History Main / ItsBeenDone

* As he states in the first book, the reason [[Franchise/HarryPotter Ron Weasley]] is so unmotivated outside of his interests in Wizarding Chess and Quidditch is that as the second youngest child and last male one, nearly every accolade the school has has already been obtained by his older brothers. Even Fred and George who aren't as academic as the first three are still very sociable and well liked. Even his younger sister, Ginny, has the status of being the first female Weasley to be born in several generations.

* The "Purple Drank" craze, a mix of alcohols and cough syrup (soda and candy can be added). This sounds a lot like the [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS3E10FlamingMoes Flaming Homer]] (a mixture of all left over alcohol in your cabinet and childrens' cough syrup, which is then lit on fire). Purple drank is typically Sprite and prescription-level cough syrup, used because it contains high levels of codeine.

* German version from ''Creator/JohannWolfgangVonGoethe'': "Alles Gescheidte ist schon gedacht worden, man muß nur versuchen es noch einmal zu denken." [[note]]"'All intelligent thoughts have already been thought; what is necessary is only to try to think them again."[[/note]]

* So the Toys/{{amiibo}}. Little NFC figures and cards you can scan on the UsefulNotes/WiiU and New UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS to get perks or activate characters in supported games. Raise your hand if you remember the UsefulNotes/HyperScan that came out almost a decade earlier... Yeah, thought so. People would rather forget the Hyper Scan ever happened due to its brain-dead design than remember that it pioneered NFC as a gameplay mechanic that games on the New 3DS and Wii U are now rather renowned for.
* Many people attribute motion gaming to the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} and the prospect of using a camera to detect motions to the [[UsefulNotes/Xbox360 Kinect]], forgetting that the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 already did this with the [=EyeToy=] camera accessory all the way back in 2003, or that Sony came out with an exercise game that uses the accessory called ''Kinetic'' back in 2005, which featured a British woman who'd lead you through a variety of workout routines, with her hair in a ponytail, belly button showing top and dark stretch pants. All while standing in a sterile spacious room and demonstrating with you and commenting on your progress.
* When Sony unveiled the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3's controller prototype back in 2005, people scoffed at the weird boomerang shape, calling it uncomfortable. Sony apparently didn't get the memo that Apple actually used a similar controller design for the Platform/{{Pippin}}, which received equally negative criticism for the controller a whole decade before, although that wasn't said console's only problem.

* When Sony unveiled the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3's controller prototype back in 2005, people scoffed at the weird boomerang shape, calling it uncomfortable. Sony apparently didn't get the memo that Apple actually used a similar controller design for the UsefulNotes/{{Pippin}}, which received equally negative criticism for the controller a whole decade before, although that wasn't said console's only problem.

It's based on the well-known phenomenon that there are so many things out there it's incredibly ''hard'' to come up with something new, especially since SeinfeldIsUnfunny and oftentimes, people get the idea inspired by something. (Even the great Creator/JRRTolkien's stories were inspired by pulp fantasy writers in the 1930s and borrow heavily from Germanic myths about a ring that gives massive power to whoever wears it...sound familiar?)

* The [[PlotThreads B Plot]] of the ''Series/{{Cheers}}'' episode "[[Recap/CheersS5E7 Young Dr. Weinstein]]" has Woody fall victim to this, then try to subvert it. His goal is to create a unique drink to get into the Bartending Hall Of Fame. His first attempt gets high praise from the others, only for Carla to try it and identify it as a "Blue Moon". Woody then spends the rest of the night trying to come up with a new drink.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

** [[Creator/CarlBarks Gyro Gearloose]] from the ''WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck'' comics has a tendency to invent things which already exist. In one comic he is asked to repair a suitcase with 4 wheels, of which one is broken. He keeps adding improvements, such as a seat, a steering wheel, bigger wheels and so on, and proudly delivers it back to the owner, only to be told "We already own a trailer!" In another comic, he goes picnicking, but is bothered by various elements like ants, the wind and rain, causing him to create a floor, walls and a roof. In the end, he's re-invented the house, and wonders why he didn't just stay home. In another comic, Gyro is found in the woods studying woodpeckers so he can make a "machine that can make holes like them." In other words, a drill.

Due to numerous copyright laws, there is a legal term called "scene-a-faire" which translates to "scene that must be done." It's a possible grounds for dismissal if a copyright claim includes numerous events and ideas that are common within the medium or genre. A PoliceProcedural will have [[PerpSweating an interrogation scene]]. A MedicalDrama will feature [[CleanPrettyReliable CPR]]. A {{Horror}} film will have a CatScare.

