# Worst Television Cross-over **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 22, 2017, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-television-cross-over/797006 "2017-09-22T21:18:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-television-cross-over/797006/1 "2017-09-22T21:18:01Z")
You know-Where the characters from one show visit the characters from another show as a ratings stunt? As a fan of bad television, I have seen a few of these, but the worst I can remember was when the z-grade syndicated action series “Nightman”(your typical “jazz saxophonist gets hit by lightning and gains magical powers” show) decides to do a cross-over with a series that had been cancelled several years before…and decides to go with the infamously bad NBC series “Manimal”(a show so bad it went on hiatus after showing only three episodes!). Maybe they thought it worked like math-a negative times a negative creates a positive? Instead what you got was Bad Squared. Anyone else with an example? ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-television-cross-over/797006/2 "2017-09-22T21:22:44Z")
I thought the 24/Simpsons crossover was really bad, especially when both their Critic and X-Files crossovers are such iconic episodes. Just seemed like late season Simpsons bad writing though, too many jokes thrown in at once hoping one sticks. Plus they brought back Kiefer Sutherland later on to play the exact same character under a different name which was weird. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-television-cross-over/797006/3 "2017-09-22T21:24:26Z")
The recent Bones/Sleepy Hollow crossover was kind of bad. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-television-cross-over/797006/4 "2017-09-22T21:30:59Z")
There was a sort-of “Cheers”/“ER” crossover episode where George Clooney and Noah Wylie, as a pair of doctors, show up at the bar. Except they weren’t their characters from “ER” (which would have been stupid anyway since ER is set in Chicago). Not sure what they were thinking with that one. ETA: I guess it was more “stunt casting” than a crossover. Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-television-cross-over/797006/5 "2017-09-22T21:37:13Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > ETA: I guess it was more “stunt casting” than a crossover. Never mind. That’s not even the worst example of [stunt casting](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHD_53UqBeA). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-television-cross-over/797006/6 "2017-09-22T21:40:36Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > There was a sort-of “Cheers”/“ER” crossover episode where George Clooney and Noah Wylie, as a pair of doctors, show up at the bar. Except they weren’t their characters from “ER” (which would have been stupid anyway since ER is set in Chicago). Not sure what they were thinking with that one. > > ETA: I guess it was more “stunt casting” than a crossover. Never mind. Sure you’re not thinking of Cheers/St Elsewhere? ER did one with a show I can’t remember (about first responders). Susan’s niece little Susie went missing and they had to call in these folks to find her and her sister. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-television-cross-over/797006/7 "2017-09-22T21:47:48Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > ER did one with a show I can’t remember (about first responders). Susan’s niece little Susie went missing and they had to call in these folks to find her and her sister. “Third Watch” according to [TV Tropes](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/ER). ---
**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:** [September 22, 2017, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-television-cross-over/797006/8 "2017-09-22T21:50:12Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Sure you’re not thinking of Cheers/St Elsewhere? Or ER/Friends, where Clooney and Wyle played doctors who dated Monica and Rachel? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-television-cross-over/797006/9 "2017-09-22T21:52:13Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Sure you’re not thinking of Cheers/St Elsewhere? > > ER did one with a show I can’t remember (about first responders). Susan’s niece little Susie went missing and they had to call in these folks to find her and her sister. Yeah, it must have been Cheers/St. Elsewhere since both shows were set in Boston. And everyone was in character. In fact, Dr. Auschlander introduces Norm as his _former_ accountant. Here’s the scene: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/D-oKq_uXMNs/hqdefault.jpg "St. Elsewhere invades Cheers") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-oKq_uXMNs) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-television-cross-over/797006/10 "2017-09-22T21:54:33Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > …and decides to go with the infamously bad NBC series “Manimal”(a show so bad it went on hiatus after showing only three episodes!) I think you’re remembering that wrong. Because, as a wide-eyed little kid watching “Manimal” _religiously,_ I’d have noticed. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-television-cross-over/797006/11 "2017-09-22T21:59:41Z")
Though it was no where near as bad as some mentioned (Col Klink in Gotham! Oy ve!) L&O Criminal Intent episode “Contract” had Mary Shannon from In Plain Sight show up for no real reason. She was there, it wasn’t played for laughs, she didn’t do anything that any random actor couldn’t do, she barely interacted with the main cast, and she was gone in about two minutes, never to be mentioned or seen again. It just functioned as an in-episode plug for the other show, and nothing more. If you’ve never heard of In Plain Sight, the whole scene would be wasted on you. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-television-cross-over/797006/12 "2017-09-22T22:06:42Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Or ER/Friends, where Clooney and Wyle played doctors who dated Monica and Rachel? They weren’t in their ER characters though. > [@Skywatcher](#): > > “Third Watch” according to [TV Tropes](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/ER). Right! Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-television-cross-over/797006/13 "2017-09-22T22:31:00Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > I think you’re remembering that wrong. > > Because, as a wide-eyed little kid watching “Manimal” _religiously,_ I’d have noticed. [TV Tropes agrees with **Czar**.](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/NightMan) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-television-cross-over/797006/14 "2017-09-22T22:33:04Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > [TV Tropes agrees with **Czar**.](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/NightMan) I was disagreeing with the part about Manimal going on hiatus after only three episodes, a matter which TVTropes seems silent on. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-television-cross-over/797006/15 "2017-09-22T22:48:43Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > I was disagreeing with the part about Manimal going on hiatus after only three episodes Sorry, you weren’t clear about what you disagreed with. ETA: [Wikipedia says he’s close.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manimal) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-television-cross-over/797006/16 "2017-09-22T23:27:48Z")
This far down and no one has mentioned the _ **Family Guy** _/\*\*\*Simpsons \*\*\*crossover? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-television-cross-over/797006/17 "2017-09-22T23:56:05Z")
Flinstones/Jetsons was bad. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-television-cross-over/797006/18 "2017-09-23T16:41:54Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Sure you’re not thinking of Cheers/St Elsewhere? > > ER did one with a show I can’t remember (about first responders). Susan’s niece little Susie went missing and they had to call in these folks to find her and her sister. > [@kunilou](#): > > Or ER/Friends, where Clooney and Wyle played doctors who dated Monica and Rachel? Yup, getting two things conflated: The Cheers/St. Elsewhere crossover and the Friends/“ER” thing. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-television-cross-over/797006/19 "2017-09-23T21:12:51Z")
I would also nominate the one between _Bones_ and _Sleepy Hollow_. I actually was a big fan of the latter and, although I had given up on the former, had followed it for several seasons. And I certainly appreciated the network’s attempt to give _Sleepy Hollow_ a shot in the arm by connecting it to a more successful show. But the two shows were so different in tone that it was a perplexing fit. It would have worked much better if they had found a more magically inclined show for Ichabod Crane and pals to wander into. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-television-cross-over/797006/20 "2017-09-23T21:41:10Z")
William F. Buckley’s old PBS show _Firing Line_ I thought filled in quite seamlessly with _BJ and the Bear_ in a five-epi “mini-series” that for some didn’t really catch on. Lots of sheriff/hitch-hiker action, with occasional rhetorical respites usually delving in US economic and foreign policy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-television-cross-over/797006.md?page=2)