Line #32 WholePlotReference/LiveActionTV


1	!!General examples:
2	* ''Theatre/TwelveAngryMen'' is a stock plot that's been much copied. It's been done on ''Series/TheOddCouple1970'', ''Series/HappyDays'', and ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' just to name a few. The former is interesting in that series star Jack Klugman was in the original film. While it might not be the original example, many examples of the RogueJuror trope will probably call upon this in some way.
3	* Shows recreating ''Film/TheBreakfastClub'' in an episode (also filed under TheBreakfastPlot):
4	** A whole episode of ''Series/DegrassiTheNextGeneration'' was dedicated to parodying the movie, ending in the "bad boy" and "basketcase" ending up together in the end, with the "pretty girl" and "jock" ending up together. Toby didn't end up with anyone, though... like Brian.
5	** ''Series/LizzieMcGuire'' also did an entire episode based on that plot. Three kids (including Lizzie) were brought together because they were accused of starting a FoodFight.
6	** ''Series/{{Victorious}}'' also has an entire episode taken from it.
7
8	!!Individual examples by series:
9	* The ''Series/ThirdRockFromTheSun'' episode "Citizen Solomon" includes a plot based on a portion of ''Film/CitizenKane''. Oddly, it's the [[TwoLinesNoWaiting "B" story]] which is based on ''Kane'', not the "A" story. In the episode, Tommy is Kane, Alissa is Susan and August is [=Leland=].
10	* One episode of ''Series/ThirtyRock'' is an extended reference to ''Theatre/{{Amadeus}}'' with Frank as Salieri, Tracy as Mozart, and Tracy's porn video game as the masterpiece.
11	-->'''Frank:''' I've devoted a lifetime to porn, and he masters it in '''one day'''?!
12	* Season 4 of ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' sees George Michael [[spoiler: seeing the software called Fakeblock that he developed in his college dorm become a runaway hit that strains his relationship with his friends, turns him into a bit of a JerkAss, and causes his former friend and peer to sue him]], all because Creator/MichaelCera, when asked if he is generally recognized more for ''Arrested Development'' or ''Film/{{Scott Pilgrim\|VsTheWorld}}'', replied that he's usually recognized for ''Film/TheSocialNetwork'', which he wasn't in.
13	* ''Series/{{Arrowverse}}'':
14	** ''Series/{{Arrow}}'':
15	*** ''Arrow'' loves referencing ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy''. The first season ends with [[spoiler:a villain connected to the League of Shadows/Assassins trying to destroy the crime-ridden Gotham/Glades]]. The third season centers on a super-strong criminal warlord who takes over Gotham/Glades and forces all police and other government services out; it's even resolved in an all-out clash on the street.
16	*** The episode "[[Recap/ArrowS3E18PublicEnemy Public Enemy]]" is basically the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' episode "[[Recap/TheNewBatmanAdventuresE12OverTheEdge Over the Edge]]" without the AllJustADream twist: [[spoiler: a cop finds out his daughter is dead, blames the hero despite because the hero kept this from him, the cop finds out who the hero is, and he does everything he can to go after the hero and his allies.]]
17	** ''Series/{{The Flash\|2014}}'' redoes the origin of Gorilla Grodd. Due to the show's mythology, he isn't an intelligent gorilla from the technologically advanced Gorilla City. Instead, he is very much straight out of the new ''[[Film/RiseOfThePlanetOfTheApes Planet of the Apes]]'' films, a gorilla who was experimented on and suffered abuse from humans save for one. The explosion that turned several people into Metahumans granted him his psychic powers which allow him to communicate telepathically.
18	** The ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'' episode "Phone Home" is, as the title suggests, one massive homage to ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial'', with Young Ray as Elliot and [[spoiler:a baby Dominator]] as E.T.
19	* ''Series/TheATeam'':
20	** In its final season, the series has an episode called "The Spy Who Mugged Me", which plays out like a ''Film/JamesBond'' film (complete with an intense card game, killer sharks, etc.).
21	** The episode "The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair" from the same season is essentially a DarkerAndEdgier episode from ''Series/TheManFromUNCLE'' with the Team being support for Napoleon Solo (or rather, General Stockwell -- still, the episode milks the ActorAllusion for all it is worth).
22	* ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'': "The Viewing Party Combustion" turns a ''Series/GameOfThrones'' viewing party into a real ''Game of Thrones'' plot, complete with infighting, changing allegiances, and a "poisoning" (actually Howard's nut allergy reacting to the pistachios in the mortadella).
23	* The original ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica\|1978}}'' and its sequel, ''Series/{{Galactica 1980}}'', succumbed to this several times. It wasn't so much homage or parody as... wholesale plot theft, usually in response to the Dreaded Deadline Doom. Example: "The Gun on Ice Planet Zero" came from ''Literature/TheGunsOfNavarone''.
24	* ''Series/{{Baywatch}}'' episode "Princess of Tides" is ''Film/RomanHoliday'' with some extra drama thrown in. Mitch has to protect and rescue the titular princess from assassins.
25	* ''Series/BigWolfOnCampus'' had an episode called "The Manchurian Werewolf". [[Film/TheManchurianCandidate Can you guess?]]
26	* The ''Series/BlackMirror'' episode "[[Recap/BlackMirrorPlaytest Playtest]]" is all about [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil an American guy named Cooper Redfield being dropped into a spooky mansion]] by an full-immersion horror video game. Then the game shifts gears and [[PsychologicalHorror gets personal with him]].
