A little friendly rivalry never hurt anyone! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down moments when sitcoms made fun of the styles, stories, characters, or flawed logic of other TV shows.
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00:00 Whoa, what's this place?
00:01 Yeah, this universe looks weird.
00:03 Yeah, it's cheap and somehow lazy.
00:05 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down moments
00:08 when sitcoms made fun of the styles, stories, characters,
00:12 or flawed logic of other TV shows.
00:14 Captain Klingon's off the starboard bow.
00:16 Again with the Klingons.
00:18 Number 10, American Dad, Breaking Bad.
00:21 American Dad is no stranger to parody,
00:23 and the 10-season episode, Faking Bad,
00:26 has one particular show in its crosshairs.
00:28 You can probably guess which show.
00:29 Steve takes on the Walter White role,
00:31 becoming a local kingpin of fake IDs.
00:33 Hayley, what you're suggesting could get us in deep trouble.
00:36 You're selling fake IDs to teenagers.
00:38 At most, you'd get a slap on the wrist.
00:40 Young man even gives himself a German alias,
00:43 a la Heisenberg, going by the name Gutenberg,
00:45 after Police Academy actor Steve Gutenberg.
00:48 There's a new counterfeiter in town.
00:49 And his name is Steve.
00:51 No, Hayley, I've given a lot of thought to this.
00:54 From now on, my name is Gutenberg.
00:58 Stan embodies the role of Hank, as he
01:00 is tasked with tracking down the mysterious ringleader who
01:02 just so happens to be a close family member.
01:04 The entire episode parodies the style and storytelling
01:07 techniques of Breaking Bad, and often pokes fun
01:09 at how it all works in the process.
01:11 Good work.
01:12 Take her away.
01:13 But sir, Gutenberg or not, I can't arrest my own daughter.
01:17 Number 9, The Drew Carey Show, Babylon 5.
01:21 Science fiction and its devoted fans
01:23 are often the target of parody, but the Drew Carey Show
01:25 parodies it all with true style.
01:27 In the episode, "Three Guys, a Girl, and a Beast Story,"
01:30 Lewis attends a science fiction convention dressed
01:32 as Jakar from Babylon 5.
01:34 I'll have you know, while you're sitting here throwing back
01:36 beers, I'll be hobnobbing with the intergalactic elite
01:39 at the airport ramada.
01:40 The makeup and costume design are on point,
01:42 but no matter how good Lewis looks,
01:44 he's still made fun of for his goofy appearance.
01:47 At one point, Carey says, in a costume like that,
01:49 even the winners are losers.
01:51 Jokes are also made at the expense of Jakar's name
01:53 and a fictional language used throughout Babylon 5.
01:55 Oh, Phineas, Ben, and Zach Winder.
02:00 Lewis may love the sci-fi classic,
02:02 but the Drew Carey Show and the characters who populate it
02:05 can't help but poke fun.
02:06 He's still my beating heart.
02:07 Number 8, Psych, Twin Peaks.
02:13 No matter how iconic it may be, Twin Peaks is ripe for parody.
02:17 Like much of David Lynch's work,
02:18 the show is filled with nonsensical and surreal imagery.
02:21 The characters are quirky, and the plot
02:23 doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
02:24 Enter Psych and the fifth season episode, "Duel Spires."
02:27 This is one secluded town.
02:32 The name is an obvious play on Twin Peaks,
02:34 but the jokes don't stop there.
02:36 Nope.
02:36 The whole episode is a playful homage
02:38 to Lynch's television masterpiece,
02:40 with some of its regular cast members
02:41 even showing up for cameos.
02:43 She was afraid.
02:44 She thought she was being watched.
02:46 Psych has a firm understanding of what made Twin Peaks tick,
02:48 and it's fun to watch that cult classic
02:50 be comedically poked and prodded.
02:52 That is a damn fine cup of cider.
02:54 Number 7, Married with Children, "Cops."
02:57 Back in 1996, Fox did a fun little experiment
03:00 with their flagship shows, "Cops" and "Married with Children."
03:03 They decided to do a crossover event,
03:05 with Al and Jefferson watching and commenting
03:07 on the "Cops" episode that just aired.
03:08 Man, I love "Cops."
03:10 Furthermore, Al learns that Officer Dan
03:12 will be appearing on the show,
03:13 and works his Al magic to star alongside him.
03:16 Let's be careful out there.
03:21 The result is a hilarious parody of "Cops,"
03:23 with the inexperienced Al playing it up for the camera.
03:25 The targets of this episode are many,
03:27 including the colorful characters often seen in the show
03:30 and its signature handheld camera work.
03:32 - Our work here is done.
03:33 - Number 6, Community, "Glee."
03:36 No show is safe from community,
03:38 and few shows are as ready for parody as "Glee."
03:40 The two combine with hilarious force
03:42 in the season three episode, "Regional Holiday Music."
03:45 Series creator Dan Harmon reportedly hated "Glee,"
03:47 and he made his frustrations known throughout this episode.
03:50 - You're awfully quiet, Jeff.
03:51 Nobody hates "Glee Club" more than you.
03:53 - Today I'm just content to sit back and enjoy the show.
03:55 - The "Glee Club" is portrayed as being overly sensitive,
03:58 and everyone finds their performances
03:59 annoying and obnoxious,
04:01 so much that Chang hands them a cease and desist letter.
04:04 - Cease and desist.
04:07 - And when the study group is coerced into performing,
04:09 the show takes aim at "Glee's" cloying sentimentality
04:12 and borderline cultish behavior.
04:14 It's all great stuff, and it's obvious
04:16 that the people behind it had a firm hatred of the material.
04:18 - ♪ We will sing together throughout everything ♪
04:22 - Number five, "Family Guy," "Robot Chicken."
