# Movies or TV Shows Where Characters Create Movies/TV Programs About Their Own Lives **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 20, 2008, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-characters-create-movies-tv-programs-about-their-own-lives/460689 "2008-08-20T17:25:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-characters-create-movies-tv-programs-about-their-own-lives/460689/1 "2008-08-20T17:25:15Z")
There are tons of movies within movies, and so forth. Specifically, are there many examples of people making movies inspired by events that take place on the show? Like on “Seinfeld,” how Jerry and George are writing a script for “a show about nothing” based on their lives, casting a Kramer, an Elaine, etc. Or on “Dawson’s Creek,” in season 2, Dawson makes a film about the events that happened in season 1, with characters based on himself, Joey, Jen, etc. Are there many other examples of this? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-characters-create-movies-tv-programs-about-their-own-lives/460689/2 "2008-08-20T17:35:30Z")
**The Muppet Movie** ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-characters-create-movies-tv-programs-about-their-own-lives/460689/3 "2008-08-20T17:40:02Z")
[Midnight Never Ends](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0660823/), a “Night Gallery” vignette written by Rod Serling. Serling in interviews concerning “Twilight Zone” had mentioned how hard it was to come up with new ideas, and that after a certain number of scripts, he found himself recycling characters and ideas. This story reflects exactly this. One other thing about this one—each vignette was introduced with a painting (from, duh, the “Night Gallery") representing some aspect of the story about to be shown. The painting introducing “Midnight Never Ends” is of someone Serling called “a familiar looking face.” Very familiar. It was Serling. (Most of the “Night Gallery” vignettes are on youtube. If you watch this one, check out the diner owner. He played pizzeria owner “Nemo” in “Everybody Loves Raymond.”) ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-characters-create-movies-tv-programs-about-their-own-lives/460689/4 "2008-08-20T18:00:17Z")
A terrific episode of **Frasier** has Diane visit Seattle to produce her self-penned play, which Frasier gets suckered into backing, sight unseen. Then he sees it - it’s an obvious copy of “the Iceman Cometh”, only set in at “Cheers”, with Sam, Woody, Norm, etc. as characters. The main character “Marilyn”(played by Diane) gets greeted when she walks in the front door by a chorus calling out her name. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-characters-create-movies-tv-programs-about-their-own-lives/460689/5 "2008-08-20T18:02:04Z")
[QUOTE=The New and Improved Superman] A terrific episode of **Frasier** has Diane visit Seattle to produce her self-penned play, which Frasier gets suckered into backing, sight unseen. Then he sees it - it’s an obvious copy of “the Iceman Cometh”, only set in at “Cheers”, with Sam, Woody, Norm, etc. as characters. The main character “Marilyn”(played by Diane) gets greeted when she walks in the front door by a chorus calling out her name. [/QUOTE] Oh yeah, I remember that one. It was Mary Anne, though, who was the Diane equivalent, right? Thought of another one. In “As Time Goes By,” American (I think?) TV producers make a made for TV version of the early (and missed connection) romance between Lionel and Jean. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Hen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@Small\_Hen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Hen)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-characters-create-movies-tv-programs-about-their-own-lives/460689/6 "2008-08-20T18:06:17Z")
A season seven episode of Buffy had Andrew filming a documentary about Buffy. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-characters-create-movies-tv-programs-about-their-own-lives/460689/7 "2008-08-20T18:08:47Z")
The episode of **The New Twilight Zone** , “Personal Demons” is about an author bothered by demons and who Eventually writes the script for the episode **It’s Gary Shandling’s Show** was a sitcom about Gary Shandling’s sitcom. In **Pee Wee’s Big Adventure** , they make a movie about Pee Wee Herman’s adventure that’s shown at the end of the film. **200 Motels** has a lot to do with the making of the movie (“We’d better stop him before Frank finds out and makes him do it in the movie.”). ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-characters-create-movies-tv-programs-about-their-own-lives/460689/8 "2008-08-20T18:36:50Z")
Speaking of plays, there’s an “AbFab” when Saffy writes a play about her life and her mother…with the character based on Patsy played by a drag queen. ---
**Author:** ![paffinity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@paffinity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paffinity)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-characters-create-movies-tv-programs-about-their-own-lives/460689/9 "2008-08-20T18:51:16Z")
Not quite a TV show, but sponsored by CBS on the web is [Clark and Michael](http://www.clarkandmichael.com/) , about Clark Duke and Michael Cera pitching their sitcom idea to the major networks. It reminds me of a mix between Flight Of The Conchord’s self mockery and The Office’s documentary style. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-characters-create-movies-tv-programs-about-their-own-lives/460689/10 "2008-08-20T19:16:47Z")
