TV characters may often lead more exciting lives than the average person, but they’re just as susceptible as anyone to relaxing on the couch while watching their own televisions. Most of the time, those shows-within-shows are completely fictional, as not to cause any copyright friction, which can lead to some hilariously weird and inspired creations.
So, in the vein of fake bands we love listening to, fictional brandings we love promoting, and commercials for faux products, let’s now celebrate fake TV shows that might just be as watchable as the real ones.
Married…With Children – “Psycho Dad”
Perhaps Al Bundy’s favorite TV show, the “simple saga of a guy run amok in the Old West” was somehow a PBS series (and then a Fox one), despite being one of the most violent shows on TV, which the theme song alludes to. Didn’t stop the spinoff Psycho Mom from happening, though.
Gravity Falls – “Duck-tective”
If it walks like a duck and solves mysteries like a detective, it can only be Gravity Falls‘ fine-feathered sleuth Duck-tective, who heads up the titular mystery series that relies heavily on bad puns and cheap effects, like so many shows of the ’80s and ’90s.
Despite Community‘s Abed having once worn a Doctor Who T-shirt, his preferred sci-fi time-travel saga is Inspector Spacetime, a very on-the-nose homage to the long-running UK fave. (The American version introduced years later was portrayed by Luke Perry.) I’d wager I.S. has more canonical backstory than almost any other show-within-a-show, with lots of background for fans, real and otherwise, to dig into.
South Park – “The Terrance And Phillip Show”
Two of the biggest celebrities within South Park that aren’t parodies of real-world celebs are Sir Phillip Niles Argyle and Sir Terrance Henry Stoot, best known to the Canadian comedy lovers as Terrance and Phillip, who have their own TV show that’s a real gas…gas…gasssss.
One of the funniest things about Ricky Gervais satirizing BBC sitcoms in HBO’s Extras is how little it feels like a parody, and how believable it would be as a real-world series with its lowest-common-denominator jokes, forever cementing “Are you ‘avin’ a laugh?” into the annals of love-to-hate TV catchphrases.
Saturday Night Live – “TV Funhouse”
Saturday Night Live has featured loads of fake movie trailers, songs, TV shows, etc., but perhaps the only applicable recurring sketch to get spun off with its own shows-within-a-show concept was “TV Funhouse,” as created by Robert Smigel. Later a standalone series on Comedy Central, the OG run gave the world the Ambiguously Gay Duo, “Bambi 2002,” and other SNL classics from the ’90s and 2000s.
The Big Bang Theory – “Professor Proton”
I’d have to imagine Big Bang Theory‘s Sheldon Cooper would have loved Mr. Wizard’s World or Beakman’s World if he were real, as his favorite small-screen personality was the science educator Professor Proton (real name: Arthur Jeffries). For viewers, Proton’s excellence was naturally due to comedy legend Bob Newhart being cast. And you can’t forget his puppet pal Gino the Neutrino, even if it’s best not to bring up the puppeteer.
Parks And Recreation – “The Johnny Karate Super Awesome Musical Explosion Show”
Chris Pratt‘s Andy Dwyer brought Johnny Karate to life initially as a guitar-playing act for children’s birthday parties, but that just wasn’t musical or explosive enough, so of course he got his own inspirational TV show. Johnny may have been a doofus, but alter-alter ego Jonathan Karate is the one who has it all together.
Rocko’s Modern LIfe – “Meet The Fatheads”
Within Rocko’s Modern Life, the Bigheads’ lives were fictionalized as The Fatheads, a family sitcom centered on pretty awful and stereotypical characters. Amusingly enough, the revival special Static Cling also featured the in-universe revival of The Fatheads, which not everyone was a fan of.
One of TV’s ultimate “How-Not-To” characters, Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor somehow kept his job hosting the Detroit-set series “Tool Time,” despite being shockingly consistent at destroying property and electrical equipment with ease. It’s just as shocking that co-host Al Borland didn’t quit or suffer grave injuries during that run.
