When Shows Collide: Television Crossovers Through The Ages

[C. Lee]

Actor Mike Connors played the character Joe Mannix in the TV series MANNIX (1967-1975). He also appeared as Joe Mannix in the TV series DIAGNOSIS MURDER (1997) and the theatrical movie NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING (2003)

This episode of DIAGNOSIS MURDER (S4, E17, 1997, HARD BOILED-MURDER) was a sequel to the 1973 MANNIX episode LITTLE GIRL LOST (S7, E4). Actors Pernell Roberts, Julie Adams, and Beverly Garland also reprised their roles from the old MANNIX series.

 

[signalman]

Lassie and the Lone Ranger meet in season 5, episode 36 of "Peace Patrol" on LASSIE.

 

[Frodo]

 

[C. Lee]

This was an episode of I LOVE LUCY from 1957 called "Lucy and Superman". In the episode, Lucy wants to outdo a neighbor's big birthday celebration for their kid, so after hearing that Superman will be in town on Little Ricky's birthday she says that "Superman" will show up for it. Everyone is excited for this....and then word comes that Superman won't be able to make it. So of course Lucy dresses as Supes and hets herself stuck out on a ledge around the highrise apartment building they live in. Eventually Superman shows up to save the day.

The episode was shot in black and white. The picture here is in color, because around 5 years or so ago CBS aired a special where they colorized two classic LUCY episodes. I was able to burn it to DVD and have it in my Superman collection. An interesting point in this episode is....NO ONE ever says George Reeves' name. Superman is Superman and never referred to as George Reeves playing Superman.

 

[Breogan]

Lassie and the Lone Ranger meet in season 5, episode 36 of "Peace Patrol" on LASSIE.

Epic encounter. According to the uploader, this was one of two episodes—never released for telecast.

There was also ...

An interesting point in this episode is....NO ONE ever says George Reeves' name. Superman is Superman and never referred to as George Reeves playing Superman.

Interestingly I think in both of these guest appearances (Lone Ranger's time period being anachronistic to Lassie) they get to play what should only be TV heroes, as legit real world people, or more so as you indicate, by not ever addressing them as actors playing parts, and only ever calling them by their "hero" names, they don't even have to address it.

Also one of the greatest lines in television history. (probably would't fly today)

Little Ricky and Superman George Reeves on I love Lucy.

 

[Breogan]

Wow this was way off my radar, actually pretty impressive how many unrelated franchises they got together for this.

Bugs Bunny & Daffy Duck (Warner Bros.
Huey, Dewey, & Louie (Disney
Winnie the Pooh & Tigger (Disney
Alvin, Simon & Theodore (Chipmunks
Michaelangelo (Ninja Turtles
Brainy, Hefty Smurfett & Papa (Smurfs
Slimer (Ghost Busters
Kermit, Piggy, Gonzo (Muppet Babies
Garfield
& Alf

Apparently a drug induced hallucination fueled by a poster in his room...

 

[Frodo]

Wow this was way off my radar, actually pretty impressive how many unrelated franchises they got together for this.

Bugs Bunny & Daffy Duck (Warner Bros.
Huey, Dewey, & Louie (Disney
Winnie the Pooh & Tigger (Disney
Alvin, Simon & Theodore (Chipmunks
Michaelangelo (Ninja Turtles
Brainy,Hefty Smurfett & Papa Smurf
Slimer (Ghost Busters
Kermit, Piggy, Gonzo (Muppet Babies
Garfield
& Alf

It was really cool back in the day , and as a child who watched all of those 1980s Saturday Morning Cartoons, it was mind blowing.

 

[Luigi]

Greatest crossover that never happened.

 

[C. Lee]

This is a zig-zag crossover that I thought was hilarious.

On the current series NCIS, actor David McCallum is a regular. In 1964 he starred in the classic spy show THE MAN FROM UNCLE as Illya Kuryakin. In an episode of NCIS (over 40 years later) a character says "I wonder what he looked like when he was younger." and Mark Harmon's character replies "Illya Kuryakin."

 

[Drizzle]

Not that this was ever official or anything more than a joke but I'll always love that they shot this alternate ending to Breaking Bad/Malcolm in the Middle crossover.

 

[The Caped Knight]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossovers
There’s been multiple times our Heroes in a half Shell have teamed up with various versions of themselves from other dimensions and in the film Turtles Forever, Shedder discovered their a multiverse filled with the TMNT.

 

[Breogan]

Also...
As far as I know Usagi never had his own show (so he might not count), yet did crossover with the Turtles in the comics and then the cartoon and toy line.

 

[Breogan]

Might not count since they were all from the same studio/production company, although until then mostly from separate shows, similar to Laff-A-Lympic Yogi-Yahooeys (a few pages back) most of the Hanna-Barbera "Zoo" type characters first teamed up for a couple of TV movies.

I'd love for the HB Zooniverse to get revisited with every character (first to last) teaming up.

 

[Breogan]

Actor Mike Connors played the character Joe Mannix in the TV series MANNIX (1967-1975). He also appeared as Joe Mannix in the TV series DIAGNOSIS MURDER (1997) and the theatrical movie NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING (2003)

This episode of DIAGNOSIS MURDER (S4, E17, 1997, HARD BOILED-MURDER) was a sequel to the 1973 MANNIX episode LITTLE GIRL LOST (S7, E4). Actors Pernell Roberts, Julie Adams, and Beverly Garland also reprised their roles from the old MANNIX series.