27	* The entire second season of ''Series/{{Californication}}'' is a Whole Plot Reference to ''Literature/TheGreatGatsby'', with Hank as Nick and Ashby as Gatsby.
28	* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'':
29	** "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS2E11Ted Ted]]" is similar to ''Film/TheStepfather'', where a teenage girl suspects her new stepfather (who is obsessed with "old fashioned values") is a serial killer who marries women, and murders them when they fail to live up to his exceedingly high expectations.
30	** "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E17Forever Forever]]" was inspired by "The Monkey's Paw", where Dawn and Spike try to [[spoiler:resurrect Joyce]].
31	** "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS6E14OlderAndFarAway Older and Far Away]]", where people who enter the Summers' home are unable to leave references the exact plot of ''Film/TheExterminatingAngel''.
32	* The ''Series/{{Castle\|2009}}'' episode "The Lives of Others", like ''Film/RearWindow'', has Castle stuck at home with a broken leg. While watching his neighbors through binoculars, he sees something that looks like a murder. [[spoiler:It was staged by Beckett as an elaborate way to get him to a surprise party.]]
33	* ''Series/{{Charmed\|1998}}'':
34	** Season one episode "[[Recap/CharmedS1E4DeadManDating Dead Man Dating]]" is one of ''Film/Ghost1990'', where Piper helps a murder victim she loves [[GhostlyGoals take revenge on his murderers]] [[UnfinishedBusiness and pass on to the afterlife.]]
35	** Season three episode "[[Recap/CharmedS3E2MagicHour Magic Hour]]" is basically the plot of ''Film/{{Ladyhawke}}'', where two lovers are cursed into [[ForcedTransformation animal forms]]. A [[LampshadeHanging lampshade is hung]] when Prue mentions having seen the situation before in a movie.
36	** The Season 5 premiere "[[Recap/CharmedS5E1AWitchsTailPart1 A Witch]][[Recap/CharmedS5E2AWitchsTailPart2 's Tail]]" has [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989 a mermaid making a deal with the sea witch to become human so she can find love]]. Phoebe also gets turned into a mermaid, which is an obvious nod to the fact that her actress Creator/AlyssaMilano was who Ariel was modelled after.
37	** Eighth season episode "[[Recap/CharmedS8E11MrAndMrsWitch Mr. & Mrs. Witch]]" is a sendup of ''Film/MrAndMrsSmith2005'', but with Billie and Christy's parents as the assassins.
38	* When ''Series/ColdCase'' isn't basing its episodes off of RealLife cold (and "hot") cases, it often does this. "Blood on the Tracks" = ''Film/TheBigChill'', "Disco Inferno" = ''Film/SaturdayNightFever'', "Detention" = ''Film/TheBreakfastClub'', etc.
39	* ''Series/ChoujinkiMetalder'' is clearly one to ''Series/{{Kikaider}}''. The protagonist is an android who was built by a scientist as a substitute for his late son, assumes a [[DualityMotif red and blue]] fighting form clearly modeled on Kikaider, and battles against a criminal organization that builds {{Killer Robot}}s (only they now contain cyborgs and mutants as well). Even if it is an homage however, it still manages to maintain its own identity while paying tribute to ''Kikaider'' at the same time.
40	* ''Series/{{Community}}'' has done a few of these. An easy one to spot is Abed's birthday dinner with Jeff which is a reference to ''Film/MyDinnerWithAndre''. The twist is that Abed ''deliberately set it up to be so'' — he wanted to take a break from being the MetaGuy and have a real conversation, and aping that film was the only way he could think of to try and do that. Jeff points out the irony that it's possibly the most meta thing he's ever done.
41	* The "ABC Killer" episode from ''Series/CriminologistHimuraAndMysteryWriterArisugawa'' is, as one might guess, a big reference to Agatha Christie's ''Literature/TheABCMurders''. Arisugawa specifically brings up in-universe that a serial killer targeting people based on the alphabet was likely inspired by the novel. It also has a similar twist to the novel: [[spoiler:there was only one targeted victim, with the rest killed to send the police on a false trail.]]
42	* ''Series/CSIMiami'' had an episode called "Dude, Where's My Groom?" which was, essentially, ''Film/TheHangover'' with a murder mystery thrown in.
43	* The third episode of the 1980s ''Series/DegrassiJuniorHigh'' is based on the story of the Emperor's New Clothes. The resident HighSchoolHustler sells "hallucinogens" (actually vitamin pills) at five bucks a pop. Because nobody wants to admit they aren't "cool," his clients pretend to trip and even go through placebo highs.
44	** The ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' film called ''Degrassi: Las Vegas'' borrows heavily from the movie ''Film/IndecentProposal'', with one character even lampshading it by mentioning it to wave off a character's suspicions, only to later offer an "indecent proposal". However, as this is a teen soap, things play out differently and the boyfriend is not involved in agreeing to the deal.
45	* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
46	** All three parts of Creator/NigelKneale's ''Franchise/{{Quatermass}}'' trilogy got homaged by 1970s ''Doctor Who'', in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS13E6TheSeedsOfDoom The Seeds of Doom]]", "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS7E1SpearheadFromSpace Spearhead From Space]]", and "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS8E5TheDaemons The Dæmons]]", respectively. Kneale was reportedly unimpressed by what he considered less a homage and more a case of his ideas being ripped off.