Only Murders In The Building – “Brazzos”
No one remembers the detective series “Brazzos” as well as Only Murders in the Building‘s Charles-Haden Savage, the actor who donned the iconic hat for its surprisingly long run. (Okay, perhaps his loyal stunt double Sazz remembered it just as fondly.) But who else could have spun these banal words into an oft-ish-repeated catchphrase: “This sends the investigation into a whole new direction.” So many new directions for this guy.
Rugrats – “Oodles The Talking Poodle”
As an avid Rugrats fan during the NickToons era, it’s been 30+ years since I’ve been able to hear the world “poodle” without hearing a light “ding” behind it, as it goes in the talking dog’s theme song. “OOdles. OOdles the TALking POOdle. Ding.” How is this not a movie by now?
Stargate SG-1 – “Wormhole X-Treme”
While Stargate SG-1 didn’t always show off its funny bone so directly, the self-spoofing 100th episode “Wormhole X-Treme,” which focuses on the action-geared sci-fi series that provided the ep’s title. I wish every show I love had a parody as faithful and fan-friendly as this one.
The Simpsons – “The Krusty The Clown Show”
If not for Krusty the Clown’s quality-questionable variety show, Bart, Lisa and Simpsons fans around the world might never have been introduced to the hyperviolent “Itchy and Scratchy Show,” which superceded its own source clown’s popularity, with former sidekick Sideshow Bob amassing more notoriety.
Murderbot – “The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon”
It’s easy to see why Alexander Skarsgård‘s sentient SecUnit just wants to spend all day, all 397 (at least) episodes of the sudsy space opera “The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon.” With legit talents like John Cho, Clark Gregg and DeWanda Wise heading up the How to Get Away with Murder-esque series, this is easily worthy of a standalone spinoff to keep viewers rapt.
Young Justice – “Hello, Megan!”
Who knew superheroes would get into such normalcy as the sitcom “Hello, Megan!” A by-the-books sitcom from 1979-1980, the show follows a pretty cheerleader, her BFF, hunky boyfriend, and parents, and not even for large-scale adventures, but just everyday plots like taking care of the school frog. Okay, fine, I completely understand why everyone is obsessed.
Channel Zero – “Candle Cove”
The worst kind of TV show, I think we can all agree, is one that inevitably brings you harm just by watching it. So it goes for the first season of the excellent horror anthologyChannel Zero, where “Candle Cove” is a pirate-based puppet show that may only exist in the minds of its viewers. Watch out for The Skin-Taker, that’s all I’m saying.
Steven Universe – Crying Breakfast Friends
If you don’t know the value of watching “Crying Breakfast Friends,” then I don’t suggest mentioning it to Steven Universe’s titular crystal being. He adores watching the various food items, leaking both tears of joy and tears of sorrow. Glum Glass and Weeping Egg Cup are all of us, really.
Supernatural – “Ghostfacers”
Supernatural, a show that legitimately crossed over with the animated Scooby-Doo gang, brought an equally silly spin to the never-ending number of paranormal investigator series that took over cable in the 21st century. Founded by the Ghostbusters-homaging Harry Spangler and Ed Zeddmore, the Ghostfacers appeared quite a few times over the years, and even sparked a web series of shorts.
BoJack Horseman – “Horsin’ Around”
For as dramatically serious and maudlin as BoJack Horseman could get, none of that was to be found in the cornball hijinks of the in-series sitcom “Horsin’ Around,” centering on three kids adopted by a horse, obviously. It fights right alongside fare like Punky Brewster, with a slew of wonderfully groan-worthy lines perhaps best exemplified by the pun “Now, that’s a horse of a different…crueller.”
Twin Peaks – “Invitation To Love”
Oh, to explore around inside David Lynch’s brain to see all of the things he might have been thinking about for the expertly crafted soap opera “Invitation to Love,” which was a favorite amongst some of the characters inhabiting Twin Peaks‘ titular town. The fact that the storylines reference the characters’ lives only makes it more interesting.
