Ripped from the Headlines/Playing With


 * Basic Trope: A plotline is very similar to a well-known (or maybe not-so-well-known) news story, recent or otherwise.
 * Played Straight: The plotline of an episode mirrors a story in the newspaper.
 * Exaggerated: The only difference between the plotline of that week's episode and the news article happens to be the names of those involved.
 * Justified: The show in question is a Docu Drama, a Documentary, or simply wants to inject a bit of realism into the work.
 * Inverted: A news story mirrors a plotline of an episode, series, or movie.
 * Subverted: The plotline more closely mirrors that of previous episodes, another program, a book, etc.
 * Very Loosely Based On a True Story
 * Double Subverted: But those plotlines were Based On a True Story as well, just another one.
 * Deconstructed: ???
 * Reconstructed: ???
 * Zig Zagged: Some episodes are based off events in the news or historical events, others are not.
 * Parodied: Very Loosely Based On a True Story, But It Really Happened, Based On a Great Big Lie
 * Or even based on multiple headlines.
 * Lampshaded: "This sounds familiar..."
 * Averted: The plotline is not Inspired By or otherwise based on real events.
 * Enforced: We need to inject a sense of realism into the work, and possibly make it Darker and Edgier.
 * Invoked: The writers open the newspaper.
 * Defied: The writers, fearing lawsuits, Too Soon, and the like, agree not to do this.
 * Discussed: "This sounds like something in the news..."
 * Conversed: "That's because it is. Apparently, the writers are too lazy to come up with something even remotely original."
 * Played For Laughs: The news story it's based off of was from "the lighter side of the news."
 * Played For Drama: Almost always is, as most news stories are tragic.

Extra! Extra! Back button stolen for Big Bad's evil purposes!