History Main / CrystalBallScheduling

Unlike CoincidentalBroadcast, this broadcast is not providing any plot-relevant information to the cast and those watching the show will generally not see how this relates to their situation.

* Justified in ''Film/{{Amelie}}'', where the heroine is probably imagining that the black-and-white mad scientist is talking about her, and her relationships, by name. Probably.
* In ''Film/{{Blackbird}}'', the teenagers are producing a gay version of ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'', and the balcony scene and [[spoiler:the double suicide are re-enacted in Todd and Leslie's lives.]]

* In ''Literature/LightThickens'' by Creator/NgaioMarsh, Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'s hallucinations and his bloody murders come to frightening life for the theatre cast, who are shaken by the unexpected appearances of severed heads on the stage during their rehearsals, and ultimately by [[spoiler:the decapitation of the lead actor during a performance.]]

* Justified in ''Series/{{Life on Mars|2006}}'' because [[spoiler:Sam is just hallucinating the whole thing anyway.]]

* The ''Brown Hornet'' cartoon on ''WesternAnimation/FatAlbertAndTheCosbyKids'' always mirrors the main show's lesson ''du jour''.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': In the episode "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E8AHearthsWarmingTail A Hearth's Warming Tail]]", Snowfall Frost's story is essentially a condensed, holiday-themed version of Starlight Glimmer's character arc from the previous season: from blowing the notion of something out of proportion thanks to a past trauma, to creating something she hopes will "fix" it that will only cause more damage to the point of apocalyptic levels, and finally some friends who show her the error of her ways and help her reform.

* In ''Theatre/{{Pagliacci}}'', Canio and his wife Nedda are scheduled to perform in a comedy about a clown whose wife is cheating on him. This works out very badly, as Canio has just discovered that Nedda is being unfaithful to him in real life.

* In ''LightNovel/NogizakaHarukaNoHimitsu'', somehow, the ShowWithinAShow ''Nocture Girls' School Lacrosse Club'' knows what's going on with Haruka and Yuuto.
* In episode 8 of ''LightNovel/{{Oreshura}}'', the movie Ai, Eita, and Chiwa are watching in the theater strongly correlates to what's going on with them. Chiwa encourages the childhood friend to get the hero, while Ai backs up the other girl in the movie. Masuzu hilariously mocks the hero for his indecision, then lets out Eita's name, which he manages to overhear.
* In episode 4 of ''Manga/GourmetGirlGraffiti'', Ryou texts Kirin and Shiina since neither girl is able to spend time with her that weekend. She then starts getting paranoid thinking about if she should be expecting instant replies back from them and decides to watch TV instead. The talk show she watches ends up with two guests teasing each other about that exact scenario she was thinking about, prompting her to turn it off.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

** In the episode "Cry For Help", we oversee part of a ''Crying Breakfast Friends'' episode showing a spoon asking a pear why the pear lied , [[spoiler: which foreshadows that in the real world, Pearl lied to Garnet to have an excuse to fuse]]. Pear ends up EasilyForgiven[[spoiler:, unlike Pearl]].

* Justified in ''Film/TheTrumanShow'', where he's thinking about leaving, turns on the TV and there's a song about not leaving), because everything around Truman is [[ExecutiveMeddling controlled by a TV executive]].

* ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' Hamlet invokes this with ''The Murder of Gonzago''. He specifically chooses a play that involves the poisoning of a man by his brother (and alters it to more fit the real incident) in order to gauge the reaction of his EvilUncle whom he believes guilty of the very same crime.

* In ''Webcomic/OctopusPie'', immediately after being forced to watch trailers for tacky SpringBreak softcore, Eve sees a number of girls casually discussing their drunk partying and promiscuity, prompting Eve to comment:

* Most episodes of ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' have a corresponding post on the CharacterBlog, Blog/KeepBeachCityWeird, which is related to the episode even if it's a complete coincidence. For instance, "On the Run" had a [[ShowWithinAShow fictional book series]] that was important to the plot; at the same time, Ronaldo posts a review for the graphic novel adaptation Steven mentioned in the episode.
** There's also ''Crying Breakfast Friends''. In the episode ''Cry For Help'', an episode showing a spoon asking a pear why the pear lied [[spoiler: foreshadows that in the real world, Pearl lied to Garnet to have an excuse to fuse]]. Pear ends up EasilyForgiven[[spoiler:, unlike Pearl]].

* Tales of the Black Freighter in ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}''.
** Also in ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'', the clips of Ozymandias doing gymnastics which plays during the sex scene (complete with suggestive commentary about "mounting the bar").

* ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' specifically chooses a play that involves the poisoning of a man by his brother in order to gauge the reaction of his EvilUncle whom he believes guilty of the very same crime.

* ''''WesternAnimation/TheItchyAndScratchyShow'' cartoons on ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' frequently does this. For example, just before being sent into space, Homer watches an I&S about space flight, and while Bart is home from school sick, he watches an episode where Itchy goes to the doctor.

* The Itchy and Scratchy Show on ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' frequently does this. For example, just before being sent into space, Homer watches an I&S about space flight, and while Bart is home from school sick, he watches an episode where Itchy goes to the doctor.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': In episode "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E8AHearthsWarmingTail A Hearth's Warming Tail]]", Snowfall Frost's story is essentially a condensed, holiday-themed version of Starlight Glimmer's character arc from the previous season: from blowing the notion of something out of proportion thanks to a past trauma, to creating something she hopes will "fix" it that will only cause more damage to the point of apocalyptic levels, and finally some friends who show her the error of her ways and help her reform.