One more

 

[C. Lee]

In 1991, Kenny Rogers made another of his GAMBLER TV movies called THE GAMBLER RETURNS: THE LUCK OF THE DRAW. One of the plot points in the movie is presenting a bunch of cameo appearances of old western TV stars showing up as their well known series characters.

In the TV movie you had these actors show up -
Gene Barry as Bat Masterson from BAT MASTERSON
David Carradine as Kwai-Chang Caine from KUNG FU
Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain from THE RIFLEMAN
Johnny Crawford as Mark McCain from THE RIFLEMAN
James Drury as Virginian from THE VIRGINIAN
Doug McClure as Doug Trampas from THE VIRGINIAN
Brian Keith as Dave Blassingame from THE WESTERNER
Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick from MAVERICK
Hugh O'Brian as Wyatt Earp from THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF WYATT EARP
Clint Walker as Cheyenne Bodie from CHEYENNE

 

[LoganPool]

There was a Full House/Family Matters crossover in which Urkel showed up at the Tanner Residence and he was named dropped in the season 3 finale of Fuller House.

I sort of want to see Family Matters return.

I'm gonna springboard off of this one...

Family Matters and Boy Meets World crossed over a few times. Then Boy Meets World AND Family Matters crossed over with Step by Step. This was the Miller-Boyett Productions-Verse.

 

[LoganPool]

Oh, and this:

 

[Breogan]

In 1991, Kenny Rogers made another of his GAMBLER TV movies called THE GAMBLER RETURNS: THE LUCK OF THE DRAW. One of the plot points in the movie is presenting a bunch of cameo appearances of old western TV stars showing up as their well known series characters.

In the TV movie you had these actors show up -
Gene Barry as Bat Masterson from BAT MASTERSON
David Carradine as Kwai-Chang Caine from KUNG FU
Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain from THE RIFLEMAN
Johnny Crawford as Mark McCain from THE RIFLEMAN
James Drury as Virginian from THE VIRGINIAN
Doug McClure as Doug Trampas from THE VIRGINIAN
Brian Keith as Dave Blassingame from THE WESTERNER
Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick from MAVERICK
Hugh O'Brian as Wyatt Earp from THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF WYATT EARP
Clint Walker as Cheyenne Bodie from CHEYENNE

Fantastic, I need to check this out.

 

[The Caped Knight]

Oh, and this:

Mike Backster meet Tim Taylor

 

[C. Lee]

Between the years 1959 and 1963 actor Robert Fuller played the character Jess Harper on the western series LARAMIE. In three episodes of WALKER: TEXAS RANGER, Fuller played a character named Wade Harper who was said to be the grandson of Jess.

 

[The Caped Knight]

Dick Van Dyke and Andy Griffith as Mark Sloan & Ben Matlock did a crossover in Diagnosis Murder in which Matlock guest star in a two-parter episode “Murder Two”.

 

[Breogan]

Vintage crossovers, by way of Soaky commercials:


Dick Tracy and varmint Muskie Muskrat from the Deputy Dawg show.

Superman and Tennessee Tuxedo


And before who framed Roger Rabbit - Disney and Warner Bros. (though should have been Donald & Daffy)

 

[Dr. Evil]

I've been on a Power Rangers binge since Once and Always and I am almost done with all of the series, but the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers meet The Masked Rider in Season 3 as part of a three episode arc leading into his own series:





And then the Power Rangers in Space with the Ninja Turtles including the only live action appearance of the 5th Ninja Turtle, Venus De Milo:

 

[Breogan]

Oh yeah, then this happened!

And then the Power Rangers in Space with the Ninja Turtles including the only live action appearance of the 5th Ninja Turtle, Venus De Milo:

Still one of my favorites nonsensical crossovers.
Though naming her after the art and not an Artist, they could have taken a minute to find an anologues female Italian Renaissance painter- Sofonisba Anguissola was a contemporary of Michelangelo (though her name is a mouthful, easily nicknamed Sofi) or Lavinia Fontana
Or following her own origin, after an equivalent female Chinese painter ie; Guan Daosheng / Lady Zhongji

I've been on a Power Rangers binge since Once and Always and I am almost done with all of the series, but the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers meet The Masked Rider in Season 3 as part of a three episode arc leading into his own series:

Was this done as a pilot intro for the Masked Rider series?
Also do they share the same universe in Japan?

Re: Edit:

Apparently this crossover goes way back to Toei/ Marvel Supaidāman - Battle Dance Fever era.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Still one of my favorites nonsensical crossovers.
Though naming her after the art and not an Artist, they could have taken a minute to find an anologues female Italian Renaissance painter- Sofonisba Anguissola was a contemporary of Michelangelo (though her name is a mouthful, easily nicknamed Sofi) or Lavinia Fontana
Or following her own origin, after an equivalent female Chinese painter ie; Guan Daosheng / Lady Zhongji


Was this done as a pilot intro for the Masked Rider series?
Also do they share the same universe in Japan?

Re: Edit:

Apparently this crossover goes way back to Toei/ Marvel Supaidāman - Battle Dance Fever era.

Supposedly, but the Masked Rider pilot never mentioned the crossover.