Required Spinoff Crossover: Difference between revisions

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* As the page quote indicates, ''[[The Simpsons]]'' mocks this idea in the ''Chief Wiggum, P.I.'' segment of "The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase."

** There's also ''The Lovematic Grampa'' from the same episode, where Homer stops by Moe's Tavern, and Abe calls his son out on the manner in which he buried his corporeal body ("You buried me naked and sold my suit to buy a ping-pong table!"). Homer responds by unplugging the love tester in which his father's soul resides and telling Moe, "Call me when you get a karaoke machine."

* ''[[Law and Order Special Victims Unit]]'' had Briscoe and Green from ''[[Law and Order]]'' investigating a case that tied into Benson and Stabler's in "...Or Just Look Like One," and Abbie Carmichael served as the ADA in charge of SVU cases until they got their own ADA (first a minor character played by Reiko Aylesworth, then Alex Cabot). Furthermore, there was a crossover episode with the mothership, "Entitled," where SVU investigated the case in one episode and the DA's office prosecuted it in the next.

* ''[[Angel]]'' had Oz and Spike showing up in one episode to follow up on plot from ''[[Buffy]]'', Buffy showing up in "I Will Remember You," and Faith fleeing to LA after the events of "This Year's Girl"/"Who Are You?" with Buffy pursuing.

** Willow also showed up once to deliver news about Buffy, and again later when the AI team needed her to perform a spell.

** There was also a special crossover "event" between the ''Buffy'' episode "Fool For Love" and the ''Angel'' episode "Darla", in which several flashback scenes are seen from Spike's perspective in the ''Buffy'' episode and then again from Darla's perspective in the ''Angel'' episode which originally aired immediately afterward.

** Season 6 and season 3 were the exceptions. Buffy changed networks in its sixth season and Angel's third and crossovers were banned. The reunion of Buffy and Angel after Buffy's resurrection was only visualized in comic book form. Fortunately, the networks changed the rules the next season [[And the Fandom Rejoiced]].

** The Tenth Doctor appears in series three (''The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith"). The Eleventh shows up in series four (''Death of the Doctor''), alongside another Classic Who companion, Jo Grant.

** It also features a Sontaran, the Slitheen and a Graske as recurring enemies, with the Sontaran's story being a direct continuation of what the Doctor did on his show.

** The episode "Cyberwoman" features a partially converted Cyberman from the aftermath of the ''Doctor Who'' series 2 finale.

* The pilot of ''[[Mork and Mindy]]'' had a "flashback" (filmed for the show) where Mork pays a visit to [[Happy Days|the Fonz]] in the 1950s again. They even bring in Laverne from ''[[Laverne and Shirley]]''.

** Lampshaded by Mork himself as he reports to Orson after appearing as the new material holding together a "Happy Days" clip show later on in the season.

'''Mork''': Ah, quite true your Immenseness! But see, I did a spin-on to pay back for my spin-off. }}

** Of course, ''Happy Days'' and ''Laverne and Shirley'' had several crossovers themselves when both shows were set in Milwaukee.

* The second season premire of ''[[The Ropers]]'' featured a visit by Jack, Janet and Crissy. A later episode would have Larry Dallas dropping by.

'''Stanley Roper''': I was when you paid your rent on time! }}

** Pegasus and Kaiba appear with a fair amount of frequency on GX as well, and Sugoroku (Grandpa Muto) is featured briefly when the gang visit Domino City. {{spoiler|Yugi appears, albeit shadowed, in the first episode and in the next-to-last episode, sending Judai back in time to duel the past Yugi when he still had Atem with him, to establish a fairly ridiculous time loop.}}

* ''[[Frasier]]'' eventually had all his old friends (except Rebecca Howe) from ''[[Cheers]]'' visit him at least once. Also, his ex-wife Lilith became a [[Recurring Character]].

** The creators have said that they chose Seattle specifically because it was on the other end of the country from Boston. A few thousand miles was enough to stop the higher-ups from pestering them all the time about when the Cheers gang was going to show up. It's not like Cafe Nervosa is on Cliff's mail route or anything...

** The earlier (and much more obscure) ''Cheers'' spinoff ''The Tortellis'' had an episode where Cliff and Norm just happen to show up...in Las Vegas, where the show was set.

* ''[[The Zeta Project]]'' had an episode featuring the second Batman; likewise, near the end of ''[[Batman Beyond]]'', Zeta crossed back over.

* The shows in Susan Harris' Miami sitcom universe (''[[The Golden Girls]]'', ''Empty Nest'', ''Nurses'') all featured these. There were two specific ones, specifically where events that began in ''[[The Golden Girls]]'' were brought to a close in the other two. A hurricane and a full moon began some chaos that would be fixed in the hospital where Harry Westen of ''Empty Nest'' and the ''Nurses'' worked. Might make it a [[Crisis Crossover]].

