A truly great TV crossover has the power to surprise and enthrall viewers as characters they would never have imagined interacting with one another share the same space. Crossovers can be a great way to introduce viewers to TV shows they may not have otherwise seen by giving them a glimpse into characters’ personas while remaining within a show they already know and love. However, a bad crossover can also feel overly forced, as characters who don’t meld well are unnaturally required to come together for an episode, special, TV movie, or non-canonical scene.
The best TV crossovers usually contain an element of surprise as they showcase what’s unique and enjoyable about a particular show while seamlessly blending it with another one. In other instances, crossovers have been less overt, and clever ways have been found to include characters or styles from one show and put them into the other in a way that makes sense within the narrative. A well-crafted TV crossover features the best of both worlds as the two shows complement and inform one another.
10 Doctor Who & Eastenders
“Dimensions in Time” (1993)
While the iconic British sci-fi series Doctor Who and the daytime soap opera Eastenders seem like they couldn’t be further apart in style, they shockingly had a crossover in 1993. “Dimensions in Time” was a charity special that featured all the surviving actors who had ever played the Doctor, with several Eastenders stars portraying their companions, with the proceeds going to Children in Need. This story celebrated the 30th anniversary of Doctor Who and was the only original story told since the series’ cancellation in 1989.
Despite featuring so many former Doctor Who actors reprising their acclaimed roles, “Dimensions in Time” received overwhelmingly negative reviews and was considered a low point in the sci-fi series Wilderness Years before it was revived to acclaim in 2005. With a gimmicky concept, poor special effects, and limited involvement from Tom Baker’s fourth Doctor, this low-budget special was best forgotten about entirely. Similarly to the much-maligned Star Wars Holiday Special, “Dimensions in Time” was a poor-quality anomaly that has aged badly.
9 The Jetsons & The Flintstones
The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones (1987)
With two vastly different settings, the idea of the characters from the Hanna-Barbera series’ The Jetsons and The Flintstones crossing paths felt like an impossibility. With the Jetsons being a futuristic family living among robotic contraptions, aliens, holograms, and whimsical inventions and the Flintstones living in a dinosaur-filled version of the Stone Age, the crossover potential of the two shows was not readily apparent. However, this all changed with the release of this 1987 made-for-TV movie, as a time travel experiment gone wrong saw the disparate families coming together.
With a story that saw the Jetson family’s plan to vacation in the 25th century turn sour after they accidentally set the time machine to the past, it was thrilling to watch how George Jetson interacted with the bumbling antics of Fred Flintstone. For young viewers, The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones was an extraordinary crossover that showcased anything was possible in the world of animation. With crisp and clean animation, this fun crossover was a high point for both series during the 1980s.
8 Brooklyn Nine-Nine & New Girl
B99 Season 4, Episode 4 “The Night Shift” & New Girl Season 6, Episode 4 “Homecoming”
On October 11, 2016, two hit Fox sitcoms came together when Brooklyn Nine-Nine and New Girl each aired their own crossover episodes one after another. With overlapping stories that saw the New Girl cast going to New York for Schmidt’s high school reunion, the logistics of one series being set in Brooklyn while the other was in Chicago were easily solved. As two very different shows, these crossover episodes were a great way for Fox to boost their viewership by briefly introducing audiences to both sets of characters.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s crossover aired first, and it was a nice surprise to see Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) meeting Jessica Day (Zooey Deschanel) as he tries to command her vehicle, which was a “crossover SUV” in a clever nod to the episode’s premise. The New Girl episode featured many more Brooklyn Nine-Nine characters, such as Jake, Captain Holt, Gina, Boyle, and Coach. While this crossover felt slightly forced and awkward at times, it was a nice melding of worlds that introduced plenty of viewers to the other show.
7 The Simpsons & Family Guy
Family Guy: Season 13, Episode 1: “The Simpsons Guy”
The influence of The Simpsons was baked into the identity of Family Guy, as both series satirized the idea of a wholesome all-American family by subverting it with dysfunctionality and crude chaos. For years, audiences have made comparisons between the Griffin and Simpsons families, although a literal crossover episode never truly felt like it was on the cards. That was until “The Simpsons Guy” aired in 2014 as the 44-minute special Season 13 premiere of Family Guy.
This highly anticipated crossover episode featured the Griffin family meeting the Simpsons after their car was stolen just outside Springfield. While it was interesting to see Stewie interact with Bart while Homer and Peter drank in Moe’s Tavern, it was also slightly jarring and awkward as, although the shows had plenty of similarities, their tones did not easily mix. “The Simpsons Guy” received mixed reviews after it aired and its its biggest issue was that it felt forced as it rehashed the best jokes from both shows without adding anything new.
6 The Office & Breaking Bad
‘The Office Skit’ from the 2011 Emmys
While the lighthearted workplace antics of The Office feel like a million miles away from the gritty, meth-laced world of Breaking Bad, they came together in a hilarious TV skit aired during the 2011 Primetime Emmy Awards. This brief skit included appearances from many beloved TV characters, such as Tom Haverford from Parks and Recreation, Tracy Jordan from 30 Rock, and Roger Sterling from Mad Men. However, the most impactful was Aaron Paul reprising his role as Jesse Pinkman and appearing in the office of Dunder Mifflin.