[Adaptation](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0268126/) ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-characters-create-movies-tv-programs-about-their-own-lives/460689/11 "2008-08-20T19:21:42Z")
**My World and Welcome to It** , one of my favorite TV shows ever, starred William Windom as a cartoonist loosely based upon James Thurber. His cartoons were a major part of the show, as they depicted events (both real and imaginary) from the artist’s family life. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-characters-create-movies-tv-programs-about-their-own-lives/460689/12 "2008-08-20T19:37:26Z")
Would you count **The Office** or **Reno 911**? Probably not, but they are both basically shows about being a show. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-characters-create-movies-tv-programs-about-their-own-lives/460689/13 "2008-08-20T19:57:50Z")
**Mad About You** had a long story arc about Paul producing a documentary about the Buchman family. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-characters-create-movies-tv-programs-about-their-own-lives/460689/14 "2008-08-20T20:03:02Z")
In **Barney Miller** , Ron Glass’ character, Ron Harris, wrote Joseph Wambaugh-style books and a script based on his experiences in the force. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-characters-create-movies-tv-programs-about-their-own-lives/460689/15 "2008-08-20T20:06:43Z")
[QUOTE=Antinor01] Would you count **The Office** or **Reno 911**? Probably not, but they are both basically shows about being a show. [/QUOTE] Hmmm, not quite…I guess I’m looking more at characters making shows or plays or movies about their lives. I haven’t seen much of The Office or Reno 911 so I’m not really sure those qualify. The South Park Christmas one where the boys are cutting out little tiny versions of themselves the same Trey and Matt did the pilot episode is another one that comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-characters-create-movies-tv-programs-about-their-own-lives/460689/16 "2008-08-20T21:23:07Z")
“Love and Monsters” from the 2nd series of _Doctor Who_ features a character making a documentary record of his encounters with the Doctor. The film (and presumably the play, though I’ve not seen it) _Deathtrap_ closes with the production of a play based on the characters of the film. The indie gay film _Circuit_ doesn’t quite fit, but one of the characters is making a documentary about circuit parties, also called “Circuit,” and the film closes with the premiere of the documentary (although none of the documentary is shown on-screen). The closing credits open with a shot of the marquis showing the film name CIRCUIT A Film By [Character’s name] that changes to the actual director’s name. There’s a film, I think called “Alibi,” which revolves around a man who, after being released from prison for a crime he didn’t commit, obsessively videotapes himself and his surroundings so he has an alibi at all times. Would _Peeping Tom_ count? It’s a film about a serial killer who films his murders for his later viewing. A Simpsons episode from last season was about Lisa making a documentary about her family that was screened at Sundance. Nelson Muntz also made a documentary about his life. And an older episode featured the inaugural Springfield Film Festival which included Mr. Burns’ biopic and Barney Gumble’s haunting examination of his own alcoholism. Similar to the OP but not precisely matching, _M_A_S_H\* had a couple of episodes where a newsman filmed “a day in the life”-type documentaries. _The Practice_ had an episode in which a camera crew followed the lawyers as they tried to get an execution stopped. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-characters-create-movies-tv-programs-about-their-own-lives/460689/17 "2008-08-20T21:38:56Z")
[QUOTE=Equipoise] [Adaptation](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0268126/) [/QUOTE] What I was coming in to say. It has more levels of writing about itself than most, and is the only one I know where we not only hear the characters talk about the script, but we see it in process as it were. I’ve got to see this again - it took me a while to figure out what was actually going on, but I did call the alligator. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-characters-create-movies-tv-programs-about-their-own-lives/460689/18 "2008-08-20T23:10:41Z")
In _The Hotel New Hampshire_ the younger daughter Lilly writes a book about her family called “Trying to Grow.” Although no footage is shown, it is adapted into a film in which older daughter Franny plays herself. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-characters-create-movies-tv-programs-about-their-own-lives/460689/19 "2008-08-20T23:17:21Z")
Scream 2 features a movie called “Stab” which is a dramatization of the events of Scream 1 as written by the Gale Weathers character. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-characters-create-movies-tv-programs-about-their-own-lives/460689/20 "2008-08-20T23:18:18Z")
Sort of the same, the Canadian film _Lilies_ is about a prisoner who confronts a priest he had known when they were youths. Scenes from their early lives are re-created in play form by other prisoners. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-characters-create-movies-tv-programs-about-their-own-lives/460689.md?page=2)