# Television Episodes That Were Like the Movie "Groundhog Day" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 7, 2004, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-were-like-the-movie-groundhog-day/228036 "2004-02-07T21:54:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-were-like-the-movie-groundhog-day/228036/21 "2004-02-08T04:36:23Z")
> [@Cabbage](#): > > Dammit, screwed up the link: [_12:01 PM_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098962/) It was made into a TV-movie as well. Pretty good, too. > **[12:01 (TV Movie 1993) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106188/)** > > 12:01: Directed by Jack Sholder. With Jonathan Silverman, Helen Slater, Nicolas Surovy, Robin Bartlett. A man likes a woman at work. He sees her get murdered. He gets drunk and zapped at 12:01AM. Next morning she's back and everything is exactly like... ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-were-like-the-movie-groundhog-day/228036/22 "2004-02-08T04:42:26Z")
In a tragic 1973 episode of “Love American Style”, a scientist uses a time machine to repeatedly return to a time several minutes before he struck out with a cute girl (Cindy Williams). Finally, the machine malfunctions, apparently trapping him in the moment just after he wins her heart but before their embrace. Warning: This poster’s memory has also been known to function occasionally. Use information regarding a 30-year-old TV show with caution. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-were-like-the-movie-groundhog-day/228036/23 "2004-02-08T08:15:13Z")
> [@blasphmer](#): > > 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. I can’t comment on the _Seinfeld_ or _Mad About You_ claims, but the food fight episode on _Lizzy McGuire_ was definitely a nod to _Rashomon_, and not to _Groundhog Day_. ---
**Author:** ![Dawne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Dawne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dawne)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-were-like-the-movie-groundhog-day/228036/24 "2004-02-08T13:20:09Z")
I think i saw an episode of a kids tv show that used this format, it was pretty crappy (no idea why i was watching it, or why I’ve just remembered it). I think it was called ‘Black hole high’. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-were-like-the-movie-groundhog-day/228036/25 "2004-02-08T15:05:50Z")
> [@Cabbage](#): > > 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. The author of the short story on which this film was based and the film’s director wanted to sue the producers of _Groundhog Day_, according to Roger Ebert, but did not have the money nor the resources to. The author, Mr. Lupoff, comments that if he only had a time machine, he would go back to 1973 and not write the story (Source: Ebert, Roger. _Questions for the Movie Answer Man_. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel, 1997. pp. 205-206). ---
**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:** [February 8, 2004, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-were-like-the-movie-groundhog-day/228036/26 "2004-02-08T15:16:46Z")
> [@mobo85](#): > > The author of the short story on which this film was based and the film’s director wanted to sue the producers of _Groundhog Day_, according to Roger Ebert, but did not have the money nor the resources to. The author, Mr. Lupoff, comments that if he only had a time machine, he would go back to 1973 and not write the story (Source: Ebert, Roger. _Questions for the Movie Answer Man_. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel, 1997. pp. 205-206). Richard Lupoff also rediscovered the novel “Lt. Gulliver Jones” written by Edwin Lester Arnold a century ago. It’s quite possible that this novel “inspired” Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “John Carter” series (active in another thread). In the early 1970s, Marvel Comics did a comic book version of “Jones,” greatly fleshing out a story that, in its original novel form, very little actually happened. The mysterious man on the flying carpet in the novel had no name. However, in a nod to Lupoff, they gave him a name in the comic book: Lu-Pov. Doesn’t respond to the OP, but (well, I already had, anyway) Lupoff’s name came up, and John Carter is in another active thread, and I just thought I’d throw out some info that (sorta) ties them together. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-were-like-the-movie-groundhog-day/228036/27 "2004-02-08T15:36:37Z")
Are there two versions of Ken Grimwood’s _Replay_? Everything I read says the book is about someone reliving the same time over and over again. The book I read has someone reliving progressively shorter and shorter periods of the end of their life. Surely I didn’t imagine this. He also wrote another time dislocation story - _Breakthrough_ which is worth finding. ---
**Author:** ![greenphan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c37758/32.png) [@greenphan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greenphan)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-were-like-the-movie-groundhog-day/228036/28 "2004-02-08T19:20:33Z")
Although the characters only relive the past once, and they can’t change anything, Vonneguts _Timequake_ sort of follows along this premise. Although, as much as I like Vonnegut, I dont’ recommend it. It was a low note on which to end his novel writing career. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-were-like-the-movie-groundhog-day/228036/29 "2004-02-08T19:29:49Z")
What about _Elmo Saves Christmas_? ---
**Author:** ![labdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5fc32e/32.png) [@labdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/labdude)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-were-like-the-movie-groundhog-day/228036/30 "2004-02-08T19:53:41Z")
The german movie ‘run lola run.’ Not tv, but the same idea. good movie. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-were-like-the-movie-groundhog-day/228036/31 "2004-02-08T21:27:12Z")
FTR, the **X-Files** episode was called “Monday.” Which is so apt, given how many people hate Mondays 🙂 There’s a **So Weird** episode called “Exit 13” that does the repeated day over and over again, and the **Charmed** season one finale " Deja Vu All Over Again" uses this idea too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-episodes-that-were-like-the-movie-groundhog-day/228036.md?page=1)