# Most Unique Structure for a TV Episode **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 6, 2015, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unique-structure-for-a-tv-episode/727111 "2015-08-06T00:10:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unique-structure-for-a-tv-episode/727111/61 "2015-08-12T16:16:42Z")
_Scrubs_ did an episode where they switched from their usual single-camera format to standard sitcom three camera format for part of the show. They also add a laugh track and change the lighting. It was interesting to see how these changes made a huge difference in the experience of watching the show. _Scrubs_ also did a musical episode. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unique-structure-for-a-tv-episode/727111/62 "2015-08-12T16:32:26Z")
Farscape did an episode where a good fraction of the action was the characters as animation in something much like a road runner cartoon. Farscape also did an episode with an alternate universe IIRC where the actors played characters OTHER than the ones they normally played. I imagine the actors had fun trying to pull that off. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unique-structure-for-a-tv-episode/727111/63 "2015-08-12T17:54:52Z")
[QUOTE=Balance;18579220 _Doctor Who_ did something similar with “Blink”, in which the action is focused on new characters and the regulars appear only via recordings and written instructions until the very end.[/QUOTE] Much more interestingly, “Blink” was in chronological order for some of the characters, and not for others. With two conversations being held between one character and a videotape recorded long after the conversation (with both conversations logically working, even with the same section of tape!). Of course, given that the show is about a time-traveler, the strange timelines aren’t completely unexpected, but it is still a unique structure. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unique-structure-for-a-tv-episode/727111/64 "2015-08-12T18:15:18Z")
The Doctor Who episode, Love and Monsters, was also from the point of view of a new set of characters, and the Doctor played only a minor role at the end. > **[Love & Monsters](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_%26_Monsters)** > > Love & Monsters may refer to: ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unique-structure-for-a-tv-episode/727111/65 "2015-08-12T18:45:43Z")
It’s stretching a bit but… Sealab 2021 (an Adult Swim show that used old footage from Sealab 2020) did an episode that was literally an episode of 2020, just with the 2021 cast reading the lines. It was berry meta ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unique-structure-for-a-tv-episode/727111/66 "2015-08-12T18:53:27Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Community. Basically every single episode. > [@ISiddiqui](#): > > I basically came in here to mention **Community** , but yeah. It seemed that part of the point of the show was to create unique TV show structures. Same. The first two that come to mind for me are the alternate timeline episode, and the “clip show” episode in which all the clips were brand new material from unseen adventures. “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” had an episode in a recent season that recycled unsuccessful/spinoff elements of previous episodes. “South Park” did a re-telling of “Great Expectations.” If I remember correctly there was an episode of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” that was completely in the dark, when the lights went out during one of Mary’s infamous dinner parties. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unique-structure-for-a-tv-episode/727111/67 "2015-08-12T18:54:39Z")
I remember a _Gilligan’s Island_ episode, where they almost got off the island, but Gilligan ruined it. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unique-structure-for-a-tv-episode/727111/68 "2015-08-12T18:57:20Z")
> [@Max\_the\_Immortal](#): > > Then there was “Remedial Chaos Theory”, where Jeff rolls a die to decide who goes to get the pizza they ordered, and we see how events unfold differently in each “timeline” based on who is absent. This is the one I was going to add. [Here](http://entertainment.time.com/2011/10/18/a-behind-the-scenes-look-at-one-of-communitys-best-episodes/) is a link to a behind the scenes discussion of how they came up with the concept. I think the whiteboard diagram picture in the article is an amazing capture of the complexities. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unique-structure-for-a-tv-episode/727111/69 "2015-08-12T21:07:14Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > It’s stretching a bit but… > > Sealab 2021 (an Adult Swim show that used old footage from Sealab 2020) did an episode that was literally an episode of 2020, just with the 2021 cast reading the lines. > It was berry meta Indeed. (They did blow up the station–as usual–at the end, though, didn’t they? I may be misremembering.) ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unique-structure-for-a-tv-episode/727111/70 "2015-08-13T00:21:29Z")
Didn’t Sealab also do an episode where the screen was just black and all you heard were voices? The premise being that the power was out. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unique-structure-for-a-tv-episode/727111/71 "2015-08-13T01:39:33Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > I remember a _Gilligan’s Island_ episode, where they almost got off the island, but Gilligan ruined it. I think I saw that one! After Gilligan SNAFUed, didn’t the Skipper hit him on the head with his cap? Oh, that Jonas! ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unique-structure-for-a-tv-episode/727111/72 "2015-08-13T19:27:07Z")
Another Simpson’s episode where they all became 3D. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unique-structure-for-a-tv-episode/727111.md?page=3)