47	** Seasons 12-14 (Creator/TomBaker's "GothicHorror" period) did an awful lot of these, due to a showrunner who heavily mined old {{Horror}} and {{science fiction}} films and tropes and Doctorised them:
48	*** The climactic episode of "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS12E1Robot Robot]] "is ''Film/KingKong''.
49	*** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS12E4GenesisOfTheDaleks Genesis of the Daleks]]" is ''another'' reference to "The Daleks".
50	*** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS13E2PlanetOfEvil Planet of Evil]]" is based on ''Film/ForbiddenPlanet'', which itself was a whole-plot reference to ''Theatre/TheTempest''. It also uses elements from Universal's JekyllAndHyde.
51	*** The main plot in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS13E5TheBrainOfMorbius The Brain of Morbius]]" is a reference to the Film/HammerHorror versions of the FrankensteinsMonster story.
52	*** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS13E3PyramidsOfMars Pyramids of Mars]]" is ''Film/BloodFromTheMummysTomb'', a Film/HammerHorror movie.
53	*** The Fourth Doctor story "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS14E3TheDeadlyAssassin The Deadly Assassin]]" is ''Film/TheManchurianCandidate'' as well as a riff off WhoShotJFK urban legends, casting the Doctor in the role of Lee Harvey Oswald and the Master as the GovernmentConspiracy. It also homages ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'', oddly.
54	*** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS14E5TheRobotsOfDeath The Robots of Death]]" is a mashup of Creator/IsaacAsimov's work, particularly his Baley/Olivaw books (especially in the subplot concerning the [[AndroidsAndDetectives human and robot detective team]]). Only the plot structure itself is TenLittleMurderVictims. And certain aesthetic elements are taken from ''Film/{{Metropolis}}''.
55	*** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS14E6TheTalonsOfWengChiang The Talons of Weng-Chiang]]" is the Film/HammerHorror film ''Film/TheTerrorOfTheTongs'', but incorporating elements of Franchise/SherlockHolmes.
56	** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS15E3ImageOfTheFendahl Image of the Fendahl]]" is a mash-up of elements of two notable Creator/NigelKneale works: ''Film/TheStoneTape'' (scientific experiments in a creepy old house awaken an EldritchAbomination) and ''Franchise/{{Quatermass}} and the Pit'' (the discovery of an inexplicably ancient artifact leads to existentially horrific revelations about alien interference in human evolution).
57	** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS15E2TheInvisibleEnemy The Invisible Enemy]]" is a FantasticVoyagePlot.
58	** The Fourth Doctor stories "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS15E5Underworld Underworld]]" and "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS17E5TheHornsOfNimon The Horns of Nimon]]" are based closely on Myth/ClassicalMythology; the Argosy and the Minotaur, respectively. The Doctor even lampshades the second one; after he reminds Seth to repaint his ship so the Anethians know he was successful, he tells Romana that "the last time anything like this happened", he forgot and it caused a lot of trouble.
59	** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS15E6TheInvasionOfTime The Invasion of Time]]" has the Doctor is placed in the role of an important politician, from where he starts [[ObfuscatingInsanity pretending to be mad]] so he can get away with saying outrageous things while investigating the guilt of the corrupt. [[Theatre/{{Hamlet}} Danish-style]].
60	** The classic serial "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS16E4TheAndroidsOfTara The Androids of Tara]]" is ''Literature/ThePrisonerOfZenda''.
61	** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS25E3SilverNemesis Silver Nemesis]]" to ''Theatre/TheRingOfTheNibelung'', with various groups trying to get a powerful item. De Flores lampshades this.
62	** Creator/StevenMoffat referenced ''Literature/TheTimeTravelersWife'' several times:
63	*** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E4TheGirlInTheFireplace The Girl in the Fireplace]]" does this over one episode with the Doctor and Madame de Pompadour.
64	*** The {{Arc}} concerning the romance between the Doctor and River Song, beginning in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E8SilenceInTheLibrary Silence in the Library]]"/"[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E9ForestOfTheDead Forest of the Dead]]", and continuing on for a few seasons.
65	** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E11Utopia Utopia]]" is ''Literature/TheNightLand'', what with it being a starless distant future where the last of humanity clings to life in one tiny settlement, besieged by post-human monsters outside.
66	** The SinkingShipScenario episode "[[Recap/DoctorWho2007CSVoyageOfTheDamned Voyage of the Damned]]" is ''Film/ThePoseidonAdventure'' InSpace
67	** In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E5TimeHeist Time Heist]]", our heroes and some weird new allies have to rob a corrupt high-security alien bank with a wildly ruthless female boss. [[Recap/FarscapeS02E19LiarsGunsAndMoneyANotSoSimplePlan Where have we heard that before?]]
68	** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS37E5TheTsurangaConundrum The Tsuranga Conundrum]]" does ''Film/{{Alien}}'', with a spaceship under siege by a mysterious creature that seems to have no weaknesses and corrosive acid as a defence mechanism that ends up being ejected into space. There's even a secret-keeping android! The creature is more reminiscent of [[WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch Experiment 626]], though.
69	* The backstory of Sully, the [[GoingNative white man gone native]] love interest and eventual husband of ''Series/DrQuinnMedicineWoman'' is virtually identical to that of Dunbar of ''Film/DancesWithWolves'', while Kathleen from the episode "Another Woman" is a virtual ripoff of Stands With A Fist--a white woman abducted by the tribe at so young an age that she has zero memory of her old life and can barely speak English.