This hilarious moment came as The Office character Creed was revealed to be a customer of Jesse’s as he arrived at the office to deliver a package of crystal meth. While it’s clear this skit was not canon for either series, it was still a real surprise to see Jesse interacting with characters from The Office. Although Breaking Bad always melded intense drama with a sense of humor, it was certainly a far cry from a workplace sitcom, which made Jesse’s appearance all the more shocking.
5 Friends & Mad About You
Friends: Season 1, Episodes 16 & 17: “The One with Two Parts”
Friends viewers will be well aware that Lisa Kudrow played not only the main cast member Phoebe Buffay but also her twin sister Ursula. Although many may not know that Ursula was actually already a character in the Mad About You, a sitcom being made at the same time. This fun connection meant that Friends and Mad About You existed in the same universe, and this was further exploited in the Season 1 Friends crossover episode “The One With Two Parts.”
This crossover featured not just Ursula but also Leila Kenzle and Helen Hunt guest starring as Fran Devanow and Jamie Buchman from Mad About You. This episode depicted Ursula dating Joey, while Fran and Jamie mistook Phoebe for Ursula while getting a coffee in Central Perk. This surprising crossover came out of necessity as NBC wanted to explain why Kudrow was appearing in two sitcoms on the same network that were airing around the same time.
4 The X-Files & Cops
The X-Files: Season 7, Episode 12 “X-Cops”
As a series never afraid to take chances, the Season 7 episode “X-Cops” was truly one of the best episodes of The X-Files. As a “Monster-of-the-Week” style episode that is unconnected to the overall X-Files mythology, this unique installment written by future Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan mimicked the style of an episode of the American reality TV show Cops to create a highly engaging and amusing fictional crossover episode. This tongue-in-cheek installment saw Fox Mulder embrace the publicity they received being on an episode of Cops, while Scully was frustrated by the film crew.
In keeping with the format of a real episode of Cops, “X-Cops” was shot on videotape and featured appearances from many members of the real Cops crew. By blending reality TV with the fictional nature of The X-Files, “X-Cops” was a surprising example of postmodern television, where the lines and boundaries between media start to blur. As an exceptionally clever episode, “X-Cops” mixed its unique format with a real sense of fun and enjoyable humor.
3 The Sopranos & Curb Your Enthusiasm
The Sopranos: Season 5, Episode 3 “Where’s Johnny?”
When watching the acclaimed gangster HBO series The Sopranos the last person viewers would be expecting to see would be the fictionalized version of Larry David from Curb Your Enthusiasm. However, this is exactly what happened in the Season 5 episode “Where’s Johnny?” as Junior watches TV and mistakenly thinks he is the main character on an old episode of Curb. While this confusion signaled the progression of Junior’s dementia, it was also a hilarious meeting of two very different television shows.
The scene in question saw Junior watching the Curb Season 2 episode “The Doll” and becoming very irritable because he does not understand how he could be on television. This brief crossover brought together two of the very best shows on HBO at the time while also showcasing that in the world of TV crossovers, anything was possible. Junior also hilariously mistook Jeff Garlin’s Curb character for his fellow crew member Bobby Baccalieri.
2 Breaking Bad & Malcolm in the Middle
Breaking Bad Alternative Ending from the Breaking Bad: The Complete Series DVD
When Breaking Bad was still on the air, a stand-standing online joke predicted the show would end with Walter White entering witness protection and taking on a new identity as Hal from Malcolm in the Middle. This hilarious what-if brought together Bryan Cranstan’s two most iconic characters, but it was also a crossover that felt so ridiculous that it could never happen. However, the always affable Cranston embraced this idea in a Breaking Bad alternative ending featured as a special scene in the Breaking Bad: The Complete Series DVD.
Rather than featuring Walter going into witness protection, this alternative ending depicted Hal waking up from a dream after having imagined everything that occurred in Breaking Bad. Jane Kaczmarek even reprised her role as Hal’s wife Lois, who consoled him as he cried, and she laughed about the idea of Hal cooking anything well, let alone being a world-class cook of methamphetamine. While this scene was, of course, not canon, it was an enjoyable and surprising crossover for lovers of both Breaking Bad and Malcolm in the Middle.
1 Scooby Doo & Supernatural
Supernatural: Season 13, Episode 16 “Scoobynatural”
While the live-action paranormal drama Supernatural and the beloved classic kids’ show Scooby-Doo may not at first appear an obvious choice for a crossover episode, upon further inspection, it’s shocking how similar the two series are. This made the Supernatural Season 13 episode “Scoobynatural” feel like a natural fit, as Sam, Dean, and Castiel are sucked into the animated world of Scooby-Doo as they help the Scooby Gang solve a real mystery. With the Supernatural characters were aware that they have entered a cartoon world, this episode was packed with meta-humor and enjoyable childhood nostalgia.
“Scoobynatural” became all the more effective as the events of the episode collided with the real 1970 Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! episode “A Night of Fright Is No Delight.” The current voice cast of Scooby-Doo even reprised their roles for the episode, giving it real credibility as its animation was up to the standard of classic Scooby-Doo adventures. The appeal of this episode perfectly encapsulated what the very best TV crossovers can achieve, as although it was an initial surprise to see Sam and Dean in animation, in practice, these worlds complimented each other perfectly.
