' for three years. Five years later, after becoming a popular recording artist, he returned as himself. His appearance was a birthday surprise for Colby, J.R.'s sister. It was somewhat justified because another actor was playing J.R. by this point so he couldn't just reprise his role.
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* ''Series/MacGyver'' starring lead Richard Dean Anderson, is lightly brought up in the very first episode of ''Series/{{Stargate SG-1}}''. ("It was difficult, but we were able to {{MacGyver|ing}} a solution.")

** Speaking of ''Star Trek'', the penultimate episode of ''[[Series/StargateAtlantis Atlantis]]'' has Richard Woolsey mention that Franchise/StarTrek: The Experience in Las Vegas had closed. One wonders if ''[[Series/StarTrekVoyager Voyager]]'' got made in the Stargate verse, and if so, whether anyone's ever told Richard Woolsey that he looks just like the Doctor, who appeared in said ride.

* In the second season finale of ''Series/RaisingHope'', the characters watch a fictional news show called Inside Probe, detailing the circumstances surrounding Jimmy meeting, impregnating, marrying, and turning in Hope's serial killer mother. During one of the commercial breaks, an ad for the real TV show ''Series/MyNameIsEarl'' is shown. ''My Name is Earl'' and ''Raising Hope'' were both created by Greg Garcia, and several characters from Earl appear as recurring characters or guest stars on ''Raising Hope''.

* ''Series/{{Leverage}}'' is full to brimming with ''Franchise/StarTrek'', up to and including guest stars: [[Series/StarTrekVoyager Jeri Ryan]], [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Brent Spiner]], WilWheaton, and [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Armin Shimerman]] have all shown up. Wheaton's character even has the in-universe nickname of The Kobayashi Maru! But hardcore fanboy and Trekkie [[TheSmartGuy Hardison]] [[{{Irony}} notices nothing]].

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* The {{pilot}} for ''{{Flash Forward|2009}}'' shows a billboard for Oceanic Airlines -- but later on shows a bus ad for ''Series/{{Lost}}'''s final season, implying that ''Lost'' is a show in the ''Flash Forward'' universe. [[FridgeLogic Who plays Penny and Charlie in]] ''{{Flash Forward|2009}}'''s [[FridgeLogic version of]] ''Series/{{Lost}}''?

* An odd variation on this occurred in an episode of ''Series/GreenAcres''. The cast decided to put on a play based on the [[EnforcedPlug "popular television show"]], ''Series/TheBeverlyHillbillies''. That would be fine, except ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' takes place in the same universe as ''Green Acres'', along with ''Series/PetticoatJunction'', with characters frequently [[CrossOver crossing over]] from one show to another. Which means that in ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' universe, there is a TV show called ''The Beverly Hillbillies'', featuring the characters of Jed, Jethro, Granny and Elly May, which those same characters could then watch. One wonders who played the characters on the show.

* Perhaps the strangest thing is that the Doctor frequently visits a bizarre alternate London in which the old-fashioned police telephone box is merely an obscure piece of obsolete street furniture, all but forgotten, and not in any way an instantly recognisable cultural icon.

* JesseMcartney played J.R. on ''AllMyChildren'' for three years. Five years later, after becoming a popular recording artist, he returned as himself. His appearance was a birthday surprise for Colby, J.R.'s sister. It was somewhat justified because another actor was playing J.R. by this point so he couldn't just reprise his role.

* ''JesseMcCartney'' played J.R. on ''AllMyChildren'' for three years. Five years later, after becoming a popular recording artist, he returned as himself. His appearance was a birthday surprise for Colby, J.R.'s sister. It was somewhat justified because another actor was playing J.R. by this point so he couldn't just reprise his role.

** In "What's my line, part two" Buffy warns Kendra not to watch the in-flight movie if it's got dogs or this comedian in it, referencing the Chevy Chase film ''FunnyFarm'', which SarahMichelleGellar had an uncredited cameo in.

* In the ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' "Season 8" comics, we see Buffy and Dawn are big fans of ''VeronicaMars'', although no mention is made to the fact that actors from ''Buffy'' have appeared on ''VeronicaMars,'' as well as show creator Creator/JossWhedon.

*** Don't forget the mention of Buffy in one of the Halloween episodes- if Nathan Fillion is not around, who is it that played Caleb in season seven?

** Chuck mentions ''Film/DieHard'' in a season four episode, though a season two episode had previously featured Reginald VelJohnson as Sgt. Al Powell. Not a similar character. Sgt. Al Powell.

* In one ''Series/{{Newhart}}'' episode, Dick Loudon (Newhart) is talking with Michael Harris about classic television, and at one point mentions the great Saturday night lineup {{CBS}} had in the '70s, with ''Series/AllInTheFamily'', ''Series/TheMaryTylerMooreShow'', etc. "Yeah," Michael responds, "and how about [[Series/TheBobNewhartShow that show with the shrink who stuttered]]?"

* Similar to the above, on one of the live action segments of ''TheSuperMarioBrosSuperShow'' guest starred Capt. Lou Albano (who also played Mario). Mario says that Lou Albano is his favorite wrestler and he can't wait to meet him, but it turns out the two keep missing each other and are never in the same room together.

* Similar to the above, on one of the live action segments of ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosSuperShow'' guest starred Capt. Lou Albano (who also played Mario). Mario says that Lou Albano is his favorite wrestler and he can't wait to meet him, but it turns out the two keep missing each other and are never in the same room together.

* "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia". The episode "The Gang Wrestles for the Troops" opens with the gang watching a WWF wrestling match and expressing their fandom for the wrestlers of the '80s, mentioning many real-life WWF wrestlers. Later in the episode, Dennis, Mac, and Charlie attend a local amateur wrestling show and hire the star of the show, Da'Maniac, to be in their own show. Da'Maniac is played by professional wrestler "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, who was very big in the '80s. Despite this, he is treated like a completely different person.