Television Episodes That Were Like the Movie "Groundhog Day"

Can you think of any others than the ones on this list?

Tru Calling episode that aired Feb 5, 2004. She kept reliving the day until she got it right.

The X-Files. Took place in a bank. Mulder went there to deposit his paycheck, but the day kept repeating itself. It’s been years since I saw this one, so I can’t remember what happened.

Xena: Warrior Princess. Xena kept waking up to a rooster crowing and the day repeated itself, thanks to a spell or curse that someone placed. Joxer was killed during one of those days, and I think on another day Xena’s horse was killed.

The Stargate SG-1 episode Window of Opportunity uses this theme. An alien archaeologist uses an ancient device to create a timeloop, hoping to find a way to travel back in time to see his dead wife one more time.

There’s also a small article on this plot device I found here while searching for the title of the episode.

Were there any shows or stories like “groundhog day” before “groundhog day” came out?

there was also a tv movie with a kid who lived the same day again and again, i think it was a thanksgiving day, he ended up helping his old neighbour and learning karate to kick a bully, i can’t remember the title but it was heavy influenced by “groundhog day”

ST:NG episode “Cause & Effect”.

I actually saw it recently. To refresh your memory:

The day kept resulting in either Mulder or Scully or both being killed when a bank robber blew up everyone in the bank with the dynamite strapped around his chest. Mulder could vaguely realize something was going on because of an electric shock he got from his clock radio that morning. Besides him, the bank robber’s girlfriend was fully cognizant of the repeats, and she was frustrated and depressed over her repeated failures to stop the loop. Finally, the loop was broken when Mulder had Scully bring the girlfriend inside the bank to reason with him. The girlfriend ended up being fatally shot by the robber when she put herself between Mulder and the robber’s bullet. Unlike the other times, the shock of having accidentally killed his girlfriend left him unable to activate the bomb, allowing Mulder to cuff him and resulting in everyone except the girlfriend surviving.

To be fair, every episode of Tru Calling is similar to Groundhog Day, she just happens to get things right the second time. That last episode was great, though, I’ve been waiting for them to do something like that for a while. I was expecting it to come at the end of the season (or series, if it doesn’t get picked up again) but they pleased me early.

The Stargate SG-1 ep was awesome.

There was an episode of Pepper Ann like that. Peppie slacked off and got the day back, so she slacked off again, and again until something happened to make her not slack off.

Farscape - “Back and Back and Back to the Future” Summary here.

Also, in the Buffy episode “Life Serial”, a spell is cast on Buffy that causes her to be stuck in a time loop until she can remedy a situation involving an unsatisfied customer and an undead mummy hand. Hilarity ensues. This is only for a small part of the episode, though.

Three from Rod Serling:

“Judgment Night” and “Shadow Play” from “Twilight Zone”
“Midnight Never Ends” from “Night Gallery”

Before Groundhog Day there was a 1990 short 12:01 PM; definitely worth checking out if you like Groundhog Day, though it may be a bit hard to find.

Dammit, screwed up the link: 12:01 PM

There are similar ideas in prior books and TV shows. The whole idea behind Quantum Leap was reliving history to “get it right,” though he just does it one more time. Not exactly the same thing.

         Star Trek did this, as someone mentioned, with Cause and Effect.  They keep reliving the same few days until they figure out finally how to break the cycle.  That predates Groundhog Day.

Hear hear. I love the moment when they suddenly realize that they can do whatever they want with no consequences. Great episode and great explanation (the loop was due to a time machine that was built but never worked correctly).

Was that Christmas Every Day with Erik Von Detten?

I think an episode of Seinfeld , and the foodfight eppy of Lizzie McGuire fer sure. Also after baby whatsitsname on MAd About You, you could say the whole series was groundhogs day.

There was an episode of Wierd Science where Lisa gives the boys a magical remote control that can rewind or fast forward time. But the remote gets broken and rewinds a few minutes, then keeps getting broken again and again despite their best intentions.

Hilarity ensues.

Moment of silence for a show that shaped my pre-puberty years. Thank you.
Viva la France!

Qadcop, also Replay by Ken Grimwood from 1987. In that one he repeats the last 25 years of his life.

Ken Grimwood’s excellent novel Replay came out in 1987. It may not be the first such, but it was extremely influential.

[On Preview] Beaten by a moment, but at least I have a link to add.