Seinfeld – “Jerry”
While Seinfeld‘s show-within-a-show “Jerry” really only existed as a pilot and not as a fully ordered network-aired series, given the actions of its characters, its ridiculous plot is enough to make it one of the more memorable faux TV series out there. Jerry gets into a car accident, and the other insurance-less driver has to become Jerry’s butler, making “Because he’s MY butler” one of the more logically accurate fake TV catchphrases.
Family Guy – “Jolly Farm Revue”
With an aesthetic that mashed up the Teletubbies with other pastoral children’s fare, Family Guy‘s faux UK series “Jolly Farm Revue” became an obsession of Stewie’s, as he believed its characters actually existed, only to find them to be less real than his teddy bear Rupert. I prefer the American remake with that li’l cutie Karina Smirnoff.
Arrested Development – “Mock Trial With J. Reinhold”
Arrested Development‘s melting pot of humor is well-exemplified by Michael Bluth having a legal case heard as part of a courtroom reality show fronted by Judge Reinhold (who definitely isn’t a real judge), with a theme song sung live on-set by William Hung and a backing band. Should this have turned into an actual series? “I’m going to allow it,” even if it pretty much rips on a gag from Clerks: the Animated Series.
SpongeBob SquarePants – “Mermaid Man And Barnacle Boy”
Not only was the superhero series “Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy” a fun show-within-a-show for SpongeBob SquarePants‘ characters, but the titular characters were a treat outside of their televised exploits as well. For one, they were originally voiced by legends Ernest Bornine and Tim Conway, and later boasted ’60s Batman icons Adam West and Burt Ward in the respective hero and sidekick roles at one point or another.
30 Rock – “MILF Island”
A fake TV show that will likely exist before this sentence is finished, 30 Rock‘s reality TV-aping romance competition MILF Island was sold with the disturbing tagline “25 Super-Hot Moms, 50 Eighth Grade Boys, No Rules.” Okay, maybe we should just keep this one hidden behind a locked door back in 2008.
Lost – “Exposé”
Lost‘s storylines didn’t just flash backwards, forwards and sideways. They also went internal for the show-within-a-show Exposé, a ’70s-esque action-adventure series in which Kiele Sanchez’s Nikki was guest-starring. (With Billy Dee Williams as the lead of the faux show.) We see just enough to make me want more, although that would never happen, as audiences’ dislike of Nikki and Rodrigo Santoro’s Paolo was strong enough to get them killed off during the same season in which they were introduced.
DuckTales – “Ottoman Empire”
A TV parody that is too close to the real thing to be entirely comedic, DuckTales‘ “Ottoman Empire” centers on two twin rooster brothers, Johnny and Randy, who design custom ottomans for customers. It’s like Property Brothers with a punnier title, and you know, roosters.
Drake And Josh – “Drew And Jerry”
Drake & Josh entered sitcom doppelgänger territory in Season 2 when Drake Bell and Josh Peck’s namesake characters took a friendly break from each other, only to befriend someone else with the exact same personality. By the end, the titular teens were buds again, while their “others” were somehow given their own TV show that looks exactly like D&J. Presumably with its own Season 2 doppelgänger plot.
My Name Is Earl – “Estrada Or Nada”
We’re at a point where real-life game shows are about as ridiculous as anything fictional, but My Name Is Earl‘s “Estrada or Nada” is still pretty special. Basically, anyone can challenge the CHiPs star to any imaginable challenge, from shooting basketballs to eating hot dogs to looking like Erik Estrada.
Futurama – “Everybody Loves Hynotoad”
I love Hypnotoad. You love Hypnotoad. Everybody loves Hypnotoad. Everybody loves Hypnotoad. Good show.
Garfield & Friends – “The Binky Show”
Hey, kids! No fake TV clown seemed quite as intent on waking everyone in the hosue up as Garfield & Friends‘ Binky the Clown, whose show seemed to be on at literally all hours. Because it was of such high production value, I can only assume.
