A truly greatTV crossoverhas the power to surprise and enthrall viewers as characters they would never have imagined interacting with one another share the same space. Crossovers can be a great way to introduce viewers to TV shows they may not have otherwise seen by giving them a glimpse into characters' personas while remaining within a show they already know and love. However, a bad crossover can also feel overly forced, as characters who don’t meld well are unnaturally required to come together for an episode, special, TV movie, or non-canonical scene.
Thebest TV crossoversusually contain an element of surprise as they showcase what’s unique and enjoyable about a particular show while seamlessly blending it with another one. In other instances, crossovers have been less overt, and clever ways have been found to include characters or styles from one show and put them into the other in a way that makes sense within the narrative. A well-craftedTV crossover features the best of both worlds as the two shows complement and inform one another.
10Doctor Who & Eastenders
“Dimensions in Time” (1993)
While the iconic British sci-fi seriesDoctor Whoand the daytime soap operaEastendersseem like they couldn’t be further apart in style, they shockingly had a crossover in 1993. “Dimensions in Time” was a charity special thatfeatured all the surviving actors who had ever played the Doctor, with severalEastendersstars portraying their companions, with the proceeds going toChildren in Need. This story celebrated the 30th anniversary ofDoctor Whoand was the only original story told since the series' cancellation in 1989.
Despite featuring so many formerDoctor Whoactors reprising their acclaimed roles, “Dimensions in Time” received overwhelmingly negative reviews and was considered a low point in the sci-fi series Wilderness Years before it was revived to acclaim in 2005. With a gimmicky concept, poor special effects, and limited involvement from Tom Baker’s fourth Doctor, this low-budget special was best forgotten about entirely. Similarly to themuch-malignedStar Wars Holiday Special, “Dimensions in Time” was a poor-quality anomaly that has aged badly.
9The Jetsons & The Flintstones
The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones (1987)
With two vastly different settings, the idea of the characters from the Hanna-Barbera series’The JetsonsandThe Flintstonescrossing paths felt like an impossibility. With the Jetsons being a futuristic family living among robotic contraptions, aliens, holograms, and whimsical inventions and the Flintstones living in a dinosaur-filled version of the Stone Age, the crossover potential of the two shows was not readily apparent. However, this all changed with the release of this 1987 made-for-TV movie, as a time travel experiment gone wrong saw the disparate families coming together.
With a story that saw the Jetson family’s plan to vacation in the 25th century turn sour after they accidentally set the time machine to the past, it was thrilling to watch howGeorge Jetson interacted with the bumbling antics of Fred Flintstone. For young viewers,The Jetsons Meet the Flintstoneswas an extraordinary crossover that showcased anything was possible in the world of animation. With crisp and clean animation, this fun crossover was a high point for both series during the 1980s.
8Brooklyn Nine-Nine & New Girl
B99 Season 4, Episode 4 “The Night Shift” & New Girl Season 6, Episode 4 “Homecoming”
On August 09, 2025, two hit Fox sitcoms came together whenBrooklyn Nine-NineandNew Girleach aired their own crossover episodesone after another. With overlapping stories that sawtheNew Girlcast going to New York for Schmidt’s high school reunion, the logistics of one series being set in Brooklyn while the other was in Chicago were easily solved. As two very different shows, these crossover episodes were a great way for Fox to boost their viewership by briefly introducing audiences to both sets of characters.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine’scrossover aired first, and it was a nice surprise to see Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) meeting Jessica Day (Zooey Deschanel) as he tries to command her vehicle, which was a “crossover SUV” in a clever nod to the episode’s premise. TheNew Girlepisode featured many moreBrooklyn Nine-Ninecharacters, such as Jake, Captain Holt, Gina, Boyle, and Coach. While this crossover felt slightly forced and awkward at times, it was a nice melding of worlds that introduced plenty of viewers to the other show.
7The Simpsons & Family Guy
Family Guy: Season 13, Episode 1: “The Simpsons Guy”
The influence ofThe Simpsonswas baked into the identity ofFamily Guy, as both series satirized the idea of a wholesome all-American family by subverting it with dysfunctionality and crude chaos. For years, audiences have made comparisons between the Griffin and Simpsons families, although a literal crossover episode never truly felt like it was on the cards. That was until “The Simpsons Guy” aired in 2014 as the 44-minute special Season 13 premiere ofFamily Guy.
This highly anticipated crossover episode featured the Griffin family meeting the Simpsons after their car was stolen just outside Springfield. While it was interesting to seeStewie interact with Bart while Homer and Peter drank in Moe’s Tavern, it was also slightly jarring and awkward as, although the shows had plenty of similarities, their tones did not easily mix. “The Simpsons Guy” received mixed reviews after it aired and its its biggest issue was that it felt forced as it rehashed the best jokes from both shows without adding anything new.
6The Office & Breaking Bad
‘The Office Skit’ from the 2011 Emmys
While the lighthearted workplace antics ofThe Officefeel like a million miles away from the gritty, meth-laced world ofBreaking Bad, they came together in a hilarious TV skit aired during the 2011 Primetime Emmy Awards. This brief skit included appearances from many beloved TV characters, such as Tom Haverford fromParks and Recreation, Tracy Jordan from30 Rock, and Roger Sterling fromMad Men. However, the most impactful was Aaron Paul reprising his role as Jesse Pinkman and appearing in the office of Dunder Mifflin.