** And in ''Literature/SoulMusic'' there is a thief who attempts to steal the secret of fire from the Gods, only to be informed by everyone that they've already got it. [[spoiler:"Fingers" Mazda stole fire from the Gods, but it was too hot to fence. He really got burned on that deal.]]

* Creator/LarryNiven and Creator/JerryPournelle dedicated their 1985 novel, ''Literature/{{Footfall}}'', to their editor, because:
-->[[AlienInvasion Invading the Earth]] was Bob Gleason's idea. He persuaded Pournelle; Pournelle persuaded Niven. (And Niven said, "I hope you broke it to him gently that it's been ''done''!")

** Another strip has the lead ask her MadScientist friend to make her a web-shooter after seeing ''Franchise/SpiderMan'', only for said friend to demur because ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'' had already done it.

Compare ItWillNeverCatchOn, WeHaveThoseToo, and DidntWeUseThisJokeAlready. JustForFun/TheZerothLawOfTropeExamples explains how Shakespeare did it before. Administrivia/YesWeDoHaveThisOne is this happening for creating [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/tlp_activity.php TLP]]. For how the hearts of budding artists may be quickly crushed, see JustForFun/TVTropesWillRuinYourLife. For when this reaction occurs in-universe and/or entirely from the perspective of a single character, see NeverHeardThatOneBefore.

* On ''Series/GLOW2017'' director Sam is only doing this 1985 wrestling show so he can earn the money to make the movie he's been working on for over a decade. Talking to guys at a party, Sam is excited as he talks about his genius plot of a teenager accidentally going back in time and meeting his mother when she was a hot teen herself and having to avoid her advances. Poor Sam is crushed when the guests inform him that they all just saw a brand new movie using that exact plot: ''Film/BackToTheFuture.''

* In an episode of ''Series/NorthernExposure'', Chris intends to catapult a cow as some sort of performance art until Ed tells him that it was already done in ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail''.

** The show itself did one of the most explicit, memorable versions of this joke in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS5E19SweetSeymourSkinnersBaadasssssSong Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song]]", having Principal Skinner come up with [[Franchise/JurassicPark a story about an island theme park that clones dinosaurs back to life]]. His name for it? "''Billy and the Cloneasaurus''". He is then immediately lambasted by a furious Apu, who spends several minutes pointing out the ''ludicrousness'' of the principal not knowing about a billion-dollar franchise consisting of bestseller books, games, comic books, and "one of the most popular movies of all time" (and how awful his proposed title is)... finishing off with a "[[{{Catchphrase}} thank you, come again!]]"
** "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS6E22RoundSpringfield Round Springfield]]" has Homer dismissing jazz as "Making stuff up as you go along" before trying it himself. He ends up singing "de"s to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb". When called on it, he tries again, only doing it again with "doo". Caught again, he shouts, [[{{Catchphrase}} "D'OH!"]]

** The show itself did one of the most explicit, memorable versions of this joke in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS5E19SweetSeymourSkinnersBaadasssssSong Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song]]", having Principal Skinner come up with [[Franchise/JurassicPark a story about an island theme park that clones dinosaurs back to life]]. His name for it? "''Billy and the Cloneasaurus''". He is then immediately lambasted by a furious Apu, who spends several minutes pointing out the ''ludicrousness'' of the principal not knowing about a billion-dollar franchise consisting of bestseller books, games, comic books, and "one of the most popular movies of all time" (and how awful his proposed title is)... finishing off with a "[[CatchPhrase thank you, come again!]]"
** Another episode has Homer dismissing jazz as "Making stuff up as you go along" before trying it himself. He ends up singing "de"s to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb". When called on it, he tries again, only doing it again with "doo". Caught again, he shouts, [[CatchPhrase "D'OH!"]]

** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS11E13SaddlesoreGalactica Saddlesore Galactica]]", Homer saves a troubled horse, only for Comic Book Guy to tell them that the [[ContinuityNod Simpsons already owned a horse once]]. {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d again in the same episode, when Marge starts to develop a gambling problem.

'''Comic Book Guy:''' 'Scuse me! But I believe this family already had a horse, forcing Homer to work at the Kwik-E-Mart, with [[HilarityEnsues hilarious consequences.]]\\
''Beat of Silence''\\

** Similarly, Bart would love to have an elephant. Until he's reminded he had one.

*** A lot of these similar plots airing near to each other can be attributed to topicality and StrangeMindsThinkAlike, since the episodes of animated shows typically take months to do.