04:25 There's obviously a good relationship
04:27 between "Family Guy" and "Robot Chicken."
04:29 Seth Green is a regular performer on "Family Guy,"
04:31 and Seth MacFarlane helped Green
04:32 pitch "Robot Chicken" to Adult Swim.
04:34 But regardless of the shared bond,
04:36 "Family Guy" has taken some vicious swings
04:38 at Green's stop-motion sitcom.
04:39 - Whoa, this is trippy.
04:41 - I should say so.
04:42 We're in the "Robot Chicken" universe.
04:44 - In "Road to the Multiverse,"
04:45 Chris makes fun of the show's nerdy cultural references,
04:47 while Stewie, actually acknowledging Green,
04:49 asks how it feels to be on a major network.
04:52 - How's it feel to be on a major network for 30 seconds?
04:54 - This joke is mirrored in the "Star Wars" specials,
04:56 with Peter mocking "Robot Chicken's" niche network
04:58 and low viewer count.
04:59 At least Green is a great sport about it.
05:01 - Didn't "Robot Chicken" already do this three months ago?
05:04 - Well, I wouldn't worry about it, Chris.
05:06 I don't think people are even aware of that show's existence.
05:09 - Number four, "Scrubs," "House."
05:11 It was only a matter of time before "Scrubs" took aim
05:13 at its more serious and dramatic counterpart.
05:15 While "House" was critically acclaimed,
05:17 it certainly had a predictable formula,
05:19 and "Scrubs" took advantage of it.
05:20 The parody came in the appropriately named
05:22 six-season episode, "My House."
05:24 - I'm just Dr. Cox.
05:27 - The entire episode is a parody of the show,
05:29 with Cox using a cane and having to deal
05:31 with over-the-top medical mysteries
05:33 with unforeseeable conclusions.
05:35 One of them is a patient with orange skin,
05:37 which is a direct reference to the house pilot.
05:39 - What color would he most likely turn
05:41 if he were to gorge himself on both those items?
05:45 - Orange.
05:46 - Cox even directly criticizes "House"
05:48 in one prolonged monologue, poking fun
05:50 at "House's" Hollywood looks and the outrageous number
05:52 of medical mysteries that he has to deal with.
05:54 - "House" is a genius.
05:57 - That's it, I'm whacking both of you.
05:59 - Ow.
06:00 - Number three, "The Simpsons," "Tom and Jerry" franchise.
06:03 At this point, "Itchy and Scratchy"
06:05 may be more famous than "Tom and Jerry."
06:07 (tires screeching)
06:09 While the earlier cat and mouse duo
06:11 originally starred in popular short films,
06:13 they eventually made their way to TV in the 1970s
06:15 with "The Tom and Jerry Show."
06:16 However, this program was vastly different from the films,
06:19 as censors feared that violence would not be suited
06:22 to the small screen.
06:23 This violence is exactly what "Tom and Jerry"
06:25 became known for, and it was viciously
06:27 and relentlessly parodied throughout "The Simpsons."
06:29 (bubbles popping)
06:33 "Itchy and Scratchy" are exaggerated versions
06:35 of "Tom and Jerry," with the violence being far more graphic.
06:38 And it's through "Itchy and Scratchy"
06:39 that "The Simpsons" satirizes cartoon violence
06:41 and the gleeful manner in which children consume it.
06:44 (bubbles popping)
06:46 Number two, "How I Met Your Mother," "Friends."
06:49 While it did enough to distinguish itself,
06:51 "How I Met Your Mother" was always compared to "Friends"
06:53 and often unfavorably.
06:54 Enter the second season episode, "Swirly,"
06:57 which sees the sitcom putting "Friends" in its place.
06:59 - This would never happen at a bar.
07:01 (audience laughing)
07:03 - "Swirly" gets right down to business,
07:04 with Ted, Marshall, and Barney hanging out in a coffee shop
07:07 that looks exactly like "Central Perk."
07:09 All three look extraordinarily bored,
07:11 with Marshall and Ted staring off into space,
07:13 and Barney impatiently checking his watch.
07:15 Both Barney and Ted then remark
07:16 that spending time in a coffee shop isn't nearly as fun
07:19 as spending time in a bar,
07:20 an obvious jab at the show's respective hangouts.
07:23 - Hanging out at a coffee place?
07:24 Not nearly as much fun as hanging out at a bar.
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07:41 Number one, "South Park," "Family Guy."
07:44 It's "Family Guy's" turn to be on the receiving end
07:46 of a harsh roast.
07:47 "South Park" famously came after "Family Guy"
07:50 in the iconic two-parter "Cartoon Wars,"
07:52 and let's just say they were not very kind.
07:54 Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone
07:56 are not fans of "Family Guy,"
07:57 primarily owing to its lack of proper storylines
07:59 and reliance on nonsensical cutaway gags.
08:02 - Peter, you didn't do the laundry today.
08:04 - You think that's bad?
08:06 Remember the time I won a date to Mexico with Gary Coleman?
08:10 - These cutaway gags are relentlessly mocked
08:12 throughout "Cartoon Wars."
08:14 At one point, it's revealed that the "Family Guy"
08:15 writers' room is populated by manatees
08:17 mindlessly working with idea balls.
08:19 - The manatees choose an idea ball
08:21 and swim it over to the joke combine
08:23 on the other side of the tank.
08:24 - And the end of the episode
08:25 contains a wickedly offensive video
08:27 made by terrorist Ayman Azawiri,
08:29 who calls the content funnier than "Family Guy."
08:31 What other memorable roast did we forget?
08:36 Tell us in the comments.
08:38 - I stole the head off a statue once.
08:40 - Wow, that's pretty hardcore.
08:42 - Did you enjoy this video?
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09:00 (upbeat music)