70	* ''Series/EarlyEdition'' had an episode with a plot that strongly resembled the classic movie ''Film/RomanHoliday''. Princess gone missing, officials covering her while she meets a down to earth man and they enjoy the American city together; and they both end on much the same note.
71	* ''Series/EerieIndiana'': The SeriesFinale "Reality Takes a Holiday" is one to ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'' episode "[[Recap/TheTwilightZone1959S1E23AWorldOfDifference A World of Difference]]".
72	* The ''Series/{{Endeavour}}'' episode "Rocket" has the dysfunctional Broom family, whose names, plotlines, and dialogue reference the bickering Plantagenets of ''Theatre/TheLionInWinter'' (as a GeniusBonus/ BilingualBonus, the name Plantagenet supposedly derived from the broom plant- ''Planta Genista'' in Latin- on their coat of arms).
73	* ''Series/{{Eureka}}'' later used the ''TNG'' episode "Remember Me" as one for the episode "Games People Play". Which was the point, since it was the 100th episode.
74	* The ''Series/FatherTed'' episode "Speed 3" is a WPR to ''Film/{{Speed}}'', with a bomb on a milk float that is primed when it goes above 4mph and goes off if it dips below.
75	* A number of people have noted quite a resemblance between ''Series/TheFixer'' and ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callan_%28TV_series%29 Callan]]''. Both are ITV shows, so copyright isn't an issue here.
76	* ''Series/{{Frasier}}'':
77	** An episode titled "My Coffee with Niles" was essentially a love letter to ''Film/MyDinnerWithAndre''.
78	** Also, in another episode, Frasier and Niles meet a writer who wrote [[OneHitWonder one amazing book and not another word for 30 years]], who was going to publish a new novel. They read the manuscript behind his back when he’s away and are amazed by it, noting the homage to ''Literature/TheDivineComedy'' in its structure; the writer thinks his book is actually a rip-off of Dante and throws the manuscript off the balcony, thanking them both for pointing out that he’s a hack, and leaves, frustrated and angry.
79	* Whether unintentional or a deliberate reference, the ''Series/{{Fringe}}'' episode "White Tulip" (2x18) borrows heavily from the plot of [[RockOpera ''The Broken Bride'']] by the band Ludo: A scientist creates a time travel device to go back in time to the day in May when his fiance/bride was killed in a car accident with the intention of saving her life. Minus about 14 years, pterodactyls, a dragon and a zombie apocalypse. It even [[spoiler:ends with the time traveler realizing he cannot save his bride and getting in the car to die alongside her]].
80	* Despite it being far more inspired by the [[Film/TheFugitive 1993 film]], several episodes of the 2000 revival of ''Series/TheFugitive'' were based off of episodes of the original series.
81	* ''Series/GeneralHospital'': In 1996, Carly came to town and rapidly insinuated herself into Bobbie's life--and into the bed of Bobbie's husband. No references to the movie ''Film/AllAboutEve'' were ever made, but most critics cited the film as the likely inspiration for the storyline.
82	* ''Series/GoodEats''
83	** A send-up of ''Literature/{{Misery}}'' in the episode "This Spud's For You Too", and a sequel (featuring an amnesiac A.B.) "Ill-Gotten Grains". Of course, the first is about making potato dishes, while the second is about wheat-grain dishes; both are, by far, more family-friendly.
84	** ''Good Eats'' does this all the time; the episode about scallops, for example, is a spoof of ''Film/{{Jaws}}''. An exhaustive list of examples would be too long.
85	** A [[CrossesTheLineTwice particularly audacious one]] was "Oh My, Meat Pie", which was based off Theatre/SweeneyTodd, with thinly veiled references to the [[ImAHumanitarian ultimate source]] of the meats. Yes, on a ''cooking show''.
86	* ''Series/TheGoodies'' had an episode called ''Punky Business''. It seemed like it was going to be a spoof on punk, and then it turned into ''Literature/{{Cinderella}}''.
87	* The whole premise of ''Series/{{Grimm}}''; set in contemporary Portland, OR, the main character is a police detective who is also the last living descendant of Jakob & Wilhelm Grimm, who in turn were part of a group of people who had the power to see supernatural creatures that appeared human to those without such an ability. The creatures were the inspiration for several fairy tales and folk takes around the world, Grimm or otherwise. Most episodes at least partially reference the original story.
88	* ''Film/TheGuardiansOfTheGalaxyHolidaySpecial'' is basically a Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse version of Film/SantaClausConquorsTheMartians - aliens abduct a famous Earth figure to bring Christmas cheer to their loved ones, only in this case, the Earth figure is Creator/KevinBacon instead of Santa. The film itself is even shown on TV in one scene.
89	* ''Series/HerculesTheLegendaryJourneys'' pulled a double:
90	** An episode featured an [[ImplacableMan Implacable Woman]] called "Enforcer" sent to kill Hercules. Said woman was an [[Film/TheTerminator artificial creation that showed no emotion and was very difficult to destroy]].
91	** If the previous were not a clear enough reference, the episode featured a sequel where the artificial woman returned but this time to serve as a protector for Hercules against a newer, more advanced Enforcer model. The newer model [[Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay was much more emotive and resilient, even having her body split down the middle only for the two halves to merge back together]].
92	* The underlying storyline of ''Series/{{Heroes}}''[='=] fourth season is ''Series/{{Carnivale}}'' with abilities.