This hilarious moment came asThe OfficecharacterCreed was revealed to be a customer of Jesse’sas he arrived at the office to deliver a package of crystal meth. While it’s clear this skit was not canon for either series, it was still a real surprise to see Jesse interacting with characters fromThe Office. AlthoughBreaking Badalways melded intense drama with a sense of humor, it was certainly a far cry from a workplace sitcom, which made Jesse’s appearance all the more shocking.
Friends: Season 1, Episodes 16 & 17: “The One with Two Parts"
Friendsviewers will be well aware that Lisa Kudrow played not only the main cast member Phoebe Buffay but also her twin sister Ursula. Although many may not know that Ursula was actually already a character in theMad About You,a sitcom being made at the same time. This fun connection meant thatFriendsandMad About Youexisted in the same universe, and this was further exploited in the Season 1Friendscrossover episode “The One With Two Parts.”
The Real Reason Friends Made Phoebe A Twin
Phoebe was the only one out of the main group in Friends who was a twin, but that wasn’t a decision made for the sake of the character’s arc.
This crossover featured not just Ursula but also Leila Kenzle and Helen Hunt guest starring as Fran Devanow and Jamie Buchman fromMad About You. This episode depicted Ursula dating Joey, whileFran and Jamie mistook Phoebe for Ursulawhile getting a coffee in Central Perk. This surprising crossover came out of necessity as NBC wanted to explain why Kudrow was appearing in two sitcoms on the same network that were airing around the same time.
4The X-Files & Cops
The X-Files: Season 7, Episode 12 “X-Cops”
As a series never afraid to take chances, the Season 7 episode “X-Cops” was truly one ofthe best episodes ofThe X-Files. As a “Monster-of-the-Week” style episode that is unconnected to the overallX-Filesmythology, this unique installment written by futureBreaking Badcreator Vince Gilligan mimicked the style of an episode of the American reality TV showCopsto create a highly engaging and amusing fictional crossover episode. This tongue-in-cheek installment saw Fox Mulder embrace the publicity they received being on an episode ofCops, while Scully was frustrated by the film crew.
In keeping with the format of a real episode ofCops,“X-Cops” was shot on videotape and featured appearances from many members of the realCopscrew. By blending reality TV with the fictional nature ofThe X-Files, “X-Cops” was a surprising example of postmodern television, where the lines and boundaries between media start to blur. As an exceptionally clever episode, “X-Cops” mixed its unique format with a real sense of fun and enjoyable humor.
3The Sopranos & Curb Your Enthusiasm
The Sopranos: Season 5, Episode 3 “Where’s Johnny?”
When watching the acclaimed gangster HBO seriesThe Sopranosthe last person viewers would be expecting to see would be the fictionalized version of Larry David fromCurb Your Enthusiasm. However, this is exactly what happened in the Season 5 episode “Where’s Johnny?” asJunior watches TV and mistakenly thinks he is the main character on an old episode ofCurb. While this confusion signaled the progression of Junior’s dementia, it was also a hilarious meeting of two very different television shows.
The scene in question saw Junior watching theCurbSeason 2 episode “The Doll” and becoming very irritable because he does not understand how he could be on television. This brief crossover brought together two of the very best shows on HBO at the time while also showcasing that in the world of TV crossovers, anything was possible. Junior also hilariously mistook Jeff Garlin’sCurbcharacter for his fellow crew member Bobby Baccalieri.
WhenBreaking Badwas still on the air, a stand-standing online joke predicted the show would end with Walter White entering witness protection and taking on a new identity as Hal fromMalcolm in the Middle. This hilarious what-if brought together Bryan Cranstan’s two most iconic characters, but it was also a crossover that felt so ridiculous that it could never happen. However, the always affable Cranston embraced this idea in aBreaking Badalternative ending featured as a special scene in theBreaking Bad: The Complete SeriesDVD.
Rather than featuring Walter going into witness protection, this alternative ending depicted Hal waking up from a dream after having imagined everything that occurred inBreaking Bad. Jane Kaczmarek even reprised her role as Hal’s wife Lois, who consoled him as he cried, and she laughed about the idea of Hal cooking anything well, let alone being a world-class cook of methamphetamine. While this scene was, of course, not canon,it was an enjoyable and surprising crossover for lovers of bothBreaking BadandMalcolm in the Middle.
1Scooby-Doo & Supernatural
Supernatural: Season 13, Episode 16 “Scoobynatural”
While the live-action paranormal dramaSupernaturaland the beloved classic kids' showScooby-Doomay not at first appear an obvious choice for a crossover episode, upon further inspection, it’s shocking how similar the two series are. This made theSupernaturalSeason 13 episode “Scoobynatural” feel like a natural fit, as Sam, Dean, and Castiel are sucked into the animated world ofScooby-Dooas they help the Scooby Gang solve a real mystery. WiththeSupernaturalcharacters were aware that they have entered a cartoon world, this episode was packed with meta-humor and enjoyable childhood nostalgia.
“Scoobynatural” became all the more effective as the events of the episode collided with the real 1970Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!episode “A Night of Fright Is No Delight.” The current voice cast ofScooby-Dooeven reprised their roles for the episode, giving it real credibility as its animation was up to the standard of classicScooby-Dooadventures. The appeal of this episode perfectly encapsulated what the very bestTV crossoverscan achieve, as although it was an initial surprise to see Sam and Dean in animation, in practice, these worlds complimented each other perfectly.
