Before the cinematic universe, TV crossovers were the magical events when characters from two different shows merged in one episode. They were cultural moments when characters from different worlds collided (and clashed). Today, we’re bringing you 8 of the most memorable crossovers in TV history.
8. The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones (1987)
Two iconic Hanna-Barbera series crossed over for a two-hour TV special. Yes, it was The Jetsons and The Flintstones, where one family is from the future, and the other is from the Stone Age. The story tells of Fred Flintstone and George Jetson in a separate world. But when George, Jane, Elroy, and Judy fire up Elroy’s time machine to go to the future, they go back in time.
7. Friends and Mad About You – “The One with Two Parts” (1995)
Lisa Kudrow originally played Ursula, a waitress on the show Mad About You. But later on, Kudrow joined the cast of Friends as Phoebe Buffay, one of the main roles. Since both shows were under NBC and took place in New York, the creators made Ursula and Phoebe twin sisters. This led to comedic storylines, such as Joey having a crush on Ursula. There are times when Helen Hunt and Leila Kenzle from Mad About You will make cameo appearances.
6. “Lucy and Superman” – I Love Lucy and Adventures of Superman (1957)
This was believed to be the first crossover in television in January 1957. Lucy asked Ricky to make Superman come to little Ricky’s birthday party, but he couldn’t make it. Lucy then makes a Superman costume to fool the guests, but gets stuck on the ledge. It was then that the real Superman showed up to rescue Lucy.
5. The Simpsons Meets Family Guy – “The Simpsons Guy” (2014)
After years of comparison, Fox finally made an official crossover special. This episode, featuring a crossover between “Family Guy” and “The Simpsons,” actually drew over eight million viewers! It features a fun take on the complaint that “Family Guy” is a knockoff of “The Simpsons.” The main conflict of the episode is a court case that made Peter Griffin and Homer Simpson team up.
4. “X-Cops” – The X-Files and Cops (2000)
Writer Vince Gilligan had an idea for a Season 7 episode of “The X-Files” that featured a crossover with “Cops.” It was filmed in a handheld documentary-style way. In short, Mulder and Scully investigate a strange case in Los Angeles while a live TV crew follows them around. It blends The X-Files’ paranormal sci-fi and Cops’ reality TV style.
3. “That’s So Suite Life of Hannah Montana” – Disney Channel Triple Crossover (2006)
Disney Channel did a live-action crossover special for the first time in 2006. They merged their shows of “That’s So Raven,” “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody,” and “Hannah Montana.” The show begins with Raven checking in at the Tipton Hotel for a photoshoot. Later on, a mistake occurred, leaving her without a model or photographer. She then asked Zack and Cody for help, and Hannah Montana loved one of Raven’s designs. They all met up afterward.
2. “I Will Remember You” – Buffy and Angel (1999)
“Buffy” and its spinoff, “Angel,” have already crossed worlds numerous times, but the most memorable would have to be the 1999 Angel episode. When Angel becomes human, he and Buffy finally get the chance to be together, but then he realizes that he needs to turn back time and erase the events of the night to save her life. When they reunited, they were suddenly torn apart when Angel sacrificed his human self to save Buffy. It ended up only Angel remembering the day they shared, but Buffy had no memory of it.
1. “Scoobynatural” – Supernatural and Scooby-Do Co (2018)
The Winchesters get stuck in a TV, specifically in an episode of “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!” They teamed up with the Scooby gang to trap a ghost and return to the real world. The installment then found Dean, Sam, and Castiel, who were transported to the world of the cartoon in this dark comedic mashup.