93	* ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet'': "Heartbeat" is an episode-long ShoutOut to the worlds of Creator/EdgarAllanPoe, taking particular influence from ''Literature/TheCaskOfAmontillado'' (a man is buried alive behind a wall as revenge) and ''Literature/TheTelltaleHeart'' (a remorseful murderer is haunted by the heartbeat of his victim).
94	* ''Series/{{House}}'': Done with the Season 6 opener, "Broken," wherein House is a patient in a mental hospital: did somebody say ''Literature/OneFlewOverTheCuckoosNest''? Why, yes we did. Subverted in that while the references are played up, everything was the opposite of ''One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest'': the nurses and psychiatrists are actually trying to help, and [[spoiler:House's attempt to "liberate" one of the other patients ends badly. ''Really'' badly.]] Turns out House isn't living the plot of Cuckoo's Nest, he's actually in ''Film/GirlInterrupted''.
95	* ''Series/{{Intergalactic}}'': The series' beginning plot was compared (sometimes critically) to ''Film/ConAir'' though aside from the "prisoners escape mid-transport to prison, and one is a good guy" part (on [[RecycledInSpace a space ship]] instead of a plane here) there isn't much similarity, as this quickly diverges from there.
96	* The ''Series/{{JAG}}'' episode "Rogue" goes beyond a retelling of the ''Literature/RogueWarrior'' novels: it goes to the point of having lookalikes for most of the series characters replete with their personalities, similar conflict with the brass and even Marcinko's and Raglin's justification (stop UsefulNotes/OsamaBinLaden from committing a terrorist attack) are exactly the same.
97	* ''Series/JustShootMe'' pulled a neat trick when it set an episode up so that it could suddenly turn completely into ''Theatre/KingLear''.
98	** They also have a Christmas episode parody of ''WesternAnimation/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas'', with song and everything.
99	* The first arc of ''Series/KamenRiderBuild'' is essentially one to Showa era ''Series/KamenRider'', with the overarching plot being about a PhlebotinumRebel who escaped from a NebulousEvilOrganisation and his BadassNormal sidekick fighting to take them down.
100	* ''Series/KeyAndPeele'''s "Family Matters" sketch turns out to be one to ''Literature/ItsAGOODLife'': it turns out that the reason that Steve Urkel became such a BreakoutCharacter in ''Series/FamilyMatters'' isn't because he's a CreatorsPet. It's because the creative team lives in fear of the real Urkel, who's a psychic who will do horrible things to him if they don't follow his whims exactly and act happy and natural while doing it.
101	* ''Series/KingdomAdventure'': One episode is a reference to the ''Literature/BookOfJob'', with Pokum getting a skin rash and being taken away from his home as a result. It even has [[TheMessiah The Prince]] and [[{{Satan}} Zordock]] arguing at the start of the episode about whether Pokum would still believe in The Prince if everything were taken away from him!
102	* The ''Series/{{Leverage}}'' episode "The San Lorenzo Job" is a beat-for-beat and twist-for-twist adaptation of ''[[Literature/TheStainlessSteelRat The Stainless Steel Rat for President]]'', right down to the fake assassination.
103	* ''Series/LieToMe'' made a similar reference. The psychiatrist running the place clearly has it in for Cal ([[JerkAss which makes perfect sense]]) but [[spoiler:when he's shown the evidence that Cal's symptoms are coming from ergot rather than schizophrenia he lets him and the other victims out without hesitation]].
104	* ''Series/MacGyver1985'':
105	** "Countdown" is either a rare example played entirely straight, or a cynical attempt to rip off the plot of a film (''Film/{{Juggernaut\|1974}}'') most of ''[=MacGyver=]'''s audience wouldn't have seen.
106	** "Trumbo's World" went so far as to use footage from ''Film/TheNakedJungle'', the movie it was ripping off.
107	** "Thief of Budapest" cribbed the footage from the climactic CarChase of ''Film/TheItalianJob1969'' almost whole-sale (only with footage of Mac and his friends of the week instead of Michael Caine's thief crew). To be fair, in that case the plot surrounding and justifying the car chase was significantly different.
108	** "Hellfire" is Creator/WilliamFriedkin's ''Film/{{Sorcerer}}'' with the change that Mac's [[MacGyvering regular on-the-spot inventiveness]] and general LighterAndSofter approach makes its ending unambiguously happier.
109	** "Kill Zone" was essentially ''Film/TheAndromedaStrain'' just replacing the virus' effects from instant blood clotting to RapidAging and changing the climactic self-destruct sequence from trying to stop it to having Mac and Pete pulling an OutrunTheFireball.
110	* ''Series/MagnumPI'' does this once with ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk''. {{Lampshade\|Hanging}}d by Magnum spending the whole episode racking his brains as to why it all seems so familiar. It hits even closer to home [[Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk Tom Selleck was considered to star as Indy]], but was unable to get out of his contract with ''Magnum'', thus paving the way for Creator/HarrisonFord.
111	* The entire first season of ''Series/MrRobot'' can be seen as one to ''Film/FightClub'' with the disenchanted main character joining up with a subversive group to destroy major corporations and "free" the people. In both cases, the subversive group is led by a charismatic man [[spoiler:who turns out to be a figment of the main character's imagination.]] The main difference is cyber-terrorism instead of domestic terrorism.
112	* ''Series/MyNameIsEarl'', the episode "Get a Real Job" features Earl's plotline being a reference to Rudy, featuring Charles S. Dutton and Creator/SeanAstin from the movie in supporting roles, with Earl trying to prove he can be a salesman and not just a stock worker, it features the same speech by Dutton and a scene at the end similar to the 'I believe I am' from Rudy.
