History Main / RecycledPremise

* Depending on who you ask, Creator/JamesCameron's opus ''Film/{{Avatar}}'' is essentially either ''WesternAnimation/FernGullyTheLastRainforest'' or ''Film/DancesWithWolves'' depending on whether you focus more on the ecological or cultural elements. Similarities to ''Series/TheOuterLimits1963'' episode "[[Recap/TheOuterLimits1963S1E31TheChameleon The Chameleon]]", in which a human finds happiness in an alien body, have also been noted.

* Depending on who you ask, Creator/JamesCameron's opus ''Film/{{Avatar}}'' is essentially either ''WesternAnimation/FernGullyTheLastRainforest'' or ''Film/DancesWithWolves'' depending on whether you focus more on the ecological or cultural elements.

* A lawsuit happened over similarities between the big-budget Michael Bay film ''Film/TheIsland'' and an earlier B-movie, ''Film/PartsTheClonusHorror''.

* ''Fanfic/AllAssortedAnimorphsAUs'': "What if Tom was infested by a member of the Yeerk Peace Movement?" borrows its premise from another ''Animorphs'' fanfic called ''The Tocsin'', though it ends up going in a completely different direction.

* The premise of Creator/GrantMorrison's ''ComicBook/AllStarSuperman'' is weirdly similar to the plot of ''Film/GodzillaVsDestoroyah''--with Superman taking Godzilla's place. Both of them are built up as hypothetical {{grand finale}}s for their respective characters, in which the hero discovers that a fatal overdose of the substance that gives them their power will soon kill them, and both of them end with [[spoiler: a successor preparing to take up the dead hero's mantle after they die facing their oldest enemy]]. ''All-Star Superman'' features Superman slowly dying from an overdose of solar radiation, with Leo Quintum and P.R.O.J.E.C.T. trying to save him, as well as a final confrontation with Lex Luthor, and [[spoiler: P.R.O.J.E.C.T. planning to build a new Superman]]. ''Godzilla vs. Destoroyah'' features Godzilla slowly dying from an overdose of nuclear radiation, with Miki Saegusa and the UNGCC trying to save him, as well as a final confrontation with the mutated offspring of the Oxygen Destroyer, and [[spoiler: Godzilla Junior preparing to carry on his father's legacy]].

* If you're a ''Series/DoctorWho'' fan, you may find some aspects of ''Film/ManOfSteel'' oddly familiar. Once the movie gets over its obligatory OriginStory, it's essentially just the story of a hero who's TheLastOfHisKind unexpectedly finding [[ThereIsAnother a group of survivors from his home planet]], then being forced to turn against them to stop their leader from wiping out the human race in a bid to resurrect his doomed species. In the process, he must face the idea that [[HeWhoFightsMonsters the threat of extinction turned his people into a race of militaristic xenophobe]]s, and that they don't deserve another chance. In other words...it's [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E17E18TheEndOfTime "The End of Time"]] with Kryptonians instead of Time Lords.

** Mentored by their grandparent (of the same gender as them, but of a different gender from the parent who the responsibility skipped) as well as a grey [ReallySevenHundredYearsOld 600 year old]] talking dog? Check.

** "Culture Shock": In an attempt to bring culture to the Krusty Krab, Squidward organizes a show in which he is the star and [=SpongeBob=]has an unremarkable role. To his surprise, the audience hates him and loves [=SpongeBob=]. "The Play's the Thing": In an attempt to bring culture to the Krusty Krab, Squidward organizes a show in which he is the star and [=SpongeBob=] has an unremarkable role. To his surprise, the audience hates him and loves [=SpongeBob=].

** The power/responsibility to protect TheMasquerade is inherited yet skipped their parents' generation? Check

[[folder: Film]]
* Most people in the West who have heard of ''City on Fire'' discovered it in the context of being the film of which ''Film/ReservoirDogs'' is a version.
** Likewise, these days ''Film/ZeroHour1957'' is usually discovered [[ParodyDisplacement via its parody]], ''Film/{{Airplane}}'', which follows the dialog and plot of the original closely.

* LikeThatShowButWithMecha

* RecycledInSpace

** Season 7 infamously used the same premise three times: To get the Krabby Patty secret formula, Plankton dresses up as someone [=SpongeBob=] knows and trusts (his grandma, Gary, and Sandy). In a earlier season, he dressed as Krabs, and in his first appearance ever, controlled [=SpongeBob=]'s body.

** Likewise, these days ''Film/ZeroHour1957'' is usually discovered [[WeirdAlEffect via its parody]], ''Film/{{Airplane}}'', which follows the dialog and plot of the original closely.

* ''Manga/DetectiveConan'' is this to ''Ichinensei ni Nacchattara''. The only difference is the gender of the protagonist after shrinking, although the latter is an ecchi series and runs for only nine volumes whereas the former is shonen and there are lots of fans out there complaining about [[NoEnding its conclusion never arriving after]] [[LongRunner about 20 years]].

* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' has a similar premise to ''Series/BabylonFive''. ''Deep Space Nine'' has a number of parallels to ''Babylon 5'' above and beyond the station premise, including but not limited to the jumpgate/wormhole, a race who rebelled against its more-advanced alien oppressors and eventually threw them off their planet, a group of {{Sufficiently Advanced Alien}}s who were using religion to influence more primitive peoples, a station commander who [[spoiler:becomes a key figure in an alien religion]] [[BecauseDestinySaysSo in fulfillment of prophecy]], a former imperialistic power trying to regain their old territory, a bone-ridge-headed alien race who were former-enemies-turned-allies with humanity, a snarky and cynical head of security with guilt about his shameful past, an idealistic young doctor who has issues with his father, a prototype Earth-made warship that's smaller and more powerful than the huge battle cruisers that make up most of the human fleet, a human government that hid corruption behind a veil of supposed Utopianism, and a long-term plot that included a war against a powerful and previously-unknown enemy who can hide almost anywhere.

* A little known film called ''Hammer of the Gods'' is about a viking warrior who must travel through hostile lands to find the heir to the throne, only to find him ruling over a tribe as a madman king... Yep, it's ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' with Vikings.

* Some ''Franchise/PrettyCure'' series borrow elements from past seasons:

* Although they are quite different stylistically, ''Anime/SamuraiChamploo'' has several episodes that have similar plots to those of another JidaiGeki anime, ''Anime/KazemakaseTsukikageRan''. Both have episodes that homage ''Film/{{Yojimbo}}'', an episode where an artist wanting one of the characters to model is a front for a sex slavery ring, and both have the main cast interacting with one of the few foreigners in Japan during that period.

** Likewise, these days ''Film/ZeroHour'' is usually discovered [[WeirdAlEffect via its parody]], ''Film/{{Airplane}}'', which follows the dialog and plot of the original closely.

** The line "There's a New Mexico?" is said once in Season Five, again in Season Twelve.

* Even the show's creators have acknowledged that the premise of ''Series/TedLasso'' is ''Film/MajorLeague'' moved to the world of English UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball, centered on a character Creator/JasonSudeikis previous created for a series of NBC Sports promos for their coverage of the Premier League.

* Even the show's creators have acknowledged that the premise of ''Series/TedLasso'' is ''Film/MajorLeague'' set in the world of English AssociationFootball, centered on a character Creator/JasonSudeikis previous created for a series of NBC Sports promos for their coverage of the Premier League.

** The series itself is a retooling of ''Moonrunners''.