** Meanwhile, a "connection" between ''Diff'rent Strokes'' and ''Hello Larry'' was contrived after the fact (having Mr. Drummond buy Larry's radio station) for the express purpose of setting up crossovers to try and help the latter show's popularity. It didn't work.

* Just about the entire ''[[Mary Tyler Moore Show]]'' cast turns up in ''Rhoda'' for the title character's wedding, eight episodes or so into the first season. This is sweet, but a bit awkward...maybe WJM's ratings were so low, no one would notice if the news took a day off.

** Hard to believe, but those who work in the news are allowed to have a day off. There is indeed a "weekend" crew at almost every local news outlet.

** O'Neill's case makes a lot of sense, as he is currently the head of Homeworld Security, and the situation involving Project Icarus and ''Destiny'' are likely to need his oversight. You know, since Icarus Base was destroyed and most of the people in charge were killed or stranded on ''Destiny.''

** Similarly, Bud Roberts from ''[[JAG]]'' appears on an early episode of ''NCIS''.

* In ''[[The Cleveland Show]]'', one one-off gag features Chris appearing in Cleveland's house for no reason ("Go back to Quahog!"). Another episode features the death of Cleveland's ex-wife as an important plot point, giving an excuse for Quagmire and Peter to show up. Cleveland and his family also appeared in a ''[[Family Guy]]'' episode.

* Intentionally avoided in ''[[Daria]]''. Early on, it was decided that the program would be too different a show from ''[[Beavis and Butthead]]'', and featuring characters from the previous series or explaining why the family moved from Texas to New England (aside from a throwaway line in the first episode about "uranium in the drinking water") would be confusing, misleading, and more likely to drive people off than attract them. Later on, they didn't do it simply because the show had become too established, and it would interrupt the flow and serve little purpose.

* [[All in The Family|Edith Bunker]] dropped by to visit [[The Jeffersons|Louise Jefferson's]] deee-luxe apartment in the sky.

** She and Archie also dropped in on her cousin [[Maude]].

** As did several characters of varying importance (from gods to comic relief)

* ''[[Aoi Shiro]]'' has the appearance of Asama Sakuya from ''[[Akai Ito]]'', who turns out to be Aoi-sensei's drinking buddy. The manga turn it [[Up to Eleven]] by {{spoiler|making Wakasugi Tsudura and her group [[The Cavalry]], with Hatou Kei's blood required to thwart Ba Rouryuu's plan}}.

* This used to happen all the time in the ''[[Kamen Rider]]'' series starting with ''[[Kamen Rider V 3]]''. With ''V3'', Ichigo and Nigo helped turned Shiro into the titular Rider before they were supposedly killed. Then they came back to help him and Riderman. Then, every series afterward up to ''[[Kamen Rider Black RX]]'' would have every previous Rider return to help the current Rider save the day.

* Several major characters from ''[[The Wotch]]'' make significant or cameo appearances in ''[[Cheer]]''. For example, the arc where Alex tries to find new cheerleaders has Wolfie and Ming try out and make the cut, while Jason is bribed into helping with the tryouts.

** In season 9, Ray Langston appeared on both of the other series during a three-episode arc. It began on CSI, went to [[CSI: Miami]] and then to [[CSI: NY]], before ending back on the original CSI.

* ''[[Power Rangers Lost Galaxy]]'', first spin-off in the [[Power Rangers]] franchiche, had main cast and characters from previous series, ''[[Power Rangers in Space]]'' (last series in "Zordon Era") teaming up to fight revived [[Psycho Rangers]]. Not only that but {{spoiler|Kendrix died and Karone, better known as former ''In Space'' villain Astronema, replaced her as Pink Ranger}}. Since then it became tradition for new Power Rangers series to have a crossover with previous one. Notable among them are ''[[Power Rangers Wild Force]]'', which featured usual crossover with previous series as well as ''Forever Red'' - episode featuring every single Red Ranger in the history of the franchiche teaming up - and ''[[Power Rangers Dino Thunder]]'', which not only did a crossover, but also had Jason David Frank return as Tommy Olivier, [[Sixth Ranger|Green Ranger]] of the original series, who was regular character and took a mantle of Black Ranger.

** There were two crossovers between Dino Thunder and SPD, with each team getting to visit the setting of the other's show.

** The connection between ''[[Power Rangers Lost Galaxy]]'' and the "Zordon Era" was established in the very first episode of "Lost Galaxy". Bulk, Skull and Professor Phenomenus appeared.

** Bill Smitrovich, who portrayed Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Walsh in [[The Practice]], portrayed another prosecutor in ''[[Boston Legal]]''. Smitrovich's character in the spinoff worked in a state where death penalty was an option.

** The law firm of Young, Frutt and Berlutti was once mentioned in [[Boston Legal]].

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Crossover Index]]

[[Category:Characters and Casting]]