113	* ''Series/NewsRadio'' did at least two - "Sinking Ship" (S4) spoofed ''Titanic'', and "Flowers for Matthew" spoofed ''Flowers for Algernon''/''Charley''.
114	* The ''Series/NotGoingOut'' episode ''Life on Mars Bars'' is a half-hour reference to ''Series/{{Life On Mars\|2006}}''.
115	* ''Series/OneLifeToLive'''s famous gang rape storyline was lifted from the plot of ''Film/TheAccused'', right down to the guilt-ridden bystander who failed to intervene. Although in the movie's case, he had the decency to run and call for help, whereas in the show, he was bullied into participating. A follow-up storyline in which the lead rapist stalked his lawyer was clearly lifted from ''Film/CapeFear'' — seeking vengeance for sabotaging the case when she realized he was guilty, and ''Theatre/WaitUntilDark'' — she was blind following brain surgery.
116	* ''Series/OnceUponATime'' has incorporated nearly every fairy tale known to man at this point, as well as a few things that aren't usually considered fairy tales, albeit in a manner that doesn't generally qualify for this trope. Which makes it all the more unexpected when the initial plot of the Season 3 finale turns out to be one gigantic reference to [[spoiler: ''Film/BackToTheFuture1'']], of all things.
117	* The ''Series/OnlyFoolsAndHorses'' episode "Fatal Extraction" parodies ''Film/FatalAttraction'' with the twist [[spoiler: that the woman ''isn't'' stalking Del; it's all in his head]].
118	* ''Series/{{The Outer Limits\|1963}}'' did "haircuts" (as the production team called them) of ''Literature/BeautyAndTheBeast'' ("The Man Who Was Never Born") and ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'' ("The Bellero Shield"). Coincidentally, both episodes starred Martin Landau.
119	* ''Series/TheOuterLimits1995'':
120	** "Starcrossed" is basically ''Film/{{Casablanca}}'' with aliens instead of Nazis.
121	** "Abduction" is essentially a sci-fi retelling of ''Film/TheBreakfastClub'' with a {{Sadistic Choice}} thrown in for good measure. Five students - a jock, the hottest girl in school, a nerd, a deeply religious girl and an outcast - are abducted by an alien and are told that they must decide which of them will die. If they refuse to make a choice, they will all be killed.
122	** "Vanishing Act" is a sci-fi version of ''Literature/RipVanWinkle''.
123	** "Abaddon" is one to the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E22SpaceSeed Space Seed]]".
124	** "[[Recap/TheOuterLimits1995S4E17Lithia Lithia]]" is one to the 1984 Polish science fiction film ''Film/SexMission'' as it involves a soldier, Major Jason Mercer, waking from cryonic suspension decades later than planned to find that the world is populated entirely by women as all men have died.
125	** "Monster" is one to ''Film/ForbiddenPlanet''.
126	** "The Shroud" is a sci-fi version of the Nativity of UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} as it involved a woman named Marie Wells being impregnated with a [[CloneJesus clone]] of him who was created using DNA samples taken from the ShroudOfTurin. The episode [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] this as Reverend Thomas Tilford, who orchestrated the clone's creation, compares Marie's husband Justin to Joseph. In turn, Justin asks what would that make Tilford with the implication being that he would be King Herod the Great, though this parallel is less exact than the others.
127	** "Patient Zero" is one to ''Film/TwelveMonkeys''.
128	* Numerous episodes of ''Series/{{Psych}}'' do this, typically with heavy Lampshading from [[MetaGuy Shawn and Gus]].
129	** The appropriately titled 100th episode, "100 Clues", abounds with references to ''Film/{{Clue}}'', even including three of the actors and multiple endings.
130	** The episode "Last Night Gus" is based on ''Film/TheHangover''.
131	** "Shawn and Gus in Drag...Racing" actually manages to be a Whole Plot Reference to both ''Film/PointBreak'' ''and'' ''Film/TheFastAndTheFurious''. Shawn and Gus infiltrate a group of adrenaline junkie car thieves when one of their members is murdered, but the two of them conflict over whether the leader is a charismatic but dangerous criminal like Bohdi (and the killer), or an AntiHero like Dom. [[spoiler: Turns out he was the killer]].
132	** "The Head, The Tail, The Whole Damn Episode" is one to ''Film/{{Jaws}}'' with the twist that [[spoiler:their Quint was the killer, not the shark]].
133	** "Heeere's Lassie!" for ''Film/TheShining'', with Lassiter in the role of Jack.
134	* ''Series/{{The Punisher\|2017}}'' has a major part of it's second season be this to the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' episode ''MadLove'', which was the original OriginStory of ComicBook/HarleyQuinn, with Krista Dumont fulfilling a similar role to Harley Quinn, and Jigsaw to The Joker.
135	* ''Series/RedDwarf'': "Back to Earth" becomes this to ''Film/BladeRunner'' around halfway in, and most of ''Queeg'' is based on ''Literature/TheCaineMutiny''. Also, "The Last Day" is based on the Creator/JackNicholson film ''Film/TheLastDetail''.
136	* ''Series/RememberWENN'' did this twice, with ''Film/{{Casablanca}}'' and ''Film/SunsetBoulevard''.