* In ''Literature/LightThickens'' by Creator/NgaioMarsh, Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'s hallucinations and his bloody murders come to frightening life for the theatre cast, who are shaken by the unexpected appearances of severed heads on the stage during their rehearsals, and ultimately by [[spoiler:the decapitation of the lead actor.]]

[[AC:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]
* In ''{{Genshiken}}'', the characters are at their graduation ceremony discussing what direction the manga will take now that the club president is graduating. Just when you think they've broken the FourthWall, it turns out that in fact they're just talking about recent events in ''Anime/KujibikiUnbalance''.

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[[AC:Literature]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]
* In ''Series/{{Friends}}'', Joey is acting in a stage play when his lover comes and tells him that she's leaving for Los Angeles. Joey's heartbroken, but returns to the play... which is about an alien visitor leaving his lover to return to their home world.
** His rehearsals on the play, and developing relationship with his costar, had been recurring for several episodes at this point but his climbing onto the ladder of the spaceship (which lowers dramatically and with lots mist into the middle of the living room set) is the first and only indicator that the play is anything other than a serious piece about two people struggling with the decision to split up.
-->'''Joey''': But, you've got things you have to do now, and so do I. And so, I'm gonna get on this spaceship, and I'm gonna go to Blargon 7 in search of alternative fuels.
* Justified in ''Series/{{Life On Mars|2006}}'' because [[spoiler:Sam is just hallucinating the whole thing anyway.]]

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[[AC:{{Webcomics}}]]

-->'''Eve''': Jesus, did they follow us out of the TV? It's like ''TheRing'' except I don't get to die.

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

* The ''Brown Hornet'' cartoon on ''WesternAnimation/FatAlbertAndTheCosbyKids'' always mirrored the main show's lesson ''du jour''.

* WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012 has the turtles' favorite shows mirror what's going on in the episode or predict what is going to happen later on. Mikey comments on this, only to be told he's imagining it by the others.

* In episode 4 of ''Manga/KoufukuGraffiti'', Ryou texts Kirin and Shiina since neither girl is able to spend time with her that weekend. She then starts getting paranoid thinking about if she should be expecting instant replies back from them and decides to watch TV instead. The talk show she watches ends up with two guests teasing each other about that exact scenario she was thinking about, prompting her to turn it off.

* The film version of ''BeingThere'' may be the grand master of this trope. Why? Well, with the exceptions of the clips of the film's President of the United States and Chance's appearance on a talk show, ''every single show or commercial'' seen on a television in the film -- and there are many because television watching is Chance's only pastime besides gardening -- not only somehow comments on the proceedings or just Chance's character (or becomes part of his actions), but is a clip of a ''real'' show, commercial, or film. [[Series/SesameStreet You'll]] [[Series/GetSmart often]] [[Series/MisterRogersNeighborhood need to]] [[Series/TheGongShow think]] [[Series/GreenAcres for]] [[Series/CaptainKangaroo a moment]] to figure out the connection of a clip and the action.

[[AC:Media in General]]
* If ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'' is the SchoolPlay, bet the house on a couple (usually, but not necessarily, the leads in the play) be one of which [[ParentalMarriageVeto parents don't approve]]. Except that they'll probably get a happy ending. Remember, kids: [[CompletelyMissingThePoint Romeo and Juliet are the ideal of the couple in love!]]
** Similiarly, if the play is ''Theatre/TheTamingOfTheShrew'', there's a good chance that the actors playing the two leads were a couple, are broken up now, and are reunited through "the magic of Shakespeare". The glaring misogyny of the original play will be downplayed.
*** ''Theatre/KissMeKate'' is probably the best-known example, although in a nice twist, Frederick, the actor playing Petruchio, has to differentiate himself from the character (by not being a giant misogynist) to win back the girl. Offstage, the person who is most like Petruchio is actually Frederick's [[RomanticFalseLead romantic rival]].

* ''{{Hamlet}}'' specifically chooses a play that involves the poisoning of a man by his brother in order to gauge the reaction of his EvilUncle whom he believes guilty of the very same crime.

* In ''OctopusPie'', immediately after being forced to watch trailers for tacky SpringBreak softcore, Eve sees a number of girls casually discussing their drunk partying and promiscuity, prompting Eve to comment:

* Happens all the time on ''MartianSuccessorNadesico''. For instance, [[spoiler:the first time a character in ''Anime/{{Gekiganger 3}}'' is shown to die, Gai Daigouji is shot at the end of that same episode, and dies at the beginning of the next]]. Notably, ''Anime/{{Gekiganger 3}}'' has finished airing by the events of ''Nadesico'', and it is simply the order the characters themselves watch the episodes from recordings.

When events on a ShowWithinAShow mirror events in the "real world" of the show. This is often used by the writers to comment on the show indirectly.

Unlike CoincidentalBroadcast, those watching the show will generally not see how this relates to their situation.

* In ''{{Genshiken}}'', the characters are at their graduation ceremony discussing what direction the manga will take now that the club president is graduating. Just when you think they've broken the FourthWall, it turns out that in fact they're just talking about recent events in ''KujibikiUnbalance''.

* Happens all the time on ''MartianSuccessorNadesico''. For instance, [[spoiler:the first time a character in ''{{Gekiganger 3}}'' is shown to die, Gai Daigouji is shot at the end of that same episode, and dies at the beginning of the next]]. Notably, ''{{Gekiganger 3}}'' has finished airing by the events of ''Nadesico'', and it is simply the order the characters themselves watch the episodes from recordings.