137	* An InUniverse example is in ''Series/RemingtonSteele''. The main character, a classic movie buff would always find a film plot that matched the week's case. Several episodes did it outright, including ''Film/TheSting'' and ''Literature/AndThenThereWereNone''.
138	* ''Series/{{Revenge}}'' does a GenderFlip of ''Literature/TheCountOfMonteCristo'' but otherwise uses roughly the same plotline.
139	* ''Series/{{Riverdale}}'': The Season 3 episode "The Midnight Club" starts off as a version of ''Film/TheBreakfastClub'' that’s in the early 90’s and stars the parents of the main cast. But then they find the game that drives the season’s MythArc and things go off the rails.
140	* The ''Series/SamAndCat'' episode "[=SuperPsycho=]" is a parody of ''Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs''.
141	* A proposed ''Series/SesameStreet'' special titled "A-B-Chorus Line", intended to commemorate the show's 10th anniversary, was going to be this to ''Theatre/AChorusLine'' (but minus the angst, of course). This was scrapped and a more conventional retrospective called "A Walking Tour of Sesame Street" was produced instead.
142	* ''Series/{{Sisters}}'':
143	** A storyline has oldest sister and talk show host Alex hiring a personal assistant who simply lived to wait on her hand and foot. She made herself so indispensable that when Alex was trapped in an elevator, she was able to take over her hosting duties and did such a good job that the producers decided to make them co-hosts. At this point, Alex wised up and realized that the girl was really a BitchInSheepsClothing who was out to get her job--driving the point home, her name was ''Evelyn'', making it quite obvious what [[Film/AllAboutEve film]] this story was based on.
144	** Another one had second-oldest sister Teddy's husband being killed via CarBomb (he was a detective preparing to testify against a drug lord). By the following episode, his ''Film/{{Ghost\|1990}}'' appeared to her both to console her and to protect her from his killer, who was now stalking ''her''. It concludes with them sharing a final dance, much like in the movie.
145	** This also often happened during the fantasy sequences.
146	* ''Series/{{Smallville}}'': For a show about a young Clark Kent, the show did sometimes like to take the idea of "What if (Movie Plot) with Superman as a side character?".
147	** In the episode "Roulette", Oliver's storyline is blatant rip-off of the film ''Film/TheGame1997'', right up to the male lead having suicidal tendencies.
148	** They also dished out "Fortune", a rip-off of ''Film/TheHangover''.
149	** "Void" has Lana living the first half of ''Film/{{Flatliners}}''
150	** "Mercy" doesn't even try to pretend that it's not stealing the entire plot of ''Franchise/{{Saw}}''.
151	** "Fracture" takes the JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind plot directly from ''Film/TheCell''.
152	** "Lexmas" has Lex Luthor experiencing not just ItsAWonderfulPlot, but specifically ''Film/TheFamilyMan''. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, he takes the wrong lesson.]]
153	* ''Series/{{Spaced}}'' did this several times, with prominent examples being parodies of ''Film/TheMatrix'' and ''Literature/OneFlewOverTheCuckoosNest''.
154	* ''Series/StargateSG1'':
155	** The Season 1 episode "[[Recap/StargateSG1S1E7TheNox The Nox]]" feels like something of a modern update of the classic ''[[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Star Trek]]'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E26ErrandOfMercy Errand of Mercy]]".
156	** The Season 7 episode "Fallout" is basically ''Film/TheCore'' [-[[RecycledInSpace ON LANGARA!]]-] and [-MINUS {{HOLLYWOOD SCIENCE}}!-]
157	* ''Franchise/StarTrek'':
158	** ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'':
159	*** "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E3Brothers Brothers]]" is a rehash of the story of Jacob and Esau from [[Literature/BookOfGenesis Genesis 27]].
160	*** "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E20QPid QPid]]", the {{Costumer}} part, anyway, is pretty much ''Film/TheAdventuresOfRobinHood'', down to a fight between Robin/Picard and Guy of Gisborne on a staircase. Which makes Vash's absolute refusal to play [[DamselInDistress Marian]] a whole lot funnier. (Though someone somewhere seems to have gotten Guy of Gisbourne and the Sheriff confused, because Q is clearly playing [[Creator/BasilRathbone Basil-Rathbone-Guy]] but calls himself the Sheriff, and Guy more resembles the dim-witted, rotund Sheriff of the movie.)
161	*** This is Dathon's plan in "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E2Darmok Darmok]]", recreating the story of [[FireForgedFriends Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra]]. It also seems to be a massive advantage of the Tamarian language ([[spoiler:which is built on metaphors and cultural references]]); he gets across the entire multi-day plan to his crew just by saying the title. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, what he fails to realize is that the episode is also a retelling of ''Gilgamesh'' with him as Enkidu.]]
162	*** Season six's "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS6E16StarshipMine Starship Mine]]" features Picard as the hero in a DieHardOnAnX story.
163	*** According to Creator/LeVarBurton, "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E7TheEnemy The Enemy]]" was ''Star Trek'''s homage to ''Film/TheDefiantOnes''.
164	** ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': The episode "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS06E15HonorAmongThieves Honor Among Thieves]]" lifts the plot from ''Film/DonnieBrasco''.
165	** The ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' episode "Alice" is ''Literature/{{Christine}}'' with a spaceship.
166	* ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'': The "Short Trek" episode "Calypso" is, as one could guess from the title, a retelling of the legend of [[Literature/TheOdyssey Odysseus and Calypso]].
167	* ''Series/StElsewhere'': "Their Town" is based on the 1938 play ''Theatre/OurTown'' by Creator/ThorntonWilder. Taking place in the small town of Peterborough, New Hampshire, it explores the different life challenges being faced by Donald Westphall, his children Lizzie and Tommy, Mark and Ellen Craig and Carol Novino in much the same way as the play explores the lives of the residents of the fictional New Hampshire town of Grover's Corners. Wilder based Grover's Corners on Peterborough. Furthermore, Dr. Westphall [[NoFourthWall addresses the audience directly]] several times in the episode, as the Stage Manager does in the play.
168	* As noted by ''[[WebVideo/ScreenRantPitchMeetings Pitch Meetings]]'', Season 4 of ''Series/StrangerThings'' features many plot elements from the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series, with the dynamic between Eleven and Vecna being very similar to that of Harry and Voldemort:
169	** The BigBad is a sociopath with dark powers who looks down on ordinary humans and is opposed by a group of teenagers.
170	** The villain was defeated by the hero, a young child, years before the story's main events, and has returned for revenge, while other antagonists persecute the heroes due to not believing their account of events.
171	** There are [[StartOfDarkness flashbacks to the villain's past]] showing they were evil even as a child, murdered their family, and were taught to control their powers along with other children with similar powers.
172	** The hero has a psychic connection to the villain letting them see what the villain is doing.
173	** The hero has a similar background to the villain, and fears that they may turn evil, and is told that the difference between them is that [[ThePowerOfLove they can understand love]] and the villain cannot.
174	* An episode of ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody'' features the class putting on a production of ''Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream''. When couples are cast in the wrong parts - Cody plays Bottom, his girlfriend Gwen gets cast as Hermia and Zack is Lysander - it causes a massive LoveDodecahedron, which one character lampshades as being similar to the play.
175	* While ''Series/The10thKingdom'' is a FracturedFairyTale featuring many subversions and deconstructions of classic fairy tales, it does contain one subtle Whole Plot Reference - the romance between Virginia and Wolf, who is a werewolf that undergoes a HeelFaceTurn because of his love for her. Notice that ''Literature/BeautyAndTheBeast'' is the '''one''' tale that isn't mentioned directly?
176	* ''Series/TinMan'' is a retelling of ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' in a ScienceFantasy setting. In fact, it's technically set in the actual Oz from the original film -- just with a few hundred years of technological advancements.
177	* Like the ''Series/{{MacGyver\|1985}}'' example mentioned above, the ''Series/TJHooker'' episode "Blue Murder" -- in which Hooker goes up against a group of uniformed cops under the direction of a superior officer executing criminals that got away -- was what can be charitably called "inspired" by ''MagnumForce'', even down to both having a scene with our hero on a practice range. Biggest difference: budgetary and time restrictions kept the vigilante cops down to two (in the movie it was four).
178	* In ''Series/TobyTerrierAndHisVideoPals'', ''I Love Lassie'' is one to the chocolate episode of ''Series/ILoveLucy'' only with dog biscuits instead of chocolate.
179	* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'': "[[Recap/TheTwilightZone1959S3E32TheGift The Gift]]" is a sci-fi version of the story of UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}. Williams is an alien visitor who has arrived on Earth with a gift for humanity, a CureForCancer, but he is killed and the gift is destroyed. The parallel is made clear when the doctor says that the bartender Manolo, who has told the Mexican Army of Williams' presence, should have been christened "Judas."
180	* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1985'':
181	** "Her Pilgrim Soul" is one to ''Film/PortraitOfJennie''. Dr. Kevin Drayton falls in love with the spirit of the long dead Nola Granville, who grows older every time that he sees her.
182	** "Personal Demons" is one to "Literature/TheElvesAndTheCobbler". The hooded creatures appear to Rockne O'Bannon so that he can cure his WritersBlock by writing a story about them.
183	* ''Series/VagrantQueen'': The episode "No Clue" is one to ''Film/{{Clue}}''. Most of the deaths play out similarly to those in the movie, many of the film's most memorable quotes are incorporated, and the heroes even end up fighting the murderer with more high-tech versions of the murder weapons.
184	* ''Series/WonderWoman'': "Judgement from Outer Space" is basically ''Film/TheDayTheEarthStoodStill1951'' set during WWII and with Andros taking the place of Klaatu. There's even a scene at the Lincoln Memorial.
185	* Several ''[[Series/TheXFiles X-Files]]'' episodes were constructed this way.
186	** "[[Recap/TheXFilesS01E11Eve Eve]]", which begins with two men who live on opposite sides of the country and have identical daughters being murdered in an identical fashion at the exact same time, is a re-working of ''Literature/TheBoysFromBrazil''. The episode's debt to the book is most apparent in the reveal of the clones: in both cases, the investigators think they are investigating murders, and are taken aback halfway through when they realize that the kids have more than family tragedy in common.
187	** "[[Recap/TheXFilesS01E13BeyondTheSea Beyond the Sea]]" is structured like ''Literature/TheSilenceOfTheLambs'', with Scully in the role of Clarice Starling and Boggs as Hannibal Lecter.
188	** "[[Recap/TheXFilesS05E03UnusualSuspects Unusual Suspects]]" is a play on ''Film/TheUsualSuspects''. Like the movie, it begins with the cops arriving at a crime scene where it's not clear exactly what has happened. One of the suspects arrested at the scene begins to tell the story. But can he be believed?

Context WholePlotReference / LiveActionTV